Jon Tenuta will have a new title and a bigger contract when N.C. State returns to the football field in 2012.

N.C. State named Tenuta the associate head coach for defense on Wednesday and gave him a new two-year contract, worth $400,000 a year. Tenuta has been the team's linebackers coach for the past two seasons and has helped the defense improve dramatically in winning back-to-back bowl games.

Jon Tenuta is staying at N.C. State.

A day after the University of Illinois announced it had hired the Wolfpack’s assistant football coach, the Big Ten school sent out another release Wednesday afternoon declaring Tenuta’s intention to stay at N.C. State.

Tenuta needs a new contract with the Wolfpack, but he’s expected to sign a new deal to stay in Raleigh. He has coached State’s linebackers the last two seasons and has helped improve the team’s defense and overall record.

Sears is reportedly considering moving its headquarters out of Illinois and North Carolina may be on the short list of potential new homes.

Sears Holding Corp., the parent of Sears and Kmart, has been in discussions with officials in North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and New Jersey, reports the Daily Herald, a Chicago-area newspaper.

The company moved to its current headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Ill., from downtown Chicago more than two decades ago, and various state and local incentives are set to expire in 2012.

Part of the discussions with others states may simply be an effort to win an extension of property taxes and other financial assistance from Illinois and Hoffman Estates. 

updated: 12:47 a.m.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill -- North Carolina thought it might have a ‘big’ problem this season, what with its lack of depth in the post.

But its bigger deficiency Tuesday night during its 79-67 dismantling by No. 20 Illinois in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge was its backcourt.

Starters Larry Drew II and Dexter Strickland, along with back-ups Kendall Marshall, Leslie McDonald and Reggie Bullock, went bucket-less in the first half, accounted for 14 of their team’s 18 turnovers,  and were out-played in particular by Illini guard Demetri McCamey (17 points) , who UNC coach Roy Williams called “sensational.”

Mention the words "college" and "basketball" and "national
championship" together around here, and most people naturally assume
you're talking about the Triangle's well-known varsity programs.

But basketball is played at the recreational level on college campuses,
too, and a team from N.C. State produced a national championship this
past weekend.

The N.C. State Wolfpack Men's Club Team won the American Collegiate
Intramural Sports National Championships basketball tournament played
Friday through Sunday on the Raleigh campus.

Ever since a certain senator from Chicago got himself elected president the other day, I've had the state of Illinois on the brain. So I went looking for my copy of the wonderful Sufjan Stevens album of the same name, only to discover that it has gone missing from my stacks, dagnabbit. But to my surprise and delight, I heard this song from the album on the radio on Thursday afternoon (all hail college radio), and it has lingered in my internal stereo ever since. And so I share it with you.

So what other Illinois-themed music should I be tracking down?..