Around The Dog Park: FCS/Independent Edition

General G5 News

• We’re halfway through the college football offseason! Here are 10 renewed rivalries that will be played in 2018 to get you excited!
• Athlon Sports ranked all 130 projected starting QBs for the 2018 season. Where did your team end up?
• Some more news to excite you, ESPN has announced the times and dates for 35 bowl games in 2018, including the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Bowl.
• The American Football Coaches Association unanimously voted to support a rule change that would give transfers a year of eligibility back.
• Why are there disparities in recruiting rankings across the country? Football Study Hall takes an interesting look.

FCS

• Red and black camo endzones??? Uh...Incarnate Word, what are you thinking?
• Eastern Washington got a new vice president and director of athletics.
• Speaking of athletic directors, Southern Illinois let go of Tommy Bell and replaced him with a favorite, familiar guy.
• A sad story out of North Alabama as one of their former players has been indicted for murder.
• Another sad story, this time from Texas, as former Houston Baptist linebacker Garrett Dolan was found dead at 23 in an apartment complex courtyard.

American

• Take the money and run! Former UCF offensive coordinator Troy Walters took UCF’s $300,000 bonus for winning the national championship but refused to recognize the team as “national champions.”
• With as much controversy as UCF national championship claim has caused, some have begun to wonder if they went too far.
• Did you know Navy has receivers? In fact, they just moved former QB Zach Abbey to play that position.
• After losing star receiver Courtland Sutton and head coach Chad Morris, one man remains: Ben Hicks. Just how far can he take SMU this season?
• The Ponies held a youth camp this past weekend and 400 kids showed up!
• The Daily Stampede conducted a survey about funding an on-campus stadium. Here are the results.

C-USA

• Seven years ago, UTSA didn’t even have a football team. Now one of their own has been drafted in the first round. Here’s how it happened.
• As amazing as that is, it was UTSA’s coaching staff’s evaluation and development that led to the monumental moment for the Roadrunners program.
• Sticking with the Roadrunners, they just picked up a former four star QB grad transfer from SMU
• ODU’s football season ticket sales have risen despite a 5-7 record in 2017. Some think it’s because Virginia Tech is scheduled to come to Norfolk next season.
• UAB just hired Alabama’s director of player personnel to their coaching staff.
• Marshall’s Tyler Brown used to scramble and pass to the open man, now he’s successfully defending the plays he once ran.

Sun Belt

• South Alabama is getting closer to having a new, on-campus football stadium!
• Check out this cool video taking a look inside UL-Lafayette’s Student Athlete Performance Center.
• Georgia State did a great job at turning Turner Field into a beautiful football stadium, now they are looking at doing the same thing to the surrounding communities.

Independent

• Some happy news for Minutemen fans! Head Coach Mark Whipple has received a two year contract extension.
• Army football hasn’t been this good since the 1950s, can they keep it up for a third straight year?
• Speaking of the Cadets, some of their students came up with a plan to renovate Michie Stadium that the Academy will undertake and it looks really cool.
• Larry Rose III didn’t hear his name during the NFL Draft, but he did sign a contract with the Tennessee Titans! Here’s why everyone should take notice as he takes the next step in his career.
• Now that he finally has 10 assistant coaches, Head Coach Doug Martin hopes his contract will be restructured next.