BCSNN - BCS News Nation

The Arizona Wildcats have announced a three-game football series with BYU, beginning with a game in Glendale in 2016.

The teams will meet in 2018 in Tucson and in 2020 in Provo.

The 2016 game will mark Arizona's first at University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Fiesta Bowl and the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. It's the first foray into the Phoenix area for the Wildcats for a game that doesn't involve rival Arizona State.

Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne noted that the Wildcats still have seven home games in Tucson in the 2016 season, in addition to the Phoenix-area game against BYU.

Associated Press

Obum Gwacham already knows he can jump. What he wants to do is prove he can be an impact receiver for the Oregon State Beavers.

The two-sport athlete is redshirting this season as a high jumper - even though Oregon State doesn't officially have a men's track and field team - to give his full attention to football.

His dedication comes at a good time for the Beavers as they face the coming season without Markus Wheaton, who figures to go high in the NFL draft later this month.

As a junior, Gwacham realizes that his time is now.

''I've talked with my coaches about it,'' he said. ''They are ready for me to start making plays and I am definitely ready to start making plays.''

This spring, the 6-foot-5 Gwacham is trying to stand out among a handful of receivers looking to complement Brandin Cooks. Richard Mullaney is out of the mix because of a shoulder injury, meaning that Gwacham is seeing a lot of work.

Coach Mike Riley said spring practice is a great time for Gwacham to ''step up and move forward.''

Born in Nigeria, Gwacham and his family came to the United States when he was 7 and settled in Chino Hills, Calif. Gwacham was captain of both the football and track teams at Ayala High School. His big brother, Nnamdi, played receiver and was on the track team at Utah State.

Gwacham turned to both sports in high school out of brotherly competition with Nnamdi.

''I've gotten better each year, so I've just stuck with it,'' he said.

Gwacham redshirted in football his freshman year at Oregon State, but took part in track and field events.

The Beavers dropped their track program in 1988 for financial reasons, but have taken steps to restore it since 2004 under coach Kelly Sullivan. The women's team last fall opened a new track facility on campus, but the school has yet to bring back a full-fledged men's team.

However, because they are already on football scholarships, a number of Oregon State football players have been able to moonlight as track athletes.

Gwacham and teammates Jordan Bishop, James Rodgers, Rashaad Reynolds and Keynan Parker became the first men to represent the Beavers in track since 1988 when they participated in the 2010 Husky Indoor Classic.

That season, Gwacham went on to win the high jump at both the Oregon Preview and Oregon Twilight outdoor meets, and he finished fourth at the conference championships with a leap of 7 feet, 1 1/2 inches.

Although he's seen playing time in every game for the past two seasons, Gwacham has yet to live up to his potential in football - something that he hopes to change this season. With his height, Gwacham could become an easy red-zone target for Beavers quarterbacks Sean Mannion and Cody Vaz.

Last season Oregon State had the dynamic duo of Wheaton and Cooks. Co-captain Wheaton had 91 catches for 1,244 yards and 11 touchdowns, finishing his college career with a record 227 receptions. Named to the Pac-12 First Team, he also ran for a pair of scores. Cooks added 67 catches for 1,151 yards and five scores.

Cooks will undoubtedly be atop Oregon State's receiving corps this season, but Gwacham is hoping for a breakthrough at split end. He'll be competing with sophomores Mullaney and Michah Hatfield and redshirt freshman Malik Gilmore.

In addition to Wheaton, the Beavers are also looking to replace cornerback Jordan Poyer after finishing last season 9-4 with an appearance in the Alamo Bowl against Texas. Oregon State was ranked No. 20 in the season's final AP rankings.

Currently, the Beavers are in the midst of practice in advance of the annual spring game set for April 26.

Gwacham's focus on football doesn't mean he's giving up totally on the high jump. One of Oregon State's best-known athletes was a high jumper: Dick Fosbury, who popularized the Fosbury Flop.

Gwacham's career best jump is 7- 1 3/4, respectable for a guy who says he favors football.

Because he's redshirting, Gwacham jumped unattached at a meet last month at Oregon State's new Whyte Track & Field Center. It was the first track meet on campus in 25 years.

Gwacham easily won the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 10 3/4 inches.

''I can never imagine doing one and not the other,'' he said. ''But I talked to coach Kelly (Sullivan) about what I want to accomplish and I decided that now would be the best time for me to focus on football.''

Associated Press

Colorado quarterback Jordan Webb will miss the 2013 season after tearing a ligament in his right knee at spring practice.

Webb tore the ACL on a cut in a noncontact drill Tuesday. The school confirmed the injury Wednesday in a release.

Colorado said Webb, a fifth-year senior, will work with the compliance office to try to gain a sixth year of eligibility.

Webb arrived at Colorado last season after playing for Kansas, and was named the Buffs' starter. He threw eight TDs and eight interceptions as Colorado went 1-11, leading to the dismissal of coach Jon Embree.

Said new coach Mike MacIntyre: ''He was doing well in practice, competing again for the starting job, and for this to happen and to lose him for the season is just a shame.''

Associated Press

The Oregon Ducks began spring practice Tuesday under new coach Mark Helfrich.

The team's former offensive coordinator, who was promoted to head coach in January after Chip Kelly left for the Philadelphia Eagles, called his first practice at the helm ''weird, at points.''

Oregon is coming off a 12-1 season that was capped with a victory over Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. The Ducks were ranked No. 2 in the season's final Associated Press poll.

It was the team's third straight appearance in a BCS bowl game under Kelly, who was credited with creating Oregon's innovative hurry-up spread offense.

Kelly went 46-7 as head coach of the Ducks before leaving for the Eagles. Helfrich had taken over as the team's offensive coordinator when Kelly succeeded Mike Bellotti.

Helfrich has said he does not plan to change Oregon's offense, except for ''tweaking'' it here and there. And, at least for the spring, he'll keep practices closed to fans and the media, just as Kelly did.

''There's some things we've changed a little bit - how we do some drills - but that happens every year at every school in America ... nothing drastic at all,'' Helfrich said.

The main thing Helfrich said he wants to see out of practice is improvement.

''We can't be in coast, we can't be in decline, we can't be in idle, we can't be in neutral,'' he said. ''When it's time to work, we work.''

The Ducks were without pads for the workout Tuesday at the Moshofsky Center. Quarterback Marcus Mariota, who excelled last season as a redshirt freshman, and speedy running back De'Anthony Thomas both took part.

The annual Spring Game is set for April 27 at Autzen Stadium.

Associated Press