Roundup: Tara VanDerveer says Pac-12 Networks is a game changer for women's sports
Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer writes about how TV exposure is benefitting women’s sports in this piece for The Mercury News. Good stuff from the coaching legend, and she has always been a fan of Pac-12 Networks.
ESPN is reporting that former Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon will start the season opener for Baylor. Solomon is a graduate transfer for the Bears, who open their 2017 season Saturday against Liberty. Solomon started 27 games in three years at Arizona, throwing for 6,922 yards and 49 touchdowns.
The HOKA One One Long Island Mile men’s elite mile will be named in honor of David Torrence, the former Cal and Olympic runner who was found dead in a pool in Scottsdale Monday morning.
Mary Stone of the Lewiston Tribune reports that Washington State officials have postponed a decision about selling alcohol to general ticket holders at football games. Alcohol sales are currently allowed at designated areas outside the stadium before games and during halftime, and Stone writes that the school likely won’t decide to resubmit a request for additional sales until the end of the academic year (the university submitted an initial request last year).
Danny Moran reports that Oregon State wide receiver Seth Collins will miss the Portland State game Saturday due to a finger injury he suffered three weeks ago. Other injury notes are provided in the link.
Isaiah Thomas spoke about his health with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, saying that his hip injury is healing and not career-threatening. The injury has been a snag in the potential megadeal between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, with Thomas and others potentially going to the Cavs for Kyrie Irving.
Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated projects that USC quarterback Sam Darnold will be the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, with UCLA signal-caller Josh Rosen going second overall.
The Colorado women’s cross country team is No. 1 in the 2017 preseason USTFCCA poll, it was announced Tuesday. The Buff men are ranked fifth.
George Schroeder of USA TODAY Sports has this feature on Willie Taggart trying to turn around Oregon football after a losing 2016 campaign.
Check out the trailer for the Ball family reality show (Sports Illustrated on the link). The show, entitled “Ball in the Family,” debuts Thursday on Facebook.
Doug Haller has questions about Arizona State’s running game in 2017. Running production has dipped precipitously over the past few seasons under Todd Graham, and the Sun Devils’ 131.5 rushing yards per game last season ranked 112th in the nation.
Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham discussed his Game of Thrones tweets on the Pac-12 football coaches teleconference, and our Shayna Rubin has a writeup on it. Seeing as I’m only midway through the third season, I’m purposely not reading Whittingham’s GoT tweets.