COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — After 15 years coaching in the NFL, Arthur Smith was hired to fix an Ohio State offense that was efficient but not explosive last season. The Buckeyes averaged 33.4 points per game last season, but faltered in their final two games, scoring just 10 points in a loss to ...
The NFL is upset about changes made by Nielsen in its methodology for measuring viewership for the upcoming season, calling them "rushed" and saying they will have a negative impact on sports. Nielsen announced plans this week to change how it measures audiences on television, beginning on Aug. 31, including alterations to how the company measures whether multiple people are watching an event at the same time. The NFL is coming off one of its most successful seasons ever on television after Nielsen began using its Big Data + Panel methodology for all events last September. The league ...
NEW YORK (AP) — While interest in women's sports is booming and Olympic sports organizers lock in preparations for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, advocates worry that the college athletic programs that feed both those systems may be strained further by increased demands from bigger sports. Olympic sports haven't had the opportunity to thrive on their own, according to Women's Sports Foundation CEO Danette Leighton, because the business has centered one product: college football. Leighton is calling on donors to set the agenda. Philanthropy can protect those teams, she said, ...
MORGANTOWN — Nick Taylor played 11 games for West Virginia football as a sophomore. Taylor came over after playing corner for Appalachian State as a true freshman, logging 147 snaps. Taylor had a productive 11 games in his first season for the Mountaineers, but he played safety, changing positions. He had 20 tackles on the season, including 11 unassisted tackles and an interception, which was his first of his career. “It was amazing,” Taylor said. “One of my childhood dreams to be on a big stage and get a pick. Hopefully, get some more this year.” This year, Taylor is moving ...
MORGANTOWN — West Virginia’s spring practices were for experimentation and figuring out what needs solving in the fall. Nothing regarding the depth chart is written in ink in the spring. It’s written in pencil. Rich Rodriguez talked throughout the spring about a depth chart, and he was asked about it this fall and said that one's gone by the wayside. The fall is for competition and position battles, with athletes trying their best to win a starting spot by the time the Mountaineers kick off against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 5. Rodriguez’s touched on a couple of battles ...
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — You've heard about the patches coming soon to a college football jersey near you. You've seen the corporate logos cropping up on football fields from South Carolina to the University of Washington. Talent fees on season tickets, league-level deals with the likes of PayPal, naming rights revenue not just for a stadium but for the playing field within the stadium. All of this is now standard fare for universities scrambling to keep up in the sprawling and expensive industry that college athletics has become. For the latest year available (2024), the 352 Division ...
