Tony Jones, Salt Lake Tribune: More evidence that the Western Athletic Conference was looking to "trade" Louisiana Tech to Conference USA. Louisiana Tech was not subject to the $5 million buyout agreement that the remainder of the WAC agreed to, according to documents obtained by the newspaper.
Jay Drew, Salt Lake Tribune: With a Wednesday deadline looming, indications abound that Brigham Young is still doggedly pursuing a plan to go independent in football and has been in simultaneous membership negotiations with the WAC and the West Coast Conference for the rest of its non-football sports teams.
Chris Murray, Reno Gazette-Journal: Nevada and Fresno State could be headed toward a court battle with the WAC, which has officially demanded a $5 million payment from each school for leaving the conference for the Mountain West. The schools are also expected to stay in the league through the 2011-12 season.
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald: Nevin Shapiro, a once-prominent Florida broker who is facing years in prison for his alleged connection to an $880 million Ponzi scheme, says he will write a tell-all book about alleged NCAA violations involving the Miami Hurricanes.
Dallas Morning News: Texas coach Mack Brown told "The Dan Patrick Show" that he believes Vince Young deserves the 2005 Heisman Trophy won by Reggie Bush.
Henry J. Cordes, Omaha World-Herald: How it all came down in Lincoln. Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman had a week to let the Big Ten know if the Cornhuskers wanted to leave the Big 12.
J. Brady McCollough, Kansas City Star: For Mark Mangino, Mike Leach and Jim Leavitt, the fall from the top was fast.
Lost Lettermen: Former BYU standout Ty Detmer made his debut as a high school coach this past weekend. His team lost by 55 points.
Dan Wolken, Memphis Commercial Appeal: Instead of taking money under the table, Middle Tennessee State quarterback Dwight Dasher committed the ultimate crime in the eyes of the NCAA. He made the mistake of taking money he actually intended to pay back.
Joe Biddle, Tennessean: Nothing will get the NCAA's attention like gambling.
Eric Olson, Associated Press: There won't be any welcoming committees when Nebraska ventures into old Big Eight haunts.
Jon Solomon and Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News, and Mike Herndon, Mobile Press-Register: The next big thing in scheduling: Nine-game conference seasons. Plus, telecasts in 3D are coming your way. More coaching deals could include non-compete clauses. And out with the spread offense, in with the pro-style attack.
David Jones, Patriot-News: Division I-AA opponents like Youngstown State aren't going away even if the Big Ten switches to a nine-game league schedule.
Berry Tramel, Oklahoma: Oklahoma would be the runaway choice for program of the decade had it won any of three games: the BCS losses to Louisiana State (2003 season), USC (2004) and Florida (2008). Instead, USC earns the distinction of team of the decade.
Don Kausler Jr., Birmingham News: Less sunlight and air in Alabama's expanded Bryant-Denny Stadium has added more challenges to the crew in charge of maintaining the grass field.
William Petroski, Des Moines Register: Fans attending games at Iowa and Iowa State are monitored by video cameras, a practice that is becoming commonplace in college stadiums.
Lee Hermiston, Iowa City Press-Citizen: A student group that protests underage drinking believes Iowa is sending the wrong message by selling shot glasses and beer mugs with the university's trademarked logos.
Associated Press: Ron Olin, the retiring police chief in Lawrence, is about to get a boost in pay. He has been hired by Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins as head of security for the athletic department. He’ll make $115,000 a year in his new position, slightly more than his city salary of $112,863.
Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: Plenty of tickets remain for Florida State's home opener against something called Samford.
J.P. Giglio, ACC Now: It remains unclear which players will sit out North Carolina's game against Louisiana State. Several Tar Heels players remain under investigation for possible NCAA violations and the school did not release a depth chart for Saturday's game. Defensive tackle Marvin Austin, among those being investigated, ended his silence with a post on his Facebook page.
John Pennington, Mr. SEC: The Big Ten needs to take notes from the SEC.
Don Nelson, Athens Banner-Herald: A merchant in downtown Athens: "This is probably the worst home schedule Georgia has had as long as I've been in this business for 32 years. The combination of the time of the games and the opponents they will play make it tough. I look for this to be one of the weakest football seasons we've had in while."
Doug Segrest, Birmingham News: Former Auburn coach Pat Dye says Florida is the best place to coach in the Southeastern Conference. "You've got the best talent base. In regard to getting football players — not anything else. Georgia and Alabama are a close second."
Sports By Brooks: Gone, but not forgotten: The original "Albert" Florida Gator mascot. Plus, Cannon Smith, the son of FedEx founder Fred Smith, will be the starting quarterback at Memphis.
Doug Haller, Arizona Republic: Arizona State's Dennis Erickson named Steven Threet his starting quarterback. Threet is a former starter at Michigan.
Eric Prisbell, Washington Post: The Atlantic Coast Conference hopes to be a player on the national scene.
Mike DeArmond, Kansas City Star: Suspended Missouri tailback Derrick Washington has been charged with deviate sexual assault, a Class C felony. Another Tiger player was arrested over the weekend. Long snapper and reserve tight end Beau Brinkley was charged with DWI and cited for having improperly tinted windows on his vehicle.
Richard Goldstein, New York Times: William P. Foster, who revolutionized the once-staid world of collegiate marching bands as the founder and longtime director of the high-stepping, crowd-wowing Marching 100 band of Florida A&M, has died. He was 91.
Columbus Dispatch: Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett signed a contract with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.
Paul Myerberg, Pre-Snap Read: A look at No. 4 Oklahoma.
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Oh wow, Mack Brown is doing some lobbying... RIGHT
Posted by: J | August 30, 2010 at 07:29 PM
Lew Perkins should be in Washington DC. I've never seen such porkbarreling at the university level. I'm not sure if porkbarreling is a word, but I like it. Here is an interesting article on Perkins:
http://bit.ly/cC0ns3
Posted by: ZeroStarRecruit | August 30, 2010 at 07:43 PM