Kirk Bohls and Mark Rosner, Austin American-Statesman: Obstacles and uncertainty notwithstanding, the Texas athletic department is pursuing development of a Longhorn television network, but the startup cost is staggering — between $15 and $30 million. The business model under consideration suggests that Texas could find an investor or investors, line up media partners and offset some of the costs by converting existing space inside Royal-Memorial Stadium, rather than creating production facilities from scratch.
Mike DeArmond, Kansas City Star: Now Missouri is talking about starting up its own television network.
Chris Murray, Reno Gazette-Journal: Another Western Athletic Conference program is having financial trouble. Nevada is faced with a budget deficit between $600,000-$2 million, a gap created by a 17% decrease in state-appropriated funds (roughly $1.2 million) as well as sluggish tickets sales for the men's basketball and football program. Last week, Fresno State announced that its athletic department was in a financial crisis.
Lee Barfknecht, Omaha World-Herald: Nebraska's Tom Osborne, reflecting on how talks about a Big 12 network came to a halt in 2007 when some schools (Texas?) balked at assigning all rights to their events to the conference: "That ended up being a bigger decision than many people realized at the time."
Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: Oklahoma and Texas don't love each other, but they've learned to live together.
Tim Bisel, Topeka Capital-Journal: Former Kansas State coach Ron Prince likely isn't on the Christmas card list of Bill Snyder. Prince's bold approach to nonconference scheduling has the Wildcats playing nonconference games against UCLA, Miami, Oregon, Virginia Tech and Auburn in the next three seasons. Thanks to John!
Kristi E. Swartz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: OK, maybe vuvuzelas won't be allowed at Southeastern Conference games.
Gregg Krupa and Vincent Goodwill, Detroit News: The strange case of Boubacar Cissoko. Last fall, he was a starter in Michigan's secondary. Today, he is facing 45 years in prison.
Indianapolis Star: It seems difficult to imagine, but Purdue and Indiana have winning records against Nebraska.
FanBlogs: Is the sharing of wealth among conference members going to become a thing of the past?
Associated Press: An NCAA committee announced that it will back a proposal to prohibit making scholarship offers to recruits before July 1 in the summer between their junior and senior years in high school.
Steve Campbell, Houston Chronicle: A survey of 500 Texas voters found that 47% support Texas Christian and 42% support Houston joining the Big 12.
Smart Football: Did the spread offense really evolve from the single-wing?
Joe Muench, El Paso Times: For the next four years, it will be called the Hyundai Sun Bowl.
Brad Rock, Deseret News: Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, Brigham Young athletics director Tom Holmoe and Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff can agree on one thing: The Bowl Championship Series system stinks.
Scott Terrell, Tucson Citizen: The Pac-12 is here. Now it's time to pass the cupcakes.
Bob Clark, Eugene Register-Guard: Rich Brooks has found "freedom" in retirement.
Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Mouse Davis, 77, is rejoining Hawaii's staff. He will serve as mentor to offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich.
Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Star-Advertiser: As Hawaii waits to see what might become of the WAC — its home for going on 32 years — there has been a growing willingness to at least ponder whether returning to independent status could be a future option if the WAC withers.
Whole Hog Sports: A deal that puts AT&T's name on the field of Arkansas' War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock is potentially worth up to $1.8 million over a 10-year span.
Andrea Adelson, College Gridiron 365: FieldTurf has questioned the way the City of Orlando awarded AstroTurf the contract to put in the new surface at the Citrus Bowl and is threatening legal action.
C.L. Brown, Louisville Courier-Journal: Charlie Strong has yet to coach his first game for Louisville, but he just signed off on the purchase of a $1.8 million Mediterranean-style home. The six-bedroom, 12,000-square foot house was formerly owned by Kentucky basketball star Rick Robey.
Mara′ Rose Williams, Kansas City Star: Kansas is revising how sports tickets will be divvied up, bought and sold — and the new system will include more safeguards to prevent the kind of fraud uncovered this spring.
Tom Witosky, Des Moines Register: Iowa's two U.S. senators have asked Big Ten Conference officials to disclose expansion plans and financial information about the league's cable television network. Republican Chuck Grassley and Democrat Tom Harkin made the request of Jim Delany in a letter dated June 10. That was the day before university presidents voted to admit Nebraska to the conference. The letter raises the specter of a congressional review into realignment of major conferences in intercollegiate athletics.
Marc Hansen, Des Moines Register: Did Iowa not want rival Iowa State in the Big Ten?
Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: An addition to Texas Tech's AT&T Stadium in nearly complete, increasing capacity to 60,454. Seventy-eight of the 83 suites are sold.
Ryan Finley, Arizona Daily Star: Former Arizona receiver Delashaun Dean plans to transfer to Division II Texas A&M Kingsville.
C.L. Brown, Louisville Courer-Journal: Former USC linebacker Jordan Campbell is transferring to Louisville.
Evan Woodbery, Mobile Press-Register: Former Auburn offensive line coach Hugh Nall has been dropped from a lawsuit by former player Chaz Ramsey, who alleged that actions taken by Nall and former trainer Arnold Gamber resulted in the player suffering a career-ending injury.
Travis Sawchik, Charleston Post and Courier: A student who was critically injured when he was beaten last month by former Clemson defensive end Jamie Cumbie is recovering at home.
Chris Foster, Los Angeles Times: Paul Richardson, Shaquille Richardson and Josh Shirley, all incoming freshmen players at UCLA, have been arrested for felony theft.
Vanessa Miller, Boulder Daily Camera: Colorado defensive tackle Joe Silipo has been suspended from participating in any of the team's summer activities after university police said he stole a rental bike.
Paul Myerberg, Pre-Snap Read: The countdown continues with No. 70 Hawaii, No. 69 Oklahoma State, No. 68 Duke and No. 67 Kansas.
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