Sports News, Nuggets and Notes from East Carolina and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

07.22.03: Greenville startup hops aboard sports radio waves... .. Houston player's career extended... .. Rattlers promoted to I-A... .. Murder charge lodged against Dotson... .. Marquette legend joins Crean staff... .. More...

07.21.03: ACC raid draws attention of Congress... .. West taps into Clemson connections for assistant coach... .. Arena football player dies on bench... .. More...

07.20.03: Meet, mingle and eat with the Pirates... .. Date dampens demand for WVU-VPI ducats... .. Non-BCS CEO's sign up in big numbers for Cowen summit... .. Monetary affairs discourage in-state rivalry... .. 49ers lose one, keep one... .. More...

07.19.03: C-USA formally shifts into football mode... .. Get up close and personal with J.T... .. Key U of L football players banished... .. Gators get head start in rejecting ACC... .. Physician admits torching dead player's medical data... .. LSU football coach survives aquatic knockout plunge... .. More...

07.18.03: East Carolina names new ticket operations boss... .. Dollar draws NCAA wrath... .. Athletes' rights crusader gains steam... .. Banished football program seeks new life... .. Blood clot stymies Buckeye lineman again... More...

MEMPHIS — Conference USA's football coaches believe Texas Christian will once again be the class of the league in 2003. The Horned Frogs, coming off a season in which they finished 10-2 and captured a Liberty Bowl trophy by defeating No. 21 Colorado State, return enough key starters on offense on defense to earn another trip to the postseason game in Memphis, the coaches decided at the league's annual football kickoff meetings. Southern Miss was picked to finish second, followed by South Florida, Cincinnati, Louisville, East Carolina, Tulane, UAB, Memphis, Houston and Army.

Running back Mewelde Moore of Tulane was picked by the coaches as the preseason offensive player of the year, while USM linebacker Rod Davis was chosen for the defensive honor. Kicker Nick Browne of TCU and punt returner Broderick Clark of Louisville were named the top special teams players. A trio of East Carolina players were recognized. Running back Art Brown, offensive tackle Brian Rimpf and return specialist Terrance Copper, who also happens to be one of the Pirates top receivers, were name to the preseason All-Conference team.

Tranghese repents; Swofford has no regrets

According to Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford, his Big East counterpart has issued written and verbal apologies for heated remarks during the ACC's recent expansion excursion. Swofford says that Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese expressed his regrets by phone and in a letter.

After first targeting Miami, Syracuse and Boston College for membership in the ACC, Swofford was unable to gain approval for the three-school combination from the presidents of the league's member institutions. The CEO's eventually settled on luring Miami and Virginia Tech instead.

Tranghese complained bitterly and publicly before and during the ACC's efforts to poach schools from his conference. The ACC raid ultimately left the Big East's football power profile shattered beyond immediate repair. Swofford, speaking at the ACC's football kickoff event in Greensboro, GA, said he does not regret how the ACC conducted its expansion process.

Bulls break out new logos

TAMPA — The University of South Florida has unveiled new athletics logos that will serve as the centerpiece for a fresh identity campaign. The brand identity program includes a primary mark, a primary and secondary word mark as well as an alternate logo and is the culmination of an 18-month-long process. The August 6 launch will feature new team uniforms and the largest line of merchandise in the athletic program’s history. USF’s primary logo will be what the university terms an "iconic bull," which will appear on team helmets, hats and jerseys. The iconic bull also appears in the primary word mark, "USF," and the secondary word mark, "Bulls." A new bull head will serve as the secondary logo. The new logos were chosen from more than 100 potential designs submitted from both internal and external sources. The chosen logos and word marks were designed by the Silverman Group, a strategic brand development agency in New Haven, Conn. Silverman Group’s clients include the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Washington Capitals, World Cup Soccer, Women’s World Cup and the United States Tennis Association.

UNC-CH offers gridiron school for women

CHAPEL HILL — The University of North Carolina Ladies Football Clinic, an annual event sponsored by the Rams Club and hosted by the Tar Heel coaching staff, will be held on Thursday, August 14. The affair will run from 5:30-9 p.m. Clinic participants will watch the Tar Heels team practice from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Kenan Stadium, followed by dinner at the Carolina Club on campus. The instructional part of the clinic, hosted by UNC-CH head coach John Bunting and his wife, Dawn Bunting, will last from 7:15 to 9 p.m. Attendees can meet the football coaching staff to discuss rules, regulations and lingo of the game. Information is available from the Rams Club.