UI football featured on BTN

 Big Ten Network talent and camera crews will descend upon all 11 schools beginning Aug. 5. The network will broadcast 90-minute football specials nightly over a two-week period.

The network is slated to televise Iowa either Aug. 6 or Aug. 7. The show will provide in-depth coverage of practice, an early-season preview and touch on other relevant topics. The specials end Aug. 19 with Penn State.

“Football is the biggest sport, we all know that,” Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman said. “We need to get fans even more excited about football season.”

 

Michigan’s Gestapo up for a change?

Michigan’s notorious tight-lipped approach to releasing football information just received a shocking jolt of openness with new coach Rich Rodriguez, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said Thursday.

“I knew that of all the universities in the entire country, that the one that was the Gestapo all the sudden just got a full different feel,” said Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback.

Herbstreit said the difference between former coach Lloyd Carr, who retired, and Rodriguez is significant. Rodriguez came to Michigan from West Virginia.

“He (Rodriguez) is like what you see is what you get type of guy. And Lloyd’s like, ‘How’s Henne’s arm?’ ‘What arm?’ (Rodriguez is) going to tell you what’s on your mind. I love that personally, but I also know Bo (Schembechler) didn’t do that, Gary (Moeller) didn’t do that and Lloyd didn’t do that.

“I’ve always wondered if the university would engage him and say, ‘This is how we do it here,’ or are they going to say, ‘Hey, fend for yourself.’ If that’s case, you guys (the media) are winners.”

“He’ll tell you almost anything.”