There are few immediate impacts on the University of Denver from the move of Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12 yesterday. Mainly, this is all about football, TV money and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) to drive more coverage, notoriety and, of course, money. The deadline is 2025 when the deed-of-rights expires for the Big 12 and Big 10 and when teams can exit without penalty while providing 18 months’ notice.
Continue reading How Oklahoma & Texas Conference Exits Impact DU
The University of Denver hockey program has made history. For the first time ever, four future Pioneers were picked in the first three rounds of the same NHL Draft. No Pioneers were selected on Friday night despite two of them, Sean Behrens and Shai Buium, being projected to be taken late in the first round. Instead, Saturday morning was busy at the corner of University and Buchtel as they both were drafted along with Samu Salminen and Carter Mazur within the first 70 picks of the draft. Continue reading Four Future Pioneers Selected in First Three Rounds of 2021 NHL Draft
The awards just keep coming in for DU gymnast Lynnzee Brown. Brown has been nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. The award is given to college athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers. Continue reading Lynnzee Brown Candidate for NCAA Woman of the Year
Crime is increasing around the University of Denver and the pace of these crimes may leave many residents and students unprepared for the ever-changing environment. The cause could be COVID-19 or the rise in crime may be attributed to other longer-term urban issues.
Compared to 2020 figures, property crimes in University Park are up 23.4% (190 vs, 154), burglaries up 29.4% (12 vs. 17), and car thefts up 50% (54 vs 36). Lesser reported and rarer occurrences such as rape (2 vs. 1) and violent crime (9 vs. 6) are all up. Only bike theft is down 41% (10 vs. 17) in the first six months of this year. Continue reading University Area Crime Climbs During First Half of 2021
Lacrosse fans were treated to a thrilling championship game over Memorial Day Weekend when Virginia defeated Maryland, 17-16. Could the fastest-growing college sport in America be used to drive a move by DU to the West Coast Conference (WCC)? Denver could leverage their national lacrosse reputation as the “Lacrosse Capital of the West” to kickstart D1 men’s college lacrosse while gaining membership in the West Coast Conference. Their ally in a proposal to join the WCC could be Seattle University, a non-football outlier in the football-centric Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The Seattle Redhawks already field men’s and women’s club lacrosse and, like DU, are a private school outlier in their conference. A commitment by Seattle to add D1 lacrosse and a joint appeal by the two schools to WCC Commissioner Gloria Nevarez could be the key to unlock membership for both schools.
Continue reading Could Lacrosse and Seattle University Get Denver into the West Coast Conference?
Former Denver Pioneer swimmers Bailey Andison and Adriel Sanes have been chosen by Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands, respectively, to swim for their countries at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, starting later this month in Tokyo, a year later than planned, of course, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and DU will also have gymnastics alum Simona Castro appearing in her third Olympics for Chile, her home country. Continue reading Two Former Pioneer Swimmers, One Former Gymnast Selected for Tokyo Olympics
With the recent news of Tennessee State University and Augustana University (S.D.) planning to add hockey in the coming years, Sports Illustrated explored another 10 schools that should add Division I hockey. Among others, the list included South Florida, North Carolina State, UCLA, and Rutgers. Adding hockey is an extremely expensive undertaking for any school, regardless of how well-established a school’s athletics program is (and Title IX compliance notwithstanding), but Sports Illustrated got us thinking and we developed a list of our own ten schools that make much more sense. Continue reading Ten Schools that Should Add Hockey Programs
It’s become almost an annual rite-of-passage for the Pioneers. Last week, Denver Athletics landed the 1-AAA Directors’ Cup as the best Division 1, non-football athletic department in the country for the 2020-2021 season. Since 2008, Pepperdine is the only other program to win the award and COVID-19 canceled the award in 2020. Denver has won the title all the other years since 2008 and this is the Pioneers’ 8th straight Cup. Continue reading Denver Secures 12th Directors’ Cup Title for 2020-2021 Academic Year
Many of you may have heard about the recent Supreme Court Ruling which set in motion expanded benefits to NCAA student-athletes. This ruling is in addition to name, image and likeness (NIL) legislation that we have discussed before. Continue reading Supreme Court Ruling Lays Foundation for Expanded Student-Athlete Benefits
Denver men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball fall conference schedules have been released by the Summit League. Continue reading Summit League Releases Fall Athletic Schedules
