Eric Olson
FILE - Notre Dame's Carter Putz is shown during an NCAA baseball game against Florida State in South Bend, Ind., Friday, May 7, 2021. Automatic bids for the NCAA Tournament are on the line as conference tournaments begin in earnest this week. Notre Dame is the top seed in the Atlantic Coast Conference. (AP Photo/Robert Franklin, File)
NCAA baseball bids at stake as conference tournaments begin

By Eric Olson May. 24, 2021 03:32 PM EDT

FILE - Oral Roberts junior Ryan Cash bats during an NCAA baseball game against Baylor in Waco, Texas, in this Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, file photo. Ryan Cash had five hits and five RBIs as Oral Roberts won two of three games against nationally ranked LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this past weekend. Oral Roberts won a series against an opponent from the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 2017. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade, File)
Oral Roberts opens eyes winning 2 of 3 at national power LSU

By Eric Olson Mar. 08, 2021 05:05 PM EST

FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2020, file photo, Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck looks at his bench during an NCAA college football game with Michigan in Minneapolis. Minnesota is among 10 of the 14 Big Ten football teams sitting at two wins entering the final weekend of the regular season. The statistical anomaly begs the question of whether it's difficult for those teams to stay motivated in a season that brought unique challenges because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, File)
What's my motivation? Stakes low for 2-win Big Ten teams

By Eric Olson Dec. 10, 2020 04:58 PM EST

Rutgers wide receiver Shameen Jones (15) celebrates a touchdown catch with teammate Aron Cruickshank (2) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Anything goes, from one day to the next, in wacky Big Ten

By David Ginsburg Dec. 03, 2020 01:08 PM EST

Indiana quarterback Jack Tuttle (14) throws during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, in Bloomington, Ind. Indiana won 27-11. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
No. 10 Hoosiers, No. 18 Badgers meet with undefined stakes

By Eric Olson Dec. 03, 2020 01:28 AM EST

Iowa State running back Breece Hall, right, fends off a tackle attempt by Baylor linebacker Matt Jones during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 38-31. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney)
No. 17 Cyclones meet Kansas State team battling virus cases

By Eric Olson Nov. 19, 2020 01:38 PM EST

Alabama running back Najee Harris (22) runs past Mississippi linebacker MoMo Sanogo (46) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. Alabama won 63-48. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Week 7: Georgia-Alabama in spotlight; schedule disrupted

By Eric Olson Oct. 16, 2020 02:18 AM EDT

FILE - In this Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011 file photo, turf manager Jared Hertzel touches up the newly-painted Big Ten conference logo on the football field at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. Big Ten is going to give fall football a shot after all. Less than five weeks after pushing football and other fall sports to spring in the name of player safety during the pandemic, the conference changed course Wednesday and said it plans to begin its season the weekend of Oct. 23-24. (Jacob Hannah/Lincoln Journal Star via AP, File)
Reverse: Big Ten will try to play fall football after all

By Ralph D. Russo Sep. 16, 2020 09:48 AM EDT