Sports
What will the Pac-12 and Mountain West look like in 2032?
This marks the last week of the 2024-25 athletic season for the Nevada Wolf Pack as track and field star Lilly Urban will compete at the NCAA Championship in javelin on Thursday in the last competition of the year for the school. We start this week’s Monday Mailbag looking further into the future with a […]

This marks the last week of the 2024-25 athletic season for the Nevada Wolf Pack as track and field star Lilly Urban will compete at the NCAA Championship in javelin on Thursday in the last competition of the year for the school. We start this week’s Monday Mailbag looking further into the future with a question about where the Pac-12 and Mountain West are headed. Let’s dive into that. Thanks, as always, for the inquiries.
That’s a good question to ask and impossible one to answer. If you go back seven years ago and look at conference affiliations, there were 64 schools at the power-conference level. For the 2025 football season, there are 66 schools in those conferences. Of those 67, 17 are in different conferences than they were seven years ago. That’s more than a quarter of the schools, with the Pac-12 falling out of the power-conference column. Not many would have predicted that seven years before it happened. So, there’s no certainty when it comes to conference affiliations. But there is a trend of massive realignment every decade. And seven years from now will be roughly the decade mark from Texas and Oklahoma giving its notice it was leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, which triggered all of the most recent changes.
My best guess is the ACC ceases to exist as currently constructed by 2032, your seven-year figure. So, let’s say North Carolina, Florida State, Clemson, Miami, Duke, Virginia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina State, Virginia and Pitt find new spots in the Big Ten, SEC or Big 12. That might be a touch high. Maybe it’s more like the top six on that list. But my point being the ACC destabilizes, which could be a good thing for the Pac-12, which could reclaim Stanford and Cal plus perhaps SMU, which might be in the mix for a power-conference spot at that point.
Here’s my best guess for the 2032-33 membership in the Pac-12 and MW:
Pac-12: Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Utah State, Stanford, Cal, Texas State, Gonzaga (non-football)
Mountain West: Air Force, Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Sac State, San Jose State, UC Davis, UNLV, UTEP, Wyoming, Northern Illinois (football only), North Dakota State (football only)
So, I have Texas State in the Pac-12 as a near-term addition with Stanford and Cal re-joining the league after the ACC destabilizes and falls from Power 4 status to Group of 5 status. In the MW, I have Sac State added as a full member and North Dakota State in football only. Other schools to watch for membership changes include Memphis, Tulane, UTSA and USF, from the American Athletic Conference, plus UNLV, which is trying to get a Big 12 invitation, and Air Force, which has shown its dissatisfaction with the MW from time to time. But I think the Big 12 holds out for ACC schools once that league starts to fracture rather than poaching UNLV. Ultimately, I think we’re headed to a Power 3 situation, and I think the Big 12 outlasts the ACC in that battle for the third spot at the table with the Big Ten and SEC.
More financial investment, more facility improvements, more good coaching. That’s the key to successful programs. It takes money. It takes a good infrastructure of facilities and amenities. And it takes good coaching. If I had to rank programs by odds of winning a Mountain West title next season, I’d go:
Not happening (0 percent): Women’s cross country; men’s cross country; women’s indoor track and field; women’s outdoor track and field (four)
Lloyd Christmas landing Mary Swanson (one in a million): Football; women’s soccer; volleyball; men’s golf (four)
Odds the San Francisco Giants win the World Series (2.5 percent, per FanGraphs): Women’s swim and dive; women’s basketball (two)
Odds the New York Mets win the World Series (10.0 percent per FanGraphs): Women’s golf (one)
Odds the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series (20.7 percent, per FanGraphs): Men’s tennis; men’s basketball (two)
Coin flip (50 percent of better): Baseball; softball; women’s tennis (three)
Fox Sports offered betting odds on that hypothetical bout from Rocky IV and had Rocky Balboa at +800 odds, so a roughly 11 percent likelihood of defeating Ivan Drago, which is in line with Mets winning the World Series this season. So, Nevada football has a better chance of making a bowl this season than Rocky had of beating Drago, and Rocky famously won that bout, so you’re telling me there’s a chance. My way-too-early Mountain West win totals had Nevada at 6-6 overall and 4-4 in conference. So, I have the Wolf Pack in a bowl.
No, I don’t think so. The Mountain West has nine football schools now, which is the ideal number for a traditional eight-game league schedule. I don’t see the MW adding any more football-only members in the short term, and Northern Illinois was more attractive than Toledo because (a) its football history is slightly better and (b) it’s closer to a major city, Chicago.
The issue with putting UNLV’s quarterback in my Mountain West QB rankings was the fact we don’t know who that person will be. That position will go to Michigan transfer Alex Orji or Virginia transfer Anthony Colandrea. Orji is an unknown given his relatively sparse amount of playing time. He’s a former three-star recruit (No. 992 in the nation, 71st among quarterbacks) who has a career passer rating of 93.6 while completing just 54.2 percent of his passes for 3.2 yards per attempt. Those are atrocious numbers. But there seems to be untapped potential there, which is why I picked him to win the job over Colandrea, who is more proven with 4,083 passing yards and 26 touchdowns in two seasons at Virginia, albeit with 20 interceptions and a passer rating last year of 124.2 (which is not good). It is fair to point out Chubba Purdy’s career numbers are underwhelming, too, as he’s completed just 54.8 percent of his passes with more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (seven) and a career passer rating of 107 (also not good). My ranking him fifth in the MW was based on his running ability and Nevada’s proof-of-concept in coaching up Brendon Lewis last year. Certainly, Purdy could get hurt again or remain ineffective. But the same is true for Orji and Colandrea.
Here were my MW quarterback rankings, as posted with more detail last week.
1. Maddux Madsen, Boise State
2. E.J. Warner, Fresno State
3. Micah Alejado, Hawaii
4. Walker Eget, San Jose State
5. Chubba Purdy, Nevada
6. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, Colorado State
7. Alex Orji, UNLV
8. Kaden Anderson, Wyoming
9. Bryson Barnes, Utah State
10. Jack Layne, New Mexico
11. Quentin Hayes, Air Force
12. Jayden Denegal, San Diego State
There not much in the way of sure things here. The MW is not strong at quarterback this season, not it has not been the last couple of years.
Nevada ranked 129th out of 134 FBS teams in special teams efficiency last year, per ESPN’s Football Power Index. ESPN’s Bill Connelly projected Nevada for a SP+ special teams ranking of 129th out of 136 FBS schools this year. That’s an area that must improve. The Wolf Pack doesn’t have a kicker or punter on its roster who has played a game at the FBS level and also will break in a new long snapper. That’s not ideal. Punter returner Marcus Bellon could be All-MW good, and there are some kick-returning options (Ky Woods, Marquis Ashley, Charles Brown, Ashton Hayes). But the special teams must be better this year than it was last season when it cost the team big in losses to Colorado State and SMU.
Mountain West schools owe roughly $500,000 in back pay to athletes annually for each of the next 10 years. Is that fair? I guess. It seems like the power-conference schools should have been on the hook for a larger share of that back pay, but that’s not how things shook out since they’re in charge. I did have one former Nevada star ask me over the weekend if he was in line for money from this deal. Alas, he graduated in 2014, and the back pay only extends to athletes who competed from 2016-17 to 2024-25.
None of them?
Look, the House vs. NCAA settlement is not good for non-Power 4 schools. It’s increasing expenses exponentially while not creating new revenue sources to pay for those expenses. Nevada has basically run deficits annually for the last 15 to 20 years. It barely makes ends meet despite getting an additional $10 million in university money each of the last four years. I have no idea how the Wolf Pack is going to find the revenue-sharing numbers with its athletes, which could cost around $5 million per year if Nevada uses the NCAA formula of sharing 22 percent of its revenue plus the back pay that will be taken out of its NCAA distribution. The House case provides some clarity moving forward for Division I schools, but the revenue sharing is going to create staffing issues; increase internal arguments on which teams get how much; and hurt Olympic sports, not to mention create Title IX issues. I imagine most D-I athletics directors would prefer not to share revenue if given the option because they’ll be forced to cut costs elsewhere and try and raise revenue in the process. It’s a tough deal.
If you want one area where this settlement could potentially help mid-major schools like Nevada, it is the new roster limits. Some sports are getting reduced roster spots (like baseball), which could push more talent to lower-level schools. I guess that’s a potential plus.
There will not be contracted athletes as part of the House vs. NCAA settlement. Some schools have multi-year NIL deals with athletes that tie them to the school for multiple years. But, at this stage, college athletes are not employees of the school.
The Nevada-Fresno State semifinal of the Mountain West baseball tournament last month was exactly that. It was the championship game one round early.
If you want to go back a few years prior, I tweeted the Nevada-San Diego State men’s basketball semifinal in the 2018 Mountain West Tournament was the championship game, and then-New Mexico coach Paul Weir didn’t like that. The exact tweet read, “The MW title game is tomorrow at 6 p.m. Nevada versus SDSU. Should be fun.” After New Mexico beat Utah State in its semifinal, Weir said in his postgame presser, “Chris Murray might not think there’s a game tomorrow night, but we do. We’re excited to be here. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got. We’ve battled back from a lot, and that’s America. And if Chris Murray doesn’t want to believe in that, that’s fine. But we’re really looking forward to just giving it everything we’ve got tomorrow night. We’ve come a long way, and we’ll keep fighting.”
So, yes, the semifinal is the oftentimes the real championship game. That’s America.
Fun Fact: The Minnesota Timberwolves’ first season in 1989-90 had a three-person coaching staff in head coach Bill Musselman and assistants Tom Thibodeau and Bob Zuffelato. The second-year staff in 1990-91 included Bill Musselman as head coach and assistants Thibodeau and Eric Musselman. That was the former Nevada head coach’s first year in the NBA. So, Musselman and Thibodeau go back to the mullet days where that picture if probably from. Still, Thibodeau would have been fired either way because Knicks owner James Dolan is a bozo.
I haven’t heard anything since the day the Reno Redevelopment Agency board approved the public-money portion of the funding. At that point, GSR owner Alex Meruelo said ground would be broken in June — “Hell, yes, we’re breaking ground in June,” were his exact words. There are 21 days left in June, so this should be coming soon. We also should have some more news to report this week on Nevada’s indoor facility.
There’s no reason to get in the kitchen when playing pickleball, so I stayed out of there. I’m not dinking it into the kitchen every shot. That’s boring. It was a fun time. I met my boss, Anthony Resnick, at our community courts at 8 a.m. and other neighborhood folks showed up in mass around 8:45 a.m., so we weaved into their games and finished 4-2 overall, including 1-2 against the top-dog team. I then played with this nice grizzly bear of a man with a thick Eastern European accent named Ya Ya and went 1-1 with him against the big dogs on the court. I still prefer tennis, but I don’t really have anybody to play with, so pickleball was a nice way to get in three hours of Sunday morning exercise.
Thanks for reading!
See y’all next week!
Sports columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. He writes a weekly Monday Mailbag despite it giving him a headache and it taking several hours to write. But people seem to like it, so he does it anyway. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.
Sports
Capobianco, Burmester claim NE10 Sport Excellence Awards
Story Links WALTHAM, Mass. – Recent Bentley graduates Caitlin Burmester ’25 and Sam Capobianco ’25 both received the Northeast-10 Sport Excellence Award, the NE10 announced Wednesday. Burmester earned the honor for the 2025 outdoor women’s track & field season, and Capobianco is the recipient for the outdoor men’s track & field season. […]

WALTHAM, Mass. – Recent Bentley graduates Caitlin Burmester ’25 and Sam Capobianco ’25 both received the Northeast-10 Sport Excellence Award, the NE10 announced Wednesday. Burmester earned the honor for the 2025 outdoor women’s track & field season, and Capobianco is the recipient for the outdoor men’s track & field season.
NE10 Release
The NE10 Sport Excellence Award recognizes both athletic and academic achievements. Per the NE10: To be eligible for Academic All-Conference and Sport Excellence honors, a student-athlete must have started at least half or played in two-thirds of all contests while making significant contributions and maintaining a 3.3 grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.
Burmester is a rare three-time recipient of the NE10 Sport Excellence Award in a single academic year. She previously earned the distinction for both women’s cross country and women’s indoor track & field during the 2024-25 academic year.
During NE10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Burmester won gold medals in the 800-m and 1500-m. She was named a USTFCCCA All-Region runner in those two events.
Burmester earned two NE10 gold medals during the indoor season, capturing additional All-Region honors. During the 2024 cross country season, Burmester led Bentley to its first-ever NE10 title, and won the individual NCAA East Regional title.
Back in early June, the NE10 announced that Burmester is the conference’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Capobianco became a two-time recipient of the Sports Excellence Award this year (men’s indoor track & field). During NE10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Capobianco won gold medals in the 5,000-m and 4×800 relay. He also took silver in the 1,500-m.
Capobianco was a USTFCCCA All-Region honoree in four events during the indoor track & field season. Overall in his Bentley career, Capobianco is a five-time selection to NE10 Academic All-Conference teams.
Sports
SSU Volleyball Adds Eight New Players
Ny’Kira Raby Savannah State University head volleyball coach Roselidah Obunaga has announced the additions of eight new players for the Lady Tigers volleyball team for the 2025 season. Ny’Kira Raby (5’3”) is a freshman defensive specialist and will remain a Tiger, having played at Bradwell Institute in Hinesville, Georgia. She finished her high school career […]


Savannah State University head volleyball coach Roselidah Obunaga has announced the additions of eight new players for the Lady Tigers volleyball team for the 2025 season.
Ny’Kira Raby (5’3”) is a freshman defensive specialist and will remain a Tiger, having played at Bradwell Institute in Hinesville, Georgia. She finished her high school career with 1,000 career digs.
Nyalah Smith (6’1”) is a freshman middle hitter/outside hitter from Evans, Georgia where she attended Lakeside High School. At Lakeside, Smith helped her team to two region titles while earning first team all-region honors during her junior and senior seasons. As a senior, she played in 105 sets and finished the year with 230 kills, 70 blocks, 18 digs, nine assists and two aces.
Aniyah Parks (5’10”) is a freshman setter/opposite hitter from Jonesboro, Georgia where she played at Jonesboro High School. Parks earned all-region honors as a junior and senior and ended the 2024 season with 66 digs, 62 kills, 28 aces, 17 assists and 14 blocks.

Mya McCall (5’5”) is a freshman defensive specialist from Atlanta, Georgia where she played at Westlake High School and was the Defensive Player of the Year and made the all-region team. As a senior, she played in 89 sets and had 99 digs, nine assists, four kills and one ace.
Harmony Flagg (5’11”) is a freshman opposite hitter who is from Miramar, Florida and played at South Plantation High School. Flagg had 130 digs in 2024 along with 103 kills, 27 aces and 32 blocks.
Talia Taylor (5’7”) is a freshman opposite hitter/ defensive specialist from Cumming, Georgia where she played at West Forsyth High School. During her senior year, Taylor played in 21 sets and had 17 kills, four digs and four blocks.
Natalie Vaughn (5’7”) is a freshman setter who played at Pickerington High School in Pickerington, Ohio where won the Panther Award (for sportsmanship) as a junior and Coaches Award as a senior. Vaughn finished her senior year with 19 blocks, 18 digs and 14 kills in 24 sets.

Connelly Smith (6’0”) is a junior middle hitter/ outside hitter from Augusta, Georgia. Smith spent the past two years at USC Salkehatchie. As a freshman, smith made the NJCAA Division I All-Region 10 Second Team and during the 2024 season she made the NJCAA Division I All-Region 10 First Team as well as NCCAA Division I Player of the Year and was the USC-S’s team Most Valuable Player.
SSU will open the fall season with the annual Orange and Blue Scrimmage on September 1 and will start the regular with non-conference match at Middle Georgia State University on Sept. 2.





Sports
Smash-and-grab burglar hits popular burger spot in Tempe
TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — A smash-and-grab at a popular burger joint in Tempe was caught on camera. Johnny’s Burgers and Dogs on South McClintock Drive, just north of Southern Avenue, is asking for your help in figuring out who robbed them. It happened just after midnight on Monday. In three different camera angles, you can […]

TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — A smash-and-grab at a popular burger joint in Tempe was caught on camera.
Johnny’s Burgers and Dogs on South McClintock Drive, just north of Southern Avenue, is asking for your help in figuring out who robbed them.
It happened just after midnight on Monday. In three different camera angles, you can see the person smashing their way through the bottom glass window, shuffling their body across the floor, zig-zagging around the tables before making their way to the front.
They swiped the cash register clean from the counter and ran off with it.
It was something Carlos Contreres said he was not prepared to see walking into his shift the next day. “When I went to open the door, I noticed the register was missing. It’s gut-wrenching,” Contreres said.
The burglar got away with a few hundred dollars. The owner, Yianni Loannaou, said he’s thankful his employees weren’t inside.
He said his store will recover, and he hopes whoever did this does too. “Especially someone who does this act, something is going through their life and I hope they get the help they need,” Loannaou said.
There’s been a string of commercial robberies across Phoenix.
According to the community crime map, there has been a chain of different reported business burglaries within the last three months.
Anyone with information is asked to call Tempe police at 480-350-8311.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
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Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
Sports
Back To Boulder: Ski Ball Registration Open
BOULDER—The 55th Annual University of Colorado Ski Ball is returning to Boulder and registration is now open! Get your tickets now for the best party in Boulder, set for Friday, October 10 at the brand new Limelight Hotel on the corner of Broadway and University adjacent to campus. Help us celebrate the ski team and […]

Help us celebrate the ski team and join us for dinner, dancing and an exclusive silent auction showcasing our outstanding partnerships across the ski community and around Boulder.
We will also be honoring Bruce Gamble on the Mountain of Honor and David Plati and the family of Fred Casotti as part of our Ski Champions initiative.
College athletics is at a crossroads, and the ski team needs your support more than ever to continue to compete for and win championships on and off the snow. Aside from purchasing tickets and attending, you can further your support in many ways, including becoming a table sponsor, donating an item for the silent auction, or donating additional money directly to the ski team.
The Limelight Hotel will soon become one of the go-to hotel options in Boulder, especially on game days. There are a limited number of rooms available as part of the Ski Ball block. Be sure after you register to secure your room and stay to watch the football team take on Iowa State the following day.
Sports
Darling Assembles Demanding Schedule to Test Golden Knights in 2025
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon volleyball team has reached the Elite Eight three of the last four years under long-time head coach Matt Darling. The Golden Knights have enjoyed incredible success under Darling, with 432 wins in his 18 seasons at the helm. Darling has never been shied away from playing a demanding schedule and […]

Darling has never been shied away from playing a demanding schedule and that is certainly the case in 2025. He has announced Gannon’s 2025 schedule, and it is one of the most challenging in many years.
Despite losing four AVCA honorable mention All-Americans from last year’s squad that finished 26-8 and reached the Elite Eight, Darling’s squad will play a total of 13 matches against NCAA playoff teams from a year ago, including defending national champion Lynn. The Golden Knights will play teams from four different conferences in addition to their PSAC foes, including four conference champions.
“We will find challenges at every part of this year’s schedule, starting in the pre-conference portion of the schedule, where we have a match against the defending national champions and matches against two other sweet sixteen teams,” Darling pointed out. “Once we hit PSAC play, we expect to be in a real fight for the postseason. At least five or six PSAC West teams, I think, will have a legitimate chance to win it this year, so there will be a fight for the four playoff spots. Hopefully we’ll be up to these challenges.”
Gannon jumps right into the fire to start a brutal non-conference portion of the schedule the very first weekend, playing four matches in the New York City area in two days. The season gets underway with a duel against the 2024 national champions on Friday, September 5, with Gannon meeting Lynn at Adelphi in Garden City, NY. The Sunshine State Conference champions won the South Regional then went on to defeat Wingate, Bentley, and finally San Francisco State in the national championship match. The Fighting Knights enter the season riding a 12-match winning streak and were 33-3 a year ago.
Later that same day Gannon will face host Adelphi, another NCAA postseason squad. The Panthers reached the Northeast-10 semifinals before falling in the East Regional semifinals to finish at 23-11.
On Saturday, September 6 the Golden Knights move on to Rockville Centre, N.Y., the home of Molloy, to face the host Lions and Assumption. Molloy, members of the East Coast Conference, was 14-12 a year ago. The four-game ends against a second NE-10 team in Assumption (8-17).
The following weekend the Golden Knights will head to the Midwest for three matches in the Hampton Inn & Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic. On Friday, September 12 Gannon plays a pair of Great Midwest Athletic Conference squads. Play begins with a 10:00 a.m. match vs. Findlay. The Oilers were 24-9 a year ago, winning the G-MAC championship before falling to Ferris State in the Midwest Regional championship.
At 4:00 p.m. on Friday Gannon faces Tiffin (13-14). On Saturday, September 13 the Golden Knights meet host Davenport (10-19) at 3:00 p.m.
Gannon plays in its third tournament in three weeks on September 18-20, and this one could have huge regional implications. The Golden Knights will compete against four Mountain East Conference teams, the first two in the Wheeling Invitational and the second pair in the West Liberty Invitational.
In a rematch of last year’s Atlantic Regional championship match, Gannon plays at Wheeling on Thursday, September 18. The Cardinals finished as the MEC runner-up after losing to West Virginia State in the championship match. They advanced to the Atlantic Regional final before losing to Gannon in four games with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.
On Friday, September 19 the Golden Knights return to Wheeling to face Fairmont State (18-14).
Gannon makes the short trip to West Liberty for a pair of matches on Saturday, September 20. The day gets underway at 1:00 p.m. against MEC champion West Virginia State. The Yellow Jackets finished at 24-10 last year, defeating Clarion in the opening round of the Atlantic Regional before falling to Gannon in three games in the semifinals.
Gannon concludes the three-day sojourn to West Virginia with a 6:00 p.m. match at West Liberty. The Hilltoppers were 15-15 a year ago, including a three-game sweep of the Golden Knights.
After 11 straight matches on the road and against non-PSAC competition to begin the season the Golden Knights finally meet a team from the PSAC. This one will be a non-conference affair as well, with 2024 Eastern Division regular season champion Shepherd visiting the Highmark Events Center on Friday, September 26 for Parents’ Night. The home opener will be the first time the Golden Knights have played at the Highmark Events Center since December 1, 2023.
The Rams finished at 24-6 last year, finishing as the PSAC runner-up and earning a berth in the Atlantic Regional. They would lose to Indiana (Pa.) in the quarterfinals.
The Shepherd match is the first of five straight contests at the Highmark Events Center. After hosting local rival Edinboro (14-13) in the Western Division opener on Sunday, September 28, Gannon’s next four matches are against teams that made the NCAA Tournament.
Gannon hosts PSAC champion Indiana (Pa.) on Friday, October 3 in a rematch of the PSAC Championship. The Crimson Hawks defeated Gannon in four games before reaching the Atlantic Regional semifinals and losing to Wheeling. IUP ended the year at 24-9.
A day later Pitt-Johnstown (19-10), another Atlantic Regional entrant, plays at Gannon. The Golden Knights will play their third NCAA Tournament team in five days with a non-conference match vs. Daemen on Tuesday, October 7. The Wildcats, members of the ECC, finished at 17-9 and played in the East Regional.
Gannon hits the highways for a pair of PSAC West contests on October 10 and 11. The Golden Knights renew their rivalry with Clarion (15-12) on Friday night, marking the fourth straight match against an NCAA Tournament squad. On Saturday Gannon plays at Slippery Rock (12-14).
The following weekend Gannon hosts California (Pa.) (3-20) on Friday, October 17 and Seton Hill on Saturday, October 18. The Griffins finished at 19-9 after losing to Gannon in the PSAC quarterfinals.
The Seton Hill match marks the end of the first half of divisional play. The second half begins with the second meeting against Edinboro on Friday, October 24. That’s followed by the final non-conference match of the season as Cedarville (14-11) visits the Highmark Events Center on Saturday, October 25. Cedarville is a member of the G-MAC.
The second half features four straight away matches before the regular season concludes with back-to-back home games. Darling’s squad ends the regular season with Senior Day festivities on Saturday, November 15 with Clarion providing the opposition.
The PSAC Tournament gets underway on Tuesday, November 18 with the quarterfinals. The Final Four is set for Friday, November 21 and Saturday, November 22 and will be hosted by the highest remaining Eastern Division seed.
Gannon will hope to secure a 16th straight NCAA Tournament berth, with the Atlantic Regional scheduled for December 4-6. The NCAA Elite Eight is set for December 11-13. For the second straight year the Elite Eight will be held in Sioux Falls, SD.
Sports
EMCC softball standouts Karen and Gail Wisher selected to CSC Academic All-America At-Large Team
EMCC softball standouts Karen and Gail Wisher selected to CSC Academic All-America At-Large Team Published 9:52 am Wednesday, July 9, 2025 Karen Wisher readies herself for the pitch while at bat for the EMCC lions during the 2025 softball season. Submitted photo AUSTIN, Texas – Former East Mississippi Community College softball standouts Karen Wisher and […]

EMCC softball standouts Karen and Gail Wisher selected to CSC Academic All-America At-Large Team
Published 9:52 am Wednesday, July 9, 2025
- Karen Wisher readies herself for the pitch while at bat for the EMCC lions during the 2025 softball season. Submitted photo
AUSTIN, Texas – Former East Mississippi Community College softball standouts Karen Wisher and Gail Wisher have been named to the 2024-25 Academic All-America Women’s At-Large Team for the College Division, the College Sports Communicators announced Tuesday.
Karen was one of 13 first-team national selections, while Gail was one of seven second-team recipients. EMCC joined Jones College as the only two MACCC members to have multiple student-athletes selected among the organization’s 20 at-large national academic recipients. Representing the recognized women’s sports of badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, bowling, cross country, curling, field hockey, flag football, golf, half marathon, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo and wrestling, the College Division is comprised of student-athletes from two-year colleges, Canadian institutions and any other institution not affiliated with the NCAA or NAIA.

EMCC’s Gail Wisher throw a pitch from the mound during the 2025 softball season. Submitted photo
Identical twin sisters out of Alma Bryant High School in Irvington, Alabama, the Wishers both majored in exercise science at EMCC and have committed to continue their academic and softball careers within the Magnolia State at Blue Mountain Christian University.
With a 3.77 cumulative grade point average during her EMCC career as a two-year starting centerfielder for head coach Mackenzie Byrd’s Lions, Karen Wisher batted .332 for her career with 36 extra-base hits (22 doubles, 10 home runs and 4 triples), 39 runs batted in and 68 runs scored. She also posted a career slugging percentage of .556 and was 16-for-17 in career stolen base attempts.
On the heels of being named to the 2024 All-MACCC Second Team as a freshman after leading EMCC in hitting (.338), home runs (7), hits (45), extra-base hits (20), doubles (12), total bases (80), slugging percentage (.602) and runs scored (39), Karen Wisher followed with an equally impressive sophomore season. The right-handed hitter who throws left-handed led the Lions in hitting (.333) and slugging percentage (.523) for the second straight season as a sophomore this past year.
While also having excelled in the classroom with a 3.87 cumulative GPA, Gail Wisher earned 2025 All-MACCC honorable mention recognition as a sophomore after becoming the first EMCC softball pitcher since 2014 to reach double-digit wins in a season with a 10-12 record and 3.39 earned run average. The right-hander finished seventh among conference leaders with the most strikeouts (137) thrown by a Lions pitcher in a single season since EMCC Sports Hall of Fame member Courtney Nunn reached the century mark during the 2009 and 2010 seasons with 156 and 217 strikeouts, respectively.
As a two-year starter either in the circle or primarily at shortstop when not pitching for the Lions, Gail Wisher batted .296 for her EMCC career, including 25 extra-base hits (18 doubles, 6 HRs and one triple), with 56 runs scored and 46 RBIs during her 83-game EMCC career.
Academically at East Mississippi, the Wisher twins both graduated with magna cum laude honors this past spring and were both four-time President’s List scholars. In addition to being two-time NJCAA Academic Award recipients and repeat Academic All-MACCC honorees, they were members of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society during their two years on the Scooba campus.
At the prep level, the Wishers were both two-time Class 7A All-County high school selections at Alma Bryant along with being co-recipients of the Hurricanes’ prestigious 2023 Frank Menton Athletic Award.
Established in 1952 and selected by College Sports Communicators, Academic All-America is the longest running and premier award for athletic and academic success across championship college sports at all NCAA levels, the NAIA, two-year colleges and Canadian institutions. Teams are announced year round and amplified by CSC member colleges, universities and conferences on a wide local, regional, national and even international scope.
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