Could TCU Win the Big East?
Engel writes:
My lack of love for Big East football is pretty well documented as much as it has been ignored, but the thought of TCU playing a schedule against this conference got me thinking. In a word - the Big East is an overrated pack of basketball schools that was handed a BCS bid because it knows the right people. Maybe that was more than one word.
How would TCU football fair against The Big East?
By matchup ...
TCU vs. Syracuse . Have no idea why the Orange are so bad for so long, but this would clearly favor TCU. Maybe Jim Brown could suit up against for Syracuse and they could play TCU in the Cotton Bowl again. Brown is probably in good enough shape to do it.
TCU vs. West Virginia . If Rich Rodriguez was coaching in Morgantown, I would say this is a toss-up. But Bill Stewart doesn't exactly strike fear into opponents the way (Rodriguez) did.
TCU vs. Rutgers. All depends on the year. Coach Greg Schiano has made something out of nothing, but this a rebuild, not reload, team.
TCU vs. South Florida. If the Bulls ever get their junk together they can be a serious threat; there is talent a plenty in state to recruit from.
TCU vs. Connecticut. This is a basketball school, and although it has poured money into football establishing itself as a legit football power remains elusive.
TCU vs. Louisville. Since Bobby Petrino left, the program has slumped badly.
TCU vs. Pittsburgh. Coach Dave (Wannstedt) gets players, and then promptly does nothing. Have no idea how this program is not the class of the conference every season.
TCU vs. Cincinnati. The Bearcats have become a program that can be a threat every few years.
It is safe to conclude that should TCU actually go to The Big East, which is probably still a reach, it would almost immediately be at or near the top of the conference in football. There will be a feeling out process, much like there was for the previous conference transitions.
The program that would immediately take a hit would be men's basketball. The Big East is a men's basketball power, and although TCU coach Jim Christian is making strides in improving his roster and should be competitive this season, a move to the Big East would take another new round of highly-ranked recruits.
But this is a football world, and football gets what football wants.
What's your opinion? Feel free to comment. (Must be a subscriber. It's FREE!)
March's Top 10 Stories
Men's Sports Vanishing Along with Male Students
Most big schools offer the same core group for men: football, basketball, baseball, cross-country, track, golf, and tennis. What they drop most often are small-roster sports that bring in little or no cash. To read more, click here.
Sections
Bowl Games Face Tax Attack
The bowls operate as 501(c)3 charities, meaning their operations are tax-exempt and donations they receive are tax-deductible. Such groups may not operate for the benefit of private interests. To read more, click here.
Sections
Concussions Getting Congressional Attention
Also, given the Internet, parents and athletes now have access to recent articles by Alan Schwarz of The New York Times, some describing the dangers of concussions from practices rather than just games. At what point do parents refuse to allow their children to play football? To read more, click here.
Sections
$80 Million Gift Will Launch Penn State Hockey
Sources involved with the process have confirmed to both USCHO.com and CBS College Sports Network that there will be a gift of between $80 million and $90 million donated by Penn State alumnus Terry Pegula to start the program.
Pegula, who recently sold his natural gas company, East Resources, for close to $5 billion, will deliver to the school what it always felt it needed — a Division I hockey program to fill seats in a new building from October through mid-March. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Westerhaus Looks Back
“Charlotte understood the unique requirement of leadership necessary to advocate for diversity and inclusion and fully understood the complexity of the dynamics required to navigate the troubling waters of change associated with such matters dealing with the sensitive subjects of race and gender,” said Floyd A. Keith, BCA executive director. “It can always be said, under Charlotte’s tenure as NCAA vice president of diversity and inclusion, the landscape of opportunities improved in the NCAA for people of color and gender. “ To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Jim Tressel's Unusual Side Job at OSU
Mr. Tressel, who has won one national title and won or shared six Big Ten championships in 10 seasons at Ohio State, has often been criticized for boring football fans with his conservative "Tressel Ball" that avoids turnovers at all costs and relies on defense, and for his mind-numbing habit of evading tough questions with safe, bland and often clichéd answers.
But Mr. Tressel's performance in the classroom, a place where few top coaches dare to venture these days, is downright riveting, and there's a growing number of students on the waiting list to prove it. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Big East and TCU?
TCU has met with Big East officials within the past 30 days to discus the logistics of a move by TCU in either the 2011 or 2012 seasons, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Lloyd Carr Sees ND Joining Big Ten
One conference he thinks will add members is the Big Ten to reach 16 teams and one likely addition will be Notre Dame, which has until now sworn off changing from football independence. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Too Many Bowl Games and Too Few Teams
A year ago, there were 34 bowl games and only 71 bowl-eligible teams for the 68 berths.To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Cal Drops 4 Sports
UC Berkeley administrators said they decided on the cuts after considering a variety of factors, including cost, student diversity, impact on donations and compliance with Title IX, the federal law that requires schools to provide equal opportunities to male and female students in sports and other activities. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Confronting Change and Risk Mark New NCAA President
More changes are coming. Emmert's goal, he says, is to make the NCAA more streamlined and nimble, able to move more quickly on behalf of its member institutions. He's also doing what university presidents across the country have been forced to do in a time of tightened finances, rethinking every cost. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Isch's Interim Term as NCAA President Called a Success
Since Isch was appointed September 22, 2009, the Association stabilized its primary revenue stream for the next 14 years, hired a new permanent president and began construction on an addition to the national office, all while making steady progress on academic reform, officiating improvements and 17 task forces Isch established to make life easier for Mark Emmert when he takes over from Isch on October 4 as the Association’s fifth chief executive. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
NAAC Creates Reasonable Standards
“This first release of NAAC Reasonable Standards is a significant step in establishing clear expectations for all Division I institutions and their compliance efforts,” stated NAAC President Tony Hernandez, deputy athletics director at the University of Miami. “These standards are important for the long term success of our profession.” To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Former Rutgers AD Mulcahy Receives Toner Award
Mulcahy is the 16th recipient, a list that includes Frank Broyles of Arkansas, Vince Dooley of Georgia, Jake Crouthamel of Syracuse and DeLoss Dodds of Texas. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
OSU's Smith Says Big Ten Done with Expansion
"We're done with it," Smith said. "We're finished. The only thing that would cause us to look at it further is if someone contacted us. So, we're not going to go out and say we're thinking about expansion." To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Dantonio Case Reminds Coaches of Need to Reduce Stress
While Dantonio, 54, is expected to make a full recovery and eventually return to his regular duties, it was still a sobering tale for the college football coaching fraternity. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
RPI Revised for Division I Women's Hoops
While continuing to emphasize the importance of home-and-away scheduling, the change will provide greater emphasis and weight to games played away from home.
“The committee continues to emphasize nonconference scheduling by all institutions and will adjust the RPI calculations to reward teams for going on the road and winning,” said Marilyn McNeil, chair of the committee and director of athletics at Monmouth. “It remains critical that we continue to find ways to encourage our teams to make their non-conference schedules more competitive.” To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Tennessee Tech Has Nation's Toughest Schedule
According to the Sagarin college football rankings, a computerized listing of all 245 NCAA Division I teams, both FBS and FCS, the Golden Eagle schedule ranks No. 1 nationally as the most difficult.
"I'm not surprised," Head Coach Watson Brown said. "Those first two games would test any football team, and we have some really good teams ahead of us.To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
UT Chattanooga Hit with NCAA Sanctions
UTC self-reported most of the infractions and imposed its own penalties, which the NCAA accepted. The NCAA’s two-year probation penalty does not include a postseason ban, nor does it limit scholarships or television appearances. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Chancellor Defends UNC Sports Goals
Even as embarrassing investigations of UNC-Chapel Hill's football program continue, Chancellor Thorp defends the school's big athletic ambitions, including the $70 million expansion to Kenan Stadium.
Thorp says the stadium expansion, which in large part will provide luxury seating for deep-pocketed donors, is necessary. The project won't involve public money - private donations will pay half the cost, and sales of the seats and luxury suites in the new section will pay the balance.
"Carolina fans are passionate about athletics and football and will stick with us to make the Blue Zone a success," Thorp writes today. "Better facilities will give us the ability to attract even better recruits who can succeed both in the classroom and on the field." To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
NCAA Awards Lacrosse Championships in 2013 and 2014
The NCAA Men's Lacrosse Committees have selected Philadelphia and Baltimore to host the 2013 and 2014 Division I, II and III Men’s Lacrosse Championships, respectively.
Philadelphia, with Drexel as the host institution, will host the 2013 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships at Lincoln Financial Field, May 25-27. This will be the third time overall and first since 2006 that Philadelphia will have hosted the championships.
In 2014, Baltimore will host the championship, marking the sixth time the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships have been played in the city.
To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Gumbel Cites NCAA's Hypocrisy
"Look, no one's naïve enough to think football's ever going to be played by a bunch of choirboys. It's not. But you'd think that NCAA officials could, at the very least, give coaches and athletic directors a reason to be as diligent about illegality as they are about eligibility - and right now they don't. Until and unless they do, the NCAA's idea of institutional control is anything but," Gumbel said. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Athletes and Suicides
The abiding irony: it's entirely possible that athletes in pro sports -- the ultimate kennel of alpha dogs -- might be MORE prone to mental illness than members of society at large. After hereditary influences, the biggest risk factor for depression is stress. Performing in front of thousands of fans, having your work scrutinized and judged regularly, and laboring in a field where success and failure are so clear-cut can exact a huge psychic toll. There's also the stress of knowing that your career, and thus the window of opportunity to make millions, is narrow. As Kenny McKinley's agent, Andrew Bondrarowicz, told the Denver Post: "These guys, they're made of steel on the outside. But for a lot of them, the challenge of being at your best and living up to all the expectations is a difficult situation. Some people are better equipped and have the support system."
To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
FAR's Committee Slots Still Unfilled
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NCAA-Conferences
Nebraska and Colorado Settle with Big XII
Bringing closure to loose ends and averting litigation and a clunky scheduling scenario for next year, the Big 12 on Tuesday finalized exit settlements with Nebraska and Colorado — which had been targeting 2012 for its departure but now will join the Cornhuskers in leaving after this school year. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Dallas Joins SCAC
Currently Colorado College, Birmingham Southern College, Sewanee - The University of the South, Millsaps College, and Centre College compete in the SCAC in both men's and women's lacrosse, with Hendrix College, Southwestern University and Oglethorpe University also fielding men's teams. Rhodes College, a current SCAC member, will be adding a men's lacrosse team for the 2011-2012 season as well.
To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
The Stress of Coaching
The heart attack suffered by Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio has again put the issue of coaches' health on the front burner in an era of high pressure on the sidelines. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Patriot League Celebrates 20 Years
After four years as a football-only entity, charter members Bucknell University, Colgate University, Fordham University, the College of the Holy Cross, Lafayette College and Lehigh University were joined by the United States Military Academy to found the all-sport Patriot League in 1990, with the United States Naval Academy joining as a full member in 1991. Fordham resigned its full membership in 1995 but remains an associate member in football to this day. In 2001, the League's footprint expanded to Washington, D.C. with the additions of American University as a full member and Georgetown University as an associate member in football. The League expanded to add rowing as its 23rd championship sport in 2005. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Study Raises Concerns About Brain Injuries
"When two helmets hit each other at moment zero, they stop," said the co-chair of the NFL's brain, head and neck medical committee. "They don't break. The brain continues to move." To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
AD's Compete for National Championships
When a program such as Florida makes a bold move, others pay attention. In the SEC, Florida has helped ignite a building boom in everything from swimming to golf. At Tennessee, new facilities include an aquatics center, a softball stadium and a $16 million makeover of the baseball stadium. Plans are under way for a clubhouse and driving range for the golf teams.
To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Smith Points to Revenue Streams as Guiding Realignment
'If you look back over the history of college sports, the one thing that's constant is change," Smith said. 'One of the largest areas of revenue for all of us is television money. People don't want to talk about it, but it's true. The reality is, as television changes, and all the mediums change for communication, the conferences have to shift in order to maximize revenue opportunities off of them."
To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
UC Riverside Reflects on Move to Division I
UCR joined the Big West Conference in 2001 and results over the past decade have left some wondering if the move was worth it. Others on the Riverside campus say, despite the painful reality, the move was necessary and the Highlanders athletic program is moving forward, although slower than those involved had hoped. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
WAC Sees More Conference Realignment Moves
The Big Ten Conference might yet expand further, for example, after poaching Nebraska from the Big 12 Conference. The Big 12 or the Mountain West might decide to grow, too, which also could help trigger a trickle down to benefit the WAC. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Big Ten Looking to Sponsor Hockey
According to NCAA guidelines, there must be a minimum of six teams to form a conference. Penn State, which plans to add ice hockey as a varsity program for the 2012-13 academic year, would become the sixth Big Ten university with a program.
Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Wisconsin are Big Ten schools with varsity ice hockey programs. But Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State play in the Central College Hockey Association, and Minnesota and Wisconsin are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Kiffin/Pearl Controversies Means Problems for AD Hamilton
The NCAA investigation is expected to continue through December. Who knows what it will uncover? This case could lead to additional charges.
Athletics Director Mike Hamilton now becomes the most vulnerable person in Tennessee's athletics department. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Princeton Hit with Major NCAA Violation
University President Shirley M. Tilghman described the incident as ‘isolated” and an “inadvertent infraction” by a supporter acting in the interest of helping a family friend pursue an education after her parents refused to provide financial support. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
Pac-10 Wrestles with Football Realignment, Revenue-Sharing
Next Wednesday the league's brass has a conference call with its athletic directors to resume taking up the knotty issue of how to align the Pac-10's six-team divisions with the annexation of Colorado and Utah.
Inevitably intertwined is the matter of television revenue-sharing. What will come of all this, as early as a year from now, will be a new format for football scheduling, as well as a new TV contract to take effect after 2012. To read more, click here.
NCAA-Conferences
The Battle for New York
The major games begin this season with Army-Rutgers and Navy-Notre Dame in October at the New Meadowlands Stadium and Notre Dame-Army in November at Yankee Stadium. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
ESPN Outlines Perfect Program Elements
Academics: Northwestern
If you're looking for balance between academics and on-field success, the Wildcats might be the choice. FBS schools such as Duke and Vanderbilt have traditionally had the highest graduation rates, but Northwestern might have the best balance. The Wildcats had the fourth-highest graduation rate among FBS schools in the most recent report released by the NCAA (for freshmen entering school in 2002). Also, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was tied with Air Force's Troy Calhoun for having the highest Academic Progress Report average among active FBS coaches since 2003. On the field, Fitzgerald led the Wildcats to 17 victories and back-to-back bowl appearances the past two seasons.
To read more, click here.
Sports Business
West Florida Making Athletic Commitment
You've got to think big, or you will stay small," said UWF president Judy Bense. "And small is not good in today's world." To read more, click here.
Sports Business
UT's Hamilton Enjoys Fundraising Success
Hamilton has won the support of key allies, including UT Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, to whom Hamilton directly reports.
"I think Mike's leadership has contributed significantly to the overall mission of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville," Cheek said. "If you look at his accomplishments, we're nationally competitive in all sports. We're financially healthy." To read more, click here.
Sports Business
Sheraton Signs 3 Year Deal to Remain Bowl Sponsor
“The Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl is critical for the future success of the UH football program,” said UH Athletics Director Jim Donovan. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
At Williams, They Trim Expenses, Not Programs
“It was a good clarifying exercise,’’ said interim athletic director Lisa Melendy.
Teams doubled up on buses. Overnights for road trips were limited.
“A lot of little things,’’ said Melendy.
But actually drop a sport? People would have a purple cow.
Williams not only has 31 varsity teams, far more than most big-time schools, but the Ephs also are the country’s most dominant Division 3 program, winning the last 12 Directors’ Cups for excellence in NCAA championships. Last year, 14 Williams teams ranked in the top 10, with six in the top five, including national titles for women’s crew and tennis.
Williams does it with an enrollment of a little more than 2,000, with nearly half of the students playing a varsity sport and most of them suiting up for two or more. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
Memphis Considers Football Preferred Seating Plan
The per-seat plan will include all of the approximately 1,600 box seats, in addition to lower sideline sections between the 10-yard lines, lower end zone sections and mid-sideline sections 117 to 123 on the east side and 101 to 108 on the west side.
Under the per-seat plan, about 75 percent of the current season-ticket accounts would pay less than $250 to retain their locations. As of last week, season-ticket sales had surpassed 20,000.
To read more, click here.
Sports Business
An Inside Look at the Relationship with Agents
The man with a golden ticket, of course, often doesn't lack for company, and while the games are played in public, there's also a competition going on behind the scenes. From the shady and sleazy to the upstanding and honorable, agents, financial advisers and other professionals use big-time college sports as the backdrop for a race to build bridges to some of the country's elite athletes. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
Another Assessment of Student Fees
At nearly all schools, various mandatory fees are tacked on to tuition, and can cover everything from student health care to computers. But the largest portion often goes toward running the school's athletics department. In exchange, students typically get free or reduced admission to sporting events. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
Student Fees Drive Athletic Budgets
At least five states, including Virginia, ban or limit the use of public and/or tuition money for athletics. For some schools in those states, relatively large fee charges become an alternative. In other states, on top of dedicated fees that may or may not have been approved by students, athletics departments often get other financial support from their schools. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
Frontier Airlines Announces Sponsorship with Colorado, CSU and Wyoming
The carrier will serve as the exclusive airline partner for football and men's and women's basketball at all three schools. The partnership will include a Frontier Day at both a CSU and CU football game where the airline will distribute thousands of promotional cards that can be used for discounted air travel. Frontier Day at CSU is Oct. 16, and Nov. 13 at CU. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
More BCS Conference Games Will Reduce FCS Game Guarantees
"It's going to make it tougher on schools like us, because everyone will try to get a guaranteed game," Northern Iowa athletic director Troy Dannen said. "It's going to be a scramble, because the Iowa States and the Iowas are going to be playing one fewer non-conference game." To read more, click here.
Sports Business
Russell Athletic Returns as Title Sponsor of NAIA Game
Russell Athletic and the Host Committee for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football national championship announced the extension of an agreement that grants the Bowling Green, Ky.,-based athletic apparel brand “title sponsorship” rights for 2010 NAIA Football Championship. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
9 out of 10 Times Guarantee Games Deliver
But statistically speaking, these "paycheck" games – seemingly easy matchups that big schools pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for – remain as safe a bet as they've always been. Nine times out of 10, you still get what you pay for. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
NJCAA Names Official Soft Goods Provider
BJ's Custom Creations has previously worked with NJCAA member colleges directly and has provided merchandise for several NJCAA regional and national championship events.
As the Official Provider of Soft Goods to the NJCAA, BJ's Custom Creations is the only company authorized to produce any soft goods bearing the NJCAA name and trademarks. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
San Jose State Football Loses on Field, Wins with Cash
San Jose State University’s athletics department will get nearly $2 million for pitting its unranked Spartans against top-ranked Alabama on Sept. 4 and against No. 11-ranked Wisconsin a week later, SJSU officials said. The money is going to a university that expected to face an $18 million funding gap for the current school year and that planned to lay off 76 employees this summer. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
Analyzing Big Ten Network's Financial Success
With other conferences including the SEC, Pac-10 and Big East, and even the University of Texas, all talking about potentially forming their own networks, the Big Ten Network is a model for — and some might say the envy of — big-time college sports around the country. To read more, click here.
Sports Business
Dollars and Athletic Success
Florida's spending on nearly every nonrevenue sport has more than doubled over the past decade, even after adjusting for inflation, according to financial documents reported annually to the NCAA. Spending on women's gymnastics, swimming and track grew even faster. To read more, click here.
Sports Law
Green Suspension for Jersey Sale Raises Concern
While Green has been apologetic for selling his Independence Bowl jersey to a person the NCAA terms an agent, which resulted in a four-game suspension, many — including Rovell — haven’t been so gracious towards the NCAA’s hypocrisy. To read more, click here.
Sports Law
Eastern Michigan Reports Women's Hoops Violations
The violations were:
- Exceeding practice time limits
- Improper coach involvement in voluntary practices
- Two individual violations regarding prospective student-athletes participating in organized workouts
To read more, click here.
Sports Law
Ball State Commits to Title IX Changes
Ball State says its agreement with the Education Department was a way to resolve the federal investigation, not an admission that the university had violated any aspects of Title IX. In a letter that accompanied the resolution agreement, the Office for Civil Rights said it found parts of the university's athletics program to be equitable. For example, Ball State scheduled games and practices and offered tutoring without discriminating by gender. To read more, click here.
Sports Law
Pearl's Contract Affords Problematic Protection
The NCAA enforcement staff is investigating the football program and men's basketball program. A finding won't occur until the committee on infractions issues its report, which will come after a hearing. All of this isn't likely to occur until sometime in 2011. To read more, click here.
Sports Law
UT's Pearl Misled NCAA Investigators
Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton is reducing Pearl's pay by $1.5 million over five years and prohibiting him from participating in off-campus recruiting for one year. To read more, click here.
Sports Media
Boston Globe to Keep Most Sports News Free
The Globe is the latest newspaper to announce or launch a pay system, although its “two brands’’ model appears to be the first of its kind. The Wall Street Journal, which has long charged for its online version, allows readers free access to a limited number of articles but requires a subscription for most content. Gannett Co., the nation’s largest newspaper publisher, is experimenting with online pay systems at its papers in Tallahassee, Fla., Greenville, S.C., and St. George, Utah. To read more, click here.
Sports Media
espnW Coming Soon
The network plans to make espnW a new sub-brand that will soon begin as a blog and could end up being its own TV channel. Says ESPN vice president Laura Gentile: "I think espnW-branded programming is in the cards, but I can't say whether we'll make it into a network."
Gentile is overseeing a retreat this week at a Southern California resort — which includes athletes such asShannon Miller, Jennie Finch, Laila Ali, Julie Foudy and Marion Jones, as well as lots of sports marketers — to toss around ideas for espnW. To read more, click here.
Sports Media
CBS College Sports to Broadcast Patriot League Games
The basketball package is part of the Patriot League's visibility on CBS College Sports Network, which includes full coverage of the Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Tournament, regular season men's lacrosse contests and the Cornell at Bucknell football matchup on Saturday. To read more, click here.
Sports Media
Boise State Makes Sports Illustrated Cover
Austin Murphy’s cover story, “Contender or Pretender” talks about the argument for and against including Boise State into the discussion for the BCS title game. To read more, click here.
Sports Media
Hockey East Signs Partnership Deal with CBS-CSN
The network will broadcast eight Hockey East regular-season contests, plus two road games vs. CCHA opponents in non-conference action. All 10 games will be broadcast in High Definition (HD) by the network.
"We are thrilled to have CBS College Sports Network back on board in the Hockey East family and are excited to showcase the league across the country," said Bertagna. "They have been tremendous in welcoming us back to their network." To read more, click here.
Sports Media
NCAA and Turner Sports Reach Agreement on Digital Properties
Turner Sports and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) jointly announced today the formation of NCAA Digital, a 14-year agreement in which Turner will manage and operate the NCAA’s digital portfolio and strengthen coverage of all 88 NCAA championships. NCAA Digital encompasses NCAA.com and additional NCAA digital platforms including mobile web and applications, as well as other connected devices. To read more, click here.
Sports Facilities
RIT Plans $3.5 Million Expansion to Arena
“This is exciting news for our program,” RIT men’s coach Wayne Wilson said in a statement reported on USCHO.com. “We’ve always had the great game night atmosphere and now we will have first-class facilities for our players when they prepare for games.” To read more, click here.
Sports Facilities
Bowling Green Ice Arena Sporting Fresh Look
Among the major highlights of the project include the replacement of the ice-making equipment and improvements to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; new lighting for the main sheet of ice and turning the studio ice into four new locker rooms; making the curling rink a multi-purpose sheet suitable for hockey, figure skating and public skating among other activities. To read more, click here.
Sports Facilities
South Alabama Puts Former AD on the Map
Gottfried came to the school as an assistant athletic director in 1981 and was promoted to athletic director in 1984. Under his direction, Jaguar Athletics experienced success in competition as well as the classroom, and he had a profound impact not only on the school's architecture with the development and improvement of numerous athletic facilities, but also on the community with the school's addition of the football program in December 2007 - Gottfried was one of the key people involved in the process to make the sport the university's 17th program. South Alabama is a member of the Sun Belt Conference. To read more, click here.
Sports Facilities
When in Doubt, Paint It
"I think it is an advantage for sure," OSU head coach Mike Riley said. "Even when you watch them on film, it's hard to get numbers (on players) and it all blends together ... I don't want to say that's why they have that home record, they are darned good, they have good players and they are extremely well-coached. To read more, click here.
Sports Facilities
Notre Dame vs. Navy Slated for Dublin in 2012
"We are all delighted that Navy has chosen Aviva Stadium for its game against Notre Dame in 2012," said Murphy. "We fully realize just how important this game is in the U.S. sporting calendar and we are looking forward to hosting what will undoubtedly be a fantastic event." To read more, click here.
Sports Facilities
Penn State Game Atmosphere Second to None
"It was a cemetery," recalled Joe Paterno, who came in 1950 as a 23-year-old assistant to Penn State football coach Rip Engle. "You couldn't get a drink. And the only place you could buy a plate of spaghetti was a place called the Tavern. It cost a buck, and they had celery in the sauce!" To read more, click here.
Sports Facilities
Florida Atlantic Approved for Stadium
The planned stadium is the centerpiece of FAU’s Innovation Village, located in the north central area of campus. Home to the Owl football team, the open-air stadium, a $70 million project, is slated to feature 20 luxury suites with 1,000 club seats, and the latest, state-of-the-art amenities. Construction of the project is expected to commence in October 2010 and is anticipated to be completed and available for use in the Fall 2011 semester. To read more, click here.
Sports Marketing
MAAC Launches 30th Anniversary Championships Branding
"Our new Championship branding program marks the culmination of our yearlong celebration of the MAAC's 30 year history," said MAAC Commissioner, Mr. Rich Ensor. "The MAAC 30th Anniversary Championships branding program celebrates our conference, our member schools, and our sponsors, but most of all, we proudly honor our student athletes. From the founding of the conference to our current anniversary celebration, providing a forum for both academic and athletic achievement and excellence has always been the primary focus of the MAAC." To read more, click here.
Sports Marketing
Northeast Conference Signs with LRG
LRG currently has partnerships with a number of NEC member institutions including Bryant, Central Connecticut State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island, Mount St. Mary’s, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris and Sacred Heart. To read more, click here.
Sports Marketing
Summit League Announces Partnership With American Airlines
"We are pleased that American Airlines has agreed to be the presenting sponsor for our League Championships," Douple said. "American Airlines and American Eagle are two of the largest, most respected airlines in the world and with the number of destinations that they serve within our membership, the partnership is a great fit for our league."
American Airlines will be the presenting sponsor for 17 of The Summit League's 19 championships, excluding the Men's and Women's Basketball Championships. The League's championship schedule begins with cross country Oct. 30 in Indianapolis, Ind., and concludes with baseball in late May. To read more, click here.
Sports Marketing
Marketing Geared Toward Sweetness
The sweet Collegiate Sports line will be featured in a new program set up with ICBA/The Independent College Bookstore Association's 144 member colleges such as University of Tennessee, University of Missouri, University of Wisconsin, University of Oregon, University of Texas, Boise State University, and California State University Fullerton (a college with a leading baseball team). Special "licensed" lollipops include top colleges such as the University of Southern California/USC and Michigan State University/MSU. To read more, click here.
Sports Marketing
AAA Mid-Atlantic Partners with Maryland
As part of the partnership, AAA will receive fixed and digital signage, radio commercials during each football and basketball broadcast and serve as the official sponsor of the AAA Travel page on umterps.com. Additionally, AAA will receive entitlement of the student entrances at both Byrd Stadium and Comcast Center. To read more, click here.
Sports Marketing
Study Analyzes Female Interest in College Football by Conference
That insight comes from new research performed by New York City-based Scarborough Sports Marketing. The firm found that about one-fifth – or 19 percent – of avid female college football fans attended an SEC game, listened to one on the radio, or watched on television during the past year, according to a written statement. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Mullens Signs Oregon AD Contract
Mullens, 41, must notify the president before seeking other employment. If Mullens is terminated without cause (the most common form of firing), he will receive one-half his base salary for the remainder of the contract. But if Mullens is fired without cause and Richard Lariviere is no longer president, the university must pay Mullens his guaranteed salary for the entire contract.
If Mullens terminates the contract prematurely, he has to pay the university the balance of his base salary. But if Lariviere is no longer president, then Mullens owes nothing. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Oregon's Kelly Gets Contract Extension
The new deal guarantees Kelly a minimum of $2.4 million this season and could be worth more if Oregon reaches certain performance incentives. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Mountain West Announces Staff Changes
Katie Cavender was promoted to Director of New Media and Technology, while Marlon Edge was named Assistant Director of Compliance and Gary Walenga was appointed as Director of Special Projects. Judy Willson and John Sullivan were hired as Associate Director of Communications and Championships Coordinator, respectively. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Towson Names Mike Waddell AD
Waddell's duties with the Bearcats included oversight of the revenue generating areas of the department: marketing/fan development, ticket sales/customer service, sports communications, game day programming, information technology, the CAT TRACKS Wheels of Support program, as well as coordinating all of UC's football bowl planning. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Seattle U. Swim Coach Resigns
Mallery has built the Seattle University swim program from scratch, first rising in the ranks of NAIA competition before becoming a top squad in Division II circles. The men's swim team won the 2002 NAIA Championship and finished eighth in the 2008 NCAA Division II Championships, while the women's squad finished second in the NAIA in 2002 and qualified at least one swimmer to the NCAA Division II Championships in the last five years at that level. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
UNC-Wilmington AD Mehrtens Resigns
Mehrtens joined UNCW in August 2007 following an extensive national search. She was previously Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Women’s Administrator at the University of Kansas. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Seton Hall AD Quinlan Steps Down
Patrick E. Hobbs, Seton Hall Dean of the Law School, who has been overseeing the Athletics Department since July, stated that Deputy Director of Athletics Duane Bailey and Senior Associate Athletics Director Ginger Fulton will oversee the day-to-day operations of the department until a new athletics director is hired. The University will launch a national search for an athletics director in January 2011.
"We are thankful for Joe's leadership over the last five years," Hobbs said. "His work has provided the Athletics Department with a solid foundation for future success. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors." To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Utah State Extends Football Coach and AD
"The contract extensions of both Scott Barnes and Gary Andersen signal a commitment to Utah State University Athletics that Aggies everywhere can celebrate," said USU President Stan L. Albrecht. "These are turbulent times for athletic conferences, which makes the commitment by both of these accomplished individuals to Utah State all the more meaningful. It ensures stability and continuity for our growing program. We are thrilled and excited about what lies in store for USU Athletics, and we know we are in very good hands." To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
IUPUI Fires Women's Basketball Coach Following Probe
Former players had a lot more to say. There were 42 players and assistant coaches, including 29 scholarship players, who left Hart's program in six years. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Irish Name Murphy Athletics Business Manager
Since 2000 when she assumed her role as manager for charitable remainders trust and pensions at Notre Dame, Murphy had been responsible for all functions related to the accounting and reporting of the University's split interest and pension funds.
Prior to coming to Notre Dame, she worked for Crowe, Chizek and Company, LLP in Elkhart, Ind., from 1993-2000. In her first five years with firm (1993-98), Murphy worked as a staff accountant. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Col. Sam Johnson Named Interim AD at Army
According to a release from the Academy, the institution is assembling a national search committee to conduct a thorough and comprehensive review for the best-qualified candidates for this key position in Army athletics.
"I want to thank Kevin and his family for all he has done for West Point and our cadet-athletes. He has advanced our program greatly in all facets, while serving as an exceptional role model for our young men and women," said Lt. Gen. David H. Huntoon, Jr., Superintendent of the United States Military Academy. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
St. Michael's (Vt.) Names Hall Swim Coach
Hall succeeds Jim Donoghue, who retired last month after coaching both programs the last 12 seasons. Saint Michael's, an NCAA Division II institution, competes in the Northeast-10 Conference. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Battista Named to Key Role in Penn State Programs
Battista's role will include coordinating search committees for the men’s and women’s Division I coaches, administering those programs and consulting on the design of the new arena. He also will be in charge of the efforts to raise another $10 million to support the arena, and the programs and intramurals that will be housed in it.
Last Friday, the school announced it was forming varsity men’s and women’s programs and building a new hockey arena after an $88 million gift from alumnus Terry Pegula and his wife, Kim. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Cal Poly AD Announces Retirement
The news comes just two weeks after Cone helped solidify the future of the Mustangs' football program, which cemented plans to join the Big Sky Conference within the next two years.
Cone has shaped Cal Poly's sports department by making several major hires since taking over for John McCutcheon in 2004 on an interim basis before becoming permanent. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Ohio U. Tackles Bobcat Mascot for Pre-game Hijinks
In addition, the student who was dressed in the Bobcat costume has been banned from any further affiliation with Ohio athletics. The Bobcat first went after Brutus as the OSU mascot led the Buckeyes onto the field for the game. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
CoSIDA Teams with Eclaro Sports
The plan, still in early development, is for Eclaro Sports to develop a centralized, confidential database of sports communications professionals, with the goal of having the database greatly assist athletic directors - and key hiring managers in the corporate world - find the right candidate for their communications leadership positions. For sports communications professionals, the Eclaro Sports database will aid them in finding opportunities where their communications skills and experience can be best utilized and most appreciated in the collegiate, professional sports and corporate world. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Paris Junior College Names AD
In his first season leading the Lady Dragons, the team that began the season ranked last ended it ranked fourth in the conference, as well as making it to the semi-finals of the National Junior College Athletic Association's Region XIV tournament for the first time in decades.Prior to his stint at PJC, LeBeauf served as assistant men's basketball coach at Southern University at Baton Rouge, a Division I university. To read more, click here.
Personnel Moves
Winston-Salem Names Interim Media Director
Goodwin, who has served as assistant athletic media relations director at WSSU for the past four years, will begin his new role immediately following the departure of longtime assistant athletic director for media relations Chris Zona.
For the past four seasons, Goodwin has been the primary media contact for WSSU volleyball, cross country, bowling, women’s basketball, track & field, and softball. As a part of his duties, Goodwin not only assisted in maintaining the relationship between WSSU athletics and the local and national media, he also served as the primary statistician for WSSU athletics. To read more, click here.