ARLINGTON, TEXAS – The Big 12 has extended its agreement through the 2030 season to continue to host the Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Widely considered to be one of the premier venues across the globe, AT&T Stadium has hosted the last eight Big 12 Conference title games.

This partnership continuation will see a variety of Championship enhancements introduced, including a reimagined halftime show, an increase in premium seating, a larger focus on sponsorship activation, expanded merchandise presence in the team store and throughout the venue, and much more.

“The Big 12 is thrilled to announce our Football Championship will be staying at AT&T Stadium through 2030,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “The Big 12 and AT&T Stadium both call the Metroplex home – through this extension, we will host our Football Championship at a world-class venue in our own backyard. We are grateful for the support and partnership of the Dallas Cowboys organization.”

“We have enjoyed an incredible relationship with the Big 12 Conference, and are honored to continue hosting the Big 12 Championship Game at AT&T Stadium,” said Dallas Cowboys Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones. “The games, fans and atmosphere have been incredible, and we’re thrilled to continue the tradition of having the best teams in the Big 12 earn the right to play for the title in Arlington.”

The 2022 Big 12 Football Championship, held at AT&T Stadium, had the second-highest attendance of all conference title games with 69,335 spectators as No. 10 K-State defeated No. 3 TCU, 31-28 in OT. Additionally, the 2022 Football Championship game delivered 9.4M viewers on ABC, the most watched Big 12 Championship since 2018. Ratings were up 15% from 2021, peaking at 12.7M viewers, the most of any conference championship across all networks.

Off the field, the 2022 Big 12 Football Championship debuted a variety of new in-game entertainment, broadcast and marketing enhancements, Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum singer, songwriter and actress Ashanti performed the National Anthem. Unified World Welterweight Boxing Champion Errol Spence Jr. led the ceremonial coin toss while media personality Rachel DeMita served as the in-game host. Additionally, DJ Poizon Ivy provided in-game music. The Big 12 also partnered with streetwear fashion brand A Bathing Ape (BAPE) to introduce on-field co-branded Big 12 x BAPE marks.

AT&T Stadium opened in 2009 and hosted both the 2009 and 2010 Big 12 Championship games. After a six-year absence, the contest was reinstated in 2017. Tickets to the 2023 Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship will go on sale on August 12.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head tennis coach Jaron Maestas has announced the hiring of Auburn University at Montgomery men’s and women’s head coach Yair Banuelos as assistant coach for the Cyclone program. Banuelos spent the last six seasons leading both AUM programs and was twice named the school’s head coach of the year (2018, 2023).

“Yair has stood out to me because of the man he is,” Maestas said. “With 10 years of head coaching experience I felt he was the right fit with the vision for the future. We welcome him and his family to Ames.”

“I am thrilled to join a program like Iowa State,” Banuelos added. “I want to thank Coach Maestas for this incredible opportunity. I know we are going to be a hard-working team and will keep Iowa State tennis as a top program. Our passion, enthusiasm and love for college tennis will make this program truly special.”

Banuelos led both the AUM men’s and women’s program to the NCAA Division II South Regional in 2022-23, with the team’s combining to go 34-15 overall. The women’s team finished 18-6 last season and defeated six Top 50 teams, highlighted by a win over No. 6 North Georgia.

On the women’s side, the Warhawks went 9-1 in Gulf South Conference action and finished the season ranked No. 19 in the ITA Rankings. Three of his players earned all-conference honors and his doubles team of Estefania Garcia and Regina Urbiola finished the year ranked No. 7 and earned All-America honors.

The Warhawks, who moved to NCAA Division II in 2017, reached the last two NCAA Women’s Tournaments.

Banuelos took over both programs in 2018 and posted a 67-47 in guiding the AUM women’s program during its beginning years of Division II, while also recording a 64-46 record on the men’s side.

Banuelos arrived at AUM after a four-year stint leading both the men’s and women’s programs at his alma mater, Western New Mexico University, a Division II program in Silver City, New Mexico.

He was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2015 after leading the Mustang women to the regular season title. Western New Mexico won the 2015 and 2016 RMAC Tournament.

Banuelos, a Mexico City, Mexico native, earned his associate’s degree in health and wellness from Riverside City College in 2009. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in coaching from Western New Mexico University in 2011 and his master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in kinesiology and psychology in 2013.

Banuelos excelled on the court at WNM, earning Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors as a junior in 2010 and Senior Player of the Year honors in the South Central Region in 2011. He was singles and doubles All-RMAC first team as a junior and senior.

In his final season playing, Banuelos went 6-0 in both singles and doubles during conference play.

Banuelos is married to Doris Banuelos. The couple has a son, Sebastian.

ARLINGTON, Texas – During his opening remarks at Big 12 Football Media Day, Commissioner Brett Yormark unveiled the Conference’s new brand spot, titled “Countdown”. This brand anthem is a part of a larger brand refresh and serves as a Conference rallying cry for the upcoming season. The spot can be viewed below.

Watch here.

“The Big 12 is committed to thriving at the intersection of sports and culture and getting on the consciousness of current and future student-athletes,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “This dynamic new brand spot reflects on our rich history and points towards our future – and shows we are greater than 12.”

In October of 2022, the Big 12 Conference announced its partnership with independent creative agency, Translation, to contemporize the brand and scale its national relevance to appeal to a younger, more diverse audience. This brand spot – as well as a new suite of Big 12 creative assets – are the result of the Big 12 and Translation’s shared goal of a more contemporary and modern look for the Conference.

“Our work for the Big 12 is about embracing the new world of college athletics. We want to celebrate student-athletes and their successes both on and off the field,” said Steve Stoute, Founder and CEO of Translation. “As for the conference at large, we want the Big 12 to move at the speed of the shifting landscape and be known as the conference that embraces change, diversity, individuality, and is a pioneer in college sports.”

The brand spot features student-athletes from all 14 Big 12 Conference member institutions. The film is voiced by UnitedMasters artist and viral sensation BigXThaPlug. The Texas-born and bred rapper was recently named an “Artist To Watch Out For” in 2023 by Spin Magazine after his success with “Texas,” “Big Stepper,” and recently rang in the season for the Texas Rangers.

ABOUT TRANSLATION
Translation is an independent creative agency built to help ambitious brands harness the power of culture to solve their biggest challenges. For over 15 years, Translation has partnered with brands and creators to build and grow disruptive platforms that foster deeper community engagement. This experience has given us unparalleled insight into the dynamics of culture and affinities that link people together. Backed by Alphabet, Andreessen Horowitz, and 21st Century Fox, we are reimagining how brands and artists tell their stories, create value, and push culture forward. For more information, visit translationllc.com and follow us on Instagram (@wearetranslation) and Twitter (@pulseofculture).

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head soccer coach Matt Fannon has announced the promotion of assistant coach CC Cobb to associate head coach.

“We are delighted to improve CC’s title,” Fannon said. “It is a thoroughly deserved change that comes about because she has consistently and tirelessly shown her ability to lead and grow our program. She has a wonderfully strong growth mindset and challenges our women to be their best every day. She is strong, capable, energetic and has become a good friend in her time here. I am fortunate to work with her.”

Cobb, who is entering her second season with the Cyclones, works with all field players and is also the team’s recruiting coordinator.

Cobb arrived in Ames after a two-year stint with Albany, where she served as an assistant coach. With the Great Danes, Cobb helped lead her student-athletes to 11 All-American East Conference honors. When Cobb came to Iowa State, twins Jada and Jasmine Colbert followed her to ISU.

A 2014 graduate of Tennessee, Cobb played both the 2012 and 2013 seasons for the Volunteers as a midfielder. The Boca Raton, Fla., native began her collegiate career at Florida State, where she spent her freshman and sophomore seasons before changing out the garnet for Volunteer Orange.

Iowa State’s 2023 campaign is set to kick off in just a little over a month as the Cyclones are slated to open the season with a home matchup against the Arizona Wildcats on August 17.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Junior from the University of Iowa, Emma Dabinett, was named a CRCA All-American with Honorable Mention distinction. It marks the first time since 2019 a student-athlete with rowing program has been named All-America.

Dabinett is a two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection and has been on the academic All-Big Ten in as many years in her career at Iowa.

She competed for the Hawkeyes in the Varsity Eight boat that placed second at the Pac-12 Invite and fifth at the Big Ten Championships earlier this year. Her boat earned Big Ten weekly honors on April 18, 2023, after sweeping the competition at the Big Ten/Big 12 Double Dual.

QUOTING HEAD COACH JEFF GARBUTT

“I am so happy that Emma has been recognized for her contribution to our team by the CRCA.  She is the catalyst behind our team’s growth the past season and I am excited to see where she can lead us this season.”

IHSAA Baseball Playoffs
Substate Finals
07/12/2023

CLASS 3A

Substate 8: Harlan @ Lewis Central 7:00 p.m.

Full brackets for 3A and 4A tonight HERE

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Junior guard from the University of Iowa, Caitlin Clark, was named a Semifinalist for the 93^rd AAU James E. Sullivan Award.

 Clark won the 2023 Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year Award, Honda Cup and was named Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year as by THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA). She also won the 2023 Naismith, Wooden and Wade Trophies along with the Associated Press and USBWA Ann Drysdale Player of the Year honors.

She is also a two-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award and is the first-ever three-time winner of the Dawn Staley Award. She also won the Honda Sport Award for Basketball in April.

Clark led her team to its first-ever NCAA Championship game and helped post the Hawkeye’s most wins in a single season. During the NCAA Tournament, she posted the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA Tournament history (men’s or women’s) and broke the NCAA single-tournament records for most 3-point FG made (24) and most points scored (191). This season, she is the only player in the nation with 1,000 points, 240 rebounds, 310 assists and 45 steals.

Overall, Clark became the first player in Division I women’s basketball history to record more than 1,000 points and 300 assists in the same season and was fastest Division I player (men’s or women’s) to reach 1,500 career points over the last 20 seasons.

Off the court, she is a two-time First Team Academic All-American and was named the 2023 CSC Academic All-America of the Year.

In addition to athletic excellence, the AAU Sullivan Award aims to recognize the qualities of leadership, citizenship, character, and sportsmanship on and off the field.

The one-week voting period to determine the six finalists opens to the public today at https://bit.ly/93rdSullivanSemiFinalists.

“We’re excited to have such a diverse group of athletes and sports represented this year,” said Jo Mirza, AAU President. “Each of our semi-finalists deserves to move on to the next round and we’re proud to include them in the AAU Sullivan Award’s storied history.”

This year’s winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 19 at the historic New York Athletic Club (NYAC) – the birthplace of the AAU.

The winner of the 93rd AAU Sullivan Award will join a renowned list of recipients. Last year, Olympian Carissa Moore won, becoming the first surfer to take home the honor. Other prior winners include Michael Phelps (swimming), Michelle Kwan (figure skating), Carl Lewis (track & field), Shawn Johnson (gymnastics), Peyton Manning (football), and Breanna Stewart (basketball).

Voting opens to the public today, Wednesday, July 12, and closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 19. The public can vote once a day for their choice, up until the voting closes.

ABOUT THE AAU:

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by more than 720,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 45 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. For more information, visit www.aausports.org.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa redshirt sophomore Keaton Anthony will sign an undrafted free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, it was announced following the conclusion of the 2023 Major League Draft.

Anthony is the fourth Hawkeye from the 2023 team that will continue with a Major League Baseball organization. Iowa had two players – Jared Simpson and Ty Langenberg – selected in the 2023 MLB Draft and Will Christophersen will also sign a UDFA deal.

The Hoschton, Georgia, native earned third-team All-America honors in 2023 after hitting .389 (61-of-157) with 22 doubles, nine home runs, 38 RBIs and 51 runs during the regular season. His 22 doubles are second-most in program history.

During his three years in Iowa City, Anthony hit .372, starting 96 games. He tallied 44 doubles — the eighth most in program history — and 23 home runs. Anthony threw 22 innings with a 4.50 ERA while striking out 18.

The Hawkeyes finished the 2023 season with a 44-16 overall record with the 44 wins tied for most in program history. Iowa finished third in the Big Ten regular season standings, advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game and the team won two games at the Terre Haute Regional in Iowa’s first NCAA Regional appearance since 2017.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa redshirt junior Will Christophersen will sign an undrafted free agent contract with the Los Angeles Angels organization, it was announced following the conclusion of the 2023 Major League Draft.

Christophersen is the third Hawkeye from the 2023 team that will continue with a Major League Baseball organization. Iowa had two players – Jared Simpson and Ty Langenberg – selected in the 2023 MLB Draft.

The Bettendorf, Iowa, native had a 5-1 record in 2023 with a 3.55 ERA over 33 innings pitched, striking out 59 while walking just 16. Christophersen allowed only three extra base hits (all doubles).

A transfer from Michigan State, Christophersen had a career 8-5 record and a 4.15 ERA. He threw 84 1/3 innings in 49 appearances while striking out 135 batters.

The Hawkeyes finished the 2023 season with a 44-16 overall record with the 44 wins tied for most in program history. Iowa finished third in the Big Ten regular season standings, advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game and the team won two games at the Terre Haute Regional in Iowa’s first NCAA Regional appearance since 2017.

NORTHBROOK, Ill. — University of Iowa senior Logan Lee has been nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced on Tuesday.

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was established in 1992 by the College Football Association, recognizing the extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff off the field. AFCA became the governing body of the award in 1997 and continues to honor college football players who go the extra mile for those in need. Allstate worked to present the award starting with the 2008 season.

The Orion, Illinois, native has been active in the Iowa City/Coralville community since joining the Hawkeyes in 2019, volunteering with countless community and university initiatives.

He has spent time volunteering with the Book Story Hour at the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Camp Courageous, CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Back, UI DeGowin Blood Drive, UI Dance Marathon, Operation Christmas Child – Wrapping Party, Hawk the Vote (encouraging all student-athletes and all students to vote), Corner Stone Retreat, HawkID Mental Health Panel, Viola Gibson Class reading and as a track meet volunteer at Iowa City West High School.

Lee was also a member of the Big Ten Conference student-athlete group who visited Montgomery and Selma, Alabama, as part of the conference Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative in 2022. He also traveled to Ecuador with Filter of Hope.

On the field, Lee has started 27 consecutive games at defensive tackle, where he has compiled 103 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss, and six sacks. In 2022, Lee was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media after finishing with a career-high 54 tackles and eight tackles for loss.

Iowa has won 34 games since Lee arrived on campus, won a Big Ten West Division title and two bowl games — 2019 Holiday Bowl and 2022 Music City Bowl.

Leading into the 2023 season, Lee is a preseason second-team All-Big Ten selection by Phil Steele and a preseason third-team All-Big Ten honoree by Athlon Sports.

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team is one of the most coveted community service awards in college football. From the 135 nominees, the final roster of 23 award recipients will bring together 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision; 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); and one honorary head coach. To be considered for a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining strong academic standing.

The final 22-member team and honorary coach are selected by a voting panel of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members, current and former head coaches and journalists. They look for exceptional leadership on and off the football field.