ESPNU has decided to televise the Dec. 8 Oregon-Ole Miss men’s basketball game. The meeting will mark the first time the two teams have ever played one another. Both schools enjoyed successful seasons last year; the Ducks went 28-9 while advancing to the Sweet 16 and the Rebels went 27-9 while losing out in the third round of the tournament. Both teams also won their respective conference tournaments. The game will take place in Mississippi, with the Rebels slated to return the game to Matthew Knight Arena in the following season.
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Once again the fate of Eugene’s historic stadium is at issue. Civic Stadium, the closed former baseball stadium in south Eugene, is in bad shape. Owned by the Eugene School District, the 75-year-old stadium has continued to fall apart thanks to the elements. In the next few months the public may finally learn whether the historic stadium will be saved or razed. After taking a two-year break on the issue, the Eugene School board will continue its discussions on what to do with the 10.2-acre property during a meeting on Aug. 28. At the meeting the board plans to discuss issuing proposals to help transfer the land as well as evaluating the feasibility of renovating the ballpark.
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Albert Pujols is done for the season. The Los Angeles Angels slugger announced the news Monday after being advised by the team’s medical staff that a return to action would hurt his chances of making a successful recovery. Pujols partially tore his left plantar fascia last month while running in Oakland, forcing him to sit out for the past three weeks. During that time Pujols was optimistic about his chances to return to action for his team. However, after reevaluating the situation, he acknowledged sitting out made the most sense.
“It’s not an easy decision, as competitive as I am,” Pujols told the Associated Press. “But I also understand that we need to look beyond the season.”
What made the decision easier for Pujols and the Angels is the fact that the team is out of contention for the playoffs.