More Conference Realignment: Brett McMurphy of CBS Sports reported yesterday that Conference USA would be taking on six teams in response to losing Houston, SMU, Central Florida and Memphis to the Big East earlier this year. Florida International, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Texas San Antonio, Charlotte and Old Dominion will all join C-USA starting in 2013. (Note: Charlotte and Old Dominion still do not have active collegiate football teams). With Louisiana Tech and Texas-San Antonio departing from the WAC, the conference will only have two football members come 2013. But fear not, lovers of the midnight ESPN start times, WAC commissioner Jeff Hurd says that they will remain a "preeminent Division I conference". Sure. #RIPWAC
Anticipation Builds: The New York Times ran a piece the relationships between subjects and their biographers and focused on the bond between Joe Paterno and Joe Posnanski as the latter's book "Paterno" will come out at the end of August. While Posnanski declined to be interviewed for the story, other biographers who wrote stories about conflicted figures and attempted to shed light on how JoePo might deal with the final chapters of JoePa's life. It will be a rough one to read no matter the case, though.
Put Down The Kool-Aid, Dana O'Neil: I normally enjoy Dana O'Neil's stuff on ESPN. Being a PSU alumnus, she does her best to promote the basketball program, especially when the Chambers Era made people care about Penn State basketball again. Then there was this yesterday:
Penn State basketball has always needed football.
What's different: Football needs basketball, field hockey and just about everything else more than ever.
With advanced apologies to my esteemed co-writers Eric and Tim, Penn State football will never need basketball, let alone, field hockey. While STEP has angered an alumni base and the events of the past six months have at least somewhat alienated the rest of the fans Penn State has across the country, the basketball team or field hockey team or the club rugby team will never make an impact on who cares about Penn State football. The 2,500 who fill the BJC for a nationally-televised Saturday tip-off and the non-existent attendance at any non-revenue sporting event (not counting women's volleyball) tell that story. Feel free to disagree in the comments section.
Your Assortment of BOB News: Ivan Maisel and David Jones both take a look at the changes that Coach O'Brien has brought to the Penn State program as well as how he is getting back into the groove of being a college coach. Elsewhere, Philly.com caught up with the coach after the first day of the Coaches Caravan which he knows is an important way to get acquainted with the fan base.
A Few Other PSU Tidbits: The Raiders blog at the San Francisco Chronicle caught up with draft pick Jack Crawford and Patrick Chambers loves his new recruits and isn't too worked about those few transfers.
Cimarron is back!: The plushy, cuddly FSU Kids Club mascot is back and Florida State students are not happy. Of course, Spencer from EDSBS found a way to make me fall out of my seat laughing once again.
Pro Combat - Not Even Trying Anymore: The new Rutgers Pro Combats were unveiled yesterday. I didn't like them the first time when Georgia wore them. Over at BHGP, they have an idea of their own for what Nike should make for Indiana.
In Scores Of Other Games: The overlords review the NFL Draft, Todd Graham should have never went to Pitt and we have a new Cy-Hawk trophy.
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