Radakovich gives his take on College Football Playoff expansion

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has made clear his stance on College Football Playoff expansion, saying although he wasn’t surprised about the proposed expansion from the current four-team CFP to the 12-team format, he is not in favor of it. Clemson …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has made clear his stance on College Football Playoff expansion, saying although he wasn’t surprised about the proposed expansion from the current four-team CFP to the 12-team format, he is not in favor of it.

Clemson director of athletics Dan Radakovich, who was a member of the CFP selection committee from 2014-17, can see why some have been clamoring for playoff expansion and gave his take on it during a guest appearance on “Out of Bounds” with William Qualkinbush and Kelly Gramlich on WCCP 105.5 FM The Roar on Thursday.

“I think that from the time the playoff began with four teams, there was always just this echo out there of making it larger,” Radakovich said. “So, I think it had to have some experience, and it’s had seven playoffs now. There’s been a few teams – and we’ve been very fortunate – Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma have taken a number of those spots. And I think around the country, people are saying well, those folks are really good and their programs are great, can we expand the playoff to have more inclusiveness with other programs? Because as you look at postseason championship opportunities, football is by far the smallest percentage of teams that get to go into the postseason with an opportunity to win a championship. So, from that perspective, I certainly understand the idea of expanding [from] four.”

Radakovich added that while he feels playoff expansion would be a positive thing for college football in general, his biggest concern comes when he looks at it from a logistical standpoint.

“Because we’ve been fortunate enough to be in those games, we understand what a toll it takes on the student-athletes and how difficult it is to move a football team and a marching band, as well as all of our fans and our parents to these various locations,” he said. “So, the logistics are the thing that gives me the most pause to be able to figure those things out.

“But I think all of us in college football knew at some point in time it was going to expand. Whether it gets to 12 or there’s models of 10 or 8, that’ll be up to the board of directors and the College Football Playoff to ultimately decide. But I think the addition of various spots into there overall will be really good for college football.”

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Clemson AD ‘still bullish on college athletics’

The times, they are a changin’ in college football and college athletics with NIL, the growing power of the SEC and the alliance between the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12. While there has been a seismic shift in the college sports landscape, Clemson …

The times, they are a changin’ in college football and college athletics with NIL, the growing power of the SEC and the alliance between the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12.

While there has been a seismic shift in the college sports landscape, Clemson director of athletics Dan Radakovich still feels good overall about the direction things are going.

Radakovich was a guest on “Out of Bounds” with William Qualkinbush and Kelly Gramlich on WCCP 105.5 FM The Roar on Thursday and was asked if he believes college athletics is headed in a positive, negative or neutral direction given the developments of the past few months.

Here is what Radakovich had to say:

“College athletics, I think, it’s in a state of flux right now. I don’t know that it’s in a negative state. Certainly, NIL, for the opportunities for our student-athletes have been really good. I mentioned earlier that the Southeastern Conference just signed a new large television deal, and there are other leagues that will be going to market soon. Really one of the most valuable commodities on television right now are live events, ultimate reality shows. So, I think from those areas, I think college athletics in general is strong. I think we have work to do as it relates to the governance, and that’s why the NCAA has pulled together a large group of individuals to talk about governance within the NCAA, how much should stay in Indianapolis, how much should be sent to the various conferences. So, that’s going to be an interesting thing to watch over the next few months.

”But all in all, college athletics gives such great opportunities to so many student-athletes around the country and so many different sports, that it is in an important and integral part of certainly Clemson University life, and I think it’s the same way in many other parts of the country. So, I’m still bullish on college athletics. It may look a little different five to 10 years down the road, but I still think it will serve its purpose of entertaining a very rabid and loyal fanbase as well as giving student-athletes a great opportunity to compete and get a great education.”

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Radakovich discusses whether masks will be required in Memorial Stadium

On Tuesday, LSU announced that it will require fans 12 years and older to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of kickoff in order to attend home games this year. Clemson director of athletics Dan Radakovich, who …

On Tuesday, LSU announced that it will require fans 12 years and older to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of kickoff in order to attend home games this year.

Clemson director of athletics Dan Radakovich, who worked as a senior associate athletic director at LSU from 2001-06, made a guest appearance on “Out of Bounds” with William Qualkinbush and Kelly Gramlich on WCCP 105.5 FM The Roar on Thursday and was asked what he envisions for any COVID protocols at Memorial Stadium this season.

“I think that certainly the state of Louisiana and where they are with some of their vaccination rates and the influx of the Delta variants there – whether it was the Saints, Tulane and now LSU – they’re in a little different spot than we are here in South Carolina right now,” Radakovich said. “But I think that for our outside seating areas, we’re going to look to strongly encourage people to wear masks when they’re not eating or drinking. Right now on campus, we have a certain stance where if you are in an interior space – a classroom, a laboratory, an office building – you are asked to wear a mask if you’re not in your office by yourself. That may end, and that process will end before our first home game. So, whether it gets extended or not, we’ll have to see. But if that does, we’ll have to have some conversations as to whether or not the club and suite areas are affected by that.”

Radakovich added that Clemson will mainly just ask fans to use common sense when attending games as it relates to COVID-19 precautions.

“More so it’s just going to be really some incredible common sense from folks,” he said. “If you’re not feeling well, since all of our tickets are mobile this year, transfer those tickets to other folks and stay home. But if you come to the game, we want you to enjoy it. The parking lots will be open. Outdoor areas are obviously there for people to enjoy tailgating and then coming to the game. Just be cautious, bring your mask, wear it when you’re not eating or drinking. So, I think we’re going to look to have a lot more of what we had experienced back in 2019 as it relates to a full house and the excitement that goes on inside Death Valley.”

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Tension unresolved between Norvell, Swinney

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After Florida State decided to cancel its matchup with Clemson in Tallahassee on November 21 last year things got heated. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney felt Florida State forfeited the contest with the last-minute cancellation …

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After Florida State decided to cancel its matchup with Clemson in Tallahassee on November 21 last year things got heated.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney felt Florida State forfeited the contest with the last-minute cancellation three hours before kickoff as the Tigers prepared to leave the hotel and head over to Doak Campbell Stadium.

“I don’t give a crap what they say. I know what the facts are,” Swinney said. “I know what the standard of play is. I know why the rosters were expanded to eighty because we anticipated positives on Friday.”

Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell was asked Thursday at the ACC Kickoff if he and Swinney had talked things out since the statements last November and the issue has not been addressed despite participation from both at the spring meetings.

“At the end of the day there is really nothing to work out, coaches can make statements and that’s an opportunity we all have,” Norvell said. “For me everybody is entitled to an opinion of what they want to state and I’m going to stay focused on what we are doing and what we are all about here at Florida State.”

Norvell said his team doesn’t need any extra motivation when they head to Death Valley on Oct. 30 this season. And his priority is restoring Florida State to its historic standard in college football. He also harped on the difficulty of finishing the season with three of their last four games being cancelled.

“The last month of the season was one of the hardest I’ve ever experienced as a coach or as a player. There is so much investment that goes into playing a game in the offseason and the work that goes in every week,” Norvell said. “Three of our last four games were cancelled and that’s something I hope I never have to experience again but you appreciate every day.”

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis who started the majority of the season for the Seminoles last season was bothered by Swinney’s comments.

“Of course, everybody has there own opinion and they can say what they want but it doesn’t bother me much but if we were playing an NFL team and the game was cancelled I would’ve been upset,” Travis said.

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Swinney plays major role in landing Student-Athlete Branding Institute

Along with approving Phase 2 of renovations to Memorial Stadium on Thursday, Clemson University’s Board of Trustees also approved Phase 1 expansion projects for both the Poe Indoor Practice Facility and the Allen Reeves Football Complex. These are …

Along with approving Phase 2 of renovations to Memorial Stadium on Thursday, Clemson University’s Board of Trustees also approved Phase 1 expansion projects for both the Poe Indoor Practice Facility and the Allen Reeves Football Complex. These are projects that are both under $5 million.

These improvements include an elite performance and wellness center at the Reeves Complex that will extend over the current space occupied by the covered basketball court. The enhancements total $4.8 million.

They both will be funded by private gifts. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney helped raise the private dollars needed to fund what are called Proviso Projects – under $5 million allowed by the South Carolina Legislature.

“We had to be able to fundraise for those and we had to independently be able to go out and do that and Coach has done a phenomenal job, along with IPTAY, raising private dollars to do both of those expansions – the expansion off of Reeves and the expansion off of the Poe Indoor,” Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said. “We are excited about those. Those are going to be student-athlete-centric-type-environments, both on the Poe with the branding institute and in Reeves with the wellness and the sports performance area.

“It was really important. One of the great things that happened when Reeves was built is that we left some room open for expansion of the building, not knowing what might come next. So, we are taking advantage of that.”

The Poe Indoor Practice Facility will add a Student-Athlete Branding Institute to assist with content creation in light of the name, image and likeness compensation. It also includes increased storage and NFL-style locker rooms, a work area for NFL scouts and a work area for the media. All of the improvements to the facility total $4.5 million.

“It is one of those areas where our student-athletes will not only be able to be at a place where they can create the content necessary for their NIL, but also have a lot of great educational space to make sure they are up to date with all the latest information that relates to name, image and likeness and how they can take the greatest advantage to that,” Radakovich said.

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Best is the Standard for Clemson’s new videoboard

Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said the renovations to Memorial Stadium remained at the top of their agenda once they got through the global pandemic that shut everything down in the sports world in the spring and summer of 2020. Clemson …

Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich said the renovations to Memorial Stadium remained at the top of their agenda once they got through the global pandemic that shut everything down in the sports world in the spring and summer of 2020.

Clemson University’s Board of Trustees officially approved Phase 2 of facility improvements to Memorial Stadium Thursday during its quarterly meeting at the Powers College of Business Building in Clemson. The improvements will cost $65 million. The original plan was estimated at a of cost $68.7 million.

The updated plan also eliminates the additional seating in the east end zone that was part of the initial approval. Part A of the Phase 2 improvements includes premium seating in the West Zone with the addition of the concourse club and a new videoboard in the east end zone. It is scheduled to be completed in August of 2022.

“It was still always right at the front of our agenda to be able to build the new WestZone Concourse Club because we do have a great demand for the premium seats inside of Memorial Stadium, as well as the other fan amenities, including that video board that will be new on the east side of the stadium.”

The new renovations call for a new video board, which will measure 126 feet wide and 57 feet tall. Once it is completed, it will be ranked second in the ACC behind Florida State’s and eighth in the nation overall.

According to Radakovich IPTAY has already begun taking reservations for the concourse club for the 2022 season.

Phase 1 of the project was approved in 2019, but those initial plans were changed somewhat. Phase 2 of the Memorial Stadium renovation was altered to a two-part plan executed after this football season and after the 2022 season.

Part B will be executed in 2022 and includes locker room enhancements and improvements to Lot 5. This part is scheduled to be completed in August of 2023.

“The redo of the locker room area and the entire bottom floor area certainly could wait an additional year, as well as the parking lot,” Radakovich said. “But we wanted to get those other two pieces out there—concourse club and the videoboard—because we think those are going to be great enhancements to the stadium.”

Radakovich says he never wants to take Clemson fans for granted, which was the catalyst for getting the WestZone Concourse Club and the new videoboard approved for construction.

“Our fans have options,” he said. “We want to make sure when they come to the stadium, they feel like they are getting the best value for their money. Not only with the product out on the field, but the way that the whole game day atmosphere is pulled together.

“That is one of the reasons why the scoreboard was so big from the standpoint of getting that done and having that increased amenity there, as well as for those who are interested in that club experience and getting a new amount of inventory for our club patrons.”

–Alex Dodd contributed to this story

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Former Jets, Steelers coach Dan Radakovich dies at 84

Former Jets linebackers coach Dan Radakovich died at the age of 84.

Dan Radakovich, a Jets linebackers coach from 1985 to 1988, died at the age of 84 on Thursday.

Radakovich began his NFL coaching career with the Steelers in 1971 as the defensive line coach. After a short stint as the University of Colorado’s defensive coordinator, Radakovich returned to the Steelers in 1974 as the offensive line coach. He remained in that role until 1977.

“Bad Rad” then signed on to be the 49ers defensive coordinator in 1978 before joining the Rams as their linebackers coach. In 1982, Radakovich was an assistant with NC State and then returned to the NFL with the Broncos in 1983 as their linebackers coach.

After one season in Denver, Radakovich went to Minnesota to be their linebackers coach before joining the Jets in 1985. Radakovich spent time with the Browns and Rams as well as Robert Morris before calling it a career in 2007.

Prior to his coaching career, Radakovich was a standout at Penn State as a center and linebacker. He coached at Penn State from 1957-1969.