Sidelines

Football squad names 2008 captains

Earlier this month, head coach Turner Gill named senior quarterback Drew Willy, senior offensive guard Jeff Niedermier, senior defensive tackle Ronald Hilaire and junior safety Mike Newton captains for the football team for the upcoming season.

Willy, a captain last season, enters his senior season and fourth year as a starter after being named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award watch list this past summer, which recognizes the top quarterbacks in the country. Willy, who is on the verge of breaking multiple school passing records this season, is also coming off a fantastic showing last year in which he broke the school's record for passing efficiency (135.7). He finished second in the Mid-American Conference and 34th nationally in that category.

Niedermier, a four-year starter for the Bulls, leads the Bulls with 30 career starts entering his senior season. Hilaire returns after having the best season of his career last year in which he started 11 games at defensive tackle. Newton, the only underclassman captain, has earned a starting position for the third straight year.

Bulls announce Students Athletes of the Year

Over the summer, the Division of Athletics honored its male and female Student Athletes of the Year. The awards recipients were Jamey Richard, a center on the Bulls football team, and Andreea Novaceanu from the women's tennis team.

Richard was named as an Honorable Mention All-American by Pro Football Weekly and was a selection on the second-team All-MAC academic team. Richard signed a four-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts after being selected in the seventh-round round of the NFL draft last spring.

After becoming a member of the Bulls' first team to win a MAC Championship, Novaceanu was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's East Senior Player of the Year. She was also named to the All-MAC First Team for the third time in four seasons. Novaceanu finished her fourth season with an 83-28 overall career record in singles, which are the most singles victories in Bulls women's tennis history.

Women's tennis wins "Best of Western New York" award

After attaining their first ever Mid-American Conference title and becoming the first UB team to go to the NCAA Tournament, the Bulls women's tennis team was named the "Best College Sports Team" in the Best of Western New York issue of the Buffalo Spree. At the end of their championship season, the team finished with a record of 12-9, 4-4 Mid American Conference.

The Buffalo Spree is in its third year of giving out Best of WNY. This was only the second year that the "Best College Sports Team" award was offered.

Mid-American Conference unveils new identity

Following in the shoes of MAC schools such as Buffalo, the MAC has officially re-branded their entire image as well.

The new logo for the conference is the first re-branding effort for the conference since 1987. A new color scheme of Navy Blue, Kelly Green and Silver changes brings new life to the conference without crossing the boundary of institutional colors.

A four-member subcommittee, headed by University of Akron Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades, led the process in developing the new logo with The Joe Bosack Graphic Design Company. The subcommittee sought feedback from all of the MAC's Athletic Directors, Senior Administrators and Faculty Athletics Representatives. The group also conferred with the conference's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).