Seattle Times: Pacific 10 athletic directors have rebuffed a proposal by some coaches to revert to an eight-game league schedule, which the coaches contend would make it easier for teams to qualify for bowl games.
Dave Newbart and Art Golab, Chicago Sun-Times: There are 69,000 people who work for public universities in Illinois, and none of them is paid as much as Ron Zook. The Illinois' coach was paid nearly $1 million last year. Former Illinois coach Ron Turner was still on the books, being paid $235,000 in the final year of a settlement reached after he was fired five years ago.
Loren Tate, Champaign News-Gazette: Illinois has doubled sales of season tickets in two years from 23,000 to 46,000.
Keith Arnold, College Football Talk: Michigan and Minnesota are not scheduled to play in 2009 or 2010, but the teams discussed playing in nonconference games.
Josh Flory, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin and his wife, Layla, have purchased a $2.6 million home in the Victoria's Inlet subdivision in West Knoxville.
Dave Link, Knoxville News-Sentinel: ESPN may have caught Kiffin in another secondary violation, which would be his sixth.
Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: The newspaper obtains details of coach Steve Sarkisian's contract. He will make a guaranteed $1.75 million in 2009, a number that gradually increases to $2.3 million by 2013. The deal also includes a housing allowance of $150,000 a year.
Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station Eagle: The revelation that former Texas A&M president Bob Gates gave athletics director Bill Byrne a $16 million loan four years ago should be a red flag. The university needs to control its spending on athletics.
Joey Johnston, Tampa Tribune: Florida's athletic department has been asked for a $6 million donation to help the rest of the university, which is facing as much as a 10% budget cut.
Dave Hooker, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Tennessee coaches spent nearly $1.1 million in getting 22 players to sign letters of intent last spring, an average of almost $50,000 per signee. Of the Volunteers' 22 signees, 16 are from out of state.
Tommy Deas, Tuscaloosa News: Alabama has aggressively used the FERPA act to limit disclosures in its response to NCAA allegations in the textbook disbursement case.
Christopher Walsh, Tuscaloosa News: The highest-paid assistant on Nick Saban's Alabama staff is not offensive coordinator Kirby Smart or Jim McElwain. It's assistant head coach/offensive line coach Joe Pendry, who makes $390,000.
Randy Kennedy, Mobile Press-Register: Despite appearances, the new Southeastern Conference rule limiting the number of signees per class to 28 will not help academic standards.
David Climer, Tennessean: Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton deserves praise for poise in the handling of death threats.
Lya Wodraska, Salt Lake Tribune: Utah will be selling pieces of its old artificial turf for $99.
Dan Hinxman, Reno Gazette-Journal: Nevada received a guarantee of $650,000 for its Sept. 5 game at Notre Dame.
Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera: Colorado and Colorado State continue to talk about extending the series between the teams for another 10 years.
Mike DeArmond, Kansas City Star: Missouri quarterback Blaine Dalton pleaded guilty to a charge of a minor in possession of a can of beer and two misdemeanor traffic violations. He paid $387 in fines.
Associated Press: Former Arkansas defensive tackle Keith Jackson Jr. was arrested on suspicion of felony drug charges after authorities say he was found in an apartment with marijuana, cocaine and Ecstasy. Jackson is the son of Keith Jackson, a former Oklahoma and Philadelphia Eagles tight end.
Chuck Landon, Huntington Herald-Dispatch: Recruits around the country are getting into trouble. Who is to blame for this alarming trend? The NCAA.
Matt Ehalt, New York Daily News: Fresh cupcake alert: For the first time since 1954, Fordham will award 60 football scholarships in the fall of 2010, allowing the team to schedule games against Division I-A teams. The Rams have already scheduled Connecticut, Navy and Army for games starting in 2011.
Bud Withers, Seattle Times: Washington coaching legend Jim Owens died at his home in Bigfork, Montana. he was 82.
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