Sarasota residents to keep fighting for Ringling Museum after New College takeover fails
Nancy Parrish is the former chair of the Ringling Museum Foundation. But years before that, she was a St. Petersburg kid who loved visiting the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota with her family. “As kids, we used to climb those banyan trees before there was security around,” Parrish said. “It’s really […]
Nancy Parrish is the former chair of the Ringling Museum Foundation.
But years before that, she was a St. Petersburg kid who loved visiting the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota with her family.
“As kids, we used to climb those banyan trees before there was security around,” Parrish said. “It’s really part of our growing up.”
Parrish said this nostalgic sentiment toward the museum is something she shares with many in the greater Tampa Bay region. It is also one of the reasons why more than 2,500 people joined the non-profit group Citizens to Protect the Ringling.
“It was because of their own personal feelings toward the Ringling and what it means to us individually and to our community,” said Parrish, the group’s president.
A proposal to transfer control of the Ringling Museum from Florida State University to New College of Florida was not included in this year’s legislative budget.
Gov. Ron DeSantis had proposed the transfer in February, and Citizens to Protect the Ringling formed in the same month to advocate against the move.
ALSO READ: Citizens to Protect the Ringling fights against a plan to transfer ownership to New College
Parrish said the group watched the session closely to see if the proposal ended up in the budget. Lawmakers finally approved the spending plan this week, about six weeks after the originally scheduled end of session.
“We were sure that the Ringling transfer was not included in the final legislative budget,” she said. “And so once it passed and the legislature ended their session, we were aware.”
Parrish said members were excited that the “iconic” cultural institution would remain independent. Many of them had worked daily since mid-February, when they learned there would be an attempt to slide what Parrish called a “harmful transfer” into the budget process.
“It was a great victory for the Gulf Coast community, from Tampa Bay down to Venice and beyond,” she said. “And so it was quite a relief.”
Nancy Parrish is the former board chair of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation
Parrish said when nine former board chairs, donors and community leadership got together to write an open letter back in February, most of them had “little hope” they could succeed.
They weren’t sure they would be able to prevent the takeover. Still, Parrish said she knew they needed to do everything possible to prevent it from happening.
“We were surprised at the community response,” she said. “It was absolutely heroic when thousands of community members came together, wrote letters, made phone calls, visited our legislative delegation and packed a town hall meeting.”
ALSO READ: If any higher education merger happens in Sarasota, USF wants to take the lead
But Parrish believes DeSantis and New College of Florida President Richard Corcoran will try to transfer control of the Ringling Museum in the future.
So she said her organization will remain active, continuing to communicate with legislators about where the community stands on the subject.
Parrish hopes this will prevent future action and make sure that the region’s interests remain in their hands.
“It is a little frustrating and disappointing, I must say, that we as a citizenry have to work so hard to convince our legislators that our economic and community priorities must take precedence,” she said.
Parrish attributed the victory to the citizens who refused to let a world-class cultural institution be put at risk through a “backroom deal.”
“There’s work ahead, and I think donors are reasonably also concerned that this is a temporary situation and that we’ve got to be concerned about the future and be aware,” she said.
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NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) announced its annual list of Krampade Division II/III All-American Scholars. Across the country, 664 men’s hockey players were recognized, with 16 of them representing the Norwich Men’s Ice Hockey team. The honor is awarded to student-athletes who achieved a minimum 3.75 GPA […]
NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) announced its annual list of Krampade Division II/III All-American Scholars. Across the country, 664 men’s hockey players were recognized, with 16 of them representing the Norwich Men’s Ice Hockey team.
The honor is awarded to student-athletes who achieved a minimum 3.75 GPA during both semesters and participated in at least 40 percent of their team’s games with exceptions for backup goaltenders and injured players including:
Cooper Bertrand (Caledon, On.)
Jed Brazo (Homer, N.Y.)
Nick Cordeiro (Mississauga, On.)
Holden Doggett (Oakville, On.)
Colin Elliott (Peterborough, On.)
Owen Hains (Lebanon, Pa.)
Matt Harvey (Fort Covington, N.Y.)
Hayden Heinrich (Richmond Hill, On.)
Harris Hilfiker (Middletown, N.J.)
Clark Kerner (Kansas City, Kan.)
Sami Molu (Toronto, On.)
Zach Ophoven (Burlington, On.)
Adam Schuchart (Marietta, Ga.)
Devon Thibodeau (Pelham, On.)
Ben van Waterschoot (Whitby, On.)
Jared Weisert (Southlake, Texas)
The AHCA Krampade All-American Scholar program, now in its ninth year, celebrates academic achievement among student-athletes from all NCAA divisions. Krampade, a performance drink company, sponsors the award as part of its mission to promote athletic success and recovery.
Fourteen of the sixteen representatives were also given New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) All-Academic team recognition for their stellar performance in the classroom.
Ryan Stefko Named Men’s & Women’s Golf Assistant Coach
Men’s Golf | July 22
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DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University men’s and women’s golf programs announced on Tuesday that Ryan Stefko has been named the assistant coach for both programs. “I am thrilled to join the Northern Illinois men’s and women’s golf programs,” said Stefko. “It was […]
DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University men’s and women’s golf programs announced on Tuesday that Ryan Stefko has been named the assistant coach for both programs.
“I am thrilled to join the Northern Illinois men’s and women’s golf programs,” said Stefko. “It was clear through my conversations with [women’s head coach] Kim Kester and [men’s head coach] John Carlson that both are deeply committed to creating a competitive and supportive environment that prioritizes the student-athlete experience. The opportunity to contribute to a culture that values both performance and personal growth is something I’m truly excited about. I’m grateful to Coach Kester and Coach Carlson for welcoming me into the Huskie family and I look forward to helping both programs compete at a high level.”
Stefko comes to NIU after serving as the assistant coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams at Menlo College for the last three years. The Oaks’ men’s golf team won two tournaments last season in its first season transitioning from NAIA to NCAA Division II with Nicolas-Guy Landry earning the PacWest Men’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and All-PacWest Second Team honors. The Menlo women’s golf team also won a pair of tournaments in the 2024-25 season and had two All-PacWest selections in Holly Obermuller and the Freshman of the Year Rori Fanning.
“We’re excited to welcome Ryan as our new assistant coach,” said women’s golf head coach Kim Kester. “With a strong background in college golf, Coach Stefko brings valuable experience, a passion for the game and a commitment to player development that aligns perfectly with our program.”
In 2023 the Meno women’s team won four tournaments and qualified for the NAIA women’s national championship. The Oaks finished the year ranked #11 in NAIA with the number one ranked player in Catherine Batang who tied for second at the national championship and won the Great Southwest Athletic Conference individual championship.
“Ryan impressed me in the interview process with his professionalism and positive energy,” head men’s golf coach John Carlson said. “He brings a strong background in leadership which is evident in his collegiate coaching success.”
A 2020 graduate of Marquette, Stefko started his coaching career in March of 2021 as the head junior varsity golf coach and assistant football coach at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco. He has also served as an instructor at Stanford’s golf camp and the Sports Journey US College Golf Camp in China.
The NIU men’s golf team begins its 2025-26 season Sept. 7-8 at Minnesota’s Gopher Invitational, with the women’s golf team opening its year at the Redbird Invitational hosted by Illinois State on those same two days.
Buckeyes to Play in Astros Foundation College Classic
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team will play in the Astros Foundation College Classic Feb. 27-March 1, 2025. The tournament will take place at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros. Ohio State will play the first game of the tournament, taking on UTSA on Friday, Feb. 27 at 11:05 a.m. CT/12:05 […]
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team will play in the Astros Foundation College Classic Feb. 27-March 1, 2025. The tournament will take place at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros.
Ohio State will play the first game of the tournament, taking on UTSA on Friday, Feb. 27 at 11:05 a.m. CT/12:05 p.m. ET.
The Buckeyes will face Ole Miss on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 11:05 a.m. CT/12:05 p.m. CT.
Ohio State will play its final game of the tournament on Sunday, March 1 against Texas at 2:05 p.m. CT/3:05 p.m. ET.
The other participating teams are Baylor and Coastal Carolina.
Single day tickets and three-day tournament packages will go on sale for the 2026 tournament at a later date.
News: NFL Media, Colin Cowherd, College Basketball Crown and more
NFL owners have reportedly been informally notified to be ready for a potential vote on a deal between the NFL and The Walt Disney Company; Colin Cowherd discussed the potential new lineup at FS1; and the College Basketball Crown is returning with some modifications. Plus additional news about NFL Network, Las Vegas Raiders radio broadcasts, […]
NFL owners have reportedly been informally notified to be ready for a potential vote on a deal between the NFL and The Walt Disney Company; Colin Cowherd discussed the potential new lineup at FS1; and the College Basketball Crown is returning with some modifications. Plus additional news about NFL Network, Las Vegas Raiders radio broadcasts, Kay Adams and affiliates for Cowherd’s show, “The Herd.”
NFL owners could reportedly vote on Disney media deal next month
National Football League owners have been informally notified to be ready for a potential vote next month to grant control of the league’s media assets to The Walt Disney Company, according to Eric Fisher of Front Office Sports. Fisher also reported that the NFL could also obtain an equity stake in ESPN, something that was said to be in “advanced talks” by The Athletic last January in exchange for control of NFL Media.
While the NFL has the ability to opt out of most of its national media contracts after the 2029 season, sources indicated to John Ourand of Puck News that the league could try to renegotiate new deals with the networks before it approaches. It should be noted that the opt-out clause in the ESPN contract with the NFL reportedly does not take place until after the 2030 season, which culminates with the final Super Bowl broadcast for The Walt Disney Company under the existing deal.
This past February, Ourand reported the resumption of conversations about ESPN taking over some parts of NFL Media, including the NFL Network and NFL RedZone. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic previously indicated “optimism on both sides” and that the deal could be for as much as $2 billion.
ESPN is planning to launch its direct-to-consumer streaming service in the early fall, which will allow fans to access broadcasts of Monday Night Football, shoulder programming and other sports content without a cable subscription. The network is coming off the second-most watched season of MNF since the series moved to ESPN in 2006. The Walt Disney Company is broadcasting its first Super Bowl in two decades at the conclusion of the 2026 season, marking the first time the contest will also air on ESPN.
Colin Cowherd discusses potential new FS1 lineup
FS1 host Colin Cowherd said Monday that he expects the network’s new Barstool Sports morning show to run live from 8-10 AM ET and then be replayed in the 10 AM-Noon window that leads into his show. “My guess is based on what I’m hearing about Portnoy, “Pardon My Take” guys, they’ll do a two-hour show and then they’ll run it again as a replay,” Cowherd said on the latest edition of “The Colin Cowherd Podcast.” “So that’s not necessarily a dynamic lead-in, but I think it is a cost-effective measure and it makes us younger on FS1, which I’m for.”
Fox Sports recently reached an agreement with Barstool that will include a daily morning show and the addition of Dave Portnoy to the FOX “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame. Ahead of the official announcement, it was reported that FS1 had cancelled both of its morning shows, “Breakfast Ball” and “The Facility.”
College Basketball Crown returning for second year
Fox Sports and AEG have announced that the College Basketball Crown tournament is returning next April from Las Vegas, Nev., but the field is being cut in half to eight teams. The inaugural tournament featured teams that represented seven college basketball conferences and averaged 260,000 viewers in its first year.
“We launched the College Basketball Crown to create more opportunities for elite competition during the thrilling college basketball post-season — and we saw an incredible response from fans, conferences, and players for the inaugural tournament,” Jordan Bazant, executive vice president at Fox Sports and board member of the College Basketball Crown, said in a statement. “We look forward to building on that momentum this spring by delivering high stakes matchups between top teams throughout the competition on FOX and FS1.”
Under the terms of the aforementioned content agreement with Barstool Sports, the company will contribute to the College Basketball Crown and other college basketball coverage on the network.
Plus: NFL Network, Las Vegas Raiders, Kay Adams, ‘The Herd’ Affiliates
NFL Network has announced coverage of training camps around the league utilizing its roster of on-air talent and various team reporters starting this weekend. The network will also editions of “Inside Training Camp” beginning on Monday, July 28 and implement coverage within “Good Morning Football” and “The Insiders.”
Former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Kirk Morrison has been named the color analyst for the team’s live game radio broadcasts. Morrison is working alongside play-by-play announcer Jason Horowitz and moves into the role previously held by Lincoln Kennedy, who will be on the pregame and postgame shows.
Kay Adams is hosting the new “Netflix Sports Club” podcast on which she is talking about sports programming from the company through interviews and discussions with correspondents. Adams recently interviewed Detroit Lions star Jared Goff, who was featured in the second season of “Quarterback” produced by NFL Films, Omaha Productions and 2PM Productions and streaming on Netflix.
Colin Cowherd’s FS1/Fox Sports Radio show, “The Herd,” will start airing on iHeartMedia-owned Rip City Radio 620 in Portland, Ore. on Tuesday, marking the 400th affiliate for the program. Cowherd previously worked in Portland as a sportscaster and radio host before moving to the national airwaves in 2003.
CATA to launch mobile fare payment system Aug. 1 | State College News
The Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) will launch a new mobile fare payment system on Aug. 1, introducing Token Transit validators on all vehicles. The upgrade streamlines the boarding process through contactless payment technology that works directly with phones. The new system will allow riders to pay using their phones through the Token Transit app, […]
The Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) will launch a new mobile fare payment system on Aug. 1, introducing Token Transit validators on all vehicles. The upgrade streamlines the boarding process through contactless payment technology that works directly with phones.
The new system will allow riders to pay using their phones through the Token Transit app, which enables people to purchase, store and scan fare passes via QR code. The new fare options will also include discounted passes and simplified transfers.
This fall, CATA also plans to introduce tap-to-pay features using credit or debit cards and mobile devices, which are expected to benefit both residents and visitors to State College.
The technology will be installed on all CATA vehicles by the launch date. Riders can visit the CATA Customer Service Center at 108 E. Beaver Ave.for assistance with the new system.
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