
UNDATED (AP) — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark says his
conference is done expanding, shutting down the possibility of adding
UConn and Gonzaga after engaging with both basketball powers on
potential membership.


Less than two weeks after the Big 12 announced Pac-12 schools
Arizona, Arizona State Colorado and Utah will switch leagues and join
the conference next year, Yormark appeared on the "Marchand and
Ourand Sports Media Podcast” and revealed other potential moves.


"I did have conversations with UConn and Gonzaga, and
unfortunately, things didn’t work out, only because the dream
scenario unfolded for us, so those conversations are no longer,”
Yormark said. “I’m a big admirer of both of those programs.
They’re fantastic for all the right reasons, but I’m focused on
the transition of those four (additions) right now.”


UConn plays in the Big East and just won its fifth men's NCAA
basketball championship in April. The school is also a powerhouse in
women's basketball. The Huskies compete as an independent in the top
tier of Division I football.


Gonzaga, which plays in the West Coast Conference, has been one of
the dominant men's basketball programs for about two decades.


Big 12 men's basketball has surged in recent years and emerged as the
most competitive conference in the country. Yormark has said he
believes men's college basketball could be a source of untapped value
for the conference in future media rights deals.


The Big 12 is saying goodbye to Texas and Oklahoma after this season.
Those flagships schools are moving to the Southeastern Conference.
But with the addition of Pac-12's so-called Four Corners schools, the
Big 12 will have 16 members, spanning from Orlando, Florida, to Salt
Lake City, Utah.


“We feel now -- being in 10 states, having over 90 million people
in our footprint, being in four time zones -- gives the Big 12 a
chance to do some amazing things when we get back into that next TV
negotiation,” Yormark said on the podcast. “So the No. 1 guiding
principle for us was value creation, and it will always be that as we
think about expansion or, for that matter, anything else we do.”


The Big 12 agreed to an extension of its media rights deals with Fox
and ESPN last fall, though the deal has not been officially
announced.


The Big 12 jumped ahead of the Pac-12 to grab a deal that will pay
its schools about $31 million per year.


That move undercut the Pac-12 and its commissioner, George Kliavkoff,
and left the conference unable to land a competitive deal. That
subsequently led to six of its schools bailing for other leagues,
including Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten next year.


With only four schools remaining, Stanford, California, Oregon State
and Washington State, the future of the Pac-12 is in doubt.


Yormark said he reached out to Kliavkoff and the two spoke last week.
He said he told Kliavkoff he was sorry to put him in a tough spot and
they had a “collegial conversation.”


“I still have a little bit of a knot in my stomach,” Yormark
said. “I never want my gain to be anyone else’s loss."

UNDATED (AP) — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark says his
conference is done expanding, shutting down the possibility of adding
UConn and Gonzaga after engaging with both basketball powers on
potential membership.
Less than two weeks after the Big 12 announced Pac-12 schools
Arizona, Arizona State Colorado and Utah will switch leagues and join
the conference next year, Yormark appeared on the "Marchand and
Ourand Sports Media Podcast” and revealed other potential moves.
"I did have conversations with UConn and Gonzaga, and
unfortunately, things didn’t work out, only because the dream
scenario unfolded for us, so those conversations are no longer,”
Yormark said. “I’m a big admirer of both of those programs.
They’re fantastic for all the right reasons, but I’m focused on
the transition of those four (additions) right now.”
UConn plays in the Big East and just won its fifth men's NCAA
basketball championship in April. The school is also a powerhouse in
women's basketball. The Huskies compete as an independent in the top
tier of Division I football.
Gonzaga, which plays in the West Coast Conference, has been one of
the dominant men's basketball programs for about two decades.
Big 12 men's basketball has surged in recent years and emerged as the
most competitive conference in the country. Yormark has said he
believes men's college basketball could be a source of untapped value
for the conference in future media rights deals.
The Big 12 is saying goodbye to Texas and Oklahoma after this season.
Those flagships schools are moving to the Southeastern Conference.
But with the addition of Pac-12's so-called Four Corners schools, the
Big 12 will have 16 members, spanning from Orlando, Florida, to Salt
Lake City, Utah.
“We feel now -- being in 10 states, having over 90 million people
in our footprint, being in four time zones -- gives the Big 12 a
chance to do some amazing things when we get back into that next TV
negotiation,” Yormark said on the podcast. “So the No. 1 guiding
principle for us was value creation, and it will always be that as we
think about expansion or, for that matter, anything else we do.”
The Big 12 agreed to an extension of its media rights deals with Fox
and ESPN last fall, though the deal has not been officially
announced.
The Big 12 jumped ahead of the Pac-12 to grab a deal that will pay
its schools about $31 million per year.
That move undercut the Pac-12 and its commissioner, George Kliavkoff,
and left the conference unable to land a competitive deal. That
subsequently led to six of its schools bailing for other leagues,
including Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten next year.
With only four schools remaining, Stanford, California, Oregon State
and Washington State, the future of the Pac-12 is in doubt.
Yormark said he reached out to Kliavkoff and the two spoke last week.
He said he told Kliavkoff he was sorry to put him in a tough spot and
they had a “collegial conversation.”
“I still have a little bit of a knot in my stomach,” Yormark
said. “I never want my gain to be anyone else’s loss."

Yormark: Big 12 had conversations with UConn, Gonzaga but is done expanding

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Teoscar Hernandez hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Wednesday night.

Julio Rodriguez had four hits for Seattle, including a ninth-inning single that provided an insurance run the Mariners wound up needing. Cal Raleigh added a home run and a double.

“Obviously Julio had a huge night for us,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “Probably the most impressive thing he did for us was take the (single) into right field in the ninth inning. We needed all the insurance runs we could get. That proved to be the winning run in the ballgame.”

Dylan Moore opened the eighth by reaching on an error and came around to score on Hernandez's fly to make it 5-4. The ball ended up close to the tarp down the right-field line, and Moore knew he was going.

“It was foul, so I was definitely tagging no matter what,” Moore said. “The closer it got to the tarp, I thought it might be a weird angle. It was definitely shallow, but I thought he might have to jump or get out of the way of something.”

Luis Castillo (9-7) allowed four runs on nine hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out three.

“It was a really good effort by Luis Castillo,” Servais said. “He knew we needed him to get deep in the game. It took him a while to kind of get into his stuff, but we've seen that from Luis once in a while. He did find it and was able to get through seven.”

Matt Brash picked up his third save despite allowing Nelson Velazquez's homer in the ninth.

Dylan Coleman (0-1) took the loss for Kansas City. James McArthur, who made his first major league start as the opener for the Royals, allowed three runs on three hits in one inning.

The Mariners wasted no time in foiling the Royals' opener plan. Rodriguez led off with a double to the gap in right-center. He scored on Ty France's single, and France scored on Raleigh's two-run homer. Castillo had a three-run lead before he threw his first pitch.

Maikel Garcia extended his Royals rookie-record hitting streak to 18 games with a double on the first pitch from Castillo. It's the longest active streak in the majors. Garcia went to third on a groundout by Bobby Witt Jr. and scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael Massey.

The Mariners answered the Royals' run with another in the second. Rodriguez drove home Jose Caballero with a single.

The Royals got another run in the second on a sacrifice fly, this one by Kyle Isbel, scoring Drew Waters, who led off the inning with a triple. They drew within one in the third on a two-out double by MJ Melendez, scoring Salvador Perez from first.

“We weren't able to produce big numbers, but overall we did a good job,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said of his offense. “They had good at-bats right from the get-go. I was really pleased.”

The Royals loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, but they only got the tying run. Velazquez grounded into a double play to squash the rally.

Mariners: C Tom Murphy was placed on the 10-day Injured List with a left thumb sprain, retroactive to Aug. 14. In a corresponding move, the Mariners selected C Brian O’Keefe from Triple-A Tacoma.

Royals: RHP Nick Wittgren was optioned to Triple-A Omaha following last night's game. RHP John McMillon was selected from Double-A Northwest Arkansas. The Royals also transferred RHP Brad Keller to 60-day Injured List.

The Mariners and Royals will compete their four-game series with a Thursday matinee. Seattle will send RHP George Kirby (10-8, 3.32 ERA) to the mound. Kansas City will counter with LHP Angel Zerpa (1-1, 7.71 ERA).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Teoscar Hernandez hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Wednesday night.Julio Rodriguez had four hits for Seattle, including a ninth-inning single that provided an insurance run the Mariners wound up needing. Cal Raleigh added a home run and a double.“Obviously Julio had a huge night for us,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “Probably the most impressive thing he did for us was take the (single) into right field in the ninth inning. We needed all the insurance runs we could get. That proved to be the winning run in the ballgame.”Dylan Moore opened the eighth by reaching on an error and came around to score on Hernandez's fly to make it 5-4. The ball ended up close to the tarp down the right-field line, and Moore knew he was going.“It was foul, so I was definitely tagging no matter what,” Moore said. “The closer it got to the tarp, I thought it might be a weird angle. It was definitely shallow, but I thought he might have to jump or get out of the way of something.”Luis Castillo (9-7) allowed four runs on nine hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out three.“It was a really good effort by Luis Castillo,” Servais said. “He knew we needed him to get deep in the game. It took him a while to kind of get into his stuff, but we've seen that from Luis once in a while. He did find it and was able to get through seven.”Matt Brash picked up his third save despite allowing Nelson Velazquez's homer in the ninth.Dylan Coleman (0-1) took the loss for Kansas City. James McArthur, who made his first major league start as the opener for the Royals, allowed three runs on three hits in one inning.The Mariners wasted no time in foiling the Royals' opener plan. Rodriguez led off with a double to the gap in right-center. He scored on Ty France's single, and France scored on Raleigh's two-run homer. Castillo had a three-run lead before he threw his first pitch.Maikel Garcia extended his Royals rookie-record hitting streak to 18 games with a double on the first pitch from Castillo. It's the longest active streak in the majors. Garcia went to third on a groundout by Bobby Witt Jr. and scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael Massey.The Mariners answered the Royals' run with another in the second. Rodriguez drove home Jose Caballero with a single.The Royals got another run in the second on a sacrifice fly, this one by Kyle Isbel, scoring Drew Waters, who led off the inning with a triple. They drew within one in the third on a two-out double by MJ Melendez, scoring Salvador Perez from first.“We weren't able to produce big numbers, but overall we did a good job,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said of his offense. “They had good at-bats right from the get-go. I was really pleased.”The Royals loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, but they only got the tying run. Velazquez grounded into a double play to squash the rally.TRANSACTIONS:Mariners: C Tom Murphy was placed on the 10-day Injured List with a left thumb sprain, retroactive to Aug. 14. In a corresponding move, the Mariners selected C Brian O’Keefe from Triple-A Tacoma.Royals: RHP Nick Wittgren was optioned to Triple-A Omaha following last night's game. RHP John McMillon was selected from Double-A Northwest Arkansas. The Royals also transferred RHP Brad Keller to 60-day Injured List.UP NEXT:The Mariners and Royals will compete their four-game series with a Thursday matinee. Seattle will send RHP George Kirby (10-8, 3.32 ERA) to the mound. Kansas City will counter with LHP Angel Zerpa (1-1, 7.71 ERA).

Mariners edge Royals 6-5

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

The 2022 football season was a turnaround one for the Great Bend Panthers. After back-to-back winless seasons, Great Bend dropped its first two games of last season to cap a 19-game skid. A 31-6 win against Buhler in week three kicked off a seven-game win streak before the Panthers ended their season at 7-3 with a 40-35 playoff loss to Salina Central. Erin Beck is back to lead the Panthers for an eighth season and is ready to carry that momentum forward.

"I'm really excited about this team at all levels and can't wait to get started," he said.

There will be some obvious losses to graduation. Cayden Scheuerman was a two-year starter under center. Last year he came up a yard shy of 1,500 yards passing and finished second on the team with 882 rushing yards. He combined for 25 touchdowns. His favorite target was Braylon Council, who graduated after leading the Panthers with 727 yards and seven touchdowns on 53 receptions. Defensively, Beck loses Skyler McMullen and Mathew Moeder, who each recorded at least 80 tackles.

But there is plenty of returning firepower. Senior Cody Miller earned All-WAC honors at running back, as did seniors Colton Brack at tight end and Maddox Spray at wideout. Miller was a workhorse on the ground with 187 carries for 981 yards and 14 scores, and he caught 22 passes for 258 more yards. Brack caught 20 balls for 253 yards and three touchdowns, and Spray added 173 yards and two touchdowns on his 21 receptions.

If last year's squad was light on seniors, this year's squad will rely heavily on them. First-team All-WAC selection Matt Johnson returns to the offensive line and at linebacker where he recorded 73 tackles. Dee'Onn Jones was also a first-team all-league player at defensive end where he recorded 52 tackles in just six games.

Junior Aidan Davidson returns to both sides of the line, and sophomore Trent Kern returns as an offensive lineman and linebacker. Senior Cooper Liles returns at linebacker where he had 55 tackles. Senior Kaiden Hoffman and sophomore Ian Premer return at defensive back. Senior Alex Galindo returns as kicker. 

"Trent returns after starting both sides of the ball last season as a freshman," Beck said. "Aidan also provides experience on both sides of the line after being a two-way starter last season. Ian returns at free safety and we are looking forward to seeing what he can do at wideout this season as well. Cooper and Kaiden both had breakout junior seasons and will provide experience in our secondary." 

There will be some new faces as well. Sophomore Daxton Minton will take over for Scheuerman under center. Junior Jace Schartz will likely see more action at running back after rushing for 46 yards as a sophomore. Juniors Owen Kaiser and Eli Soupiset and sophomores Jacob Hall and Hayden Kelly could see more time at receiver. Junior Trey Milsap joins the returning linebackers, and sophomores Blaine Ensley and Karter Brown could make an impact on both lines.

Great Bend opened last year with losses to solid teams from McPherson and Hays that combined for a 20-4 record last year. The Bullpups were hit hard by graduation, losing quarterback Hunter Alvord and his 1,500 passing yards, as well as three rushers who accounted for 2,200 yards, or 95 percent of last year's total. Hays loses quarterback Kyreese Groen but returns one of the top backs in the state in senior Malik Bah.

In all, Great Bend's opponents last year compiled a 51-48 record. The Panthers will play at home this year against McPherson (Sept. 1), Wichita Southeast (Sept. 22), Dodge City (Sept. 29), and Garden City (Oct. 20). The first round of the Class 5A playoffs begins Oct. 27.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1664810768657.jpeg" alt="Erin Beck, back for an eighth season at Great Bend High School, led the Panthers to a 7-3 finish in 2022." />
 <figcaption>Erin Beck, back for an eighth season at Great Bend High School, led the Panthers to a 7-3 finish in 2022.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThe 2022 football season was a turnaround one for the Great Bend Panthers. After back-to-back winless seasons, Great Bend dropped its first two games of last season to cap a 19-game skid. A 31-6 win against Buhler in week three kicked off a seven-game win streak before the Panthers ended their season at 7-3 with a 40-35 playoff loss to Salina Central. Erin Beck is back to lead the Panthers for an eighth season and is ready to carry that momentum forward."I'm really excited about this team at all levels and can't wait to get started," he said.There will be some obvious losses to graduation. Cayden Scheuerman was a two-year starter under center. Last year he came up a yard shy of 1,500 yards passing and finished second on the team with 882 rushing yards. He combined for 25 touchdowns. His favorite target was Braylon Council, who graduated after leading the Panthers with 727 yards and seven touchdowns on 53 receptions. Defensively, Beck loses Skyler McMullen and Mathew Moeder, who each recorded at least 80 tackles.But there is plenty of returning firepower. Senior Cody Miller earned All-WAC honors at running back, as did seniors Colton Brack at tight end and Maddox Spray at wideout. Miller was a workhorse on the ground with 187 carries for 981 yards and 14 scores, and he caught 22 passes for 258 more yards. Brack caught 20 balls for 253 yards and three touchdowns, and Spray added 173 yards and two touchdowns on his 21 receptions.If last year's squad was light on seniors, this year's squad will rely heavily on them. First-team All-WAC selection Matt Johnson returns to the offensive line and at linebacker where he recorded 73 tackles. Dee'Onn Jones was also a first-team all-league player at defensive end where he recorded 52 tackles in just six games.Junior Aidan Davidson returns to both sides of the line, and sophomore Trent Kern returns as an offensive lineman and linebacker. Senior Cooper Liles returns at linebacker where he had 55 tackles. Senior Kaiden Hoffman and sophomore Ian Premer return at defensive back. Senior Alex Galindo returns as kicker. "Trent returns after starting both sides of the ball last season as a freshman," Beck said. "Aidan also provides experience on both sides of the line after being a two-way starter last season. Ian returns at free safety and we are looking forward to seeing what he can do at wideout this season as well. Cooper and Kaiden both had breakout junior seasons and will provide experience in our secondary." There will be some new faces as well. Sophomore Daxton Minton will take over for Scheuerman under center. Junior Jace Schartz will likely see more action at running back after rushing for 46 yards as a sophomore. Juniors Owen Kaiser and Eli Soupiset and sophomores Jacob Hall and Hayden Kelly could see more time at receiver. Junior Trey Milsap joins the returning linebackers, and sophomores Blaine Ensley and Karter Brown could make an impact on both lines.Great Bend opened last year with losses to solid teams from McPherson and Hays that combined for a 20-4 record last year. The Bullpups were hit hard by graduation, losing quarterback Hunter Alvord and his 1,500 passing yards, as well as three rushers who accounted for 2,200 yards, or 95 percent of last year's total. Hays loses quarterback Kyreese Groen but returns one of the top backs in the state in senior Malik Bah.In all, Great Bend's opponents last year compiled a 51-48 record. The Panthers will play at home this year against McPherson (Sept. 1), Wichita Southeast (Sept. 22), Dodge City (Sept. 29), and Garden City (Oct. 20). The first round of the Class 5A playoffs begins Oct. 27.

Panther football team ready to carry momentum in 2023

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — When Steve Wilks was handed the reins of the NFL's stingiest defense in San Francisco, the priority for the new coordinator was learning what made the 49ers so good rather than installing his own system.

Wilks stepped into what was both an easy job with a star-studded defense that led the NFL in points and yards allowed under DeMeco Ryans last season and a difficult one knowing he would get the blame if there is any regression.

Coach Kyle Shanahan's main goal when looking for a new coordinator after Ryans left for the head coaching job in Houston was finding someone who would keep the structure intact.

Wilks is putting his own spin on a successful scheme, utilizing more blitzes and spending more time working on technique with the defensive backs in hopes of limiting big plays. But the defense is still using the same basic structure.

“I think the key thing is having an open mind to learn," Wilks said. “I’ve been around quite a bit. I’ve done a lot of different things, but it’s not my way, it’s the 49ers way."

The 49ers are one of 10 playoff teams from last season that are working in at least one new offensive or defensive coordinator in 2023. The NFC champion Eagles hired Brian Johnson and Sean Desai to replace OC Shane Steichen and DC Jonathan Gannon, who each got head coaching jobs.

While San Francisco and Philadelphia made the changes out of necessity, other contenders believed they needed a spark on one side of the ball or the other.

The Ravens and Chargers wanted to overhaul offenses that had grown stagnant at times. Baltimore brought in Todd Monken and his diverse passing game to replace Greg Roman, who built a running offense around Lamar Jackson. Los Angeles hired Kellen Moore away from Dallas in hopes of unleashing Justin Herbert's big arm, which wasn't always used enough under Joe Lombardi.

The big changes on defense came in Miami, where the Dolphins hired Vic Fangio to overhaul a unit that allowed the ninth-most points in the NFL last season under Josh Boyer, and in Minnesota, where the Vikings brought in Brian Flores and his aggressive scheme to replace the more passive Ed Donatell.

“You don’t do it all on day one,” he said. "You can’t. Those teams are always fundamentally sound. To me, that’s standard operating procedure. You’ve got to be fundamentally sound, footwork, hand placement, communication, things of that nature. You do all those things, you give yourself a chance.”

Two teams gave play-calling duties to their head coach, with Dallas' Mike McCarthy taking over the offense after Moore left and Buffalo's Sean McDermott taking over from Leslie Frazier.

“I see he’s got to take two hats to practice,” said Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who worked in Carolina when McDermott was defensive coordinator for the Panthers. “He’s got one without the headset and one with the headset. He’s going to have to have his own hat guy for game day. I think Sean is excited. It’s how he got the job here. He was such a good play-caller for us in Carolina and was a big part of our success and had a lot of defensive success there and so I’m excited to see his energy.”

The other new coordinators this season are Kansas City OC Matt Nagy, who was promoted when Eric Bieniemy got the same job in Washington, and Tampa Bay OC Dave Canales, who was hired to replace the fired Byron Leftwich.

The only playoff teams that didn't make changes were Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Seattle and the New York Giants.

The most consequential changes might be on the offenses for the Chargers and Ravens with the hope being that new play-callers can lift already accomplished quarterbacks to new heights.

Herbert has thrown for the third most yards in the NFL since entering the league as a rookie in 2020 but didn't stretch the field much the last two seasons under Lombardi.

Herbert averaged the third fewest air yards per attempt last season — nearly 2 yards fewer per pass than Dak Prescott did under Moore in Dallas. The hope in Los Angeles is that more deep strikes will lead to more success.

“Certainly, it’s something that we’ve talked about with the availability of the receivers and what we have on offense,” Moore said. “We’re really excited about exploring that.”

There's even a bigger philosophical change in Baltimore, where the Ravens are shifting from a run-based offense under Roman to a heavier passing attack with Monken.

Tampa Bay ranked in the top five in yards passing when Monken was coordinator there in 2017-18 and the Ravens added receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Zay Flowers this offseason in hopes of opening things up for Jackson.

“Coach Monken being here, he’s letting the guys just freelance and let them do them,” Jackson said. "That’s what it’s about. Like I said, just letting them get the ball and letting them do them. We should see magic happen. ... The sky's the limit with this offense. We’re going to see.”

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — When Steve Wilks was handed the reins of the NFL's stingiest defense in San Francisco, the priority for the new coordinator was learning what made the 49ers so good rather than installing his own system.Wilks stepped into what was both an easy job with a star-studded defense that led the NFL in points and yards allowed under DeMeco Ryans last season and a difficult one knowing he would get the blame if there is any regression.Coach Kyle Shanahan's main goal when looking for a new coordinator after Ryans left for the head coaching job in Houston was finding someone who would keep the structure intact.Wilks is putting his own spin on a successful scheme, utilizing more blitzes and spending more time working on technique with the defensive backs in hopes of limiting big plays. But the defense is still using the same basic structure.“I think the key thing is having an open mind to learn," Wilks said. “I’ve been around quite a bit. I’ve done a lot of different things, but it’s not my way, it’s the 49ers way."The 49ers are one of 10 playoff teams from last season that are working in at least one new offensive or defensive coordinator in 2023. The NFC champion Eagles hired Brian Johnson and Sean Desai to replace OC Shane Steichen and DC Jonathan Gannon, who each got head coaching jobs.While San Francisco and Philadelphia made the changes out of necessity, other contenders believed they needed a spark on one side of the ball or the other.The Ravens and Chargers wanted to overhaul offenses that had grown stagnant at times. Baltimore brought in Todd Monken and his diverse passing game to replace Greg Roman, who built a running offense around Lamar Jackson. Los Angeles hired Kellen Moore away from Dallas in hopes of unleashing Justin Herbert's big arm, which wasn't always used enough under Joe Lombardi.The big changes on defense came in Miami, where the Dolphins hired Vic Fangio to overhaul a unit that allowed the ninth-most points in the NFL last season under Josh Boyer, and in Minnesota, where the Vikings brought in Brian Flores and his aggressive scheme to replace the more passive Ed Donatell.But Flores knows change takes time.“You don’t do it all on day one,” he said. "You can’t. Those teams are always fundamentally sound. To me, that’s standard operating procedure. You’ve got to be fundamentally sound, footwork, hand placement, communication, things of that nature. You do all those things, you give yourself a chance.”Two teams gave play-calling duties to their head coach, with Dallas' Mike McCarthy taking over the offense after Moore left and Buffalo's Sean McDermott taking over from Leslie Frazier.“I see he’s got to take two hats to practice,” said Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who worked in Carolina when McDermott was defensive coordinator for the Panthers. “He’s got one without the headset and one with the headset. He’s going to have to have his own hat guy for game day. I think Sean is excited. It’s how he got the job here. He was such a good play-caller for us in Carolina and was a big part of our success and had a lot of defensive success there and so I’m excited to see his energy.”The other new coordinators this season are Kansas City OC Matt Nagy, who was promoted when Eric Bieniemy got the same job in Washington, and Tampa Bay OC Dave Canales, who was hired to replace the fired Byron Leftwich.The only playoff teams that didn't make changes were Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Seattle and the New York Giants.The most consequential changes might be on the offenses for the Chargers and Ravens with the hope being that new play-callers can lift already accomplished quarterbacks to new heights.Herbert has thrown for the third most yards in the NFL since entering the league as a rookie in 2020 but didn't stretch the field much the last two seasons under Lombardi.Herbert averaged the third fewest air yards per attempt last season — nearly 2 yards fewer per pass than Dak Prescott did under Moore in Dallas. The hope in Los Angeles is that more deep strikes will lead to more success.“Certainly, it’s something that we’ve talked about with the availability of the receivers and what we have on offense,” Moore said. “We’re really excited about exploring that.”There's even a bigger philosophical change in Baltimore, where the Ravens are shifting from a run-based offense under Roman to a heavier passing attack with Monken.Tampa Bay ranked in the top five in yards passing when Monken was coordinator there in 2017-18 and the Ravens added receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Zay Flowers this offseason in hopes of opening things up for Jackson.“Coach Monken being here, he’s letting the guys just freelance and let them do them,” Jackson said. "That’s what it’s about. Like I said, just letting them get the ball and letting them do them. We should see magic happen. ... The sky's the limit with this offense. We’re going to see.”

10 NFL playoff teams are integrating new play-callers, either out of need or to add a spark for 2023

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs decided to place tight end Jody Fortson on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday, then proceeded to lose to injuries three wide receivers who were competing for a job when they returned to practice following their preseason opener.

The Chiefs have had high hopes that Fortson, a former college wide receiver, could develop into a pass-catching tight end to pair with Travis Kelce. But the perennial training camp star has been slowed by injuries when the regular season rolls around, missing most of the 2021 season with a torn Achilles tendon and time last year with elbow and quad injuries.

He has appeared in 19 games with 14 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns over the past two years.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs lost wide receivers Nikko Remigio to a dislocated shoulder, Justyn Ross to knee and hamstring troubles and Ihmir Smith-Marsette to a groin injury as they began their final week of camp at Missouri Western State University.

Remigio, an undersized undrafted free agent out of Fresno State, had been perhaps the biggest surprise of camp, and his solid performance in Sunday's preseason loss in New Orleans might have given him a boost toward sticking around — if not on the 53-man roster, then at least on the practice squad, where he could continue to develop.

“He's been killing it,” said fellow wide receiver Rashee Rice, the Chiefs' second-round draft pick out of SMU. “He’s going to show everybody why he should have been drafted.”

Remigio was hurt when he landed on his shoulder while making a spectacular catch down the sideline. He spent several minutes on the field, then more time in the trainers' tent, before he got into a cart and was driven to the locker rooms.

It wasn't clear when Ross and Smith-Marsette were hurt, though neither of their injuries appeared to be serious.

If Remigio has been the surprise of camp, Ross has been the feel-good story. He missed an entire season at Clemson to have a procedure on a potentially career-ending spinal condition, missed time later in his college career to a foot injury, then missed all of last season after undergoing a follow-up surgery to address the foot problem.

So when Ross caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Shane Buechele against the Saints, it meant far more to him than just another late-game TD catch in an otherwise meaningless first preseason game.

“That's the good part of the story,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said with a smirk, “and he came out healthy. That's a positive thing.”

The Chiefs had been relatively healthy throughout training camp. Their biggest losses have been wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who had knee surgery in late July but could be back early in the season, and L’Jarius Sneed, who has been managing swelling in his knee but who Reid has said could be ready for the opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7.

NOTES: When asked whether there was any update on DT Chris Jones, whose holdout over a new contract has stretched past the first preseason game, Reid replied: “No.” ... CB Nic Jones was seeing a specialist Tuesday to treat a fractured hand. FS Mike Edwards also missed practice with some swelling in his ankle. ... The Chiefs waived CB Anthony Witherstone. They signed LB Olakunle Fatukasi and CB Duron Lowe to fill his and Fortson's roster spots. ... WR Richie James did more work with the first-team offense Tuesday. The special teams ace had two catches for 44 yards and a touchdown against the Saints.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs decided to place tight end Jody Fortson on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday, then proceeded to lose to injuries three wide receivers who were competing for a job when they returned to practice following their preseason opener.The Chiefs have had high hopes that Fortson, a former college wide receiver, could develop into a pass-catching tight end to pair with Travis Kelce. But the perennial training camp star has been slowed by injuries when the regular season rolls around, missing most of the 2021 season with a torn Achilles tendon and time last year with elbow and quad injuries.He has appeared in 19 games with 14 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns over the past two years.Meanwhile, the Chiefs lost wide receivers Nikko Remigio to a dislocated shoulder, Justyn Ross to knee and hamstring troubles and Ihmir Smith-Marsette to a groin injury as they began their final week of camp at Missouri Western State University.Remigio, an undersized undrafted free agent out of Fresno State, had been perhaps the biggest surprise of camp, and his solid performance in Sunday's preseason loss in New Orleans might have given him a boost toward sticking around — if not on the 53-man roster, then at least on the practice squad, where he could continue to develop.“He's been killing it,” said fellow wide receiver Rashee Rice, the Chiefs' second-round draft pick out of SMU. “He’s going to show everybody why he should have been drafted.”Remigio was hurt when he landed on his shoulder while making a spectacular catch down the sideline. He spent several minutes on the field, then more time in the trainers' tent, before he got into a cart and was driven to the locker rooms.It wasn't clear when Ross and Smith-Marsette were hurt, though neither of their injuries appeared to be serious.If Remigio has been the surprise of camp, Ross has been the feel-good story. He missed an entire season at Clemson to have a procedure on a potentially career-ending spinal condition, missed time later in his college career to a foot injury, then missed all of last season after undergoing a follow-up surgery to address the foot problem.So when Ross caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Shane Buechele against the Saints, it meant far more to him than just another late-game TD catch in an otherwise meaningless first preseason game.“That's the good part of the story,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said with a smirk, “and he came out healthy. That's a positive thing.”The Chiefs had been relatively healthy throughout training camp. Their biggest losses have been wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who had knee surgery in late July but could be back early in the season, and L’Jarius Sneed, who has been managing swelling in his knee but who Reid has said could be ready for the opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7.NOTES: When asked whether there was any update on DT Chris Jones, whose holdout over a new contract has stretched past the first preseason game, Reid replied: “No.” ... CB Nic Jones was seeing a specialist Tuesday to treat a fractured hand. FS Mike Edwards also missed practice with some swelling in his ankle. ... The Chiefs waived CB Anthony Witherstone. They signed LB Olakunle Fatukasi and CB Duron Lowe to fill his and Fortson's roster spots. ... WR Richie James did more work with the first-team offense Tuesday. The special teams ace had two catches for 44 yards and a touchdown against the Saints.

Chiefs placing TE Fortson on IR as 3 backup wide receivers go down with injuries

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas will begin sweeping renovations to Memorial Stadium and the Anderson Family Football Complex at the end of the football season, representing the first steps toward a new multi-use district on the edge of campus.

The school said Tuesday that it has set an initial fundraising goal of $300 million for the football changes and upgrades to Allen Fieldhouse, the historic home of the Jayhawks' basketball programs, which have already begun. The school said private funds will cover most of the project, and it already has secured about $165 million in gifts and commitments.

The school also received $35 million in ARPA funds appropriated by the Kansas legislature and will receive up to $50 million through the Kansas Department of Commerce’s University Challenge Grant program.

"The Gateway District is a once-in-a-generation project to transform our campus and drive economic development throughout the region,” said Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod, who was joined by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Jayhawks athletic director Travis Goff and football coach Lance Leipold for a news conference unveiling the latest plans for the project.

“It’s a great day for the university but really the community, our region and our state,” Girod said. “This is a project we have talked about for quite some time but really have moved toward reality in the last year or so.”

The first phase will include additional renovations to the Anderson Family Football Complex, which just weeks ago unveiled new locker rooms and training spaces, and construction on the southwest, west and north sides of the football stadium that includes a new conference center. The work will begin after the upcoming season and be completed by the start of the 2025 season.

The school has been trying for more than a decade to overhaul its football stadium, which is far below the standards of rival schools in the Big 12. But changes in the athletic administration, coupled with overwhelming fan apathy for a perennially poor football program at the basketball-mad school, had made it difficult to build support.

That changed with the arrival of forward-thinking Goff, who along with pushing the project forward also hired Leipold, who last year led the Jayhawks to a .500 regular-season record and their first bowl game since the 2008 season.

“We have a proud history,” Goff said, “but this unprecedented investment makes a powerful statement about an even brighter future and provides far-reaching impact for our university community, fans and football program.”

Goff said that seating in the bowl area would be about 100 feet closer to the field — a significant gap has existed ever since the school removed the old running track — and about 70% of the stadium will be replaced. The construction will force Kansas to play with a dramatically reduced capacity next season, but games will still be played at Memorial Stadium.

“We will have in essence a new football stadium,” Goff said.

The construction is about more than just the football program, though.

Future phases will overhaul the south and east portions of the stadium but also develop multi-use spaces that include a mix of amenities — such as retail spaces, entertainment venues, office spaces and lodging — that can drive year-round revenue.

“This project will help us continue to meet all our missions and grow in every single way,” Girod said. “As I told someone earlier, every project has its time. And this is a project that we've been talking about — we had a big announcement two weeks before I took this job, and that was seven years ago. We needed the right time and the right leaders, and we have that.”

“It's really excited to be at this point,” Girod said. “We know this is going to be game-changing for us.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692182687567.jpeg" alt="Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas will begin sweeping renovations to Memorial Stadium and the Anderson Family Football Complex at the end of the football season, representing the first steps toward a new multi-use district on the edge of campus.The school said Tuesday that it has set an initial fundraising goal of $300 million for the football changes and upgrades to Allen Fieldhouse, the historic home of the Jayhawks' basketball programs, which have already begun. The school said private funds will cover most of the project, and it already has secured about $165 million in gifts and commitments.The school also received $35 million in ARPA funds appropriated by the Kansas legislature and will receive up to $50 million through the Kansas Department of Commerce’s University Challenge Grant program."The Gateway District is a once-in-a-generation project to transform our campus and drive economic development throughout the region,” said Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod, who was joined by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Jayhawks athletic director Travis Goff and football coach Lance Leipold for a news conference unveiling the latest plans for the project.“It’s a great day for the university but really the community, our region and our state,” Girod said. “This is a project we have talked about for quite some time but really have moved toward reality in the last year or so.”The first phase will include additional renovations to the Anderson Family Football Complex, which just weeks ago unveiled new locker rooms and training spaces, and construction on the southwest, west and north sides of the football stadium that includes a new conference center. The work will begin after the upcoming season and be completed by the start of the 2025 season.The school has been trying for more than a decade to overhaul its football stadium, which is far below the standards of rival schools in the Big 12. But changes in the athletic administration, coupled with overwhelming fan apathy for a perennially poor football program at the basketball-mad school, had made it difficult to build support.That changed with the arrival of forward-thinking Goff, who along with pushing the project forward also hired Leipold, who last year led the Jayhawks to a .500 regular-season record and their first bowl game since the 2008 season.“We have a proud history,” Goff said, “but this unprecedented investment makes a powerful statement about an even brighter future and provides far-reaching impact for our university community, fans and football program.”Goff said that seating in the bowl area would be about 100 feet closer to the field — a significant gap has existed ever since the school removed the old running track — and about 70% of the stadium will be replaced. The construction will force Kansas to play with a dramatically reduced capacity next season, but games will still be played at Memorial Stadium.“We will have in essence a new football stadium,” Goff said.The construction is about more than just the football program, though.Future phases will overhaul the south and east portions of the stadium but also develop multi-use spaces that include a mix of amenities — such as retail spaces, entertainment venues, office spaces and lodging — that can drive year-round revenue.“This project will help us continue to meet all our missions and grow in every single way,” Girod said. “As I told someone earlier, every project has its time. And this is a project that we've been talking about — we had a big announcement two weeks before I took this job, and that was seven years ago. We needed the right time and the right leaders, and we have that.”“It's really excited to be at this point,” Girod said. “We know this is going to be game-changing for us.”

Kansas announces sweeping renovations to Memorial Stadium and football complex

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ty France lined a two-run single to center in the 10th inning and the Seattle Mariners rebounded from a blown-seven run lead to beat the Kansas City Royals 10-8 on Tuesday night.

Eugenio Suárez, France, Teoscar Hernández and Josh Rojas homered in a seven-run fourth inning off Jordan Lyles, the Mariners' first four-homer inning since May 2, 2002 at the Chicago White Sox. Suárez and France combined for Seattle's sixth back-to-back homers this year as the Mariners took a 7-0 lead.

Hernández tied his career high with five hits and had three RBIs.

“I definitely felt good today,” Hernández said. “My swing and my timing is fine right now. For me, the most important thing is I'm making a lot of contact right now.”

France had four hits and three RBIs. Kansas City outhit the Mariners 15-14, and the Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. sparked the comeback in a five-run fifth with his second grand slam in an 18-day span.

“We felt like we were in control of the ballgame, but we opened the door for them,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “They got some big hits. We couldn't put them away.”

Kansas City (39-82) clinched its seventh straight losing season since winning the 2015 World Series. The Royals have had just five winning seasons in the last 30 years.

Seattle, which had lost three straight games in which it led or was tied in the ninth, was ahead 8-5 after eight innings.

Nelson Velázquez grounded to Rojas leading off and reached when the second baseman threw wide of first for an error. That led to three unearned runs against Andrés Muñoz (3-5), who in a 42-pitch outing blew a save for the second time in eight chances. Michael Massey hit a two-run single and Salvador Perez had an RBI single.

"These guys, they don't quit," Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “Those are good arms they battled back against. The ninth inning was exciting.”

France’s single off Tucker Davidson (1-2) lifted his average at Kauffman Stadium to .532 (17 for 32).

“I was looking for a slider,” France said. “I had done my homework on how he attacked guys in that inning. I figured I’d get one and I didn’t want to miss it.”

Tayler Saucedo got three straight outs for his first major league save.

Lyles allowed seven runs — six earned — and nine hits in five innings, while Seattle's Emerson Hancock gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings in his second career start.

Maikel Garcia extended his Royals' rookie-record hitting streak to 17 games with a bloop single leading off the first.

Seattle RHP Luis Castillo (8-7, 3.14 ERA) starts Wednesday night.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ty France lined a two-run single to center in the 10th inning and the Seattle Mariners rebounded from a blown-seven run lead to beat the Kansas City Royals 10-8 on Tuesday night.Eugenio Suárez, France, Teoscar Hernández and Josh Rojas homered in a seven-run fourth inning off Jordan Lyles, the Mariners' first four-homer inning since May 2, 2002 at the Chicago White Sox. Suárez and France combined for Seattle's sixth back-to-back homers this year as the Mariners took a 7-0 lead.Hernández tied his career high with five hits and had three RBIs.“I definitely felt good today,” Hernández said. “My swing and my timing is fine right now. For me, the most important thing is I'm making a lot of contact right now.”France had four hits and three RBIs. Kansas City outhit the Mariners 15-14, and the Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. sparked the comeback in a five-run fifth with his second grand slam in an 18-day span.“We felt like we were in control of the ballgame, but we opened the door for them,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “They got some big hits. We couldn't put them away.”Kansas City (39-82) clinched its seventh straight losing season since winning the 2015 World Series. The Royals have had just five winning seasons in the last 30 years.Seattle, which had lost three straight games in which it led or was tied in the ninth, was ahead 8-5 after eight innings.Nelson Velázquez grounded to Rojas leading off and reached when the second baseman threw wide of first for an error. That led to three unearned runs against Andrés Muñoz (3-5), who in a 42-pitch outing blew a save for the second time in eight chances. Michael Massey hit a two-run single and Salvador Perez had an RBI single."These guys, they don't quit," Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “Those are good arms they battled back against. The ninth inning was exciting.”France’s single off Tucker Davidson (1-2) lifted his average at Kauffman Stadium to .532 (17 for 32).“I was looking for a slider,” France said. “I had done my homework on how he attacked guys in that inning. I figured I’d get one and I didn’t want to miss it.”Tayler Saucedo got three straight outs for his first major league save.Lyles allowed seven runs — six earned — and nine hits in five innings, while Seattle's Emerson Hancock gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings in his second career start.Maikel Garcia extended his Royals' rookie-record hitting streak to 17 games with a bloop single leading off the first.UP NEXTSeattle RHP Luis Castillo (8-7, 3.14 ERA) starts Wednesday night.

France's 10th-inning single lifts Mariners over Royals 10-8 after blown 7-run lead

(KJCCC) August 14, 2023 -- Traditional powers are the traditional favorites in the 2023 women's soccer preseason coaches' poll released today.

Johnson County sits at the top of the poll in Division II. They are closely followed by Allen.

Butler, led by coach Adam Hunter, heads the Division I poll, followed by Barton, Hutchinson, and Cowley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692104662339.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>(KJCCC) August 14, 2023 -- Traditional powers are the traditional favorites in the 2023 women's soccer preseason coaches' poll released today.Johnson County sits at the top of the poll in Division II. They are closely followed by Allen.Butler, led by coach Adam Hunter, heads the Division I poll, followed by Barton, Hutchinson, and Cowley.The season opens on Thursday, August 17.

Lady Cougar Soccer No. 2 in Jayhawk Conference pre-season poll

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin offensive lineman Trey Wedig’s challenges in his first week of preseason camp weren’t limited to creating running room and protecting his quarterback.

The Badgers’ dormitory accommodations at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville also meant the 6-foot-7 Wedig had to figure out how to sleep comfortably in a twin XL-sized bed.

“My feet are hanging off or hitting that wooden frame,” Wedig said. “I sleep diagonally so I don’t hit that wooden frame.”

The Badgers spent a week working out in Platteville, about 70 miles from Wisconsin’s Madison campus. New Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell got the idea to train out of town from his coaching tenure at Cincinnati, which is spending a 25th straight year practicing about 30 miles from campus at Higher Ground Conference &amp; Retreat Center in West Harrison, Indiana.

Schools that train out of town rave about how isolating themselves from campus builds camaraderie that can carry a team through the grind of a season. Fickell said after his team’s final practice in Platteville that “there’s no doubt” he’d want to make this trip again.

“They really enjoyed it,” Fickell said. “They’ve asked several times about, ‘Can we stay here for another week?’ … I’m the same way. If we could stay here another week, I’d love it.”

Wisconsin and Cincinnati are among a shrinking number of programs training off campus.

Of the 93 Football Bowl Subdivision programs that responded to an Associated Press survey, only Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Arizona State and Florida State are holding portions of training camp outside the city in which their campus is located and having at least one overnight stay. Ten years ago, 14 different schools spent at least part of the preseason working out of town.

That list of 14 schools included Northwestern, which has permanently discontinued its training camp in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which had been an annual tradition since 1992. Some of the hazing allegations that led to the firing of Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald and the filing of at least a dozen lawsuits stem from those Kenosha camps.

Brian Crow, who has researched hazing while chairing the department of sport management, hospitality and tourism at Slippery Rock University, says it’s encouraging to see fewer teams leaving campus for preseason workouts.

“I believe there is a correlation to more bad behavior the further from campus they are,” Crow said.

Elizabeth Allan, a University of Maine professor of higher education, conducted a 2018 study with colleague Mary Madden in which 57.1% of students reported hazing was most likely to happen off campus.

Allan noted her survey wasn’t limited to athletes and didn’t collect data specifically focusing on off-campus training sites like the one in Kenosha, so it couldn’t determine whether there was any indication these types of camps increased the risk of hazing.

“I don’t think that just having a preseason football camp off campus will cause hazing,” said Susan Lipkins, a psychologist and the author of “Preventing Hazing: How Parents, Teachers and Coaches Can Stop the Violence, Harassment and Humiliation.” “But in groups that already have hazing as part of their rituals or traditions, it is very likely they will occur in those kinds of situations.”

Lipkins suggested that teams going off campus for preseason workouts should be extra vigilant in making sure there’s enough supervision to avoid hazing incidents. Wedig said Fickell warned Wisconsin’s players against hazing by telling them, “We’re not doing that,” as soon as the Northwestern reports surfaced.

“He specifically told us, ‘Stay away from any of that stuff. We’re not even going to give it a gray area,’” Wedig said.

Holding training camps away from campus has been part of college football lore ever since Paul “Bear” Bryant subjected Texas A&amp;M’s players to practices in 100-degree temperatures without water breaks way back in 1954, a trip that was chronicled in the book and movie titled “The Junction Boys.”

Schools that train off campus now say it’s a way to build chemistry, something particularly important in the age of the transfer portal.

Wisconsin brought in 17 transfers this offseason. There are 15 incoming transfers at Florida State, which is spending part of its training camp at the University of North Florida’s Jacksonville campus for a third straight year.

“We’re just trying to get better and find different ways to learn about all the new coaches and the new players,” said Cincinnati quarterback Emory Jones, who previously played at Florida and Arizona State. “It’s fun.”

New Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham has the Sun Devils reigniting a program tradition by working out three days at Camp Tontozona in Payson, Arizona. Arizona State started visiting Camp Tontozona in 1959 during Frank Kush’s coaching tenure, but this year marks the Sun Devils’ first visit since 2019.

Dillingham said Arizona State’s schedule includes time for players simply to interact with one another.

“And they’re going to have to do it without a cell phone,” Dillingham said. “They’re going to have to do it without a television, without a video game. They’re going to do it with a deck of cards. They’re going to do it with a Jenga set. They’re going to do it with dice. And they’re going to have to hang out and talk to each other and build relationships.”

Crow said he believes those types of team-building activities can be done without leaving campus.

“I would say that, particularly in FBS schools, you have multimillion dollar facilities on campus that were built for this purpose,” Crow said. “Utilize those.”

That’s what Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi decided.

Narduzzi was Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator from 2004-06 and remembers all those nights he spent at Higher Ground. He doesn’t see a need for his Pittsburgh teams to have a similar experience.

“We’re not looking for day camps. We want to try to win football games,” he said.

Narduzzi instead has his players stay at a hotel down the street from campus once classes are out rather than heading out of town.

LSU coach Brian Kelly took his Cincinnati teams to Higher Ground and had some of his Notre Dame squads train at Culver, Indiana. Kelly says taking teams out of town builds camaraderie and breaks up the monotony for players who have been on campus all summer.

The trick is to find an ideal site close enough to campus to make this feasible. Kelly hasn’t taken his LSU teams out of town for workouts.

“We’d have to find a home run somewhere else,” Kelly said. “It can’t be this rustic – the old Junction Boys kind of setup. Those days are over. You really have to provide them with really good facilities.”

The spartan accommodations of years past are over. Wisconsin and Cincinnati players and coaches raved over the food provided by their host sites.

“They really feed you a lot,” Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said before heading to Higher Ground. “Guys are saying they actually gained weight out there for a couple weeks.”

And as for the lodging, Wisconsin’s players discovered sleeping in those small beds isn’t particularly difficult after a long day of practice.

“When you’re going to bed, sometimes you’re so tired, you don’t even really think about it,” Wisconsin guard Michael Furtney said.

AP Sports Writers Aaron Beard, Will Graves, Brett Martel, John Marshall and Mitch Stacy and AP freelance writer Keith Jenkins contributed to this report.

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin offensive lineman Trey Wedig’s challenges in his first week of preseason camp weren’t limited to creating running room and protecting his quarterback.The Badgers’ dormitory accommodations at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville also meant the 6-foot-7 Wedig had to figure out how to sleep comfortably in a twin XL-sized bed.“My feet are hanging off or hitting that wooden frame,” Wedig said. “I sleep diagonally so I don’t hit that wooden frame.”The Badgers spent a week working out in Platteville, about 70 miles from Wisconsin’s Madison campus. New Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell got the idea to train out of town from his coaching tenure at Cincinnati, which is spending a 25th straight year practicing about 30 miles from campus at Higher Ground Conference &amp; Retreat Center in West Harrison, Indiana.Schools that train out of town rave about how isolating themselves from campus builds camaraderie that can carry a team through the grind of a season. Fickell said after his team’s final practice in Platteville that “there’s no doubt” he’d want to make this trip again.“They really enjoyed it,” Fickell said. “They’ve asked several times about, ‘Can we stay here for another week?’ … I’m the same way. If we could stay here another week, I’d love it.”Wisconsin and Cincinnati are among a shrinking number of programs training off campus.Of the 93 Football Bowl Subdivision programs that responded to an Associated Press survey, only Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Arizona State and Florida State are holding portions of training camp outside the city in which their campus is located and having at least one overnight stay. Ten years ago, 14 different schools spent at least part of the preseason working out of town.That list of 14 schools included Northwestern, which has permanently discontinued its training camp in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which had been an annual tradition since 1992. Some of the hazing allegations that led to the firing of Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald and the filing of at least a dozen lawsuits stem from those Kenosha camps.Brian Crow, who has researched hazing while chairing the department of sport management, hospitality and tourism at Slippery Rock University, says it’s encouraging to see fewer teams leaving campus for preseason workouts.“I believe there is a correlation to more bad behavior the further from campus they are,” Crow said.Elizabeth Allan, a University of Maine professor of higher education, conducted a 2018 study with colleague Mary Madden in which 57.1% of students reported hazing was most likely to happen off campus.Allan noted her survey wasn’t limited to athletes and didn’t collect data specifically focusing on off-campus training sites like the one in Kenosha, so it couldn’t determine whether there was any indication these types of camps increased the risk of hazing.“I don’t think that just having a preseason football camp off campus will cause hazing,” said Susan Lipkins, a psychologist and the author of “Preventing Hazing: How Parents, Teachers and Coaches Can Stop the Violence, Harassment and Humiliation.” “But in groups that already have hazing as part of their rituals or traditions, it is very likely they will occur in those kinds of situations.”Lipkins suggested that teams going off campus for preseason workouts should be extra vigilant in making sure there’s enough supervision to avoid hazing incidents. Wedig said Fickell warned Wisconsin’s players against hazing by telling them, “We’re not doing that,” as soon as the Northwestern reports surfaced.“He specifically told us, ‘Stay away from any of that stuff. We’re not even going to give it a gray area,’” Wedig said.Holding training camps away from campus has been part of college football lore ever since Paul “Bear” Bryant subjected Texas A&amp;M’s players to practices in 100-degree temperatures without water breaks way back in 1954, a trip that was chronicled in the book and movie titled “The Junction Boys.”Schools that train off campus now say it’s a way to build chemistry, something particularly important in the age of the transfer portal.Wisconsin brought in 17 transfers this offseason. There are 15 incoming transfers at Florida State, which is spending part of its training camp at the University of North Florida’s Jacksonville campus for a third straight year.“We’re just trying to get better and find different ways to learn about all the new coaches and the new players,” said Cincinnati quarterback Emory Jones, who previously played at Florida and Arizona State. “It’s fun.”New Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham has the Sun Devils reigniting a program tradition by working out three days at Camp Tontozona in Payson, Arizona. Arizona State started visiting Camp Tontozona in 1959 during Frank Kush’s coaching tenure, but this year marks the Sun Devils’ first visit since 2019.Dillingham said Arizona State’s schedule includes time for players simply to interact with one another.“And they’re going to have to do it without a cell phone,” Dillingham said. “They’re going to have to do it without a television, without a video game. They’re going to do it with a deck of cards. They’re going to do it with a Jenga set. They’re going to do it with dice. And they’re going to have to hang out and talk to each other and build relationships.”Crow said he believes those types of team-building activities can be done without leaving campus.“I would say that, particularly in FBS schools, you have multimillion dollar facilities on campus that were built for this purpose,” Crow said. “Utilize those.”That’s what Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi decided.Narduzzi was Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator from 2004-06 and remembers all those nights he spent at Higher Ground. He doesn’t see a need for his Pittsburgh teams to have a similar experience.“We’re not looking for day camps. We want to try to win football games,” he said.Narduzzi instead has his players stay at a hotel down the street from campus once classes are out rather than heading out of town.LSU coach Brian Kelly took his Cincinnati teams to Higher Ground and had some of his Notre Dame squads train at Culver, Indiana. Kelly says taking teams out of town builds camaraderie and breaks up the monotony for players who have been on campus all summer.The trick is to find an ideal site close enough to campus to make this feasible. Kelly hasn’t taken his LSU teams out of town for workouts.“We’d have to find a home run somewhere else,” Kelly said. “It can’t be this rustic – the old Junction Boys kind of setup. Those days are over. You really have to provide them with really good facilities.”The spartan accommodations of years past are over. Wisconsin and Cincinnati players and coaches raved over the food provided by their host sites.“They really feed you a lot,” Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said before heading to Higher Ground. “Guys are saying they actually gained weight out there for a couple weeks.”And as for the lodging, Wisconsin’s players discovered sleeping in those small beds isn’t particularly difficult after a long day of practice.“When you’re going to bed, sometimes you’re so tired, you don’t even really think about it,” Wisconsin guard Michael Furtney said.___AP Sports Writers Aaron Beard, Will Graves, Brett Martel, John Marshall and Mitch Stacy and AP freelance writer Keith Jenkins contributed to this report.

Fewer college football programs are leaving campus for training camps even in portal era

(KJCCC) August 14, 2023 -- Cowley is the pick in the men's soccer preseason soccer poll for Division I , while Johnson County is favored in Division II.

The Tigers are follwed by traditional powerhouse Barton.

Johnson has Neosho County and Allen chasing them for the top D2 spot.

The 2023 season begins on Thursday, August 17.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692104443715.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>(KJCCC) August 14, 2023 -- Cowley is the pick in the men's soccer preseason soccer poll for Division I , while Johnson County is favored in Division II.The Tigers are follwed by traditional powerhouse Barton.Johnson has Neosho County and Allen chasing them for the top D2 spot.The 2023 season begins on Thursday, August 17.

2023 Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll Released - Barton picked 2nd

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dairon Blanco executed a suicide squeeze bunt in the ninth inning to score pinch-runner Samad Taylor, and the Kansas City Royals rallied after blowing a 5-0 lead to hand the playoff-contending Seattle Mariners their third straight loss, 7-6 on Monday night.

“That's how we drew it up,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro deadpanned. “He's gotten bunts down in big spots. That guy (Matt Brash) was throwing 100 miles per hour. That's not easy to do.”

Brady Singer took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Bobby Witt Jr. hit the Royals' first inside-the-park homer in four years and Salvador Perez hit a three-run shot to build the Royals' big lead.

“Everything felt good,” Singer said. "I was able to work up in the zone. All the pitches were working.

“I knew (about a no-hitter), but you never think it's going to happen. So you just go out there and try to make pitches. What happens, happens.”

So much happened in the final two innings that Singer's effort was almost for naught.

Julio Rodríguez hit a bases-clearing double in the eighth to get the Mariners within 5-3, then scored on a single by Eugenio Suárez. In the ninth, Josh Rojas tied it with a run-scoring single against Nick Wittgren (1-0), and Rodríguez's RBI single put the Mariners on top.

But Brash (8-4) immediately ran into trouble in the ninth. He gave up consecutive singles and Perez tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Blanco then bunted Brash's first pitch down the first-base line, and first baseman Dylan Moore couldn't handle it cleanly as Taylor dashed home with the game-ending run.

“It was a heck of a comeback by our guys, really down and out and didn’t have a whole lot going offensively,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “But our guys don’t quit. It’s a testament to them and they find a way to get ahead and get the lead. But then (the Royals) came back that’s a big hit there at the end to obviously pull it out.”

The Mariners (63-55), coming off back-to-back extra-inning losses to Baltimore, fell two games behind Toronto for the final AL wild-card spot.

Maikel Garcia led off the bottom of the first with a single against Logan Gilbert, extending his hitting streak to 16 games, a Royals rookie record. Garcia advanced on Witt's infield hit and Perez followed with a 429-foot homer to center, his 19th.

In the fifth, Witt hit a sharp line drive to right field. Dominic Canzone appeared to lose it in the lights and it sailed behind him. He had trouble picking it up at the wall, and the speedy Witt circled the bases in 14.3 seconds, the fourth-fastest home-to-home time since Statcast began in 2015.

“I thought (Canzone) caught it,” Witt said. “Then I saw the ball get past him. I was focused on (third base coach) Vance (Wilson).”

The Royals' last inside-the-park home run was by Whit Merrifield against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 9, 2019.

While Gilbert was struggling, Singer was cruising. He retired the first 14 batters he faced and only had one three-ball count before walking Cade Marlowe with two outs in the fifth.

Canzone singled with two outs in the seventh for the Mariners' first hit. In the eighth, Singer gave up a one-out double to Mike Ford and hit Moore with a pitch, ending his night. Carlos Hernandez came on and allowed both runners to score while giving up two runs of his own.

Gilbert allowed four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Royals: Reinstated OF Drew Waters from the bereavement list and optioned OF Edward Olivares to Triple-A Omaha. ... Claimed OF Bubba Thompson off waivers from Texas and optioned him to Omaha.

The four-game series continues Tuesday night with Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (0-0, 1.80 ERA) making his second career start. Jordan Lyles (3-13, 6.13) starts for Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dairon Blanco executed a suicide squeeze bunt in the ninth inning to score pinch-runner Samad Taylor, and the Kansas City Royals rallied after blowing a 5-0 lead to hand the playoff-contending Seattle Mariners their third straight loss, 7-6 on Monday night.“That's how we drew it up,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro deadpanned. “He's gotten bunts down in big spots. That guy (Matt Brash) was throwing 100 miles per hour. That's not easy to do.”Brady Singer took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Bobby Witt Jr. hit the Royals' first inside-the-park homer in four years and Salvador Perez hit a three-run shot to build the Royals' big lead.“Everything felt good,” Singer said. "I was able to work up in the zone. All the pitches were working.“I knew (about a no-hitter), but you never think it's going to happen. So you just go out there and try to make pitches. What happens, happens.”So much happened in the final two innings that Singer's effort was almost for naught.Julio Rodríguez hit a bases-clearing double in the eighth to get the Mariners within 5-3, then scored on a single by Eugenio Suárez. In the ninth, Josh Rojas tied it with a run-scoring single against Nick Wittgren (1-0), and Rodríguez's RBI single put the Mariners on top.But Brash (8-4) immediately ran into trouble in the ninth. He gave up consecutive singles and Perez tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Blanco then bunted Brash's first pitch down the first-base line, and first baseman Dylan Moore couldn't handle it cleanly as Taylor dashed home with the game-ending run.“It was a heck of a comeback by our guys, really down and out and didn’t have a whole lot going offensively,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “But our guys don’t quit. It’s a testament to them and they find a way to get ahead and get the lead. But then (the Royals) came back that’s a big hit there at the end to obviously pull it out.”The Mariners (63-55), coming off back-to-back extra-inning losses to Baltimore, fell two games behind Toronto for the final AL wild-card spot.Maikel Garcia led off the bottom of the first with a single against Logan Gilbert, extending his hitting streak to 16 games, a Royals rookie record. Garcia advanced on Witt's infield hit and Perez followed with a 429-foot homer to center, his 19th.In the fifth, Witt hit a sharp line drive to right field. Dominic Canzone appeared to lose it in the lights and it sailed behind him. He had trouble picking it up at the wall, and the speedy Witt circled the bases in 14.3 seconds, the fourth-fastest home-to-home time since Statcast began in 2015.“I thought (Canzone) caught it,” Witt said. “Then I saw the ball get past him. I was focused on (third base coach) Vance (Wilson).”The Royals' last inside-the-park home run was by Whit Merrifield against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 9, 2019.While Gilbert was struggling, Singer was cruising. He retired the first 14 batters he faced and only had one three-ball count before walking Cade Marlowe with two outs in the fifth.Canzone singled with two outs in the seventh for the Mariners' first hit. In the eighth, Singer gave up a one-out double to Mike Ford and hit Moore with a pitch, ending his night. Carlos Hernandez came on and allowed both runners to score while giving up two runs of his own.Gilbert allowed four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.TRANSACTIONSRoyals: Reinstated OF Drew Waters from the bereavement list and optioned OF Edward Olivares to Triple-A Omaha. ... Claimed OF Bubba Thompson off waivers from Texas and optioned him to Omaha.UP NEXTThe four-game series continues Tuesday night with Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (0-0, 1.80 ERA) making his second career start. Jordan Lyles (3-13, 6.13) starts for Kansas City.

Dairon Blanco's squeeze bunt gives the Royals a wild 7-6 win over the Mariners

2022 (Sophomore): All-MIAA Third Team selection as a defensive lineman...Played and started in 10 games at defensive end, missing only one contest due to injury...Led FHSU defensive linemen in tackles with 36 and ranked seventh overall on the team...Ranked third on the team in tackles for loss (7.0)...His 1.5 sacks for the season tied for second best on the team...Recorded four pass breakups, which tied for second best on the team...Had a season-high seven tackles against Missouri Western (9/8/22)...Recorded a season-high two tackles for loss and one sack at Pittsburg State (11/12/22)...CSC Academic All-District selection...Earned MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award for All-MIAA honors and at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA...Named to MIAA Academic Honor Roll.

2022 (Sophomore): All-MIAA Third Team selection at defensive back...Played and started in nine games...Ranked second on the team in tackles with 56 for the season, averaging 6.2 per game...Recorded 2.5 tackles for loss on the season...Had a blocked punt and picked up the ball in the endzone for a touchdown against Missouri Southern (9/24/22)...Produced a season-high nine tackles against Missouri Western (9/8/22)...Had one interception against Missouri Southern (9/24/22)...CSC Academic All-District selection...Earned MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award for earning All-MIAA honors and holding a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher...Named to MIAA Academic Honor Roll.

2022 (Sophomore): Played in 10 games...Recorded his only tackle of the season at Central Oklahoma (10/15/22)...Named to MIAA Academic Honor Roll.

Fr. Holt Hanzlick Linebacker,&nbsp;Height 5-11 Weight 210, Hoisington High School Hoisington HS: Two-time all-state performer in football...Selected to compete in the Kansas Shrine Bowl...Also competed in basketball and baseball.

Fr. Cayden Scheuerman Safety,&nbsp;Height 5-11 Weight 195, Great Bend High School Great Bend HS: All-state honorable mention and all-conference first team selection at quarterback...Served as team captain and was an All-Area Top 11 selection...Also competed in basketball and track and field...State qualifier in track and field...Produced 2,381 yards of total offense his senior year, which included 1,499 passing yards and 882 rushing yards with 25 touchdowns.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692036538487.jpeg" alt="Jr. Myles Menges DL,&nbsp;Height 6-4 Weight 250, Bushton, Kan.&nbsp;Central Plains HS" />
 <figcaption>Jr. Myles Menges DL,&nbsp;Height 6-4 Weight 250, Bushton, Kan.&nbsp;Central Plains HS</figcaption>
 </figure>2022 (Sophomore): All-MIAA Third Team selection as a defensive lineman...Played and started in 10 games at defensive end, missing only one contest due to injury...Led FHSU defensive linemen in tackles with 36 and ranked seventh overall on the team...Ranked third on the team in tackles for loss (7.0)...His 1.5 sacks for the season tied for second best on the team...Recorded four pass breakups, which tied for second best on the team...Had a season-high seven tackles against Missouri Western (9/8/22)...Recorded a season-high two tackles for loss and one sack at Pittsburg State (11/12/22)...CSC Academic All-District selection...Earned MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award for All-MIAA honors and at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA...Named to MIAA Academic Honor Roll.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692036693725.jpeg" alt="Jr. Mason Perez Safety,&nbsp;Height 6-1 Weight 190,&nbsp;Hometown Larned, Kan, Larned High School" />
 <figcaption>Jr. Mason Perez Safety,&nbsp;Height 6-1 Weight 190,&nbsp;Hometown Larned, Kan, Larned High School</figcaption>
 </figure>2022 (Sophomore): All-MIAA Third Team selection at defensive back...Played and started in nine games...Ranked second on the team in tackles with 56 for the season, averaging 6.2 per game...Recorded 2.5 tackles for loss on the season...Had a blocked punt and picked up the ball in the endzone for a touchdown against Missouri Southern (9/24/22)...Produced a season-high nine tackles against Missouri Western (9/8/22)...Had one interception against Missouri Southern (9/24/22)...CSC Academic All-District selection...Earned MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award for earning All-MIAA honors and holding a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher...Named to MIAA Academic Honor Roll.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692036807404.jpeg" alt="Jr. Dalton Miller Safety,&nbsp;Height 5-11 Weight 195,&nbsp;Great Bend, Kan., Great Bend High School" />
 <figcaption>Jr. Dalton Miller Safety,&nbsp;Height 5-11 Weight 195,&nbsp;Great Bend, Kan., Great Bend High School</figcaption>
 </figure>2022 (Sophomore): Played in 10 games...Recorded his only tackle of the season at Central Oklahoma (10/15/22)...Named to MIAA Academic Honor Roll.Fr. Holt Hanzlick Linebacker,&nbsp;Height 5-11 Weight 210, Hoisington High School Hoisington HS: Two-time all-state performer in football...Selected to compete in the Kansas Shrine Bowl...Also competed in basketball and baseball.Fr. Cayden Scheuerman Safety,&nbsp;Height 5-11 Weight 195, Great Bend High School Great Bend HS: All-state honorable mention and all-conference first team selection at quarterback...Served as team captain and was an All-Area Top 11 selection...Also competed in basketball and track and field...State qualifier in track and field...Produced 2,381 yards of total offense his senior year, which included 1,499 passing yards and 882 rushing yards with 25 touchdowns.

Area Fort Hays State Tigers

Georgia begins its drive for an unprecedented college football championship three-peat as the No. 1 team in The Associated Press preseason Top 25. The Bulldogs received 60 of 63 first-place votes to easily outpoint No. 2 Michigan. The Wolverines received two first-place votes. Michigan's Big Ten rival, Ohio State is No. 3, with one first-place vote. Two more Southeastern Conference teams join Georgia in the top five. Alabama is No. 4, the Crimson Tide’s lowest preseason rankings since 2009, and LSU starts at No. 5. This is the second time in program history 2008 Georgia has been preseason No. 1.

Georgia begins its drive for an unprecedented college football championship three-peat as the No. 1 team in The Associated Press preseason Top 25. The Bulldogs received 60 of 63 first-place votes to easily outpoint No. 2 Michigan. The Wolverines received two first-place votes. Michigan's Big Ten rival, Ohio State is No. 3, with one first-place vote. Two more Southeastern Conference teams join Georgia in the top five. Alabama is No. 4, the Crimson Tide’s lowest preseason rankings since 2009, and LSU starts at No. 5. This is the second time in program history 2008 Georgia has been preseason No. 1.The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Aug. 13, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:Record	Pts	Prv1. Georgia (60)	0-0	1572	12. Michigan (2)	0-0	1490	33. Ohio St. (1)	0-0	1400	44. Alabama	0-0	1398	55. LSU	0-0	1276	166. Southern Cal	0-0	1245	127. Penn St.	0-0	1177	78. Florida St.	0-0	1147	119. Clemson	0-0	1032	1310. Washington	0-0	977	811. Texas	0-0	882	2512. Tennessee	0-0	868	613. Notre Dame	0-0	863	1814. Utah	0-0	811	1015. Oregon	0-0	732	1516. Kansas St.	0-0	501	1417. TCU	0-0	416	218. Oregon St.	0-0	406	1719. Wisconsin	0-0	386	-20. Oklahoma	0-0	296	-21. North Carolina	0-0	292	-22. Mississippi	0-0	281	-23. Texas A&amp;M	0-0	227	-24. Tulane	0-0	224	925. Iowa	0-0	131	-Others receiving votes: Texas Tech 101, South Carolina 73, UCLA 66, UTSA 64, Arkansas 22, Boise St. 17, Pittsburgh 16, Kentucky 14, Louisville 10, Troy 10, Kansas 10, Auburn 7, Minnesota 6, Toledo 4, Duke 4, Mississippi St. 4, Florida 4, Illinois 3, Baylor 3, Coastal Carolina 3, South Alabama 1, NC State 1, James Madison 1, Liberty 1.