You're a 25-year-old graduate assistant who's just gotten your first full-time college coaching gig. You're given a car, an expense account, some snappy golf shirts with the team logo and a territory to recruit. The head coach sends you out the door and into the high school world and wishes you good luck.

Oh, and one more thing: Don't come back without players who will win a conference championship.

What do you do...

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From the Seattle times:

So here's an intriguing name as a candidate to become the new commissioner of the Pac-10 Conference --- former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Two sources said that she is on the list of candidates to replace Tom Hansen, having shown definite interest in the job. Indications are that she may not be the favorite, though it's unclear who is. But a hire of Rice would obviously get a lot of attention for the conference. ... Rice was provost at Stanford from 1993-99 --- it was under her watch that the school hired Tyrone Willingham as football coach and the two have remained friends --- so she knows the conference well, and it's through some of those contacts that her interest in the Pac-10 commissioner's job has apparently come about. Rice has said she was planning to return to Stanford to teach."

MAC commissioner Rick Chryst resigns after 10 seasons - ESPN: "Mid-American Conference commissioner Rick Chryst has decided to resign after 10 seasons. Chryst will stay with the conference through the end of his current contract, which ends June 30.

'I have been privileged to serve an outstanding group of institutions, administrators and student-athletes during a time of unprecedented achievement for the MAC,' Chryst said in a statement Thursday. 'The conference stands for all of the best values -- academically and athletically -- in major college athletics, and I truly believe it is firmly positioned to sustain its competitiveness for a long time to come."

Our favorite CollegeSportsInfo.com forum member recently listed an article from the Idaho Statesman about the state of the Big Sky and finances and asks an interesting question: is the Big Sky set to lose a member?

Article out of Boise discussing the financial problems for the state supported schools in Idaho.Apparently each one is looking at budget cuts.Two thirds of the way down the article,in the mood of if you think we have it bad,this quote from Idaho State interim AD Jeff Tingley,"one school in the Big Sky Conference is weighing whether to drop football entirely".
Any guesses on which school Mr Tingley is talking about? Link to article

Update: Looks like they fixed themselves quickly. Might need to add a google custom search to the forums instead.

------------------------------
I noticed that anytime I tried using the "search" feature of the forums, that I was getting almost zero results unless a very specific word (usually a name) was being used.

So I used the "search index" feature of the forums hoping to remedy and update the search feature. Alas, it seems something happened along the way. Fingers crossed that it fixes itself. I'll update the blog once I notice the problem is fixed.

Thanks,
Quinn

Introducing...

Matt.Peloquin.info

For the past 4-5 years, I've been posting updates on the CollegeSportsInfo.com blog for such news as conference updates, coaching changes and general NCAA news. Rarely have the topics strayed too far from general sports.

So I figured it was time to launch something more personal, with a focus less on sports. I'd like to introduce you to Matt.Peloquin.info.

It's just another blog, but I wanted to give my friends in the CollegeSportsInfo.com community a first look.

The area I have been covering the most on it is an experiment that started a few months ago. I canceled my DirecTV subscription and have gone the past 3 months without watching TV. Instead, I've only used internet streaming and torrents. So in the "Kill Your TV" section, you'll find updates as to what I'm watching. In time, I'll be putting together some detailed and organized resource listings for free streaming of virtually everything you ever want to watch.

I'm also going to rely heavily on user submissions. So if you have any recommended videos for me to watch, or even just resources, please submit them.

So take a look at Matt.Peloquin.Info and let me know over there what you think!

Boise State president Bob Kustra said Tuesday morning that he considered recent comments by Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson a "final statement for now" on the Broncos' hopes of joining the nine-team league.

Boise State is a member of the Western Athletic Conference, but Kustra has made no secret of his desire to join the Mountain West, which includes Utah, BYU, TCU, UNLV and Colorado State among its members.

Thompson told USA Today this week that his league was not interested in expansion unless another team could guarantee entry into the lucrative Bowl Championship Series.

"Unless there is evidence, concrete evidence, that would say this will get you an automatic bid — not just get you closer but get you or guarantee you — I think we'll just play on with the current nine (MWC schools). There's cohesiveness. There's balance, four home games and four road," Thompson told the paper.

"We've run all sorts of models. And there's no model where a 10th member would guarantee us automatic access."

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Here's a good post from the CollegeSportsinfo.com forums that sums up the upcoming movement:

It appears that D-1 hockey realignment is following a grand plan (in the wake of the CHA disintegration).

Hockey East Association stays at 10 teams (no change)

ECAC Hockey League stays at 12 teams (no change)

Atlantic Hockey Association absorbs Niagara and Robert Morris to go to 12 (approved 1/27)

WCHA (currently 10 teams) opened up for expansion to 12 -
(likely to admit Bemidji State + one other applicant (likely a team transferring from CCHA))

CCHA (currently 12 teams), assuming they lose a team to WCHA expansion, has application from U Alabama-Huntsville to replace team #12.

This will shove all 58 D-1 hockey teams into 5 conferences.


The question is "who wants to move to the WCHA, and who will WCHA accept along with Bemidji State ?"

WCHA has made overtures to:
Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA) - they seem happy where they are, and
Northern Michigan U (CCHA) - former WCHA member - geographically they are a rival of WCHA's Michigan Tech in the U.P.

Other obvious possibilities: Alaska - Fairbanks (CCHA) and Air Force (AHA).

First, Air Force... they are the only team in AHA west of Pennsylvania. They seem to be a good competitive fit in AHA with Army, and the fact that the AHA has set a lower limit on scholarship players. Air Force fits geographically with the WCHA (Denver and Colorado College are in WCHA), however, Air Force would be at a competitive disadvantage, not being able to recruit foreigners or Canadiens. If they were to move to WCHA with Bemidji State, I suppose that would open a slot in AHA for UA-Huntsville, although UAH would then have to agree to trim schollies from 18 to 12, as Niagara and Robert Morris will have to.

Second, Alaska-Fairbanks... WCHA seems to want to avoid Fairbanks, even though this would offer the obvious pairing with WCHA member Alaska-Anchorage. I would think in a 12-team league, they could go to a 22-game schedule, and play everyone home-and-away. One trip to Alaska could hit both locations over the course of a single weekend (1 trip to Alaska), so the travel thing doesn't seem that different than visiting just UAA. Fairbanks is quite a bit smaller than Anchorage, and BITTERLY cold during the winter. Anchorage is on the Pacific Ocean, and not nearly so "arctic"... If others could expound upon why UAF is so unattractive to the WCHA, I'd appreciate hearing about it....

Charlotte has announced details for football seat-license packages for its proposed football program, and where fans sit in a yet-to-be-built stadium will depend in large part on how much they pay. The FSLs were originally offered at $1,000 per seat, and $1,000 seats remain available, The Charlotte Observer reported. But the finished plan offers two primary tiers of seating, Green and Gold. Green Tier FSLs will cost $1,000 each for up to four tickets, and the money, which can be paid in four annual installments, must be paid in full by June 30, 2013. Gold Tier seats will be between the 30-yard lines and will cost $2,500 each. Gold Tier seats also will require a minimum annual contribution of $1,500 to UNCC's athletics foundation, starting in the 2013 fiscal year.

Ernest T. Jones' bid to hang onto his job as head football coach at Alcorn State ended Tuesday after a university committee rejected an appeal of his firing.

Jones was fired Dec. 11 -- exactly a year after being hired as the Braves' coach. He signed a three-year, $140,000 contract in December 2007.

He appealed the firing to a university grievance committee, which held a hearing on his employment status Jan. 16. Jones remained head coach through that process, but university officials said his termination was complete with Tuesday's announcement.

A phone listing for Jones could not be found.

According to the statement Tuesday from the university, Jones was terminated for "malfeasance and contumacious conduct."

Dennis Felton, who last season led Georgia's basketball program to an improbable SEC tournament championship, was fired on Thursday morning, the school announced.

Associate coach Pete Herrmann will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season, the school said at a news conference announcing the move.

Evans' decision came after the Bulldogs lost to Florida 83-57 on Wednesday night, their seventh consecutive defeat. Georgia is 9-11 overall and 0-5 in SEC play.

"I'm disappointed that things have not worked out better, " athletic director Damon Evans said in a statement released by the school. "I do think it is in the best interest of our men's basketball program that we move in a new direction.

"While this may be unusual timing, I'm convinced it is the right time," Evans added.

Felton did not immediately return calls from ESPN.com seeking comment.

Felton had an 84-91 record in six seasons at Georgia, including a 26-59 mark against SEC opponents.

Former Indiana basketball coach Kelvin Sampson has appealed his discipline by the NCAA, The Indianapolis Star reported.

Sampson resigned as the Hoosiers' coach late in the 2007-08 season after the program was accused of major NCAA violations. In November, the NCAA, which found Sampson had committed two major violations, slapped him with a five-year show cause penalty -- meaning that if he applies for another job in the next five years, the school hiring him must appear before the NCAA and show why it should not be subject to penalties.

Indiana was accused of major NCAA violations stemming from more than 100 impermissible phone calls to recruits by Sampson and his assistants during his first season at the helm. Sampson resigned under pressure last February after accepting a $750,000 buyout.

A source close to Sampson, now an assistant coach with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, said his appeal will be based on two points, according to the Star.

The first point of appeal claims that the NCAA infractions committee misinterpreted testimony by former Indiana assistant Rob Senderoff, leading it to conclude that Sampson knowingly placed impermissible recruiting phone calls, according to the report. The second point of appeal claims the NCAA's enforcement staff was biased and indicated an assumption of guilt by requesting a hearing before all of its interviews were complete.

While the NCAA infractions committee found Indiana had failed to adequately monitor its basketball program, it also accepted the school's self-imposed discipline without adding additional punishment.

Sampson's attorney, Michael Glazier, declined comment on the appeal. the Star reported. NCAA spokesperson Stacey Osburn said under the body's policy, it does not comment on an appeal until the case is resolved.

The nine-team Mountain West Conference is pushing for an automatic berth into the high-stakes, big-money BCS bowl mix, USA Today reported on Monday.
Mountain West

Three teams in the conference, including undefeated Utah in sixth, TCU in 11th and BYU in 16th, finished among the top 25 in the final 2008 BCS standings, and the league's schools will press for a meeting of their presidents, chancellors and Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson with Atlantic Coast commissioner and current BCS coordinator John Swofford, according to the newspaper.

"The argument I will hear back is, 'Craig, here it is. It's done. It's been agreed to. It's signed,'" Thompson said of a possible reply from the BCS regarding its legal obligations. "That doesn't mean you can't put it on the table.

"One of the options would be to visit with the BCS coordinator ... just to lay out our position."

He adds: "I would not be optimistic. As I explained to them [the Mountain West presidents], it's a series of legal contracts among 11 conferences, four bowls, two TV partners with yet another TV partner coming in. I would not see much of a relaxation."

The BCS bowl games' payout for each team's school is $17 million -- more than five times what teams in second-tier bowls garner.

For his part, Swofford recalled that the Mountain West was among the 11 conferences that agreed to the current model, which "incorporates the strength of a league as a whole over a series of years," the USA Today report says.

BCS coordinator duties are rotated among the commissioners from the Big East, Big 12 and SEC. Six conferences -- the Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific-10, SEC and ACC -- name champions that automatically qualify for the BCS' five bowl games.

Utah, Swofford told USA Today, "had a terrific season this year, and the BCS provided an excellent platform to showcase their team."

According to the report, an opening exists for a nonqualifying conference to gain the automatic status temporarily based on a BCS formula that includes "the number of top 25 teams, finish of the highest-ranked team and average rank of all teams over a four-year period."

But the Mountain West will be vying for the highest level of qualifying status, USA Today reported.

Touched on this one last week since it made so much sense. Whipple wants to be a head coach at the highest level and success at Miami will likely give him that chance.
The University of Miami is expected to finalize the hiring of Mark Whipple as offensive coordinator, a person close to the situation said Sunday night.

Whipple, a member of the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff, is going to meet with Miami officials in South Florida on Monday.

An announcement is expected to be made Tuesday, a source close to the situation told ESPN.com's Heather Dinich.

The only thing holding up an announcement is human resource procedures, according to a source. Whipple had a chance to be promoted within the Eagles' staff but has said he wants to call plays again and return to the college game.

Miami officials could not confirm on Sunday night that Whipple is expected to be hired.

Mark Gottfried resigned as Alabama's basketball coach Monday, leaving in the middle of his 11th season amid criticism of both the team's play and the departure of a star player.

The school said Gottfried will immediately be replaced by assistant coach Philip Pearson. Alabama's next game is Thursday at Arkansas.

Gottfried, who played at Alabama, said he quit during a meeting with athletic director Mal Moore.

"It has been a wonderful decade for me and my family, and I love the University of Alabama, but I feel that it is in the best interests of everyone involved," Gottfried said in a statement released by the university.

The Crimson Tide's record this season is 12-7, 2-3 in the Southeastern Conference.

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A handful of lawmakers used a resolution commending the University of Florida's national football championship Thursday to protest college football's much-maligned BCS system.

A dozen House members voted "no" or "present" on the resolution, the latest signal from the nation's capital that many people aren't happy about the way the NCAA chooses its football champion. Many of the dissenters were from Utah and Texas, both of which have schools that made a case to play for this year's national championship but were passed over.

"A fine school with a great team deserves better than a national championship that was decided inside somebody's computer," said Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican who has introduced legislation to force a playoff system. "The Gators certainly could have won it on the field, but they didn't get the chance any more than Utah, Texas and USC."

President Barack Obama also has repeatedly criticized the Bowl Championship Series, saying he plans to "throw [his] weight around a little bit" to pressure the NCAA to adopt a playoff system.

The BCS was created in 1998 by the six most powerful conferences. It features a title game between the top two teams in standings that are based on two human polls and six computer rankings.

This season, Florida (12-1) met Oklahoma (12-1) in the championship game. Florida won 24-14 and ended up with a 13-1 record.

But the game was under scrutiny even before it began. Several schools that played in lesser bowls claimed they deserved a shot at the championship, including undefeated Utah (13-0), Texas (12-1) and Southern California (12-1).

"Utah has a legitimate claim but we'll never know because they couldn't play for it," said Rep. Marion Berry, D-Ark., who said he also voted against the resolution because he thinks it's a waste of Congress' time.

A spokesman for Rep. Bobby Bright, an Alabama Democrat and Auburn University graduate, said his reasons for not supporting the measure were simpler: He simply couldn't bring himself to support a school that is such a bitter rival of his state's universities.

Mel Kipers Mock Draft Top 10

1) Lions: Matthew Strafford - QB - Georgia
2) Rams - Andre Smith - OT - Alabama
3) Kansas City: Mark Sanchez - QB - USC
4) Seattle: Michael Crabtree - WR - Texas Tech
5) Cleveland: Aaron Curry - LB - Wake Forest
6) Cincinnati: Jason Smith - OT = Baylor
7) Oakland: Jeremy Maclin - WR - Missouri
8) Jacksonville: Eugene Monroe - OT - Virginia
9) Green Bay: Malcolm Jenkins - CB - Ohio St
10) San Francisco: DE/OLB Aaron Maybin - Penn St
11) Buffalo: Brandon Pettigrew - TE - Oklahoma St.
12) Denver: B.J. Raji - DT - Boston College
13) Washington: Brian Orakpo - DE - Texas
14) New Orleans: Vontae Davis - CB - Illinois
15) Houston: Everette Brown - DE - Florida St.
16) San Diego: Knowshon Moreno - RB - Georgia
17) NY Jets: Percy Harvin - WR - Florida
18) Chicago: Tyson Jackson - DE - JSU
19) Tampa Bay: Josh Freeman - QB - Kansas St.
20) Detroit: Rey Maualuga - LB - USC
21) Philadelphia: Chris Wells - RB - Ohio St
22) Minnesota: Hakeem Nicks - WR - UNC
23) New England: Brian Cushing - LB - USC
24) Atlanta: Larry English - DE/OLB - No. Illinois
25) Miami: Darrius Heyward-Bey - WR - Maryland
26) Baltimore: D,J. Moore - CB - Vanderbilt
27) Indianapolis: Peria Jerry -DT - Ole Miss
28) Philadelphia: Michel Moore - LT - Ole Miss
29) NY Giants: James Laurinaitus - LB - Ohio St.
30) Tennessee: Micheal Johnson - DE - Georgia Tech
31) * Cardinals: LeSean mcCoy - RB - Pitt
32) * Pittsburgh: Alex Mack - C - California

Video: Picks 1-10

Video: Picks 11-20

Video: Picks 21-32

While Vikings officials hope their stadium issue will be addressed in the legislative session, they are keeping tabs on what is happening in California.

On Tuesday, voters in the small town of Industry approved a bond measure that would provide $150 million for infrastructure improvements at a 600-acre site where a stadium has been proposed. City officials must certify the plan. The goal is to lure an NFL team there.

"The Vikings are watching these developments with interest," said Lester Bagley, the team's vice president of public affairs and stadium development. "But we are currently focused on achieving a workable stadium plan to keep the Vikings here in Minnesota."

Billionaire real estate developer Ed Roski Jr. wants to build a privately financed $800 million stadium if a team agrees to move to Industry, 15 miles east of Los Angeles. The Vikings, whose Metrodome lease expires after the 2011 season, have been one of the teams mentioned as potential candidates for relocation. The Industry stadium would open in 2012.

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If you recall 3 years ago, there were thousands of message board threads about the "FSU Cowgirls" after ABC showed a shot of these Florida St. fans during a broadcast. Fast forward a few years and after photo shoots in Maxim, Playboy and others, Jenn Sterger, the name and face most remembered then is working for the NY Jets. Here's a piece that ran on 1/6/09 about her.

It's just a speculation piece, but worth a read.

Ben Maller was fired from his popular overnight show at Fox Sports Radio. Maller along with Karen Kay, Greg "Bergy" Bergman, Dave Stone, Krystal Fernandez, Andrew Siciliano, Craig Shemon and former Cowboys defensive wiz James Washington were all let go in a major Clear Channel blow up of what had been a successful sports radio network. Maller is currently in search of his next opportunity in sports radio.

There are some new rumors that Jon Gruden could be replacing Charlie Weiss at Notre Dame. While this might not come as a shock, it's the timing of the move that is raising eyebrows. The move might be taking place AFTER the signing period, and when recruits have committed to the school...as move that isn't exactly fair to the players.

Starting next year, college coaches will be measured by more than their wins and losses.

The NCAA will compile individual academic progress rates for coaches in all sports, illustrating how well their players have fared in the classroom. The NCAA's Division I Board of Directors, made up of university presidents and chancellors, put the first-of-its-kind plan in motion Saturday while wrapping up the association's annual convention outside Washington, D.C.

The coaches' APRs "kind of like a lifetime batting average," said University of Hartford President Walt Harrison are expected to be publicly available on an NCAA-affiliated website by summer 2010. They're intended for use by recruits, their parents and prospective employers in evaluating coaches and programs, along with wins and other competitive and personal criteria.

The NCAA has annually released team APRs since 2005, subjecting low-scoring teams to the loss of scholarships and, if they fail to improve over the years, stiffer sanctions including postseason bans.

Those same ratings will be attached to the coaches and follow them from job to job. Jeff Capel's APR, for example, will fold in his last three years as men's basketball coach at Virginia Commonwealth in addition to his time at now-No. 5-ranked Oklahoma.

But no penalties will be attached to the coaches' scores.

Basketball coaches, in particular, have largely opposed the plan, arguing they're being singled out when, in fact, faculty, tutors and others on campus also play a part. Proponents of the move maintain that coaches are responsible for recruiting athletes to a school and know and work with them most closely, and thus should be held singularly accountable for their academic progress and graduation.

"We're not trying to say that the coach is the only person responsible for an APR," said Harrison, who heads the NCAA academic committee overseeing the program. "We presidents bear responsibility. Athletic directors have some responsibility. Academic support personnel and other athletic administrators have responsibility. But the coach has significant responsibility, and so we think this is a way to at least talk about what the performance of coaches is."

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Former Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson was hired as Michigan's defensive coordinator on Tuesday, replacing the man who resigned after the Wolverines' defense gave up the most points in school history.

Robinson, a two-time Super Bowl winner as the Denver Broncos' defensive coordinator, was fired from Syracuse in November after going 10-37 in four seasons. Before joining Syracuse, he was co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Texas, where he garnered one his four Rose Bowl victories.

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Stanford's athletic department is projecting a $5 million loss in revenue over the next three years and is considering cutting staff and eliminating some sports teams, the Associated Press has learned.

The school is expected to decide in the next 30 to 60 days on staff cuts, a Stanford employee familiar with the budget issues told the AP on condition of anonymity because the person is not authorized to discuss the shortfall.

The person also said Tuesday it wasn't clear which teams, if any, would be considered for elimination -- and it likely wouldn't be until next season so at the earliest in the fall.

"That's the last thing they want to consider. They don't want it to affect student-athletes," the person said, noting another department was looking to eliminate 50 positions from a staff of about 140. "We do have some serious budget problems. We're looking at other ways (to save)."

Reducing travel costs also was being discussed.

Stanford has 35 sports teams, 19 for women, 15 for men and one coed squad.

Last year, the university captured its 14th consecutive Division I U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup, a recognition presented each year to the best overall programs for each athletic division in the country.

Stanford scored points in 24 of its sports but could only count the maximum 10 each on the men's and women's sides -- earning 12 top-five finishes. The Cardinal won an NCAA title in women's cross country; placed second in women's volleyball, women's basketball, men's gymnastics and men's golf; third in baseball, men's and women's swimming, women's gymnastics and women's water polo; and fifth in women's indoor track and field and women's tennis.

The women's basketball team reached the Final Four for the first time in 11 years and lost in the NCAA title game to two-time defending champion Tennessee.

In December, Stanford announced senior administrators, including the president and provost, would take salary cuts in the wake of the economic downturn. Provost John Etchemendy and President John Hennessy volunteered to reduce their salaries by 10 percent.

University spokeswoman Lisa Lapin said at the time the salary cuts affected about 15 to 20 positions with salaries that start around $250,000. She said Hennessy made about $700,000.

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The Football Championship Subdivision title game that has been held in Chattanooga for the last 11 years will move from December to the eve of the Bowl Championship Series national championship game in January for the 2010 season, NCAA officials said.

The administrative committee of the Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet approved the Division I Football Championship Committee’s recommendation earlier this month.

The FCS bracket will expand from 16 to 20 teams in 2010. The additional round of the postseason spurred the football committee to explore ways to enhance the sport without starting the football season earlier or compromising the regular-season bye week for teams.

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John L. Smith, a former boss of Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino, is expected to be named as an assistant coach on Petrino's staff, a source close to the situation has indicated. "I've got no comments on that," Smith said when contacted Thursday afternoon. "Please understand, I'm not saying anything." Smith, 60, emerged as a leading candidate to fill the job vacated by cornerbacks coach Lorenzo Ward, who departed Monday to take the defensive coordinator's role at South Carolina. It is not clear whether Smith will work with defensive backs or if the Razorbacks' defensive staff's responsibilities will be shuffled.

Boston College offensive coordinator Steve Logan has decided to leave the program, the school announced Friday.

Logan's decision leaves the Eagles without both of their coordinators just weeks before signing day, as former defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani was promoted to head coach after Jeff Jagodzinski was fired.

"Steve has done an outstanding job as our offensive coordinator the past two seasons," Spaziani stated in a prepared release. "The BC football family is appreciative of his efforts and wishes him well."

South Florida has fired offensive coordinator Greg Gregory, the school announced Saturday night.

Gregory just completed his second year calling plays for the Bulls' offense, which finished second in the Big East in scoring at 27.6 points per game this season. In conference games, however, South Florida averaged just 19.4 points per game and did not score more than 21 against anyone but Syracuse. Gregory's spread offense seemed to become predictable, the running game stalled and quarterback Matt Grothe threw 14 interceptions for the third straight season.

USC has hired Jeremy Bates as its new offensive coordinator to fill the vacancy left by Steve Sarkisian, who was recently named head coach at the University of Washington, two sources said Monday.

Bates was the Denver Broncos offensive coordinator under Mike Shanahan and was being pursued by other NFL teams for a similar position.

Carroll reached out to Bates and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer for the job and a source said the Trojans were willing to pay at least $1 million for the position.

Massachusetts has promoted offensive coordinator Kevin Morris to head coach.

The school made the announcement Monday. Morris replaces Don Brown, who resigned earlier this month to become Maryland's defensive coordinator.

Morris was the offensive coordinator at Massachusetts during Brown's five years at the school. He also ran the offense under Brown for four seasons at Northeastern.

Morris' only previous head coaching experience came at Worcester Polytechnic Institute between 1993 and 1998.

Odd timing since just this week we brought up Western Washington droping football... But I saw someone wearing a WWU football shirt on the streets of Santa Monica today.

Sad to see...Gruden has been fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sure, when you look at his record and the collapse this year, you cna argue he should be fired. But you HAVE to figure that the Joel Glazer had the idea that he'd be firing Gruden. And when all the college jobs opened up, perhaps he could have given Gruden the green light to interview. Then again, maybe Gruden had no interest in positions like Tennessee. But this late in the game, Gruden will likely be out for a year and see what jobs become available...unless someone in the NFL still waiting to make a hire takes a bite...

OK, not quite Megan's law, but here's the rule update. Recruits are now being told to say "no", go, and tell someone they trust.

NCAA Bans Middle School Contact:
In response to what is seen as a growing problem in men's college basketball, the NCAA Division I Legislative Council has passed emergency legislation aimed at prohibiting seventh- and eighth-grade boys' basketball players from being recruited before they enter high school.

Over the past few years, some college coaches have looked to gain recruiting advantages by working at basketball camps comprising elite seventh- and eighth-graders because there was no NCAA rule prohibiting it. But the NCAA will now designate boys' basketball players as "prospects" beginning in the seventh grade, which will prevent college coaches from working at such camps.

Read More...

Bored? How about some nostalgia with an online game of Double Dribble.(You'll need Java on your computer though).

• A button : key X


• B button : key Z


• Start : key enter


• Select : key space


• Pause : key P


• Rewind : key backspace


• Mute : key S


• Options : key escape


• Save : key C


• Load : key L


• Use the following buttons to control your game :
  
  
  
  Z X space

In time, you will see a CollegeSportsInfo.com blog directory, similar to the Message Board Directory which is the basis for our site.

If you'd like your blog added, just follow this simple procedure:

1) Get some CollegeSportsInfo.com Link Code from http://collegesportsinfo.com/linktous
2) Add a link to either the CollegeSportsInfo.com homepage, Blog, or Directory
3) Goto the Blog Submission thread and submit your blog. You can also just comment back on this blog post with the below info and we'll include you.

School or Conference:
Blog Topic/Sport:
Blog title:
Your URL:
URL to page where you are linking to CollegeSportsInfo.com

So to use an example:
School: UMass
Blog Topic: UMass football
Blog title: UMass Football
Your URL: http://umass74.blogspot.com
URL to page where you are linking to CollegeSportsInfo.com: http://umass74.blogspot.com

Here's a site dedicated to the Utah 2008 cause, focusing on the role of the Anderson & Hester computer rankings in the BCS Rankings.

Utah2008champs.com

The incoming chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said Wednesday that he will hold hearings and possibly subpoena NCAA officials, college presidents, players, coaches and athletics directors in effort to force a playoff in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

"I think you really do not get a true No. 1 out of (the Bowl Championship Series)," Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., told USA TODAY. "Nobody questions the Super Bowl. The team that wins is the best team that year. I think we can do the same thing at the college level where once it's over there is no questions about who is No. 1 and who is No. 2."

Towns made his intentions known a week after the college football season ended with Florida as consensus national champion, but not without some controversy, a common occurrence since the BCS began in 1998. Florida beat Oklahoma to win the title, but Southern California and Utah received first-place votes in the Associated Press news media poll. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham broke ranks in the USA TODAY Coaches' Poll and voted his unbeaten Utes No. 1.

"I really feel that you can't leave it as is," Towns said. "Right now, if you ask what the No. 1 team is, a lot of people would say USC. Others would say Texas and if you ask anybody in the state of Utah, they would say their team was the best. I want to get a system that has credibility."

Towns said there's no timetable set, and no letters to appear have been sent out. He's hoping to get cooperation from those involved in the Football Bowl Subdivision but would use subpoena authority if needed.

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CAA commissioner Tom Yeager said the today's athletic directors' today agreed that keeping the conference intact even when it expands to 14 teams with Old Dominion (2011) and Georgia State (2012).

A task force will be formed to determine how to best operate a 14-team league.

The details will be further discussed and eventually be decided when the group meets again in June. There will more details in Thursday's paper and on the web site.

The Division I-A head coaches voted Tuesday to continue awarding its national championship trophy to the winner of the BCS title game for at least one more season. The coaches voted "unanimously" at a Tuesday morning meeting during the American Football Coaches Association national convention here at the Opryland Hotel.

However, by one estimate, only 60 to 70 of the 120 I-A coaches were in the room. Three of the four coaches of teams generally regarded to have a national title claim in 2008 apparently were in attendance -- Florida's Urban Meyer, Texas' Mack Brown and Utah's Kyle Whittingham. USC coach Pete Carroll did not attend.

The meeting was not open to the media but one person in attendance said there were sources inside the room "who wanted the system tweaked."

The coaches poll has been the backbone of BCS legitimacy since the AFCA partnered with the BCS in 1998 to recognize the winner of the BCS title game as its national champion.

The tweaking could come in the form of coaches once again hiding their ballots, according to AFCA executive director Grant Teaff. In recent years, the 61 voting coaches have been making their final ballots public after the regular season. Teaff said he has been receiving input that a closed vote would be more "accurate."

Teaff also said the coaches are considering reducing the number of voters in the name of "fairness". That would be done, he said, to balance the input from each I-A conference.

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Florida State safety Myron Rolle will study at Oxford instead of entering this year's NFL draft.

Rolle won a Rhodes scholarship in November and plans to seek a one-year master's degree in medical anthropology.

"The opportunity to attend Oxford next year as a Rhodes Scholar was one that you couldn't pass up," Rolle told ESPN's Chris McKendry.

Rolle, projected to be an early round pick, said he plans to enter the 2010 NFL draft.

Rolle took into consideration that the delay could force his draft status to drop.

"That definitely came into the decision as well. But I feel that my skills and my talent will surface once I go to the combine next year and continue to work out to stay in shape and continue on with the same path as I was at Florida State," Rolle told McKendry.

Rolle, from Galloway, N.J., got his undergraduate degree in pre-med after two and a half years and has been taking graduate courses at Florida State this year.

From Dennis Dodd:

The Mountain West, or any of the other five non-BCS leagues, could gain automatic qualifier status by 2012, BCS coordinator John Swofford said Thursday. The BCS commissioners quietly decided in September to allow a seventh automatic qualifier league (or AQ) in 2012 and 2013 if one meets a set of criteria during an existing four-year review.

As expected, BC is set to name defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani as it's next head coach.

We've been in the midst of a site redesign with a ton of new features. One we just added is the Google FriendConnect function. There's not much to it. Just click the "join" button and you're on board. Any support you provide is greatly appreciated...even if it's just joining this group.

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Hang in there Jay Bell. It's not NCAA related, but worth mentioning: Jay Bell did not get elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Looks like he'll have to take his .265 batting average with him for another year of waiting.

For those of us who were Bill Bayno fans, this one is tough to see. He took a medical leave last year but has since officially resigned. Max Good will take over with a multi-year deal. For a short time it was nice to see him back in the NCAA as a head coach.

The Jets secretly interviewed Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh on Thursday, Nationalfootballpost.com is reporting. As you probably know, the Jets' contingent flew to Phoenix Thursday to interview Cardinals assistant head coach Russ Grimm. From there, they flew up to the Bay Area to meet with Harbaugh, according to the Web site.

A few media outlets reported earlier in the week that Harbaugh, the former Colts QB, was drawing interest from the Jets, among other teams, although it was believed at the time that he was negotiating a contract extension with Stanford. Maybe his people leaked the Jets' interview to put pressure on the school.

Then again, that can be a dangerous thing. When the Jets interviewed a college coach early in the week, he became an ex-college coach - Jeff Jagodzinski, formerly of Boston College.

With a new administration poised to take over the executive branch next week, one of the hot topics among collegiate athletics circles is how President Obama – and his new education secretary – will oversee the enforcement of Title IX within athletics programs.

Obama has said little about Title IX beyond a lengthy statement released on the law’s 36th birthday in June 2008.

“When I’m president, I’ll fight to make sure our female students have equal opportunities from pre-kindergarten all the way through graduate school. I will strengthen Title IX enforcement at the Department of Education … And I will direct my Department of Education to help schools take steps to fulfill their Title IX obligations in both the sports and academic arenas,” the statement said. “I am the father of two young girls who are growing up playing sports and who are beneficiaries of the doors Title IX opened.”

Virginia law professor George Rutherglen said he doesn’t see Obama backing away from the law.

“The Obama administration would not support any change that would loosen the restrictions in Title IX,” Rutherglen said. “They certainly wouldn’t lend their support to relaxing the enforcement of Title IX. Whether they would go further and enforce Title IX more vigorously, at least with respect to athletics, would depend upon the particular issue.”

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There's already a few names out there...inhouse and some former UMass assistant coaches now in coordinator positons elsewhere. More to read on the developments...

Looks like the total candidate list is as such:

Internal Candidates:
BC defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani
Associate Athletic Director for Football operations Barry Gallup

Outside Candidates:
Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio
Richmond Coach Mike London
East Carolina Coach Skip Holtz
Former Minnesota and Kansas Coach Glen Mason

Some Division 2 news here and sad news at that. With the dropping of football by Western Washington, there's talk that the rest of the conference members might be dropping the sport as well.

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Division 2, but still not something I like to see. Here's the breakdown...

UMass football coach Don Brown has resigned to become the defensive coordinator at Maryland.

UMass athletic director John McCutcheon made the announcement Friday and said a national search will begin immediately for a new coach.

He replaces former Maryland defensive coordinator Chris Cosh, who left to return to Kansas State as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.

Maryland finished the regular season ninth in the ACC in total defense (355 yards per game), 10th in rushing defense (149.4 yards per game), and eighth in scoring defense (21.4 points per game).

In his five seasons as head coach, Brown went 43-19 leading the Minutemen to two NCAA Football Championship Series (Division I-AA) tournaments, including the 2006 NCAA title game. In 2006 and 2007, Brown led UMass to a 23-5 overall record with a 14-0 mark at home. The Minutemen went 7-5 in 2008 and missed the playoffs.

Brown said he was proud of his time at UMass and that the school will always have a special place in his heart.

Before coming to UMass, Brown coached Northeastern and Plymouth State.

Labels: coaching changes

Does anyone recall hearing some coaches this week talk about the BCS, their individual teams performances and their voting intentions in the USA Today Coaches Poll? Maybe you recall Texas coach Mack Brown touching on the subject in oh so minor detail when he said:

"I wasn't sure before, right now, in Friday morning I'm going to vote Texas No. 1 because I think this is the best team in the country"

I know, I know, Mack Brown wasn't very clear. He wasn't specific. When he said "I'm going to vote Texas No. 1" he meant "I'm going to vote for Florida". And then there is Pete Carrol. Maybe you recall Pete Carroll proclaiming his team the best int he country. But perhaps he meant otherwise when he said

"With all due respect, those are two great programs," USC coach Pete Carroll said of Florida and Oklahoma. "I don't think anybody can beat the Trojans.

But Pete Carroll doesn't vote in the Coaches Poll. So he's free to complain but, but doesn't have to put his money where his mouth is. Mack Brown on the other hand has no excuse. He does vote. And he said he'd vote Texas. but instead, he voted Florida. Only Kyle Whittingham of Utah did what he said he would: vote for the team he thought was #1...his own.

Labels: BCS, Mack Brown, Pete Carroll, Utah

Well, it's over. After a a big victory...Utah are your national champions. With respect to Florida, there have been articles by people such as John Feinstein urging voters to select Utah as their #1 choice. Anarchy aside, others are having some fun with an online store for Utah National champion gear.

Shocking news: ACC commissioner and BCS coordinator John Swofford made a stunning revelation: he thinks all is well with the BCS. Who would have thought such just says after an undefeated Utah team was left out of the BCS title game featuring two teams with one loss each. Surely Swofford's comments have nothing to do with the potential lawsuit Utah might be bringing on the BCS after being left out of the title game twice since it's inception. Some are saying the Utah snub might open the door for a class action lawsuit...

The future of CAA Football, soon to be a 14 team behemoth, will be discussed when the leagues athletic directors meet later this month. ODU and Georgia St. will be joining in 2011 and 2012 and the main topic will be what to do about with a football league of 14 teams. There are a number of options that will be discussed with the likely scenario being (2) 7 team divisions based on geography. The other is more interesting in that it could include the creation of 2 separate leagues, although the CAA would likely sponsor both.

The scenario often discussed by fans but unlikely to occur anytime soon is the sponsorship of football by the America East conference. This would require an upgrade by Albany, and an agreement with current Atlantic 10 members UMass and URI and possibly Villanova of the Big East. Richmond is as much a wild card as Villanova since they are in centered in the CAA South footprint while their A10 partners UMass and URI are in the north. A potential lineup would look as such:

America East:
Maine
UNH
Stonybrook
Albany
*UMass
*URI
*Villanova
*Richmond

CAA:
Northeastern
Delaware
Hofstra
Towson
JMU
W&M
ODU
Georgia St.

Labels: Boston College, Jagodzinski

A few updates were made to the Conference Realignment and Expansion Grid. You can view them at http://collegesportsinfo.com/conference-realignment-grid . You can also take a look at the updates and discussion thread.

The Summit League is planning a fact-finding mission to South Dakota to feel out potential memberships. Such a move would reunite the school with their State counterpart SDSU. The Great West would take a hit with the loss of South Dakota for all-sports. It's not known is the MVC would invite South Dakota for football. And if you're wondering why North Dakota isn't getting a visit, it's politics. Until the school nickname change issue is finalized, North Dakota will be on the outside.

Press conference at 3pm ET, today:

ESPN is reporting that Jeff Jagodzinski will indeed be fired by Boston College. I'd be interested in seeing what the overall reaction will be. I keep hearing praise for the administration for holding their ground, but also hear general disgust that a person can be fired just for interviewing.

Sources including the Boston Globe are reporting that J-Squared has in fact interviewed with the Jets. We'll see what happens with Boston College and if they indeed plan on firing him. Regardless of what happens with the Jets, it shouldn't surprise anyone if Jagodzinski leaves for the NFL, even if it's an OC role in Seattle with Jim Mora Jr.

An interesting article about Boise St. basketball and the role it could play in an MWC invite came out Saturday. Worth a read...

I heard some rumblings from Chesnut Hill that BC would fire Coach J if he interviewed for the Jets job. ESPN is reporting the same...

Labels: coaching changes

Northern State men's basketball coach Don Meyer made history Saturday night when his team defeated Upper Iowa, 63-58, in Fayette, Iowa.

Meyer tied Bob Knight for the most coaching victories in NCAA men's basketball history with 902. Meyer and Knight are the only two coaches in NCAA men's basketball history to reach the 900-win plateau.

After leading by as many as 17 in the first half, Northern State, which is ranked No. 19 in NCAA Division II, had to hold on for the victory. Kevin Ratzsch had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolves.

Meyer, 64, is still recovering from a car accident that occurred Sept. 5. Doctors are in the early stages of determining a course of action for the treatment of cancer discovered in the aftermath of his collision.