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#10: Speaking of facilities, the Minnesota Vikings' new practice digs features multiple rooms dedicated to tech advances that The Ringer's Clark says haven't been done in a FB space before. Some interesting nuggets from Clark's time with GM Spielman, "There’s the big stuff—a virtual reality room, an improved weight room, an underwater treadmill that can be moved up or down depending on how much body weight you want underwater—and then the smaller stuff, which includes hills at different inclines depending on what position groupyou play in and what you want to accomplish from running up a hill. […] The Vikings have been charting the player projections of their evaluators at each position group, trying to figure out which combination of scouts and coaches they should listen to most closely when evaluating, say, a defensive back." Interestingly, with tech advances making busy work more efficient, the question some are asking within the Vikings organization is, "What do we do with this extra time that's been freed up?" Good read given the arms race in college athletics. (link)
#9: Texas Southern AD McClelland was announced as the next SWAC Commish, calling it an "opportunity that was just too great to pass up." He added: "If I could influence [the SWAC] in any positive way, that would be a fulfillment of my lifelong dream." McClelland, who signed a three-year contract, also noted reports back in June that connected him to the opening, "Had that erroneous report not come out, it would not have seemed like it took so long for this to get done. I think the Council of Presidents had July 1 as a target date and we’re in the (second) week of August, so the process went relatively smooth, it just took time to go through the process, negotiate and get all the documentation together." (link)
#8: FAU FB HC Kiffin via Twitter in response to the article last week from Yahoo's Thamel: "It's called being real and not anonymous. How my dad taught me. Guess it's unusual today. My bad. Who am I suppose to worry about doing my job for? My A.D. And president or other head coaches bosses????" (link);
#7: Northeastern rolls out a new look, including the 'King Husky' primary logo, which was "inspired by tattoo art." There's also a quartet of new secondary marks, a fresh wordmark described as "simple and utilitarian," plus a really cool 3D rendering. AD Konya: "We wanted to create a bold, innovative and striking new concept. Our team worked tirelessly to develop an identity unique and distinctive to Northeastern, and I think we hit a homerun. We believe these marks, along with an integrated marketing plan, show the vibrancy of Northeastern Athletics and is a product that our loyal constituents will gravitate towards." (link - release, link - video unveiling, link - logo sheet, link - visual recap)
#6: Game on. Alabama announces details of its 10-year $600M capital campaign & facilities push, dubbed 'The Crimson Standard.' $143M has already been generated with Bryant-Denny Stadium & Coleman Coliseum set to receive the bulk of the attention. Bryant-Denny with a new massive video board & new premium areas as capacity of the facility may dip below 100K. Work won't begin until after the '19 season & HC Saban has committed $1M. There's also enhancements for the team's gameday locker room, weight room & more. As for Coleman Coliseum, the inside "will be completely gutted and rebuilt with two tiers and seats closer to the floor with new premium options. It will seat between 9,500 and 10,000 spectators -- a loss of around 4,000 -- and is planned to begin after the 2021-22 season. The estimated cost is $115 million." The video linked here is quite impressive, if for no other reason than all the avatar work. (link - article, link - video renderings, link - The Crimson Standard site); Saban's influence, "I draw stuff on a piece of paper, and then you all figure it out. I drew our lake house on a napkin. We didn't have an architect, we didn't have any of that. The guy built it and it came out pretty good. So same thing with this building. […] I don't spend any time in the concourses during the game, but what I get told is it's pretty crowded and we need some significant improvements to be made. So, I'm taking their word for it on that. Maybe you can tell me more about that because I've never been in the concourse so I wouldn't know." (link)
#5: Five FB unis unveiled at Oregon... is that a gold helmet?! (link)
#4: Our condolences to the Penn State family as incoming Track & Field student-athlete Marche was shot and passed away Monday night in his driveway. (link)
#3: "I have labored over this decision for several months, but I know that now is the right time to step aside from the Sun Belt and conclude my career as a commissioner and in intercollegiate athletics. I am very proud of what the Sun Belt has been able to accomplish since starting here in 2012. […] When I took the job with the Sun Belt in 2012, I looked at it as a five to seven year assignment and knew I would return to Denver when it was over. When Sarah and I were married in October 2016, that pretty much ‘sealed the deal’ and once I completed my current contract, I knew it would be the right time for me to step aside and let the next commissioner put their stamp on the next era for the Sun Belt." Sun Belt Commish Benson on his decision to step away from the league after June 30 of next year. Benson will leave with a laundry list of accomplishments over his seven-year tenure. (link)
#2: Tony the Landshark introduced as Ole Miss' new mascot & the reviews were mixed on social media. "Tony" comes from former FB student-athlete Fein who first started using the 'fins up' hand gesture back in 2007 that's taken hold with the Rebels' fanbase. AD Bjork: "When all this came about, we said we were going to do this the right way. The story of Tony, it had to be told. It’s so magical. He’s the one who created the whole phenomenon. …I’m not sure there’s a more unique story for a mascot in college sports. You think about how it was born, sort of organically. Now, what’s a Landshark? Well, now we sort of created it." Rare Design out of Hattiesburg & L.A.-based Nascent Perspective Studios helped with the concept, design & execution. (link)
#1: On leave Idaho AD Spear will exit the university, though his for "convenience" termination means he'll be paid through his current contract that expires in mid-February of 2020 at a rate of $181K annually. Mitigation is included in the separation terms for Spear. Interim Vandals AD Isakson will lead the department for the "foreseeable future." A number of the former female student-athletes involved in situations that led to Spear's resolution comment on the developments. (link)
