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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 37 – UAB Football Preview with Evan Dudley

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The Roost Podcast welcomes UAB Football beat writer Evan Dudley and gets his perspective on the Blazers and their expectations for 2020.

The first stanza of our Extended Offseason interview series has come to an end. To this point, we’ve welcomed mostly Rice-centric guests, from World Series Champion Anthony Rendon to repeat guest an avid MCU fan Christian Covington. If you’ve missed an episode or are just joining us, make sure you give those a listen on the podcast page or anywhere you get your podcasts.

This week we shift forward toward the return of college football. Part 2 of our Extended Offseason series will pivot toward the gridiron. Each week we’ll welcome a new guest familiar with the Owls’ upcoming opponents. We start this week with Evan Dudley, UAB beat writer from AL.com.

Give a listen to our chat with Evan on Episode 37.

Episode 37 Notes

  • Housekeeping — Thanks to all of you who have followed the show on Twitter and left a review on iTunes. It’s quick, but it makes a difference. Make sure you follow Evan Dudley on Twitter and let him know you enjoyed having him on the pod.
  • George Floyd — The murder of George Floyd has sparked important, meaningful conversation in our nation. After getting to know JP Heath and Nate Griffin over the past several years, their interview on The Texas Porch Podcast speaks to the situation better than either Matthew or Carter could. We recommend giving that show a listen.
  • Rice news — Rice announced return to campus plans on Thursday. Read more detail on the announcement here. Matthew and Carter discuss the ramifications of bringing athletes back, testing and more.
  • Evan Dudley joins the show — Dudley shares his insight on UAB under the direction of Bill Clark and what to expect from the Blazers in 2020, including:
    • How long will Clark stay at UAB?
    • Tyler Johnston and hope for the UAB offense
    • How will the Blazers replace departing stars on defense?
    • Takeaways from the shortened spring practice
    • The first edition of the Lightning Round

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Rice Football: Owls announce return to campus timeline

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Rice Football has a plan to return to campus and the athletic department has announced its plan to reengage amid COVID-19 concerns.

Rice football, soccer, volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country teams have a plan to return to campus. The Roost has confirmed those athletes will be tested as part of pre-participation COVID-19 screening on Thursday, June 11. Voluntary workouts are scheduled to begin on June 17.

As far as the logistics go, student-athletes will be organized into sport-specific workout groups. Those groups will be assigned times for conditioning work and medical treatments. Everyone entering the facilities will be required to wear a face covering expect for during the scheduled workouts. Sports medicine staff will wear masks as well as all strength and conditioning staff members.

Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard detailed the process in a statement:

“We are excited to welcome our local, fall sport student-athletes back to campus for voluntary workouts. Our staff has worked very thoughtfully on a plan that promotes safety and allows for mitigation in the event of any positive occurrences of the virus. We hope June 17 marks the beginning of our transition to having all of our student-athletes successfully return for fall semester.”

For the time being, the Owls’ first game is still scheduled to kick off on Thursday, September 3 against Houston. As of Tuesday, the Cougars do not plan to test their athletes unless they exhibit symptoms of the virus.

The Roost Podcast: Listen now to our Extended Offseason Interview Series

When addressing that subject earlier in the summer, Karlgaard noted the decision to plan for the upcoming football season was intentional. “We have to proceed as if we’re going to have those seasons because you can’t do the reverse,” he said, citing the immense challenges that would arise should teams seek to organize a game that had been canceled on short notice.

Establishing a return to campus plan had to come first. Rice football has achieved that milestone. The rest will follow in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned as the situation develops. Further details are available here.

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Rice Football: Owls cautious with return to campus plans

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Rice football decision-makers are currently evaluating a plan to return to campus. When that will be and what it will look like remain to be seen.

The future of college football is as uncertain now as its ever been, but a light has seemingly appeared on the horizon. The NCAA opened the door for college athletes to return to campus in June. That decision came after nearly a 3-month hiatus from all university athletic facilities. What that looks like, and when it will occur, vary from conference to conference and school to school.

The SEC opted for a uniform decision. League presidents voted to allow athletes to return to campus starting June 8 for voluntary workouts. Conference USA has left it up to each member institution. The Houston Cougars open their facilities across town for their student-athletes on June 1.

The ramifications of decisions of this kind rose to the forefront quickly. Three Marshall players tested positive for COVID-19 upon their return to campus. Outside of Conference USA, five Alabama players tested positive for the virus after interacting with roughly 50 players who had also returned to campus.

The Roost Podcast: Listen now to our Extended Offseason Interview Series

On May 29, Rice Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard issued an update on the Owls’ decision-making process in that area:

Speaking of return to campus, the NCAA has approved student-athletes to return to their respective campuses on a voluntary basis beginning June 1. We have not yet set a date for our own return to campus and will work with Rice leadership to ensure we can bring back our staff and student-athletes as safely as possible. We remain on track to begin our fall sports seasons on time, but with a rapidly changing and fluid situation, we are also prepared to make calendar adjustments as necessary.

The Owls are going to be cautious about this. The positive test results from other schools add to the reason for concern.

“We have to make the best decisions that we can when we’re required to make them with the information we have on hand knowing that information could change tomorrow,” Karlgaard said following the release. He added that he feels “really good about where we are and our approach.”

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Conference USA: Scheduling changes coming soon

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Conference USA athletics scheduling changes are on their way with modifications to the upcoming fall sports calendar expected soon.

The extended offseason has been a busy one for Conference USA and its member institutions and conversations among league officials and athletic directors about the structure of future schedules have been at the forefront.

“I don’t think there’s any question that our geographic stretch is a challenge for us,” Rice Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard said. “Pre-pandemic it was something that we made work. I think post-pandemic it’s something that we are really looking closely at.”

Ideas have been tossed around from sources inside and outside of Conference USA. Basketball is expected to end bonus play and could consider moving to a divisional structure to reduce travel. Olympics sports, in particular, are taking a hard look at more regionalized scheduling.

Administrators are also keeping an eye on what’s happening across the nation. The MAC cut postseason tournaments in several sports. Those changes reflect the historical Ivy League model, which traditionally awarded regular-season champions with any relevant postseason bids.

What will those changes look like? Karlgaard said the scope was far-reaching. “All of that is on the table for us to evaluate going forward.”

The Roost Podcast: Listen now to our Extended Offseason Interview Series

This is not smoke and mirrors. Karlgaard has already been in discussion with Athletic Directors at schools in close geographic proximity. “They’re all interested [in regionalized scheduling],” he said. “What form and shape that takes, I think, is going to take longer for us to hash out.”

Long term scheduling adjustments will take time to play out, but changes to the upcoming seasons are imminent. Karlgaard indicated that he expects Conference USA to address fall scheduling as soon as this week, particularly with athletes now allowed to return to campus at several member schools. Rice had not yet set a timetable for the return of their own student-athletes.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 35 – James Casey on Rice Football and the NFL

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The Roost Podcast can’t go too long without returning to our Rice Football roots. James Casey stops by to reminisce and update us on his journey through the NFL.

After spending the last two shows on the NBA with former Rice Basketball guard Tamir Jackson and Star Wars with cross country runner Adolfo Carvalho, The Roost Podcast returns to Rice football talk this week with James Casey.

The former Rice standout has been busy since he last played ball at South Main. He gave us the rundown on his adventures since Rice and what life is like working in the NFL during a pandemic.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to our chat with James Casey on Episode 35.


Episode 35 Notes

  • Housekeeping — Thanks to all of you who have followed the show on Twitter and left a review on iTunes. It’s quick, but it makes a difference. Make sure you James Casey on Twitter and let him know if you enjoyed having him on the pod.
  • James Casey joins the show — The first active coach to join the podcast, Casey recounts his career up to this point and some of his favorite moments along the way including:
    • His Rice experience joining the football team after playing minor league baseball
    • His favorite non-athletic Rice memories and the squirrels on campus
    • The trajectory of Rice football now under coach Mike Bloomgren
    • The decision to become a coach and his path to the Cincinnati Bengals
    • Joe Burrow and the impact great quarterbacks can have on a team

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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