Roundup: Rice-Eccles Stadium set to expand capacity to 51,000 by 2021
Kurt Kragthorpe reports that the University of Utah trustees have approved an $80 million bonding plan to expand Rice-Eccles Stadium to 51,000 seats. Current capacity is around 46,000, and construction is reportedly set to begin after the 2020 season and completed in August 2021.
Cal alum and Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin was named American League Manager of the Year on Tuesday after leading the A’s to a 97-65 record and a Wild Card berth despite having the lowest Opening Day payroll in the majors.
Clay Helton expects to return as USC’s football coach in 2019, reports Joey Kaufman. “I told them my plan is to be here for another 15 years,” Helton told reporters. “I’d like to do it ‘til I’m 60, right here, and that’s my plan.”
Arizona running back J.J. Taylor was named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, it was announced Wednesday morning. Arizona State’s Eno Benjamin is also a semifinalist.
Stanford women’s basketball announced the signing of three players to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday morning, with Fran Belibi, Hannah Jump and Ashten Prechtel set to become freshmen on The Farm next season. The class is ranked third nationally by espnW HoopGurlz.
Defending national champion Oregon State baseball announced its 2019 schedule on Tuesday, as the Beavs open with 14 of their first 18 on the road (The Oregonian/OregonLive). Non-conference opponents include Minnesota, Indiana, Coastal Carolina, West Virginia and Oklahoma State.
Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times revisits the 1998 UCLA-USC football game in which the Bruins defeated the Trojans 34-17, making UCLA’s Cade McNown the first quarterback to go 4-0 in the series.
Washington men’s basketball coach Mike Hopkins recounts the team’s escape from the fire on the bus. Percy Allen has the story, and it’s a pretty entertaining read considering everybody was OK.
Ben Kercheval of CBS Sports looks at how Arizona State football coach Herm Edwards proved the doubters wrong in his first year on the job. It seems like a lot more people are aboard the New Leadership Model now than there were in January.
Did you see the new artwork in Mike Leach’s office? It’s a framed piece of a semi-nude George Costanza from Seinfeld with Leach’s head on it (Sports Illustrated). A Washington State fan put the image on a poster and now it’s hanging in Leach’s office. Awesome.
Heading into the week, Oregon men’s basketball center Bol Bol is top 25 in the nation in blocks and rebounds, Steve Mims of The Register-Guard notes.
Check out the Pac-12 Networks recap of Colorado men’s basketball’s 100-71 win over Drake to open the 2018-19 season. The Buffs got a 25-point, eight-rebound performance out of Namon Wright, while McKinley Wright IV chipped in with 17 points, six assists and two steals.