The Wiz of Odds

Reporters Notebooks

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Do you need a five-star quarterback to win a championship?

Vahe Gregorian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Big Ten expansion could have a revolutionary effect on college sports and lead to a college football playoff. It could also make the NCAA irrelevant.

Oregonian editorial: The last thing the University of Oregon needs is to give anyone the impression that it's a place with so much money sloshing around that it can blithely make secret deals and hand anyone, even the most successful football coach in school history, a couple million dollars just to go on his way.

Ron Bellamy, Eugene Register-Guard: At Tuesday's news conference, Oregon president Richard Lariviere seemed to promise that things will be different in the future. Then again, it took an investigation by the state attorney general's office and the state system of higher education to force such a press conference to begin with.

Bruce Cadwallader, Columbus Dispatch: Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett was granted early release from prison and sent to a community-based correctional facility. He will be there for four to six months, depending on his behavior.

Tom Mulhern, Capital Times: Wisconsin's Bret Bielema tweeted that he wanted a home and home series against either Nebraska or Notre Dame, but the reality is that it's probably not going to happen. If Bielema was looking to play a name opponent, why didn't he agree to a game last year against Texas?

Reporters Notebooks

Greg Bolt, Eugene Register-Guard: Oregon president Richard Lariviere said Mike Bellotti was asked to resign as athletic director and that the $2.3 million settlement to the former football coach was a "buyout" of a contract that was never put on paper. Lariviere's comments ran counter to earlier statements by the university, which implied that Bellotti was leaving of his own accord and gave no hint that he was, in fact, urged to leave.

Mike Graham, Dallas Morning News: Is Mike Leach helping the enemy? The former Texas Tech coach is in Stillwater this week as an observer at Oklahoma State's practices.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Washington's athletics department lost $5.5 million in 2009.

Dawson Bell, Detroit Free Press: Michigan’s recently deceased wolverine died of unspecified natural causes at about 9 years of age, according to a necropsy performed by the state Department of Natural Resources and Environment. It was the only wolverine in the Michigan wild that has been verified in modern history.

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: What happens if the Big Ten expands to 16 teams?

Joseph D. Bryant, Birmingham News: Birmingham is $77 million in debt, but the city council approved buying a used scoreboard from the University of Alabama for $30,000. Moving the scoreboard from Bryant-Denny Stadium to Birmingham's Legion Field will push the bill to $200,000.

Erik Brady, USA Today: A company is using open-records requests to create a database of what every Division I coach and assistant in every men's and women's sport at every public college is paid — then sells the data to athletics departments.

Tom Mulhern, Capital Times: Wisconsin's Bret Bielema tweeted that he was trying to "lock up" home-and-home games against Nebraska and Notre Dame, but according to the Omaha World Herald, there are several hurdles to clear for a Badger-Cornhusker matchup, making a series unlikely.

'Equity Seat Rights' Take Hold in Kansas

Kansas is following the lead of California in entering the business of "equity seat rights," the latest marketing innovation that requires fans to pay big bucks in order to secure the best seats in the house.

Jayhawk fans who pay as much as $105,000 over 10 years will earn the right to buy guaranteed top seats at Memorial Stadium for the next 30 years. In return, the seats will stay locked in at 2010 prices. Fans will also be able to take a tax write-off for donating to a university.

The Chicago-based Stadium Capital Financing Group is behind the plan, and chief executive officer Lou Weisbach says it's a win-win for all involved.

"Even in difficult financial times, the price of the best seats in professional stadiums and university programs go up," Weisbach said. "This is the ultimate solution for the shortfalls universities are facing in their athletics programs."

Kansas is targeting fans interested in securing seats in the new 3,000-seat Gridiron Club, an addition to 90-year-old Memorial Stadium that will open for business in the fall. The club will offer cushioned seats, catered food, private restrooms and preferred parking. The university is hoping to cover $34 million in stadium renovations, with long-range plans of raising $200 million.

One problem: Jayhawk fans have not been receptive to the plan. Only $5 million of the $34 million has been raised.

Reporters Notebooks

Jim Harvin, Gainesville Sun: Florida running back Jeff Demps clocked 10.11 seconds in the 100 meters at the Florida Relays. It's the fastest 100-meter time in the world this year. "Actually he did quite a few things wrong in the race, but we're pleased with the run," Gator coach Mike Holloway said. "We don't need to get excited — it's only April 2. We still need to get to the (NCAA outdoor championships on June 9-12). We expect him to run a lot faster than that this year."

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: College basketball beats college football every day of the week and twice on Final Four Saturday, but don’t just take my word for it. Ask Butler's Brad Stevens and Boise State's Chris Petersen. Both of them can tell their teams that anything's possible, but only one of them can say it and mean it.

Mark Whicker, Orange County Register: The Pacific 10 Conference and NCAA basketball tournament share something in common. Both want to expand, and both would be making a big mistake.

Ray Ratto, San Francisco Chronicle: California is getting ready to take a meat cleaver to the athletic budget.

Ted Sickinger, Oregonian: Legal experts continue to question Oregon's $2.3 million golden handshake for Mike Bellotti.

George Schroeder, Eugene Register-Guard: Oregon president Richard Lariviere and Belloti are scheduled to meet with reporters on Tuesday, a move that should have come weeks ago.

Burt Grossman, National Football Post: A player's not-so-fond memoir of agents. Mob money, free gifts, lots of cash. Now those were the days.

Kansas A.D. Perkins Was Paid $85,000 a Week in 2009

Another sign that the end times are near.

Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins was paid $4.4 million in 2009, according to a report in the Kansas City Star.

Perkins' pay is the equivalent of $85,000 a week, and the athletic director made no apology for his compensation.

"It is what it is," he said. "It was all based on when I got hired, negotiated from day one. ... It was all part of the deal of me leaving Connecticut to come here."

Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist at Smith College in Massachusetts, said of Perkins' compensation: "It's utterly outrageous. I can't believe he's worth that kind of compensation in the marketplace. It strikes me as a hideous compensation level."

Perkins was paid $648,281 in 2007 and $900,000 in 2008. Perkins' 2009 salary reflects a retention bonus, and his pay will revert to the paltry $900,000 this year.

Kansas defended Perkins' salary by saying that most of it came from general athletics revenue, including supporters' donations, conference revenue, student fees and other sources.

Reporters Notebooks

Nanette Asimov, San Francisco Chronicle: University of California chancellor Robert Birgeneau has asked a panel to address the long-simmering problem of university support for its beloved but money-losing athletics programs. "This is meant to be a come-to-Jesus moment for athletics, in which [the department] realizes that it needs to make difficult choices to stay within a sustainable level of resources," law professor and panelist Christopher Kutz said. The athletics department has an annual budget of $65 million and 27 teams. Twenty-four of those lose money. Only football and basketball take in more than they spend. Men's golf breaks even.

Ken Goe, Oregonian: Is it possible that Mike Bellotti left as Oregon athletic director because university president Richard Lariviere showed him the door? This, perhaps, came after Bellotti told Lariviere he had been approached by ESPN about the possibility of working as an analyst for the cable network.

David Steves and Christian Wihtol, Eugene Register-Guard: The Oregon University System launched an inquiry in Oregon's $2.3 million payout to Bellotti. The move comes amid growing public focus on university inconsistencies in explaining the arrangement. Oregon attorney general John Kroger announced early in the week that his office planned to review the deal.

Logan Carver, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Attorneys for Mike Leach will not receive documents from Frenship Independent School District pertaining to Tommy Tuberville and his family, a state district judge has ruled.

Scott D. Pierce, Deseret News: The mtn. has announced that all 30 of the network's football telecasts this fall will be in high definition.

Chris Foster, Los Angeles Times: UCLA opened spring practice, with quarterback Kevin Prince running the "pistol" offense.