4B SPORTS
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BIG12FOOTBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2009
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stands in the "party area", a standing room-only section of the stadium, during a media tour of Cowboys Stadium in Anhinga, Texas, on July 24. The site could become the permanent home of the Big 12 championship game.
Big 12 title moves to Dallas
BY HALLIE MANN
hmann@kansan.com
During the Big 12 media days at the end of July, media, coaches and players were allowed a sneak peek at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The unveiling of the $1.15 billion stadium was met by Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe's announcement that the championship game might be permanently played there.
The conference has already decided to play the 2009 and 2010 championship games in Arlington but Beebe is proposing to move all future championships to the site. Beebe said there are advantages to having the game change locations but there are also advantages to keeping it in one spot.
"When we awarded certain cities championships, the board of directors said we're not ready to lock them in yet," Beebe said. "But they haven't seen this."
Cowboy Stadium is the largest domed stadium in the world and will be able to seat 100,000 people. It also features climate control to create optimal playing conditions.
"I think Dallas is fairly accessible for whatever part of the conference you come from, even by driving if you need to," Beebe said. "So I think that's a big attraction."
Having it in a consistent location could also have potential for a large fan base that would come to the game each year. But even with all of the benefits some coaches would rather not play in Dallas.
Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said that every coach wants optimal playing conditions for their team but putting the game in Dallas would give the south an advantage. The teams of the north would just have to overcome it if this became the situation just like teams in the south have to deal with weather when they play up north, Hawkins said.
Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said he could see why the conference would want to have a permanent location but he said he enjoyed the environment of Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Snyder said Arrowhead was a great stadium to play in and would want to play for the championship there in the future.
"There would be a quasi-home game and there's an advantage to that," Hawkins said.
In the south, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach saw the move to Dallas as a way to stabilize and protect players from the elements. Leach said he thought it was easier for teams in the north to get to Dallas than it was for teams in the south to get to Kansas City or another location in the north.
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP LOCATIONS
ARROWHEAD STADIUM,
Kansas City, Mo.:
2000, 2003, 2004, 2006,
2008
ALAMODOME,
San Antonio, Texas:
1997, 1999, 2007
RELIANT STADIUM,
Houston, Texas:
2002, 2005
TEXAS STADIUM,
Irving, Texas:
2001
TRANS WORLD DOME,
St. Louis, Mo.:
1996, 1998
- Hallie Mann
Texas coach Mack Brown also admitted there would be an advantage for the teams in the south. Brown said he liked the ideas of bringing the championship to Dallas because it would give more fans the chance to come to the game.
"Some teams aren't going to like it but it's about what's best for the conference." Leach said.
Beebe said that the conference board of directors would not make a decision until after playing this year's championship game. Beebe said the contract would be open after the 2010 game for locations including Kansas City, Houston, Dallas and other past locations to try to land the championship game.
Edited by Tim Burgess
Brooks returns to camp, one recruit doesn't show
FOOTBALL
BROOKS BACK IN CAMP
Junior linebacker Vernon Brooks is back with the team after leaving last week to take care of a family emergency. At the time, coach Mark Mangino wasn't sure the effect the absence would have on Brooks.
But since his return to the team. Mangino said Brooks has been impressive.
"Vernon Brooks the last couple days has really come on strong and he's really making a statement," Mangino said. "He's a hard-nosed guy. He just has to learn our defense but he's really doing well."
MEIER STILL PRACTICING AT QB
Much attention has been given this offseason to senior Kerry Meier's status as a quarterback. Meier played quarterback as a freshman at Kansas before moving to wide receiver.
But since the position change, he's remained the backup quarterback. Mangino said that while his repetitions at quarterback are minimal.
Meier
he wants to keep Meier at the position for insurance.
"I'm not sure that we'll completely divorce him from that position but his reps are extremely limited," Mangino said. "I just want to keep him there in case the worst case scenario would come about. His work is 90 percent wide receiver."
RECRUIT DIDN'T JOIN SUMMER TRAINING CAMP
Julian Jones, who committed to play linebacker at Kansas, did not join the team for practices Mangino announced yesterday.
Instead, Mangino said Jones decided to attend school closer to home. Jones is from Lawton, Okla.
last season before starting the final five games at cornerback.
Mangino said that Thornton has
Senior Justin Thornton started the first seven games at safety
THORNTON
PRACTICING AT SAFETY
THORNTON
Thornton
been seeing more practice time at the safety position during practices.
"We're working him at safety some now and the reason that we did that is he kind of directs the traffic," Mangino said. "He's an old hand back there. He's been in a lot of big games at that position.
REESING NAMED TO YET ANOTHER WATCH LIST
Quarterback Todd Reesing's name was added to yet another preseason awards watch list. On Monday, the Manning Award released a list of 38 candidates competing for the five-year-old award.
Past winners include NFL
players Mia Leinart,
Vince Young,
J马 Marcus
Russell and
Mryan, Tim
Tebow won the award
last year.
Reesing's name has
Reesina
already appeared on watch lists for the O'Brien Award, the Unitas Award, the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Award.
Junior wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe joined Reesing on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given to the nation's most outstanding player. Briscoe was also named to the Biltnikoff Award watch list earlier in the preseason.
OTHER JAYHAWKS
NAMED TO AWARD
WATCH LISTS
Briscoe on the Biltnikoff Award watch list, which is given to the nation's best college receiver.
Seniorwide receiver Kerry Meier ioined
Senior safety Darrell Stuckey was named to the Chuck Bednarik Defensive Player of the Year watch list. Stuckey was also listed on the watch lists for the Jim Thorpe
Award, given to the nation's top defensive back and the Lott Trophy, which recognizes a defensive player for accomplishments on and off the field.
Jake Sharp was named a candi
date for the Doak Walker Award
Stuckey
given to the nation's top running back.
ON THETUBE
For the first time in school history, all of Kansas' nonconference games will be televised.
Kansas opens the season with Northern Colorado at home on Sept. 5 and will at UTEP before hosting Duke and Southern Mississippi, respectively, in the following weeks.
Kansas' nonconference television schedule
Sept. 5 vs. Northern Colorado, 6-
p.m. (Fox College Sports Central)
Sept. 12 at UTEP, 6:30 p.m.
(CBS Sports)
Sept. 19 vs. Duke, 11 a.m.
(Versus)
Sept. 26 vs. Southern Mississippi (FSN)
READY FOR PLAY
The new FieldTurf at Memorial Stadium is officially ready for play. The surface, which replaced the old AstroPlay surface installed in 2000, will host its first game when Kansas plays Northern Colorado Sept. 5.
TELEVISION PREVIEW
FOX Sports Midwest and FOX Sports Kansas City will be airing a 30-minute preview of the Kansas football team on specified days leading up to the Sept. 5 opener against Northern Colorado. Remaining dates and times of the preview are as follows:
Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 23 at 3:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 24 at 8:30 p.m.
(not available in Royals territory)
Friday, Aug. 21 at 5 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 27 at 8 p.m.
(Royals territory only)
Saturday, Aug. 29 at 4 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 31 at 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
(Royals territory only)
KANSAS FOOTBALL KICKOFF FRIDAY
The fourth annual Kansas Football Kickoff will take place at Corinth Square in Prairie Village this Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Coach Mark Mangino and women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson will speak at the event, as will Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. The family friendly event includes merchant giveaways, the Marching Jayhawks and a free burger meal for Alumni Association members.
Edited by Brenna M. T. Daldorph
GET INVOLVED
Freshman Elections
Five first-year KU students are elected each fall to become Student Senators. Influential students with the ability to shape and build policy and programs at the University of Kansas. Filing for freshman applications are due August 31.
First meeting will be held 6:30pm, Monday, August 31st in the Kansas Room, level 5 of the Kansas Union. Materials area due by 5pm that day. Forms are found at studentsenate.ku.edu. Turn in materials to student senate offices, 410 Kansas Union, for more info you can email alex200,@ku.edu
No late applications accepted.