COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is pleased to announce that it has received a $10 million gift from the Kansas City Sports Trust.  The Trust has given the gift toward the building of football facilities, which are currently being developed in the master planning process by Athletics and campus facilities.

“We are so pleased to make this announcement today,” said Director of Athletics Jim Sterk.  “The Kansas City Sports Trust has stepped up with a tremendous leadership gift that demonstrates true philanthropic giving.  We’re so appreciative of this support, and we’re hopeful that this will encourage others to join in and help us achieve our goals of building football facilities that put us in the upper echelon of the Southeastern Conference.  Making this facility become a reality is critical to our commitment in providing one of the best student-athlete experiences in the country,” Sterk said.

Sterk said the gift is an important starting point to kick off a fundraising campaign for the football facility project.  Specific details and scope of the campaign and the project will be announced at a later date after plans are approved and finalized.

“The Kansas City Sports Trust has such a generous history of giving to Mizzou, and we’re very grateful for their continued commitment,” said Head Football Coach Barry Odom.  “We’ve said from the start that we can’t do this alone – we need support from our fans to get where we want to be, and this is an amazing statement of support.  I’m excited to get to work with our administration and our architects to develop plans that will showcase Mizzou in a first-class manner,” Odom said.

Those interested in more information on giving to support Mizzou Athletics, please contact the Tiger Scholarship Fund Office at 573-882-0704, and online at www.tsfmizzou.com.

Odom and his Tigers are preparing for their 2016 home opener, set for this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium.

— Mizzou Athletics —

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Skyler Howard played through a rib injury and Rushel Shell missed most of the second half with leg cramps, yet West Virginia overcame setbacks to their top two offensive threats to break a five-game losing streak to Southeastern Conference teams.

Backup running back Justin Crawford rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown filling in for Shell, and Howard stayed in the game to lead the Mountaineers to a 26-11 win over Missouri on Saturday.

“We’ll take it,” said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

So does Missouri, which lost in the debut for coach Barry Odom and fell in an opener for the first time since 2001, which was the first season under previous coach Gary Pinkel.

Howard was hurt when he was tackled by Missouri’s Donavin Newsom while sliding during a run near halftime. Trainers worked on his ribs before the second-half kickoff and he returned to the game.

Holgorsen said Howard is sore but no ribs were broken.

“He knew we needed him,” Holgorsen said. “The kid is a competitor and is going to do anything … to help the team win.”

Howard didn’t attempt a carry the rest of the game. He finished 23 of 35 for 235 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.

In the brief time Howard sat out, backup quarterback William Crest lost a fumble and Chris Chugunov threw an interception.

“When guys go down, (other) guys need to go in and play at a high level,” Holgorsen said. “Some did. Some didn’t.”

Crawford did. The junior college transfer got most of the carries after Shell walked off the field gingerly early in the third quarter and didn’t return. Holgorsen said Shell had leg cramps and “he’s fine.”

Crawford had a 1-yard scoring run in the third quarter.

“From a teammate perspective, it’s good to know when you come off the field they’re putting someone in that is just as good as you,” Shell said.

Shell finished with 90 yards, including a 23-yard TD in the first quarter. He said he didn’t want to return to the game after leaving and “mess up the flow and the tempo” of the offense.

Missouri struggled most of the game under sophomore quarterback Drew Lock, who threw an 8-yard scoring pass to Chris Black with under two minutes left.

“I don’t feel like I did a very good job on this,” Odom said. “I’m obviously very thankful and honored to be the head coach. But I’ve got a job to do and I didn’t get it done today.”

THE TAKEAWAY

MISSOURI: New offensive coordinator Josh Heupel has two weeks to get the Tigers ready for the grueling Southeastern Conference schedule. The Tigers were lethargic against a West Virginia defense that had nine new starters. Lock finished 23 of 51 for 280 yards.

Odom said there was “some good and some bad” about Lock’s performance.

“He’s going to continue to get better,” Odom said.

WEST VIRGINIA: Like many games last season, the Mountaineers had trouble reaching the end zone following long drives. Four stalled inside the Missouri 10, all leading to short field goals by Mike Molina.

“That’s not good,” Holgorsen said. “There’s going to be times where those field goals need to be touchdowns. We have to do a better job of finishing drives.”

UP NEXT

MISSOURI: Tigers fans get to see how Odom does for themselves in the home opener against Eastern Michigan — a 61-14 winner over Mississippi Valley State — before Missouri’s SEC home opener with Georgia a week later.

WEST VIRGINIA: The Mountaineers welcome ex-Nebraska coach Bo Pelini in their first-ever meeting with Youngstown State, which gave Pittsburgh a scare on the road a year ago.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, MO. – Mizzou Football’s Charles Harris (Kansas City, Mo.) has been named to the 2016 Rotary Lombardi Award Preliminary Watch List, as announced by the Rotary Lombardi Award committee on Thursday. Harris is one of 158 total student-athletes and 42 Southeastern Conference players selected to the list who demonstrate outstanding performance and skill and exemplify the discipline, virtue and wisdom of Vince Lombardi. It’s now the fourth preseason watch list for Harris after being named to the Ted Hendricks, Bednarik and Nagurski watch lists earlier this summer.

Harris was a Second Team All-SEC honoree following the 2015 regular season. In his first year as a starter, he led the SEC in tackles for loss (18.5) and registered seven sacks, solidifying himself as the next standout in a long line of stellar defensive ends at Mizzou. He anchored the defensive line on one of the nation’s top defenses, starting all 12 games while finishing with 56 total tackles, two forced fumbles and a pass break-up.

The annual Rotary Lombardi Award began in 1970 in honor of the NFL coaching legend and recognized exceptional linemen in college football that upheld the values of leadership, courage, desire, respect and discipline. It has since been expanded to include players of all positions who exemplify those characteristics. Net proceeds from the award activities are contributed to cancer research and children who cannot afford treatment to fight the disease that claimed the life of Lombardi.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball has added Ashleen Bracey to its staff as an assistant coach, Robin Pingeton announced Monday. A former player and graduate assistant under Pingeton, Bracey comes to Mizzou with more than five years of coaching experience.

“We are beyond excited to have Ashleen join our staff,” Pingeton said. “She is going to be a fantastic addition. I have known Ashleen for more than 11 years and have always been so impressed with her work ethic as well as her basketball IQ. She is a high-character, high-integrity individual who is very passionate about the game. She is without a doubt an up-and-coming star in this profession.”

Bracey joins the Tigers’ staff after three seasons as an assistant at UAB, where she helped guide the Blazers to 49 victories in that span. There, she served as the recruiting coordinator and played a major role in player development on and off the court for a program that produced its highest team GPA in a decade during the 2015-16 campaign. In Bracey’s time spent with UAB, the Blazers established a reputation for playing gritty defense. UAB led Conference USA in scoring defense last season, limiting opponents to just 57.2 points per game.

Bracey will continue having a significant hand in recruiting efforts at Mizzou while assisting with player development and mentoring. With more than 10 years playing and coaching at a high level under her belt, she will also be able to use her expertise to aid in scouting upcoming opponents for the Tigers throughout the season.

“I’m extremely fortunate for the opportunity to work for my former college coach, Robin Pingeton,” Bracey said. “The entire staff and the team are like family to me. I am blessed and honored to be a part of this program again. I am ready to jump right in, roll up my sleeves and get to work.”

The ties between Pingeton and Bracey date back to 2006, when Bracey chose to play college basketball for Pingeton at Illinois State. The duo helped the Redbirds become a consistent power in the Missouri Valley Conference. During Bracey’s playing career, Illinois State claimed three MVC Championships, clinched an NCAA Tournament berth in 2008 and advanced to the WNIT Final Four in 2009 and 2010.

As a senior, she was named team captain by Pingeton and engineered the Redbirds’ third consecutive 20-win season. Bracey led Illinois State in scoring with 14.7 points per contest and secured both All-MVC First Team honors and MVC All-Defensive Team recognition.

Upon graduation, Bracey signed a contract with Das Anos Liosia, a professional squad in Athens, Greece. She played a season with them before deciding to join the coaching ranks and immediately got a chance as an assistant coach at Eureka (Ill.) College. In August of that year, Bracey and Pingeton were able to reconnect as Bracey teamed up with her former coach and took a graduate assistant position at Mizzou in 2011.

In 2012, she spent a season as an assistant coach at Ball State, where she worked heavily with recruiting and created and administered game plans and scouting reports. Following that year, Bracey settled in at UAB on the staff of head coach Randy Norton, who was an assistant under Pingeton at both Mizzou and Illinois State. Now the well-traveled and experienced Bracey is back in black and gold and alongside Pingeton once more heading into the 2016-17 campaign.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football’s Charles Harris (Kansas City, Mo.) has been named to the 2016 Ted Hendricks Award Preseason Watch List, as announced earlier this month by the Ted Hendricks Foundation. The award goes to college football’s top defensive end annually and Harris is one of 28 players named to the list. This is the fourth preseason watch list for Harris after being named to the Bednarik, Butkus and Nagurski watch lists earlier this summer.

Harris was a Second Team All-SEC honoree following the 2015 regular season. He led the SEC in tackles for loss (18.5) and registered seven sacks, emerging as the next star in a long line of standout defensive ends at Mizzou. He anchored the defensive line on one of the nation’s top defenses, starting all 12 games while finishing with 56 total tackles, two forced fumbles and a pass break-up.

The Ted Hendricks Award is named in honor of college football’s first three-time first-team All-American. As a defensive end at the University of Miami, Ted used his agility, height and reach to block passes and kicks, force interceptions and pressure quarterbacks and running backs. He roamed the front line, read plays and blitzed on impulse, completely transforming the way the defensive end position was played. His professional career spanned 15 years and 215 consecutive games. It included four Super Bowl victories, eight Pro Bowl selections and inductions into the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. It is in the spirit of Ted Hendricks’ aggressive style of play, winning attitude and determination that the Defensive End of the Year Award for college football’s premier defensive end is presented.

On-field performance, exceptional winning attitude, leadership abilities, contributions to school and community and academic preparedness are some of the criteria used to determine the Award’s winner. Members of the national media, head coaches, professional scouts and former winners are included in the Award’s voting committee. Candidates may represent any class (Freshman through Senior) as well as any four-year NCAA accredited school. The candidate’s primary position must be defensive end.

The Hendricks Award voting committee will cast two votes: one to narrow the list of candidates to 4-6 finalists, and one to choose our winner for this season. Our Final Mid-Season Watch List will be announced in late November. The 2016 winner will be announced on December 7th.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri said Tuesday it has hired San Diego State’s Jim Sterk as its new athletic director on a seven-year contract.

He will be paid a base salary of $700,000 and will start no later than Sept. 1. Interim Chancellor Hank Foley said Sterk was exactly what Missouri needs as it replaces Mack Rhoades, who left for Baylor.

Sterk has spent the past six years at San Diego State, helping the school to what Missouri said was the most successful five seasons in SDSU’s athletic history — 32 team conference championships and the fourth-highest combined winning percentage in the country in football and men’s basketball.

The 60-year-old Sterk was also the AD at Washington State and has held positions at Portland State, North Carolina, Maine, Seattle Pacific and Tulane. The former football and basketball player is a 1980 graduate of Western Washington and received his master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio University.

Sterk was recently honored as the AD of the year by National Association of College Director of Athletics and was selected to the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee.

San Diego State has hired Jenny Bramer as interim AD.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri has its third athletic director in as many weeks.

Interim Chancellor Hank Foley announced Wednesday that Sarah Reesman has been named the Columbia school’s interim athletic director. Reesman will assume that new role on Friday, a day after returning from two weeks abroad.

Foley says Reesman lately has overseen the department’s operational functions that include human resources, academic support, student-athlete development, diversity and inclusion activities, student conduct and employee contracts.

Mack Rhoades resigned on July 13 as athletic director to oversee Baylor’s sports department. Wren Baker was chosen to replace him at Missouri on an acting basis but resigned last week to become the athletic director at North Texas.

Foley says the search continues for a permanent successor to Rhoades.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The NCAA has accepted Missouri’s self-imposed sanctions over infractions involving its men’s basketball program, but it tacked on a year of probation through August of next year.

The NCAA infractions committee panel’s findings over what it said were roughly $11,400 in improper inducements and benefits given to players and a recruit by two boosters were released Tuesday, nearly seven months after Missouri admitted NCAA violations dating to 2011.

Hoping to blunt NCAA punishment, the school announced in January that it was vacating its 23 wins from 2013-14, banning itself from the postseason last season and stripping itself of one scholarship last season and a second scholarship no later than 2017-18.

The school, while agreeing to pay a $5,000 fine, also permanently banned one unidentified donor who the NCAA said provided impermissible benefits to three players and one recruit in 2013-14. The benefits included compensation for work not done at a business through a summer intern program, along with housing, $520 cash, local transportation, iPads, meals and use of a local gym.

The NCAA concluded that a second booster also provided impermissible benefits to 11 men’s basketball players and three members of a player’s family. Missouri has said those benefits included reduced rates at a hotel along with meals and a boat ride, and a student manager also provided transportation for multiple players to the hotel from the campus.

The Missouri system’s interim chancellor, Hank Foley, and basketball coach Kim Anderson welcomed Tuesday’s announcement as a turning point for the program after roughly two years of turmoil.

“As responsible members of the (Southeastern Conference) and the NCAA, we chose to self-report potential violations of bylaws and self-impose certain sanctions,” Foley said in a statement. Tuesday’s announcement “is a clear indication this was a wise decision by the university and allows us to put these issues behind us as we continue to rebuild a top-notch basketball program.”

“Through cooperation between NCAA personnel, the University of Missouri and our Mizzou athletics staff, we are now able to draw this process to a close,” added Anderson, who is 19-44 in his first two seasons in Columbia. “It has been my desire to move our program forward since learning of what had taken place.”

Missouri went 23-12 in 2013-14 — Frank Haith’s final season as coach before he left for Tulsa, not long after the school received a verbal notice of inquiry from the NCAA in April 2014, when Missouri hired Anderson. At that time, Anderson said he wasn’t aware of the investigation.

Haith, the former coach at Miami, was suspended for five games by the NCAA at the start of the 2013-14 season for inadequately monitoring former assistants interactions with a disgraced Miami booster and then trying to cover up a five-figure hush money payment to keep potential violations hidden.

The investigation found that Haith and Miami assistant coach Jake Morton paid Nevin Shapiro $10,000 after he threatened to expose previous improper contact with high school recruits and amateur coaches.

Haith’s Kansas City attorney, Scott Tompsett, said Haith “cooperated fully with the NCAA’s investigation and was not named in or held responsible for any of the violations.”

“As the NCAA Infractions Report makes clear, violations happened while Coach Haith was at Mizzou and they continued after Coach Anderson became the head coach,” Tompsett wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “The fact of the matter is that this is not a Frank Haith issue or a Kim Anderson issue; it’s an issue of Mizzou as an institution not adequately monitoring the summer employment arrangement. That’s what the NCAA found and Mizzou agreed.”

Haith, Tompsett added, “wishes the best to the University of Missouri and its men’s basketball program.”

A message left Tuesday with Haith at his Tulsa office was not immediately returned.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football’s annual Fan Appreciation Day has been set for Sunday, August 7, at 6:45 p.m. on the field at Memorial Stadium. This year will mark the first year that Mizzou will hold Fan Day in the evening.  Gates will open to the public at approximately 6:45 p.m., and the team and coaches will be on hand to sign autographs for roughly an hour. Admission to this fan favorite event is free.

At Fan Day, Mizzou’s followers will have the opportunity to go onto the field and meet Tiger players and coaches and get autographs. Players will be limited to signing one item per fan, with free schedule posters available on the field for those interested. Guests bringing multiple items to the gate will be asked to return additional items to their vehicle.

Fans should enter the stadium via Gate 1 beginning at 6:45 p.m. Those with accessible needs should park in Lot G and enter through the southwest field level gate. There will be free water on hand at field level, but fans are encouraged to bring their own sealed bottled water to help beat the potential heat as well. Other outside food and beverages will not be permitted.

Parking for the event is free, and fans are encouraged to park in the lots immediately surrounding Memorial Stadium (Founder’s, Lot A, Lot B, Lot C and Lot J).

Fans looking to get the latest Mizzou Football team gear are invited to check out the Tiger Team Store, which will open at 5:30 p.m.

— Mizzou Press Release —