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Senior nose guard Donald Berniard Jr. and junior linebacker Colin Ramos were named to the second team, junior fullback Daba Fofana, junior safety Rayuan Lane III and junior punter Riley Riethman were named to the third team, while junior offensive tackle Connor McMahon, senior defensive end Jacob Busic and junior punt returner Amin Hassan were named to the fourth team. Berniard has made an incredible 30-straight starts at nose guard for the Mids. He was named to Phil Steele's All-American Athletic Conference Third Team last year and finished the season with 35 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss. Ramos, who was named to Phil Steele's All-American Athletic Conference Third Team at the end of last season, was a starter in 10 of the 12 games last year and was second on the team in tackles (79), tied for second in tackles for a loss (8.6) and tied for third in sacks (4). Read more: https://navysports.com/news/2023/6/12/eight-navy-football-players-named-to-phil-steeles-preseason-all-american-athletic-conference-team.aspx

Whether Memphis is part of Big 12 expansion plans or not, school officials are keeping their cards close to the vest. Last week, a delegation of Big 12 officials (which included commissioner Brett Yormark) reportedly toured campus as well as Memphis' athletic facilities, while also meeting with key city and university figures. The visit was reportedly part of the Big 12’s “due diligence” as it continued to explore the prospect of expanding. Yormark subsequently issued a statement to try to poke holes in the initial report. “I’ve never met with anyone at Memphis about adding them to the Big 12, nor have I been on campus,” he said. On Wednesday, when asked to address the validity of Yormark’s reported visit, Memphis president Bill Hardgrave declined. “Yeah, I’m not going to talk about any of that,” he told The Commercial Appeal. Memphis vice president and athletic director Laird Veatch also neither confirmed nor denied that any meetings took place. Memphis officials have made it clear in recent years how motivated they are to level-up from a conference affiliation perspective. The school is on the verge of embarking upon a massive renovation project for Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The plan is for $150-$200 million worth of work to begin shortly after the 2023 football season and have it completed by before the start of the 2025 season. read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/memphis-president-ad-react-to-latest-big-12-expansion-realignment-reports/ar-AA1czZUR

2022 Record: 5-7 overall, 3-5 in AAC Head Coach: Kevin Wilson, 1st year: 0-0, 7th year overall: 26-47 - Tulsa 2023 Football Schedule @ColFootballNews | @PeteFiutak Tulsa continues to be among the most unique college football programs going. It’s a small school in a good-sized city just up the road from both the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on one side, and not terribly far from the University of Arkansas on the other. And yet it found a decent niche. For years it was an afterthought in the WAC - sky point as an FBS conference - had several nice seasons in Conference USA, and there’s been no consistency whatsoever in the American Athletic Conference. You want crazy? Nine years in the AAC, seven different win totals. Sometimes it’s had a nasty defense, sometimes the offensive scheme worked, and sometimes it all fell totally flat for long stretches. It’s possible to win at Tulsa, though. It’s not like the expectations are through the roof, but the program is used to going to bowl games - nine from 2005 to 2016 and just two in the last six seasons - and now it’s up to new head coach Kevin Wilson take over the team in a new-and-easier AAC and start winning. The star offensive coordinator at several stops - most recently Ohio State - and former head coach at Indiana knows how to make attacks go. There’s enough back to win with right away and push past five victories to get back to a bowl, and … LINK to more: https://collegefootballnews.com/cfn/tulsa-golden-hurricane-college-football-preview-2023-breakdown-prediction-top-players-win-total

The Charlotte 49ers’ search for their next men’s basketball head coach is narrowing — and fast. Ron Sanchez, who had been the 49ers’ head coach for five seasons and was Mike Hill’s first hire as athletic director, stepped down last Tuesday, returning to his previous school to become associate head coach under Tony Bennett with the Virginia Cavaliers. Assistant coach Aaron Fearne was named interim head coach, and his responsibilities have already shifted as summer workouts started Monday. Read more at: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/college/charlotte-49ers/article276375846.html#storylink=cpy

Elkhart native Jeff Wilson Jr. will host his “Dream Big ETX Football Camp” June 16th at the Jerry Ives Memorial Stadium. Wilson continues to pour back into the community that raised him by bringing some professional football knowledge back to East Texas. Registration is free for kids ages 8-15 years old. The purpose of this camp is to provide football players in the East Texas area with an opportunity to meet and also learn skills techniques that are used by current and former college/pro athletes. The football players will also gain an insight on how the athletes’ day-to-day lifestyle is and the tasks that have to deal with being NFL and college athletes, according to the camp’s website. The Elkhart native committed to the University of North Texas in 2014. He finished his college career fourth all-time on the program's rushing list (3,205 yards), third in career rushing touchdowns (32) and fourth in program history in all-purpose yards (4,009). Wilson signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2018. He was waived on September 1, 2018, and was signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on November 24, 2018. Interested participants can visit can register on Eventbrite.com under “ETX Jeff Wilson's Dream Big Football Camp.” read more: https://www.palestineherald.com/sports/elkhart-native-jeff-wilson-jr-to-host-dream-big-etx-football-camp/article_1e37ee16-04a2-11ee-84f7-2bb33a365d5a.html

In the battle for the deepest position in the inaugural rookie draft, linebacker would come out as the easy winner. I had to make a lot of rough cuts and was psyched to get an extra pick when original list-maker Ryan Greenhagen got signed by the Philadelphia Stars. So, here’s the five that made it through. WILDCARD - KD Davis, North Texas Let’s start with a player that, if it wasn’t for one moment of misfortune, he’d be in the midst of an NFL training camp. KD Davis comes from the world of Texas High School football. He didn’t play for a powerhouse program, but his stats while playing safety were enough for 247sports to rank him as a 3-star recruit. He received offers from Memphis, Illinois, and Louisiana Tech, but chose to stay in-state, commit to North Texas, and switch to linebacker. Rather than redshirt his freshman year, KD dove in head first and played predominantly on special teams. By the next year, he moved up to the starting role and held the job from 2019 to 2022. He led the team in tackles for all four years (the first UNT player to ever do so) and set the school record for most career tackles with 428. His senior year he notched 139 tackles, the second best season in school history and 5th best nationally. Going into the Frisco Bowl, KD had been named 1st Team All-Conference USA, 4th Team All-American, and Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. In the bowl game, KD made five more tackles, but it wouldn’t be enough to top Boise State. Even worse, in the final minutes of the 4th quarter, KD tore his ACL. KD will have to wait until September to get back on his feet and restart training. Even then, there is still nervousness as to whether he’ll be the same player even after he heals. To that I say, drafting him in a late round couldn’t hurt. ACL surgeries have greatly improved and the majority of folks come back from them no problem. Plus, with the XFL season starting well after his heal-by date, it will give him plenty of time to get back his old self and show the NFL what he can do. read more: https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/xfl-2023-rookie-draft-dl/

When University of South Florida officials presented an initial budget for a $340 million on-campus football stadium last month, chief financial officer Richard J. Sobieray stood behind the figures being used to justify one of the biggest decisions in school history. “I’m a conservative CFO in nature,” Sobieray said then at the board of trustees’ finance committee meeting, “and I think if I had issues with this I would definitely express them.” Not everyone shares Sobieray’s confidence. As the full board prepares for Tuesday’s vote on whether to authorize $200 million in debt for the Bulls’ proposed 35,000-seat facility, the Tampa Bay Times shared the financial projections with three academics who study stadium economics. Their reactions ranged from cautious optimism to downright disbelief. “I don’t know if I’d call it economic malpractice,” said College of the Holy Cross economics professor Victor Matheson, who literally co-wrote the book on sports economics, “but it’s pretty close to it.” read more: https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bulls/2023/06/09/usf-football-on-campus-stadium-ocs-bulls-conference-realignment/

After a 30-year career coaching high school and college basketball and assistant coaching the professionals, Trammell is now headed into her first WNBA head coaching position with the Dallas Wings. Latricia Trammell only needed 30 years to become a head coach in the WNBA, starting in the high school ranks and working her way up. The Oklahoma native did stints at Denton’s Billy Ryan High School, at UNT, and at TWU. At Oklahoma City University, she won back-to-back NAIA national championships in 2014 and 2015. And now, after serving as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Stars and the Los Angeles Sparks, she leads the Dallas Wings into a season of high expectations. read more: https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2023/june/meet-latricia-trammell-the-new-dallas-wings-head-coach/

The Nevada men's basketball team will open its 2023-24 season at home against Sacramento State, per Rocco Miller, a college hoops Bracketologist and analyst. The Wolf Pack will look to build upon its 22-win 2022-23 season that landed Nevada in its first NCAA Tournament under Steve Alford, who will enter his fifth season at Nevada next year. Nevada also owes a road game to North Texas, although it is unknown whether that game will be played this season. The Wolf Pack can play up to 13 non-conference games in 2023-24 since it is playing in a multi-team event. read more: https://nevadasportsnet.com/news/reporters/nevada-mens-basketball-will-reportedly-open-season-at-home-against-sacramento-state

https://bvmsports.com/2023/06/12/womens-basketball-adds-three-coaches-to-staff/

The North Texas Mean Green achieved their crowning moment, defeating conference rival UAB to secure the first NIT title in program history. The championship springboards the Mean Green into an offseason of massive upheaval. In an instant, their coach was gone, though that wasn’t much of a surprise. Grant McCasland had the inside track for the Texas Tech job for some time and quickly snatched when he was done leading the Mean Green to glory. North Texas wasted no time filling the job, handing it to longtime associate head coach Ross Hodge. He’s been a big part of what McCasland has built and the program shouldn’t regress too much under the first-time head coach. That transition is far from the biggest the program is going to have this offseason. The Mean Green will no longer be Conference USA Rivals with the Blazers; instead they’ll be rivals with them in the AAC. The AAC will be virtually unrecognizable next year. Can North Texas fill the void and take the conference crown in its first year as a member? read more: https://bustingbrackets.com/2023/04/03/north-texas-basketball-mean-green-win-aac-first-year/

UNT at Frisco currently has partnerships with the Dallas Cowboys, Toyota, Omni Hotels, the Professional Golfers’ Association of America and Sam’s Club. UNT at Frisco completed its first semester of classes at Frisco Landing after the building was opened to the public in January. Frisco Landing is the first of many buildings planned at the UNT at Frisco branch campus. The University of North Texas has offered courses in Collin County for over a decade, with courses offered at Collin Higher Education Center since 2010, at Hall Park since 2016 and at Inspire Park since 2018. “Frisco is becoming a big IT and computer-focused community, there’s no two ways about it,” said Audhesh Paswan, dean of New College and vice provost at UNT at Frisco. “It would be natural, given our resources here [in Denton], that we will move some of the programs to Frisco to take care of that particular demand.” One of the main focuses of the Frisco campus is its New College, which is the newest of the 14 colleges offered at the university and its additional campuses. The project-based school is housed at UNT at Frisco but will continue to provide classes for both the Denton and Frisco campuses. The New College’s focus is interdisciplinary studies, where students are able to draw inspiration from different sources of their interests and apply it to their careers. Paswan said there are several big tech, hospitality and banking companies in the area UNT at Frisco will be looking to partner with to provide hands-on opportunities for students in cohort-based programs. “You can see students, even in the classroom, asking ‘So you’re teaching me all of this theory, you’re teaching me all these statistical procedures. How will I use it?’” Paswan said. “Our kids will actually learn how to apply it.” read more: https://www.ntdaily.com/unt-at-frisco-completes-first-semester-focuses-student-opportunity/

Why you ask, what caused the growth? I would say a consistent investment in the program financially from the administration and large donors over a long period of time. Believe me, Baylor, Tech, OSU, KU, KSU et al never ever wanted to ever see this happen. There were many disappointments along the way for Houston of course. They were called Cougar High and ridiculed for many years. And yet the kept investing in facilities, coaches despite the "G5" label that had been thrown around their neck like an albatross. I recall people stating how Houston was throwing money away. And then they lured Holgerson away from WVU. And yes, these season ticket sales are directly tied to the fact they are in some way returning to a new version of the SWC. And yes I believe the Big 12 should be our goal as well. My point is, when they started all this there were the same naysayers that said they would never succeed. It can be accomplished folks.

https://247sports.com/player/carmello-brooks-46137548/

8. Sam Houston Even though Sam Houston ranks near the bottom of Conference USA, don't be surprised if this team easily exceeds this prediction. For starters, coach KC Keeler is 85-27 with the Bearkats, including a FCS title in 2020. Also, the team wisely redshirted a handful of players with an eye to '23 and beyond as it made the move to FBS. Defense should be the strength of Sam Houston's first team at the FBS level, as this unit boasts preseason Athlon Sports second-team All-C-USA selections in Markel Perry (DL), Trevor Williams (LB) and Jordan Morris (CB). The offense has question marks up front (only one returning starter) and needs to find an answer at quarterback (potentially North Texas transfer Grant Gunnell). LINK: https://athlonsports.com/college-football/conference-usa-football-2023-predictions

North Texas qualified for the Conference USA title game a season ago, but the real danger for California is that its season opener against UNT occurs on the road. The Golden Bears have a ton of transfers, and with this being their first game with several new faces, a less-than-ideal situation could present itself. Breakdown: California has one of the Pac-12's toughest tests when facing Auburn, which has been rejuvenated following the hiring of Hugh Freeze. The Golden Bears' clash with the Tigers comes during Week 2 and falls between dates with North Texas and Idaho, which could lead to some assuming the Golden Bears would have one of the most manageable schedules in the conference. But California faces Washington, Utah and Oregon with each of those games coming on the road in venues often described as among the loudest in the Pac-12. LINK: https://247sports.com/longformarticle/pac-12-football-biggest-trap-games-in-2023-for-every-team-in-lea-209762327/#2164922

DALLAS – UNT softball placed a league-high seven players on All-Conference USA teams including three first-team selections, the league announced on Tuesday. Junior infielder Kailey Gamble collected her second consecutive first-team award and third all-league honor of her career. She was joined on the first team by senior pitcher Ashley Peters and sophomore infielder Cierra Simon, both of whom appeared on all-conference teams last season. Junior catcher Kalei Christensen, junior infielder Mikayla Smith and junior pitcher McKenzie Wagoner picked up second-team honors after each received C-USA player of the week awards this season. Redshirt-Freshman infielder Tatum Sparks was recognized as a member of the All-Freshman Team. The group is the second-most players named to postseason all-conference teams after UNT placed nine players in 2021. The Mean Green are set to open its C-USA Championship in Ruston, La. North Texas will face the winner between Middle Tennessee and Louisiana Tech on Wednesday at 5 p.m. on ESPN+.

Ryder Mix, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound 2026 tight end, is going to be a valuable weapon in Brett Gilchrist's offensive attack. Mix is a versatile tight end who can split out in the flex, line up as a true in-line option, or play an H-back role where he roams around the offensive set. Mix has already picked up scholarships from UNLV, Missouri, Texas State, North Texas and Buffalo. https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2023/05/05/in-his-words-frisco-lone-star-2026-te-ryder-mix?ref=article_preview_img