FORT COLLINS — After Colorado State’s Wednesday practice, Rams coach Jim McElwain said he was gratified to be among the 20 semifinalists announced earlier in the day for the Maxwell Football Club Collegiate Coach of the Year Award, and that sophomore wide receiver Rashard Higgins was named one of 15 “players to watch” for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award.
“There again, it’s a credit to those guys in that locker room and this coaching staff and all the people that have bought into our agenda,” McElwain said. “It’s kind of neat stuff. The one thing you learn in this profession is they either like you at the end of the season or they don’t like you at the end of the season. So it’s better to be liked than unliked.”
McElwain already had met with the press when the College Football Playoff rankings were announced Tuesday, and the Rams — 22nd in the Associated Press media poll and 23rd in the USA Today/coaches poll — remained unranked there.
“It’s up to us,” McElwain said. “We just have to keep winning. Know what, what is good is that we’re in the conversation. If you had told me that three years ago, I’d have really laughed at you. But I think there are some real positives there, and who knows? It’s an independent council, none of us know what they’re looking at or talking about, whatever. I know this: That’s a pretty good football team we have in that locker room.”
Also, CSU posted on its web site Wednesday about the proposed on-campus stadium project. President Tony Frank will make his recommendation about whether, and how, to proceed at the Dec. 4-5 CSU System board of governors meeting. The posted information included reports from two committees — Campus Leadership and Committee Leadership, a department of athletics analysis from interim athletic director John Morris, a department of facilities stadium evaluation, and a public input summary.
Frank had been seeking input on four possibilities, two involving remaining at Hughes Stadium and two involving building the on-campus stadium. The input mostly endorsed moving foward with the stadium, whether in a “phased” model designed to be built and then expanded when appropriate or feasible, or in a more ambitious model built as a public-private partnership.
“As I’ve said, I think it’s something that can really move the needle, not only just in the football program at all,” McElwain said. “I think as a university, the direction we want to go and the town of Fort Collins and up and down the front range. I think there’s a lot of value to it. Whatever’s chosen and decided, that’s what we’ll deal with.”
Terry Frei: , tfrei@denverpost.com or twitter.com/tfrei
