Maryland AD Debbie Yow's "vision" of improvements to Byrd
Stadium are nearly complete, according to the Baltimore SUN.
Yow's logic according to the SUN's Paul McMullen:  "To get out of
debt, get more paying customers at football games; to get more
fans, win more games; to win more games, get better players; to
get better players, show them a fancy facility when they make a
recruiting visit."  The "costliest phase" of reconstruction has
been $19M spent on two new decks on the north side of Byrd
Stadium, which will be open for tomorrow's game.  The only work
not completed is on restrooms and concession stands (Baltimore
SUN, 9/8).

     San Antonio will not be among the cities Big 12 athletic
directors will visit in the next week as they search for a home
for their championship football game, according to the SAN
ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS.  Big 12 Commissioner Steve Hatchell said
the city is not out of consideration, but that the other four
candidates -- Kansas City, St. Louis, Houston and Irving, TX --
are "very strong financially" (Tim Griffin, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-
NEWS, 9/7).