Appalachian State TE Max Drag commits to UCF
- By Brandon
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 22 Replies
Max Drag - Football - App State Athletics
Max Drag (80) Tight End - 2024: Appeared in 11 games, starting one at tight end against Old Dominion … Academic All-District … Against ODU, with App State ahead
appstatesports.com
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OT : USF trustees approve $407 million for stadium, infrastructure project
- By Brc75
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 102 Replies
By JOEY KNIGHT
In what outgoing president Rhea Law called a “red-letter” day for the school, USF’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the expenditure of $407 million for construction of its on-campus stadium and an accompanying infrastructure project.
The approval enables construction of the project to begin in earnest, with the stadium still set to be ready in time for the 2027 season opener against Louisville.
“It’s a transformative moment for our university,” Board of Trustees chairman Will Weatherford said during the recent virtual meeting, which lasted roughly 20 minutes.
“It’s about as big of a check as we’re ever going to write for anything at the University of South Florida. I’m a believer in measuring twice and cutting once. I think our team has done a good job of measuring here and trying to build in all the contingencies that you possibly can for a project of this size and scale.”
The final price tag (guaranteed maximum price) includes $348.5 million in projected costs for the stadium and $47.9 million for “East Campus Infrastructure” that includes utility and environmental investments, roadway plaza and walkway improvements, green-space development and security cameras. An additional $10.5 million for owner’s contingency (a reserve set aside to cover unexpected costs) was added.
The $348.5 million for the stadium is only $8.5 million more than the initial projected cost approved by the board in June 2023. Since then, some design and structural upgrades have been added to allow for possible future stadium capacity expansion and enhanced locker-room amenities, among other enhancements.
“In order for us to move to hopefully where we want to go potentially, with a lot of realignment conversations out there, maybe a super conference coming at the end of the day, we wanted to be able to add on to this stadium from a capacity standpoint and also a revenue standpoint,” USF Foundation CEO Jay Stroman told the group.
Link:
In what outgoing president Rhea Law called a “red-letter” day for the school, USF’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the expenditure of $407 million for construction of its on-campus stadium and an accompanying infrastructure project.
The approval enables construction of the project to begin in earnest, with the stadium still set to be ready in time for the 2027 season opener against Louisville.
“It’s a transformative moment for our university,” Board of Trustees chairman Will Weatherford said during the recent virtual meeting, which lasted roughly 20 minutes.
“It’s about as big of a check as we’re ever going to write for anything at the University of South Florida. I’m a believer in measuring twice and cutting once. I think our team has done a good job of measuring here and trying to build in all the contingencies that you possibly can for a project of this size and scale.”
The final price tag (guaranteed maximum price) includes $348.5 million in projected costs for the stadium and $47.9 million for “East Campus Infrastructure” that includes utility and environmental investments, roadway plaza and walkway improvements, green-space development and security cameras. An additional $10.5 million for owner’s contingency (a reserve set aside to cover unexpected costs) was added.
The $348.5 million for the stadium is only $8.5 million more than the initial projected cost approved by the board in June 2023. Since then, some design and structural upgrades have been added to allow for possible future stadium capacity expansion and enhanced locker-room amenities, among other enhancements.
“In order for us to move to hopefully where we want to go potentially, with a lot of realignment conversations out there, maybe a super conference coming at the end of the day, we wanted to be able to add on to this stadium from a capacity standpoint and also a revenue standpoint,” USF Foundation CEO Jay Stroman told the group.
Link:
USF trustees approve $407 million for stadium, infrastructure project
The price tag was unanimously approved, allowing construction of the stadium and infrastructure to begin in earnest.
www.orlandosentinel.com
Astronomers Detect a Possible Signature of Life on a Distant Planet
- By AGLamb
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 64 Replies
Astronomers Detect a Possible Signature of Life on a Distant Planet
Further studies are needed to determine whether K2-18b, which orbits a star 120 light-years away, is inhabited, or even habitable.
www.nytimes.com
OT: The Army We Know Is Changing—Yet again.
- By nosurf2day
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 38 Replies
There’s a lot of change happening in the Army right now. A lot of uncertainty, a lot of movement, and honestly, I’m really curious what the force is going to look like over the next year or two.
The Army announced this week its new Transformation Initiative, and it’s a major shift. With autonomous systems becoming cheaper and deadlier, and dual-use technologies advancing faster than our acquisition processes, the Army is pushing hard to adapt. The Transformation Initiative focuses on three main efforts: delivering critical warfighting capabilities, optimizing the force structure, and eliminating waste.
Some key changes include:
If even a portion of this goes forward, the Army will look very different in the next 12 to 24 months.
Letter to the Force Write up:
Army Leaders,
Battlefields across the world are changing at a rapid pace. Autonomous systems are becoming more lethal and less expensive. Sensors and decoys are everywhere. Dual-use technologies are continuously evolving and outpacing our processes to defeat them. To maintain our edge on the battlefield, our Army will transform to a leaner, more lethal force by adapting how we fight, train, organize, and buy equipment.
Consistent with the Secretary of Defense directive dated 30 April 2025, the Army is implementing a comprehensive transformation strategy-the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI). This initiative will reexamine all requirements and eliminate unnecessary ones, ruthlessly prioritize fighting formations to directly contribute to lethality, and empower leaders at echelon to make hard calls to ensure resources align with strategic objectives. To achieve this, ATI comprises three lines of effort: deliver critical warfighting capabilities, optimize our force structure, and eliminate waste and obsolete programs.
Deliver Warfighting Capabilities. ATI builds upon our Transformation in Contact (TiC) effort, which prototypes organizational changes and integrates emerging technology into formations to innovate, learn, refine requirements, and develop solutions faster. We will introduce long-range missiles and modernized UAS into formations, field the M1E3 tank, develop the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, and close the C-sUAS capability gap. Command and control nodes will integrate Artificial Intelligence to accelerate decision-making and preserve the initiative. Agile funding, which shifts from program-centric to capability-based portfolios, will increase timely equipment fielding and accelerate innovation cycles. Adaptation is no longer an advantage-it's a requirement for survival.
Optimize Force Structure. Our focus is on filling combat formations with Soldiers. Every role must sharpen the spear or be cut away. We are eliminating 1,000 staff positions at HQDA. To further optimize force structure, Army Futures Command and Training and Doctrine Command will merge into a single command that aligns force generation, force design, and force development under a single headquarters. Forces Command will transform into Western Hemisphere Command through the consolidation of Army North and Army South. Multi-Domain Task Forces will align with theater headquarters to operate under relevant authorities. We will trim general officer positions to streamline command structures and revise civilian talent management policies to prioritize performance.
We will also restructure Army Aviation by reducing one Aerial Cavalry Squadron per Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) in the Active Component, and we will consolidate aviation sustainment requirements and increase operational readiness. We will convert all Infantry Brigade Combat Teams to Mobile Brigade Combat Teams to improve mobility and lethality in a leaner formation. We are trading weight for speed, and mass for decisive force.
Eliminate Waste and Obsolete Programs. We will cancel procurement of outdated crewed attack aircraft such as the AH-64D, excess ground vehicles like the HMMWV and JLTV, and obsolete UAVs like the Gray Eagle. We will also continue to cancel programs that deliver dated, late-to-need, overpriced, or difficult-to-maintain capabilities. Yesterday's weapons will not win tomorrow's wars.
This is a first step. We have already directed a second round of transformation efforts to be delivered in the coming months.
Leaders, we need you to drive change to ensure we stay lethal, ready, and continue to build cohesive teams that take care of our Soldiers and families. Our Army must transform now to a leaner, more lethal force by infusing technology, cutting obsolete systems, and reducing overhead to defeat any adversary on an ever-changing battlefield. Our continuous transformation is underpinned by strong, agile leaders who act on their initiative.
This We'll Defend.
The Army announced this week its new Transformation Initiative, and it’s a major shift. With autonomous systems becoming cheaper and deadlier, and dual-use technologies advancing faster than our acquisition processes, the Army is pushing hard to adapt. The Transformation Initiative focuses on three main efforts: delivering critical warfighting capabilities, optimizing the force structure, and eliminating waste.
Some key changes include:
- Fielding new capabilities like the M1E3 tank, modern UAS platforms, long-range fires, and integrating AI at command nodes to speed up decision-making.
- Cutting 1,000 HQDA staff positions, reducing general officer billets, and merging Army Futures Command with TRADOC to better align force generation and modernization.
- Restructuring formations by turning Infantry BCTs into Mobile BCTs for greater speed and lethality, and reducing aviation assets within Combat Aviation Brigades.
- Canceling legacy systems that are outdated or no longer relevant to future threats, such as the AH-64D, HMMWV, and Gray Eagle.
If even a portion of this goes forward, the Army will look very different in the next 12 to 24 months.
Falling stars? Army weighing massive cut to generals, PEO offices and AFC power - Breaking Defense
A document outlining one possible scenario reduces the PEO shops from 13 down to 9, merges Army Futures Command with TRADOC.
breakingdefense.com
Letter to the Force Write up:
Army Leaders,
Battlefields across the world are changing at a rapid pace. Autonomous systems are becoming more lethal and less expensive. Sensors and decoys are everywhere. Dual-use technologies are continuously evolving and outpacing our processes to defeat them. To maintain our edge on the battlefield, our Army will transform to a leaner, more lethal force by adapting how we fight, train, organize, and buy equipment.
Consistent with the Secretary of Defense directive dated 30 April 2025, the Army is implementing a comprehensive transformation strategy-the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI). This initiative will reexamine all requirements and eliminate unnecessary ones, ruthlessly prioritize fighting formations to directly contribute to lethality, and empower leaders at echelon to make hard calls to ensure resources align with strategic objectives. To achieve this, ATI comprises three lines of effort: deliver critical warfighting capabilities, optimize our force structure, and eliminate waste and obsolete programs.
Deliver Warfighting Capabilities. ATI builds upon our Transformation in Contact (TiC) effort, which prototypes organizational changes and integrates emerging technology into formations to innovate, learn, refine requirements, and develop solutions faster. We will introduce long-range missiles and modernized UAS into formations, field the M1E3 tank, develop the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, and close the C-sUAS capability gap. Command and control nodes will integrate Artificial Intelligence to accelerate decision-making and preserve the initiative. Agile funding, which shifts from program-centric to capability-based portfolios, will increase timely equipment fielding and accelerate innovation cycles. Adaptation is no longer an advantage-it's a requirement for survival.
Optimize Force Structure. Our focus is on filling combat formations with Soldiers. Every role must sharpen the spear or be cut away. We are eliminating 1,000 staff positions at HQDA. To further optimize force structure, Army Futures Command and Training and Doctrine Command will merge into a single command that aligns force generation, force design, and force development under a single headquarters. Forces Command will transform into Western Hemisphere Command through the consolidation of Army North and Army South. Multi-Domain Task Forces will align with theater headquarters to operate under relevant authorities. We will trim general officer positions to streamline command structures and revise civilian talent management policies to prioritize performance.
We will also restructure Army Aviation by reducing one Aerial Cavalry Squadron per Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) in the Active Component, and we will consolidate aviation sustainment requirements and increase operational readiness. We will convert all Infantry Brigade Combat Teams to Mobile Brigade Combat Teams to improve mobility and lethality in a leaner formation. We are trading weight for speed, and mass for decisive force.
Eliminate Waste and Obsolete Programs. We will cancel procurement of outdated crewed attack aircraft such as the AH-64D, excess ground vehicles like the HMMWV and JLTV, and obsolete UAVs like the Gray Eagle. We will also continue to cancel programs that deliver dated, late-to-need, overpriced, or difficult-to-maintain capabilities. Yesterday's weapons will not win tomorrow's wars.
This is a first step. We have already directed a second round of transformation efforts to be delivered in the coming months.
Leaders, we need you to drive change to ensure we stay lethal, ready, and continue to build cohesive teams that take care of our Soldiers and families. Our Army must transform now to a leaner, more lethal force by infusing technology, cutting obsolete systems, and reducing overhead to defeat any adversary on an ever-changing battlefield. Our continuous transformation is underpinned by strong, agile leaders who act on their initiative.
This We'll Defend.
Undrafted UCF players
- By connerito
- UCF Fan Forum
- 1 Replies
How many UCF football players have signed as NFL undrafted free agents? A full list
UCF's RJ Harvey and Mac McWilliams were picked in the 2025 NFL Draft. Here's a running list of Knights who signed as undrafted free agents.
www.news-journalonline.com
Wetzel no longer w/ Yahoo; now espn senior writer
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 3 Replies
Missed when this happened or announced. No longer podcasting with Forde and Dellenger, assuming:
Wetzel: NCAA deal with sportsbooks looks crass but is sneaky smart
NCAA's deal with sportsbooks contains language to crack down on problematic prop bets.
www.espn.com
OT: Washington Commanders release renderings of new DC Dome Stadium
- By Knight_Light
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 11 Replies
Commanders are moving to the old site of RFK Stadium and the new stadium will be a fome with a glass roof, to allow the Capital.and DC viewable from a lot of the seats.
Obviously, with a Dome, it can jump in the Final Four rotation (as it's been since 1996 that the Final Four was in the Northeast...as that was also the last year the Final Four was played in a basketball arena and not a dome as the then Nets Arena in the Meadowland hosted it that year).
Of course year-round concerts and orher events will be held there as well.
Obviously, with a Dome, it can jump in the Final Four rotation (as it's been since 1996 that the Final Four was in the Northeast...as that was also the last year the Final Four was played in a basketball arena and not a dome as the then Nets Arena in the Meadowland hosted it that year).
Of course year-round concerts and orher events will be held there as well.