Mark Alesia, Indianapolis Star: Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) called for more disclosure of money in college sports after the Congressional Budget Office released a report on the tax exemption of NCAA programs. The CBO report used an Indianapolis Star database of financial information from 164 Division I athletic programs gathered through public records requests. "The fact that congressional analysts had to rely on information collected by a major newspaper for source data highlights how little information is available about how these programs work," Grassley said in a statement.
Randy Riggs, Austin American-Statesman: Big 12 athletic directors decided to leave the controversial tiebreaker system alone. Commissioner Dan Beebe said the athletic directors "determined that as a group it would like to continue to review the policies."
Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera: Former Michigan receiver Toney Clemons has informed Colorado coaches that he will join the Buffaloes and enroll in classes June 1 in Boulder. Plus, media and recruiting guides could be thing of the past in the Big 12.
Cathy Mckitrick, Salt Lake Tribune: Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff, who is readying an antitrust lawsuit against the Bowl Championship Series, announced that he will run for the U.S. Senate to help salvage our "blessed but troubled nation" from the slide toward "socialism."
Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: It does not seem possible, but are coaches becoming even more boring?
Myron P. Medcalf, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota officials will announce that nearly $90 million has been raised from private sources for the Golden Gophers' new stadium. The goal had been $86 million. One donor, whose identity has yet to be revealed, gave $6 million. But officials continue to press for funds with the cost of the new facility exceeding $288 million. Regents in 2006 approved a stadium costing $248.7 million.
Jeff Barker, Baltimore Sun: Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium is expected to host at least one Army-Navy game, according to officials familiar with the process. Plus, Maryland and West Virginia extended their series to four games. It begins in 2010.
Mark Anderson, Las Vegas Review-Journal: Every sport at Nevada Las Vegas faces at least a 10% cut in funding. The athletic department is also eliminating complimentary coffee ($5,900), printing 55% fewer media guides ($22,861) and scheduling more daytime practices and games to save on the costs of lights and paying staffers overtime ($10,000). Getting rid of pregame media meals will save the school $5,000.
Steve Weiberg, USA Today: A recent NCAA-commissioned study found that the average Division I athletics program operated at a $5.7 million loss in 2007, versus a $4.1 million loss three years earlier, and that was before the nation's economy hit the skids.
Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson says every league member is cutting costs for the coming fiscal year.
Sam Webb, Detroit News: Tennessee isn't the only team with an interest in recruiting Pahokee, Fla. Michigan already has offers to four players from the town of only 7,000.
Associated Press: Former Connecticut linebacker Eric Naposki was charged in the slaying of an Orange County, Calif., multimillionaire nearly 15 years ago.
Don Jacobs, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Tennessee defensive back Brent Vinson was a witness to a shooting in a home invasion robbery, police said.
Lise Fisher, Gainesville Sun: Anthone Lott, a cornerback on Florida's 1996 national championship team, allegedly stole money in a construction deal involving former teammate Fred Weary.
Brent Schrotenboer, San Diego Union-Tribune: Former San Diego State and NFL running back Femi Ayanbadejo has reached a settlement agreement in his lawsuit against a Nevada supplement company whose product contained synthetic steroids.
Mary Manning, Las Vegas Sun: Las Vegas police officer James Manor, who was killed earlier this month while responding to a 911 call, was speeding and had no emergency lights or siren on at the time of the crash. Manor was a former player at Eastern Michigan.
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Just as I suspected, the Utah Attorney General is grandstanding for higher political office. What a shock!
Posted by: NMS | May 21, 2009 at 09:57 AM
The moron leading the charge for a playoff feels that America is slipping towards "Socialism"! Ugh!
Posted by: T-Bone | May 21, 2009 at 11:50 AM
What isn't new re: politicians grandstanding on issues to obtain a higher position or office? As Robot Chicken would say, "what a twist!"
And I've said this ad nauseam, but there are Div 1-A programs that not only operate in the black, but don't take taxpayer money for their athletic programs (e.g. Nebraska, Tennessee, Alabama).
Perhaps the NCAA should make strides to review what these programs do right and do something right for a change, like force Div 1-A programs off the taxpayer's teat.
There's no good reason at all that a program like Texas-Austin supplements their athletic dept. with taxpayer money. Put that money to better use.
Posted by: Matt | May 21, 2009 at 12:52 PM