Campus Clips: Duke Launches Blue Devil Network; NCAA Prez Mark Emmert’s Contract Extended

The Duke Department of Athletics will launch the Blue Devil Network featuring live and on demand video and audio content from its 26 varsity sports.

Utilizing the school’s official athletic website, GoDuke.com, to power the digital network, Blue Devil fans will be able to access content from a variety of connected devices, including desktop and laptop computers, mobile phones (iPhone and Droid apps are available), and the newly created iPad app.

GoDuke.com “Inside Access” subscribers ($9.95 monthly / $29.95 for four months or an audio only yearly subscription / $79.95 annually) will have access to premium content, including exclusive condensed basketball and football games, live streaming of non-televised Duke sporting events (some in high definition), live radio calls of Duke Basketball and Football from the Blue Devil IMG Sports Network and live postgame press conferences from basketball and football…

…On Friday, the NCAA executive committee unanimously approved a deal to retain Mark Emmert as president through October 2017. Emmert, the fifth chief executive in NCAA history, was hired in the spring of 2010, remaining as University of Washington’s president until taking office in October 2010. Since then, he has presided over one of the most tumultuous periods in NCAA history. During his tenure, Emmert has backed tougher academic standards and a $2,000 allowance toward the full cost of attendance and multiyear scholarships instead of annual renewals…

…The UMass athletic department has hopped on board the growing IP transmission bandwagon, teaming up with ZiXi, a provider of high-definition broadcast solutions, to produce and air more than 50 Division I games on two New England stations, WBIN-TV and WSHM-TV. Finding satellite and fiber options too expensive, UMass chose to transmit the signal of its HD broadcasts over the Internet to the affiliates using Zixi’s cloud-based Video Transport Platform.

…NCAA Managing Director of Digital Communications and National Sports Journalism Center columnist Ronnie Ramos praised Baylor University’s social media strategy, stating that it was integral in quarterback Robert Griffin III’s Heisman Trophy victory.