What’s the craziest thing you’ve asked an athlete to autograph? Maybe one of his or her game-worn sweatbands. Or your forehead. Well, an Illinois fan recently asked Illini offensive lineman Graham Pocic to sign his baby. OK, not the actual baby, but the baby’s miniature Illinois jersey. It made for a terrific photo op. See the picture, courtesy of the Fighting Illini Football Facebook page, in this post.

If it’s August, it must be time for the Big Ten Football Preview Tour. For the sixth straight year, Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith will zigzag across Big Ten country to bring fans a 60-minute, on-site preview show from every Big Ten campus on the Big Ten Football Preview Tour, presented by Culligan. The BTN crew will travel over 3,000 miles, across the conference’s nine states, in a customized chartered bus branded with the BTN logo. All shows can also be seen on BTN2Go.

(AP) Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema says star running back Montee Ball won’t be ready for camp after suffering a concussion during a street fight.

At Ohio State, it’s about turning the page. A new era has begun—and the possibilities seem limitless. Last season was difficult, as the Buckeyes endured the program’s first losing season (6-7) since 1988, which was John Cooper’s first campaign. The program also was shackled with NCAA probation stemming from the Jim Tressel era.

I’m pretty sure Indiana basketball fans will not be a big fan of Assembly Hall’s latest cosmetic change. It’s a small one – one that we’re going to see on all Big Ten football fields this season (here’s an example and another) and presumably all basketball courts (example) – but it’s something the Hoosier faithful will need time to get used to. Of course, I’m talking about the “B1G” logo making its way onto the court. See a picture, courtesy of @JustinRayWright, of the new court design in this post.