Source: Columbia Missourian

Mizzou has recently become a school that is familiar with ESPN’s popular show College Gameday with the show televising from campus in 2010 for the Homecoming game against No. 1 Oklahoma. The basketball version of the show also stopped by for the past year’s Border War victory against Kansas. Fans now have a chance to bring the program back to Columbia for a third time.

The football edition of College Gameday is holding a fan vote to choose where to film a commercial for the show over the summer. It would be an opportunity to further put Mizzou in the national spotlight, something Athletic Director Mike Alden and the rest of the Mizzou athletic department has emphasized since moving to the SEC. Mizzou also holds the attendance record for the taping of a show, set on Oct. 23, 2010, before Mizzou’s Homecoming upset of then-No. 1 Oklahoma. More than 18,000 people packed onto the Francis Quadrangle that morning, creating a frenzied atmosphere with the iconic columns and Jesse Hall in the background.

Unfortunately, Mizzou has quite a bit of ground to make up before voting ends on May 2. The current standings have Mizzou at ninth with 4,583 votes. The current leader is fellow Big 12-to-SEC transfer Texas A&M with a ridiculous 377,798 votes. NC State (330,584 votes), Nebraska (33,427), Virginia Tech (15,948) and Arkansas (15,212) round out the top five. And in case anyone was wondering, Kansas ranks 79th with a paltry 178 votes.

Mizzou helped create one of the most memorable atmospheres in College Gameday history and it’s apparent that Tiger fans would come out in full force to support their team, given their holding of the attendance record. But Texas A&M and NC State have blown away the competition so far and it appears one of those schools has the early advantage for the TV spot. But Mizzou may have a chance for a return of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, and Desmond Howard and the rest of the Gameday crew next season when Georgia comes to town in the second week of the season, Mizzou’s first conference game in the SEC. Fans can vote for the TV spot at GamedayVote.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/collegegameday.

http://www.mutigers.com/sports/w-softbl/recaps/042212aaa.html

Chelsea Thomas took the loss for the Tigers, who dropped to 11-7 in the Big 12 on the season. The Sooners jumped out to an early lead with a run in both the 1st and 2nd innings, with the Tigers responding with a run in the 3rd but failing to muster any offense there on out. The loss puts the team in need of a big series headed into Aimes, Iowa starting Friday.

The Lady Tigers find themselves in 4th place in the Big 12 headed into their weekend match up with the Cyclones, sitting a half game back from both Texas and Texas A&M. The Cyclones are currently last in the conference with a 2-11 record.

A series sweep, which is very possible and almost expected, would put the Tigers in position for a top 3 finish in the conference. Oklahoma and Texas still must face each other again this year in a 3 game series that could work to the Tigers benefit.

The success of the Tigers has been fostered since day one of the season through a schedule that pitted Mizzou against top 25 opponents more times than against ranked opponents. This resulted in immense growth for each of the Tigers’ 10 wrestlers throughout the season, and was displayed last weekend in Columbia when Mizzou shocked powerhouses like Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in winning their first ever Big 12 tournament.

And in doing so, the Tigers became the only program in the nation so qualify all 10 wrestlers for the NCAA Tournament, a remarkable feat in its own right. What made that accomplishment even more impressive was the fact that only two of the 10 wrestlers were seeded first in their respective brackets. After Alan Waters (125 pounds) and Mike Larson (184 pounds) avoided being upset and won their flights, upset wins by Drake Houdashelt (157 pounds) and Zach Toal (165 pounds) put belief in the eyes of the Tigers. And thanks to consistent performances from all the other wrestlers (8 of the 10 finished at least second), Mizzou was able to take the title.

This overall success in the wrestling program can be attributed to the tireless work put in by head coach Brian Smith and his staff. In his 13 years in Columbia, there have been 14 wrestlers who have received all-american honors, nine of which have earned multiple honors. So while many Tiger fans will be glued to the performance of the basketball team as they make a push through March Madness, it would be wise to keep a tab on the Tiger wrestlers as well. With as much as they have accomplished, it is only fair that Mizzou nation puts in support to their wrestlers, as there is every possibility for a historic run to be made this weekend in St. Louis.