2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List Announced

NEWPORT BEACH, Ca. – The 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, honoring the top collegiate defensive player in the country, was announced today at a luncheon hosted by Ronnie Lott and the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation.  

 

          This is the eighth year that the IMPACT Foundation has recognized the student-athletes throughout the nation who have had the biggest IMPACT on their teams both on and off the field.  IMPACT is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity, characteristics that Ronnie Lott exhibited throughout his brilliant Hall of Fame career at both USC and in the National Football League.  

 

          The 2011 list of 42 (Lott’s uniform number) includes 19 defensive backs, 14 linebackers and nine defensive linemen.  There are 11 players from the ACC, eight from the SEC, seven from the Big Ten, six from the Pac-10, six from the Big 12, one from the Big East, one from the Mountain West, one from the Western Athletic Conference and one from Notre Dame.

 

          Eleven of the nominees received All-American honors a year ago and 10 were accorded academic honors in their respective conferences.  

 

          The Lott Trophy has now donated nearly $850,000 to charities since its inception in 2004, including $275,000 to 23 different universities.  The winners’ school receives $25,000 annually, each of the three runner-ups $5,000 and the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week $1,000.   

 

          A national voter panel, made up of more than 200 former collegiate stars, former college coaches, members of the media and both the Lott IMPACT Board of Directors and Board of Advisors, will select the four finalists who will be honored at the annual Lott IMPACT Trophy banquet Dec. 11 in Newport Beach. 

 

 

The 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List

 

Emmanuel Acho, Texas, LB,

Ray-Ray Armstrong, Miami, DB

Mark Barron, Alabama, S

Jake Bequette, Arkansas, DL

Omar Bolden, Arizona State, CB

Nigel Bradham, Florida State, LB

Brodrick Brown, Oklahoma State, CB

Tank Carder, TCU, LB

Quinton Coples, North Carolina, DE

Jared Crick, Nebraska, DL

Lavonte David, Nebraska, LB

Matt Daniels, Duke, S

Tony Dye, UCLA, S

Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina, CB

Cliff Harris, Oregon, CB

Aaron Henry, Wisconsin, DB

Dont’a Hightower, Alabama, LB

Joe Holland, Purdue, LB

Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech, CB

Delano Howell, Stanford, DB

Brandon Jenkins, Florida State, DE

Janois Jenkins, Florida, CB

Mychal Kendricks, Cal, LB

Jordan Kovacs, Michigan, S

Luke Kuechly, Boston College, LB

Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, LB

Chris Marve, Vanderbilt, LB

T.J. McDonald, USC, S

Matt Merletti, North Carolina, S

Chase Minnifield, Virginia, CB

Tyler Nielsen, Iowa, LB

Kendall Reyes, Connecticut, DT

John Simon, Ohio State, DT

Shayne Skov, Stanford, LB

Jacquies Smith, Missouri, DE

Sean Spence, Miami, LB

Kenny Tate, Maryland, S

Brandon Taylor, LSU, S

Manti Te’o, Notre Dame, LB

Prentiss Waggner, Tennessee, S

Billy Winn, Boise State, DE

Jerel Worthy, Michigan State, DT

 

Past winners of The Lott Trophy:

          2004 – David Pollack, Georgia

          2005 – DeMeco Ryans, Alabama

          2006 – Dante Hughes, California

          2007 – Glenn Dorsey, LSU

          2008 – James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

          2009 – Jerry Hughes, TCU

          2010 – J.J. Watt, Wisconsin

 

 

Named after Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Ronnie Lott, The Lott Trophy is awarded to college football’s Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Founded in 2004 by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, The Lott Trophy is the first and only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player. The Lott Trophy is given to the player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation and the Legends Coaches which is a distinguished group of former college football head coaches. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $850,000 to various charities throughout the country.  The eighth annual Lott Trophy dinner will be held December 11th at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California. For more information on The Lott Trophy visit: www.LottTrophy.com.

 

Too Slick, Too Loud, Too Successful Why John Calipari Can't Catch A Break

The NCAA hasn't held him accountable for any major violation, and dark rumors about his recruiting methods have never stuck. Still, no matter what good the Kentucky coach does—visiting the sick, helping at-risk kids—he's assumed to have an ulterior motive. 

S.L. Price 

There was a time, early on, when it seemed easy to peg John Calipari. Back in the late '80s he was just another pretty face, one more Pat Riley clone with the slick hair and dazzling patter, the just-so suits and shoes. Talent flocked to him, but he radiated a knockoff's flimsiness: too much talk and an ambition about as subtle as sharkskin. Opposing recruiters wanted to beat him bloody. Opposing coaches tried to sabotage his hiring. Omens? His first game as a head coach, the scoreboard caught fire. You just didn't figure Calipari for the long haul.


These days, of course, he is basketball's great survivor, the ever-moving (Gas up the private jet!), ever-hustling (four McDonald's All-Americans for 2011!), ever-tweeting (1.1 million followers!) head coach of the University of Kentucky. And while his eight-year, $31.7 million contract—the richest in the college game—is the most obvious measure of his success, it's hardly the most telling. Like the sharpest scavenger after a storm, Calipari has prospered more than any other coach in college basketball's broken system, gathering up top recruits, winning 30 games a season and then happily waving his one-and-done players goodbye. Last spring an unprecedented five Wildcats, four of them freshmen, went in the first round of the NBA draft. And if this season has been a relative struggle, most of Kentucky's rivals would gladly take a morning after that includes a 22--8 record, a No. 15 ranking, a 34-game home winning streak and more than enough talent to play deep into March.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1182972/index.htm#ixzz1HZrsPx6c

UCLA Pauley Pavilion Original Center Court Jump Circle Up For Auction

Laguna Niguel, Calif. (March 16, 2011) -- One of the most important pieces of basketball history ever offered at public auction, the original (1965-82) UCLA Pauley Pavilion center court section (jump circle), will be part of an internet auction presented by SCP Auctions, it was announced.  Bidding will be open to registered bidders on www.scpauctions.com on Friday, April 15 and conclude on Saturday, April 30. 

Measuring 12 feet in diameter, this original round section of the Pauley Pavilion court was ground zero for one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports for 17 seasons. Home to UCLA athletic teams since 1965, the original court was the home of eight NCAA men’s national championship teams and the Bruins’ first women’s NCAA national championship team in 1978.

Since its replacement in 1982, the original Pauley Pavilion jump circle has been carefully preserved in storage. In 1998, it was displayed as the centerpiece for an event held in Pauley Pavilion, attended by the legendary coach John Wooden and dozens of former UCLA greats, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Sidney Wicks and Walt Hazzard. Wooden and each of the players in attendance signed the original jump circle, knowing it would later be sold at auction by a UCLA alum that chooses to remain anonymous. A large portion of the proceeds from the sale will be dedicated to funding medical research.

The first basketball game played at Pauley Pavilion was Nov. 27, 1965. In the scrimmage, the Bruins’ varsity team, led by guard Mike Warren, lost to an amazing freshman squad featuring Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), who came to UCLA in large part due to the construction of a new arena.

In the decades that followed, some of the top names in the history of college basketball, including Walton, Wicks, Marques Johnson, Ann Meyers, Denise Curry and Pete Maravich, and coaches such as Wooden, Dean Smith and Denny Crum, graced the court at Pauley.

Nothing enhanced Pauley's reputation as arguably the nation's most famous collegiate sporting venue more than the tenure of Wooden. “The Wizard of Westwood” as Wooden was known, built an incomparable basketball dynasty at UCLA against which all others are compared, and usually pale. His UCLA teams won 10 national championships in a 12-season stretch from 1964 to 1975. This court was home to 8 of those 10 UCLA titles under Coach Wooden including 7 consecutive (1966-73).

From 1971-74, UCLA won 88 consecutive games, still the NCAA men’s record. Four of Wooden’s teams finished with 30-0 records, including his first championship team, which featured no starters taller than 6-feet-5. Three of his other championship teams were anchored by Alcindor, the 7-foot-2 center. Two others were led by Walton, a three-time national player of the year.

The original jump circle offered by SCP Auctions remained in Pauley from its opening in 1965 until its replacement in May 1982. During those 17 seasons, the most memorable events in UCLA basketball history, and some of the greatest records in NCAA sports were set. These include:

• - Eight of ten of UCLA's NCAA championship seasons under Coach John Wooden including seven consecutive (1966-73)
• - A combined record of 148-2 under Wooden
• - A stretch of 98 consecutives home victories for UCLA men's basketball
• - Wooden's last coaching appearance at home on March 1, 1975
• - UCLA's first women's national basketball championship in 1978

SCP Auctions, Inc., has been a leader in auctions and private sales of important sports memorabilia and cards since 1979. The Southern California-based firm has handled some of the most significant individual items and prominent collections in their field, such as the record-setting sale of the T206 Honus Wagner card graded PSA 8 (sold for $2.8 million), Babe Ruth's bat used to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium (sold for $1.265 million), The original 1919 Contract of Sale of Babe Ruth from the Red Sox to the Yankees (sold for $996,000), and the private collections of Hall of Famers such as Honus Wagner, Tony Lazzeri, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Casey Stengel, Pee Wee Reese, and Ernie Banks. For more information, visit www.scpauctions.com or call (800) 350-2273.

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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.

2011 Pac-12 Football Schedule
Thurs., Sept. 1
Montana State at Utah

Sat., Sept. 3
Northern Arizona at Arizona
UC Davis at Arizona State
Minnesota at USC
UCLA at Houston
California (game to be scheduled)
San Jose State at Stanford
Oregon vs. LSU
Oregon State (game to be scheduled)
Eastern Washington at Washington
Idaho State at Washington State
Colorado at Hawaii

Sat., Sept. 10
Utah at USC
Arizona at Oklahoma State
Missouri at Arizona State
San Jose State at UCLA
California (game to be scheduled)
Stanford at Duke
Nevada at Oregon
Oregon State at Wisconsin
Hawaii at Washington
UNLV at Washington State
Colorado (game to be scheduled)

Sat., Sept. 17
Stanford at Arizona
Arizona State at Illinois
Syracuse at USC
Texas at UCLA
California (game to be scheduled)
Oregon (game to be scheduled)
Washington at Nebraska
Washington State at San Diego State
Colorado vs. Colorado State
Utah at BYU

Sat., Sept. 24
Oregon at Arizona
USC at Arizona State
UCLA at Oregon State
California at Washington
Colorado at Ohio State

Sat., Oct. 1
Arizona at USC
Oregon State at Arizona State
UCLA at Stanford
Washington at Utah
Washington State at Colorado

Thurs., Oct. 6
California at Oregon

Sat., Oct. 8
Arizona at Oregon State
Arizona State at Utah
Washington State at UCLA
Colorado at Stanford

Thurs., Oct. 13
USC at California

Sat., Oct. 15
Arizona State at Oregon
Stanford at Washington State
Colorado at Washington
BYU at Oregon State
Utah at Pittsburgh

Thurs., Oct. 20
UCLA at Arizona

Sat., Oct. 22
Utah at California
Washington at Stanford
Oregon at Colorado
Oregon State at Washington State
USC at Notre Dame

Sat., Oct. 29
Arizona at Washington
Colorado at Arizona State
Stanford at USC
California at UCLA
Washington State at Oregon
Oregon State at Utah

Sat., Nov. 5
Utah at Arizona
Arizona State at UCLA
USC at Colorado
Washington State at California
Stanford at Oregon State
Oregon at Washington

Sat., Nov. 12
Arizona at Colorado
Arizona State at Washington State
Washington at USC
UCLA at Utah
Oregon State at California
Oregon at Stanford

Sat., Nov. 19
Arizona at Arizona State
USC at Oregon
Colorado at UCLA
California at Stanford
Washington at Oregon State
Utah at Washington State

Sat., Nov. 26
California at Arizona State
UCLA at USC
Oregon State at Oregon
Washington State at Washington
Colorado at Utah
Louisiana-Lafayette at Arizona
Notre Dame at Stanford

Sat., Dec. 3
Pac-12 Championship Game

Larry Scott Is On A Mission To Turn Around PAC-10

I had the chance to once again visit with PAC-10 Commissioner Larry Scott this past weekend during the Colorado/Cal football game in Berkeley.  Since he replaced legendary commissioner Tom Hansen a year ago, I have spoken to Scott on a handful occasions—both on and off the air.  From the very beginning, I sensed that he had two clear missions for the conference going forward: to be bigger and better.

It was no secret that Scott’s number one goal for the PAC-10 was to expand the conference by a minimum of two teams so the conference could have the always highly profitable conference championship game (expect an announcement on future division alignments by the end of October).  The implementation of this post-season showcase has led to an influx of hundreds of millions of dollars for the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and SEC over the last few seasons.  What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, right?

foxsportswest.com: Larry Scott Is On A Mission To Turn Around PAC-10

USC Files Appeal to NCAA Ruling; Seeks to Overturn Some Findings and Penalties

--USC Accepts Part of Sanctions; Will Implement Post-Season Ban for 2010 Football Season--


The University of Southern California today filed an appeal with the NCAA asking that its Infractions Appeals Committee overturn certain findings of the Committee on Infractions and reduce some of the penalties recently imposed.

Pending the appeal consideration, USC will implement the post-season ban for the 2010 football season and certain scholarship-related penalties in football.  The University noted that it is pleased that the NCAA determined that USC’s self-imposed penalties on men’s basketball and women’s tennis were sufficient.

“The University recognizes that violations of NCAA rules did occur, especially involving impermissible benefits going to student athletes as well as their friends and families, from unscrupulous sports agents and sports marketers.  And we take full responsibility for those violations given that they happened on our watch.  However, we disagree with many of the findings in the report from the NCAA Committee on Infractions and assert that the penalties imposed are too severe for the violations identified and are inconsistent with precedent in similar cases,” said Todd Dickey, USC’s senior vice president for administration.

USC's appeal specifically asks that the two-year postseason ban in football be reduced to a one-year ban, and that the scholarship penalties in football for the 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14 academic years be reduced to five rather than 10 each year.  "We are hopeful that the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee will agree with our position on appeal, and reduce the penalties,” said Dickey.




    

USC to Appeal NCAA Ruling; Penalties Too Severe for Infractions Alleged

--USC Says Some Violations Occurred, Accepts Some Sanctions--

Los Angeles, CA – June 10, 2010 -- The University of Southern California today announced that, after reviewing the NCAA Committee on Infractions report, it will accept some of the penalties imposed by the Committee and it will appeal those penalties it believes are excessive. 

The university noted that it is pleased that the NCAA determined that USC’s self-imposed penalties on men’s basketball and women’s tennis were sufficient, and that the NCAA imposed no further sanctions.

“We acknowledge that violations occurred and we take full responsibility for them.  However, we sharply disagree with many of the findings in the NCAA Committee on Infractions Report.  Further, we feel the penalties imposed are too severe for the violations identified in the report,” said Todd Dickey, USC’s senior vice president for administration.

Dickey added, “We will accept those sanctions we believe to be consistent with penalties imposed upon other NCAA member institutions found guilty of similar rules infractions. We are hopeful that the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee will agree with our position on appeal, and reduce the penalties.”

“There is a systemic problem facing college athletes today: unscrupulous sports agents and sports marketers,” Dickey stated.  “The question is how do we identify them and keep them away from our student-athletes?   To provide us with recommendations about the best way to protect our student-athletes and their families from those who seek to violate the rules, we have retained the Freeh Group, headed by former federal judge and ex-FBI director Louis Freeh.

“Our success in athletics and the outstanding individuals we recruit make our student-athletes an attractive target for those seeking to take unfair advantage of them,” Dickey stated.  “We cannot and will not tolerate this.  Our program must set the highest standards in the country. USC deserves that and our 640 student-athletes deserve that.”

Dickey said that USC will not comment about specific elements of its position while it is in the appeals process.

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For a special message to the Trojan Family from USC President Steven B. Sample, please visit: http://www.usc.edu

For an online video message regarding USC's response to the NCAA ruling, please visit:  http://www.usctrojans.com

Don't Hate UK's Coach, Hate The NCAA's Game

From all the e-mails I have been getting lately, I guess some of the readers here at Eaves On Sports are a little upset that I haven't written anything about Kentucky lately--something I hadn't even realized. Maybe it's because this is not a UK blog, but rather a blog where I share my insight and opinions on any and all topics that interest me.

Naturally having grown up in Kentucky, UK Basketball would be one subject I would often address here--just not all the time. However, right now is one of those times.

Since President Lee Todd and Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart finally came to their senses and fired Billy Gillispie and then replaced him with John Calipari, I constantly field questions from both non-UK fans as well as UK-haters. They ask me how long will it be before Kentucky ends up on probation. Some in jest. Others sincere.

I understand why some people might ask such questions considering that the NCAA struck Calipari's run with U Mass to the 1996 Final Four from the official records after it was discovered that Marcus Camby received improper benefits while playing for the Minutemen. However, it's very important to note that the NCAA declared that Calipari was never involved or responsible for the infractions.

That statement of fact, however, does not stop some from labeling Calipari a "dirty coach," a topic foxsports.com columnist Jason Whitlock addressed in a March 31st column. Here's an excerpt.

Coach Cal's rep is that he plays loosey-goosey with the NCAA rulebook. He recruits prep-school kids, late-academic qualifiers and he's not above giving a dad (Milt Wagner) a job or an AAU coach a speaking engagement in order to land a program-maker.

Some sports writers I respect consider Coach Cal a "dirty coach."

I consider him a damn good one. And given the NCAA's insistence on holding onto an outdated rulebook and an immoral/hypocritical concept of amateurism, I believe Calipari's ethics are beyond question.

I agree. I know for a fact that Calipari has the best of intentions when dealing with kids. He obviously has a vested interest in getting the best of the best to play for his teams, but he is also sincerely concerned about their ultimate well-being, whether they play professionally or not.

Does he utilize the boundaries of NCAA rules to his advantage? Of course! And he better, if he wants to keep up with the other top coaches in the country--Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Jim Calhoun, Ben Howland, etc--who use the same practice.

So rest assured UK fans, Calipari is going to work as hard, if not harder, than any coach in America to make sure Kentucky is always challenging for national championships, but he won't do it at the expense of the program and/or his career.

Griffin Brothers Out West Working Out To Prep For Draft

One of the cool things about traveling this great country of ours is bumping into people along the way. I am at SFO right now heading back to LA after covering last night's Dodgers/Giants game.

Just after I finished some breakfast, I ran into Blake and Taylor Griffin. I worked their game last season against USC in LA. Even as a freshman, it was readily apparent to me at the time that Blake Griffin would one day be a dominating figure on the basketball court.

I'm not sure, however, if I expected him to develop into the clear cut #1 pick in this year's NBA Draft, after just two years in college. He is, by far, one of the most athletically-gifted and talented players the college game has seen over the last few years.

I congratulated them on a great season at Oklahoma. They thanked me but said they wish it would have lasted a bit longer. Even several weeks removed from their South Regional Final loss to eventual national champion North Carolina, the guys were still feeling the disappointment of that loss. Such drive to win is what makes a winner, a winner. It's also something every NBA team looks for when drafting lottery picks.

I asked them what brought them to the West Coast. They told me that they were out here working out with the same personal trainer they worked with last summer. I was not immediately familiar with the guy they mentioned, but they told me he definitely knows what he's doing. Considering how well both Blake and Taylor performed this season and their overall body composition, I would have to agree.

As I mentioned earlier, Blake Griffin will definitely be the #1 pick in June, regardless of ends selecting first. Taylor's NBA future is more in doubt. He will definitely get a look from several teams prior to the draft, but he may be better suited not getting drafted. Unless you are a first-round pick, it's oftentimes better to go undrafted so you can decide between various free agent offers from teams. That way, you can pick a situation that gives you the best opportunity to make the team coming out of training camp.

Here's to wishing both of them luck wherever they end up.

NCAA Transfer Rule Lacks Equality And Common Sense

It seems as though when most people talk about the NCAA, it's always to dog them about something. And for the most part, I don't blame those who call out the all-powerful governing body for collegiate sports. The criticism is oftentimes deserved.

I am not trying to suggest, however, that everything the NCAA does is worthy of scrutiny, but I do believe that its decisions/rules gain so much negative attention sometimes because they often lack common sense or because one decision will seem to contradict another one.

A perfect example is the transfer rule.

According to the NCAA, a transfer from a four-year school to another four-year school is required to sit out a full academic year unless they qualify for an exception. A one-time transfer exception is the most common exception that allows a transfer to play right away. But here's the kicker: the rule DOES NOT apply to Division I football, basketball, baseball or men's ice hockey.

How jacked up is that? So you mean to tell me if Gina the gymnast or Steve the swimmer decide that after a year or two that they had rather compete at a school closer to home or discover that they simply don't get along very well with their coach, that they can compete at another school the very next year just as long as they receive a transfer waiver? Where is the equality in that rule?

The NCAA says the general transfer rule is grounded in the importance of students becoming academically acclimated to their new environment before competing.

Sounds like to me that the education of some student-athletes is more of a concern than others.

The whole idea of the transfer rule popped in my mind recently when I was thinking about all the UK players who will likely leave school now that John Calipari is the new coach. It makes perfect sense and it happens all the time. Calipari did not even recruit most of the kids on Kentucky's current roster. So why force him on them and vice versa? Just like coaches have the ability to leave one program for another, often without penalty, the same should be true for student-athletes.

In his most recent UK Basketball notebook in the Lexington Herald-Leader, Jerry Tipton shared an e-mail he received from NCAA Spokesman Erik Christianson.

"The prohibition on men’s basketball using the one-time transfer exception is centered not only on students becoming academically acclimated but also eliminating any potential ‘free-agent’ market in that sport given its intense recruiting and competitive nature," Christianson wrote.

I understand the point Christianson is making, and I can see where such a rule may have merits. Coaches don't want other coaches trying to raid their rosters every year. However, I believe that if a program fires the coach who recruited the current players and replaces him with someone from another program, then those players should have the freedom to transfer to any school they want and play immediately, especially when you consider that some of those kids are being asked to leave the program anyway.

Why should they be punished if they aren't the ones trying to skip town? Isn't it bad enough that they are being told that they are no longer wanted? But on top of that, you want to tell them that not only can they not play at their current school, but they have sit out a year at their new school too?

Another transfer situation made headlines recently, when Duke point guard Greg Paulus announced that he was considering leaving Durham to play quarterback at Michigan or some other school.

Here is the NCAA's statement regarding that specific case.

"Mr. Paulus has expressed an interest in competing in a second sport at another Division I school after earning an undergraduate degree at Duke University and competing on the men’s basketball team. The NCAA encourages and applauds academic achievement and realizes this is an unique situation and opportunity for Mr. Paulus. Student-athletes seldom have the opportunity to transfer late in their college careers and compete in a second sport after four seasons of competition. The NCAA established a "students first" waiver process to address unique situations and extenuating circumstances such as this that are not outlined in our rules.

If a student-athlete wants to transfer and immediately compete as a graduate student, the college or university they are transferring to would need to seek a waiver, because in most cases they would have to sit out a year before competing under NCAA transfer rules and would not have any remaining eligibility. One of the factors our members have determined is appropriate for a graduate student waiver is if the transfer is academically motivated."

I don't know Paulus personally, nor have I ever even met him, but I seriously doubt this move is "academically motivated." The only talk I've heard about his situation is that he wanted to play football, and plus, the last time I checked, Duke was a pretty damn good school.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't care if this kid wants to transfer to another school. Good for him. But don't insult my intelligence by saying this decision is "academically motivated." If it were truly all about his education, he wouldn't be trying to play any sport.

And if the "students first" waiver applies to Paulus, why doesn't it apply to the basketball players at Kentucky, who are being told their services are no longer needed? Paulus decided to leave school to pursue other interests. Some of the UK players did not have a choice.

And while their situation may not be unique, it certainly involves extenuating circumstances. If the NCAA can't recognize that reality, it deserves every bit of criticism it receives.

Are you kidding me? Auburn hires a coach with a 5-19 record in his only two years as a head coach? Seriously??

Meanwhile, Charlie Strong (Florida Defensive Coordinator) and Turner Gill (Head Coach of MAC Champion Buffalo) couldn't even get a sniff of an interview??

It's bad enough that qualified black coaching candidates have to be better than the good white coaches, but now you are telling me that even if they are better than the bad white coaches, they still might not get a shot? WOW!!

ESPN.com: Iowa State coach Gene Chizik has been hired as the next football coach of Auburn, sources close to the situation told ESPN.com.

The former Auburn defensive coordinator will succeed Tommy Tuberville, who resigned following 10 seasons. The hiring was reported by several media outlets, including AuburnUndercover.com, the Birmingham News and the Mobile Press-Register.

An Auburn spokesman said no announcement was scheduled for Saturday; an Iowa State spokesman said he couldn't confirm the reports.

Chizik is 5-19 in two seasons at Iowa State after stints running the defenses at Auburn and Texas. He coached the nation's top scoring defense in 2004 in his third and final season with the Tigers. That defense allowed just 11 points a game and Auburn went undefeated.

Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard had acknowledged on Friday in a statement that he was aware Chizik had met with Auburn officials and was a serious candidate for the job.

Chizik then spent two seasons as Mack Brown's assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Texas, helping the Longhorns win the 2005 national championship.

Chizik took over at Iowa State for Dan McCarney following the 2006 season and was regarded as one of the nation's best young coaches when he took the job.

But he's gone just 5-19 in two seasons at Iowa State -- including a 2-10 mark in 2008.

The Cyclones went winless in Big 12 play this season, and their win total has dipped in each of the past three seasons.

Last week, Chizik stripped offensive coordinator Robert McFarland and defensive coordinator Wayne Bolt of their duties and reassigned them within the staff. He also fired quarterbacks coach Tony Petersen and secondary coach Shawn Raney.

Information from ESPN.com's Chris Low and Mark Schlabach and The Associated Press was used in this report.

Obama To Get Tough On BCS

Anyone watch President-Elect Barack Obama on "60 Minutes" last night? Most of you probably did, since his appearance gave the CBS News weekly magazine program its highest rating since 1999.

He talked about a myriad of topics, from the economy and financial bailouts to national security and the war in Iraq. He also niftily dodged Steve Kroft's repeated questions about any of Obama's impending administration appointees.

As usual, I found him eloquent, knowledgeable and sincere. My only regret is that he has to wait until January 20th to take office.

Besides the real meat-and-potato dialogue of the interview, there were two things I took away from the show: 1) Barack loves him some Michelle and 2) the BCS might want to get started on a playoff system.

During one of his very last public appearances prior to Election Night, Obama told Chris Berman during halftime of Monday Night Football that the one thing he would change about sports is the lack of a playoff in the Football Bowl Series, formerly known as Division 1A. And just as he has stayed true to some of his other campaign promises and pledges, Obama is serious about the need for a playoff system.

In fact, he already seems to have a plan for it: 8 teams, winner take all!

"It would add three extra weeks to the season," said Obama. "You could trim back on the regular season. I don't know any serious fan of college football who has disagreed with me on this. So, I'm going to throw my weight around a little bit. I think it's the right thing to do."

There's no question it's the right thing to do. It's been the right thing to do for decades, but the individual institutions of the BCS conferences are just too greedy to make it happen. They want to hoard all the big money and not allow all 119 FBS schools to get a cut.

The one question I have always wondered but never had answered is this: If the NCAA can prevent schools from playing in a bowl game, why can't the NCAA dictate how the champion is determined? It does so in every other sport, including the other three levels of NCAA football.

The BCS issued a reactionary statement today, and as expected, the top brass wasn't exactly open to the idea.

"First of all I want to congratulate newly elected President Obama and I am glad he has a passion for college football like so many other Americans," said BCS Coordinator John Swofford. "For now, our constituencies -- and I know he understands constituencies -- have settled on the current BCS system, which the majority believe is the best system yet to determine a national champion while also maintaining the college football regular season as the best and most meaningful in sports."

Swofford added: "We certainly respect the opinions of president-elect Obama and welcome dialogue on what's best for college football."

I think what's best for college football is to consider your players, alumni and fans as your "constituencies" and not the school presidents and athletic directors.

I have tremendous confidence that President Obama can right this terrible wrong. I mean, if he can take on the RNC and win, the BCS should be a pushover!

NCAA Minority Hirings Still Lagging Woefully Behind

Not sure if you heard the news, or if you even care for that matter, but the annual Black Coaches Association hiring report came out Wednesday. The numbers, especially for college football, are once again both staggering and saddening.

Almost a third of the candidates interviewed last year were minorities, but only four were hired among the 31 openings in the NCAA's FBS and FCS subdivisions.

The recent firings of Ty Willingham at Washington and Ron Prince at Kansas State leave the NCAA's top division with only four blacks, one Latino and one Pacific Islander as head coaches.

Seriously? Only four African-Americans and two other minorities out of 119 FBS programs? Really?

The NCAA should be flat out embarrassed. Plain and simple.

What? You think I'm being too harsh? Well, if the above statistics aren't a strong enough argument for my assessment, then consider these numbers recently released in a study by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida:

• 54 percent of FBS players are minorities (50 percent of those African-American).

• 92.5 percent of FBS university presidents, 87.5 percent of FBS athletic directors and 100 percent of FBS conference commissioners are white.

As ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski writes, "They're good enough to play the game, good enough to become offensive and defensive coordinators (31 of 255), good enough to become assistant coaches (312 of 1,018), but not good enough to become head coaches?"

Once again, that old adage about "the more things change, the more things stay the same" is unfortunately and unbelievably proven true.

Lady Vols' Summitt donating $600K to university

The highest paid woman in college sports is using her $1 million-plus salary to re-invest in her program as well as the school's general scholarship fund.

I have long been a fan of Pat Summit, and this move is just another reason why she is beloved at Tennessee.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP)-- Coach Pat Summitt will donate $600,000 to the University of Tennessee to be shared by the Knoxville and Martin campuses.

A spokeswoman for Tennessee athletics says the donation will go to support the women's basketball programs at both campuses and includes a $100,000 endowed scholarship for a Lady Vols basketball graduate assistant in honor of Summitt's parents, Richard and Hazel Head.

Summitt has spent 34 seasons as the Lady Vols coach, leading the program to an unprecedented eight national championships. She played basketball and volleyball at Tennessee-Martin.

Two other coaches have made similar contributions. Men's coach Bruce Pearl endowed the Dane Bradshaw Scholarship Endowment in March 2007 and football coach Phillip Fulmer announced in August 2007 a $1 million gift for academics and athletics.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

OJ Mayo Whistleblower Not Done Yet

Now that OJ Mayo has made the leap to the NBA, he will likely not have to deal with the allegations that he received improper benefits during his one season at USC. However, that doesn't mean that this story is going away.

See for yourself in this Sporting News article by Victoria Sun, who recently spoke to the man who blew the whistle on Rodney Guillory.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=428460