Own the group chat with The Weekender, highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors, and a glance at what's next.
Some Good News in a Sea of Bad News
We're all dealing with COVID fatigue after the virus completely flipped the script on what was normal in the world of sports. But, some good news!
A study from the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation, found college athletes who had COVID-19 see fewer instances of myocarditis than once feared. Myocarditis, you'll recall, is bruising of heart tissue, that led the Big Ten to take a cautious approach to returning to play last season.
Dr. Jonathan Drezner, director of the University of Washington Medicine Center for Sports Cardiology and a co-principal investigator of the study, said the results will help colleges and the NCAA refine cardiac-screening protocols for athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19.
"The bigger message is for the athletes who only have mild symptoms or no symptoms, it's not clear you need to do any testing at all," he said. "And I would be comfortable simply doing a good review of symptoms and making sure when they get back to play, they feel well."
This study of college athletes lines up with a larger-scale study of professional athletes released last month and should help medical professionals and school administrators sleep a little easier as we head into the 2021-22 seasons.
Dad U
Boston College inked a 10-year deal with New Balance, becoming the first major university athletic department to sign on with the sportswear company loved by dads around the country.
The deal will net the school more money than its previous pact with Under Armour and comes with some perks as New Balance is building a state-of-the-art training facility just down the road from BC's Chestnut Hill campus. The facility, TRACK@New Balance, is scheduled to open next year and will feature a 200-meter hydraulically banked track, seating for 5,000 spectators, and facilities for training, events, and recovery.
New Balance will outfit 30 of Boston College's 31 sports, so we sadly will not get to see Jeff Hafley rocking a pair of 624s, but we're absolutely here for the future moms and dads in every sport but football.
That's a Lot of Money
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Indiana tried to lure the Celtics' Brad Stevens to Bloomington with a seven-year, $70 million deal. Wow.
Needless to say, the deal would have made Stevens the highest-paid coach in men's basketball, topping the $8,158,000 John Calipari earns each year from Kentucky.
Indiana, spurned by Stevens, Ohio State's Chris Holtmann, and others, finally settled on former Hoosier All-American Mike Woodson as their 30th basketball coach at the football school.
Justin Fields' Custom Lid
Justin Fields was back in town for Ohio State's spring game and he was rocking a custom hat that quickly buzzed up Twitter. If you want one of your own a) it's probably not licensed and b) it will set you back $50.
ICYMI
Man, It Felt Good to See Football, Fans, and the Band Back in the Shoe
Ryan Day conducted the band before kickoff and then the Eleven Warriors staff took it from there, providing full coverage of Ohio State's spring game, played in front of approximately 20,000 fans in Ohio Stadium Saturday.
C.J. Stroud and Kyle McCord tossed two touchdowns each, but Day insists no decision on the starter will come until later this year. Regardless of who starts, the passing game will be N-I-C-E again.
Quarterbacks and receivers weren't the only players to show out as freshman defensive end Jack “Sack” Sawyer notched four sacks, and long-snapper Roen McCullough looked like a real linebacker.
Film Study: The Shift to a 4–2–5 Says More About the “Who” of Kerry Coombs' Defense than the “How”
Kyle Jones lays out why Ohio State is looking to run a 4–2–5 set on defense this year, the strengths of that formation, and what it means in the grander scheme of things (pun intended).
Greg Studrawa and the Buckeyes Have Options Following Kiyaunta Goodwin's Commitment
You never want to lose out on a prospect to Kentucky, but Andrew Ellis highlights some of the options still in play for the Buckeyes on the offensive line following four-star tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin commitment to the Wildcats Saturday evening.
Up Next
- Tonight! #9 Ohio State women's volleyball meets #8 Florida at 7:30 p.m. in an NCAA Round of 16 clash (ESPN2).
- This Saturday, April 24: D1 (FCS) football first-round playoff action.
- Thursday, September 2: Ryan Day's Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Minnesota to open the season.
- Saturday, November 27: The Game. Ann Arbor, Michigan.
