#10: Iowa set a women’s wrestling attendance world record* by drawing 8,207 to the Trailblazer Duals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Bowlsby Sports Advisors Founder/President Kyle Bowlsby points out the women “would be third in the country for men’s if average held for remainder of the year.” *An Iowa spokesperson says the university isn't 100% certain that Sunday's event set a record; however UI is confident that 8,207 set the record by a comfortable margin. (link, link); UI offers a glimpse of the atmosphere for the event. Pretty cool. (link)
|
#9: The NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament field is set with Marshall, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Georgetown as the top four seeds. Full bracket. (link)
|
#8: USA Today released a database of the country’s highest-paid strength coaches. Michigan’s Ben Herbert and Oklahoma State’s Rob Glass lead the way at $1M, followed by Ohio State’s Mickey Marotti ($882K), Iowa’s Raimond Braithwaite ($760K) and Florida’s Mark Hocke ($750K). Full database. (link)
|
#7: The full field for the 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships was announced, which includes 31 programs on both sides, plus another 38 individuals. Virginia will host the event next Saturday. (link)
|
#6: Arizona State AD Ray Anderson has resigned, effective immediately. Anderson: "It has been a privilege to serve as ASU's athletic director for nearly a decade. We have entered an unprecedented era where the number and magnitude of changes in the college sports landscape are astounding. As I approach my seventh decade of life, these are not matters that my leadership would be able to corral during my tenure. Continuity of leadership will be needed, and I am choosing to step aside to let the university find that leader." ASU SVP for Educational Outreach and Student Services Jim Rund will serve as Interim AD. (link)
|
#5: USA Today columnist Dan Wolken has UCLA atop this week’s College Football Misery Index. Wolken acknowledges the Bruins were without starting QB Dante Moore and backup QB Ethan Garbers, but “you’d think UCLA would have enough depth by this point in [HC Chip] Kelly’s tenure to just out-talent a team like Arizona State with a first-year coach in Kenny Dillingham.” Duke, Washington State, Minnesota and Oklahoma State round out the index. (link)
|
#4: Evansville is having some fun with the Michigan sign-stealing investigations. The Purple Aces found on their celebrity lookalike cam “alleged football spy” Connor Stalions during a men’s hoops game. Take a look. (link)
|
#3: There is no more lopsided contest in this sport than Jimmy Sexton versus SEC athletic directors,” according to The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel. “He and his ilk have done a masterful job of exploiting schools’ emotion-driven coaching searches and amateurish negotiators to the tune of hundreds of millions in their clients’ bank accounts, whether they’re successful or whether they fail spectacularly. … The schools often negotiate against themselves, paying a coach far more than it would actually take for him to come there or stay there mostly because others are doing the same. They rush to lock themselves into stratospheric obligations to guys not named Kirby Smart or Nick Saban, then go begging for donations when they somehow can’t balance their budgets.” (link)
|
#2: Southern Illinois AD Tim Leonard promised to shave his head if 2,000 students showed up to Friday night’s Men’s Basketball tip with Queens. At halftime Leonard lived up to his promise. Check it out. (link)
|
#1: The Big Ten has suspended Michigan Football HC Jim Harbaugh for the remainder of the regular season for violating the league’s sportsmanship policy. “This disciplinary action shall not preclude the University or its football team from having its Head Football Coach attend practices or other football team activities other than the game activities to which it applies. For clarity, the Head Football Coach shall not be present at the game venue on the dates of the games to which this disciplinary action applies. The Big Ten Conference will have no additional comment at this time.” (link, link - Full letter & notice sent to Michigan from the B1G)
|