Buffs Football Notes: How To Watch Pac-12 Media Day, Watchlists, Preseason Polls
LOS ANGELES — Colorado coach Karl Dorrell, offensive lineman Casey Roddick and linebacker Robert Barnes will represent the Buffaloes at Friday's Pac-12 Media Day at the Novo, with complete coverage of the day's events available on the Pac-12 Network.
Commissioner George Kliavkoff will kick off the event with opening remarks at 9 a.m. (MT), which will air on the Pac-12 Network, the Pac-12 Now app and Pac-12 Insider. Senior associate commissioner Merton Hanks and Stanford Director of Athletics and chair of the Pac-12 Athletics Director Committee Bernard Muir will join the commissioner for a Q&A following Kliavkoff's opening remarks.
Dorrell's press conference from the main stage is set to begin at 11:15 a.m. and will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Insider, the Pac-12 Now app and Pac-12.com.
Dorrell will then move to the media day studio stage and be joined by Roddick and Barnes for an interview session with Ashley Adamson, Nigel Burton and Yogi Roth. That show will begin at 11:45 a.m. (MT) and be available on the Pac-12 Network, the Pac-12 Now app and Pac-12.com.
Click here for a complete schedule of the day's main stage press conferences and studio interviews for all 12 conference schools.
PRESEASON POLL ANNOUNCED: The Pac-12 released its preseason media poll Thursday afternoon, with Utah picked to win the league championship in the first year the conference will not feature divisions since it expanded to 12 teams in 2011.
Colorado, coming off a 4-8 finish last year, was picked to finish last by the 33 media members polled.
Oregon was picked to finish second in the league, which would set up a championship game rematch from last season, which Utah won. The Pac-12 championship game will be played Dec. 2 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
WATCHLIST UPDATES: Two more Buffaloes have been added to preseason national awards watchlists.
Senior tight end Brady Russell, who led Colorado in receptions (25) and receiving yards (307) last season has been named to the John Mackey Award watchlist. The honor is given annually to the nation's top tight end. Russell has played in 38 career games at CU with 28 starts. Colorado has one previous winner of the Mackey Award, with Daniel Graham nabbing the honor in 2001.
Sophomore edge rusher Joshka Gustav has been named to the Wuerffel Trophy watchlist. Named after Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy honors college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society, and inspire greater service in the world. A member of CU's Scripps Leadership and Career Development Program and a past winner of the team's Jacob Van Ek Award for academics, he has been active in community programs and last year started three games for the Buffs.
Earlier this summer, running back Alex Fontenot was named to the Doak Walker Award watchlist.
ALL-CONFERENCE PICKS: Colorado had five players named honorable mention preseason All-Pac-12 earlier this week.
Those selected were safety Isaiah Lewis, defensive lineman Jalen Sami, rush end Terrance Lang, offensive lineman Frank Fillip and kick returner Nikko Reed.