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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
INSIDE SPORTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2005
FOOTBALL
Points system implemented for football season tickets
The Kansas athletic department, who's basketball points system caused much controversy last year, will be implementing a points system for football season ticket holders.
Season ticket holders were notified this week that the points system will be implemented. In coming weeks season-ticket holders will receive details on the system and an application for season tickets, associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said.
The idea of the points system is to give the best seats to people who have the most points.
The point system is nearly identical to the system implemented for basketball tickets. Points will be calculated the same way that they are for basketball.
"Points are points, so that if you have X number of points, you have that number of points for each sport," Marchiony said. "There are not different points in football than there are in basketball."
Marchiony said, a difference between basketball and football will be that some individuals will be guaranteed a certain level of seating. Anyone who has held football season tickets for fifteen or more years and is a member of the Williams Educational Fund, will be guaranteed seats between the twenty yard lines.
The goal of the points system is to increase revenue to the Williams Fund. Marchiony estimated that about 2,500 of the 12,000 season ticket holders are not Williams Fund members.
The point system raised an additional $8 million since being introduced with basketball. Marchiony said they had no idea how much money would be raised through football.
There are several ways to get points, besides donations. Maintaining season tickets for non-revenue sports and being a K-Club member are among the other ways.
Marchiony said that the athletic department has not received complaints about the football points system at this time.
Ryan Colaianni
Kansas athletics calendar
TODAY
Baseball vs. Hawaii-Hilo, 11 p.m. in Hilo, Hawai
Softball vs. Oklahoma State, 1 p.m. in Tucson, Ariz.
Softball vs. Arizona, 5 p.m. in Tucson, Ariz.
Tennis at Mississippi, 2 p.m. in Oxford, Miss.
Track at Nebraska, all day in Lincoln, Neb.
TOMORROW
Baseball vs. Hawaii-Hilo, 6 p.m. in Kona, Hawaii
Men's basketball vs. Nebraska, 11 a.m. in Lincoln, Neb.
Softball vs. New Mexico State, 11 a.m. in Tucson, Ariz.
Softball vs. Northwestern, 11 a.m. in Tucson, Ariz.
Track at Nebraska, all day in Lincoln, Neb.
Women's basketball at Missouri, 1 p.m. in Columbia, Mo.
Baseball vs. Hawaii-Hilo, 5 p.m. in Kona, Hawaii
Softball vs. Tulsa, 11 a.m. in Tucson, Ariz.
Tennis at Mississippi State, noon in Starkville, Miss
TALK TO US
SUNDAY
Tell us your news. Contact Bill Cross or Jonathan Kealing at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
'Hawks preparing to avenge last year's loss
BY KELLE ROBINNET
krobinet@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWEEPER
When Nebraska played Kansas earlier this year in Allen Fieldhouse no one gave the Cornhuskers a chance.
It's safe to assume no one will make that mistake again. As it turned out, Nebraska came within two points of upsetting the Jayhawks.
"I think we'll be excited to play the game," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "We know they can play with us. We have to play very well to win at Lincoln."
The difficulty Kansas had with Nebraska this season was only the tip of the iceberg. The Cornhuskers crushed Kansas by 19 in Lincoln, Neb., last season. If Kansas wants to stay in command of the Big 12 Conference race, a victory tomorrow is crucial.
"I'm only worried about the Nebraska game on Saturday."
senior guard Keith Langford said. "Everyone is a threat to take the Big 12 title so we just have to take it one game at a time."
The sting of last year's loss to the Cornhuskers still lingers in the minds of several players, and they said revenge would be on their minds tomorrow.
"Last year they rushed the court," sophomore guard J.R. Giddens said. "It's a place where we've been losing. This is a chance to set things even from my standpoint."
Nebruska (10-8 overall, 3-4 Big 12) has gone 2-2 since its encounter with Kansas. The Cornhuskers have played well, though. Three of their last four losses have come by 10 points or less. They will come into tomorrow's match-up fresh off a 34-point victory against Utah Valley State.
In their last meeting with the Cornhuskers, the Jayhawks only scored 59 points. The Cornhuskers slowed the game
down and only allowed one Jayhawk — senior forward Wayne Simien — to score more than 10 points. Kansas shot just 42 percent from the field and had a difficult time getting high-percentage shots.
"They isolate the post very well," Self said. "They do a good job of defending, especially if you don't execute."
Nebraska freshman guard Joe McCray will again be a focus for the Kansas defense. He scored a game-high 19 points against Kansas earlier this year and averages 14.7 points a game.
Self said McCray did not surprise his coaching staff in the first game, but the players might not have realized he was capable of playing that well.
"He's very aggressive. We did a good job on him, but he ended up scoring 19." Self said. "He's certainly a load, and he's one of the best scoring freshmen in the league."
Sophomore guard J.R. Girdens eyes his defender, Joe McCray, Nebraska freshman guard in the Jan. 19 game. The Jayhawks will meet the Cornhouses again at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow in Lincoln, Neb.
Edited by Lori Bettes
Kansan file photo
Texas baseball No.1 in coaches' poll
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Even without its expected No. 1 starting pitcher, Texas still looks like the team to beat in the Big 12 — maybe in the nation.
The Longhorns, coming off three straight 50-win seasons and four College World Series appearances in five years, are the No.1 team in two of the major preseason polls and fourth in the other.
Those high expectations don't change because Sam LeCure won't pitch. A federal judge this week upheld the sophomore right-handler's dismissal from the university because he was academically ineligible.
"The depth they have in the pitching staff is good enough they can overcome the loss of Sam. My thoughts are with him," said second-year Oklahoma State coach Frank Anderson, the former Texas pitching coach.
"In my selfish manner, I'm not disappointed," Texas A&M coach Mark Johnson said yesterday during the Big 12 coaches preseason conference call. "They are loaded. They have a lot of pitchers. I don't think they will skip a major beat."
Right-hander Kyle McCulloch was 7-0 with a 3.25 ERA in 25 appearances with eight starts as a freshman for Texas. Senior Buck Cody (1-2 with a 1.81 ERA and two saves in 40 games) likely moves into the starting rotation, and J. Brent Cox (6-2, 2.12 with five saves in 37 games) takes over for departed closer Huston Street.
"I hope that experience will be able to serve us well in fielding a championship-type team," coach Augie Garrido said. "We have what we think are the ingredients for that ... an adequate defense, a competent offense and I think our pitching staff will be able to perform its role on a consistent level."
Texas, Texas A&M, Big 12 tournament champion Oklahoma State and Baylor are all in the top 25 of the Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America and the ESPN coaches' preseason polls. League coaches picked them first through fourth, respectively, in the Big 12.
The Longhorns also have catcher Taylor Teagarden (.273, 10 home runs, 51 RBIs) and center fielder Drew Stubbs (.301, 8, 47) among five returning everyday starters.
Nebraska was picked fifth, followed by Texas Tech. Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Kansas State. Colorado and Iowa State don't field teams.
The Big 12 season starts today with three games: Oklahoma State at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Texas at San Diego State and Kansas at Hawaii-Hilo.
Texas A&M returns six everyday starters and 10 pitchers from last year's 42-22 team that played in an NCAA super regional.
"We've got quite a few guys returning who had a good finish," said Johnson, going into his 21st season. "We competed well, and hope that can carry over."
Anderson hopes to fill some gaps at Oklahoma State with an incoming class ranked among the best in the country.
"It will take us a while to evolve and find out where we're going to put some kids," Anderson said. "I like our pitching staff, we have more options. But there are so many unknowns, so many kids who haven't played at the Division I level."
Mangino loses recruits favors early signing period
By RYAN COLAIANNI
colaianni@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Kansas football coach Mark Mangino saw an increasing number of players de-commit from his program this year, and he wants to do something about it.
"I am in favor of an early signing date," Mangino said of a period similar to basketball recruiting, where players can sign as early as November. There is also a second signing date in the spring for basketball.
Mangino said his team had lost three or four players to commitments this season.
A few of the players who are rumored to have de-committed are defensive end Sirod Williams, who eventually committed to Illinois, cornerback E.J. Biggers, who eventually committed to Western Michigan, running back Aaron Brown, who eventually committed to TCU, and cornerback Jacob Lacey, who committed to Oklahoma State.
Mangino said that a few players committed to recruiting Web sites first, but when Mangino asked these players about commitment, the players said they were misquoted.
"Progressively every year it just seems to get worse," Mangino said. "This de-committing is something that is really trendy right now."
Mangino did say he and his staff always had back-up plans when players de-commit. They have a secondary list that they will call if a player at a certain position decides to go to another school.
The coaching staff works to build relationships with these players, he said.
"I want to give credit to our coaching staff because they understand that no matter how many commitments you have, you have to keep recruiting because everyone is going to lose some guys," Mangino said.
Mangino compared a commitment to a spouse to the commitment that players give to college coaches. He said that a commitment to a college coach was anything but firm.
"There is an improved likelihood that he will come to your school," Mangino said of verbal commitments. "But if you think that means he is coming, then you're a fool."
The Kansas athletics department is currently looking into the amount of money being spent for Mangino and his staff to visit players after they verbally committed and to make sure that they are still planning on attending the University.
Mangino said those visits accounted for 20 to 25 percent of his recruiting budget.
"You want to save some money, let's get an early signing date," Mangino said.
Mangino said that the trips to visit recruits who have already verbally committed were often called "baby-sitting" by college coaches and that he was not the only coach in favor of a second signing day.
He thinks de-committing occurs because after a player verbally commits to a school, he disappears from the Web sites and is no longer talked about.
"Some of those kids that like attention realize that no one is talking about them anymore," Mangino said. "They take another visit, they change their mind. I think that that is an issue that we have no control over, and I don't know what the remedy is."
Edited by Kendall Dix
FOOTBALL
Recruits fill most of Snyder's spots
MANHATTAN — Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said yesterday that he got most of what the Wildcats were looking for in a 20-member recruiting class but admitted several holes have yet to be plugged.
Among them is a pressing need at linebacker and on the defensive line.
"We'd like to sign a couple more, and they'd come from three or four spots," Snyder said. "But what's important is making sure the guys we have are guys who can contribute to the program."
Quick contributions may be the most important factor in
this recruiting class, after the Wildcats (4-7, 2-6 Big 12) struggled to their worst finish since 1989, said rivals.com recruiting analyst Jeremy Crabtree.
"They need to try to turn some things around there. They needed some immediate help on the defensive side of the ball and they got that," he said.
The Associated Press
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