Biggie style news. First, all we had was this announcement from @NU_Sports:
#Northwestern will have news tomorrow regarding @coachfitz51 and his future with the Wildcats!
OMINOUS. As always, I assumed the worst, which was in order, that he was getting fired, that he was replacing Bill Carmody as basketball coach, that he was assuming the professorship for the recently vacant Human Sexuality course which won't be coming back next year, or that A&O was announcing that he'd be B.o.B's opener for Dillo Day. (You thought you could fool me, Mayfest? You don't hold off this late unless you've got a real blockbuster, and that's Fitz in a nutshell.) But it turns out none of these were right, per everybody, but first Scott Powers:
Northwestern will announce Pat Fitzgerald's new contract extension tomorrow. Back in Jan., it was thought to be 8-plus years.
Here's what we've heard thus far: that it will be at least 8 years, extending him through 2019, with assurances to improve football facilities (@TeddyGreenstein) and that the extension was signed over the weekend with "significant" football facility changes likely with the results of the report on that topic coming out over the summer (@takouris). I'll keep you updated on... you know, stuff other people are reporting.
Big news for NU though - everyone says the most important thing the school can do is LOCK PAT FITZGERALD UP FOREVER, and I tend to agree - it's pretty clear they're devoted to him and to making the program relevant.
UPDATE: Woah, from Lindsay Willhite:
Ryan Field also will be affected as AD Jim Phillips and his crew try to improve the stadium’s infrastructure to provide a better experience for fans. And, of course, Welsh-Ryan Arena will either receive an upgrade...or a razing in favor of a new facility entirely.