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PANORAMA: Public swimming in Seine OK’d for July; Carl Lewis says split off college football & basketball; new trash-WADA hearing coming!

★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★ ★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★ ≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡ ● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Following through on promises made in advance of the Paris 2024 […]

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The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★

To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here!

≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Following through on promises made in advance of the Paris 2024 Games, the City of Paris announced last week that beginning on 5 July, public swimming will once again be allowed in the Seine River.

Outlawed in 1923 due to the pollution levels in the river, restoring swimming became a priority for the city government under Mayor Anne Hidalgo and an enormous tank installation to catch run-offs during rainy periods was completed in time for the Games. Despite some delays due to too-high pollutant levels early in the event, both the triathlon and open-water swims were held in the river.

There will be three points on the river where swimming will be allowed: Grenelle, west of Paris; Bras Marie in the city and Bercy on the east side. Swimming will be allowed until the end of August and a green-yellow-red flag system will provide a real-time indication of water quality.

● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● Continuing his push against the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee in light of his continuing demand that the sailing competitions be moved from Long Beach to within his district in San Pedro, a motion filed on 4 April by Los Angeles City Council member Tim McOsker will be heard on Tuesday (20th).

The motion notes that an LA28 “Community Business and Procurement Program” plan and “Local Hire Program” plan were both due by 31 March 2025, but not delivered.

So, McOsker is asking City staff to report back in seven days with the status of both plans and “to provide a timeline for production and public release of this information.”

The motion was referred to the Ad Hoc 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games Committee, but is also being taken up by the Economic Development and Jobs Committee, which will meet on Tuesday (20th), chaired by 9th District Council member Curren Price, Jr. (McOsker is not a member of this committee).

Some L.A. City Council members are not the only ones unhappy with the LA28 venue moves and placements.

In an interview session with reporters last week, International Table Tennis President Petra Sorling (SWE) expressed concern with the assigned space at the Los Angeles Convention Center:

“In Los Angeles we think our venue is too small. The location is excellent but I am sad to say we can only be, maximum, seven thousand.

“We are selling out bigger venues than that. Let’s see what we can do. There is still time.”

Table tennis was held at the South Paris Arena 4 with a capacity of 6,500 per session, mostly full. A true test for the sport will come at the first World Table Tennis U.S. Smash from 3-13 July at the 9,500-capacity Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

● Anti-Doping ● The U.S. Senate is ready for another salvo in the continuing war of words with the World Anti-Doping Agency, with the Commerce, Science & Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy to hold a hearing on 22 May (Thursday) at 10 a.m. Eastern time titled, “WADA Shame: Swimming in Denial Over Chinese Doping.”

The panelists include U.S. Anti-Doping Agency head Travis Tygart, former director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy Dr. Rahul Gupta, Tokyo swimming Olympian and women’s 4×200 m Freestyle relay silver medalist Katie McLaughlin, and Prof. Dionne Koller, University of Baltimore School of Law and Co-Chair of the Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics.

Subcommittee chair Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) said:

“The World Anti-Doping Agency has allowed Communist China and Russia to lie, cheat, and steal, putting American athletes at risk. When Congress used its oversight authority to investigate WADA’s blatant corruption, they acted like they were above the law. When the federal government investigated WADA’s inaction, they tried to strongarm the United States and threaten our hosting of the [2034] Salt Lake City Games. As one of the largest financial contributors to WADA, the United Sates deserves answers. My colleagues and I refuse to be silenced in our mission to make certain WADA does not turn a blind eye to corruption.”

● Memorabilia ● At the Ingrid O’Neil Auction 98, the top sellers were two Paris 2024 Olympic torches, which went for $24,000 and $20,000, the only items to top $10,000.

Also worth noting was the sale of a 1980 Congressional Gold Medal, given to members of the U.S. team which was not allowed to compete at the Moscow Olympic Games; it went for $1,200.

● Athletics ● “Olympic sports are going to have to be in one category. Let’s figure out how we do that.

“Football and basketball are in another category. That’s where I think the future is, or there will be no Olympic sports. If anyone thinks it can continue to go this way, they’re fooling themselves.”

That’s Carl Lewis, not just the nine-time Olympic gold medalist, but also the head coach of the University of Houston, speaking about the current turmoil over money in college sports. He told a news conference audience last week:

“The number one objective of these college athletes is to get a degree to get a job. Ultimately, we may have three people on our team out of 115, that may run post-collegiate. That’s probably the average, so think about that.

“Two percent; so 98% come here to ultimately get a job, so I think if we continue down this route, we’re going to continue to rob Peter to pay Paul and everyone is going to be broke.”

If the House vs. NCAA settlement receives Federal court approval, a formula will allow universities to pay their football and basketball players 90% or more of funding from media rights, sponsorships and ticket sales that come into an athletic department, imperiling all other sports. The question is how to achieve Lewis’s goal and what the structure – especially financial – would look like.

The Sports Examiner’s idea on how to do this is here.

● Wrestling ● In the aftermath of his arrest in Columbus, Ohio in a prostitution sting, Rio 2016 Olympic 97 kg Freestyle winner Kyle Snyder was temporarily suspended by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for “Allegations of Misconduct” on 14 May.

According to a WBNS 10TV report on Friday:

“Snyder’s attorney, Eric Hoffman, told 10TV on Friday that the wrestler plans to plead guilty to disorderly conduct, a fourth-degree misdemeanor. He was initially charged with engaging in prostitution.”

Snyder is scheduled for a court appearance on Monday (19th) and is expected to be fined and required to receive counseling.

≡ RESULTS ≡

● Athletics ● A world record in the men’s 35 km walk from Tokyo Olympic 20 km walk winner Massimo Stano (ITA) highlighted the World Race Walk Tour Gold European Team Champs in Podebrady (CZE) on Sunday.

Stano took over at the 23 km mark and marched away with a huge win in 2:20:43, destroying the prior mark of 2:21:40 by Canada’s Evan Dunfee in March. German Christopher Linke was a distant second in 2:23:21 and Spain’s Miguel Angel Lopez was third (2:23:48), both national records.

Spain’s Maria Perez, the 2022 World Champion, won the women’s 35 km in a world-leading 2:38:19, ahead of Tokyo Olympic 20 km winner Antonella Palmisano (ITA: 2:39:35).

In the 20 km walks, Spain’s Paul McGrath won easily in 1:18:08 over defending champ Francisco Fortunato (ITA: 1:18:16), with Gabriel Bordier (FRA: 1:18:23) third. Ukraine’s Lyudmila Olynavovska won the women’s 20 km in 1:27:56, from Clemence Beretta (FRA: 1:28:05).

● Badminton ● Home fans got a thrill at the BWF World Tour Thailand Open in Patumwan in the men’s Singles as top-seeded Kunlavut Vitidsarn (THA) defeated no. 2 Anders Antonsen (DEN), 21-16, 17-21, 21-9.

China’s Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Yu Fei Chen won the women’s Singles over top-seeded Pornpawee Chochuwong (THA), 21-16, 21-12. Malaysian teams won the men’s and women’s Doubles and China took the Mixed Doubles.

● Canoe-Kayak ● The home team put on a strong performance at the ICF Sprint World Cup I in Szeged (HUN), winning seven events: four for the men and three for the women.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Varga won the men’s K-1 500 m in 1:44.67, Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Balint Kopasz took the K-1 1,000 m in 3:29.65 and Levente Kurucz and Mark Opavszky took the K-2 500 m in 1:36.93. The Hungarian team also won a tight race with Germany to take the K-4 500 m by 1:20.32 to 1:20.53.

Zsofia Scorba won the grueling C-1 5,000 m in 28:11.39, with American Audrey Harper sixth in 30:41.16, and Agnes Kiss and Blanka Nagy won the C-2 500 m final in 1:57.12, ahead of China’s Mengya Sun and Yaran Ma (1:57.48). The Hungarian squad was an easy winner of the C-4 500 m final.

The only double winner was Poland’s six-time Worlds medal winner Anna Pulawska, who took the women’s K-1 200 m in 43.53 and the K-1 500 m in 1:50.77. The Poles added two more women’s wins, with Sylwia Szczerbinska and Dorota Borowska in the C-2 200 m (44.10) and Martyna Klatt and Sandra Ostrowska in the K-2 500 m (1:48.86).

Canada’s nine-time World Champion Katie Vincent won the women’s C-1 500 m, and 2021 World Champion Aimee Fisher (NZL) won the K-1 1,000 m final in 3:55.89.

Brazil’s seven-time World Champion Isaquias Queiroz took the C-1 500 m in 1:47.80, and C-1 1,000 m Olympic champ Martin Fuksa (CZE) won that race by daylight in 3:54.64.

● Cycling ● Things got crazy over the weekend at the 108th Giro d’Italia, starting on Friday with the first climbing stage of the race. It was expected that 2023 winner Primoz Roglic (SLO) would have the overall race lead by the end of the day, and he did.

But in a position to win the stage, Roglic was unable to master the uphill finish to Tagliacozzo at the end of 168 km and fell back to fourth as 22-year-old rising Spaniard Juan Ayuso – who won the Tirreno-Adriatico earlier this year – got away in the final 400 m to win in 4:20:25. Seven others were in the chase pack, including Roglic, finishing four seconds back.

So Roglic took over the “maglia rosa” leader jersey, but where he had an 18-second advantage over Ayuso coming into the stage, it was only four seconds going into Saturday’s 197 km, triple-climb stage to Castelraimondo.

Australia’s Luke Plapp, a six-time national road champion, attacked with 45 km to go and won his first Grand Tour stage in 4:44:20, leaving Wilco Kelderman (NED) and Diego Ulissi (ITA) – both +0:38 – in the dust. Ayuso and Roglic finished 11-12, but 4:49 and 4:50 back of the winner, so Ulissi took over the race lead over countryman Lorenzo Fortunato (+0:12), with Roglic third (+0:17) and Ayuso fourth (+0:20).

Sunday’s hilly course from Gubbio to Siena over 181 km, saw Belgian star Wout van Aert – in his first Giro – followed Mexico’s Isaac Del Toro on a late attack and then managed to cross first in 4:15:08, almost a minute ahead of the rest of the race. Ayuso finished 1:07 back in seventh and Roglic – after a fall on an early gravel sector and a later flat tire – ended up 19th in a pack that finished 2:22 behind the winner.

That completely scrambled the leaderboard and Del Toro – at age 21 and also in his first Giro – became the race leader by 1:13 over Ayuso, 1:30 over Antonio Tiberi (ITA) and 1:40 over Richard Carapaz (ECU). American Brandon McNulty is in eight (+1:59) and Roglic fell all the way to 10th (+2:25). Crazy.

Tuesday brings the second Individual Time Trial of the race, a flat 29.6 km course from Lucca to Pisa.

The three-stage UCI Women’s World Tour Itzulia Women in the Basque Country of Spain saw Mischa Bredewold (NED) win the mass-sprint finish of stage one and then repeat her win in stage two.

Sunday’s third stage had two moderate climbs on the 112.9 km course in and around Donostia, and Dutch star Demi Vollering put her foot down and crushed the field by 55 seconds, winning in 2:55:35, with Canada’s Sarah van Dam second.

That moved Vollering from sixth to first in 9:55:54, with Bredewold second by 48 seconds and van Dam third at +1:01.

At the UCI Mountain Bike World Series for the first Downhill of the season in Bielsko-Biala (POL), five-time World Downhill champ Loic Bruni (FRA) led wire-to-wire and won the men’s race in 3:04.867, ahead of Oisin O’Callaghan (IRL: 3:05.023) and France’s Amaury Pierson (3:05.675). American Richard Rude Jr. was fourth in 3:06.463.

Britain’s Tahnee Seagrave, a four-time Worlds medalist, won the women’s race in 3:34.340, also leading all the way, over Anna Newkirk of the U.S. (3:36.051).

● Diving ● The USA Diving National Championships finished Friday in Auburn, Alabama, with a sensational championship run from 13-year-old ElliReese Niday.

A seven-time U.S. junior champion, she won a tight battle with 19-year-old Bayleigh Cranford to take the women’s 10 m Platform title by 721.40 to 711.40! Said the winner, the youngest to win this event since 2016:

“It doesn’t feel real. I just tried to stay focused on my own dives and celebrate after.

“It’s really crazy. Maybe one day when I grow up, I’ll make the Olympic team possibly.”

Niday has the background: her mother, Lauryn McCalley Niday was a U.S. national springboard champion in 2000 and 2001.

First-time titles ran through the women’s events, as Sophie Verzyl won her first U.S. Nationals in the 3 m at 626.65, ahead of Lilly Witte (586.45), and Anna Kwong won her first individual national gold in the 1 m, scoring 534.85, beating Tokyo Olympian Hailey Hernandez (522.65) and Verzyl (518.30).

In the women’s Synchro events, Kwong and Verzyl tied with Witte and Bailee Sturgill in the 3 m at 534.12, with Taylor Fox and Hernandez third (515.88). Daryl Wright and Cranford won the 10 m at 569.43, beating Lanie Gulch and Anna Lemkin (554.40).

The men’s diving featured two wins for Joshua Hedberg, 18, who took his third individual national crown scoring 891.50 in the men’s 10 m final, beating Jordan Rzepka (866.45). He had already teamed with Carson Tyler to win the 10 m Synchro at 818.91, winning by more than 146 points.

Lyle Yost won the men’s 1 m at 766.70, ahead of Nicholas Harris (745.45) and Collier Dyer (740.70) and Max Flory took the 3 m title at 922.00, with Dyer at 894.70. Jack Ryan and Grayson Campbell won the 3 m Synchro decisively at 782.19.

In the Mixed Synchro events, Luke Hernandez and Kyndal Knight won the 3 m t 284.10, with Ryan and Krysta Palmer second (282.72). Cranford got a second synchro win in the 10 m, with Tyler Wills at 312.06; they had previously won this event at the 2023 USA Winter Nationals.

● Fencing ● At the FIE Foil Grand Prix in Shanghai (CHN), Hong Kong’s 32nd-ranked Chun Yin Ryan Choi took the men’s title from Italy’s 2023 World Champion, Tommaso Marini, 15-12, for his first major international victory.

In another women’s classic, 2023 Worlds bronze winner Martina Favaretto (ITA) managed another win over Olympic champ Lee Kiefer of the U.S., by 15-11. It’s Favaretto’s second straight win over Kiefer this month, but the American retains a 4-3 career edge in their one-on-one match-ups.

● Gymnastics ● At the second FIG Artistic World Challenge Cup, in Koper (SLO), Brazil, Chinese Taipei and Slovenia all scored two wins.

Slovenian women won both first-day events, with Teja Belak taking the Vault over Tijana Korent (CRO), 13.516 to 13.199. Lucija Hribar got the gold on the Uneven Bars, scoring 14.000 to 12.666 for Brazil’s Gabriela Barbosa.

Brazil got two wins on Sunday, with Julia Coutinho winning on Floor at 13.100, ahead of Barbosa (12.733), and then Lucas Bitencourt winning the men’s Horizontal Bar at 13.500, barely ahead of teammate Patrick Sampaio (13.466).

Chinese Taipei’s Min-Han Chiou won the men’s Floor title at 13.833 and Wei-Sheng Tseng won on Vault, scoring 13.883.

In the other men’s events, Diyas Toishybek (KAZ: 14.033) won on Pommel Horse, 2019 World Rings champ Ibrahim Colak (TUR: 14.033) won his specialty, and Cameron-Lie Bernard (FRA: 13.800) won on Parallel Bars, ahead of Colak (13.366). British Olympian Georgia-Mae Fenton on the women’s Beam, at 13.166.

● Ice Hockey ● Nearing the close of group play at the IIHF men’s World Championship in Denmark and Sweden, three of the four qualifiers from Group A are set, with Sweden (6-0), Canada (5-0) and Finland (4-1) all set to advance. Latvia (3-3) is in fourth position, but needs to beat Austria on Tuesday.

In Group B, the U.S. skated past Germany on Saturday, 6-3, and defeated Kazakhstan on Sunday, 6-1, to also clinch a berth in the quarterfinals. Switzerland leads the group at 6-1, with the Czech Republic at 5-0 and the U.S. at 5-1 all through to the playoffs. Germany and Denmark are tied on points, 9-9, and will play on Tuesday.

Group play will finish in Tuesday (20th) and the quarterfinals will begin on the 22nd.

● Sailing ● The 2025 Laser (ILCA 7) and Laser Radial (ILCA 6) World Championships in Qingdao (CHN) had light winds for most of the week, but then a howling squall on the final day on Saturday.

In the women’s tournament, it was Paris 10th-placer Louise Cervera (FRA) who surprised even herself with the victory, winning two races and finishing fourth twice to end with 11 net points, ahead of 2021 silver medalist Agata Barwinska (POL: 24) and Eve Mcmahon (IRL: also 24). Charlotte Rose was the top American, in eighth (39).

The men’s ILCA 7 regatta was a nail-biter, coming down to the wind-blown final race, with Willem Wiersema (NED) getting his only win of the week. But that was enough to give him just 11 net points, enough to win over two-time Olympic silver medalist Pavlos Kontides (CYP: 12) and Zac Littlewood (AUS) and Jonatan Vadnai (ITA: both also 13).

Wiersema’s best prior finish in a World was 50th, in 2021!

● Sport Climbing ● Olympic silver winner Sorato Anraku (JPN) won his third IFSC World Cup of the season in Curitiba (BRA), taking the Boulder title with 69.7 points in the final. That was good enough to win over France’s Mejdi Schalck (58.9) and two-time World Boulder champ Tomoa Narasaki (JPN: 39.0.

The women’s Boulder competition was a French 1-2, with 2021 World Youth champ Naile Meignan scoring 99.6 in the final to edge countrywoman and 2023 Worlds runner-up Oriane Bertone (99.5). American Nekaia Sanders finished eighth at 34.8.

● Triathlon ● Luxembourg isn’t one of the power countries in the World Triathlon Championship Series, but it was on Saturday in Yokohama (JPN), as Jeanne Lehair, 29, who formerly competed for France, won her first career WTCS race, beating three long-time stars, in rainy conditions.

She was second out of the water, but only 31st in the bike phase, nevertheless one of four leading into the run. Even in the presence of other excellent runners, Lehair – who transferred allegiance from France in 2023 – had the second-fastest run on the day, in 33:41, to finish at 1:51:34.

That was enough to hold off 2023 World Champion Beth Potter (GBR), who ran 33:38 and 1:51:38, and Paris Mixed Relay gold medalist Lisa Tertsch (GER: 33:47 and 1:51:40).

American star Gwen Jorgensen, the Rio 2016 Olympic champ, had her usual strong run in 33:48 to finish fourth in 1:51:52.

Australian Matt Hauser, seventh at the Paris Olympic Games, got his second career Championship Series victory in the men’s race, outlasting Vasco Vilaca (POR) in the closing stages of the run, winning in 1:41:08. Vilaca was a clear second in 1:41:14 over Miguel Hidalgo (BRA: 1:41.29).

Hauser earned the win with the fastest 10 km in the field at 29:43, with Vilaca exactly six seconds behind, which was the final margin. Chase McQueen was the top American, in 13th (1:43:29).

● Wrestling ● The next step in naming the U.S. Freestyle team for the 2025 World Championships was the USA Wrestling World Team Trials Challenge in Louisville, Kentucky, with wrestle-offs to determine the remaining contestants in the “Final X” selection meet on 14 June in Newark, New Jersey.

One of those trying to qualify was Olympic women’s 68 kg and two-time World 72 kg champ Amit Elor, in her first competition since Paris in 2024. Back at 72 kg, she fell behind 1-0 in the first period against U.S. Open runner-up Skylar Grote and had to win two second-period points to advance, 2-1.

At 59 kg, 2019 World Champion Jacarra Winchester moved on with a 7-3 win over Alexis Janiak. U.S. Open silver medalists who did advance to Final X included Erin Golston (50 kg), Felicity Taylor (53 kg), Everest Leydecker (55 kg) and Adaugo Nwachukwu (62 kg).

In the men’s bouts, two-time Olympic bronze medalist Kyle Dake won a high-profile battle at 86 kg with Carter Starocci on criteria after a 3-3 score.

At 79 kg, Levi Haines beat Dean Hamiti, the U.S. Open runner-up at 79 kg by 10-2, and U-20 Worlds runner-up Josh Barr won at 92 kg over Aeoden Sinclair, 7-3.

At 97 kg, Hayden Zillmer, a 2022 U.S. Worlds team member, won at 97 kg by beating U-23 Worlds bronzer Jonathan Aiello, 5-3. Trent Hillger took the 125 kg title over U.S. Open runner-up Demetrius Thomas, 10-4.

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Deion Sanders wants NFL-style fines for uniform violations in college football

When he was an NFL player, Deion Sanders was fined multiple times for uniform violations. Now that Sanders is the Colorado head coach, he’d like to see such fines brought to college football. Sanders said at Big 12 media days that he dislikes how many players in college football wear their pants down only to […]

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When he was an NFL player, Deion Sanders was fined multiple times for uniform violations. Now that Sanders is the Colorado head coach, he’d like to see such fines brought to college football.

Sanders said at Big 12 media days that he dislikes how many players in college football wear their pants down only to their thighs, with nothing covering their knees.

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“Let’s do something about the uniforms,” Sanders said. “We’ve got guys in biker shorts. That makes me sick because I’m a football guy — I played this game at a high level and I have so much respect for this game. How can we allow guys out there in biker shorts, no knee pads, no nothing, literally pants up under their thighs, and that’s cool?”

College football officials could enforce the uniform rules by throwing flags on players who don’t wear knee pads, but Sanders said he’d like to see the rule enforced with fines.

“I think there should be a fine implemented for that stuff, and let’s have more respect for this tremendous game,” Sanders said.

Sanders has also said he wishes the NCAA had a salary cap, and that the NCAA would adopt NFL playing rules. As college football becomes more than ever a professional sport, Sanders wants to go all the way and make it as close to the NFL as it can possibly get.



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Campbell Hall set to reopen in August following $37 million renovations

Campbell Hall is set to reopen its doors to MSU students this August, following the much-needed renovations that are nearing completion. The $37 million renovations for the century-old building were approved by the MSU Board of Trustees in February 2024. While there is not a specific date in place, Campbell Hall will open as part of […]

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Campbell Hall is set to reopen its doors to MSU students this August, following the much-needed renovations that are nearing completion. The $37 million renovations for the century-old building were approved by the MSU Board of Trustees in February 2024.

While there is not a specific date in place, Campbell Hall will open as part of MSU’s fall move-in process, said Associate Director of Communications Bethany Balks.

“That means that if we have some students with some programmatic early arrivals, Honors College does have an impact program, so some of those students may be residents of Campbell Hall,” Balks said. “Our international students move in on August 16th and 17th, and then most of our other students moving into Campbell Hall will be moving in on the 19th through the 21st.”

Campbell Hall, which was built in 1939, is the third building in West Circle Drive to go through key renovations, Balks said. With MSU focused on physical structure and safety updates while keeping the building’s historical aesthetic.

“Because we know our West Circle halls are very popular with students and alumni love to come back and look at them, there were some important upgrades we needed to make,” Balks said.

Among the necessary renovations were accessibility upgrades, as Campbell Hall did not have any elevators in the building. Now, it will have a full elevator on the south side of the hall, an elevator lift from the first floor to the basement level on the north side and an accessible entrance ramp on the southwest side of the building.

“We worked on other safety features including sprinkling and upgraded wiring,” Balks said. “We worked to have some energy efficiencies through all new windows in the hall.”

For bathroom upgrades, Balks said the university looked for best practices across other peer institutions and found that Penn State University and Ohio State University had started doing a different kind of setup.

Living wings will now have community sinks that any resident can use with the inclusion of private bathrooms with individual shower rooms and fully enclosed toilets. Instead of having gender-specific bathrooms, Balks said the bathroom upgrades offer some flexibility in the ways the hall can have different makeups of genders in the building and for residents while also being more supportive when students have guests in their spaces.

MSU, in collaboration with the Residence Education and Housing Services, the MSU Dairy Store and other partners, is working on a ribbon-cutting ceremony to take place on September 12.

“There were many donors that contributed towards the Honors College portion of the Campbell Hall renovations, but we’re also bringing some of our construction partners, IPF and other leaders around campus to really just celebrate this exciting renovation and reopening,” Balks said.

In addition to the ribbon cutting ceremony, Balks said there will be other activities planned for both community members and the Honors College, with MSU’s residence education team working with the college on other welcome events taking place in both Campbell Hall and West Circle.

Balks said the building’s renovation was a $37 million project, with around $3 million dollars of funding contributed through the Honors College and the remaining funds through MSU’s Division of Residential and Hospitality Services.

“It’s an important renovation, it’s an important project for us to continue to support student success,” Balks said. “We’re really excited about the spaces that we’re collectively building.”

Other inclusions stemming from the renovation include improved student spaces for gathering and community building, a seminar room and office spaces to serve the Honors College. The hall will also have more centralized services available to the West Circle portion of North Neighborhood in Campbell Hall including a mail center, package processing location and package center.

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Lane Kiffin trolls Hugh Freeze over recruiting criticisms with fishing video

Lane Kiffin played the troll game once again and targeted Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze Sunday. The Ole Miss coach likely heard about Freeze’s controversy surrounding how much golf he plays amid critiques of Auburn’s recruiting classes. So because of that, Kiffin was out on the boat Sunday, American flag and all. With that, he […]

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Lane Kiffin played the troll game once again and targeted Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze Sunday. The Ole Miss coach likely heard about Freeze’s controversy surrounding how much golf he plays amid critiques of Auburn’s recruiting classes.

So because of that, Kiffin was out on the boat Sunday, American flag and all. With that, he was fishing and perhaps signaling to Freeze that he couldn’t “haul in the big fish” in terms of recruits.

Whatever he was going for, Kiffin was being his typical self. You can see the video that Kiffin tagged Freeze in below.

Ironically, Freeze already commented on his golf game amid the recruiting backlash. He recently joined David Pollack on See Ball Get Ball.

“You know, everybody seems to like to talk about my golf game,” Freeze responded. “It’s not as good as it used to be.”

Freeze’s response is in regard to a recent report from AL.com that the Auburn coach is playing significantly more golf than his peers in recent times. In the month of June alone, Freeze got on the course 10 times, AL.com found. They also say he has recorded more than 20 rounds throughout the calendar year already, showing a handicap of 7.4.

In comparison, South Carolina‘s Shane Beamer came up in second place, having three recorded scores in June. Other coaches like Georgia‘s Kirby Smart are sitting at zero.

“This is that time where people are looking for things to write about,” Freeze said. “And I do love golf. I enjoy playing, but what people don’t realize is, you know, I assure you that I never missed a camp day or a recruiting day but if camp got over at three o’clock one day, and Jill (Freeze’s wife) and I go out at 4:30, we absolutely might do that.

“And I’m not apologizing for that part of it. But my focus is 100% on getting Auburn in that win column this fall. And I do think the biggest thing that’s causing most of it is the recruiting rankings right now, because we’ve been top 10 my two years here in recruiting, and currently we’re not. And good Lord, we could spend 30 minutes on why I think that is.”

At the same time, Auburn’s recruiting class is off to a slow start as their 2026 recruiting class is ranked 71st nationally as of this report. Couple that with consecutive losing seasons to begin his Auburn tenure, 2025 could be a make-or-break season for the Tigers’ head coach.

Barkley Truax contributed to this report



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Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Search for goaltending depth pieces is on

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Columbus Blue Jackets: Item No. 1: Net questions By now, most of the NHL is in offseason mode. Most executives and veteran players are settled in their offseason, up-north cabins for the next month or so. […]

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Columbus Blue Jackets:

Item No. 1: Net questions

By now, most of the NHL is in offseason mode. Most executives and veteran players are settled in their offseason, up-north cabins for the next month or so. But some general managers are still working the phones, and that includes Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell.

Waddell is looking for a goaltender. He may be looking for two. If you think the Blue Jackets’ goaltending depth chart is shaky at the top — Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins, in some order, are set to be the one-two punch — try looking just below the surface.

“It’s not becoming clearer yet,” Waddell told The Athletic this week. “But I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire.”

The Blue Jackets are looking for a No. 3, meaning a goaltender who has AHL experience but also doesn’t look out of place in the NHL. In other words, they’re looking for somebody who can play the role that Greaves played the last two seasons.

But, aside from his mostly stellar play, a big benefit to having Greaves on the roster was that he could go up and down from Columbus to Cleveland — which he did many times — without needing to be exposed to the rest of the league on waivers.

Waddell’s first attempt this offseason was to trade for a goaltender who is talented enough to have had AHL success, but still young enough not to require waivers. Having a goaltender like that allows teams to know who their top AHL goaltender is and who they’ll turn to in the event of injuries.

The problem?

“They’re very valuable guys,” Waddell said. “I’ve talked to all of the teams who have those guys, and nobody wants to give those guys up. You can understand why.”


Don Waddell is on the hunt for a No. 3 goalie. (Jason Mowry / Getty Images)

If something doesn’t break, Waddell said he is fully prepared to wait out the waiver wire during training camp. A rough count, using PuckPedia, reveals that up to 30 goaltenders (of varying ability) will likely hit the waiver wire at some point in late September or early October.

Another problem: If the Blue Jackets, who would be 13th in the waivers pecking order through the end of October, claim a player on waivers, they’d have to keep them on the NHL roster, or expose them to waivers again in order to clear them through to AHL Cleveland.

“We might be forced to carry three goalies, which I’m not against,” Waddell said. “It’s not ideal, but I’m not against it if that’s the best way to get our third goalie.”

However, it wouldn’t help AHL Cleveland to have the organization’s three best goaltenders playing in Columbus, which is how yet another waiver claim could come into play. The Blue Jackets do not want to leave their top affiliate high and dry, after all.

Among the more recognizable names expected to hit the waiver wire this fall are, listed alphabetically: Laurent Brossoit (Chicago), Pheonix Copley (Los Angeles), Ivan Fedotov (Philadelphia), Marcus Hogberg (New York Islanders), Ville Husso (Anaheim), Matt Murray (Seattle), Cal Petersen (Minnesota) and Cayden Primeau (Carolina).

For now, the Blue Jackets have Greaves and Merzlikins at the top. They have Zach Sawchenko set to play in Cleveland, and while he’s had intermittent AHL success, he’s viewed as an organizational No. 4 (AHL backup) at this point in his career.

Nolan Lalonde, who signed an entry-level deal as an undrafted free agent on Oct. 3, 2022, has aged out of major junior. He’s turning pro, but with an .876 save percentage in 167 OHL games, he’ll likely start with an ECHL club this season.

The Blue Jackets have drafted a goaltender in each of the last four drafts, so help may be on the way as soon as next season.

2026-27

Evan Gardner — The 19-year-old, selected with a second-round pick (No. 60) in the 2024 draft, is headed back to the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, but he’ll be able to turn pro in 2026-27, or whenever this coming season ends for the Blades. He got a one-start taste of the AHL late last season.

Sergei Ivanov — He has played on some bad teams in the KHL, but Ivanov has shone, with a cumulative .921 save percentage in 79 games across four seasons and four different clubs. The 21-year-old, selected in the fifth round (No. 138) in 2022, is expected to play this season with SKA St. Petersburg, a very competitive club. His contract with Russia expires at the end of May, and the Blue Jackets are hopeful he’ll come to North America next season.

2027-28 or 2028-29

Melvin Strahl — After making the leap from Sweden to the USHL last season, Strahl is on the move again. He’ll attend Michigan State beginning this fall — he will be a teammate of Jackets top prospect Cayden Lindstrom — and could be there for at least a couple of seasons. The 20-year-old, drafted in the fifth round (No. 156) in 2023, played well in his lone season with USHL Youngstown.

2030-31

Pyotr Andreyanov — Less than an hour after the Blue Jackets spent a first-round pick (No. 20) on Andreyanov, Waddell acknowledged he’d likely spend the next four or five years in Russia. In other words, the announcement this week that he’d signed a five-year contract was not a surprise. Andreyanov is set to be the starter for his KHL club (CSKA), and the hope is he’ll be NHL-ready when his contract expires.


Item No. 2: Nice office

Back in April, at the end of the Blue Jackets’ season, coach Dean Evason let it be known he wasn’t planning to meet with every player on their way out the door.

There would be meetings with players who weren’t likely to return in 2025-26, but he didn’t want to cram a season’s worth of events and developments into a five-minute meeting. The lengthier chats with veteran players and significant returnees would be handled in due time during the offseason.

But why meet in the bowels of Nationwide Arena when you can play Double Eagle Club, the exclusive golf course owned by the McConnell family, the majority owners of the Blue Jackets? Evason has spent many days this offseason on the course, often with a player.

“When I played with (Erik) Gudbranson, we were walking down the fairway, and he said, ‘Dean, I’ve played 800 or so hockey games (in the NHL) and I’ve never played golf with my coach.’

“Honestly, that makes no sense to me. You could go for a coffee or go for lunch, but why wouldn’t you want to be in this setting for four or five hours and just talk? And as we’re going down the fairway, I was able to have little talks with him: ‘What happened in that situation?’ or ‘What about this guy?’

“It’s a very open opportunity for the player to feel comfortable talking. All we talk about as coaches now is building relationships with players. To me, it’s perfect. And you get to know them on a competitive level, too. They’re competing their ass off to beat you. And I want that. I love that.”

Two more tidbits that relate to Evason and Double Eagle …

Evason said he had “no idea” that a membership to Double Eagle was part of the package when he took the Blue Jackets job last summer.

“We had finished the interview process, I signed my contract and (Waddell) said, ‘Oh, by the way, we both have a membership at Double Eagle.’ That sounded good, sure, but I really had no idea what that fully meant.

“After I saw the place, I joked to Don that if he would have led with that in our negotiations, it would probably have gone a lot faster. I pinch myself every time I drive out there, just in realizing that I have a chance to be a member and play at this course because of what I do in the hockey world.”

Evason must be a pretty good golfer. How’d he play the day he and Gudbranson hooked up?

“I played like s—, but I actually scored OK,” he said. “I ended up shooting 77, but I didn’t play very well.”


Item No. 3: Snacks

• The NHL is tentatively expected to release the 2025-26 regular-season schedule on Wednesday. This will be the last season of an 82-game slate. As part of the new collective bargaining agreement, the schedule will include 84 regular-season games beginning in 2026-27.

• So far, Waddell and the Blue Jackets have not started talking contract extensions, he said. That’s on the list beginning later this month. Many eyes will be watching center Adam Fantilli, who is entering the final year of his entry-level contract with restricted free-agent status looming next summer. Cole Sillinger signed a two-year contract in 2024, so he’s set for RFA status next summer, too. And there’s one veteran to consider in this conversation: Captain Boone Jenner is entering the final year of his contract, and Waddell and the Blue Jackets would like him to spend his entire career in Columbus.

• There have been reports that Andreyanov’s just-signed KHL contract has an “out” clause for the player after four seasons, but his agent, Dan Milstein, shot down that idea. “It’s a five-year contract,” Milstein said. “KHL contracts have no ‘out’ clause.”

• If the timeline for Andreyanov to arrive in the NHL seems unnecessarily long, well, you’re not wrong. Some of the NHL’s Russian goalies spent two years after their draft years playing in the KHL before making the leap, including Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, Carolina’s Pyotr Kochetkov and San Jose’s Yaroslav Askarov. Others took at least as long as Andreyanov likely will. The New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin was drafted in 2014 and spent five additional seasons in the KHL before splitting the 2019-20 season between the NHL and AHL. The New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin was drafted in 2014 and spent the following six seasons in the KHL before arriving in Long Island in 2020. And what team did Sorokin play for? CSKA, same as Andreyanov.

• Example No. 2,988 that it’s a small world, especially in hockey: Andreyanov has spent the past two seasons playing for CSKA’s junior team, but he’ll be on the top club beginning this season. That will make him a teammate of former NHLer Cole Cassels, who is also a former Ohio AAA Blue Jackets player and the son of former Blue Jackets center Andrew Cassels. Andreyanov will have two other Blue Jackets draft picks around him, too, in towering forward Kirill Dolzhenkov (fourth round, No. 109, in 2002) and defenseman Nikolai Makarov (fifth round, No. 132, in 2021). Also in the room is long-ago Blue Jackets draft pick Vitaly Abramov (third round, No. 65, in 2016), who was traded to Ottawa at the 2019 trade deadline (in the Matt Duchene deal) and hasn’t played in the NHL since 2020-21. Another CSKA player from this past season, defenseman Christian Jaros, signed a two-way deal with Columbus this summer.

• Forward Luca Del Bel Belluz has a shot to make the Blue Jackets out of training camp, but it won’t surprise anybody if he starts this coming season with AHL Cleveland. Forward Luca Pinelli, after a brief taste late last season, will be a Cleveland lineup regular. Defenseman Luca Marrelli, after four years of major junior, is ready for his pro debut this fall. That’s three Lucases in one lineup. Cleveland coach Trent Vogelhuber got (somewhat) used to keeping them straight when Pinelli joined Cleveland late last season. “(Del Bel Belluz) is either Del Bel or Beller,” Vogelhuber explained. “(Pinelli) is Pins. And I don’t know what Marrelli goes by yet, so TBD on that one.”

• The Blue Jackets have two remaining restricted free agents who need contracts for next season: forward Mikael Pyyhtiä and defenseman Daemon Hunt. Waddell said talks continue with both.

• The NHL’s new CBA includes changes to the rules regarding emergency goaltenders, requiring clubs to employ their own amateur goaltender rather than have an unaffiliated amateur at the rink who would go in for either club. There are still some rules to settle on, Waddell said, but the likely candidate to fill this role for the Blue Jackets is Reid Robertson, who played at Manhattanville College, a Division III school in Harrison, N.Y. He’s worked as a hockey operations assistant the last few seasons and has stepped in a few times each season as a practice goalie.

• This week’s Blue Jackets trivia question: With Andreyanov contractually bound to Russia for five years, the soonest he will make his NHL debut is the fall of 2030. And that got us thinking: Which player has waited the longest between the day he was drafted and the day he made his NHL debut? (This is a tough one, so pat yourself on the back if you get any of the top five correct.)


What jersey number will Sean Kuraly wear in Boston? (Tim Fuller /Imagn Images)

• When former Blue Jackets center Sean Kuraly left Columbus to sign a free-agent contract with Boston, he walked into a room with many familiar faces. Kuraly, whose career started in Boston, was gone for four years, but there are still some Bruins around from that era. And there’s Andrew Peeke, a former Blue Jackets defenseman who spent three years as Kuraly’s teammate in Columbus. That friendship may be tested, though. Peeke has worn No. 52 since he was traded to the Bruins by the Jackets on March 8, 2024. Kuraly wore No. 52 during his four-plus-year run with the Bruins. He can’t go back to No. 7, which he wore in Columbus, because that’s been retired in Boston (Phil Esposito); one of 12 sweaters taken out of circulation. So either Peeke is going to have a strong net-front presence in protecting his kit, or his wallet will get fatter. Stay tuned.

The Athletic published a story on Friday that detailed the many Blue Jackets prospects who will be playing college hockey this season. None of them are attending Ohio State, but that doesn’t mean the Buckeyes aren’t welcoming their own players from the Canadian major-junior ranks. They are: forwards Niall Crocker (Prince Alberta, WHL) and Jake Karabela (Guelph, Ontario Hockey League), defenseman Sam McGinley (Swift Current, WHL) and goaltender Sam Hillebrandt (Barrie, OHL). Another player, defenseman Maddox Labre, will play for Victoriaville of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League this coming season, with plans to join OSU for the 2026-27 season.

• Former Ohio State and Blue Jackets player Zac Dalpe announced his retirement last week after a 15-year pro career that included NHL stops with Carolina, Vancouver, Buffalo, Minnesota, Columbus and Florida. He played 574 of his 742 pro games in the AHL and spent parts of five seasons in the Columbus organization. Dalpe told The Athletic he’s hoping to stay in the game, perhaps by joining an NHL club’s player development department.

• Trivia answer: The Blue Jackets drafted forward Andrew Murray in the eighth round (No. 242) of the 2011 draft, and he made his NHL debut on Dec. 27, 2007, a span of 2,377 days — the longest span between draft and debut. The next four on the list are T.J. Tynan (2,082), Grant Clitsome (2,075), Lukas Sedlak (1,945) and Merzlikins (1,925).

(Top photo of Jet Greaves: Eric Hartline / Imagn Images)





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In the Gym at EYBL ahead of Peach Jam week

North Augusta, SC— On Thursday, our focus was Adidas (Rock Hill), with some NIKE EYBL as well. Friday was all Adidas to put a bow on Rock Hill, and Saturday was Under Armour.  On Saturday, we made the trip over to Georgia to spend all day at Under Armour. A few players that we had […]

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North Augusta, SC— On Thursday, our focus was Adidas (Rock Hill), with some NIKE EYBL as well. Friday was all Adidas to put a bow on Rock Hill, and Saturday was Under Armour. 

On Saturday, we made the trip over to Georgia to spend all day at Under Armour. A few players that we had our eyes on included Rashaun Porter (2026, Illinois Wolves), Zavier Zens (2026, Wisconsin PGC), and of course, commit LaTrevion Fenderson.

And today, I am back at EYBL for the morning session, to watch the loaded Team Herro group in action ahead of a huge week at Peach Jam. 

Follow along all week at Peach Jam and in the comments below….

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Hockey star Colin South joins Quaker Valley Sports Hall of Fame

By: Ray Fisher Sunday, July 13, 2025 | 11:01 AM Quaker Valley’s Colin South scores his hat trick goal against Mars in the 2008 Class A Penguins Cup final at Mellon Arena. All arrows certainly pointed north for Quaker Valley’s Colin South in his brilliant scholastic hockey career. A 2009 QV graduate, South will be […]

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Sunday, July 13, 2025 | 11:01 AM


All arrows certainly pointed north for Quaker Valley’s Colin South in his brilliant scholastic hockey career.

A 2009 QV graduate, South will be inducted into the QV Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025, which also includes the 2012 hockey squad and three other individuals — L.J. Westwood (track and field, cross country), Derek Molitor (football, track and field) and Dorian Goosby Dean (athlete).

They will be inducted Oct. 19 following a weekend of activities commencing Oct. 17 with a tailgate party and recognition ceremony at the Quakers’ football game at Chuck Knox Stadium.

“My initial reaction was shock,” South said. “I didn’t think it would happen so soon. I’m extremely humbled by the honor and thankful for being nominated and selected.

“I’m really overwhelmed to be included alongside my fellow inductees and to join all the great athletes, coaches and administrators already in the QV Hall.”

South finished his hockey career with the Quakers as a top five scorer in program history with 138 goals and 239 points.

“Playing hockey at QV was an incredible experience for me,” South said. “We were able to win a state championship and two Penguins Cups, and to be able to play with my brother and a few more of my really close friends was a really special experience.”

South went on to compete in NCAA Division I hockey at Robert Morris, where he was team captain and led the Colonials to an NCAA tournament bid in 2014.

“Colin was such a great player for a long time at Quaker Valley,” QV coach Kevin Quinn said. “He could score, had a great shot, was unselfish and came through in the clutch over and over for us.

“He had size, would compete and had an incredible shot. He played in all situations for us. He was relentless in his pursuit of scoring, and we needed it. He came through even when we weren’t very deep.”

South was a four-year letter winner in hockey and four-year competitor in the Quakers’ golf program. He skated at left wing during his freshman hockey season and at center the following three years. He stood 6-foot and weighed 185 pounds.

He finished his high school career with 24 playoff goals, a QV hockey record.

As a freshman, South was a member of the 2006 state championship hockey team at QV, while competing with his brother, Furman, a 2023 QV Sports Hall of Fame inductee.

South also was a key member on the 2008 Penguins Cup title-clinching squad and served as team captain during his senior year.

“Colin really carried us to that Penguins Cup win in 2008,” Quinn said. “He was a great leader and was a tough kid.”

South landed all-star recognition on the ice in 2009 and skated for Team Pittsburgh, which was comprised of the top high school hockey players in the area.

“Colin comes from a great family,” Quinn said, “and he always was very respectful to me and to his teammates. He played through a lot. He was driven and pushed himself to be the best that he could be — even when he was exhausted from his amateur hockey.”

The South brothers clicked for seven goals between them in the 2006 state championship game.

“Colin, like his brother Furman, worked very hard on his game,” Quinn said. “They certainly were not only great players but clutch players. They scored a ton and won a ton. They were instrumental in our state championship in 2006.

“Both had just incredible careers, and I was blessed to have them at QV. I’m so happy they are now both in the Hall of Fame together.”

The 2006 line of Furman South, Colin South and Tim Hall Jr. is considered the best in QV hockey history.

“Not many schools can say they had a line with three NCAA D-I players on it,” Quinn said.

South did not continue his career following college.

“I signed to play professionally in France,” he said, “but ultimately decided I wanted to move on from hockey.”

He lived in Dallas from 2020-2024 before returning to the Sewickley area. He works in mergers and acquisitions and is single.

“But my brother has two young sons and I spoil them as much as possible,” he said.

Family is important to the 34-year-old South. He said his “entire family” had the biggest influence in his hockey career.

“Growing up, my parents made sacrifices to allow my brother and I to play hockey that I wasn’t fully aware of until I became older,” South said. “They were both so supportive in encouraging me to chase my dream of playing college hockey. I started skating when I was 3 or 4, basically because I wanted to be like my older brother who had already started skating.

“My dad played a bit of hockey when he was younger, so I think he wanted us to play, but he didn’t push us into it. I more or less followed my brother in every step of our hockey careers — we played for the same amateur travel team, junior hockey team, and together at RMU — and he was the best role model. Playing on the same team as my brother is the most special thing I’ve done in my hockey career. Playing at QV and then at RMU with Furman was an experience that is hard to put into words how special it is.”

As far his coaches, South said Quinn was second to none.

“Kevin Quinn had a massive influence in my career,” South said. “He is the best coach I had in my career, and we certainly learned a lot from him. Without his help in skill development, and lessons in how to think about the game, I never would have been able to play at a high level.”

Along with the championships, South said the friendships he built in his career are some of his lasting memories from playing hockey at QV.

“Definitely the memories and friendships,” he said. “Playing with guys like my brother, Tim Hall, Noah Zamagias and Mik Lemieux, who are all among my best friends to this day, is something I consider myself extremely lucky to have been able to do.”

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