By Adam Roberts – 4/23/2021

While some people believe The College Football Playoff needs to be expanded to eight, 16 or even more teams to give more teams a shot at the championship, it appears the CFP likely won’t be expanding from its current four teams.

Executive Director Bill Hancock said a working group affirmed its support in keeping the four-team playoff. This comes as the same group has looked at more than 60 possible changes, which include a playoff of up to 16 teams. Some fans have clamored for an expansion as teams like Alabama and Clemson routinely make the playoff and play for the title.

The management committee did present some possibilities for future expansion, with models including six, eight, 10, 12, and 16 teams. The current agreement doesn’t expire until after the 2025 season, meaning any change would likely be years away anyways.

Alabama is the defending national champion heading into next season, while Wisconsin finished well outside of the Top 25 at 4-3.

By Adam Roberts – 4/22/2021

They upset the Longhorns a few years ago, but tonight Wisconsin women’s volleyball is hoping to avoid the tables being turned.

The top-seeded Badgers face #5 Texas in the semifinals tonight in Omaha. Wisconsin was pushed to the limit before beating Florida in its first five-set match of the year in the quarterfinals. The teams have met eight times before and split those matches. The Badgers have won the last three, including that shocking upset of the top-ranked Longhorns in the 2013 National Semifinals.

As far as this year’s team goes, the Longhorns have four potential All-Americans, including 6’2 outside hitter Jogan Eggleston, who’s averaging nearly 5 kills per set and hitting .323 this fall. Eggleston had 18 kills, 5 blocks and 5 aces in Monday’s 4-set win over Nebraska.

Kentucky and Washington meet in the other semifinal match.

By Adam Roberts – 4/21/2021

The NFL has unveiled its yearly changes that will be coming to the league for the 2021 season.

Among the new rules was a rejection for a full-time sky judge, while also expanding the influence of replay officials as more coaches are demanding game-day officials be subjected to more oversight. Per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, replay officials will be able to offer referees advice based on what they’ve seen on broadcast replays in matters of possession, completed or intercepted passes, ball location, and whether a player is down by contact.

Other changed include:

• A relaxation of rules regarding what numbers a player wears. Single digit numbers are now available to running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, defensive backs, and linebackers.
• A one-year experiment to try and change up the onside kick. The receiving team on kickoffs will only be allowed to have nine players within 25 yards of the bal.
• Overtime in preseason games has been eliminated.
• A loss of down is charged with two passes are completed behind the line of scrimmage

The NFL will also release its schedule for the upcoming season in just a few weeks. The league confirmed the schedule will come out on May 12th at 8 p.m. Eastern. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has previously said he’s expecting stadiums across the league to be full. Some teams did have fans in attendance last season, but the stadiums, such as Lambeau Field in the final few home games of the regular and postseason, were at reduced capacity.

By Adam Roberts – 4/21/2021

Six more innings, 10 more strikeouts, and still no walks. That was the night for Brewers’ pitcher Corbin Burnes against the Padres.

The 6-0 Milwaukee win will probably be remembered more for the acrobatic catch made by fill-in left fielder Billy McKinney in the fourth inning, but Burnes’ outing must also be remembered. We’ve already written one article this month about the incredible start to Burnes’ season, and so far, the plan to conserve Burnes’ production while reaping its benefits appears to be working perfectly for the team.

Since his loss to the Twins in game two of the regular season, Corbin hasn’t been pushed past the sixth inning when he easily could have been. While it’s tough to see this pace continue all year for Burnes, he could be in some historic company if it were to. The all-time single season strikeout record is a ludicrously high 511 from the arm of Matt Kilroy on the 1886 Baltimore Orioles team, but Burnes is on pace for 360, which would be the 16th most in a single season behind Randy Johnson’s 364 in 1999.

The Crew go for the series sweep this afternoon at Petco Park. Adrian Houser gets the start against San Diego righty Dinelson Lamet.

By Adam Roberts – 4/20/2021

Ames, Iowa seems to have a habit of attracting the best in Coulee Region talent within the last 10 years. Matt Thomas and Lexi Donarski both have played and are playing respectively for that program to great success, and now another area talent will hope to etch out his own story for the Cyclones.

Caledonia junior Eli King, according to the basketball team’s official Twitter, has committed to the program. He had offers from plenty of big schools such as Iowa, Marquette, and Stanford, but the #73 player in the Class of 2022 will take his talents to Ames. He’ll join fellow guard Tamin Lipsey at the school, and is the second King to commit to coach T.J. Otzelberger after Owen went to South Dakota State for a season.

A four-star recruit and the #2 ranked player in Minnesota behind Cretin Derham Hall’s Tre Holloman, King missed his entire junior year with a meniscus injury he suffered during the football season. He’s expected to return to the floor this summer for AAU ball.