Monday, November 29, 2010

It's Official - TCU to join Big East Conference on July 1, 2012 (Part 2)

Here is the press release from the Big East Conference regarding TCU's admission:

BIG EAST Announces the Addition of Texas Christian University

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Texas Christian University has accepted an invitation for full membership into The BIG EAST Conference, it was announced today. The BIG EAST, by a vote of its Presidents and Chancellors, extended the invitation for membership.

TCU will become the 17th conference member on July 1, 2012. Its athletic teams will begin competing in the BIG EAST in the 2012-13 academic year.

With an enrollment of 9,142 in Fort Worth, Texas, TCU competes in 20 sports. The university’s Chancellor is Dr. Victor J. Boschini, Jr. and the Athletics Director is Chris Del Conte. The university was founded in 1873.

“Our membership is genuinely excited to add an institution of the caliber of TCU to our Conference,” stated BIG EAST Conference Commissioner John Marinatto. “Chancellor Boschini and athletic director Chris Del Conte clearly share the same academic and athletic aspirations of our current members and are similarly committed to sponsoring a very highly competitive athletic program. Located in one of the top five media markets in the country, TCU also enables the BIG EAST to extend its media footprint, which already encompasses more than a quarter of the country.”

“The addition of TCU ensures that the BIG EAST will continue to remain one of the nation’s premier athletic conferences well into the future,” stated John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President of Notre Dame and Chairman of the BIG EAST CEO Executive Committee. “With TCU, the BIG EAST adds an excellent academic institution that combines outstanding athletic achievement with a commitment to NCAA compliance and educational success of its student-athletes.”
The Horned Frogs have enjoyed significant recent success in the athletic arena and in the classroom. The TCU football squad finished the 2010 regular season with a 12-0 record. The Horned Frogs are ranked third in the current Bowl Championship Series standings. A year ago, the football team played in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The baseball team played in the 2010 College World Series.

Additionally, the women’s basketball team was the regular-season conference champion. The men’s and women’s tennis teams were conference tournament champions. The men’s swimming team captured a regular-season league crown. The women’s volleyball team participated in the NCAA Championship.

Overall, the Horned Frogs produced nationally-ranked programs in football, baseball, men’s golf, women’s golf, rifle and equestrian. Individually, 51 Horned Frog student-athletes earned all-America honors.

Academically, TCU student-athletes posted a departmental cumulative grade-point average of 2.98 in the 2010 spring semester, the highest since TCU began reporting scores in 1998. Fifty-three percent of the student-athletes had GPAs over 3.0 for the spring semester.

The BIG EAST Conference, the nation’s largest Division I-A conference, is in its 32nd year of existence. The league is a unique consortium that competes at the highest level with integrity and sportsmanship. The current membership includes the University of Cincinnati, University of Connecticut, DePaul University, Georgetown University, University of Louisville, Marquette University, University of Notre Dame, University of Pittsburgh, Providence College, Rutgers University, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, University of South Florida, Syracuse University, Villanova University and West Virginia University.

BIG EAST institutions reside in nine of the nation’s 35 largest media markets. TCU will bring the Dallas/Fort Worth market, which is the fifth largest in the country.

The BIG EAST conducts 24 sport championships. The BIG EAST became a reality on May 31, 1979, following a meeting of athletics directors from Providence College, St. John’s, Georgetown and Syracuse universities. Seton Hall, Connecticut and Boston College completed the original seven-school alliance.

More than 575 BIG EAST student-athletes have earned all-America recognition and dozens have won individual NCAA national championships.

The BIG EAST has its headquarters in Providence where the conference administers to more than 5,500 student-athletes.

It's Official - TCU to join Big East Conference on July 1, 2012

TCU has made the move to the Big East official with this press release.

TCU Accepts Invitation to Big East Conference For All Sports

Nov. 29, 2010

TCU's Board of Trustees unanimously approved an invitation to join the Big East Conference in all sports beginning with the 2012-13 academic year.

TCU will become an official member of the Big East July 1, 2012.

Current Big East members in football are Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Florida, Syracuse and West Virginia. For sports other than football, the Big East also includes DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's and Villanova.

By joining the Big East Conference, TCU can continue its goal to build an excellent athletics program. The University has continued to develop its athletics program through the opening of new facilities and programs, including:

• Renovations to the west side and north end zone of Amon G. Carter Stadium
• The Jane and John Justin Field House for women's soccer
• The Dutch Meyer Athletic Complex and Abe Martin Academic Enhancement Center
• The Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility
• The Ed and Rae Schollmaier Basketball Complex
• The addition of a women's equestrian program

The Big East also provides TCU's athletics program television exposure through ESPN, CBS Sports and SportsNet New York (SNY). The Big East Conference has the longest standing continuous relationship of any league with CBS Sports.

In adding TCU and the nation's fifth-largest television market, the Big East Conference further strengthens its footprint on the national television scene. Big East markets already contained almost one-fourth of all television households in the United States. Big East institutions currently reside in nine of the nation's top-35 media markets, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Tampa, Pittsburgh, Hartford, Cincinnati and Milwaukee.

"Joining the Big East will enhance our student-athlete experience and continue raising TCU's visibility on a national level," said TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. "We have many championship winning teams within our athletics program and student-athletes across the board will now enjoy greater recognition. This move also provides an opportunity for TCU to recruit more students in different areas across the country, which will further diversify our student body."

"The Board of Trustees, along with TCU's administration, thoroughly examined the invitation and came to the conclusion that joining the Big East is the right move to make at this time," said Luther King, chair of TCU's Board of Trustees. "This University has a lot of momentum and joining the Big East will accelerate that momentum."

Headquartered in Providence, R.I., the Big East Conference was formed in 1979. The league has won 28 national championships in six sports with 128 student-athletes capturing individual national titles.

The Big East sponsors all of the sports TCU currently fields in the Mountain West Conference.

"We take tremendous pride in having a nationally-prominent athletics program and joining the Big East Conference will allow us to further grow our brand and increase our visibility and exposure," TCU director of intercollegiate athletics Chris Del Conte said. "We are most appreciative of our time in the Mountain West Conference. The league helped elevate us across the board. We treasure the relationships we formed and the outstanding leadership provided by Commissioner Craig Thompson.

"Having BCS automatic-qualifying status was a priority for our football program and a great reward for the success we've had the last decade under Gary Patterson. Keeping all our sports together was also critical. We are very excited to accomplish both these goals and look forward to our new home in the Big East Conference."

Report: TCU to accept offer to join Big East

AOL Fanhouse is reporting that TCU has accepted an invitation to join the Big East Conference in all sports beginning with the 2012-13 athletic seasons.

The report adds that TCU is expected to make the announcement at a 1:00pm (local time) press conference.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Before the BCS rankings are announced (Nov. 28)

Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving, and also hope that Black Friday did not turn into a Black and Blue Friday for you and yours.

The new polls are out.

In the AP poll, Oregon gained points from last week (1467 to 1475), but its lead over Auburn has shrunk from 37 to 19 points. The Ducks lost one first-place vote (37 to 36), and Auburn gained ten (13 to 23). TCU has one first-place vote, and is currently ranked third.

In the three-way Big Ten race, Wisconsin is ranked 4th in the AP poll, while Ohio State and Michigan State are sixth and seventh respectively.

Boise State dropped to ninth, below two-loss Arkansas (eighth).

Oregon remains first in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, albeit their cushion against Auburn has dwindled from 61 to 40 points. The Ducks have 36 more first-place votes than the Tigers. TCU, with its three first-place votes, is ranked third.

Arkansas (eighth) and Nebraska (ninth) have both jumped over Boise State, which dropped to tenth.

Oregon, Auburn and TCU also hold the top three slots in the Harris Interactive poll. The Ducks however lead Auburn by only 35 points, with their lead essentially halved from last week (66 points).

Oregon, Auburn and TCU should be the top three in BCS standings to be released later today.

BCSKnowHow.com is predicting that Stanford will remain ahead of Wisconsin and be in fourth place, despite being ranked fifth in all three polls. The Cardinal was .0075 ahead of the Badgers in last week's BCS standings.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

LaMichael James' "new" car raising eyebrows

As reported by the Williamette Week via deadspin.com, LaMichael James was under investigation earlier this month regarding his car he is currently driving.

James had been seen driving a 2003 Range Rover, instead of his 2000 Ford Mustang. Questions have arisen as to whether James had acquired the Range Rover through appropriate channels.

The inquiry centers around Pernell Brown, a gang-outreach worker. Brown has claimed that he and James swapped vehicles as James had been receiving harassment notes on his car.

The paper reports that Brown seems to have purchased the Range Rover through legitimate means. However this car swap has attracted the attention of the NCAA, as it sent to Oregon assistant director for agent, gambling and amateurism activities, Angie Cretors, to investigate.

The Williamette Week also points out that Brown is a former Woodlawn Park Blood gang member.

As of right now the NCAA has no position other than the standard, "It is NCAA policy not to comment on current, pending or potential investigations."

James, a Heisman-candidate, plead guilty earlier this year to one count of physical harassment, stemming from a February 15th domestic violence incident. He is currently serving a 24-month probation sentence.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Before the BCS rankings are announced (Nov. 21)

The new polls are out.

No significant changes in the AP poll, other than Wisconsin and LSU flipped positions. Nebraska drops seven places after losing to Texas A&M Saturday. Oregon increased its lead over Auburn from 36 to 37 points.

No movement as far as the top eight in the latest coaches' poll, but Oregon gains back two first-place votes from Auburn. The Ducks now lead Auburn by 61 points.

In the Harris Interactive poll, Stanford and Ohio State swap seventh and eighth ranking. Oregon (1st) and Boise State (3rd) each gain three first-place votes, while Auburn (4) and TCU (2) lost first-place votes.

According to BCSknowhow.com, no changes are expected in the top seven of the BCS rankings.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Illinois/Northwestern game to feature only one endzone

Apparently the friendly confines of Wrigley Field are too...friendly.

The Big Ten announced Friday that Illinois and Northwestern have agreed to play with only one end zone in tomorrow's game at the ballpark.

The game will be played with the one (west) endzone. The original east endzone, first thought to be spaced far enough from a padded wall in right field, was deemed to be too close to the endzone.

The change in the field-design will necessitate all offensive drives to be one-directional. Therefore, when possession changes sides, the players will switch sides as appropriate.

The NCAA has approved these changes.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

MWC talking to Hawaii about football-only membership

Honolulu Star-Advertiser is reporting that the Unviersity of Hawaii is being courted to join the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member.

Negotiations started today between the two parties.

Hawaii, currently the longest-tenured WAC team, is predicted to join the Big West Conference in all other sports. The Warriors were part of the Big West until joining the WAC in 1979.

The Big West recently lifted a self-imposed moratorium on conference expansion.

The Warriors would probably be admitted to the MWC in time for the 2012-13 season. Hawaii would most likely offer travel subsidies for teams traveling to Honolulu.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

TMZ: Cam Newton probe expands to Auburn booster

TMZ--the usually celebrity-tilted website--is reporting that according to its sources, the FBI is now expanding its probe to cover an Auburn booster recently arrested in a bribery sting.

Dog track owner Milton McGregor was arrested recently for allegedly bribing Alabama state politicians to vote for gambling.

TMZ did report that it is not clear what the relationship is between McGregor and Newton. TMZ did however report that two years ago, McGregor donated $1 million to the athletics department for arena construction.

Ron Zook channels his inner-Jim Mora

This is a few days old, but thanks to Deadspin for bringing this up.

Ron Zook talks about bowl game potential after losing to Minnesota

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

AP Source: Southern Miss' Martez Smith paralyzed

The AP is reporting that Southern Miss linebacker Martez Smith, one of three players shot outside a Hattiesburg night club Sunday morning, is paralyzed from the waist down according to a source close to the situation.

The source says that Smith's spinal cord is severed. Two teammates, Tim Green (neck) and Deddrick Jones (chest) were also hit. All are said to be in fair condition at Hattiesburg's Forrest General Hospital.

Two people were arrested in connection with the shooting, and police are looking for a third man believed to be involved.

Monday, November 15, 2010

30 college presidents pulling down million dollar compensation

While not a football story, this is certainly eye-popping.

A recent survey released by the Chronicle of Higher Education shows that 30 college presidents earned compensation packages of more than $1 million dollars in 2008.

Southern Methodist's Michael M. Boone earned more than $2.8 million, earning title as highest-paid sitting president. Base compensation was $535,000, but a change in IRS rules in regard to life insurance triggered a $1.6 million payout to Boone.

The late president of Touro College, Bernard Lander, was the highest paid executive in 2008 at $4.8 million. The majority of that total was the result of $4.3 million in deferred compensation.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Before the BCS rankings are announced (Nov. 14)

The new AP, ESPN/USA Today coaches, and Harris Interactive polls are out.

Oregon remains number one in all three, but lost first-place votes. The Ducks lost 11 votes in the AP, four in the coaches, and 28 in the Harris Interactive. Boise State has jumped TCU to become number three in all three polls.

USC (20) and Miami (24) rejoin the AP poll.

Northwestern (25) is ranked in the coaches' poll for first time since 2008.

Miami (24) and Florida St (25) replace Florida and UCF respectively in the Harris Interactive Poll. Auburn is within 30 first-place votes (65 to 35).

Report: Three football players shot at Hattiesburg nightclub

NBC affiliate WDAM-TV is reporting that three Southern Miss football players were shot at a Hattiesburg nightclub early Sunday morning.

The shooting took place outside Remington's Hunt Club at around 1:20am local (2:20am ET).

Southern Miss has not released a statement, but is expected to do so today according to a report in the Hattiesburg American.

[UPDATE: 11/14/10, 6:30pm ET] Southern Miss released the following press release this afternoon:

Three Southern Miss Student Athletes Injured in Off-Campus Incident
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The University of Southern Mississippi has confirmed three of its student athletes were injured in an off-campus incident shortly before 2 a.m., Sunday, November 14, in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The three student athletes, all members of the Southern Miss football team, are presently hospitalized. They are:

Martez Smith, 22, a senior interdisciplinary studies major and linebacker from Canton, Miss.

Tim Green, 21, a junior interdisciplinary studies major and linebacker from Columbia, S. C.

Deddrick Jones, 23, a junior interdisciplinary studies major and defensive lineman from Bastrop, La.

According to a medical official, each of the student athletes was listed in fair condition as of 1 p.m. today.

"At Southern Miss this afternoon our number one concern is for the health and welfare of these students and for their family members who await their recovery," stated President Martha Saunders. "We will do all we can to assist these young men and their families, as well as assist the Hattiesburg Police Department in its investigation of this event."

Fedora is scheduled to hold his weekly press conference, Monday, Nov. 15, at 11:45 a.m. in the Athletic Center.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour called Saunders this afternoon to express the concerns of both he and his wife, Marsha, for the players and their families. According to Saunders, the governor offered any assistance his office can provide.

According to Lt. Jon Traxler of the Hattiesburg Police Department (HPD) detective division, none of the three Southern Miss student athletes were armed. The HPD is handling the investigation of this incident with the assistance of the University Police Department. The HDP has enlisted the help of the public in asking for information involving the incident. Individuals with information are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 601.582.STOP or 601.582.7867. All information given to Crime Stoppers is confidential.

A previous Hattiesburg American reported that the police have been called to the nightclub 129 times during the first nine months of this year, although the visits had led to zero arrests.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Yankee Stadium striped for Army-Notre Dame

Per @YankeesPR twitter update, the Yankee Stadium field was striped yesterday in preparation for the November 20th game between Army and Notre Dame.

(Image: @YankeesPR Twitpic)

This comes after goal posts were installed on October 29th.

(Image: @YankeesPR Twitpic)

The November 20th game--the first football game to be played at the new stadium--is scheduled for a 7:00pm ET tipoff on NBC.

It's Official: WAC to add Denver, UTSA and Texas State

As rumored yesterday, the WAC has officially announced that Denver, UTSA and Texas State will join the conference on July 1, 2012.

The press conference at University of Denver will be streamed online here.

Full WAC release below:

WAC to Add Denver, UTSA and Texas State

DENVER - The Western Athletic Conference today announced that invitations for membership have been issued to and accepted by the University of Denver, the University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas State University to join the conference effective July 1, 2012.

The announcement was made by the chair of the WAC Board of Directors and Utah State University President Stan Albrecht and WAC Commissioner Karl Benson after the Board unanimously voted to issue the invitations earlier this week.

"The Board of Directors is extremely dedicated to the long-term stability and growth of the Western Athletic Conference," said Albrecht. "The University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas State University and the University of Denver are three very strong institutions, both in their commitment to building athletic excellence and in their commitment to academics. We believe that all three will help us in our quest to make the WAC one of the outstanding athletic conferences in the country."

"The addition of these three schools clearly sends a message that the WAC and its member schools are prepared to move forward to build a 'new' WAC," said Benson. "And as the WAC prepares to begin its next 50 years as an athletic conference, I am confident that these three new members along with the six other WAC schools will continue to compete at the highest level of the NCAA."

The two Texas schools are currently members of the Southland Conference and will be making the move up from the Football Championship Subdivison (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2012. Denver becomes the first full member in WAC history to join the league without a football program. The additions mean that for the 2012-13 season, the WAC will consist of nine full-time members, eight of which will play football.

Benson added that the WAC will continue to explore the possibility of adding additional members to the league.

Denver, currently a member of the Sun Belt Conference, is a private institution with an enrollment of 11,644 and is located nine miles northwest of the WAC's headquarters. The Pioneers sponsor 17 sports and has won 28 national championships in their history. The men's and women's basketball teams play in the 7,200-seat Magness Arena, part of the Daniel L. Ritchie Center. Last year's men's basketball team won 19 games, its third straight year of improving its number of wins.

UTSA, founded in 1969, has an enrollment of more than 30,000 students on its three campuses (Main, Downtown and Institute of Texan Cultures). The University has grown quickly in its relatively short history and it has plans for $265 million in construction over the next three years. The Roadrunners have won 48 Southland Conference Championships since joining the league in 1991-92 and they won the 2007-08 Commissioner's Cup as the top overall athletics department. The newly-created football program will play its games in the 65,000-seat Alamodome, while the basketball and volleyball teams play in the Convocation Center (4,080).

Texas State, founded in 1899, has an enrollment of 32,586 and is located in San Marcos, Texas, 50 miles northeast of San Antonio. Texas State sponsors 16 men's and women's sports and plays its home basketball games in Strahan Coliseum (7,200) and its home football games in Bobcat Stadium, which will undergo an expansion project next May to increase its seating capacity to nearly 30,000. The Bobcats have won 33 Southland Conference championships since 2000, including the 2005 and 2008 football titles. They advanced to the 2005 FCS semifinals and appeared in the 2008 FCS playoffs, while their volleyball team has averaged 22 wins and made two NCAA appearances the past three seasons.

Montana remaining in FCS

The University of Montana at Missoula formally announced today that they will remain at the FCS level in football.

Had Montana decided to jump to the FBS, rumors were that the WAC would invite the Grizzlies to join their conference. According to the release, one of the reasons for remaining at the FCS-level was to maintain the current rivalry with Montana State University of Bozeman.

Below is Montana's press release:

Montana remaining in Big Sky Conference

UM President Royce Engstrom announced today that Grizzly Athletics will stay in the Big Sky Conference and the Football Championship Subdivision. University officials had the opportunity to consider a move to the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

“It was a complex issue with many pros and cons,” said Engstrom, who started his new duties as UM’s 17th president Oct. 15 and recently attended his first meeting of Big Sky Conference university presidents in Park City, Utah. “In the end, the better course is to stay with the conference we helped establish in 1963 and to continue building on its solid foundation.”

Engstrom said three principles guided his decision. First, he wanted to maintain the cross-state rivalry between UM and Montana State University-Bozeman, which he regards as essential to the state’s cultural fabric. The two institutions played their first college football rivalry game in 1897. Now nicknamed the Brawl of the Wild, it’s the fourth-oldest active rivalry in the FCS and the oldest west of the Mississippi.

Second, he wanted UM to compete with more mission-similar institutions. He said the recent addition of the University of North Dakota strengthened the Big Sky Conference in that regard.

Finally, he wanted to ensure that UM athletic teams can compete successfully and maintain the prestige and integrity the program has demonstrated over the years.

“At this time, FCS football presents the best overall fit for the University, it provides our student-athletes and fans with a great experience, and it is consistent with the strategic direction of the University,” Engstrom said.

“I agree this is the best course for The University of Montana at this particular time,” UM Athletics Director Jim O’Day said. “Right now, Grizzly Athletics needs to concentrate on building its athletics infrastructure. That should be our No. 1 priority now and where we should be allocating our energy.”

UM will compete in an expanded Big Sky Conference starting in 2012. On Nov. 1, UND and Southern Utah University accepted invitations to become core members of the conference. California Polytechnic State University and the University of California, Davis, also joined the conference in recent months as affiliate members for football.

“I am quite sure that the regents would agree that this is a wise decision by President Engstrom,” said Sheila Stearns, state commissioner of higher education. “He has the full support of the Board of Regents and my office.”

“This was the right move at this time,” said Clayton Christian, Board of Regents chair. “It’s the right decision for the state, The University of Montana and the Big Sky Conference.”

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Trentonian U Football Top 25 Rankings (Nov. 9)

TCU's 47-7 drubbing of Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday, helped move the Horned Frogs from fourth to second in this week's Trentonian U rankings.

Oregon continues to garner all first-place votes. Florida, Nevada, UCF and Texas A&M join this week's rankings.

Full rankings below:

Trentonian U Top 25 Rankings
(November 9, 2010)






PTS LW HI LO BCS THIS WEEK
1. Oregon(4) 100 1 1 1 1 at Cal., Sat.
2. TCU 94 4 2 3 3 SDSU, Sat.
3t. Boise State 91 3 2 4 4 at Idaho, Fri.
3t. Auburn 91 2 2 4 2 GEORGIA, Sat.
5. Stanford 83 9 5 6 6 at Ariz. St., Sat.
6. Wisconsin 77 7 6 8 7 IND., Sat.
7. Ohio State 75 8 5 8 9 PENN ST., Sat.
8. LSU 70 15 7 11 5 UL-MON., Sat.
9. Nebraska 69 10t 6 12 8 KANSAS, Sat.
10t. Alabama 60 12 9 12 12 MISS. ST., Sat.
10t. Arkansas 60 5 10 14 15 UTEP, Sat.
12. Iowa 54 13 9 16 13 at N'western, Sat.
13. Oklahoma St 50 19 9 16 10 at Texas, Sat.
14. Utah 48 6 12 17 14 at ND, Sat.
15. Michigan St 47 18 11 18 11 Off
16. Oklahoma 41 10t 13 19 16 TX TECH, Sat.
17. Virginia Tech 38 20t 13 19 20 at UNC, Sat.
18. Mississippi St 34 20t 17 19 19 at 'Bama, Sat.
19. Missouri 23 16 18 24 17 at K-State, Sat.
20. South Carolina 21 14 18 25 23 at Fla., Sat.
21. Arizona 19 17 15 NR 18 USC, Sat.
22. Florida 13 RV 20 NR 22 SO CAR., Sat.
23. Nevada 9 RV 21 NR 21 at Fresno St., Sat.
24. UCF 8 NR 23 25 NR SO MISS., Sat.
25t. Florida State 5 23 21 NR NR CLEMSON, Sat.
25t. Texas A&M 5 NR 21 NR 25 at Baylor, Sat.








Dropped Out: No. 22 Baylor, No. 24 Hawaii, No. 25 NC State
Also Receiving Votes: Kansas State 4, Northern Illinois 4, Penn State 4,
San Diego State 3





PANEL: Ben Doody (Assistant Sports Editor), Joey Kulkin (Managing Editor),
Matthew Osborne (Sports Editor), Fred Sakai (Contributor)

ESPN Sources: Denver, UTSA, Texas State to join WAC

ESPN.com's Andy Katz is reporting through sources that the WAC will announce tomorrow the additions of Denver, Texas-San Antonio and Texas State to the conference. The three would join in 2012-13.

Denver is expected to join the conference in all sports except football, where it will continue to compete at the FCS level. Currently in the Sun Belt conference, Denver is not expected to pay a departure fee.

UTSA and Texas State are expected to join in all sports. Both will be leaving the Southland Conference, and are expected to pay a $250,000 exit fee each. UTSA's move still needs approval from the state board of regents.

Read the full report here.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

UW president to AD Woodward: Apologize to Oregon

The Seattle Times has obtained a copy of a letter from interim University of Washington president Phyllis Wise to AD Scott Woodward, asking him to apologize to University of Oregon officials for comments made last week on a radio show appearance.

Full letter is available for viewing at this Seattle Times link. Excerpt of Wise's letter to Woodward is below:

"In your position as our Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, it is particularly unfortunate for you to be critical of the academic reputation of the University of Oregon, a fellow PAC-10 Conference member and AAU university. You exhibited an uncharacteristic lack of judgment in making the remarks."

"I believe an apology is in order. In addition to the statement you issued yesterday, I am requesting that you personally apologize to the president and athletic director at the University of Oregon"

Click here for more on Woodward's radio interview remarks.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

BCS Rankings (Nov. 7)

This week's BCS rankings have been released.

Oregon remains BCS #1, but has seen their cushion shrink considerably. Last week, Oregon lead #2 Auburn, .9777 to .9599. This week Oregon only leads by .0027.

TCU has increased their lead over #4 Boise State, and closed the gap between them and #2 Auburn.

BCS Top 16 is below (change in spot from previous week in parentheses):

1. Oregon .9638
2. Auburn .9611
3. TCU .9259
4. Boise State .8662
5. LSU .8170 (+5)
6. Stanford .7454 (+7)
7. Wisconsin .7349 (+2)
8. Nebraska .7298 (-1)
9. Ohio State .6613 (+2)
10. Oklahoma State .6211 (+7)
11. Michigan State .6180 (+3)
12. Alabama .5490 (-6)
13. Iowa .5223 (+3)
14. Utah .4669 (-9)
15. Arkansas .4569 (+3)
16. Oklahoma .3900 (-8)

Full BCS rankings can be found here.

Before the BCS rankings are announced (Nov. 7)

The new AP, ESPN/USA Today coaches, and Harris Interactive polls are out.

Oregon remains in first in all polls. In the AP poll, Auburn and TCU both jump over Boise State, but interestingly Oregon (49), Auburn (2), TCU (2) and Boise State (7) retained the same amount of first-place votes.

UCF (25th) is ranked in the AP top 25 for the first time in school history. Texas A&M is ranked for the first time this season (23rd).

In the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, TCU jumps over Boise State for third place. Oregon (50) lost a first-place vote to TCU (2).

TCU also leapfrogs ahead of Boise State in the Harris Interactive poll.

Texas A&M, Florida and Central Florida in some order, make up the last three spots of all three polls.

Jeff Sagarin's ELO-CHESS (BCS) ratings have Auburn first. Oregon, TCU, Stanford and Nebraska round out top five. None of the other computer rankings have been released at time of this post.

BCSKnowhow.com predicts no change in the top four of the BCS rankings, with LSU predicted to be fifth.

Friday, November 5, 2010

College football TV listings (Nov. 6)

As usual, the 506.com and mattsarzsports.com have compiled college football TV listings for this weekend's slate of games. Select games, stations and announce crews are listed below (Rankings used below are current Trentonian U Top 25 Rankings):

Illinois at Michigan, 12:00pm ET/ESPN
(Bob Wischusen, Brian Griese)

7 Wisconsin at Purdue, 12:00pm ET/select Big Ten Network affiliates
(Eric Collins, Chris Martin, Charissa Thompson)

22 Baylor at 19 Oklahoma State, 12:30pm ET/select FSN, MSG+
(Bill Land, Dave Lapham, Emily Jones)

5 Alabama at 15 LSU, 3:30pm ET/CBS
(Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson, Tracy Wolfson)

Washington at 1 Oregon, 3:30pm ET/ABC or ESPN2
(Carter Blackburn, Brock Huard, Mike Belloti, Shelley Smith)

Hawaii at 2 Boise State, 3:30pm ET/ESPNU and ESPN 3D
(Pam Ward, Danny Kanell, Jessica Mendoza)
(ESPN 3D announcers: TBA)

4 TCU at 6 Utah, 3:30pm ET/CBS-CS
(Craig Bolerjack, Aaron Taylor, Brooke Olzendam)

12 Arkansas at 14 South Carolina, 7:00pm ET, ESPN
(Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe)

10 Oklahoma at Texas A&M, 7:00pm ET, select FSN, CSN-Phila, MSG
(Steve Physioc, Joel Klatt, Jim Knox)

17 Arizona at 9 Stanford, 8:00pm ET, ABC Regional
(Brent Musberger, Kirk Herbstreit, Erin Andrews)

Check out the complete list here.

AP Source: Auburn had no contact with Rogers

AP's John Zenor has the latest on the Cam Newton allegations from Auburn perspective:

AUBURN, Ala. (AP)—A person familiar with the situation says Auburn has had “no contact whatsoever” with a man who allegedly tried to secure payment from Mississippi State during the recruitment of Tigers quarterback and Heisman hopeful Cam Newton.

The NCAA is reviewing the recruitment of Newton, but Auburn has not received a letter of inquiry from the sport’s governing body, the person told The Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to comment publicly.

The person says Newton’s eligibility “has at no point been in jeopardy.” Newton will play Saturday vs. Chattanooga.

Former Mississippi State player John Bond has said his ex-teammate Kenny Rogers was soliciting payment during Newton’s recruitment.

Pac-10: Future Pac-12 football schedules announced

As expected, the Pac-10 announced next year's football schedule upon expanding to the Pac-12.

FUTURE PAC-12 CONFERENCE FOOTBALL SCHEDULES ANNOUNCED

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--The Pac-10 announced today the 2011 Pac-12 football schedule and the eight-year rotation model used for future scheduling.

The 2011 season begins on Saturday, September 3 and culminates Saturday, December 3, with the first-ever Pac-12 Championship game. That game will be played at the home site of the division champion with the best overall conference record.

The 2012 schedule will include the same set of opponents as the 2011 schedule, with games played at opposite sites. Dates of those games are to be determined.

“We are pleased to follow the announcement of the Pac-12 North-South divisional alignment with the release of our 2011 football schedule, and a future conference football scheduling model that maintains important traditional rivalries, and will create some very exciting match-ups in our new 12-team conference,” stated Commissioner Larry Scott.

Click here for the full release which includes 2011 schedule and the eight-year rotation for each Pac-12 member institution.

Friday Football Links

Perhaps it is only fitting that the last game between TCU and Utah as conference mates, is the biggest game in the history of the brief BCS-buster rivalry.

Fourth-ranked (third in BCS) TCU plays at sixth-ranked (fifth in BCS) Utah tomorrow at 3:30pm ET. The game has such high implications on the BCS picture that CBS College Sports made sure this matchup was included in the two-week free preview period that began October 25th.

To commemorate the occasion, I dedicate Boyz II Men's "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday"



***
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff met with US Department of Justice officials this week on a possible probe into possible BCS anti-trust violations.

Several lawmakers have criticized the BCS system and have called for a switch to a playoff system.

While the University of Utah will move to a BCS automatic bid conference next season, Shurtleff states that he is not doing it just for Utah.

"This has never been for me to get the University of Utah bragging rights," he said. He argues that Utah necessitating a move to a BCS conference gives him more credibility to recruit those that may join his anti-BCS argument.

***
Catch up on the ratcheted coverage of college basketball on our companion blog, Full Court Press.

Watch recent videos of MAAC and Princeton media day, and much more.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Trentonian U Football Top 25 Rankings (Nov. 2)

After Oregon's convincing victory in Los Angeles last week against USC, our voting panel has now unanimously voted the Ducks as number one.

TCU and Auburn have flipped in our poll. Michigan State dropped 12 spots following their loss last weekend at Iowa.

Here are this week's rankings:

Trentonian U Top 25 Rankings
(November 2, 2010)






PTS LW HI LO BCS THIS WEEK
1. Oregon (4) 100 1 1 1 1 WASH., Sat.
2. Boise State 93 2 2 4 4 HAWAII, Sat.
3. Auburn 92 4 2 4 2 CHATT., Sat.
4. TCU 90 3 3 5 3 at Utah, Sat.
5. Alabama 85 5 4 5 6 at LSU, Sat.
6. Utah 76 7 6 8 5 TCU, Sat.
7. Wisconsin 74 8t 6 9 9 at Purdue, Sat.
8. Ohio State 70 10 7 9 11 Off
9. Stanford 66 12 6 11 13 ARIZ., Sat.
10t. Nebraska 65 13 7 14 7 at Iowa St., Sat.
10t. Oklahoma 65 11 7 12 8 at TAMU, Sat.
12. Arkansas 51 14 12 16 18 at So. Car., Sat.
13. Iowa 49 19t 12 16 16 at Ind., Sat.
14. So Carolina 44 17 13 17 19 ARK., Sat.
15. LSU 40 15 13 20 10 BAMA, Sat.
16. Missouri 39 8t 11 20 12 at TX. Tech, Sat.
17. Arizona 38 18 15 18 15 at Stan., Sat.
18. Michigan St 37 6 14 19 14 MINN., Sat.
19. Oklahoma St 34 19t 11 21 17 BAYLOR, Sat.
20t. Mississippi St 22 23 18 NR 20 Off
20t. Virginia Tech 22 21 17 NR 22 GA. TECH, Thu.
22. Baylor 15 25 21 24 21 at Okla. St., Sat.
23. Florida State 13 16 20 NR 24 UNC, Sat.
24. Hawaii 6 RV 23 NR NR at Boise St., Sat.
25. NC State 5 NR 22 NR 25 at Clem, Sat.








Dropped Out: No. 22 Miami, No. 24 USC


Also Receiving Votes: Northwestern 3, Illinois 2, Nevada 2,
Florida 1, Northern Illinois 1




PANEL: Ben Doody (Assistant Sports Editor),

Joey Kulkin (Managing Editor), Matthew Osborne

(Sports Editor), Fred Sakai (Contributor)


Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Mississippi State's Nick Bell passes away

In all of yesterday's election news, you may have missed news that Mississippi State defensive end Nick Bell lost his battle with cancer.

Here is the Mississippi State release:

Mississippi State's Nick Bell, 20, Passes Away

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State redshirt sophomore defensive end Nick Bell passed away Tuesday afternoon, doctors at UAB Medical Center announced. Bell, 20, battled cancer since a diagnosis earlier this fall.

Bell played in 16 games for the Bulldogs, earning four starts. Bell played in the first four games of the 2010 season, and started against Auburn and Georgia. He recorded 22 total tackles in his career, including seven this season. He was credited with one tackle for loss in the season opener against Memphis and another against LSU.

The Mississippi State football team was informed of Bell’s passing at a team meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Several members of the team had travelled to Birmingham to visit with Bell and his family on Monday evening. Local clergymen and professionals from the university’s Student Counseling Services Office will be brought in to meet with grieving members of the team.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced by the family at this time, but the Mississippi State Athletic Department has established a memorial fund for the Bell family through the Bulldog Club. Donations can be made by calling 662-325-3074 or by submitting a pledge through our Dog Tag system. The department will also deliver messages and cards sent to the family. The Athletic Department mailing address is PO Box 5308, Mississippi State, MS, 39762.


Head Football Coach Dan Mullen

“This is a tragedy for Nick’s family, our football program, our community and everyone who had the privilege to meet and be around Nick Bell. Nick was a son and a brother to our football family and I know he will continue to look over us from heaven. Nick lived his life like a champion and will always be remembered in our hearts that way. During this impossible time, we pray for Nick’s family and all those he has touched.”

Megan Mullen

“There are few people in the world who have the unique ability to light up a room – Nick was one of those extraordinary individuals. Every single one of us in the Bulldog football family is a better person for having Nick in our lives.”

Dr. Mark Keenum, Mississippi State University President

“Rhonda joins with me and Bulldogs everywhere in expressing our sympathies to Nick Bell's family, teammates, and friends during this difficult time. Nick was an outstanding young man, who proudly represented our university with character and enthusiasm in everything he did. He was an exemplary student athlete, always giving the maximum effort on the football field and in the classroom. Nick left us too soon, and we mourn his passing, but we also celebrate the impact he made and fondly recount the many lives he touched in our Bulldog family.”

Scott Stricklin, Director of Athletics

“Words can't express our sadness. Nick was a model student-athlete – special in the classroom, on the field and to those whose lives he touched. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, his teammates and his coaches. He will be missed by the entire Mississippi State community and our athletic department family.”


Click here for full release, which includes video.