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It wasn’t until I was on the plane ride back to Indianapolis that I realized that the fondest memories I carried from the previous five days in Arizona had very little to do with the game that took place between Alabama and Clemson. The fact that the game was so competitive on Monday night was …

Saying goodbye to the College Football Playoff National Championship was tougher than just leaving sunny and 65-degree Arizona for Indianapolis’ frigid 8-degree weather and having to scrape an inch and a half of snow and ice off my friend’s car at the airport. I had gotten into a groove, a routine of covering numerous events. …

INDIANAPOLIS — A new study by the Sports Capital Journalism Program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis will examine the role of diversity in hiring college head football coaches. The Football Hiring Report Card will evaluate the hiring processes for job vacancies among all Division I NCAA institutions that are classified in the Football Bowl Subdivision or the …

INDIANAPOLIS — Did you send a “woohoo!” tweet about the Big 10 Championship football game that took place in Indianapolis? If you did, it — along with every other tweet that mentioned the event — was collected on behalf of the recently launched Sports Innovation Institute at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, the first university effort …

By Zach Wagner | @zachwagner22 Sports Capital Journalism Program SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – In the crimson afterglow of a fourth national championship in seven seasons and the fifth in his career overall, Alabama coach Nick Saban thought of a far more humbling experience. He remembered a moment he shared with former Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne …

By Frank Gogola | @FrankGogola Sports Capital Journalism Program GLENDALE, Ariz. – Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson dodged cameras and confetti as he worked his way through the packed postgame field. He sought out Alabama’s Jake Coker, Bo Scarbrough and Da’Shawn Hand, among others. He heard a common refrain from the Crimson Tide players: We’ll see you …

By Frank Gogola | @FrankGogola Sports Capital Journalism Program Glendale, Ariz. – Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson walked off the field, helmet in hand. He didn’t say anything as he turned right and entered the hallway to the Clemson locker room. His face was stoic, only looking forward. The sound of the celebration happening out on the …

 By Zach Wagner | @zachwagner22 Sports Capital Journalism Program GLENDALE, Ariz. – With 10 minutes, 34 seconds left in the College Football Playoff National Championship, Nick Saban knew his Alabama Crimson Tide needed a spark. Clemson’s Deshaun Watson was unstoppable, Alabama’s defense was approaching exhaustion, and a season was headed for its unforgettable, decisive moments. …

By Frank Gogola & Zach Wagner | @FrankGogola & @zachwagner22 Sports Capital Journalism Program Frank Gogola on Clemson… Watson’s Hot Start: Will He Fade? After a punt on the first drive, Clemson scored on back-to-back drives as Deshaun Watson heated up. Watson completed seven of 11 pass attempts for 108 yards and two touchdowns, and …

By Zach Wagner | @zachwagner22 Sports Capital Journalism Program GLENDALE, Ariz. – When Fred Huff woke up on Sunday morning he was just trying to get the motivation to get out of bed to go back to work. Employed as a police officer near the Santa Fe, New Mexico area, Huff had finished working a …