No headline
Zags open WCC hoops
slate at Portland on Jan. 2
SAN BRUNO, Calif. — The West Coast Conference announced its 2020 men’s basketball conference schedule Tuesday.
The race for the WCC regular season crown will stretch over a nine-week span, featuring 16 conference games. Conference play is slated to begin on Jan. 2 and will conclude on Feb. 29.
Gonzaga has shared or outright won the WCC regular season title the past seven seasons. The Bulldogs will look for the program’s 23rd conference title in 2019-20. GU has shared or won 18 conference championships in the last 19 years, and 20 out of the last 22 years.
The Zags open West Coast Conference play at Portland on Jan. 2. The Zags then welcome Pepperdine on Jan. 4.
A road swing to southern California follows at San Diego and Loyola Marymount on Jan. 9 and 11. GU hosts three consecutive games beginning with Santa Clara on Jan. 16, BYU on Jan. 18, ending with Pacific on Jan. 25. The Bulldogs close the month at Santa Clara on Jan. 30.
Gonzaga open the second half of the conference slate at San Francisco on Feb. 1. The Zags return to the McCarthey Athletic Center for a matchup with LMU on Feb. 6. GU then heads to Saint Mary’s (Feb. 8) and Pepperdine (Feb. 15). After welcoming San Francisco (Feb. 20), Gonzaga faces BYU in Provo, Utah, on Feb. 22. The Zags cap off the regular season at home versus San Diego and Saint Mary’s on Feb. 27 and Feb. 29.
The West Coast Conference Championships will follow March 5-10 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
Gonzaga’s non-conference schedule, along with game times and television information, is expected to be released in the near future.
Idaho kickoff times set
for Root Sports games
Root Sports and the Big Sky Conference announced the kickoff times for all Big Sky football Game of the Week broadcasts.
Idaho football will appear in the game of the week three times in 2019, at home against Eastern Washington (Sept. 21; noon PT) and Idaho State (Oct. 19; 2:30 p.m. PT), as well as on the road against Montana (Nov. 9; noon PT).
Kickoff times for Idaho’s remaining home games will be finalized later this week.
2019 Idaho Football Schedule
Times Pacific
Aug. 31 — at Penn State, 12:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Sept. 7 — vs. Central Washington, 6 p.m. (Pluto TV)
Sept. 14 — at Wyoming, 2 p.m. (ESPN3)
Sept. 21 — vs. Eastern Washington, noon (Root Sports)
Sept. 28 — vs. Northern Colorado, noon (Eleven Sports/Pluto TV)
Oct. 5 — vs. Weber State, time TBD (SWX/Pluto TV)
Oct. 12 — at Portland State, time TBD (Pluto TV)
Oct. 19 — vs. Idaho State, 2:30 p.m. (Root Sports)
Nov. 2 — vs. Cal Poly, time TBD (Pluto TV)
Nov. 9 — at Montana, noon (Root Sports)
Nov. 16 — vs. Sacramento State, time TBD (SWX/Pluto TV)
Nov. 23 — at Northern Arizona, time TBD (NAU TV/CW Phoenix/Pluto TV)
WSU women’s soccer team
picked to finish fourth in Pac-12
Coming off one of its most successful seasons in program history, the Washington State women’s soccer team was picked to finish fourth in the preseason Pac-12 coaches poll as announced by the conference office Tuesday morning.
The fourth-place pick marks the highest preseason ranking for the Cougars in the preseason poll. Stanford, the four-time defending conference champions, was picked to take the title for a record fifth consecutive season after receiving seven first-place votes. UCLA came in just behind the Cardinal in the poll after picking up the remaining five first-place votes.
USC was picked to finish third, followed by WSU, Colorado, California, Arizona, Utah, Arizona State, Washington, Oregon and Oregon State.
Former Lake City High standout Bridget Rieken is a true freshman at WSU.
Under head coach Todd Shulenberger, WSU has won its opening contest in the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons including a run to the round of 16 for the first time in program history in 2017. Last season the Cougars earned a home game to begin the tournament on the strength of a 12-win regular season that included a record 10-0 start and a program-best No. 7 national ranking.
WSU begins the regular season Aug. 22 at Seattle. The Cougars’ home opener is Aug. 30 against Montana at Lower Soccer Field.
Before that, the Cougs will get a chance to get on the pitch against a live opponent Friday at San Diego State in an exhibition matchup against the Aztecs.
Idaho hires new
compliance director
MOSCOW — The University of Idaho and Vandal Athletics hired Heath Senour as its Associate Athletic Director for Compliance.
Senour accepted the position in June and began his duties July 29. In his role, Senour will have dual reporting lines to University General Counsel and the athletic director and serve on the athletic department’s senior staff.
As an associate athletic director with the Vandals, Senour directs all aspects of the department’s rules education and compliance program. He is U of I’s liaison with the NCAA, affiliated conferences and outside constituent groups regarding rules interpretations and compliance issues.
He will develop and disseminate rules awareness and education programs, create applicable policies and procedures, monitor department activities, investigate rules compliance concerns, document all activities and findings and report instances of non-compliance to appropriate governing bodies.
Senour joins the Vandals after serving as the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance at Santa Clara for the past nine months, and in the same position at Kennesaw State for seven years prior.
In both of his two most recent positions, Senour has worked with university leadership to increase the level of institutional control to meet current industry standards, as well as introducing policies and procedures to increase athletic department efficiencies. He also brings vast experience in working with conference offices and the NCAA regarding institutional self-reports and developing and implementing rules education programs.
Senour’s tenure at Kennesaw State included oversight of various aspects of the athletic department outside of compliance. He was the sport administrator for seven programs, including men’s basketball, while also overseeing the department’s student-athlete success services unit.
Prior to Kennesaw State, Senour spent three years at Minnesota as the associate director of compliance from 2008-11. He led Stony Brook’s compliance department for four years, first as the director before being promoted to assistant athletic director for his final three years with the Seawolves.
His career also includes stops at Oregon State, Oakland (Mich.) and Midwestern State (Texas).
Senour earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in sport management from Robert Morris University. He completed his master’s degree in business administration at Midwestern State.