Jack Moran and Rob Moseley, Eugene Register-Guard: A judge ruled that Oregon running back LaMichael James cannot go to class until his domestic violence case is resolved because his accuser is also enrolled at the university. Even if James is cleared of all charges, he likely won't have enough academic hours to be eligible in the fall. Plus, Duck linebacker Kiko Alonso was suspended for the 2010 season after he was cited for driving under the influence.
John Canzano, Oregonian: Chip Kelly has a brilliant football mind. He can recruit, too. But he has been a disaster from Game 1 when it comes to discipline. And it took a player directly defying and embarrassing him in a public manner to get Kelly to act swiftly and decisively.
Jon Wilner, College Hotline: There is some good news for Oregon. None of its players have been arrested in the past 24 hours!
Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said the Longhorns are married to the Big 12 and that won’t change "unless something drastic happens." Plus, what keeps Texas in the Big 12? A revenue agreement that is greatly tilted in the Longhorns' favor. The Big 12’s formula for distributing its football TV revenue is: 50% divided equally among the teams, the other 50% based on appearances. Which means Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska will reap more than Baylor or Iowa State. In 2008, the difference between the largest payout (Texas) and the smallest payout (Baylor) was approximately $2.7 million.
Chuck Carlton, Dallas Morning News: Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said cable rights talks that begin in April 2012 could have a provision that would allow teams to "exploit" their own rights and start their own cable channel. He also acknowledged talking about a shared TV network possibility with the Pacific 10 and Atlantic Coast conferences.
Frank The Tank's Slant: The 15 teams that are likely on the Big Ten's expansion list.
Frank Bodani, York Daily Record: Expansion is all about the money, and Texas is the runaway prize.
Percy Allen, Seattle Times: Washington athletic director Scott Woodward said the Pacific 10 and Big Ten have reached out to officials at Texas and Texas A&M. "I'd be surprised if our office is not in contact with them. I'm sure those conversations have happened and are taking place." (Scroll to bottom of post.)
Herb Gould, Chicago Sun-Times: Illinois' Ron Zook, looking refreshed and ready to go, says 2009 was his hardest year. "Ever." But he never fretted about getting fired. "No. Because I can walk away from here knowing this program is in pretty good shape."
Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports.com: A person identified as a Florida State Highway Patrol trooper close to former South Florida coach Jim Leavitt says Leavitt did not mistreat former walk-on Joel Miller, according to a document obtained by CBS Sports.com.
Gary Klein and Baxter Holmes, Los Angeles Times: USC players appear unfazed over possible NCAA sanctions. "It would stink, but I'm not going to worry about it right now," quarterback Matt Barkley said.
Zach Krantz, Sports Radio Interviews: Mike Leach is ready to get back in the game, he tells WQAM in Miami. "I am excited about football and the opportunity to coach again in the near future. I am just enjoying being with my family and being in Key West." Link to audio.
Gary Johnson, NCAA News: Attendance at NCAA games was down slightly in 2009 compared with the record 2008 season. Almost 48.3 million fans attended games at the 630 NCAA teams, including home, neutral-site and postseason games. That's down about 1% from the 48.8 million in 2008.
Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech is increasing prices of season tickets by $14 and $19 in most sections of Jones AT&T Stadium.
Bill Bush, Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State wants 426 people in six prime lots used for tailgating to give an annual contribution of $5,000 to keep their spots. "There are a number of things wrong about the way they have handled this," one booster said.
Joel Jellison and Joshua Kinder, Manhattan Mercury: As anticipated, Kansas State president Kirk Schulz announced proposed university-wide budget cuts, including a 10% reduction for the athletic department.
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