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#10: The Indianapolis Star’s Zach Osterman takes a look at Indiana’s Operation Bigfoot, which became code for bringing back the Hoosiers’ Bison mascot. Osterman explains that “while ‘Hoosiers’ embodies a certain cultural resonance for IU fans, it’s hard to assign a physical manifestation to a word with no universally agreed-upon meaning. Decades ago, for just a few years, drawing on the animal figuring prominently on the state seal, IU tried a bison mascot. It was introduced in 1965 and abandoned by the end of that decade.” However, “Bring back the bison” became a “rallying cry stretching from podcasts like the popular CrimsonCast, to independent retail, including popular Indianapolis-based company Homefield Apparel. Athletics officials felt that groundswell, which came to a head in December when IU Student Government passed a bill reinstating the bison as the university’s official mascot. From that point forward, the department was in.” While Hoosiers (Bison?) AD Scott Dolson “firmly supported the idea,” Senior Assoc. AD for Strategic Communications Jeremy Gray tells Osterman the “students really pushing it was a big determining factor.” IU began subtly implanting bison imagery across its branding, with small logos in the corners of video scoreboard graphics and horns crashing through schedule posters for the 2025-26 athletic year. Beginning in 2024, winners of the men’s and women’s Little 500 bicycle races received plush stuffed bison on the winners’ podium, and Gray notes: “We decided to lean into it.” The effort culminated in a series of three videos over the past two weeks hinting at, and ultimately revealing, the Bison’s return. (link)
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#9: New Mexico names Washington Senior Director of Creative Services for Husky Football Kasey Byers as Senior Assoc. AD for External Relations. (link)
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#8: As SEC leaders gather in Destin for spring meetings, Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger observes this week will be different than many, if not most, of its antecedents: “Back in the day, this thing was four days of mostly monotonous legislative meetings. Lots of golf. Plenty of poolside cocktails. And bunches of beach time. … Nowadays, SEC meetings are three days of intense policy-making discussions oozing with heavy subject matter. There is little to no golf. Few cocktails. And an absence of beach time.” With topics ranging from the College Football Playoff to the House settlement, Dellenger adds that “SEC old-timers believe it to be the most consequential gathering in the history of the conference.” During its meetings last week in Los Angeles, Big Ten administrators solidified their support for the so-called "4-4-2-2-1" CFP format, and the SEC this week has a chance to do the same. And what if they do? “I guess we’re going to war,” says one Big 12 AD. The SEC this week is also expected to discuss the “governance proposal and the possibility of separating football completely out from under the NCAA,” and Dellenger points out that “in an unreported and little-known fact, SEC presidents in March quietly authorized their commissioner, [Greg] Sankey, to split from the NCAA if he deems that the right move.” In examining the future of college sports more broadly, Dellenger asks whether athletic departments will remain under the $20.5M rev-share cap. “Or will they support their booster collectives in flooding the new Deloitte-run NIL clearinghouse with multi-million dollar deals for their athletes as a way to circumvent the cap? Illinois AD Josh Whitman notes: “We have to decide if we want to be governed.” Baylor AD Mack Rhoades adds: “I’ll say this, it has to work. For this to be a good settlement, that component has to work and I think it is the most important.” (link)
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#7: Texas A&M will fully fund every roster position, increasing its total scholarship allotment by more than 150, according to Aggies AD Trev Alberts. Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger notes the Aggies join Tennessee, Clemson and “some others in completely scholarshipping each sport.” Meanwhile, WRAL’s Brian Murphy notes North Carolina “had 850 athletes this year, which will shrink to 735 under the House roster limits. But UNC had only 320 full scholarships so it'd have to increase that by more than 400. ‘I don't think we'll get there. We certainly won't get there quickly,’ AD Bubba Cunningham said.” (link)
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#6: Have a watch as UCF installs a new playing surface at FBC Mortgage Stadium. (link) |
#5: Michigan State President Kevin Guskiewicz says the Spartans are “getting close” on naming a new AD and says of the traits he’s been looking for throughout the search: “It's a much more externally facing job today than it's ever been, and it's about the connectedness to the donor base, the alums, the folks who can help us with sponsorships and to generate revenue." The job description, he adds, calls for “somebody who can run a major corporation. It's a very different world today.” Guskiewicz also says sitting ADs at other universities are "very nervous" about participating in a search, given the impact it could have on their current coaches and donor base. (link)
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#4: The NCAA Baseball Championship bracket is set with Vanderbilt as the top seed, followed by Texas, Arkansas, Auburn, North Carolina, LSU, Georgia, Oregon State, Florida State, Ole Miss, Clemson, Oregon, Coastal Carolina, Tennessee, UCLA and Southern Miss, respectively. Full bracket. (link)
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#3: Looks like Texas has quickly repaired the outfield batters eye & wall at UFCU Disch-Falk Field that was damaged by recent storms. (link)
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#2: Check out Tennessee’s new hoops practice court at Pratt Pavilion. (link) |
#1: Michigan State will up the annual salary for its next athletic director from the roughly $900K that Alan Haller made to potentially the "$1.5M" range, according to The Detroit News’ Tony Paul, who adds that this raise in salary suggests the Spartans are in pursuit of a big-time "name" hire for the role. Paul also reports the new AD could be in place by mid-June. (link)
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