THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 1B
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▼ 'HORN BORN, 'HAWK BRED
What a next year it will be
BY TRAVIS ROBINETT trobinett@kansan.com
In sports there's always next year to look forward to, but this "next year" will be different for Kansas, more pivotal than most "next years" that have come before. Especially for the men's basketball and football teams.
Most Kansas men's basketball fans are hoping the 2006-2007 season will bring a third national championship. They point to next year because all the best players are returning, and because once it's over, nothing will be certain.
The basketball team is full of expectations. It is also full of potential NBA draft picks. Two years from now, can anyone be sure which players will return?
Or, in the event of another early tournament exit, can anyone be sure Bill Self will be back? He's received a free pass for the disappointment that came during the past two years, because the players either weren't his or were too young.
Next year there will be no excuses. All the fingers of praise or blame will be pointed directly at Self. It's a good thing — especially for Self — that the team probably will be ranked in the top 5 in the preseason polls, and will have a great chance to make a deep NCAA tournament run. But the pressure is still there.
As for the football team, it's coming off its best season in 10 years. Many of its stars, however, will not be returning, leaving fans without a clue of how the team will perform. The football team would not be as devastated by a bad season as the basketball team would be. Kansas football fans know how to deal with mediocritic. However, another winning record could mean great strides for the football team as well as the entire Athletics Department.
More tickets sold would mean more money for the rest of the Athletics Department, which would mean better facilities and better recruiting for all Kansas teams. A losing season without a bowl game would slow down the momentum the football team has gained during the past three years, making more money a less likely scenario.
It's no secret that football is a moneymaker, and last year a successful 7-5 team led to record-breaking attendance in Memorial Stadium. An even more successful season — eight victories and a trip to the Alamo Bowl, for example — would generate such excitement that seeing home games consistently sell out wouldn't be surprising
So many possibilities, and no one knows how next year will turn out. I guess we'll wait and see.
C. J. Moore/KANSAN
The rowing team practices Saturday morning on the Kansas River. Rowing recently received a boost to the program with a $15 fee increase that will go to fund a boathouse for the team
C. J. Moore/KANSAN
ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
NEW ROWING BOATHOUSE
Robinett is an Austin, Texas, junior in journalism
This fenced-in area houses the Kansas rowing team's boats and equipment at Burcham Park at Second and Indiana streets, near the Kansas River. The area is called "The Cage" and should be replaced by a boathouse in the next three years.
Students voted, what happens now?
By C.J. MOORE
cjmores@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITTER
Last month, students voted for a resolution that will help build the rowing team a new boathouse. But what most students may not have realized was that plans for the boathouse barely exist.
e is no timetable set for
There is construction to begin. An architect has not been approved, and a construction company has yet to be hired. The Athletics Department said the students have funded 40 percent of the bill, but a specific source for the remaining costs have not been determined.
The rowing team currently its boats at city-owned Burcham
Park at Second and Indiana streets, near the Kansas River, in a fenced-in
"Through the spirit of Title IX, through the spirit of women's and nonrevenue sports, it would be more appropriate to fund it through the athletic department. The athletic corporation has the resources. They're able to do it themselves. They are not in the red here."
Ian Staples
Student Senate legislative coordinator
area called "The Cage." But the city hasn't agreed to let the University build a facility there.
Kansas is one of two Division I schools with a rowing team that does not have a boathouse for its rowing team or is in the process of building one.
With the students approving the $20 women's and non-revenue fee increase, $15 of which goes for the boathouse, in last month's elections, the rowing team finally has plans for a boathouse. It's an improvement that Kansas coach Rob Catloth has been asking for since the program became a NCAA Division I varsity sport in 1995.
But is it the students' responsibility to pay for the rowing team's boathouse?
Ian Staples, the legislative director of student senate, said he thought the athletic department could afford
Some say no.
"Through the spirit of Title IX, through the spirit of women's and non-revenue sports, it would be more appropriate to fund it through the athletic department," the Lawrence junior said. "The athletic corporation has the resources. They're able to do it themselves. They are not in the red here."
to pay for the boathouse without the students' support.
The Indianapolis Star reported that the department was the third most profitable in the country.
The Department of Education reported that the Athletics Department had $10 million in profit last school year. Only the University of Texas had more profits in the Big 12.
Marchiony said it was fair to ask the students to support women's and non-revenue sports financially.
SEE BOATHOUSE ON PAGE 2B
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Kansan file photo
Former freshman forward Sophronia Sallards looks downcourt to pass during a game against Kansas State on Jan. 25 in Manhattan. Sallards plans to transfer, but has not decided on a college yet.
All-star leaves team
Freshman set to transfer
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
mphillips@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
The women's basketball team will be down a member next season. Freshman forward Sophronia Sallard announced that she would transfer to another school.
A release from the Athletics Department on
Friday said she was leaving for "personal reasons." Sallard missed the final games of the season with an "unspecified medical condition."
The Syracuse, N.Y., native came to Kansas rated 25th in the country by the Blue Star recruiting service, in addition to being rated the 15th best wing player by the Adidas Top 10 all-star
girls report.
She struggled for playing time early in the season, but worked her way into the lineup, earning a starting spot in the game against Missouri.
She is listed as a forward, but played as a guard, too, and created match-up problems for opponents with her height, at 5 feet 10 inches. She has not yet decided on a school to transfer to.
When she was recruited, she chose Kansas over Kentucky, Syracuse, UAB and Virginia.
SEE SALLARD ON PAGE 2B
BIG 12 BASEBALL
Senior infielder Jared Schweizer covers second base as Southeast Missouri State senior outfielder Chris Gibson slides to beat the ball. The Jayhawks' record this season is 33-21 (10-14 Big 12).
Joshua Rickel/KANSAN
BY SHAWN SHROYER
sshroyer@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Pitchers bright spot in losses Kansas falls to seventh, still aiming for hire seed If there was a silver lining from the weekend, it was sophomore Brock Simpson and seniors Ritchie Price and Jared Schweitzer. The Jayhawks will be hosts for the Jacks
Editor's note: Big 12 baseball reporter Shawn Shroyer writes a story every Tuesday about the previous week's Big 12 baseball action.
The Jayhawks are coming off their worst weekend of the season. Kansas was swept for the
first time all season by No. 4 Texas and run-ruled after eight innings in the series finale.
The series loss was Kansas' second in a row.
The team hadn't lost consecutive weekend series since beginning Big 12 play against Baylor and Nebraska.
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The Jayhawks also fell to the bottom half of the Big 12 standings and are now in seventh place.
Junior left-hander Sean Land appeared refocused coming in as a reliever Saturday and struck out the first four batters he faced.
All three recorded hits in each game of the series. The three combined for 13 of the team's 24 total hits, scored four runs and had five RBI.
Kansas will look to get back on track with a midweek game at Missouri State on Wednesday.
The Jayhawks will be the hosts for the Jayhawk Classic next weekend. Kansas will play Bradley on Friday and Northern Colorado on Saturday and Sunday.
Kansas will try to climb back up the conference standings in its final series of the season and couldn't ask for a better chance to do so, facing last-place Texas A&M, March 19-21.
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The Big 12 Tournament will take place the following week, March 24-28.
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 28
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