MeanGreen61

Former players funding project. ASU's AD gettin a little fiesty or maybe they're gonna be our guest? Check this paragraph. "I told Coach (Steve) Roberts that as soon as the team loads up to go to the New Orleans Bowl, we’ll have the bulldozers on the field to start moving dirt,” Lee said. “It will be at the end of the season. There will be two road games to end the season, so it’s a matter of whether he wants to practice on the field those two weeks or go ahead and get started moving forward". http://www.jonesborosun.com/story.asp?ID=10503 ASU to install turf after 2005 season By Kevin Turbeville Sun staff writer JONESBORO — Indian Stadium will have an artificial playing surface, but not for the 2005 football season. Director of Athletics Dean Lee said Arkansas State has decided to wait until the end of the coming season to replace the stadium’s grass field with artificial turf. ASU has been dealing with drainage issues at Indian Stadium, and those have delayed the project to the point where Lee doesn’t feel comfortable that it could be completed in time for ASU’s Sept. 10 home opener. “It got to the point where the risk involved wasn’t worth it,” Lee said Tuesday night. “I think in having discussions with everybody, as much as we wanted it to happen for the upcoming season, we feel like it’s in the long run the best decision and we’ll end up in the long term with a better product because we did allow ourselves to take the time to do it right.” Lee said artificial turf can be installed within a period of 45-60 days, but he didn’t think there was enough room for error to start now. The cost of the project, which is being funded through donations, is estimated at $600-650,000. Lee said ASU has commitments for $350-400,000, mostly from former Indian football players. “We feel very good about that,” Lee said. “They’re the ones who got it in motion and have provided the backing and the enthusiasm. This will allow us a little more time to do the fund-raising and try to secure the last third to 40 percent that we need to finish the project.” Lee said ASU has verbal agreements with ProGreen of Denver for the turf and with Lasiter Construction of Little Rock for work at the stadium. A retaining wall will be built around the bottom of the stadium, Lee said, with drains installed behind the wall. That part of the project should be completed before the team starts practicing in August. Additional drains, ditches and pipes will be part of the turf’s installation, Lee said. Turf installation could begin after the Indians’ final home game of 2005, the Nov. 12 game against Troy. “I told Coach (Steve) Roberts that as soon as the team loads up to go to the New Orleans Bowl, we’ll have the bulldozers on the field to start moving dirt,” Lee said. “It will be at the end of the season. There will be two road games to end the season, so it’s a matter of whether he wants to practice on the field those two weeks or go ahead and get started moving forward. “Before we started anything, we wanted to make sure with the timeline that we all felt comfortable with the situation and the direction we’re going. As soon as the bulldozer goes out on the field pushing the dirt, you can’t turn back then.”

Looks like the MAC dream is dwindling on the Topper board. Many have trashed the Sun Belt & spouted the MAC's greatness, but it looks like they've gotta continue to live with those they look down on. Check the last paragraph of Gilbert's post (last post when linked). http://p094.ezboard.com/fhilltopperhavenfr...cID=11731.topic

Hardly, found these real easy. Not even the oldest in Texas (Texas, A&M, Rice, Houston, TTech, TCU, Baylor all older than Fouts) Wisconsin's Randall Stadium - 1917 Tennessee Neyland - 1921 Ohio State - 1922 Illinois Memorial - 1923 Michigan State Spartan - 1923 Army's Michie Stadium - 1924. Texas Royal-Memorial - 1924 TAMU Kyle Field - 1925 Missouri Memorial-Faurot - 1926 Michigan - 1927 Ohio U. - 1929 TCU Amon Carter - 1929 Notre Dame - 1930 Tulsa Skelly - 1930 South Carolina Williams-Brice - 1934 Virginia Scott - 1931 Toledo Glass Bowl - 1937 Arkansas Reynolds-Razorback - 1938 Western Michigan Waldo - 1939 Maryland Byrd - 1950 Akron Rubber Bowl - 1940 Houston Robertson - 1942 Texas Tech Jones - 1947 Baylor Floyd Casey - 1950 Rice - 1950

Here's the discussion from the Trojan board on McDowell. http://www.gotroytrojans.com/forum/viewtop...opic.php?t=2233

Philadelphia Inquirer story from the MUTS board. Owls face drop in league revenue Most of the schools in the Mid-American Conference are losing millions on football. But the Temple athletic department hopes to increase revenue in other ways. By Frank Fitzpatrick Inquirer Staff Writer The promise of athletic riches was not what lured Temple football to the Mid-American Conference. When the Owls officially enter the MAC in 2007, the drop-off may be more noticeable on their financial ledgers than on the field. They will be trading their roughly $1.5 million share of Big East Conference revenue for about a tenth of that in a league in which 10 of 14 football members lost a total of $22.8 million on football in 2003. "We realize that our conference revenues will be declining and that our expenses won't be changing significantly," said Eric Roedl, Temple's associate athletic director for business and finance, not long after the Owls' May 17 announcement about joining the MAC. "But we're hoping to make up for that with increases on the revenue side." According to figures filed with the U.S. Department of Education for 2003-04, among the 10 MAC schools reporting football deficits were Toledo ($3.3 million), Akron ($2.8 million), Bowling Green ($2.2 million) and now-departed Central Florida ($3.6 million). Although those numbers showed that three MAC members (Ohio University; Miami, Ohio; and Central Michigan) broke even and one (Marshall) made a profit, league administrators said those four teams also received substantial university support. That's because there are no standard accounting guidelines for filing under the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) with the federal government. Money that athletic departments get from the university to pay football bills often shows up as football-related revenue. As a result, Roedl explained, Temple did not really break even on football in 2003, even though its EADA filing listed revenues and expenses of $7.9 million each. To find a better reflection of the Owls' financial state, it's necessary to look in an EADA category called "non-gender-allocated revenue," which indicates how much money the athletic department got from sources not directly related to sports. Temple listed $4.86 million there and, according to Roedl, its total subsidy to athletics was $14.6 million, a not-uncommon figure for public universities. "The vast majority of them [public universities] lose a huge amount of money," said Temple president David Adamany. "There are only a handful that actually can fund their athletic programs out of the athletic programs." And that, MAC school officials said, is normally how it works in their league, too. Still, the MAC isn't alone when it comes to football deficits. In 2002, according to an Orlando Sentinel survey, 41 Division I-A schools posted football losses, most of them from the five I-A conferences, including the MAC, that aren't affiliated with the Bowl Championship Series. And in Division I-AA, conferences such as the Patriot League and Atlantic Ten rely on substantial institutional funding to sustain the sport. The bulk of the BCS schools - Notre Dame and teams from the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big Twelve, Pacific Ten and Southeastern Conferences - don't have that problem. Football pays the bills. The average BCS school budget is $30 million. Those universities tend to have stadiums that are larger, fuller and more laden with amenities. Though Marshall (which is leaving the MAC) earned less than $1 million for its appearance in 2004's PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl, BCS-affiliated bowls pay out as much $13 million to each team (a total then shared with league members). For example, Ohio State of the Big Ten had overall sports revenue of $103 million. Ohio University of the MAC made $12.9 million. That kind of earning power allows Ohio State and elite programs at universities such as Penn State, Texas and Alabama to support their entire athletic programs without school aid and still turn a profit. In the 1990s, the University of Florida's athletic program amassed $146 million in profits. On the other hand, the average athletic revenue for MAC schools was between half and a third of that $30 million figure. They required significant institutional subsidies to operate football and the rest of their sports programs. That money typically comes in the form of direct support from the university's general fund or from student fees levied for that purpose. Some schools get it from both sources. "The majority of our funding is derived from the institution," said Kenneth L. Brown, the associate athletic director for business services at the MAC's Ball State, which spent $13.3 million on sports in 2003. The EADA contains no specific category detailing how much money colleges redirect toward athletics. But several MAC business administrators said that the category of non-gender-allocated revenue was where to find that amount. "The bulk of our non-gender-allocated revenue is in fact general-fund support," said Mike Malach, Eastern Michigan's associate athletic director for administration. For MAC schools, those figures ranged from $3.5 million at Eastern Michigan to $16.5 million at Buffalo. Overall, the conference's 14 members in 2004 listed a total of $123.5 million in non-gender-allocated revenue. Thanks to its various television deals, the NCAA distributes about $500,000 a year to Division I-A schools, not enough to get conferences such as the MAC off Poverty Row. To wean themselves from reliance on university funds, league administrators noted, MAC schools would have to earn ticket and merchandise sales, fund-raising, and advertising and licensing agreements. Or they could play more road games in hostile stadiums overflowing with supporters of their opponents. In their quest for revenue, many MAC schools have been eager to make one-time appearances on the home schedules of BCS teams such as Penn State. Since 1998, the Nittany Lions have played seven MAC teams, all at Beaver Stadium. The numbers were mixed. Penn State beat up on them, winning six of the seven games by a combined score of 266 to 108. But each of the cash-starved MAC schools earned guarantees as high as $425,000.

Ramsey's records were also set in seasons when FEWER games were played. 1967 (9 games 7-1-1 record), 1968 (10 games 8-2 record), 1969 (10 games 7-3 record). Most of us who are old enough (I even saw Zeke Martin play !) to have seen Steve play agree with Dallas that he's NT's greatest every quarterback.

What CFN thinks of the Indians for 2005. http://www.collegefootballnews.com/sun_bel...roe_Preview.htm

Just enter your zip code & get the info http://espn.go.com/espnu/

Heck, I might even buy !

June 19, 2005 Interesting article off the MUTS board Extra game no real gain for Eagles Southern Miss can earn more by playing at BCS schools By Tim Doherty clarionledger The NCAA decision to permanently add a 12th game to major college football schedules and alter the criteria for bowl eligibility was met with mixed reaction in Mississippi. Athletic officials at Ole Miss and Mississippi State favor the changes because they could mean another home game for the Bulldogs and Rebels. However, officials at Mississippi's other Division I-A program, Southern Miss, are apprehensive because the changes could make it more difficult for the Golden Eagles to attract an extra home game or secure a big-money road trip. Starting in 2006, Division I-A schools will be allowed to play 12 regular-season games instead of 11. In a separate but related decision, the NCAA also changed the rules regarding bowl eligibility. Starting this season, I-A schools can "count" a victory over a I-AA opponent each season towards the six needed for bowl eligibility. The previous policy had allowed I-A schools to use a I-AA victory for postseason purposes just once in a four-year period. The expected result of these changes: An extra home game — and another multi-million dollar afternoon — for those schools with the largest stadiums, and an increasing number of I-AA schools on I-A schedules. "There are a lot of schools that need a larger inventory of schools to play," Ole Miss athletic director Pete Boone said. "Then, there's the possibility of a seventh home game every season, and that's great for season-ticket sales." The flipside: The new criteria also could mean even more scheduling headaches for smaller-stadium and mid-major programs as the wealthier I-A's turn toward signing less-feared opponents for smaller guarantees. "It's not necessarily a positive for Southern Miss," USM senior associate athletic director David Hansen said. "It's a situation where the rich will get richer ... It's going to make us less equitable than the schools with the bigger stadiums." Most of those schools with the bigger stadiums play in the six conferences that comprise the Bowl Championship Series — the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pacific 10, Atlantic Coast and Big East. The four BCS bowls — Rose, Sugar, Fiesta and Orange — pay a little more than $14 million per team. USM, which plays in Conference USA, has an entire athletic budget of about $16 million a year and plays in a 33,000-seat stadium. Penn State spokesman Jeff Nelson told USA Today that an extra game at his school's 107,000-seat stadium brought in between $3 million and $3.5 million. Hansen estimated the programs with the 30 largest stadiums in I-A could net an extra payday worth between $2 million and $3 million. USM nets between $200,000 and $300,000 for home games at Roberts Stadium, USM athletic director Richard Giannini said. While many schools will add a seventh home game starting in 2006, look for USM to play six at home and six on the road. Giannini also acknowledged that a scheduling process that has rarely been easy will become even more difficult. For USM, securing home-and-home agreements with BCS-conference opponents always has been a challenge. A series with North Carolina State for this season and next was applauded by USM fans for the matchup but also for the fact it came to be at all. Giannini said scheduling home-and-homes with BCS-conference schools will still be part of USM's scheduling philosophy. He said USM's future schedules would be comprised of eight C-USA games — four home, four road; a "money game" on the road at a large-stadium school; a home-and-home with a BCS-conference school; a home-and-home with a regional I-A school; and a home game with a I-AA. "That's the way all the so-called big guys do it, and there's no reason we shouldn't," Giannini said. An example of a high-paying road game for USM is the one the Golden Eagles play this September against Alabama, for a $550,000 guarantee. A year ago, USM changed its scheduling philosophy, trimming such road games from two to one each season in favor of playing another home game. But starting in 2006, USM may have a tougher time getting any big-guarantee road games as I-AA programs advertise their services at cheaper rates. USM is scheduled to play at Florida in 2006 for a $600,000 guarantee. But if a I-AA program such as Northwestern State or Jackson State says it'll come to Gainesville for $250,000, why wouldn't the Gators take that deal? "If they can count a I-AA (victory) every year (toward bowl eligibility), guess what?" Hansen said. "They're going to probably play a I-AA every year. "It's even going to make (scheduling) guarantee I-AA (home) games more difficult." But that may not necessarily always be the case. For example, a BCS-conference member looking to help its strength-of-schedule component in the BCS rankings may opt for a USM over an opponent with a lower power rating. Also, the NCAA did not add an extra game to I-AA seasons, leaving the smaller programs one less opportunity to fiddle with their schedules. For example, starting this fall, Southwestern Athletic Conference schools will play nine conference games, leaving just two non-conference openings. Jackson State athletic director Roy Culberson said he would be interested in talking with any of the I-A schools in Mississippi, but that expecting any sort of return game — with a I-A coming to the I-AA's home stadium — would be "very difficult." MIssissippi Valley State athletic director Lonza Hardy said until the Delta Devils improve on the field to the point where they would offer a I-A school a challenge, he was not sure MVSU would actively court a I-A date. "I would not insult someone by asking them to play after winning three games in a season like we did last year," Hardy said. "But after winning eight or nine games, now that might be something different. ... We would have to be up to a certain level before we would consider that." The 12th game has already led to some former rivals resuming dormant series. LSU and Tulane recently announced plans to meet on a long-term basis, while Florida and Miami (Fla.) are looking to get back together in regular-season play. Could State or Ole Miss look to USM to do the same? Ole Miss and MSU used to play USM regularly but the Rebels and Golden Eagles haven't met in football since 1984 and the last MSU-USM game was played in 1990. Don't look for either series to resume anytime soon. Boone and MSU AD Larry Templeton said they are not considering adding USM and will look outside the state for opponents.

Posted by Space Raider on the Sun Belt board. Monday, 06/20/05 Kassell symbolizes defense's toughness Forced into action without practicing By PAUL KUHARSKY Staff Writer Brad Kassell was a week, maybe 10 days from being ready to practice for the first time last season. He had endured an excruciating summer and fall. After shredding his Achilles tendon in a freak accident in Texas, he missed all the time where he could have made a dent in the linebacker lineup. Then, three hours before the Titans' second game, Rocky Calmus was judged a no-go because of a back injury. Coaches turned to Kassell, who appeared a long shot to play, and he nodded. "He played in the Colts game, the second game of the season, with zero reps," defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. "I don't know if in the history of the NFL that's ever been done. He did not practice one time (in training camp, the preseason or the first two weeks of the season) and played in the game." In a season where the Titans lost a slew of players to injury and almost as many games, Kassell came back ahead of schedule from a serious injury and grew into a symbol of just the sort of the grit and toughness the team loves. "To think how far he came from camp with the injury to the way he played at the end against Detroit to the very last play, I mean you look at that game and it typifies the way we like to play on defense," Coach Jeff Fisher said. Kassell started the final 14 games at middle linebacker, finishing as the team's second-leading tackler with 128. The linebacker who joined the Titans as an undrafted rookie out of North Texas in 2002 made such an impression with his 19 tackles in a last-game win over Detroit, the Lions ultimately signed the unrestricted free agent to an offer sheet. When the Titans matched it, his salary for 2005 jumped from $656,000 to $1 million. "It's been huge for him," said Peter Sirmon, who missed last year with a torn ACL, helping to create an opportunity for Kassell. "He's looked at as a real leader of the defense now and not just a special teams guy, not just a guy who's going to go out there and thump, but he's going to make some plays. I think athletically he's gotten better." But from Kassell's perspective, his status as the incumbent starting middle linebacker and his new contract change nothing. "I've got a short memory. I don't know, maybe I've been hit in the head too many times," he said. "That's just the way I like to play football, it's kind of the way I grew up." Said Schwartz: "Whatever he had in third grade lunch money, he's still got squirreled away somewhere, that's him. Money's not going to change him. Being a professional football player is not going to change him. If he was digging ditches, he'd be just as competitive." Kassell will still have to hold off a training camp challenge from often-injured Calmus, who's spot he took over last year. A hard-nosed run defender who worked hard and fared reasonably well when called on to help out in coverage, Kassell won't be on the field as part of the nickel package designed to key on pass defense. He said he feels like he is ahead now, not because of his status as the starter, but because of how many more snaps he's played. Still, when he reports to training camp in July, he's not likely to be wondering if he'll still have a roster spot when the Titans open in Pittsburgh on Sept. 11. "I really thought I was getting cut last year after I hurt my Achilles," he said. While his teammates say he's gained another level of respect, Kassell is not so sure. "I hope they do, because I want their respect and I want to earn it the way you should earn it," he said. "I hope they do, but I couldn't tell you whether they do or not. "I pride myself on my toughness. Everybody has the ability to do it, it's whether you are mentally tough enough to put up with stuff like that." • Paul Kuharsky covers the Titans and the NFL for The Tennessean. Reach him at pkuharsky@tennessean.com or 259-8024.

Give us strength

Manhattan malaise Is K-State slipping, or can Snyder turn it around? Posted: Tuesday June 14, 2005 3:40PM It's one of those things that kind of got lost in the shuffle last season, what with other, more pressing stories such as Auburn's Orange Bowl slight, Utah's BCS run and Penn State's quest for a first down. But with season-preview time fast approaching, I recently conducted a little self-refresher course on how certain teams fared last season and couldn't help but do a double-take upon reaching one particular squad. Kansas State really went 4-7 last year? I realize this would not have been considered big news back in the 1980s ... or '70s, '60s, '50s or '40s. But lest you've been living under a rock during the past decade, you may remember that the men of Manhattan had, until last year, been making regular appearances in the top 10, having produced six 11-win seasons during a seven-year span (granted, some of those win totals may have been inflated by head coach Bill Snyder's traditional Louisiana-Lafayette/Ball State/Western Kentucky preseason tour, but it was impressive nonetheless). Just the year before last, KSU went 11-4 and stomped previously undefeated Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game behind a Herculean performance by should-have-been-a-Heisman-finalist running back Darren Sproles. Then, last season, both Sproles and the Wildcats suddenly vanished off the face of the earth, finishing tied for last in a division -- the Big 12 North -- where none of the other teams were particularly good, either, and prompting Dennis McCulloch of Kansas City, Mo., to ask: Can Bill Snyder rebuild the Wildcats to their '90s level again? He recruited from Texas when that state's schools were down. Now that those programs are back up -- and given Snyder's age -- can he bring K-State back? My initial instinct would be to say yes, absolutely, of course he will. Look what happened the last time the Wildcats had a "down" season, in 2001, when they went 6-6 and were stomped by Syracuse in the Insight.com Bowl. They came right out the next year and went 11-2. Quarterback Ell Roberson, who struggled through a season-long shuffle with Marc Dunn in '01, emerged as a star in '02 much the same way many K-State followers expect the talented Allen Webb to do this year after splitting time last season with Dylan Meier. Still, there was something particularly troubling about last year's Kansas State team: It was terrible on defense, allowing nearly 31 points per game. In the past, no matter how much player turnover occurred from year-to-year, no matter the revolving door of defensive coordinators (Bob Stoops, Mike Stoops, Phil Bennett, Bret Bielema), you could always count on a dominating defense from Snyder's crew. Bielema's departure after the 2004 season to Wisconsin -- where he instantly turned the Badgers into one of the nation's top defenses -- and the loss of seven starters probably didn't help, but the fact is the Wildcats simply lacked the type of playmakers they've had in the past, particularly in the secondary, whose members were a far cry from Terence Newman, Jarrod Cooper, Chris Canty et al. And I don't put much stock in the Texas recruiting theory, because Mack Brown and Bob Stoops have been cleaning up there for years and K-State was still doing just fine until last season. Though KSU's defense should be better, on the whole I'm having trouble finding reasons to be overly optimistic about Snyder's prospects this season. The 'Cats lose not only Sproles, who was basically their entire offense last year, but four experienced offensive linemen. And even if K-State is improved, you have to think the rest of the Big 12 North can't help but be, either. Colorado, the division champ last year with an inspiring 4-4 conference record, returns 17 starters. Iowa State, behind breakout freshman QB Bret Meyer and receiver Todd Blythe, showed the most promise of anyone the second half of the season. Nebraska won't yet be ready to return to elite status this year, but should be better equipped to run Bill Callahan's West Coast offense now that he's recruited a couple of quarterbacks who can throw. Missouri, lest you forget, still has Brad Smith, one of the most talented players in the country when his coach isn't screwing with his head. And Kansas probably would have reached a bowl game last season had quarterback Adam Barmann not gotten hurt. Snyder will always be remembered for orchestrating arguably the greatest turnaround of a program in college football history, and, because his recalcitrant nature, probably doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves. Let's hope he's not on the verge of a Paterno-like slide that would erode his final legacy.

DRC article. Football: Meager set to begin fall workouts Shoulder surgery forced freshman QB to miss spring practice 08:44 AM CDT on Friday, June 17, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer There should be a full complement of players ready to compete for the starting quarterback position at North Texas this fall. Daniel Meager, a highly touted redshirt freshman who missed the majority of spring practice with a shoulder injury, has resumed throwing and should be ready for the beginning of two-a-day practices in the fall. Meager underwent surgery on his shoulder in March. “Daniel is throwing,” UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. “He is not 100 percent, but our players have 7-on-7 sessions they run by themselves, and he has been out there participating. His surgery went fine and everything else is going well.” Sophomore Joey Byerly is also working out. Dickey said he expects Byerly to be ready to compete for the starting job in the fall after serving as Scott Hall’s primary backup last season. Junior Cullen Mills also could return to the team and compete for a spot on the Mean Green’s depth chart. Mills left the team during spring practice in February to consider if he wanted to continue his career. “Cullen has inquired about the possibility of returning to the team, but we have not made a final decision yet,” Dickey said. Meager’s recovery and the potential return of Mills will give the Mean Green several options at quarterback heading into the 2005 season when Kellen Haynes is also expected to compete for playing time. Several other UNT players have remained on campus this summer and are taking classes to maintain their eligibility for the 2005 season. “We have a number of kids who still have some work to do to become eligible,” Dickey said. “We won’t know until the end of the summer who will be with us. Some kids have dug themselves pretty deep holes, but for the most part we are in decent shape. We are a little better off at this time than last season.” UNT finished 7-5 last year when the Mean Green won the Sun Belt Conference title and played in the New Orleans Bowl for the fourth consecutive season. UNT is slated to have 10 returning starters next season, not to mention the last two national rushing champions. Patrick Cobbs won the title in 2003 with an average of 152.7 yards a game before missing last season with a knee injury. The senior will return this year to team with 2004 national rushing champion Jamario Thomas, who posted an average of 180.1 yards a game after stepping in for Cobbs.

Not doubting anyone, but I'll wait for some type of official word.

Off the MUTS board. Vols out, Blue Raiders back in ! Raiders back on WGNS Radio station drops UT football for MTSU By Adam Sparks sparks@dnj.com MTSU radio has reached into its past to bring about the future. Murfreesboro's WGNS 1450-AM will once again be the local flagship station for MTSU football and men's basketball games after more than a decade's absence from the Blue Raider airwaves. WGNS has dropped its airing of Tennessee Vols football games in order to broadcast Blue Raider football contests. WGNS will also carry the coaches' shows "Andy Mac Live" and the "Kermit Davis Show." "We're going to get that (Floyd) stadium filled, and for us, that meant calling the University of Tennessee and letting them know about our decision. The MTSU games will now totally replace (the Vols)," said WGNS station owner Bart Walker, a Blue Raider alumnus. "Tennessee understood, and now we're very proud to promote Blue Raider athletics and the university, in general." The move for MTSU is part of a plan to solidify local support, including area businesses, under the Blue Raider umbrella. "This is a partnership that we feel is very good for the community and local businesses of Rutherford County," said MTSU athletic director Chris Massaro. "We're excited about teaming up with WGNS for the 2005-06 season. WGNS has been Murfreesboro's radio station for nearly 60 years, and it has a loyal listnership and it is important for us to be a part of that." WGNS has also vowed to add to the pregame coverage of football games and the promotional work of Blue Raider athletics. "One big part of the deal was that (WGNS) would expand on the coverage of the tailgating and the pregame festivities and promotions," said MTSU marketing director Mark Meadows. Added Walker: "We want to get right in the middle of the tailgating and the fans, so that everyone listening can hear the sound of the Blue Raider faithful and think, 'Man, I'm missing out if I'm not there.'" WGNS broadcasts reach from Gallatin to the north, McMinnville to the east and Columbia to the west. Blue Raider football and men's basketball games will also still be carried by campus station WMOT 89.5-FM. The Blue Raider Network will also add WVRY 105.1-FM as its flagship station in Nashville and the outlying areas. "I just think this is a great fit," Walker said. "There is a growing investment in MTSU sports, especially with football since going (I-A), and we want to motivate everyone in the area and local businesses to jump on board. Everyone should want to make this work." WGNS has set up an email account for suggestions from Blue Raider fans and listeners of how they would like MTSU athletics to be covered. The email address is blueraider@1450wgns.com. Comments and suggestions can also be made by calling the station at 893-5373. Originally published June 19, 2005

Sun Belt TV schedule is not complete. Complete schedule will be announced later at a conference media day.

Maybe a plant by the SMUts

Article from the Tech board. Tech plans to open up its offense June 18, 2005 By Jimmy Watson jimwatson@gannett.com Louisiana Tech fans expecting some surprises out of the 2005 version of their football team might be surprised to hear that there will be few surprises, according to Bulldogs football coach Jack Bicknell. Bicknell, in town on Friday night for the Tech fan celebration at Savoie's, said his offense will have a different look without Ryan Moats in the backfield but he won't be abandoning the running game. "We will have a much younger team than last year and that is very evident at running back," Bicknell said. "Both the guys we have back there (Mark Dillard and Freddie Franklin) are exceptional runners and we have two good ones coming in this fall (Weldon Brown and Patrick Jackson). So I still feel good about our running game. There may not be people out there that people have heard very much about, but they will." Bicknell didn't want to divulge changes to his offensive scheme, but did say he expects either Donald Allen or Matt Kubik to be more involved in the offense. "We'll have to open things up more offensively and we're putting in more run options for our quarterbacks," Bicknell said. Tech fan and former Bulldogs football great Leo Sanford of Shreveport said he is looking forward to the upcoming season after the way 2004 played out. "I thought that finishing 6-6 was very good with the schedule we played last year," Sanford said. "This year we have a chance to win even more without those four studs on the schedule." The Bulldogs will kick off the 2005 season with a road game at Florida on Sept. 10. Another road game follows at Kansas, while Sun Belt power North Texas comes to Ruston. "It's still a challenging schedule with one of the best teams in the nation in Florida and Kansas looking very good against Texas last season," Bicknell said. "The WAC is no cake walk either with Fresno State and Boise in the mix. At least it's not Miami, Auburn and Tennessee." Tech's defense is expected to be improved behind an experienced line and one of the school's best linebacking lineups in recent years. Byron Santiago will lead the linebackers, which also include Jeremy Hamilton and Barry Robertson. "We have to find a safety but I believe we have one of the best cover corners in the WAC in Tramon Williams," Bicknell said. "Ladarius Love and Quarvay Winbush had good a good spring in the line, but our secondary is a little scary."

Probably part of the arrangements made due to Temple pulling out of the MUTS game this year. Caused a domino effect on scheduling for several schools.

http://www.wftv.com/health/4619160/detail.html

MUTS also hosting Louisville in Nashville in '06. From Yahoo Sports Blue Raiders to play Virginia Cavaliers By Matthew Orenstein, Sidelines June 17, 2005 (U-WIRE) MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Middle Tennessee State Athletic Director Chris Massaro announced a verbal agreement with the University of Virginia to play football in Murfreesboro, Tenn., during the 2007 season. The Cavaliers have agreed to be the first team in the Atlantic Coast Conference to play at Floyd Stadium. "We're excited to be associated with an institution like Virginia," Massaro told MT media relations. "When you talk about a complete program, both academically and athletically, the University of Virginia is at the top of the list." Massaro has signed a letter of understanding with the ACC and the Mid-American Conference to play either on Sept. 22 or Oct. 6 of 2007. The Blue Raiders now have on their home schedule for the next three years teams from one of the big conferences. In 2006, the Blue Raiders will play Louisville from the Big East Conference in Nashville at the Coliseum. Maryland will be the second ACC team to play at MTSU when the Terrapins come to Floyd Stadium in 2008. "Bringing in teams the caliber of Louisville, Virginia and Maryland gives tremendous value to our student body, ticket holders, alums, Rutherford County and all the area businesses. It should also be a big boost to the [blue Raider Athletic Association] and our corporate sponsors," Massaro told MT media relations. Middle Tennessee and Virginia have never played each other in football. The Cavaliers are usually ranked in the top 25 and coached by former New York Jets head coach Al Groh. Virginia has been to three straight bowl games and sent seven players to the NFL in 2005. "After facing so many of these type teams on the road for the past six years, it is going to be great to face them in Floyd Stadium," head coach Andy McCollum told MT media relations. "This gives us an opportunity to showcase our facility and play quality opponents in a place where our teams have traditionally been very successful. This is a great day for Middle Tennessee football and our loyal fans."

Steve Ramsey. One of the greatest college quarterbacks of his era. He set 9 NCAA records, including total offense, pass completions, passing yardage & TD passes.

Buying a ticket is no permit to act up Tuesday, June 14, 2005 Huntsville Times Commissioners are concerned about some fans' behavior TUSCALOOSA - So much to worry about in college athletics.Academics. Criminal behavior. Television dollars. Recruiting scandals. Performance-enhancing drugs. Know what else they're worried about? You. You and where you sit in the stands. You and the way you act when you sit in the stands. Or at least the people near you, and the way they act in the stands. And, in turn, the way those people affect the experience of attending a game with your family. Buying a ticket, said Wright Waters, commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference, "doesn't give you a license to go in and act the fool. You don't check your civility at the door.'' Unfortunately, too many fans do. We're concerned about sportsmanship issues, and concerned about Joe Fan,'' Waters said. Waters and fellow commissioners Mike Slive (Southeastern Conference), Jon Steinbrecher (Ohio Valley Conference) and Robert Vowels (Southwest Athletic Conference) conducted a wide-ranging roundtable discussion Monday at the Alabama Sports Writers Association annual convention. Ask them if the civility factor is really that significant, and all up and down the table it's like Commissioners' Bobblehead Night at the ballpark. Each man nodded in strong assent. "As important as anything to our league, we are concerned about the sportsmanship issues,'' Waters said. That covers the behavior of coaches and athletes, who are regulated by in-game penalties and the occasional off-the-field censure and suspension and fines. But more and more, fan behavior can make the most competitive of athletes and coaches seem tame. The SEC, Slive said, has instituted a system to fine its schools when fans rush onto a basketball court or football field. It's $5,000 the first time, $25,000 the second, $50,000 the next, and you-can't-afford-it the next. "We don't want anybody to get hurt,'' Slive said. "We don't want somebody to do something out of anger they'll regret later.'' Perhaps nothing except sensitive ears is endangered by profane, obnoxious fans. But it's a problem Slive said his league is addressing. "We've asked our presidents and chancellors and our legal counsel to take a look at some civility language legislation,'' he said. "It's very sensitive, very complicated. It involves First Amendment issues. It involved the right to enjoy yourself. We don't want to temper anybody's enthusiasm. We don't want to make it a less pleasant outing for anybody. "But we don't want to make it pleasant for people who do certain things at the expense of other people.'' Steinbrecher's conference instituted a game-management security audit for its schools. Each school was charged with taking an introspective look at its sportsmanship policies and behavior. In turn, each was asked to give feedback on other programs. "This year,'' he said, "there was remarkable improvement. One of the things I was pleased to see was how seriously the institutions took the feedback from sister institutions. They addressed it. "You know, we all have our crazies,'' Steinbrecher said. He then related a story he had previously told the presidents and athletics directors of the OVC. Last season, Steinbrecher was at a football game and encountered "a fan spewing vulgarities.'' In a non-threatening manner, he asked the fan, "Why are you doing that?'' Said Steinbrecher, "You get two answers, and they're fairly consistent. One is, they're part of the team. The second part is, they think they're helping their team by doing that. "I don't think that's the case,'' he said. "My response is be a leader. Be positive.'' A ticket to a game buys much privilege. Being an uncivil fool is not among those privileges.