Category: Maine Black Bears
UNH Football Notebook: CAA Expansion Won't Affect 'Cats Short-Term
DURHAM — There are numbers CAA commissioner Tom Yeager has a pleasure trying to crunch, and others that present more of a challenge.
Start with the tough ones. Two years from now, the CAA will welcome its 13th football-playing member, Old Dominion, which will be lodged in the league’s South Division and unbalance an unbalanced league schedule even more.
In 2012, Georgia State will bring the membership to 14, and play as a nominal member of the North Division, but with a specially-crafted schedule.
Black Bears Pick Up a Win to Build Upon
Maine finally adds to a halftime lead, taking advantage of UMass miscues for a 19-9 win.
ORONO — In a game of big plays, turnovers and wild momentum shifts, the University of Maine knocked off 19th-ranked Massachusetts 19-9 on Saturday.
The win was notable because the Black Bears (4-4, 3-2 Colonial Athletic Association) showed signs of growth in several areas.
“That’s a really good football team, nineteenth-ranked in the country,” said Maine Coach Jack Cosgrove. “We persevered. We matured and grew today.”
Former Lacey Township QB Becomes Main Man at Maine
Warren Smith understands the long road. He’s just a sophomore in college and already at his second school.
His first school, Iona College, discontinued the football program and sent the Lacey Township graduate in search of another football team last year. He landed at the University of Maine, one of his opponents from his rookie season.
Smith made his first start for the Black Bears, a Football Championship Subdivision team, over the weekend against Syracuse. It could be the first of many for the 6-foot-1, 190-pound quarterback.
Can Richmond give CAA another title?
In some people’s minds, defending national champion Richmond is one of the favorites to win the 2009 title. But the reality of the Colonial Athletic Association is that the Spiders might not even survive their own division, let alone the NCAA playoffs.
- 3447 words - FCS News Articles, CAA, Rhode Island Rams, New Hampshire Wildcats, Massachusetts Minutemen, Richmond Spiders, Hofstra Pride, Delaware Blue Hens, Villanova Wildcats, James Madison Dukes, Towson Tigers, William & Mary Tribe, Northeastern Huskies, Maine Black Bears Defending National Champion Richmond And Villanova Selected As CAA Favorite In 2009, All-CAA Teams and TV Package Announced
Richmond, which returns 18 starters off last year’s NCAA National Championship team, and Villanova, which returns 16 starters from 2008, are picked to share the overall CAA Football Championship in 2009. New Hampshire, last season’s North Division winner, was also picked to repeat in the North according to a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches and selected media. The results of the poll, along with the Preseason All-Conference squads, were announced during Wednesday’s CAA Football Media Day at the ESPNZone in Baltimore, Md.
- 1760 words - CAA, Rhode Island Rams, New Hampshire Wildcats, Massachusetts Minutemen, Richmond Spiders, Hofstra Pride, Delaware Blue Hens, Villanova Wildcats, James Madison Dukes, Towson Tigers, Northeastern Huskies, Maine Black Bears Opinion: Additonal FB Expansion Could be Coming Soon to CAA
The Colonial Athletic Association will swell to 14 football schools in 2012, when Georgia State joins.
Too many? Too few? Or just right?
Rather than fret about growing too big too fast, maybe the league will say what the heck and just super-size it.
If it does, there are two schools that would be a geographic fit for the league - surely more of a fit than Georgia State. Adding them would be cost effective at a time when schools everywhere are looking to save wherever they can.
Maine's Coach To Throw Out First Pitch At Sunday’s Red Sox Game
University of Maine head football coach Jack Cosgrove will throw out the ceremonial first pitch this Sunday, June 21, at Fenway Park when the Boston Red Sox face the Atlanta Braves in a 1:35 p.m. game. The contest has been designated as “Maine Day” at Fenway and will serve as an opportunity to honor Maine dignitaries and the state’s loyal fan base. A busload of 50-plus supporters of Black Bear athletics will be traveling from Orono to witness the game.
Maine Coaching Staff Promotions
University of Maine head football coach Jack Cosgrove announced on Wednesday a pair of promotions to his coaching staff. Joe Rossi has been promoted from defensive backs/special teams coordinator to defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, while Kevin Cahill has taken on the role of special teams coordinator in addition to his duties as the running backs coach.
Maine Nationally Ranked In Two Preseason Polls
Turcotte, Brusko And Masterson Named Preseason All-Americans
The University of Maine football team is already receiving recognition for the 2009 season, as the Black Bears are nationally ranked in two recently released preseason top-25 polls. Maine is ranked 15th and 17th respectively, in the AnyGivenSaturday.com and Athlon Sports polls. The AGS poll is listed on its website, while Athlon’s poll is in its 2009 preview magazines which hit magazine stands later this summer.
Three Maine Games To Be Televised In 2009
Coming off a thrilling 2008 season in which the University of Maine football team advanced to the NCAA FCS playoffs, three Black Bear games in 2009 have been selected by the CAA to be televised throughout the northeast on Comcast SportsNet (channel 38 for Time Warner customers).
With Economy Slumping, Colleges Cut Teams to Save Money
After three decades of steady growth in the number of teams and student-athletes, colleges and universities large and small, private and public, east and west, are slashing millions of dollars from their sports budgets.
Colleges have dismissed athletic staff, reduced hours for pools and practice courts, and increased equipment and facility fees. Some have also cut the size of their travel squads, eliminated trips requiring air travel and done away with housing teams in hotels the night before home games.
Maine 2009 Captains Named, Spring Game Ensued
QB Mike Brusko, DL Jordan Stevens and LB Brandon McLaughlin were chosen senior captains by secret vote.
The offense put together back-to-back long field goal drives early in the scrimmage. The first field goal drive came on the second series as the offense went 44 yards in 10 plays, which was capped by sophomore kicker Brian Harvey’s 38-yard field goal. It was the first of three scores for the offense on the day. The big plays on the drive were a 15-yard run by sophomore tailback Derek Session, and a nine-yard pass from senior quarterback Mike Brusko to sophomore fullback Jared Turcotte on third-and-six.
Maine Announces 2009 Schedule
Five home games, including the season-opener versus St. Cloud State on Thursday night Sept. 3, highlights the 2009 University of Maine football schedule, which was announced on Wednesday by athletic director Blake James. Another highlight of the schedule is a showdown with Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on Sept. 26.
UMAINE FOOTBALL: Coach Cosgrove sells program in Winslow
WINSLOW – University of Maine football coach Jack Cosgrove made an official recruiting visit to Winslow on Thursday night.
Cosgrove wasn’t looking at anyone particular – no quarterbacks, free safeties, running backs, linemen or linebackers.
UMaine Stars Make Push for Pro Dreams
ORONO, Maine — One might have expected to see several National Football League scouts Thursday at the University of Maine’s pro day.
The main attraction was consensus All-America defensive end Jovan Belcher, a legitimate candidate to sign a pro contract on or around the April 25-26 draft.
Coach Jack Cosgrove’s Black Bears have produced nine players since 2002 who are presently on NFL rosters.
Instead, one scout from the Detroit Lions and another from Arena Football League 2 put a group of eight UMaine players through a series of strength and agility drills at Latti Fitness Center and the Mahaney Dome.
Maine Suspends Volleyball, Men's Soccer; Cutting Football Not a Consideration
In an effort to preserve the overall integrity and competitiveness of University of Maine athletics during these difficult economic times, athletics director Blake James on Wednesday announced his decision to suspend the women’s volleyball and men’s soccer programs.
The cuts, which become effective June 30, were made to help the athletic department achieve its share ($253,000) of a university-mandated $8.8 million budget reduction for fiscal year 2010.
FGCU AD SEARCH: Maine's James Has Kept Tabs on FGCU
ESTERO — Blake James has had his eyes on this prize for years.
The University of Maine athletics director has made December trips to Southwest Florida to watch his Black Bears play hockey in Germain Arena since he took over as the school’s senior associate AD in 2003.
He and wife Kelly, whose mother lives in Pompano Beach, would make treks to Florida Gulf Coast University to scout out the newish athletic programs (the Eagles have played seven basketball seasons, for instance) and campus.
Black Bears back on the field
ORONO, Maine — Today marks the halfway point of the spring season for the University of Maine football team.
Coach Jack Cosgrove and his staff will put the Black Bears through their paces during 15 spring practice sessions, culminating May 2 with the annual Jeff Cole Scrimmage on Morse Field at Alfond Stadium.
Maine To Host Jeff Cole Memorial "Bone Marrow" Drive
University of Maine head football coach Jack Cosgrove and the Black Bear football team will be taking part in playing host to the 2009 Jeff Cole Memorial “Bone Marrow” Drive on April 30, from 3-7 p.m. at the University Recreation Center on the Orono campus. The football team is partnering with the UMaine Multicultural Center and OSNA to run the event. The groups are also working in conjunction with the National Bone Marrow Testing Program.
CAA Eyes Odd Slate
HARRISONBURG - Currently, not every football team in the Colonial Athletic Association plays every other member. In 2011 - for one season only - a school might not even face everyone in its own division.
Old Dominion will become the seventh team in the CAA’s South Division in 2011, while the North will remain at six teams. CAA commissioner Tom Yeager said Wednesday that four of the South teams will play all six divisional foes, while three will play only five.
- 798 words - CAA, Rhode Island Rams, New Hampshire Wildcats, Massachusetts Minutemen, Richmond Spiders, Hofstra Pride, Delaware Blue Hens, Villanova Wildcats, James Madison Dukes, Towson Tigers, William & Mary Tribe, Northeastern Huskies, Maine Black Bears, Old Dominion Monarchs, Georgia State Panthers 
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