It’s the first day of August and we’re just a day away from the recruit barnstorming tour tipping off. As we told you a week or so ago, we’ll be at the New Albany game (and maybe a few other stops) and for those that can’t attend tomorrow evening, we’ll be bringing you live blog coverage. So be sure to check that out.

After surfing the Web, I’ve scrounged up a few links of interest for Hoosier fans. I promise these will be somewhat entertaining, so go ahead and give ‘em a click.

- IU plans to honor Coach Hoeppner. {Indy Star}
- IU target and Lawrence North junior-to-be Stephan Van Treese selected for the Adidas basketball experience. {Indy Star}
- Now that we’re all talking about it, Big Ten commish Jim Delaney says expansion is unlikely. {Indy Star}
- IU tight end and former QB Blake Powers arrested. {IDS}
- Doug Gottlieb of the World Wide Leader (Free Insider, yipee!) reveals that it’s no secret USA Basketball stinks right now. {ESPN}

So long for now, happy Wednesday and my apologies for the Gottlieb picture.

We’ve done a solid amount of work here in the early goings of the new IU athletics season — most of it done by the prolific Big A — but among our notifications and analysis, we’ve been ignoring one crucial question: will the Big Ten network be available in our area?

The Hoosier Report has been all over this during the off-season, and now, some of the MSM folks that cover IU are hopping on as well. The Bloomington Herald-Times’ Chris Korman spoke with both representatives of the Big Ten Network, and with Comcast, in an attempt to see just what was holding a deal between the network and major cable provider back. The problem — similar to a rift between Major League Baseball and Time Warner earlier this year — is the tier system. Comcast wants to put the Big Ten Network on a by-choice sports package; BTN wants to be included in the basic cable package, and paid $1.10 for every basic cable subscriber.

Essentially, the options are this:

1. Comcast caves and puts the network on its basic package, and charges every Comcast subscriber a buck-plus for the Big Ten Network.
2. The Big Ten Network caves and agrees to be a part of the sports tier, which packages a bunch of different sports networks for $4.95 a month.
3. Neither cave, Comcast says screw it, and the Big Ten Network goes forward in its inaugural season giving its fans just one option for coverage: DirecTV.
Kelvin Sampson, outraged at the fact that his loyal fanbase has been so alienated, decides to personally hand-deliver season tickets to everyone who writes or reads this blog. Note: this is unlikely to happen.

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