SMP Newsletter - Dec. 7, 2021
Good afternoon! Welcome to the first ever Student Media Poll Newsletter. Before we get started, here’s what you can expect from our brand-new Substack:
-Weekly newsletters, published every Tuesday.
-Links and information about our football, women’s basketball and men’s basketball polls, including a look at some individual voter ballots.
-News about the latest endeavors of and newest information about the Student Media Poll.
-A section featuring some of the best and most important content of the last week, produced by SMP voters and SMP-affiliated outlets.
Thank you for joining us. Now, let’s get started!
THIS WEEK’S POLLS:
⛹️♂️🏀 Purdue is the new No. 1 in men’s basketball, following Duke’s loss to Ohio State. Last season’s Big Ten champions, Michigan and Illinois, dropped out of the rankings, while rivals Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan State entered the SMP.
⛹️♀️🏀 South Carolina’s reign of dominance continues in this week’s women’s basketball SMP. Duke entered the SMP at No. 19 for the first time under new head coach Kara Lawson, after a dominant win over Iowa. The Gamecocks and Blue Devils are set to face off next week in Durham.
FEATURED BALLOTS:
🏈 Ryan Haley, The Independent Florida Alligator
⛹️♂️🏀 Christina Huang, The Daily Texan
⛹️♀️🏀 Dylan Sanders, The Reveille
THIS WEEK AT THE SMP:
-We announced a sponsorship with the Indiana Daily Student Monday afternoon. The deal will help fund our project as we continue to grow and expand. SMP founder Patrick Felts has worked with the IDS since July 2020.
-Football 2021 end-of-season awards will be announced Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern. Be on the lookout for information regarding the awards and the announcements later this week.
-The SMP is now on Facebook, in addition to Twitter and Instagram. Coming soon, we will be on YouTube and TikTok, so stay tuned!
-The SMP Substack launched…today! You know this since you’re reading it.
FEATURED STORIES:
🐘🔴 Saturday was a big day for Alabama athletics, as the Tide defeated Georgia for the SEC Championship in football and Gonzaga in Seattle in men’s basketball. SMP voters Ashlee Woods and Austin Hannon had the stories for The Crimson White.
〽️ The Michigan Wolverines are Big Ten champions in football for the first time since 2004, a moment 17 years in the making for the Playoff-bound Maize and Blue. SMP voter Daniel Dash was at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis covering the game for The Michigan Daily.
☘️ It was a hectic week in South Bend, as head football coach Brian Kelly left for LSU, and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman was promoted. While Notre Dame didn’t finish top-four in football, the men’s soccer team is College Cup bound. SMP voters Aidan Thomas and J.J. Post had coverage for The Observer.