NCAA – Page 142 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Iowa Safety Rogers to Visit Gophers

Posted on August 4, 2014August 4, 2014 by David Shama

Former Iowa State defensive back Charlie Rogers, now at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, may become a Gopher, according to Scott Strohmeier.

Strohmeier, the Iowa Western head coach, told Sports Headliners his safety’s top two Division I college choices are Minnesota and Illinois. He also said Rogers is making plans to visit the University of Minnesota.

Rogers chose Iowa State over the Gophers as a high school player at Iowa City West where he was better known as a quarterback than defensive player. He was a Rivals.com three-star prospect and considered one of Iowa’s best prep recruits in the class of 2012.

As a redshirt freshman last year at Iowa State, Rogers was one of seven freshmen to play for the Cyclones. He participated in 12 games, starting two at cornerback and nickelback. He was second team All-Big 12 academic.

Rogers, 6-1, 195 pounds, wouldn’t be the first Iowa Western alum to play for the Gophers. Mike Henry, a senior fullback on last year’s Gophers, first attended Iowa Western after graduating from Mahtomedi High School. Linebacker Cody Poock, from Spirit Lake, Iowa, transferred to Minnesota after playing for Strohmeier last fall.

Strohmeier is from Watkins, Minnesota. He has been head coach of the Reivers since 2008 and won the 2012 National Junior College Athletic Association championship.

Strohmeier’s relationship with the Gophers is enhanced by his friendship with Gophers associate athletic director Dan O’Brien who oversees the U football program and is a former head coach at Concordia of St. Paul. “Dan gave me my first coaching job at Concordia,” Strohmeier said. “He got me in the profession.”

Iowa Western is a possible destination for former Washburn High School running back Jeff Jones, the Rivals.com four-star recruit who is trying to become NCAA eligible this summer so he can join the Gophers who started practice last Friday in preparation for their season opener on August 28 at home against Eastern Illinois. “I would love to have a guy like Jeff but he deserves to play Division I,” Strohmeier said. “We’re here if he needs to be.”

If Jones were to become a Reiver, he would play in the same backfield with Eden Prairie High School alum Anthony Anderson, a power back who will have major college recruiters watching him in Council Bluffs. Strohmeier lost his top two tailbacks from last year’s No. 2 nationally ranked team and he expects Anderson to help fill the void.

What would it be like to have a backfield with the elusive Jones and powerful Anderson? “I could sleep a lot better at night. I can tell you that much,” Strohmeier said.

Worth Noting

After reporting on Jones for months and following his story, I will be surprised if he isn’t admitted to the University of Minnesota soon, even if he isn’t NCAA eligible to play for the Gophers this season.

Among the Gophers’ best chances for a road upset this season could be September 27 at Michigan. The Gophers have only won twice in Ann Arbor since 1986 and have lost five consecutive games to Michigan, but the Wolverines have been faltering the last two years with a 15-11 record.

“It was a low energy program a year ago,” said Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo last Monday on BTN’s coverage of the conference’s Media Day.

The Wolverines’ problems include having lost five of their last six games against Michigan State. Spartans’ coach Mike Dantonio was asked at Media Day how MSU can keep up the intensity for the in-state rivalry. “I continue to live in (the state of) Michigan,” he answered. “That ought to do it.”

Eighteen attendees paid $2,000 each for the “Boys of Fall Elite Camp” that coincided with the opening of Gophers training camp last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Participants received an inside look at the Gophers program, attending team and position meetings and eating with players. The camp raised money for the football program.

Senior redshirt wide receiver Devon Wright is now on the Gophers’ 105-man roster, after replacing injured redshirt sophomore tight end Duke Anyanwu. Wright is a former Tim Brewster recruit as a running back from Florida. He played on special teams last year.

Former Gophers linebacker Jon Leverenz is teaching science at Bloomington Jefferson High School and is the head boys track coach. His 162 tackles in 1987 ranks second for a single Gophers season behind linebacker Bill Light’s 172 in 1970.

Former Gophers basketball captain Al Nuness will be part of the inaugural hall of fame class at his old Chicago area high school, Proviso East, on August 30.

It might be a matter of when—not whether—U.S. Bank is announced as the naming rights choice for the new Vikings stadium.

Wasn’t that Tom Lehman looking at the University of Minnesota Les Bolstad Golf Course last week with the possibility of helping with renovations?

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Next Stadium Could Be for MLS Soccer

Posted on July 2, 2014July 2, 2014 by David Shama

The future of pro soccer in Minnesota might be more a question of who will own the franchise and where the team will play, rather than whether this area will be granted membership in North America’s best league.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has said MLS will expand by four teams within six years and Minneapolis is on a short list of potential new franchises. Minnesota United owner Bill McGuire wouldn’t confirm to Sports Headliners he will pursue an MLS franchise but it’s believed he is open to doing so—and leaving the North American Soccer League where the United play. A Minneapolis MLS team, if owned by McGuire, would likely play in a new soccer-specific stadium in Hennepin County.

The Wilf family, owners of the Vikings, have made it known they are interested in owning a Minneapolis MLS franchise. The Vikings have exclusive five-year rights to pursue an MLS team in their new downtown multipurpose stadium once it opens in 2016.

A source told Sports Headliners McGuire has interest in potential stadium sites near Mall of America and downtown. At either location an open air stadium seating about 20,000 would most closely approximate the facility model favored by the MLS, where playing in a domed facility isn’t the norm. The new Vikings domed stadium will have a capacity of about 65,000 for football but seats could be covered to create a more intimate setting for soccer. A partially transparent roof and facades will allow natural light into the Vikings stadium and create an outdoor viewing feel for spectators.

At first consideration it might seem doubtful there would be much public support for a soccer-specific stadium. But perhaps Mall of America interests would join McGuire in financing a stadium near the mega shopping center in Bloomington. A privately financed stadium at that location would provide a major outdoor venue that could be used for soccer, concerts and other attractions.

Before the MOA was built, Met Stadium in Bloomington hosted the Minnesota Kicks, a popular NASL team that drew large crowds because of the party environment fueled by tailgating. Combining the marketing power of the MOA with the lure of a new stadium and revived tailgating could create a lot of awareness about a new soccer product in Bloomington.

At least two sites near the Farmers Market downtown are being talked about for a soccer stadium. Proponents of the Farmers Market area fought to have the Vikings stadium there, arguing the location could be a financial stimulus to the neighborhood and even boost the city’s north side economy. It’s also said that a soccer stadium in that area—near Target Field and Target Center—further enhances the city’s entertainment district. The greater area is a transit hub that includes light rail and train service.

Hennepin County, the public partner in financing Target Field, might be a supporter of a Farmers Market soccer stadium. The county, unlike the city, is in a better financial position to help back a stadium and both public entities would profit from taxes and increased business activities.

Could the Twins also be a partner with McGuire in the team and facility? McGuire was in Kansas City, Kansas last December with a group that included Twins president Dave St. Peter. The purpose was to look at the local MLS’s stadium—Sporting Park, a facility that seats 18,467 for soccer and 25,000 for concerts. The outdoor stadium opened in 2011 and cost $200 million.

A soccer-specific stadium either at Mall of America or downtown would be expected to create event revenues beyond those generated by an MLS team. Whether the stadium is a public-private partnership, or privately owned, a 20,000 seat open air facility fills a void in the Twin Cities market and might interest various investors including the Twins who have staged concerts at Target Field.

Proponents of playing in the Vikings stadium will insist that with $150 million invested by the city and $348 million from the state, the only place that makes sense for a local MLS franchise is the new multipurpose venue being constructed on the old Metrodome site. The Vikings are paying the balance of the cost for the near $1 billion stadium and they will argue the facility was built to house as many events as possible, including soccer, and provide the best return on investment for all concerned.

The Wilfs or McGuire would likely pay $100 million or more as an expansion fee. The fee for the New York FC team that begins play in 2015 was $100 million. “Major League Soccer franchise fees have increased twenty fold from the league’s ten charter clubs in 1996 to introduction of the twentieth franchise in 2013,” according to a June 11 story last year by Christopher Savino for Businessofsoccer.com.

But paying around $100 million could be a bargain and a smart business move. While expansion fees have increased, so has the value of franchises. Chris Smith, reporting for Forbes.com in a story November 20, 2013, wrote that cities are lining up for expansion teams and that should not be a surprise. “In 2011, average MLS attendance hit 17,872 to surpass both the NBA and NHL, and it has since increased to 18,611 fans per game. More impressively, the average franchise is now worth $103 million, up more than 175% over the last five years.”

Those numbers have to catch the attention of McGuire and the Wilfs. If trends continue, the value of the Minneapolis team will escalate—perhaps dramatically—and even prompt interest in eventually selling the franchise for a big profit.

After decades of promise, soccer in America seems to finally be fulfilling the popularity forecast for the sport decades ago. The World Cup that started last month and continues until July 13 has been a reminder to Americans that the sport most popular in so many countries stirs interest in North America, too.

Downtown Minneapolis crowds have waited outside Brit’s Pub to watch the World Cup, and Minnesota kids are playing soccer in large numbers. With more ethnic groups who love the sport moving into the state, the interest in Minnesota soccer will grow. It’s that kind of following here and in other parts of the country that is pushing the MLS into a richer and more promising future.

With a potential 24-team league by 2020, it doesn’t make sense for the MLS to pass on Minneapolis-St. Paul, the 15th largest TV market. The question is who will own the franchise and where will the team play.

Worth Noting

Jeff Jones and those close to the Washburn all-state running back aren’t giving up on him enrolling at the University of Minnesota later this summer. His latest ACT score wasn’t high enough to meet NCAA eligibility requirements.

“They are bound and determined to get him on campus,” Washburn coach Giovan Jenkins told Sports Headliners. “They don’t want him to go to junior college.”

Jones is taking two online summer classes and will know the results by July 10. There is a possibility his grades from those classes will improve his high school GPA enough—combined with his ACT score—to meet NCAA requirements.

There are potential ways for Jones to attend Minnesota this year even if he isn’t eligible to play in games for the Gophers. Among those avenues is for Jones to be admitted by the University without a scholarship but train and practice with the team during the 2014 season.

Jashon Cornell, the Cretin-Derham Hall defensive end who announced this morning he will play for Ohio State, is likely to excel as a pass rusher for the Buckeyes. Cornell, who will be a high school senior next season, likely would have started for the Gophers in 2015.

Condolences to the family and friends of Paul Najarian who lost his struggle with ALS on June 23. Paul, 52, is survived by his wife Julie and three children. He is the son of Dr. John Najarian and wife Mignette. A football loving family, Paul played at California, where his dad also played for the Golden Bears. Brother Peter played for the Gophers. Paul was the longtime and original owner of Popeye’s Chicken on Lake Street. A visitation, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., and celebration of his life, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., will be held tomorrow at Mendakota Country Club.

The Wild has sold the building where the NHL team offices, according to a Sports Headliners source. A real estate developer has purchased 317 on Rice Park but the Wild will continue to office in the building and the Minnesota Swarm will, too.

Daktronics will provide a major technology upgrade to Xcel Energy Center including a new custom HD LED center-hung video board nearly six times larger than the current one, stretching from blue line to blue line.

Additional upgrades will include replacement of outdoor marquees and ribbon displays that encircle the interior arena fascia. The new elements will be installed over the summer, with the official unveiling planned for the Wild’s first home preseason game on September 27 against the Jets.

The Wild were able to sign free agent Thomas Vanek and fill a goal scoring need because he was a pro sports exception—a player willing to make less money than he earned with his old deal. Vanek reportedly will earn $6.5 million after playing last season for $7.1 million.

The June 30 issue of Sports Illustrated includes a six-page story on Darren Sharper, the former Vikings safety, who faces multiple rape charges. “Cumulatively, the accusations are overwhelming, but individually they may be difficult to prove,” the magazine speculated.

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Final Four Next ‘Win’ for New Stadium?

Posted on May 23, 2014May 23, 2014 by David Shama

This week’s announcement that the 2018 Super Bowl will be played in Minneapolis makes it even more likely the new downtown multipurpose stadium opening in 2016 will attract major events ranging from Final Fours to concerts to perhaps national political conventions, sources told Sports Headliners.

Todd Klingel, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the new stadium’s image is now enhanced because the “biggest event” is coming here. Dave Mona, the local public relations executive who was involved with the successful bid to bring the 1992 Super Bowl to the Metrodome, said concert promoters are attracted to the “hottest places” when booking tours. Bill Lester, former executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission that ran the Metrodome, said the 2018 announcement will be a “catalyst” for world-class events—possibly the Democratic National Convention.

“With the exception of the Olympics, nothing exceeds the Super Bowl in terms of eyeballs to watch it on TV and impact, and (the) buy-in you get from the corporate community and the public sector,” Lester said. “There’s nothing quite like the Super Bowl.”

Lester said the Democratic party likes stadium venues for its conventions and former Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak was interested in bringing the big event to the dome. Varied events could come to the new stadium with Lester recalling the dome even hosted the Alcoholics Anonymous convention.

Earlier this year the NCAA announced Minneapolis as one of eight cities who are finalists to host the men’s basketball Final Four between 2017-2020. The Metrodome hosted two Final Fours, plus regional tournaments—with the city and its boosters receiving considerable approval by NCAA officials.

The new stadium, with the Vikings as the anchor tenant, is expected to be among the best covered facilities in the country and will meet the NCAA Final Four requirement for 60,000 seats or more. With an attractive downtown, and a region able to provide the NCAA-required 10,000 or more full-service hotel rooms, Minneapolis looks like a lock to have one or more Final Fours in the next 10 years.

The Big Ten Football Championship Game started in 2011 and has been played each year at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Minneapolis promoters are expected to make a determined pitch to have the game played here, perhaps in alternate years with Indianapolis. “I’d be very surprised if that didn’t also come our way,” Klingel said.

Lester is optimistic, too, and remembered inquiring about the football game and also the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament for the Metrodome. The new stadium also might consider a made-for-TV basketball game involving the Gophers and an opponent like Louisville matching Richard Pitino against his father Rick Pitino—a potential box office hit.

Another high profile event target for the new stadium is expected to be the national championship college football game. The game has never been hosted by a northern city and that could give Minneapolis an edge in eventually winning a bid.

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority is close to choosing a stadium operator from a small candidates list of private management companies. Klingel expects an announcement “within 30 days.”

Among the operator’s responsibilities will be staffing, security, marketing and booking events for the new facility. “I don’t think there’s any question the operator will bid for everything that is biddable,” Mona said.

Mona, though, joked not to expect another Super Bowl soon. He predicted the big game could return in 2044, noting it will be 26 years from the 1992 Minneapolis Super Bowl to the 2018 game.

Klingel said there isn’t a precise figure regarding the economic impact to Minneapolis and region for the 2018 game. Indianapolis and New Orleans, the two cities that finished behind Minneapolis in the 2018 bidding for the Super Bowl, were using figures of over $300 and $400 million respectively, he said.

“Maybe it’s worth $75 million,” Klingel said, trying to be conservative. “Who doesn’t want it? It more than pays for itself.”

Super Bowl Notes

New Orleans, 10 times the Super Bowl host, had never lost in the bidding process before this week. The 2018 game was to help celebrate the 300th anniversary of the city. Rod West, a New Orleans Super Bowl presenter to the NFL in Atlanta, said he was “shocked” in a Times-Picayune online story by Larry Holder posted on Tuesday.

Holder wrote that since 2004 eight cities with new stadiums, including Minneapolis, have all been successful in being rewarded with a Super Bowl in voting by NFL owners. Among those stadiums is Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, site of the 2012 game.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay talked about the competition of Minnesota’s new stadium in a Wednesday online story by Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. “It’s always tough when you’re going up against someone that is building a new stadium,” Irsay said. “It’s not by rule but by tradition that they get awarded one. Minnesota, like us, received that kind of unwritten award of the game. It was tough competition, particularly with that factor in play.”

Don’t count on the Vikings playing in the 2018 game. Not only will the Vikings have to improve a lot, but since the first Super Bowl in 1967 only one team has played in its hometown area. In 1985 the San Francisco 49ers played the Miami Dolphins in Palo Alto, California.

Retired coach Bud Grant, who turned 87 on Tuesday, led the Vikings to four Super Bowls including the last one in 1977 against the Oakland Raiders in Pasadena, California.

Grant has been holding a three-day garage sale that ends at noon today at his Bloomington home, according to the website Gsalr.com. The website refers to “Vikings stuff” but also describes hunting and fishing items.

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