COUGARS

Today is really the unofficial first day of camp, as Paul Wulff meets with the media for a quick update. The players are back on campus after a short break and getting ready for practice, which kicks off on Sunday afternoon. After that, it's only a matter of a few hours before everyone is back in the preseason routine. We're already there. Read on.
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• We'll hit the blog after Wulff's press conference with his thoughts on the season ahead, but for now we have plenty of links from around the Pac-10. ... ESPN.com's Ted Miller knows there are two conference coaches under the gun – Wulff and Dennis Erickson – but he doesn't expect either of them to lose their jobs. ... UW coach Steve Sarkisian says there is no reason not to aim for the conference championship in his preseason press conference. ... No dark clouds on the horizon as Oregon State gets ready to open camp. ... Cal was picked seventh in the Pac-10 media poll. Running back Shane Vereen would beg to differ. ... Even before the Lane Kiffin era officially started at USC, a player was injured in an altercation. ... This ASU wide receiver never wants to give up the ball. ... A report from the Sun Devils' practice. ... Washington isn't the only school thinking Rose Bowl. So is Arizona. ... Camp is where teams come together. ... Though it is August, there is some basketball news. We told you about WSU's draw for its Christmas tournament in Hawaii yesterday, but we didn't bring you UW's lineup for its Thanksgiving tourney in the islands. The Huskies first opponent is none other than Virginia and former WSU coach Tony Bennett. ... We wrote a lot last year that the Ducks' game against Washington State was the last pac-10 game at Mac Court – and I still have the pictures on my cell phone commemorating it. But that doesn't seem to be the case now.

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• That's all for this morning. As we said, we'll be back after Paul Wulff's early afternoon news conference. Until then ...

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