As the year winds down, we take a look back at our most-read stories from 2014. More than a million people visited our website this year, so just what were you reading? Some of the stories on the list may surprise you. Others, not so much. (Click each headline to read the entire story.)
10. Rutgers AD Back in Headlines with Headline Comment
Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann.
Joining the list of people who are happy 2014 is over is Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann. Hermann, who was hired in 2013, found herself at the center of several controversies in her second year on the job.
9. Former HS Basketball Player Cut from Team, Sues School
Getting cut from a high school athletic team can be a tough pill to swallow. For a former Ohio prep basketball player, the remedy came in the form of a lawsuit.
8. Partner's Potential Lawsuit Prompts Iowa AD's Reassignment
The Old Capitol Building on Iowa's campus. (Photo via shutterstock.com.)
More college athletic department drama. This December story outlines the situation at Iowa, where an associate athletic director was reassigned while the school braces for a wrongful termination lawsuit from her partner, the Hawkeyes’ former field hockey coach.
7. Oklahoma Plans Major Football Stadium Expansion
A rendering of Oklahoma's renovated stadium. (Courtesy of soonersports.com)
Nothing draws the clicks like rumors of a major overhaul of one of college football’s great venues. Shortly after this report, Oklahoma formally announced a $370 million renovation of Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
6. College Rec Centers the Key to a Higher GPA?
Georgia College & State University's Wellness and Recreation Center, a 2013 Athletic Business Facility of Merit.
It makes sense that this was among our most popular stories of the year. Every recreation and college rec department should be sharing this with its patrons: Go to the rec, get better grades! It's science.
5. UAB Kills Football Program, Fallout Immediate
UAB football players embrace after learning that the school's football program will be shut down. Photo via @JonSolomonCBS on Twitter.
UAB became the first major college football school to eliminate its football program since Pacific did so in 1995. The decision, and the drama and heartbreak that came with it, made for big news.
4. Negligence, Athletic Trainers at Heart of Football Lawsuit
A high schooler's brutal injury, his school's handling of it and standards of care were all factors in this lawsuit brought by the student-athlete's family against the school. We break down the case in this article.
3. Video: High School Coach Throws Player Down by Her Hair
There are two sides to every story, but there is no denying that the video in this December story doesn't look good for the coach who was never disciplined.
2. High School Athletic Trainers Key in Concussion Management
Dennis Van Milligen's February feature article received more clicks than anything else we published in the magazine in 2014. With concussions (and how to manage them) in the news more than ever, we understand why.
1. Fitness Event Ruins FIU's Basketball Court
Nothing gets our readers fired up like CrossFit. And while the fitness event that left Florida International’s basketball court dinged and dented has absolutely no affiliation with CrossFit, you could consider it similar in style. Either way, we were left with so many questions: Why would participants drop heavy weights onto a wood floor without putting mats down? Why did FIU agree to let this group use their facility? Fortunately, the event was insured.
Top Sources of Site Visits by City
1. Washington D.C.
2. Chicago
3. New York
4. Los Angeles
5. Dallas
6. Nashville
7. Atlanta
8. Philadelphia
9. Boston
10. Indianapolis
RELATED: AB's 10 Highlights from 2014
