Pat Fitzgerald had a great quote on dais at Big Ten Media Day: "some people have called me the youngest old-school person in the country, and I'm okay with that" He's definitely earned it, as Northwestern has been to four straight bowl games, a first in school history. Their academic rating, APR is so high that it makes them one of the best ranked schools in the nation. And … [Read more...] about Pat Fitzgerald talks about Northwestern’s new Under Armour uniforms
northwestern football
Big Ten conference bigger player in national football power structure
There were a lot of topics on the table of discussion in last week's Big 10 meetings. First and foremost, is the rapid move towards a four team playoff in college football, which could get here in a couple years. I asked Northwestern Athletic Director Jim Phillips what his biggest takeaways were from the meetings. "Couple things – tremendous collaboration between all 12 … [Read more...] about Big Ten conference bigger player in national football power structure
Illinois Alumni Association takes shot at Northwestern marketing slogan
I received a mass email today from the Illinois Alumni Association. The subject heading: ILLINOIS: Chicago's Big Ten University The message content: Illinois alumni don't need an expensive roadside billboard to let people know we're the best public Big Ten university in Chicago! Instead, make your case in your office space by displaying your loyalty for everyone to … [Read more...] about Illinois Alumni Association takes shot at Northwestern marketing slogan
Reviewing college football fan sites: Northwestern blogs
Modern media publications review movies, television shows and rock albums, but no one reviews blogs, the question is why? Obviously, it's easy to review static mass media items that aren't changing once they initially are produced much more easily than the dynamic and the evolving world of blogs. Of course, some aspects of certain blogs are pretty consistent, and with … [Read more...] about Reviewing college football fan sites: Northwestern blogs
Northwestern linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo: good player, greater name
Northwestern's defense was much maligned last season. The pass defense was especially substandard. But at the conclusion of 2012 spring practice, the D was ahead of the offense and it showed a lot of improvement. The secondary will be retooled, so the defense figures to lean on the front seven this fall. And when you're coached by a linebacker in Pat Fitzgerald, the … [Read more...] about Northwestern linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo: good player, greater name
Stanford and Northwestern initiate football series; not academic quiz bowl
Think of it like an Academic Quiz Bowl, except on the gridiron. Northwestern continues college football series with all the schools across the nation with similar elite graduation rates and exceedingly stringent entrance requirements. They've had recent home-and-homes with Vanderbilt, Duke and Rice. They have a similar series slated with Notre Dame, and now Stanford. … [Read more...] about Stanford and Northwestern initiate football series; not academic quiz bowl
Northwestern 2012 Recruiting Class has Some Top Notch Prospects
Happy National Signing Day. Northwestern’s 21 commits (the largest class of the Pat Fitzgerald era) hail from 10 states. The Wildcats signed 13 of their 21 players from three states—five from Pennsylvania, four from Illinois and four from Ohio. Scout ranks the class 5th in the Big Ten, 44th in the nation. Those numbers are higher than usual in Evanston. In addition, … [Read more...] about Northwestern 2012 Recruiting Class has Some Top Notch Prospects
Michigan State (10-2) Beats Northwestern in Game they Didn’t Need
By beating Northwestern today 31-17, Michigan State achieved...well they actually achieved all the big important stuff before arriving in Evanston, IL. Last week, they secured a berth to the inaugural Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis. And since beating the Wisconsin/Penn State winner (probably Wisconsin) is their one and only path to the BCS, this game meant very … [Read more...] about Michigan State (10-2) Beats Northwestern in Game they Didn’t Need
#10 Michigan State Spartans-Northwestern Wildcats: Brutally Honest Preview
Uncharted territory for the Big Ten this week. What happens when a team has already clinched a league championship game berth, but has nothing to play for beyond that? It's the situation the Michigan State Spartans are currently in, as they're bound for Indianapolis, but their only ticket to the BCS is if they beat the Penn State-Wisconsin winner next weekend. So will they … [Read more...] about #10 Michigan State Spartans-Northwestern Wildcats: Brutally Honest Preview
Yankees Joe Girardi to be Honorary Captain at Northwestern-Michigan State
New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi accomplished a lot during his MLB career with the Chicago Cubs, St Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies. He's been an All-Star, 4× World Series champion (1996, 1998, 1999, 2009) and 2006 NL Manager of the Year. Before all that, he was a star in the Northwestern Wildcats baseball program. Girardi returns to Evanston to serve as honorary … [Read more...] about Yankees Joe Girardi to be Honorary Captain at Northwestern-Michigan State