The list was unsurprisingly led by Ohio State vs. Michigan — arguably the greatest rivalry in sports. Iowa vs. Minnesota then came in at No. 3, followed by UCLA vs. USC at No. 4, Michigan vs. Michigan State at No. 5, Oregon vs. Washington at No. 6, Indiana vs. Purdue at No. 8, Iowa vs. Nebraska at No. 9 and Illinois vs Purdue at No. 10.
Wisconsin leads each of its two ranked rivalries all-time (48-46-2 vs. Iowa and 63-60-8 vs. Minnesota), though the records are nearly even. Critically, each matchup perfectly represents what a great college football rivalry should include: a close geographical distance, great history, evenly-matched programs and a good rivalry trophy.
Big Ten rivalry rankings, according to @TomFornelli đ
— CBS Sports College Football đ (@CBSSportsCFB) June 27, 2024
Wisconsin’s battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe and the Heartland Trophy both fit every criteria.
The Badgers’ lopsided ‘rivalry’ against the Nebraska Cornhuskers also made the list at No. 18. That’s more of a one-sided rivalry than anything, especially given the rivalry’s youth and the fact the Badgers haven’t lost to the Cornhuskers in nearly 12 years.
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From the moment he became Notre Dame’s coach, [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] has made recruiting within Indiana a priority. We likely will find out this fall if he’s been successful in landing one particular recruit.
Trent Sisley, a four-star power forward at Heritage Hills in Lincoln City and the sixth-ranked 2025 recruit in Indiana per 247Sports, has informed On3 cut his list down to five schools. Notre Dame is one of those schools alongside Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State and Iowa, the last of which is the only school he’s visited so far. He has scheduled his visit to Notre Dame for Sept. 28.
The 6-foot-7 Sisley, who will be a contender for Indiana Mr. Basketball in 2025, recently competed in the annual All-Stars series between the best players in Indiana and Kentucky. He impressed everyone there, successfully building on a season in which he averaged a double-double. He could be Shrewsberry’s biggest get yet if it all works out.
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NASCAR visits Iowa Speedway for the first time in five years this weekend, and the facility will look different from what race fans remember. NASCAR has owned the speedway since 2019 and July 27 that year was the last time a NASCAR national series …
NASCAR visits Iowa Speedway for the first time in five years this weekend, and the facility will look different from what race fans remember.
NASCAR has owned the speedway since 2019 and July 27 that year was the last time a NASCAR national series event was held at Iowa Speedway with the Xfinity series. But Cup series teams are visiting the track for the first time this weekend.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]
One of the most noticeable variables for the weekend ahead is the racing surface for the 7/8th-mile track. Elton Sawyer, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio there were no plans to touch the surface before race weekend, but a closer look at the facility revealed trouble areas.
Both ends of the racetrack â through the corners â have been repaved. It was done on the bottom lane and, in some areas, extends perhaps a lane or lane and a half up the track.
âFortunately, we were 70 to 80 percent where we needed to be from all the infrastructure, race control, SAFER barrier, things of that nature,â Sawyer said Tuesday morning. âThe one thing that over time that with this facility, obviously the winters are hard there in Iowa, and it took a toll on the surface. Our goal all along when we announced this race back in October of last year was to not repave.
âBut as we started scheduling events, whether it was a tire test and looking at the facility, and once we got into the early part of the calendar this year, it was apparent that there were some areas we were going to have to take a look at and do some repaving. Again, our goal all along was not to do that. We wanted our fans to see that track and a race where the surface had been worn, but that just wasnât going to be the case.â
Denny Hamlin compared the look of the repaved corners to those at Pocono Raceway. Hamlin said last month that Iowa might now have âgrip strip vibesâ in the corners.
Sawyer admitted that there was not enough time to do a full repave. The best option was to handle the individual areas that needed to be addressed.
âNow, aesthetically, it looks a little different than what we would normally go into a facility (and see),â Sawyer said. âBut weâre confident the repairs are to a high level, and itâs not going to be an issue and weâre still going to have some multi groove racing around the racetrack. Weâre looking forward to getting out there and getting cars on the racetrack and seeing exactly how things unfold.
âBut as we lead into the weekend, we donât anticipate any issues with the surface.â
Iowa Speedway is sold out for Sundayâs Cup Series race, and Goodyear did a confirmation tire test at the end of May. Christopher Bell (Toyota), Kyle Larson (Chevrolet), and Brad Keselowski (Ford) were the three drivers who participated.
The Badgers offered Fitzgibbon back in January, though that was back when Greg Scruggs was the program’s defensive line coach. E.J. Whitlow now leads the position after Scruggs left for a job at Michigan.
Whatever the reason for the Badgers missing the cut, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman could suit up for one of the program’s Big Ten rivals.
The three-star recruit is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 853 player in the class of 2025, No. 86 defensive lineman and No. 23 recruit from the state of Illinois. He has three official visits on the books, one to each of his finalists: May 31 to Michigan State, June 7 to Kansas and June 21 to Iowa.
Wisconsinâs class of 2025, meanwhile, currently ranks No. 16 in the nation with 13 commitments. The program began a busy month of June with commitments from three-star CB Rukeem Stroud and four-star OT Logan Powell.
The group should continue to grow as official visit weekends continue.
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Day One of the 2024 NFL draft is in the books, and it was a historic night. Six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks, and 23 offensive players were selected, the most ever. Baltimore was able to land one of the top cornerbacks on the …
Day One of the 2024 NFL draft is in the books, and it was a historic night. Six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks, and 23 offensive players were selected, the most ever.
Baltimore was able to land one of the top cornerbacks on the board without trading up.
Rounds two and three will play out on Friday night, and the Eagles will have two picks in Round 2 and none in Round 3.
Here is our list of the best players on the board during day two of the NFL draft.
Yet those who want to support the superstar by buying a jersey of her new team may have to wait a bit longer. While it is for sale via Fanatics, this is listed only as a pre-order.
In fairness, per Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, Clark that fastest-selling jersey on draft night of any athlete in company history.
Caitlin Clark jerseys for sale at @Fanatics say they'll ship in August "due to @Nike's manufacturing times".
Reminds me of the Messi/@InterMiamiCF jerseys, which took months after his MLS signing because of @Adidas production.
“This is a special event item. Orders containing this product will be shipped separately. This item will be shipped no later than Wednesday, August 14, 2024.”
For what it is worth, the Fever will have played at least 26 of their 40 games by the date of that shipping estimate.
Of course, while there is a ton of excitement about Clark, it is disappointing for fans who want a jersey sooner rather than later.
It is also frustrating that folks who want to support other players on the Fever, like WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston, do not even have an opportunity to buy her jersey on Fanatics.
The 49ers teammates will turn into rivals for the national championship game between Iowa and South Carolina.
On Sunday, the sports world will turn its attention to the hardwood for the women’s college basketball national championship game.
After a thrilling tournament chalked full of emerging stars, Caitlin Clark will end her historic season with Iowa in the national championship against Kamilia Cardoso and the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks.
With South Carolina and Iowa meeting in the national championship, two alums turned teammates on the San Francisco 49ers have shifted into rivals.
Before the game, former Iowa Hawkeye George Kittle and former South Carolina Gamecock Deebo Samuel traded a back-and-forth on Twitter.
Paige Bueckers beat JuJu but couldn’t solve Iowa in a memorable week for women’s basketball.
Paige Bueckers and UConn were too much for JuJu Watkins and USC in the Elite Eight. However, the Huskies’ run ended in the Final Four national semifinals against Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Hawkeyes Wire offered a reaction to Iowa’s epic comeback victory over Bueckers and UConn:
“The Iowa Hawkeyes arenât done dancing. Down double figures in the first half, Iowa (34-4, 15-3 Big Ten) came charging back to down UConn (33-6, 18-0 Big East) in a Final Four thriller, 71-69.
“Led by a strong second half from senior star Caitlin Clark and a standout performance from sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke, Iowa is back in the national championship game. The Hawkeyes will face South Carolina (37-0, 16-0 SEC) on Sunday afternoon.”
It was fascinating to see Bueckers play JuJu Watkins and Caitlin Clark in the same week, a feast for college basketball fans. USC has a lot to study and evaluate so that it can take the next steps in its evolution next season.
[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] began her collegiate career when Notre Dame faced South Carolina in Paris to open this past season. That meant she got to make her debut with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley watching from the opposite sideline. She aced her first exam, leading all scorers with 31 points in an Irish loss. Now, Staley gets to honor her.
Hidalgo has been named the winner of this year’s Dawn Staley Award, given to the country’s top guard. She unseats Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who had won it each of the previous three seasons. She is the second Irish player to win the award after [autotag]Skylar Diggins[/autotag], who was the first honoree in 2013.
Staley, whose Gamecocks are in the Final Four trying to complete a perfect season, said the following about Hidalgo:
“The Dawn Staley Award goes to the player who demonstrates exceptional skills, leadership, and performance at the guard position. Hannah Hidalgoâs court vision, passing ability, ball-handling and ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her teammates combined with her relentless defense is unmatched. She is the embodiment of a two-way force on the basketball court and the essence of what the award represents. In a season where there are several deserving candidates Hannah has separated herself from the group.“
Hidalgo will receive her award during a virtual ceremony April 11, and it’s great to know that she still is collecting hardware even with the Irish’s season over. That trophy case is gonna be awfully crowded by the time she’s done in South Bend.
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Trev Dormer plans to do some “different, quirky things” in his renovation of a Nebraska nine-holer.
Canadian golf architect Trev Dormer, perhaps best known in the industry for his work as an associate for the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, has signed on for his first solo project.
Working with the farming family behind the development of the popular new Landmand Golf Club in eastern Nebraska, Dormer will completely renovate the familyâs nearby nine-hole course at Old Dane Golf Club in Dakota City, Nebraska.
The Andersen family bought an 18-hole course in 2007 and converted it to nine holes, the current Old Dane. Dormerâs plan is to tear out the entire course and introduce a 12-hole routing that can be played as loops of six, nine or 12 holes across 93 acres of what is currently flat ground. Dormerâs team will build a lake that will provide fill to introduce elevation changes.
âThere will be different ways to play the course â I just wanted to get as much golf on the property as I could,â Dormer, who recently completed his work at the new Point Hardy Golf Club at Cabot Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, said in a media release announcing the renovation of Old Dane. âItâs a dead flat site, so Iâm trying to do some different, quirky things â a tee shot over the previous green for example. I think it will be significantly more fun and more interesting, and I hope it raises some questions among those who play it.â
Trev Dormer’s routing plans for the soon-to-be-remodeled Old Dane Golf Club in Dakota City, Nebraska (Courtesy of Old Dane Golf Club/Trev Dormer)
The current version of Old Dane will shut down in October, with Dormer and his crew immediately beginning the renovation, which will include the removal of the current driving range. Dormer expects the new, walking-only version of Old Dane to open in 2026.
The operators expect the green fees to remain substantially near the current $15 for nine holes and $25 for a double-loop of 18 holes. Dormer said he hopes to attract new players, especially children and families, to what will be an entirely new course.
âThere will not be a single square yard of ground on the property that is untouched by the plow,â Dormer said.
Old Dane sits even closer to the Iowa border, about an 8-mile drive to the northeast of Landmand. Old Dane is about a 15-minute drive from Sioux City, Iowa, and is close to Sioux Gateway Airport.
âThis project is about finishing what we didnât completely do when we built the course originally,â owner Will Andersen said in the media release. âWe bought the course because my dad wanted a place to go and hang out with his friends, and we achieved that, but we didnât do that much with the golf course. The irrigation system is 23 years old, and itâs falling apart.â
Trev Dormer, right, speaks with Bill Coore, center, and Ben Crenshaw during construction of the recently completed Point Hardy Golf Club at Cabot Saint Lucia. (Jason Lusk/Golfweek)
Dormer worked briefly with King-Collins on Landmand, and Andersen was impressed with Dormerâs efforts. Dormer started his career in the early 2000s and has worked with several top architects including Ron Prichard, Rod Whitman, Nicklaus Design and Gil Hanse.
âWhen I thought about rebuilding Old Dane, I had a chat with Rob Collins (of King-Collins), and he confirmed my thought that Trevor would be the right candidate to do the job,â Andersen said.
