On your mark: Get set for kickoffs, Cuba and Biz Markie

Me too, and game action will be upon you in a blink. All 32 teams are currently participating in their respective training camps. The Panthers continue their annual camp at Wofford College in Spartanburg through Aug. 20.

And if the dog days of summer baseball aren't doing it for you, the annual Hall of Fame game will officially kick off the 2015 NFL preseason on Sunday, Aug. 9, pitting the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Minnesota Vikings at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Now, don't expect to see a whole lot of star power like Adrian Peterson or Ben Roethlisberger – if any – but these early preseason games are a good chance to get a look at rookies, role players and for teams to figure out position battles. But all that aside, it's tackle football with a play clock and points on the scoreboard – there are worse things to watch.

And sorry, Clemson fans. According to a report from Gerry Dulac in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, former Tigers receiver Martavis Bryant will undergo a procedure for an infection in his elbow, and will miss the game. He’ll only miss seven to 10 days in all, though.

The game is to follow the NFL Hall of Fame inductions, held Saturday at 7 p.m. and broadcast on ESPN.

CCU on field

While Coastal Carolina is knee deep in talks to possibly join the Sun Belt Conference down the road, there's some business to attend to first as they step on the field Monday for the first practice of the 2015 season.

That business is the 300-pound Bison in the room. If Coastal Carolina does indeed opt to make the leap to the FBS level, you can bet an FCS championship trophy would add a bit of closure for coach Joe Moglia and Co., with a national title one of the few things missing from an otherwise stellar resume.

Having lost in back-to-back years to four-time defending champion North Dakota State in the national semifinals, Coastal features possibly its best cast of players to buck that trend in 2015. That group is led by senior quarterback and Big South Preseason Player of the Year Alex Ross, already the program’s all-time leader in several categories, including completions (529), passing yards (6,909) and total touchdowns (67). Ross, who said his surgically repaired shoulder is “100 percent” at Big South Media Day, is joined by junior running back DeAngelo Henderson, coming off a season with 1,534 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns.

Chants fly to Cuba ... Oh, and some basketball

Fresh off back-to-back NCAA trips, Coastal Carolina is taking a trek into uncharted territory again – and this time they won't face a No. 1 seed.

The Coastal Carolina men's basketball team will depart for Cuba on Aug. 6 to play a three-game set against the Cuban national team.

This is important in several respects. The most obvious: It's Cuba.

With relations in the process of being normalized between the U.S. and the Caribbean Island nation, Coastal Carolina will be the first Division I program to play there. The games will take place at Havana's Sport City complex on Saturday, Aug. 8, Sunday Aug. 9 and Tuesday Aug. 11 (all games at 4 p.m., ET).

High school football Fridays on tap

Area high school football teams began practicing Friday, and they can begin holding scrimmages as of Thursday, Aug. 6.

That means the first games of the 2015 season are less than a month away, and The Sun News will feature preview packages for all 12 teams in The Sun News coverage area, written and compiled by Ian Guerin.

The previews will run daily beginning on Saturday, Aug. 8 with Green Sea Floyds.

Pelicans news? We've got what you need

What ever happened to that “Just a Friend” guy. Well, this week you can see for yourself.

Biz Markie will be singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at their inaugural “Old School Hip Hop Night” on Thursday, Aug. 6.

The Pelicans will be in town from Tuesday-Sunday, and will face off in three-game sets with the Wilmington Blue Rocks and Frederick Keys.

Curious how the Pelicans have done over the past week? Beginning Sunday, Aug. 2 we've started our Pelicans week in review package, with storylines, top quotes, team stats, Carolina League leaders and more.

Check it out every Sunday in The Sun News' print edition, or online Saturday nights to catch up on all the happenings from the past week. And stay tuned as we continue to add new features.

This story was originally published August 2, 2015 at 10:00 PM with the headline "On your mark: Get set for kickoffs, Cuba and Biz Markie."