Upperclassmen bounce back. I???m not sure how I feel about the NBA???s age restrictions that keep 18-year-olds out of the league. I know it bothers me that those same kids could go fight in a war but have to wait a year to work in their chosen profession. On the other hand, I love that more upperclassmen were selected in last night???s NBA draft than in recent years. While some of those juniors haven???t finished their college degrees, I wholeheartedly believe that three years of college is still a tremendous benefit for an individual. Not only that, but some of those students will finish their degrees during NBA off-seasons or after their careers are done. It???s certainly less daunting to go back and finish a year than to start from scratch.

Think trees. Robert Morris student-athletes recently participated in ???Teaching Kids to Care,??? a nationwide initiative that spreads across 140 communities in the United States. The student-athletes took part in the ???Think Trees??? project to teach local elementary school students about the importance of the environment.

Ypsilanti pride. If you???ve never heard of Ypsilanti, the student-athletes at Eastern Michigan will tell you all about it. The EMU athletics department and football team participated in Ypsilanti Pride Day last month to bring members of the community together in an effort to help beautify the parks, streets and neighborhoods in the area.

Wittenberg coach dies. Wittenberg women???s basketball coach and associate athletics director Pam Smith died at the age of 47 after a long battle with cancer. A seven-time North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Smith compiled a 401-170 record during her 21-year career. Smith graduated from Wittenberg in 1982, after earning second-team all-America honors during her senior year.

The NCAA Football Issues Committee has been discussing the possibility of extending eligibility for student-athletes in the sport to five years. On today???s edition of the 3-Minute Drill, I chat with committee member and Sacramento State Athletics Director Terry Wanless about the rationale behind the proposal.

Additionally, watch today???s show to learn about the recent Division II Presidents and Chancellors Summit in San Diego.

Josh started the fire. I started a fire in the NCAA national office this morning. Why is this pertinent, you ask? Well, lest anyone think I???m not serious about my job, this is proof that I drink my morning coffee while penning this entry each day. I usually brew my java at home, and today was no exception. I put it in a travel mug and usually take a sip or two in the car to get me sufficiently fired up for my first task of the workday. This morning, however, my coffee was lukewarm by the time I got settled in my office, and I decided to give it a whirl in the microwave. It turns out that my coffee mug was actually made of metal and it burst into flames in the kitchen on the second floor. I don???t mean just itty bitty flames ??? this baby was smoldering. With constant ribbing from my colleagues and mother-in-law an absolute certainty for at least the next couple of weeks, I put in for immediate vacation time. My supervisor couldn???t stop laughing long enough to grant it. Anyway, I couldn???t drink that mug of coffee, so I brewed another and am now drinking it from a Styrofoam cup.

What???s your name worth? If I were eligible for tonight???s NBA draft, I might be selected higher than you think. In this world, however, my draft position wouldn???t have anything to do with my basketball skills. On The Futon Report yesterday, Matt Sussman decided to post a mock draft based on the scrabble value of your name. While the 21 points assigned to Joshua Centor wouldn???t assure me a huge rookie contract, it looks like I???d sneak in at the end of the second round with 21 points. Thanks Mom and Dad for giving me the all-important J to start my name!

Earn that job. During the Division III Men???s Ice Hockey Championship this winter, Wisconsin-Superior senior Devin Pacheco was assigned as a student host to Manhattanville. Head coach Kevin Levinthal, who is also the school???s athletics director, was so impressed with Devin???s work ethic that he offered him a scholarship to serve as a graduate assistant this fall.

Historic first. Hampton track and field student-athlete Yvette Lewis recently won the national championship in the triple jump. It was the second national title for Lewis, who also won at the 2006 indoor championships. Lewis is the only individual in the 139-year history of Hampton to win a Division I NCAA title. Hampton???s men???s tennis and women???s basketball programs won national titles when the program competed at the Division II level.

NCAA intern and former Wisconsin-River Falls volleyball player Kat Krtnick shares some insight on the upcoming NBA draft.

For all college basketball fans, the NBA draft is always a highly-anticipated event. Like proud parents waiting in anticipation for their child???s name to be called during a graduation ceremony, basketball fans wait in suspense to see how high their favorite college player will be drafted. Whether we are cheering for a player from our alma mater, a player who represents our state, or just a player who has got ???mad game,??? the truth is, we shouldn???t be applauding at all.

As a former student-athlete myself, I am quite offended that these basketball all-stars get all the hype and all the glory, when in reality most don???t genuinely exemplify the paradigm of a true student-athlete.

For example, roughly 45% of the top 60 prospects in this year???s NBA draft have completed less than three years of college. (This percentage does not take into account the 14 foreign players predicted to be taken in the first two rounds of the draft. So, essentially this number escalates to almost 60%.)

A true student-athlete is committed to his team for four years (or five in some cases). A true student-athlete would not use his full-ride scholarship as a means to the NBA, thus wasting someone else???s educational opportunities. A true student-athlete remembers it is the name on the front of the jersey that really matters; not the one of the back. Most importantly, when a true student-athlete puts that college jersey on, he epitomizes both the ???student??? and the ???athlete.???

Thank goodness the NBA does not require any of these virtuous attributes or much less an education! Consider this: in the case of the NBA, the draftees with the least amount of education make the most money. Just look at this year???s mock picks: the top 10 draftees have only obtained freshmen, sophomore, or junior status while in school. And then that makes me wonder???why did I strive to attain a double major in college if I could have just made the big bucks without a degree?

Although both Greg Oden and Kevin Durant may be some of the most acclaimed athletes in the NBA draft, neither of them have my vote. I will be cheering for those draftees who are true student-athletes like myself ??? Alando Tucker, Carl Laundry, Reyshawn Terry, and those alike ??? that know the true meaning of senior leadership, teamwork, homework, and pride.

Ultimate timeout. The timeout has always been a sacred part of athletics competition. Timeouts aren???t only important at the end of games when Chris Webber tries to take them, but as strategic devices used by players and coaches in all sports. When a pitcher gives up three consecutive hits in the first inning, what does the catcher do? Calls a timeout to go chat at the mound. When a basketball team scores 12 unanswered points, what does the opposing coach signal? Timeout. When Zack Morris was having problems with Kelly Kapowski on Saved By The Bell? Timeout to speak with the television audience! Timeouts were seemingly taken to a new level in the Philippines yesterday, as an out-of-shape thief ran out of breath while trying to elude his pursuers and turned around to request a timeout. I don???t think he was granted his request, as he was hauled off to jail instead. Interesting use of a timeout. I hadn???t thought of that one.

It???s a personal thing. For five consecutive days this week, ESPN???s Ivan Maisel is introducing what he believes to be the top 100 moments in college football history. Neither of my favorite college football moments are likely to make the list, but that???s what makes it so fun. When I was in college, I trekked down to Virginia Tech to watch Dwight Freeney and the Orange upset the Hokies in Blacksburg. With the whole stadium in VT colors, I sought out the families of the Syracuse players and cheered with them for four quarters. At the end of the game, I had an invite to meet them in Miami in two weeks. My second favorite college football moment came a few years later when I worked at Boston College. I was on the field in South Bend with about a minute to go when Tony Gonzalez caught a touchdown right in front of my face to give the Eagles a win over nationally-ranked Notre Dame. The only noise in Northern Indiana was coming from our sideline. Maisel has released his top 40 moments with 60 more to come during the next few days. Are your favorite football moments on there?

Poll update. Apparently none of our readers put much stock in a verbal commitment from an eighth grader. Not one respondent believes a commitment from a 13-year-old is solid, while 26 percent think those types of conversations are just a waste of time.

If ever you doubted that the NCAA was a membership-driven organization, you may now consider your fears allayed. The NCAA national office has received enough override requests to require the Division I Board of Directors to reconsider adoption of three proposals at its upcoming August meeting.

The controversial proposals relate to the elimination of electronic communication with prospective student-athletes (other than e-mail or fax), the change of financial aid distribution in the sport of baseball and dates-of-competition legislation for men???s and women???s golf.

Thirty override votes are needed for the Board to reconsider a proposal. If the Board decides to uphold its previous decision, the piece of legislation will be considered by the Division I membership in a one-school, one-vote capacity at the annual Convention in January. If the Board amends any of the proposals, a new 60-day window is opened for the membership to enact another override.

I think the Board made an excellent decision with the elimination of text messaging, as student-athletes reported that the recruiting practice adversely affected their lives. With regard to baseball, the Board increased minimum scholarship allotments to 33 percent per player. This has been quite controversial in the baseball community, but I like it ??? something needs to be done to help fix the academic struggles afflicting baseball student-athletes.

We will make sure to examine each of the controversial pieces of legislation prior to the Board of Directors meeting in August and before the NCAA Convention this winter.

Paris Hilton left jail early this morning, meaning that newscasts will spend the next three weeks deciding whether or not she???s been reformed by the experience. I don???t think jail will make the difference for Paris, but I do have an idea ??? she should try becoming a student-athlete.

I don???t mean joining a soccer team for an episode of The Simple Life, but four years of sweat, tears and hard work. It seems that Paris actually played a little ice hockey during her time in high school, so maybe we already have a fit. As far as I know, Paris never enrolled in college, so she has all of her eligibility remaining. All we have to do is find a program that won???t mind a few extra reporters at practice, and we???re all set. I guarantee that Paris??? partying will take a back seat once she discovers the wonders of intercollegiate athletics. If she???s serious about taking a responsible stab at life, why not give college a legitimate shot? Education is a powerful thing.

Of course, we don???t know if Paris legitimately has the talent to be an NCAA student-athlete, but I don???t have a problem with someone giving her a shot. There are some programs, especially in sports like rowing, swimming and diving and track and field, where there aren???t cuts. In fact, when I was playing baseball at Brandeis, our coach wouldn???t cut anybody. He may not have played you in a game for four years, but he wouldn???t tell you to leave the practice field. You could always work hard and get a shot to earn some playing time. Perhaps a slice of humble pie would be good for Paris ??? student-athletes don???t get things handed to them. It???s all about hard work.

You all might think I am writing this tongue-in-cheek, but I assure you that???s not true. Go to college Paris Hilton. Go to breakfast, go to class, go to lunch, go to practice, go to the library, have some dinner, finish your studying, and if you have time for partying, good for you. You have four years of eligibility ??? why not give it a bid?

Every so often, we hear a truly touching story about a student-athlete in need. Those stories aren???t unique to student-athletes, as there are courageous students clawing their way through college on campuses all across the country.

With so much money involved in intercollegiate athletics, however, it???s inevitable that folks think more dollars should be available to student-athletes struggling financially. The NCAA???s extra-benefit rule prevents student-athletes from accepting gifts from members of the public and NCAA President Myles Brand explains why this is necessary on today???s edition of Mondays With Myles. Dr. Brand also introduces some of the options available to financially disadvantaged student-athletes during our podcast.

Listen to Mondays With Myles

My colleague Dana Thomas was in Omaha at the beginning of the College World Series and left town with some special memories. Dana shared the following thoughts after participating in a Habitat For Humanity build.

From the pings of baseball bats to the pings of hammers, the Men???s College World Series provided many opportunities in Omaha. One of the most important opportunities is that to own a home and the NCAA Home Team helped that become a reality for Ursula Amedee. Ursuala and her three children moved to Omaha from New Orleans and are more than excited to have a place to call home by way of Habitat for Humanity.

Thanks to the support of Lowe???s, official corporate partner of the NCAA, and many volunteers, the NCAA Home Team spent Thursday, June 14 building the frame for Ursula???s home at NCAA Fan Fest. More than 20 volunteers contributed to the build, including some former University of Nebraska football players. One of the former Huskers, Steve Warren, has created a foundation for at-risk kids in Omaha, D.R.E.A.M. Omaha. Steve was pleased to be included in the build, because like many former and current student-athletes, he feels a responsibility to give back to his community. It was a hot day, but a great build???check out the photos below.

Back-to-back. Oregon State won its second consecutive baseball national championship yesterday, defeating North Carolina in Omaha, 9-3. The Beavers were nothing short of dominant during this trip to Rosenblatt, winning their first three games to reach the championship series before taking two in a row from the Tar Heels. Oregon State is the first repeat champion in a decade and fifth overall.

VT student makes mark. Virginia Tech junior Drew Weaver won the British Amateur golf tournament on Saturday, becoming the first American to claim the title since 1979. The victory earned Weaver an invitation to next year???s British Open and Masters. The win brings a smile to the Blacksburg campus, which has had a number of dark days since 32 people were killed there in April. Weaver dedicated the victory to his fallen classmates and professors.

The biggest house. I???ve made it a goal of mine to see football games at Ohio State and Michigan within the next couple of years. As someone who has loved college sports for all of his life, it seems an absolute must for me to eat a hot dog and watch some football in those stadiums. I might be able to get a ticket at Michigan, now that the school???s Board of Regents approved a $226 million renovation. When the project is complete in 2010, the stadium will seat more than 108,000 people on football Saturdays.

Ryan Boatwright could be an all-American by the time he???s done with his college basketball career. It would be interesting to see how he does in high school, however, before we anoint him king.

It seems that Boatwright is a pretty good basketball player, good enough for USC head coach Tim Floyd to offer him a scholarship, despite the fact that he just finished eighth grade. Boatwright apparently loved the campus on a visit (how many campuses can he possibly have been on by age 13) and has made a verbal commitment to the Trojans.

First of all, the scholarship offer and verbal commitment mean absolutely nothing. If Boatwright flounders during his first three years in high school, nothing holds USC responsible for that ???scholarship offer.??? If Boatwright skyrockets into a big-time prospect, nothing stops him from heading to higher-profile programs like Florida, North Carolina or UCLA.

This verbal commitment is an absurd reflection on the state of affairs in college basketball and the priorities of both coaches and prospective student-athletes (and their families). How does Boatwright know what school he wants to go to? Has he picked up a course catalog? Does USC offer the curriculum he???s seeking? Or is it only about hoops?

What about on the basketball side of things? How does an eighth grader know this is the right fit for him? Has he met any of his future teammates? Will the coaching staff still be intact when he gets there?

College decisions shouldn???t be made until it???s time to go to college. Eighth graders shouldn???t be receiving scholarship offers or making verbal commitments. It???s not a recipe for success, and frankly doesn???t make any sense.

Kat Krtnick feels like a freshman all over again.

Uncertainty. Anxiety. Nervousness. As I entered the gymnasium for my first collegiate preseason practice, I was terrified of all the sprints and conditioning drills, but I was perhaps even more hesitant of all the upperclassmen and all of the unfamiliar faces that surrounded me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the seniors sizing me up to see if I could be a threat to one of their positions. On the sideline, a group of other seasoned veterans gossiped about their summer flings and some of the transfer football players. There I was, standing all alone, nothing in common with anyone, feeling like an outcast and wondering if I would ever fit into this mix. Would these girls like me? Would I make friends? Did I have a chance to earn a spot on this team?

I was sure I would never have to experience the ambiguity and fear of another freshman preseason ever again. But now, in starting my journey as an NCAA intern, some of those feelings have quickly rekindled.

Luckily, the conditioning sessions here at the NCAA do not require any sort of athletic prowess or cardiovascular training, but I have to admit that the tiresome orientation trainings exhaust me just the same. It is no longer my muscles that are sore; it is my brain and my feet. (Never take for granted the days you are able to wear tennis shoes instead of heels. I can attest that the blisters are worse here.)

Unlike the seniors on my volleyball team, who made no effort to get to know me, the public and media relations staff has been incredibly welcoming and helpful to me; yet, my rookie status still instigates the same types of questions. How will I compare to past interns? Will I meet the team???s expectations? How do people perceive me? Am I talented enough to play at this level?

Although I might get to skip out on the post-practice ice baths and the grueling two-a-days of a student-athlete, here, in fact, I am a freshman once again.

Utterly nauseating. On my way to work this morning, I thought I was going to be sick. To make sure it wasn???t just me, I looked over at my wife in the passenger seat, and she looked just as green as I did. While listening to Good Morning America (we just figured out you can listen to it on the radio), we heard a report about Windy Hager, a 16-year-old North Carolina girl who married her 40-year-old cross country coach this week. This inappropriate relationship isn???t only mortifying; it???s the antithesis of everything high school and athletics should be about. I???m appalled that there are ???professionals??? out there who take advantage of the vulnerability of teenagers ??? it???s wrong on every level. Instead of going off to college, perhaps to compete in intercollegiate athletics, this teenager is now married to a man more than twice her age, a man who should have been looking out for her best interests. I had to turn the station and I???ve never been so thankful for Radio Disney.

Let???s do it again. For the first time since USC and Arizona State did it in 1973, the same two teams will meet in the championship round of the College World Series in consecutive seasons. North Carolina beat Rice twice to earn the right to play Oregon State for this year???s national championship. The Tar Heels blasted four home runs in a 7-4 win over the Owls last night to get back to the mecca of college baseball. The Beavers won their first three games in this year???s CWS and are looking for a repeat of last year???s victory over North Carolina to win their second straight national championship. The first game of the three-game set begins tomorrow at 6 p.m.

Record performance. Eastern Michigan set a new mark for excellence in the Mid-American Conference this year, finishing with a record eight team championships. The Eagles almost made it nine, as the baseball team fell to Kent State in the MAC title game last month. EMU won championships in men???s cross country, men???s and women???s swimming, men???s indoor track, women???s gymnastics, men???s golf, men???s outdoor track and softball.

Photos taken Monday at the White House by NCAA Associate Director of Publishing Marcia Stubbeman.

Countdown begins. In exactly one month, the final installment of the classic Harry Potter series will be released. While my countdown began about 14 months ago, I thought my public proclamation could wait until 30 days out. I hope that J.K. Rowling makes Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at least 15,000 pages, because the thought of the conclusion makes me feel somewhat empty. If the end is necessary, however, I hope that Rowling allows Harry to reach the top of the youth wizarding world and ride into the sunset as a quidditch champion. Quidditch, of course, is not an emerging NCAA sport, because it seems that it???s a liability to have kids flying around on brooms. I hope we can work that out in the next few years, though, because I???m quite sure the NCAA Quidditch Championships would set all sorts of attendance records.

Oregon State dominates. The magical run for UC Irvine came to a close last night, as Oregon State returned to the championship round of the College World Series. A strong pitching effort from Daniel Turpen led the Beavers to a 7-1 victory and their 11th win in 13 games. In other action, North Carolina topped Rice, 6-1, to hand the Owls their first loss of the CWS. The teams will meet again tonight with the winner earning the right to play Oregon State for this year???s crown. Oregon State edged the Tar Heels in last year???s championship series to win the national title.

Hennessy takes home hardware. After being named East Coast Conference Player of the Year and leading New York Institute of Technology???s men???s lacrosse team to the Division II semifinals for the fourth time in the last five years, sophomore Kevin Hennessy was awarded the Lt. Raymond J. Enners Award as the Outstanding Player in Division II men???s lacrosse and the Lt. Donald McLaughlin Jr. Award as the top midfielder in Division II men???s lacrosse. He also earned United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association first team all-American honors. Last season, the sophomore led the Bears in scoring with 50 points (28 goals and 22 assists). Hennessy is earning his Bachelor of Arts in electrical and computer engineering at NYIT.

On Monday, 20 Division I national championship teams received the thrill of a lifetime, as President George W. Bush met with them at the White House.

Whether you???re a Republican, Democrat or just don???t care, you have to admit that meeting the President of the United States is beyond cool. I can???t even imagine how excited the student-athletes were to tour the White House, stand on the most famous lawn in the country and pose for pictures with the leader of the free world.

There aren???t too many free minutes in President Bush??? schedule, so the fact that he made time to meet with that many student-athletes is actually amazing. Some might argue that the hour could have been better spent on other things, but I disagree. Giving young folks this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has a direct benefit on our country???s future. Educational and athletic excellence is important and this celebration reiterates that point.

In the past, only high-profile Division I teams were invited to the White House, and it???s nice that the Florida men???s basketball team shared the stage with the Vanderbilt bowlers and the Penn State fencing programs this time around. A national champion is a national champion.

Granted, it???s impossible for all 88 NCAA national champions to spend time at the White House ??? it???s not realistic given the president???s schedule and likely not even feasible from a logistical and security standpoint. In the future, however, I would like to see Division II and III national champions honored in the nation???s capital. Those student-athletes have every right to the same experiences as their Division I counterparts.

Perhaps a divisional rotation, or a sampling of programs from each division, would allow for a more diverse group to attend the ceremony. We should do everything we can to provide more kids with this opportunity, because there???s no question it???s something none of them will ever forget.

Photo taken by Marcia Stubbeman, NCAA

Cardiac kids. Once again on the brink of elimination, UC Irvine laughed in the face of defeat last night, knocking Arizona State out of the College World Series with an 8-7 win in 10 innings. Down four runs in the eighth and facing standout closer Jason Jarvis, the Anteaters rallied to tie the game thanks to big hits from Cody Cipriano and Matt Morris. With freshman Scott Gorgen allowing just one hit in two innings of relief work, the stage was set for Ollie Linton, who singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th and kept the Anteaters in Omaha for at least another day. Yesterday marked the first time in College World Series history that a team has won back-to-back extra-inning games. UC Irvine has the daunting task of taking on defending champ Oregon State this evening, but I wouldn???t bet against the boys from Orange Country. Maybe they should start the game in the 10th inning?

PSAC could get bigger. Already one of the largest conferences in the country, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference could get even bigger in a hurry. The Division II conference currently has 14 member institutions, and recently invited Gannon and Mercyhurst to join its ranks. Just like the conference???s current members, the two schools are located within the state of Pennsylvania. The PSAC, which recently completed its 55th year of competition, also invited C.W. Post to join the conference in the sports of football and field hockey.

I was out of the office for a bit this morning and returned to some devastating news ??? Indiana football coach Terry Hoeppner has died after a long battle with brain cancer. He was 59.

In late February, I had the chance to spend some time with Coach Hoeppner during his visit to the NCAA national office. Despite his health struggles, Hep wouldn???t break his commitment to take part in the Champions Speaker Series sponsored by the NCAA Hall of Champions.

I headed into our interview not quite sure what to expect. I???ve spoken with many coaches over the past few years, but Hep was the first Big Ten football coach to sit down with me, and I was slightly nervous. After spending just a couple of minutes with the man, I knew my apprehension was unfounded.

An Indiana native, Coach Hoeppner returned to the Hoosier state in 2004 after six seasons as the head coach at Miami (Ohio). In our interview, Hep expressed the thrill of standing on the IU sidelines: ???When the job was open, I was excited. For it to become a reality has been very special, not only for me, but for my family.???

I told Coach Hoeppner after we chatted that I had been to a football game at IU during the 2005 season and commented on how much I enjoyed the experience. He beamed when I told him that and was most gracious in extending an invitation for me to return. It hurts that I won???t be able to say hello when I do head back to Bloomington.

Coach Hep was a lovely man and it was an honor to have been able to spend some time with him recently. While his family is going through the grieving process, I hope they know there are so many people whose lives have been touched because of their loved one.

Georgia gets tough. I have to tip my cap to Georgia director of athletics Damon Evans, who has recently instituted an attendance policy for the school???s student-athletes. Evans??? policy will hold student-athletes accountable for their actions and should create an environment that embraces an academics-first philosophy. Georgia will fine student-athletes $10 for each unexcused absence from a tutor session and three skipped classes will result in suspension from 10 percent of competition. Beginning August 1, each SEC athletics department will be mandated to institute some type of attendance policy for student-athletes. The schools can decide their own policies, but suspension from competition must be part of the penalty structure. The rule was created by SEC faculty athletics representatives ??? faculty members from each school who work closely with the athletics departments to help ensure the proper emphasis on academics.

340 minutes of bliss. I was a couple of minutes late to work this morning, but I have a great excuse: the highlights from yesterday???s baseball game between UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton were on ESPN and there was no possible way to leave my house. The longest, and one of the greatest, College World Series games was played Monday, as the two California schools battled for a record five hours and 40 minutes. Eight batters were hit by pitches during the game and in the 13th inning, Fullerton coach George Horton was ejected after arguing that UC Irvine???s Taylor Holiday, who was beaned three times during the game, was leaning into pitches to get hit intentionally. Moments later, Fullerton left fielder Josh Fellhauer threw a seed from the outfield to catcher John Curtis, cutting down Holiday at the plate and prolonging the game. Fellhauer couldn???t save the Titans for long, however, as Bryan Petersen ripped a single to center in the bottom of the 13th to give upstart UC Irvine the 5-4 victory. Fullerton was knocked out with losses in its first two games while UC Irvine will play against Arizona State tonight in another elimination game.

Repeat champs? Oregon State and Arizona State had to wait an awful long time to take the field last night, but when they finally began playing, it was all Beavers. Oregon State pounded 18 hits and scored in each of the first six innings to cruise to a 12-6 victory. The Beavers are hoping to become the first repeat champions since LSU in 1996-97.

With a couple of female student-athletes stating that their scholarships had been threatened due to pregnancy, I thought it was important to have NCAA President Myles Brand discuss the topic. Dr. Brand tackles the issue on today???s edition of Mondays With Myles.

Listen to Mondays With Myles

Just a few short weeks removed from her college graduation, Kat Krtnick has joined the NCAA staff as an intern. Kat spent the past four years as a member of the Wisconsin-River Falls volleyball team, and shares some thoughts with us after completing her first week in the working world.

Just as players need a preparation period prior to a game to loosen up their muscles and to get into the mindset of competition, I have discovered that NCAA interns also require a warm-up???maybe not of the glutes and the quads as I am used to as a volleyball player and track runner, but a warm-up of the company culture, the co-workers, and all the cognitive processes of the brain.

Having just recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, I wonder if all graduating student-athletes endure the same transition into the workforce as I currently am. The only culture I have known my entire life thus far has been an incessant balancing act of strength and conditioning sessions, classes, practice, studying, work, committee meetings, and of course, a social life. Although the thought of abandoning ancient literature texts and calculus problems for eternity was exhilarating to me, I was also wondering if my qualifications and experiences would be adequate for the real world.

Here I am, in my first week as an NCAA Intern, ready to answer that very question and many more. Will my experiences as the setter on the volleyball team really teach me how to be a leader on the Public and Media Relations staff? How will the journalism and marketing knowledge that I have gained through being a two-year intern for the Kansas City Chiefs Summer Training Camp relate to intercollegiate athletics? Will the serving as a SAAC. member, Student Senate representative, and a Recreation Committee chair really enhance my interpersonal and organizational skills?

After sitting through seemingly endless orientations, paperwork, and warm-up sessions during the first week of my internship, it???s finally game time. I???m ready to put my skills to the test.

As the buzzer sounds, the National Anthem resonates, and my number is called, I step out onto the court. No longer am I attired in the UW-RF Falcons #9 volleyball jersey; as I look down at my business suit, I realized that I have just warmed up for my professional debut.

My year-long contract as an NCAA Intern may not be worth millions or my name may not be in lights, but I do know that my professional opportunity here will be nothing short of priceless.

Oh, the air up there. Every year, my baseball teammates laughed as I consistently turned in an 18-inch vertical jump during winter workouts. Based on that number, quick deduction will tell you I can barely touch the bottom of the backboard after shooting a lay-up. On Saturday, the University of Washington hosted an exhibition game with 11-foot rims. I understand the premise that boosting the hoops deemphasizes dunking and spreads the floor, but I???m not sure I like the idea of changing something that???s been a part of the game for so long. The players didn???t seem to mind it terribly, but I know I???d miss the ability to get up and touch the backboard in my neighborhood gym ??? there are so few things I can reach Let us know what you think of an 11-foot rim in our new Double-A Poll.

Welcome to Cape Cod. I received an e-mail on Friday night from 12-year-old Aaron Kanzer, one of the biggest and most knowledgeable sports fans I???ve met in a long time. Aaron was all excited because he???d just been to the Cape Cod Baseball League opener between the Bourne Braves and Cotuit Kettleers. He watched Navy???s Mitch Harris toss six innings of three-hit ball to lead the Braves to a 7-6 victory. After the game, Harris signed a ball for Aaron, and made a lifelong fan. If you???re a college baseball player, spending the summer on a Cape roster is a dream come true. Admission to the games is free, so kids like Aaron can watch great baseball and meet the future professionals afterwards. I???ve become more and more disillusioned with Major League Baseball ??? stadiums have 50,000 fans and the players seem larger than life. The setting is intimate out on the Cape, and that???s just the way it should be.

I never watched the XFL, haven???t been to a CBA game and I think the National Xtreme Baseball League is beyond absurd. I think ???alternative??? professional leagues are a risky proposition and it???s not surprising that they rarely work.

When I first heard about the plan for the All-American Football League, I shrugged it off as another surefire failure for another group of entrepreneurs who seem to have trouble understanding that there are already plenty of sports products out there. But as I read a couple of articles about the league, and found out former NCAA President Cedric Dempsey was involved, my interest was piqued.

Instead of trying to enter the market as a B-rate version of the NFL, the AAFL is poised to offer something unique. The plan is to have eight teams in college towns across the country, games will be played on Saturdays in the spring/summer and rosters will feature players with college ties to the towns they play in. Essentially, Florida???s team will feature a number of former Gators while Alabama???s squad will surely have a number of players who used to suit up for the Crimson Tide.

While the AAFL is clearly a for-profit venture, it does have ties to education ??? any player on a league roster must have finished his college degree. By matching players with their alma maters and making education an important component, the league???s founders have seemingly combined core principles of both college and professional football.

Do I think the AAFL will be successful? Not really ??? but anything is possible. There are a lot of football junkies out there, and the opportunity to watch players from your favorite college team during the summer may find a niche I???m not anticipating. This will be an interesting one to watch.

April Huddleston was a big reason the Emporia State softball team won 50 games for the third consecutive season this spring. The junior shortstop batted .336, blasted four homers, knocked in 30 runs and was an honorable mention all-conference selection.

While Huddleston was an integral part of the Hornets??? run to the NCAA regional championship, the fact that she was on the field at all has to be some sort of miracle. The recipient of three knee surgeries during her career, April took a medical redshirt last season to get back to full strength.

A resilient student-athlete who was forced to cope with the loss of her father during her high school years, April is also a standout in the classroom at Emporia State. With a 3.98 grade-point average in education, Huddleston earned second-team academic all-district honors this spring.

CWS set to begin. When I returned from last year???s College World Series in Omaha, I told anybody who would listen that I had just been to the greatest sporting event in the world. For nearly two weeks, the entire city of Omaha was transformed into the baseball capital of the United States, and I couldn???t have had a better time. I couldn???t make it out to Nebraska this year, but I have full intentions of getting there next spring. The baseball party begins at Rosenblatt Stadium this afternoon, as Louisville takes on Rice at 2 p.m. In the nightcap, Mississippi State and last year???s runner-up North Carolina will play under the lights. While six of the teams in the final eight are perennial powers in the sport, Louisville and UC Irvine are surprise guests to the party. I???ll be pulling for the underdogs by way of my living room this spring, but I???ll be wishing I was in Omaha, taking in game after game of baseball and washing it all down with a glorious King Kong burger afterwards.

Bear???s boys. Best known for his 25 years as head coach at Alabama, Bear Bryant also spent time leading the programs at Maryland, Kentucky and Texas A&M before ending up in Tuscaloosa. Since 1983, Bryant???s former players from Kentucky have met every two or three years for the ???Bear???s Boys Reunion.??? Nearly 40 former Wildcats will attend the event today and tomorrow in Lexington. During his eight-year tenure (1946-53) at Kentucky, Bryant compiled a 60-23-5 record and led the Wildcats to a share of the 1950 national title.

Cintron collects honor. New Jersey City junior Lizzelle Cintron was named New Jersey Athletic Conference Female Athlete of the Year for her performance on the volleyball court last fall. The first volleyball player to collect the honor, Cintron has 2,248 kills during her first three years of action, already enough to top the conference record books. If she stays on track next season, she could become just the second Division III player with more than 3,000 career kills.

On the brink of the College World Series, the 3-Minute Drill explores some of the pressing academic issues currently affecting Division I baseball. On this edition of the NCAA???s video news show, Iowa head baseball coach Jack Dahm is a guest on the program.

Hail to the soccer moms. I am never surprised to hear that student-athletes are committed to giving back to their communities and raising awareness about important causes. While each community service activity is certainly worthy of discussion, I have to give a special shout to the Marquette soccer programs for their originality. Last month, the Marquette men???s and women???s soccer teams sponsored their first ???Soccer Mom Clinic.??? More than 50 women took to the field on five consecutive Friday evenings, taking part in a special clinic sponsored by the programs. The clinic not only provided grown women with an opportunity to get out and play, but also helped raised $5,000 for breast cancer research. Congratulations to the student-athletes ??? and the soccer moms ??? for making a difference.

Softball sets records. Not only did the Women???s College World Series set an attendance record for the fourth straight year, but ESPN reports that Arizona???s win over Tennessee in the championship game was the most-watched telecast of the event ever on the network. ESPN estimates that 1.676 million households tuned in to the game, and I don???t see any reason why that number won???t continue to grow in the coming seasons.

Milestones at Mount Olive. It???s been an exciting year at Mount Olive, as a number of milestones were set in the athletics department. On February 28, men???s basketball coach Bill Clingan recorded his 300th career victory in a win over Coker in the quarterfinals of the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference tournament. Two nights later, seniors Chris Bartley, Elton Coffield and Elijah Rouse became the first Trojan basketball players to win 100 games during their careers. This spring, softball coach Jaime Kylis-Higginbotham won her 100th career game on April 14. The win was also Mount Olive???s 36th of the season, breaking the previous school record of 35.

I thought Dennis Dodd???s article yesterday on CBSSportsline.com was off base.

In criticizing the NCAA for its extra-benefit rules that prevent student-athletes from receiving assistance that wouldn???t be available to members of the regular student body, Dodd ignores a number of crucial points.

Dodd shares the story of Juan Garnier, a junior walk-on football player at Ohio State. Garnier???s mother works three jobs to send him to school, since he hasn???t received an athletics scholarship from the Buckeyes. It???s an emotional story and I give the writer credit for his obvious compassion.

There???s no question that people would want to help the Garnier family, and I understand Dodd???s frustration that NCAA rules don???t allow for it. He believes Juan and his mother should be permitted to accept donations from members of the public to help them with their financial struggles.

Dodd???s column focuses on the fact that the NCAA restricts its struggling student-athletes from receiving financial help because the organization doesn???t want to allow boosters to corrupt the game. This is partially true. If Garnier and others were permitted to accept donations from members of the public, wealthy boosters would most certainly take advantage of the rule and provide prospective and current student-athletes with advantages that members of the regular student body aren???t afforded.

What Dodd doesn???t mention, and why his piece is misleading, is that the NCAA does provide extra financial assistance to both scholarship and walk-on student-athletes who are in need. According to the NCAA???s 2006-07 Revenue Distribution Plan, more than $12 million was allocated to conference offices last August through the Special Assistance Fund to help student-athletes with special financial needs. The fund is primarily intended to meet the student-athlete???s needs for which financial assistance isn???t otherwise available.

Additionally, more than $27 million will be sent to Division I conference offices this August as part of the Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund. This fund is intended to provide direct benefits to student-athletes and their families. It may be used for summer school, educational supplies, supplemental health insurance, clothing and other areas where student-athletes might need help. The amount of money allocated to the fund increases in value by 13 percent annually.

It???s also important to note that Federal Pell Grants are available for low-income students in order to promote access to a college education.

While the money accessible for Garnier through these initiatives certainly doesn???t rival the donations he might receive from the public due to his status as an Ohio State football player, Dennis Dodd should have mentioned its availability. Additionally, why doesn???t he note the fact that Ohio State and other Bowl Championship Subdivision football programs have 85 athletics scholarships to allocate among their players? While Dodd is harsh in his attack on the NCAA, why not suggest that Ohio State could simply find a scholarship for one of its own?

Coaches come together. During the past few days, more than two dozen of the nation???s premier young coaches have come together in downtown Indianapolis for the NCAA Women Coaches Academy. In 2002, the NCAA Committee on Women???s Athletics (CWA) supported an initiative to train, support and retain female coaches. The five-day academy goes well beyond the x???s and o???s of coaching, instead working to provide participants with necessary skills for a long and successful tenure in the collegiate coaching ranks. Coaches attending the academy not only learn about the history and culture of women???s sports, but are introduced to new management methods, principles of marketing and work on public speaking. The academy serves as a professional development opportunity for coaches who have already made their mark in the field, and is an exciting way for professionals in the industry to learn from one another.

Nice to be on top. Auburn senior Kerron Stewart was named winner of the Honda Sports Award as the country???s top collegiate female track and field student-athlete. The native of Jamaica recently capped an undefeated season and won the NCAA title in the 200 meters with a time of 22.42 seconds. During the indoor season, Stewart earned national titles in the 60- and 200-meter dashes. An adult education major, Stewart currently sports a 3.14 grade point average and is scheduled to graduate in the fall.

Ultimate sacrifice. Last Monday, South Dakota president Jim Abbott donated a kidney to one of his vice presidents. Originally, Abbott didn???t qualify as a donor because of weight and blood pressure issues, but when he realized he could save the life of a colleague, he went to work and lost the requisite weight. I???d like to tip my cap to President Abbott ??? he???s a role model for us all.

Long-stick defensive midfielders don???t get a ton of credit in the box score. They don???t score a lot of goals, dish out many assists or scoop up countless groundballs. But if Le Moyne???s Kevin Kohl is any indication, a team can???t win without a good one.

Kohl only has five points in his college career, but the senior has certainly made his mark on the Division II power. The Dolphins are 61-3 since Kohl entered the lineup as a true freshman and have won multiple national championships.

With Kohl leading the way, Le Moyne has led the nation in scoring defense in each of his four seasons in the lineup, never allowing more than 5.06 goals per game. In this year???s national semifinal, the Dolphins held Limestone to five goals.

Kohl???s success extends off the field as well, as the two-year team captain boasts a 3.9 grade-point average in the classroom. He expects to work in the field of financial planning upon his graduation.

Holdsclaw retires. Having grown up in Queens, I remember reading about the amazing Chamique Holdsclaw during her prep days at perennial power Christ The King. After leading Tennessee to three consecutive national championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998, many would argue that Holdsclaw was responsible for putting women???s basketball on a bigger stage. The four-time all-American was the first overall selection in the 1999 WNBA draft and had a number of good seasons with the Washington Mystics. In 2004, Holdsclaw sat out most of the season due to a bout with depression. After being traded to Los Angeles two years ago, Holdsclaw abruptly retired yesterday just five games into the 2007 season. While her career numbers are good, it???s hard to believe that Chamique Holdsclaw is done playing basketball. This woman defined her sport during her high school and college days and I truly expected her to finish her career as the best women???s basketball player of all-time. Although her playing days may be over, I???m hopeful Holdsclaw will stay involved with the game. I know she still has a lot left to give.

Good work in Kentucky. Kentucky cross country runners John Richardson and Andrea Halasek have been named to the SEC Good Works Team for the 2007 season thanks to their exceptional efforts in the community. A 2007 inductee into the Frank G. Ham Society of Character, Richardson served as a weekly mentor at a local elementary school and read to children at another. Halasek has also volunteered at elementary schools throughout the year.

On Sunday, Louisville Courier-Journal reporter Brian Bennett was kicked out of the press box at the NCAA Baseball Super Regional. Bennett wasn???t drunk, rowdy or naked, instead getting the boot for his despicable blogging habit.

Due to the NCAA???s broadcasting agreement with ESPN, bloggers are not permitted to update their sites with in-game coverage from the baseball press box. In-game updates include providing readers with the score, inning of the game, roster moves, etc. The policy was enacted at a baseball game, but applies to all NCAA championship events.

First of all, let me say that I understand the policy. The NCAA has agreements with broadcast partners and those business contracts must be honored. Essentially, ESPN has paid the NCAA for the exclusive right to broadcast the baseball championship. The crux of this argument is whether blogs infringe on that exclusive right. That is the rationale for this policy and while I understand it, I wholeheartedly disagree with it.

This policy prohibits journalists, many of whom now publish their words via the blogosphere, from sharing thoughts from the press box. Those same journalists could watch the game from the seats outside the press box and publish those same words without fear of credential revocation. Even better, bloggers can watch a television broadcast and do the same posts from their own homes. Because they will be restricted from the press box, however, bloggers who choose to post in-game commentary from other locations won???t have access to post-game interviews.

I find all of this quite unnecessary. The world of media has changed and I think this policy makes my organization look arcane because journalists now publish their thoughts in real time on the Internet. I don???t know anybody in their right mind who would choose in-game commentary on a blog over a television broadcast, so I don???t see how there???s competition between our partners and independent bloggers who have received credentials.

In a recent Chronicle of Higher Education study, the publication reported that 60 percent of college and university presidents believe that intercollegiate athletics is actually a liability for the campus. On today???s edition of Mondays With Myles, I discuss that claim with NCAA President Myles Brand, as well as the general role of the president on NCAA campuses.

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Go Anteaters! I spent the weekend with my family in New York and courtesy of Dad, woke up to an interesting article in the New York Times on Saturday. Lee Jenkins??? article discusses the plight of baseball at UC Irvine, which reintroduced the sport in 2000 after disbanding its program eight years earlier. Eliminated because of statewide budget cuts in 1992, the baseball program returned thanks to financial support from the school???s student body, as 62 percent supported the ???Spirit Fee Referendum.??? Students agreed to tack on $99 to their tuition to bring back baseball, and in order to ensure equal opportunities for females, the school also added varsity programs in women???s golf and women???s water polo. The baseball program has experienced striking success since its return to the diamond, and secured a berth in the College World Series yesterday, defeating Wichita State to earn its first trip to Omaha.

Jekyll and Hyde. Michelle reported on Billy Donovan???s wavering last week, and I just wanted to add a couple of comments on his return to Florida. It???s clear that Donovan loves coaching in Gainesville, and that???s a good thing. I think he made the right decision ??? but let us know what you think in our most recent Double-A Poll. I understand why he entertained the NBA offer, but I???m not sure why he had to accept it and then get out of the deal. I also have a hard time understanding the amount of money Florida is now paying Donovan. That???s an awful lot of cash for a college basketball coach, and although the market may dictate it, this trend is a big problem for intercollegiate athletics.

Two more programs eliminated. Syracuse announced last week that it would eliminate both its men???s and women???s swimming and diving programs. The athletics department says that its facilities are outdated and the cost of updating the pool was prohibitive. Instead, the athletics program will introduce a women???s ice hockey team in 2008, a move that makes sense given the school???s location. It seems that the Syracuse pool, despite its age, was still up to competitive standards. I wish the school could have found a way to keep the programs, especially because a pool will certainly be needed for recreational use on campus. It???s always a shame to see opportunities reduced and as for trends, this is another bad one.

Northwestern softball coach Kate Drohan thought Stephanie Churchwell would play shortstop for the Wildcats for four years. After the 2005 season, however, the freshman all-American decided to retire from the sport and left the team with a huge hole to fill.

The same day Churchwell told Drohan about her decision to leave the team, the head coach was at a prep tournament in Georgia. It was there that Drohan first saw Tammy Williams, a pitcher with a broken hand who happened to be playing third base with an awful lot of athleticism.

Williams didn???t get any hits that day, but Drohan had seen enough to try and get Williams out to Illinois. Williams, who hails from the tiny town of Roscoe, Missouri, hopped on a plane for the first time in her life, committed to Northwestern and went on to become Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a third-team all-American selection.

As a sophomore, Williams has gotten even better. She leads the Wildcats with a .426 batting average and 14 stolen bases. She also has 13 homeruns and will likely repeat as an all-American.

In a Q&A featured in today???s Louisville Journal-Courier, Kentucky State head football coach Fred Ferrier shared his perspective on a wide range of issues and said a person must become a head coach long before receiving an opportunity to be one. The former accountant was one of 26 ethnic minority football coaches who participated in the 2007 NCAA Expert Coaches Academy in Miami. The Expert Coaches Academy is an NCAA program that addresses the critical shortage of ethnic minorities in head coaching positions in the sport of college football, primarily at the Division I level.

???The No. 1 goal for us as coaches/educators and mentors is to create young men who can be productive members of society and leaders for our country,??? Farrier said.

Going the distance: Yesterday, Texas Tech standout Sally Kipyego nabbed the 10,000 meter individual title at the Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento. She won the 2006 cross country national championship in November and the 3,000 and 5,000 meter titles at the 2007 indoor championships. With a victory in today???s 5,000, she could become the first woman in Division I to collect five championships in the same academic year. Naturally, the sophomore???s title run will be the draw for many fans, but the real story is Kipyego???s goal of becoming a nurse and returning to her native Kenya to help her countrymen. A friend of mine had the pleasure meeting Kipyego at the indoor championships. Words like quiet, shy and humble were used to describe this clearly gifted athlete, who never said a word during the conversation about the honors she was piling up. Kipyego is one of the thousands of NCAA student-athletes who truly will go pro in something other than sports. My friend???s recounting of the encounter with inspiring young runner was a refreshing and necessary reminder of the NCAA???s mission of promoting higher education through sport. So while you???re rooting and cheering for the fleet-footed Kipyego and the other talented student-athletes showcased throughout this weekend and the rest of the NCAA 88 annual championships, take a moment to look beyond the uniform and the titles and honors. You won???t be disappointed. Promise.

Sweet anticipation: Summer???s just begun but Penn State fans are gearing up for football season already. The school recently reported that more than 21,000 student season tickets sold out in 59 minutes, shattering last year???s mark of 13 days. The Nittany Lion student section was recognized by ESPN???s College Gameday as the best in college football for the 2006-07 season. Overall, the school claims approximately 90,000 season ticket holders and averaged 107,567 fans at home last year.

A story in the Baltimore Examiner explores the possibilty of institutions in Maryland's public colleges losing scholarships due to poor academic performance. Irwin Goldstein, senior vice chancellor of academic affairs for the University System of Maryland, was asked to respond on the subject.

"[Colleges] do really have to pay attention [to academic performance]. Next year, it becomes a serious problem.??? Goldstein told the Baltimore Examiner.

Championship mettle. Arizona took the hard road to their second consecutive Division I softball title. The Wildcats faced four elimination games at the Women???s College World Series, and each time they were up to the challenge. To get the championship series, Arizona had to defeat Pac-10 Conference rival Washington twice. Then in the championship series the Wildcats had to figure out a way to beat Tennessee all-American pitcher Monica Abbott twice after being shut out in Game 1. The best game of the best-of-three matchup was played on June 6 when Abbott and Arizona pitcher Taryne Mowatt had a tremendous pitching duel that wasn???t decided until Arizona scratched across a run in the top of the tenth inning. In Game 3, the Wildcats put together a five-run rally against Abbott, who ended her career as the Division I all-time leader in career wins, strikeouts and shutouts. Jenae Leles delivered a two-run single and senior second baseman Chelsie Mesa followed with a three-run homer. Mowatt, the tourney???s most outstanding player who threw over 1,000 pitches in eight appearances, made sure the game stayed 5-0 the rest of the way. The Women???s College World Series, which ran May 31-June 7, also drew a record attendance of 62,463.

Special day for select few. Major League Baseball will be conducting its annual amateur draft today and Friday. This means hundreds of NCAA baseball student-athletes will be selected, and then must make the decision whether they will give professional baseball a try or will they return to campus. Only juniors and seniors are eligible to be drafted by MLB teams, and the majority of the 1,500 players chosen will likely be from NCAA institutions. In 2005, 43 percent of those players (645) attended four-year institutions. With the Academic Progress Rate now in effect, it is important for those players embarking on a pro career be in good standing academically. The NCAA Baseball Enhancement Working Group studied ways to improve the APR in the sport over the past year, and in April, the Division I Board of Directors approved all of its recommendations. The goal of the initiative is to make sure student-athletes are striving for success academically as well as on the diamond.

You might expect one of the country???s top skiers to hail from Anchorage, Alaska. Or maybe a really dynamite hockey player. But a golfer? In Alaska?

Sacramento State senior Margaux Sheehan grew up with long, dark winters in Anchorage and rarely picked up a golf club during those months. She spent only three or four months playing her sport each summer, but has still been able to make her mark at the Division I level.

An all-state softball player during her high school days, Margaux led her program to three Alaska state titles. Her love for golf kept her on the course, however, and eventually took her to Sacramento State, where golf can be played throughout the entire year thanks to the California sunshine.

Margaux recently claimed medalist honors at the Big Sky championship, tying the 54-hole tournament record with an even-par 216.

Home is where the heart is and for Arkansas track and field standout Nkosinza Balumbu, home is the Bay Area.

A three-time SEC indoor and outdoor triple jump champion, Nkosinza is originally from the Democratic of Congo, but his family has since relocated to California. The youngest of 11 children, the sophomore has quickly become a team leader for the Razorbacks.

Last year, Balumbu qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, but a pulled hamstring limited him to a 26th-place finish. The championships are once again in Sacramento this spring, but will not return to the Bay Area again for the foreseeable future.

With his family just a short drive from the venue, the two-time NCAA indoor all-American is healthy and ready to perform in front of his hometown crowd one last time.

And they???re off With the Beijing Olympics just a year away, track fans will be watching with particular interest as the Division I Men???s and Women???s Outdoor Track and Field Championships get under way today in Sacramento, California. Just four years ago, current international stars Jeremy Wariner of Baylor and Sanya Richards of Texas emerged from the NCAA spotlight to begin their treks to Olympic gold in Athens in 2004. This year???s meet, which includes potential future stars like sprinter Walter Dix of defending men???s champion Florida State and heptathlete Jacquelyn Johnson of women???s favorite Arizona State, should offer both competitive team competition and outstanding individual performances ??? and fans will be treated to five hours of live coverage during which they can focus on some future favorites (CSTV will offer three hours of competition Friday night beginning at 8:30 Eastern time, while CBS will provide two hours of coverage beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday).

Ch-ch-ch-changes Recent months have seen considerable realignment of conference membership in Division III, and this week brought an announcement of plans to create a new multisport conference. The New England Athletic Conference ??? slated to include five current members of the North Atlantic Conference (which will continue its own operations with eight members beginning in 2008) as well as a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference and two current independents ??? announced plans to begin competition in fall 2008. It???s the third new conference formed within the past 18 months (members of two previously existing conferences merged into the Northern Athletics Conference last year, and the Landmark Conference will begin competition later this year). These developments, along with continuing shifting by institutions from one existing conference to another, may not garner the public attention that recent realignments of Division I leagues like the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East captured. But they point to important trends as Division III seeks to cope with its continuing membership growth and the desire of schools to better position themselves for access to championships while aligning with athletically as well as academically compatible opponents.

Forward with faith After 15 years of service at the school, Paul Newman is stepping down as assistant athletics director for sports medicine at South Alabama to join the staff of Athletes in Action. He will serve as director of AIA Sports Performance, a division of the Campus Crusade for Christ sports ministry that works with sports medicine and strength and conditioning professionals. Newman was nationally visible in his profession during his stint at South Alabama, serving as chair of the National Athletic Trainers??? Association???s College and University Athletic Training Students??? Committee.

When looking at colleges, Brett Neal wanted something different. He certainly got it at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). This Chandler, Ariz.-native admits to a twinge of culture shock when he first arrived on Long Island. But he wanted to play lacrosse, and he wanted a college that offered a great mix of academic excellence and commitment to athletics. With a lacrosse scholarship in one hand and a biology textbook in the other, Neal embarked upon the NYIT experience.

Neal, now a junior, is focusing on life sciences to prepare for a career in medicine. With lab partner Alana Murphy, he tackles Organic Chemistry II before heading off to lacrosse practice, followed by Physics for Pre-Med. Then it???s back home to study and unwind as another week at NYIT gets underway.

You could call Neal a fast learner???he has only been playing lacrosse since high school and already is a starting defenseman and team captain for a three-time NCAA Division II championship team.

Title IX talk Jesse Jackson???s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and Citizenship Educational Fund Conference this year featured a segment yesterday on the 35th anniversary of Title IX. The discussion included how to ensure schools??? compliance with Title IX and how to get the federal government to better monitor Title IX compliance. Panelists included C. Vivian Stringer, head women???s basketball coach at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick; Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion; and Jody Conradt, former head women???s basketball coach at the University of Texas at Austin.

On the brink Tennessee won Game 1 of the Women???s College World Series final against Arizona and is poised to win its first softball championship with a victory in Game 2 tonight. That will be easier said than done against the seven-time-champion Wildcats, who are familiar with having to win twice since they did just that against Pacific-10 Conference foe Washington to advance to the final series.

Give me a sign A couple of proposals in football are gaining momentum. One is for five years of eligibility, which has been proposed before but hasn???t commanded the support to get it past the concept stage. The other is an early signing period. Unlike men???s and women???s basketball that have an early signing period, football has but one signing day in early February. That means coaches constantly have to keep in touch with recruits who make oral commitments that are not binding. Many coaches believe an early signing day would eliminate this additional ???recruiting??? period. Some coaches say an early signing date would alleviate the pressure on prospects to change their minds and allow coaches to be focused in their recruiting efforts. It also may eliminate some travel to go see somebody who told the coach three months ago he is coming to the institution. But at the recent Southeastern Conference spring meetings, coaches voted against the idea by a 9-3 margin, saying that an early signing period would cause an unwanted domino effect on recruiting, like moving up official visits.

In a Q&A with The State in Columbia, South Carolina, South Carolina President Andrew Sorenson tackled a number of issues discussed during the Southeastern Conference spring meetings, including the discussions of a playoff in the Football Bowl Subdivision and academic reform in the form of the Academic Performance Rate (APR). Sorenson said that in 18 years in the SEC, he???s had many former student-athletes who turned pro but never graduated say to him that they wish they had continued their education.

???We have to continually remind ourselves that the primary reason that student-athletes are attending universities is to get a university education,??? Sorenson told The State.

With six rounds of par or better this season, Nuno Henriques has established himself as an integral member of the Central Florida golf team in just his first year with the program. The 19-year-old was named to the Conference USA all-freshman team a few weeks back.

In a sport where athletes often spend time walking the links on their own, Henriques has a lot of experience to draw from. Head coach Nick Clinard calls Nuno one of the most independent teenagers he???s ever met, and it???s hard to imagine that maturity hasn???t helped Henriques on the golf course.

Nuno grew up in Funchal, Portugal and packed his bags for the United States in the 10th grade to attend the IMG Academy and Pendleton School in Bradenton, Florida. A member of the Portuguese amateur team that competed at the world championships this past summer, Nuno???s parents remain in Portugal and he has been on his own since the age of 15.

A golfer who continues to improve, Nuno is scheduled to participate in the European Amateur and British Amateur tournaments this summer.

Contrary to popular opinion, athletics programs don???t make a lot of money. At the highest levels of Division I, there is an awful lot of revenue generated, but that doesn???t often translate into profits. Only a handful of Division I programs don???t need to be subsidized by the institution, and profits are basically non-existent in Divisions II and III.

On today???s edition of Mondays With Myles, the NCAA President discusses the economic model of intercollegiate athletics and identifies some challenges for the enterprise.

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Gift of life The Oregon State offensive coordinator and offensive line coach might have been close before last week, but now they have a bond that???s unparalleled. According to the Associated Press, offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf donated a kidney to the wife of offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh. Langsdorf was the 18th person tested to see if his kidney would be a match for Laurie Cavanaugh, who has a disease that enlarges her kidneys. Mike Cavanaugh called Langsdorf???s sacrifice ???the ultimate in friendship.???

Go Cardinal Stanford finished the Division I Men???s Golf Championship 11 under par and with a 12-shot victory over closest competitor Georgia. The Cardinal???s last men???s golf championship was 1994, when coach Conrad Ray was a member of the team. Ray said the team spent most of the year avoiding discussions about results and focusing on things they could control. ???I think this team really bought into that, and they were able to do that all year, and today it worked out again,??? he said.

Welcome back, Billy? Billy Donovan, who last week accepted the Orlando Magic???s head coaching position, is apparently having second thoughts and has asked about getting out of his five-year $27.5 million contract to return to the University of Florida. While the school has had no official comment, the Magic issued a statement early today indicating that they will continue discussions with Donovan in an effort to convince him to stick to the original deal. In the statement, Magic communications head Joel Glass called Donovan ???conflicted??? and accused people in Gainesville of ???tugging at him??? since he announced his decision to leave Florida for the NBA. Will this be another Dana Altman-Arkansas episode? Only time will tell.

On Day 2 of the 2007 NCAA National Leadership Conference, participants learned about their personality traits and leadership styles, heard from successful leaders and trekked off to Disney's Fort Wilderness for a lesson in teamwork on a giant scale. It was a day full of challenges that these leaders rose to in true NCAA fashion.

All photographs by Guest Blogger Bethany Waggoner. Waggoner is a former women's volleyball student-athlete from Winthrop University and a current member of the DI National SAAC.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the participants of the 2007 NLC are millionaires by now. On Day 1 of the conference, a pizza party with NCAA President Myles Brand, performances by Steve Connell and Sekou Da Misfit, and introductions to color team families gave participants a running start to a busy and fulfilling week of growth.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, much was written about the devastation faced by colleges and universities in New Orleans. Not as much attention has been paid to the revival of those same insitutions, often manifested in the perseverance of the athletics teams. The University of New Orleans takes the field tonight in the Wichita regional of the Division I Baseball Championship. Coach Tom Walter said surviving the last 18 months has made the team stronger.

"A year and a half ago, we were fighting, just to keep our heads above water, literally. The last thought on our minds was winning baseball games. Our No. 1 goal was to keep our guys moving toward graduation. Goal No. 2 was just survival ... the resilience these players have shown since the hurricane shows on the field, and you'll see that this weekend. We're not the most talented team in the world. But we're tough," Walter told the Wichita Eagle.

Katie Cogar only appeared in a handful of games for the Franklin and Marshall women???s lacrosse team this year, but her impact is felt all over the Lancaster community.

During the fall semester, Katie took a course called ???The Nature of Hope.??? Students were presented with the opportunity to volunteer for the Lancaster Area Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (LAVORP) and the sophomore jumped at the chance.

After 40 hours of intensive group training, Katie became a mediator for LAVORP. She helped set up sit-down meetings between criminal offenders and their victims in order to discuss restitution and begin the healing process. While Katie describes the process as challenging, she has already found success with some of her cases.

Although she plays for one of the top Division III programs in the country, Katie has made the most of her opportunity to make a difference in her community.

Lax honors For the second consecutive year, Kristen Kjellman of Northwestern was honored with the Tewaaraton Trophy, which goes to the top female collegiate lacrosse player in the nation. Kjellman, a senior, has been an integral part of the Wildcats three consecutive championships, and she predicted a bright future for the Wildcats without her. ???They are returning a lot of great leaders and they will fill the gaps where needed,??? Kjellman said after the championship contest on May 28. ???They are going to continue to be awesome.??? Matt Danowski of Duke won the trophy on the men???s side. Duke was the 2007 national runner-up, and Danowski called his recognition ???humbling.??? ???This honor could not have been possible without the hard work and dedication put forth by the entire Duke lacrosse team,??? the co-captain said. Danowski is just the fourth player in NCAA history to put up 40 or more goals and 50 or more assists in a single season.

More awards Tennessee???s Monica Abbott was named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year earlier this week. Abbott broke the NCAA career record for strikeouts this season, and had struck out 649 batters before the start of the Women???s College World Series May 31. Meanwhile Collegiate Baseball bestowed its player of the year award on two student-athletes ??? Vanderbilt left-handed pitcher David Price and Florida State second baseman Tony Thomas. Both Price and Thomas were the player of the year in their respective conferences (Southeastern and Atlantic Coast) as well.

So long, Billy Donovan Fresh off the heels of back-to-back Division I men???s basketball championships at the University of Florida, Billy Donovan accepted the head coaching position with the Orlando Magic. Kentucky coveted Donovan for its open job earlier this year, later filled by Billy Gillispie. But Donovan was steadfast and vocal in proclaiming his love for Florida. AD Jeremy Foley reports ???no hard feelings??? in the Gators camp, and President J. Bernard Machen said ???we???ll always love Billy Donovan.??? That???s a lot of love coming out of Gainesville. After all, in Orlando, Donovan will be just more than 100 miles away from his old stomping grounds. We???ll be watching to see how another college coach makes the transition to the NBA.