The Big Ten Conference is gearing up for an exciting football season, but off-field stories are making headlines. The Oregonian/OregonLive will be providing updates on the conference’s teams twice a week throughout the season. One major story is the blackout of Big Ten Network on Comcast/Xfinity for Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA games. Unless an agreement is reached, Comcast customers may not be able to watch these teams’ season-opening football games on BTN this Saturday.
The reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines received a notice of allegations from the NCAA in relation to a sign-stealing scandal involving former staff member Connor Stalions. The Wolverines have 90 days to respond, potentially facing a hearing with the NCAA committee on infractions. Meanwhile, Wisconsin senior defensive end James Thompson Jr. is likely to miss the entire 2024 season due to a torn pectoral muscle.
Northwestern is reportedly set to hire Mark Jackson, current Villanova AD, as its new athletic director. Jackson brings a wealth of experience, including two national titles with Villanova’s men’s basketball team. Additionally, West Virginia alum and ESPN personality Pat McAfee is generating hype in Morgantown with a live show scheduled before the Penn State-West Virginia game. Local schools have cancelled classes for the event, and McAfee claims students are so excited that the university had to ban them from camping overnight.
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