The sports world, including college football, has essentially screeched to a halt as countries around the world battle the coronavirus pandemic. As such, there’s a dearth of college football news as spring practices have all but been canceled at every level of the sport. And there’s even some concern that the health issue could have an impact on the 2020 college football campaign.
In that vein, we thought it might be fun to go back through the CollegeFootballTalk archives that stretch back to 2009 and take a peek at what transpired in the sport on this date.
So, without further ado -- ok, one further ado -- here’s what happened in college football on April 17, by way of our team of CFT writers both past and present.
(P.S.: If any of our readers have ideas on posts they’d like to read during this hiatus, leave your suggestions in the comments section. Mailbag, maybe?)
2019
THE HEADLINE: Notre Dame confirms famed leprechaun mascot will be a female for first time ever
THE SYNOPSIS: The gender history coincided with the 150th anniversary of the birth of college football.
2019
THE HEADLINE: Penn State QB Tommy Stevens enters transfer portal
THE SYNOPSIS: The following month, Stevens reunited with Joe Moorhead at Mississippi State. In late August, he was named MSU’s starting quarterback. In nine games, Stevens completed just over 60 percent of his passes for 1,155 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran for 381 yards and another four scores.
2018
THE HEADLINE: Michigan LB appears to threaten Jim Harbaugh with violence in series of disturbing tweets
THE SYNOPSIS: This was one of the more disturbing storylines of the 2018 college football offseason. Or any offseason, for that matter. “Michigan is open carry. Let’s not forget.” “Let’s not have a murder case On your hands.” Those were tweets from linebacker Elysee Mbem-Bosse, who tagged the coach in the ominous missives. The university’s police department investigated the ominous tweets sent out by Mbem-Bosse, who as it turned out left the program in November. The probe was closed in May of that year with no charges filed.
2017
THE HEADLINE: Myles Garrett admits to ‘choking out’ LSU players
THE SYNOPSIS: Two years later, Garrett made even more headlines when he hit Pittsburgh’s Mason Rudolph with the Steelers quarterback’s own helmet.
2016
THE HEADLINE: VIDEO: As cheerleader, cancer survivor Leah Still steals show at Penn State’s spring game
THE SYNOPSIS: This still warms the heart. Especially in light of what we all are going through.
2015
THE HEADLINE: Mendenhall sees BYU playing way into power conference within three years
THE SYNOPSIS: Five years later, and BYU remains a football independent. Oh, and Bronco Mendenhall left eight months later to take the head job at Virginia.
2014
THE HEADLINE: Breaking Bad: Brady Hoke likes Michigan’s chemistry
THE SYNOPSIS: Hoke and U-M ended up with a failing grade in that particular class as the Wolverines went 5-7. And the coach was canned.
2013
THE HEADLINE: Bill Snyder: college football is ‘in a bad place’
THE SYNOPSIS: The Kansas State head coach pulled no punches in his assessment of the state of the sport. “We’ve allowed it to be TV-driven, and allowed it to become more important to a university than it should be. We’re educational institutions, and what’s really important is trying to enhance the lives of young people and give them guidance and direction to help themselves.”
2012
THE HEADLINE: Jessica Dorrell resigns from her position with Arkansas
THE SYNOPSIS: Remember her, Bobby Petrino?
2011
THE HEADLINE: Notre Dame set to release investigation on student’s death tomorrow
THE SYNOPSIS: Remember Declan Sullivan, Brian Kelly?