The Pac-12’s USC and UCLA moving to the Big 10 was just one more move within the Power Five conferences that signaled the formation of another super conference and the continued stratification of Divison I athletics. These seismic changes will reach well beyond football and, eventually, engulf all levels of collegiate sport and usher in a new era of collegiate athletics. Denver must be nimble and well-positioned to take advantage of the rapidly changing landscape. Continue reading How the USC & UCLA Pac-12 Exits Could Impact DU’s Conference Affiliation
Category Archives: Men’s Sports
Incorporating the Controversial New DU Logo on Hockey Uniforms
We still have no information on the new interlocking DU logo’s place on Denver Hockey uniforms. While there are thousands of possible combinations, we looked at four options below. Assuming the new uniforms must have the new logo (which, we’re all still holding out hope this mandate is delayed until a better, more well-thought-out rebrand is considered), which one of the four options do you prefer?
Poll below:
Loading ...
Deloitte Issues Annual Outlook on Sports
In the Deloitte 2022 Outlook on Sports, the public accounting and consulting firm looked at future trends in sports and reinforces many of the topics we have covered this past year. When summarizing the current trends in collegiate athletics, the overarching conclusion of the study warns of the “impacts of conference realignment and NCAA constitutional changes on smaller athletic programs.” Specifically, student-athlete Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) legislation along with spiraling costs to keep up with the Power-5 conference spending. The side-effects of these trends include the probable elimination of automatic conference berths and unlimited scholarships and liberalized transfer rules as just a few of the threats to mid-major programs going forward. Continue reading Deloitte Issues Annual Outlook on Sports
A Deeper Dive Into Jersey Branding Strategy
Would Duke ever abandon its name on uniform for its initials — ‘D.U.’ ?
Our recent story about the DU administration’s overall branding decision to perhaps move away from the full “Denver” name on sports jerseys in favor of a new logo with an abbreviated “DU” has clearly touched some nerves, so we thought we’d share a deeper dive on the subject, comparing this strategy to other universities.
Rather than going through the jersey branding for every team in the country, we examined the current top 10 hockey programs, the top 10 lacrosse programs, the top 10 basketball programs, the Summit League members, and ten metro/urban universities to better understand jersey branding practices.
What did we find?
In nearly every case, schools branded their uniforms with the University name/location and not an abbreviation. Continue reading A Deeper Dive Into Jersey Branding Strategy
Berlo Cites ‘Cultural Fit’ in Pursuit of Denver Athletic Director Job
Former University of Minnesota Duluth Athletic Director Josh Berlo was officially introduced as the University of Denver’s new AD at a press conference in the Gottesfeld Room at the Ritchie Center Thursday morning. His hire becomes effective July 15th after his nine-year run with the Bulldogs. Continue reading Berlo Cites ‘Cultural Fit’ in Pursuit of Denver Athletic Director Job
Final Thoughts on DU’s Athletic Director Hire
Like our new AD logo? Just kidding. On a more serious note, according to our sources, final interviews are taking place this week for candidates vying to be DU’s next Athletic Director. We expect to hear an announcement over the next week. Continue reading Final Thoughts on DU’s Athletic Director Hire
Agreed – Leave the NCHC the Way it is
Eric Burton, a North Dakota hockey blogger and friendly rival of this blog, issued a newsletter with an article entitled, Let’s Leave the NCHC the Way it Is. The piece cites new NCHC commissioner, Heather Weems, considering the possibility of the NCHC falling under or partnering in some way with the Summit League, home to non-hockey sports for NCHC members Denver, North Dakota, and Nebraska-Omaha. Weems did not deny the possibility of an alignment or merging of the two organizations. Burton cited the following from Commissioner Weems: Continue reading Agreed – Leave the NCHC the Way it is
Conference Musical Chairs Continue
You may have recently read that Lindenwood and Southern Indiana are joining the Summit League as affiliate members for soccer and swimmming/diving. While this move does provide a buffer of eight soccer teams to the conference, it does nothing to improve Denver’s strength of schedule. Continue reading Conference Musical Chairs Continue
DU’s Next AD Needs to Solve the Glaring Pep Band Dilemma
Taking a brief look at the job boards and Indeed.com shows 422 Fan Experience Managers. The University of Maryland is looking for a Director of Marketing and Fan Experience. The NFL has several open roles. In Colorado, the University of Northern Colorado is looking for a Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement. But these are just a few of the hundreds of such available jobs. Continue reading DU’s Next AD Needs to Solve the Glaring Pep Band Dilemma
NIL: The Ten Ton Gorilla that Can’t and Won’t Be Caged
The devil you know is sometimes better than the one you don’t know – or so they say. Probably no organization in athletics, at least collegiate athletics, is more universally hated than the NCAA – with the SEC coming in a close second. In the latest Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) drama, according to an article by Sports Illustrated, college athletic directors are pleading with the NCAA to regulate and sanction schools with boosters who have struck deals with players to sign with their schools. Continue reading NIL: The Ten Ton Gorilla that Can’t and Won’t Be Caged