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2009 College Football Coaching Hotseat

2009-11-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

Here's my updated "watch list". Assume 10 of these 14 will be fired.

1) Mike Locksley - New Mexico
2) Al Groh -Virginia
3) Steve Kragthorpe - Louisville
~~4) David Elson - WKU~~
5) Mike Sanford - UNLV
6) Greg McMakin - Hawaii
~~7) Tommy West - Memphis~~
8) Ralph Friedgen - Maryland
9) Paul Wulff - Washington St.
10) Bob Toldeo - Tulane
11) Rick Neuhheisel - UCLA
12) Dan Hawkins - Colorado
13) Charlie Weiss - Notre Dame
14) Rich Rodriguez - Michigan

College Football Coach Firings at Memphis and WKU

2009-11-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

Both schools have fired their coaches. WKU is 0-9 in their first year of FBS. The move at Memphis might have a bigger impact. The school is expected to hire a higher profile coach in their attempt to move to a BCS conference. Both Tommy Tubberville and Terry Bowden have been rumored options.

BCS Rankings: Week 3

2009-11-01T18:31:00.000-08:00

RK	TEAM	RECORD
1	Florida	8-0
2	Texas	8-0
3	Alabama	8-0
4	Iowa	9-0
5	Cincinnati	8-0
6	TCU	8-0
7	Boise State	8-0
8	Oregon	7-1
9	LSU	7-1
10	Georgia Tech	8-1
11	Penn State	8-1
12	USC	6-2
13	Pittsburgh	7-1
14	Utah	7-1
15	Houston	7-1
16	Ohio State	7-2
17	Miami (FL)	6-2
18	Arizona	5-2
19	Oklahoma State	6-2
20	California	6-2
21	Wisconsin	6-2
22	Notre Dame	6-2
23	Virginia Tech	5-3
24	Oklahoma	5-3
25	South Florida	6-2

NCAA Board of Directors Passes Hoops Recruiting Reform Package

2009-10-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

From Jeff Goodman:

The NCAA Board of Directors voted in favor of the men's basketball recruiting reform package today. For 2009-10:

Non-coaching staff hiring practices: Schools won't be allowed to hire people in non-coaching positions associated with prospects two years before or after the prospect's actual or anticipated enrollment.

Institutional Camp/Clinic Employment: Schools are only allowed to hire its own staff members or enrolled students at its camps and clinics. No more paying AAU coaches, high school coaches and whoever else to work camps.

Recruiting Services: College coaches are no longer allowed to subscribe to recruiting services that are run by those associated with prospects. Many AAU coaches just send out a piece of paper and are paid in upwards of $1,000 by college coaches.

Donation to non-profits: Schools can no longer donate to non-profit organizations that are linked to summer travel programs.out a piece of paper and are paid in upwards of 1,000 by college coaches.

Fox Sports Community - Fox Sports > goodmanonfox > Blog > NCAA Board of Directors Passes Hoops Recruiting Reform Package

CAA Football to Consider Adding Fordham & Stonybrook?

2009-10-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

PilotOnline article proposing a potential expansion of the CAA with Fordham and Stonybrook. This would put 8 northern schools in a division (Maine, UNH, Northeastern, UMass, URI, Fordham, Hofstra and Stonybrook) and 8 schools in a southern division (Villanova, Delaware, Towson, Richmond, JMU, William & Mary, ODU and Georgia St.).

It's not that much of a stretch despite the league growing to 16 schools. The reason why you here ideas like this more than a split is because of the logistics. Ideally, you'd have (2) eight school conferences. The problem is that you have (2) CAA schools in the North (Hofstra and Northeastern). The CAA would not want those schools competing in a non-CAA football league is the conference sponsored the sport.

15 of the 17 NCAA Men's Sports Lose Money

2009-10-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

My idea is unpopular: drop NCAA scholarships for non-revenue sports. Stats like this from the Wall St. journal support my overhaul plan to make scholarships ONLY academic related unless a sport generates revenue for the university. Just because someone can throw a slider or hit a field hockey ball doesn't mean they should be admitted and paid by a college over someone who has put academics first.

Here's an idea: Schools could have a 5 year window to turn a profit and upon doing so, awarded 1 scholarship per X amount of dollars generated by such sport. Sports like basketball have shown they can make money for the majority for the majority of schools. So in the end, you'd have virtually all D1 basketball schools awarding scholarships and a good number of football schools. A number of hockey schools would also have profitable programs, same with baseball (in the south) and perhaps even a few lacrosse schools. For women's sports, only a couple basketball programs actually make money though.

From the Wall St. Journal:
"In a list examining the athletic departments of 119 Division I schools, 15 of the 17 men's sports the NCAA examined lost money. Baseball and track and field were the most costly, and even fencing had a median loss of $114,000. Only basketball and football were profitable, but they don't bring in enough cash to offset the money-draining volleyball and wrestling teams of the world. The combined annual profit for football and basketball (using median figures) was about $2.5 million. But if you take the median profits of every sport the NCAA documented, the typical athletic program lost almost $4 million. (And that doesn't include women's sports--all 19 the NCAA examined lost money, including basketball.) Baseball teams are a particularly substantial financial drain largely because these programs offer nearly as many scholarships as basketball and travel as much as football teams."

L.A. football stadium construction clears hurdle

2009-10-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Developer Majestic Realty Co. has said the San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers are on its list of seven teams it will approach about a move to the Los Angeles area. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill allowing the construction of a 75,000-seat stadium that developers hope will lure an NFL team to the Los Angeles area.

L.A. football stadium construction clears hurdle

Louisville sets sights on Gruden for possible opening

2009-10-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

The University of Louisville has pegged Jon Gruden as its No. 1 candidate should the school decide to fire coach Steve Kragthorpe, sources told NFL Network's Michael Lombardi. Gruden went 95-81 in 11 seasons with the Oakland Raiders (1998-2001) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002-08).

Personally, I don't see it happening since NFL teams like Washington will likely court Gruden.

Plan for Big Ten hockey league iced

2009-10-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

A series of high-level discussions took place this summer about the creation of a new men's hockey league featuring the five Big Ten Conference members that sponsor the sport.

But despite support for the endeavor from multiple schools, including the University of Wisconsin, the concept failed to extend beyond the exploratory stage.

Read more...

Big East Considers Move From Providence

2009-10-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

The lease is up next spring. Conference officials already have checked out sites in New York, Tampa, and Hartford as possible relocations.

NCAA Proposes D2 to DI Requirements

2009-10-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

Prospective Division I members would be required to spend at least five years as active members of Division II before beginning the five-year reclassification process under a set of recommendations being considered by the Division I Leadership Council The Council also is considering an application fee model, though the exact amount, parameters and eventual uses for the fee have yet to be determined.

The recommendations discussed at the Council’s October 6 meeting in Indianapolis are expected to be part of a full report sent to the Division I Board of Directors after the Council’s January meeting and distributed to the membership for feedback. The proposals are the result of the Council’s year-long study of membership standards. The Board, which declared a membership moratorium in August 2007, directed the Leadership Council to develop standards that will balance the desire to allow access to the division with a need to provide full services and consistent competitive opportunities to its members.

More from NCAA.org...

Two NFL Teams to Los Angeles?

2009-10-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

Probably not much effect on USC. But a new stadium for 2 NFL teams and USC would sure be cost efficient.

Pure speculation from the Pioneer Press:
"Latest Los Angeles stadium whispering is that there could be two NFL teams relocating to share a stadium. If just one stadium is built, the San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders and Vikings are considered contenders for relocation."

It's a tough situation in LA: (2) teams would make the stadium issue easier since you now have 16 home games versus only 8. So from a budget standpoint, it makes sense.

But if you're bringing in a new team, you want the focus to be on that one team in order to make it a success. Not to mention you need to excise the Raiders demons/fans as they still have a huge chunk of the marketshare in Los Angeles.

With that in mind, the best fit's in LA would be:

1) Raiders
2) Chargers
3) Jacksonville: need to move somewhere...should have been in Orlando to start with

4) Minnesota: Twins just got a new stadium...so did U of Minnesota...is there money for a 3rd?

Pioneer League To Pursue FCS Playoffs Automatic Bid

2009-10-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Pioneer Football League will seek an automatic bid to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The NCAA will be expanding the playoffs to 20 teams next year with tentative plans to possibly expand to 24 teams.

“One goal in all of our sports is to compete for conference and national championships. The application for an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs will help us push our student-athletes to be better and it will be a motivating factor for our entire athletic department,” said Morehead State Athletic Director Brian Hutchinson. “Despite being non-scholarship, we play exciting, Division I football and to finally have the chance to compete in our championship will improve the visibility and prestige of Eagle football and the rest of our enterprise.”

Read More...

Big East Partners With Yankees For New Bowl Game

2009-09-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

A Big East team will face a team from the Big 12 at Yankee Stadium in a new bowl game after the 2010 season.

The conferences and the New York Yankees announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to a four-year deal to play the first bowl in the Bronx since 1962.
The Big East, which has always considered New York its home turf, will send either its third or fourth selection to the yet-to-be-named bowl game. The Big 12 will send its seventh selection to play in the new $1.5 billion stadium.

If the Big 12 does not have enough bowl eligible teams, Notre Dame has agreed to take its place, providing it is available.

The game will be played between Christmas and New Year's Day.

Read More at BigEast.org

NCAA adds Riley Nelson/Missionary Rule

2009-09-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

The main point is that this sort of scenario -- where a player announces a transfer, mid-mission -- is unlikely to occur again. That's because on Aug. 1, the NCAA enacted legislation to keep missionaries from being contacted by colleges while they're on their missions, period. Known to Utah State fans as the "Riley Nelson Rule," the NCAA is saying, in essence, keep your hands off those missionaries. ... Some say BYU will always have people doing its recruiting, and in a sense, that's true. LDS Church leaders can certainly exert influence. But not all LDS leaders are BYU fans, and many don't care about football. But even if it does happen, it won't be with BYU's cooperation.

Read More from Desert News...

Boise St. Ranked #5: Can They Finish in the Top 2 and the BCS Championship?

2009-09-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

Seems easy: 3 SEC teams in the Top 4...they'll beat each other, right? Only 1 Big 12 team? Boise St. should finish in the top 2 and play for the BCS title, right? Let's see...

Here's what we have:
* #1 Florida plays #4 LSU in 2 weeks AT LSU. Tebow is hurt right now...who knows yet if he'll be playing that game.
* #4 LSU plays #3 Alabama in November at Alabama.
* Even with a win at #4 LSU, #1 Florida might have to play them or #3 Alabama in the SEC championship game
* #2 Texas still has to play 3 ranked teams including #8 Oklahoma

Meanwhile Boise St. has a cupcake schedule the rest of the week with 7 WAC games, on the road in Tulsa and at home against FCS Cal-Davis.

Boise St. will likely go undefeated.

But it's likely that you'll find a 1-loss team finish ahead of Boise St. this year...especially if #6 Virginia Tech, #7 USC or even #8 Ohio St. win the rest of their games this year. And that's assuming 3 or 4 of the teams above them now all lose.

Non-BCS schools can cross their fingers. But it will take a minor miracle for the voters to move Boise St. up the list.

Chargers or Jags favored to land in Los Angeles

2009-09-25T09:40:00.001-07:00

Which teams are most likely to relocate to LA? San Diego is the front-runner because the Chargers have a window each year to get out of their Qualcomm Stadium lease without the threat of a lawsuit. They also want a new stadium and haven't been able to get one done there. Jacksonville can't get out as easily, but the Jaguars are in a dire situation. Even when they tarp thousands of seats, they can't sell out their games. Others who potentially could relocate down the road are Minnesota, St. Louis, Buffalo and Oakland.

Read More at LA Times...

College Football Hall of Fame to Leave Notre Dame for Atlanta

2009-09-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Mark Dobson, president and chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County, citing an unnamed source, confirmed late Tuesday that the National Football Foundation plans to move the Hall to downtown Atlanta. A news conference is reportedly scheduled for Thursday in the Southern capital.

Read More...

Army Basketball Coach Leaves Program

2009-09-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

Coach Jim Crews has left the program. Foxsports' Jeff Goodman reports that Army would prefer to hire a minority candidate.

Potential candidates could include:
* Arizona State associate head coach Dedrique Taylor
* St. John’s assistant Fred Quartlebaum
* Navy assistant Eugene Burroughs
* Wake Forest director of basketball operations Walt Corbean
* St. Mary’s associate head coach Kyle Smith

Georgia-Florida Football Rivalry Could Leave Jacksonville

2009-09-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

This could factor into any Jacksonville Jaguars NFL relocation plans.

“We need to have some discussion take place and a determination tomorrow,” Georgia athletics director Damon Evans said Tuesday.

Evans said there have been talks with Jacksonville but no new contract. He said the decision involves himself, UGA President Michael Adams and the board. Evans declined to express his preference, saying he didn’t want to get ahead of the board meeting."

Read More...

Pac-10 Football Better Than SEC?

2009-09-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

Since the 2000 season, the Pac-10 has the best record in games against the other Bowl Championship Series conferences (81-62, a .566 winning percentage). The Pac-10 also has a .500-or-better record during this period against each of the other five major conferences. The SEC ranks second among the six BCS conferences with a .528 mark, while the other four conferences are all under .500. Bringing up the rear is the Big Ten with a .475 winning percentage. The Pac-10 often gets little respect from fans and media. The conference's teams were a miserable 2-6 against the Mountain West last season, and this season Oregon lost decisively to Boise State of the Western Athletic Conference in a key early matchup. Critics say the conference would be nothing without USC. But even without the Trojans' 19-3 record against the other BCS conferences since 2000, the Pac-10 would still be above .500.

Read More from Wall St. Journal...

Memphis Hires Tranghese as BCS Consultant

2009-09-16T14:23:00.001-07:00

Former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has been hired by the University of Memphis as a consultant to assist the Tigers athletic program in its efforts to gain membership in a Bowl Championship Series conference.

Tranghese stepped down as Big East commissioner at the end of June after 30 years with the conference, including the last 19 as commissioner. Tigers athletic director R.C. Johnson said Tranghese, who was hired Aug. 1, is being paid $5,000 per month from private donated funds.

WSSU To Remain Division 2

2009-09-11T15:02:00.001-07:00

Winston-Salem State University has stopped its drive to DI and will rejoin the CIAA.

Chancellor Donald Reaves, who has researched the move to Division I over the last 18 months, presented a detailed resolution that the board unanimously approved.
"This has been a difficult decision," Reaves told the board. "…but it's time to move on."
Since leaving the CIAA and starting the transition to Division I five years ago, WSSU's athletics department has lost more than $6 million. Reaves projected that the deficit would grow to $15 million by 2012.

NCCU Joins MEAC

2009-09-10T14:59:00.001-07:00

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced today that North Carolina Central University will join the conference as its 13th member, as voted on by the conference's Council of Chief Executive Officers (CCEOs), effective July 1, 2010.

http://nccueaglepride.cstv.com/photos/schools/nccu/sports/athletic-dept/auto_pdf/meac091009.pdf

College Injury Report & Handicapper Partnership

2009-09-08T10:08:00.001-07:00

CollegeSportsInfo.com is pleased to announce a partnership with CollegeInjuryReport.com and Handicapper.net. In the coming weeks you'll be able to get premium college football and college basketball injury news as well as NCAA football and basketball predictions from the premiere source. More details to follow. For now, please visit http://collegeinjuryreport.com and http://handicapper.net for injury and score predictions.