Zipmeister

Associated Press Newswire (Providence, R.I.) April 1, 2007 SundayThe BIG EAST Conference Commissioner’s office announced today the planned expansion of the BIG EAST Conference from 16 to 18 members with the addition of the University of Central Florida and the University of Akron effective as of July 1, 2009. The addition of the two schools will also expand the number of BIG EAST member institutions with Division 1 football programs from 8 to 10. This is the second expansion of the BIG EAST conference in recent years. In 2005-06, the BIG EAST welcomed five new members to increase its membership to 16: University of Cincinnati, DePaul University, University of Louisville, Marquette University and the University of South Florida. At that time, some were ready to call the new BIG EAST alignment too unwieldy, but the league showed that there can be strength in numbers even when that number is a large one. After this most recent expansion is complete, the BIG EAST football championship will be contested in a single ten-team division while both men’s and women’s basketball will be contested in two nine-team divisions culminating with a post-season conference tournament. The University of Central Florida, located in Orlando, Florida, is currently a member of Conference USA and the University of Akron, located in Akron, Ohio, is a member of the MidAmerican Conference. Each school was granted full membership status in the BIG EAST Conference in 2009 by a unanimous vote of BIG EAST Conference University Presidents. Luis M. Proenza, and John C. Hitt President of the University of Akron and the University of Central Florida, respectively, expressed their pleasure with the announcement. Dr. Proenza said, “It is an honor to join an organization which has enjoyed a national leadership role.” Dr. Hitt added, “Student athletes in the BIG EAST own significantly high graduation rates and their record of scholastic achievement notably show a balance between intercollegiate athletics and academics.”BIG EAST institutions reside in nine of the nation's top 34 largest media markets, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Tampa, Pittsburgh, Hartford, Milwaukee and Cincinnati. Since opening its doors in 1979, the league has won 25 national championships in six different sports and 124 student-athletes have won individual national titles. Moving proactively has been a consistent strategy for the conference that was formed in 1979. The BIG EAST has continually turned challenges into opportunities to become stronger. The BIG EAST became a reality on May 31, 1979, following a meeting of athletic directors from Providence College, St. John's, Georgetown and Syracuse Universities. Seton Hall, Connecticut and Boston College completed the original seven school alliance. While the membership has both increased and changed, the focus of the BIG EAST has not wavered. The conference reflects a tradition of broad based programs, led by administrators and coaches who place a constant emphasis on academic integrity. The conference has long been considered a leader in innovative concepts in promotion and publicity, and they have highly recommended that the University of Akron officially change their name to Akron U. The conference office believes the new name would more easily roll off the tongues of announcers at sporting events.

"Is he out because he is home sick or knocked up his girlfriend or sick relative or is he just misbehaving and feeling sorry for himself?"or is his girlfriend home sick and he is felling sorry for himself because he knocked up a sick relative?

Time will tell, and when the time comes I won't even say I told you so.

All but C.S.

Four of the five will make fine D2 players some day.

McPerp!! You really think that a sport that covers 51% of its expenses is self supporting? I'm guessing you don't teach business finance.

I have not located him yet, but can offer some good news. I checked the Ohio Department of Corrections web site and he is not in an Ohio prison.

OK.....one more quess...are his initials D.D. and is he associated with a national law enforcement agency.

Blue&Gold observered: "I would say he is definitely a long shot for a WR position on our football team. That's one of our deepest positions."Actually his odds of making the football team as a wide receiver are better than his odds of becoming an FBI agent with a Criminal Justice degree (apologies to Trimmy10, I know it should be a degree in Criminal Justice).

Blue and Gold asked.....What does "preferred walk-on" mean, exactly? Does it mean they have an inside track on earning a scholarship next season? Are they eligible to play this season? As Rosanne Rosanadana used to say, You have a lot of questions Blue and Gold. Heres the answer to all three:Preferred walk on still means the same thing it has always meant....someone who isn't good enough to get a scholarship.No.If by "this" season you mean next season, and they are academically eligible....Yes.

Nobody has mentioned the RedHawk Cheerleaders. These babes are hot. Thank goodness this campus is wireless so I can keep up with the blog while watching the game.

There is the smallest possibility that my memory has failed me, but I believe no two Akron football players have ever been drafted in the same year. Don Williams was on the Zips basketball team and some people thought he had NFL tight end potential. They were wrong.

All I know is Rick Majerus is going to be ticked when he sees somebody has stuck his bobblehead on anothers sta tute.

Thru 8 games, I am going to have to go with the MAC site.

Timmy has been in he funny mushrooms again. :blink:

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=333&p=9&c=8&toinid=714&yr=2007here's the latest

If Akron signs this guy I fear they will get what they deserve. I'd rather see a scholarship offered to a no-star who wants to be here.

Now that we have him the big 10 will probably be calling to ask AU to join their conference. But don't tell anybody else who him is. Let's leave em guessing.

I have a lawnmower I want to sell.

We need a catchy slogan.How about......"Come on out to the JAR and watch our team shoot down the opposition faster than James A. Rhodes could send the Guard to pick off students at Can't State."

Skippy, Your ticket gives you a "license." Basically that's the right to sit in your seat for the event. But the party who issued the license normally has the right to terminate the license. So if the license issuer tells you not to say "sucks" and you keep saying "sucks" your license may be revoked even if you are an adult.

Based on the number of posts in the last 72 hours I'm guessing somebody's Ritalin prescription has run out.

I like the last photo of the YSU football field submitted by Equins. I think we can use it as a guide to make sure we get a first rate facility. I would weave blue and gold material into our chain link fence rather that the singe dark color they used and I suggest blue spruce rather than junipers.

I'm not trying to be a smart ass, but why is a Rivals 2-star a "HUGE verbal?"

IMHO we will be fortunate to win either of those two games.