Ugly in Mississippi. Following last week’s football contest between Delta State and Henderson State, the teams were involved in an ugly post-game brawl somewhat reminiscent of last year’s incident between Florida International and Miami. Why haven’t you heard about this story? Well, apparently there isn’t any videographic or photographic evidence to load on to YouTube or show on ESPN over and over again. That doesn’t mean the incident wasn’t ugly and devoid of sportsmanship, and Gulf South Conference Commissioner Nate Salant has come down with harsh penalties to ensure that something like this never happens again. In a statement, Salant said: “It is quite clear that the post-game meeting between the two head coaches, which is usually just a congratulatory handshake and wishes for good luck, rapidly devolved into something unprofessional, confrontational and irresponsible that led to what has been described by eyewitnesses and the media as a brawl involving many players on both teams.” With that in mind, Salant suspended both head coaches for their next games, placed them on probation for two years, required Delta State to implement changes to home game security procedures and prohibited Henderson State players from attending Delta State’s game on Saturday against Ouchita Baptist, which is across the street from Henderson State. The presidents of both universities were immediately involved in decisions made following the game, and both have taken hard-line stances about the deplorable activity that transpired on the field. Presidential leadership is integral to the success of intercollegiate athletics and it’s important that presidents and chancellors are in tune with these vital aspects of their programs. Hopefully the reactions from Salant and the presidents will stymie any further issues between the coaches and players.

Ace in the hole. You’re not supposed to achieve the highlight of your athletics career just two weeks into your freshman season. For Ohio Valley golfer Sean Burke, however, it’s going to be hard to top his experience on the links on September 7. In the opening round of the OVU-Burger King Collegiate Invitational, Burke took a three-wood and drove the ball 345 yards for a hole-in-one on the par-four fourth hole. Does it get much better than a double-eagle during the fall season of your freshman year? If Burke’s current pace holds, we can expect seven more aces during the next three-and-a-half years.

NCAA initiatives featured. In last week’s Chronicle of Higher Education, Sara Lipka wrote about the NCAA’s new media initiatives in a front-page story. Lipka discusses the progressive vision of NCAA President Myles Brand in developing the Double-A Zone, and addresses the transition of the bi-weekly NCAA News to an online publication. In a few months, the Association will also introduce a redesigned NCAA Online, which will offer daily news stories and heavy multimedia content. Visitors to the Web site will have the opportunity to sign up for the daily or weekly NCAA News Direct, an e-mailed update of the NCAA News. In addition to the online changes, the Association will also introduce Champion, a quarterly magazine to be launched in January. At the end of her piece, Lipka writes: “The glossy magazine will be about people, unlike The NCAA News, which has always focused on policy. That 43-year-old publication will move online, with daily stories, to more quickly communicate to members. The NCAA has also tried to be quick to correct what it says are misrepresentations of its policies in national newspapers, posting zingy clarifications on its site, http://www.ncaa.org. The uncharacteristic bite is part of the new NCAA, one less afraid of going on the offensive with its message.” The full Chronicle story can be found online. A subscription is needed to receive all of the copy.