Originally posted as a comment on yesterday???s ???What Does The Colts-Patriots Game Mean? Nothing??? post, this response from friend of the Double-A Zone Cal Stein warranted its own platform. The discussion will continue in both places.

Josh, I have some major issues with your argument. Now I will freely admit that I think college football desperately needs a playoff system akin to that of the NFL (or NCAA basketball if you will), and while I have a litany of reasons in favor of this position I'd rather focus on the severe deficiencies of the current landscape.

First and foremost, the argument that the NCAA cannot move to a playoff system without devaluing the regular season is a HUGE fallacy. It is simply unfathomable to believe that last year's Michigan-Ohio State game (between two unbeaten teams vying for the national title) would have been any less intense or important if a playoff system was in place. In fact, had a well constructed playoff system been in place (say....one that pits the conference champions against each other in a playoff system) that game would have been even MORE important. Imagine, #1 Ohio State playing #2 Michigan with the conference title, and the right to go to the national title playoffs on the line. If you ask me that makes the regular season not only more important, but it makes it the ONLY important thing until you lock up your conference title.

Moreover, resisting a playoff so as not to forsake the regular season is an incredibly hypocritical argument by the schools and NCAA. The regular season has become, basically, a joke. Outside of a few courageous schools, nearly every big name program plays their conference schedule and does not dare add any sort of nonconference opponent with a pulse to their slate. And who can blame them? As you said Josh, one loss and you're out of the national title hunt. Think about how historically great the epic Texas-Ohio State regular season showdowns were in 2005 and 2006. Wouldn't it be better for the sport if more schools were emboldened enough to schedule those type of games? Don't you think the Columbus and Austin faithful had an awesome time watching a team they don't see every other year? But without a playoff system teams have no margin for error and therefore a huge DISINCENTIVE to schedule marquee matchups like that.

Tough Saturday. Nevada basketball player Tyrone Hanson was beaten unconscious and robbed at a Halloween party in Reno on Saturday night where three people were shot to death. Hanson, who has since been released from a local hospital, has been kicked off the basketball team because head coach Mark Fox told his players not to go out that night. Hanson had violated team rules earlier in the year and the second miscue was too much for Fox. Although he didn???t do anything wrong at the party, Hanson just wasn???t supposed to be there, and will now pay the price. It seems to be a hard lesson for a kid who is recovering from a brutal beating, but he isn???t crying foul. Do you think the punishment is too severe? Should coaches be able to dictate when their players go out and when they don???t?

Pass the baton. Haverford???s men???s cross country team won its 15th consecutive Centennial Conference championship on Saturday, finishing well in front of second-place Dickinson. A pair of Haverford runners led the pack and headed into the final stretch in the lead, on their way to a certain one-two finish. Before the line, senior Ian Ramsey-North slowed by a step to allow classmate Donald Letts to finish first and claim the individual conference crown. Last year, Letts slowed down at the finish line to allow senior Zachary Vaslow to be the individual champion. In 2005, Grant Scott allowed Ramsey-North to finish first and the senior wanted to pass forward the favor to his friend Donald this time around. Stepping aside to allow a teammate to win an individual conference championship is quite an unselfish act ??? and an unusual tradition. But if Haverford keeps on winning conference titles, can anybody argue with the practice?

Good news for cheeseheads. Wisconsin sports fans have much more to cheer about than the 6-1 Green Bay Packers. On Monday, Charter Communications announced the launch of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) channel through its Video On-Demand service. The channel will feature athletics events from one of the premier conferences in the country and is the first initiative of its kind in Division III. A variety of sports will be broadcast, including football, basketball, swimming, wrestling, volleyball and track and field.

There???s a good deal of hoopla in Indianapolis right now, as the Colts faithful are counting down the minutes to Sunday???s showdown with the New England Patriots.

In case you don???t follow professional football, here???s a quick recap: New England is 8-0, Indianapolis is 7-0, and the two franchises have combined to win four of the last six Super Bowls. The Colts have gotten the best of the Patriots recently and came from behind in last year???s AFC Championship game to earn a Super Bowl berth.

With 15 victories and no losses between the two teams this season, Sunday???s game at the RCA Dome has garnered a great deal of media attention ??? and deservedly so. This is the biggest game of the NFL season and none will be bigger until the playoffs begin in January.

Ah yes, the playoffs. Unlike the highest level of college football, the NFL has a structured, exciting playoff season that determines Super Bowl participants and the eventual world champion. It???s an exciting month of football with important games between good teams, week in and week out.

The NFL regular season is important, as records determine which teams will earn berths to the postseason. While Sunday???s game between Indianapolis and New England is exciting, it actually doesn???t make a bit of difference who wins. Both teams will easily qualify for the playoffs and will likely meet again in the AFC Championship game for the third time in five seasons.

As much as I???d like to see a playoff replace the bowl structure in college football, I have to wonder (out loud) whether that would take much of the excitement out of the regular season. If the top two college teams in the country were undefeated in week nine and went head-to-head, a chance to win a national title would be on the line. There is a good chance for a rematch in the NFL, but regular season games are for all the marbles in college football. That???s pretty exciting.

If you asked any player on the Indianapolis and New England rosters whether they would rather win Sunday or in January, the answers would all be the same ??? they want to win another Super Bowl. In college, winning in the regular season is your only chance at winning a national title. There are no alternatives.

There???s no reason to quell the excitement for Sunday???s game ??? I???m as excited as anybody. I???ve lived in Boston and Indianapolis and both teams are undefeated. It???s going to be amazing.

But the truth remains that the game just doesn???t matter that much. It???s fun for the fans but nothing is really at stake. If it were undefeated Ohio State and Michigan teams on the gridiron this weekend, it would have a much more significant meaning.

Over the top? Have you seen Georgia???s celebration following its first touchdown against Florida on Saturday? After Knowshon Moreno found the end zone on a 1-yard run nine minutes into the contest, the entire Bulldog bench cleared to join in the celebration. Dozens of white jerseys and red helmets jumped up and down, gleefully cheering a 6-0 lead in a game against last year???s BCS champion. Here???s the kicker ??? Georgia head coach Mark Richt told his players to celebrate until they received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. While Richt says he only intended for the players on the field to celebrate, don???t we have to question the lesson he???s teaching when he instructs his student-athletes to laugh in the face of sportsmanship? I was surprised to hear a coach had endorsed such behavior, especially one from Georgia, which has recently been a leader in the world of intercollegiate athletics. I understand Richt trying to fire up his troops during a big game, but does this cross the line?

Team nerd. I was reading ESPN The Magazine this morning and eventually thumbed my way to page 44, where Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan was looking over his shoulder at me. As I read ???Seven Things You Should Know About Boston College Football,??? I stopped to smile at number five. Apparently, Ryan thinks that it???s important for fans to know that true freshman Anthony Castonzo is concentrating in biochemistry. An outstanding prep student at Fork Union Military in Illinois, the 6-foot-7 offensive tackle is described by Ryan as ???the team nerd.??? I could think of worse things to be, couldn???t you? Biochemistry and BC football ??? that???s a nice combo.

Compliance linebacker. I have to give major kudos to Iowa State for the ???Compliance Linebacker??? program it airs on its athletics Web site. An educational video put on by the compliance department, ???Compliance Linebacker??? features Alvin Bowen, who leads the Cyclones with 50 tackles this season. In the show, Bowen magically appears whenever a student-athlete is about to commit a violation and makes a tackle. After each scene, an Iowa State student-athlete explains why the scene portrayed a violation and how student-athletes should steer clear of those situations. This initiative is extremely educational and brings a ton of laughs. Check it out.

Last Monday, NCAA President Myles Brand discussed the rate of growth in college sports on his weekly podcast. One week later, he talks about the number of dollars institutions are spending to support their student-athletes.

In the Austin American-Statesman package, it was revealed that Texas spends more than $200,000 per Longhorn student-athlete. That money goes toward tuition, housing, textbooks, travel, food, academic services and much, much more.

For those who argue that schools should pay student-athletes, look no further than the $200,000 it takes to support each one. For more information about this trend, check out today's Mondays With Myles podcast.

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Harvard???s Laura Brady blogs about the pressures of looking for a job.

Summer is a time for warm weather, beaches, ice-cream cones, swimming and tons of relaxation. My summers always consisted of cold rinks, smelly hockey equipment and track sprints in 90-degree weather. I entered high school determined to excel in hockey and use my summers to become a better player. I entered my freshman year of college with the same mindset until my sophomore year when everything changed. The upperclassmen on my team began stressing about jobs, internships, resumes and interviews. Reality hit. I was well aware that hockey would not last forever, which was a huge factor in my decision to attend a college with a strong academic reputation.

The Mississippi Miracle. Did you see the Miracle in Mississippi this weekend? It wasn???t at Ole Miss or Mississippi State, but at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. Ranked 24th in the Division III poll, Millsaps entered its contest with 19th-ranked Trinity (Texas) a perfect 5-0 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference games ??? a win for the Majors would have clinched the SCAC championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. With Millsaps leading 24-22 with two seconds remaining, one of the greatest plays we???ve ever seen unfolded before our eyes. On its final snap, Trinity completed a pass over the middle of the field and proceeded to lateral the ball 15 times before wide receiver Riley Curry stormed into the end zone and catapulted the Tigers to a 28-24 win. ESPN selected the play as tops for the week, and nominated it as a Pontiac Game-Changing Performance. Despite the loss, Millsaps still sits atop the SCAC standings, but at 4-1, Trinity is in control of the conference title. If the Tigers win out, they will earn the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The season changed on a two-second play that took a minute ??? and you???ve got to see it to believe it. Watch the clip below.

What really matters. West Virginia smashed Rutgers on the football field Saturday 31-3, but the final score wasn???t the most important part of the game. At the beginning of the broadcast, Rutgers Coach Greg Schiano introduced his players, sharing their majors and GPAs with the viewers instead of nicknames or football statistics. Not only did Schiano inform the nation that academic success is an integral part of his program, he provided a stark contrast between the collegiate and professional games. When the Colts or Patriots are introduced, there aren???t majors and GPAs associated with the players??? names. Professional football players have one job ??? to win games. While winning is supremely important in college, there???s a lot more than just football involved in the experience.

It???s a hog???s world. Arkansas??? men???s cross country team won its 34th consecutive conference title on Saturday, finishing the SEC championship meet well in front of second-place Florida. Of the 98 runners competing, Arkansas placed five among the first 11 finishers. The Razorbacks have a storied program and the conference title may have helped ease the pain of losing two national championships earlier in the week. The university has had three appearances before the NCAA Committee on Infractions in the last 10 years, and last week, the committee vacated two national championships from the track and field program as part of ira penalty for major violations of NCAA recruiting rules.

The NCAA and the state of North Dakota have settled the lawsuit brought against the Association by the state and the University of North Dakota regarding the 2005 policy prohibiting the use of Native American mascots, nicknames and imagery at NCAA championship events.

North Dakota will have three years to obtain approval from namesake tribes for use of the Sioux name and imagery. If approval isn???t secured from both the Spirit Lake and Standing Rock Sioux tribes in that timeframe, the university will transition to a new nickname and logo that don???t violate the NCAA???s policy. If the tribes provide their approval, North Dakota will be able to keep its current nickname and imagery.

When the NCAA Executive Committee announced the restrictions in August 2005, I had been at the national office for just six weeks. More than two years later, I don???t think I???ve seen another issue that has aroused has much passion and emotion as this one.

There will likely be folks who don???t think a settlement should have been reached, either because they don???t believe the nickname and imagery are offensive, or because they believe the nickname and imagery are so offensive that there shouldn???t be a three-year waiting period.

Personally, I find the nickname offensive, but I am not of Native American descent. I believe this settlement does the right thing by putting the ultimate decision in the hands of the Sioux tribes ??? if they are offended, they shouldn???t have to see themselves characterized by the university; if not, then they can voice their support and we can move past this situation.

Let us know what you think of the settlement by posting your comments and voting in the Double-A Poll on the right side of the main page.

There are few people in intercollegiate athletics as involved with the NCAA governance structure as Del Malloy, director of athletics at Salve Regina. Currently the vice-chair of the Division III Management Council, Malloy also attends the meetings of the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee on a regular basis.

Fourteen of Salve Regina???s 18 varsity programs have cumulative grade point averages above 3.0 and Malloy says that academic pursuits are the top priority of the institution???s student-athletes. On today???s Campus Connection, Malloy fills us in on the current landscape at Salve Regina and in Division III.

Party in the Hub. The Red Sox are rolling, winning a pair of games at home to take a 2-0 advantage over Colorado in the World Series. The Patriots are 7-0 and don???t look like they???re going to lose this season. The Bruins have opened the hockey season 6-3 and the Celtics have added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to the mix on the hardwood. The entire town is beside itself with joy, and we haven???t even discussed that Boston College is just a few wins away from a berth in the Football Bowl Subdivision championship game. In a professional sports town, the Eagles have always struggled to share the limelight, but the university???s athletics programs are always top-notch. Last night, BC quarterback and Heisman hopeful Matt Ryan threw touchdown strikes in the final 2:11 to lead the Eagles to a 14-10 come-from-behind win over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. The elements weren???t pleasant, as the torrential rain acted as a third team on the gridiron, but the Eagles persevered and gave Boston another reason to celebrate.

What???s the deal? Friend of the Double-A Zone Matt Griewahn asked a great question the other day. Would North Dakota State, the top-ranked team in the Football Championship Subdivision, be eligible for a bowl game this season since the program can???t compete in the FCS playoffs? NDSU is ineligible for the 2007 playoffs because it is in the final year of its reclassification from Division II to Division I. Because the program isn???t officially yet in Division I, it also isn???t able to compete in a bowl game. It is expected that NDSU will complete the reclassification process this year and be eligible for the 2008 Division I Football Championship.

Giving back to the community. In response to an initiative sponsored by the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the Springfield women???s basketball program volunteered at a local Habitat for Humanity during a two-day stretch recently. The college???s softball, women???s volleyball and men???s gymnastics teams are slated to participate in builds later this fall ??? On October 13, Southern Utah???s women???s soccer team donned pink uniforms and raised $1,200 for breast cancer awareness ???Bowie State???s men???s basketball team participated in the Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walk ??? Earlier this month, Dowling???s athletics department teamed up with Keep Islip Clean, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, to kick off a year-long initiative in the community ??? Stevens Institute of Technology launched the Stevens Duckling Program, which targets student-athlete involvement in three local elementary schools. The goal of the program is to have all of the college???s teams working with classrooms at the schools. Men???s volleyball player John Dennan came up with the idea while attending a national conference sponsored by the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Program last summer.

Reality programming couldn't stay away forever. The NCAA has launched a recurring feature called ''My Life as an NCAA Intern,'' which will follow four current national office interns as they explore the world of intercollegiate athletics. This first episode introduces you to the interns and provides a taste of what their adventures will be like in coming months.

Harvard football student-athlete Carl Ehrlich discusses personal relationships with opponents.

After playing Princeton this week I had the same feelings of familiarity that I did after games in high school. After a typical game in high school when all the players were shaking hands, I always sought out my friends on the other team and afterwards I would talk to the opposing coach for a while. I???ve never been really sure how I got to know the people I was playing against, but it always seemed like I knew someone on the other squad. One of my biggest presumptions going into college football was that this ???small world??? feeling of familiarity would come to an end, but it only seems to be becoming greater.

Alford gets to work. Lately, it seems that more and more coaches mean business about the academic pursuits of their players. Steve Alford is in his first year as head coach of the New Mexico men???s basketball program, and as much as he wants to see the Lobos win on the court, he wants to see his guys succeed in the classroom. The NCAA???s reform metrics (Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate) have revealed academic struggles with the program and Alford is well aware that New Mexico could lose scholarships because of its checkered past. New Mexico Athletics Director Paul Krebs voiced his support for Alford in Tuesday???s Albuquerque Journal: ???We're very pleased with Steve and his staff, not only in recruiting and how they manage the program, but their focus on academics. We have a long way to go, Coach Alford is fully aware of that, where (academics) become a strength rather than a liability." Before Alford has coached his first game, he has already made a positive impact on the New Mexico program ??? the NCAA???s academic reform initiatives were instituted to change behavior, and this is a prime example of how well they can work.

Textbook scandal. Alabama is investigating a potential textbook scandal among scholarship student-athletes at the university. Five football players were suspended from last Saturday???s game against Tennessee for violating NCAA rules covering free books given to them for their own coursework. Scholarship student-athletes often receive a textbook stipend as part of their financial aid package, and apparently, some at Alabama may have been selling the free books to make extra money.

Bryant goes DI. Bryant has accepted an invitation to join the Northeast Conference, an 11-member Division I conference. The university had already filed with the NCAA and is currently in its first year of a five-year transition period for full Division I membership. During its summer meeting, the NCAA???s Division I Board of Directors issued a four-year moratorium on schools applying for a move to Division I. Bryant applied before the moratorium was put into effect, however, and is slated to be a full-fledged Division I member in the fall of 2012.

Historic victory. Williams beat Tufts on the gridiron Saturday, 34-13, and notched the 600th victory in program history. Juniors Brian Morrissey and Ryan Powell each scored a pair of touchdowns for the Ephs, who improved to 3-2 overall. Williams is now 600-341-47 during its 122-year football history, and becomes the fifth Division III program with 600 wins.

Duke's Abby Waner weighs in on all things Blue Devil.

Hello to all Blue Devils and Blue Devils fans!

November 11 is only two and half weeks away, and if you are even half as excited as we are to get the season started, then I understand the anxiousness you are living with right now! Here is a quick update on the Duke Women???s Basketball end.

Harvard basketball senior Evan Harris discusses the upcoming season.

What do I have in common with Carl Ehrlich, Gilbert Arenas, Jessica Knox and Paul Shirley (other than a passion for basketball, the God-given talent to lead our respective teams to victory and in Carl???s case rugged good looks)? We are all bloggers; I still don???t know exactly what that means, but this is my best shot at joining this elite company of Internet journalists.

Our season is just getting underway. Our first official practice was at 7 p.m. on October 12. No ???Midnight Madness,??? no frills; just 15 players, four coaches, and three managers working towards an Ivy League championship. Although our first practice was just seven days ago, we have been working since the first day we all were together on campus. Whether it was lifting several times a week, individual workouts first thing in the morning, or the ???separator??? test, every one of us has put our blood, sweat - and in some people???s case - tears into preparation for this season.

Fire rages on. Nearly one million people have had to evacuate their homes in Southern California due to the wildfires that are terrorizing the region. Pepperdine???s Malibu campus is schedule to reopen today, but San Diego State and UC San Diego have cancelled classes and shut down their campuses for the rest of the week, as smoke inhalation can cause breathing problems and other health issues. San Diego State and BYU have postponed Saturday night???s football game until December 1.

Not so fair. You may have caught wind of the blown call in last week???s football game between Louisville and Connecticut. With Louisville ahead, 7-0, Cory Goettsche punted to UConn???s Larry Taylor, who signaled for a fair catch. After catching the punt, Taylor ran 74 yards unscathed for a touchdown, as the referees didn???t blow the play dead after he received the ball. Despite spirited protests from Louisville head coach Steve Kragthorpe, the touchdown held up, mostly because fair catches aren???t reviewable under the NCAA???s instant replay rules. The NCAA also doesn???t allow a runner ruled down by contact to be reviewed for fumble because you can???t predict what would have happened had the call been made correctly. There is some discussion about making a change to that rule, as the NFL does allow review if there is immediate recovery of the ball. There doesn???t seem to be much question that the referee mucked this call ??? Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese stated that it was a ???terrible mistake??? and reprimanded the official. UConn went on to win the game, 21-17.

Arrest in Pittsburgh. It???s been a year since five Duquesne basketball players were shot on their way back from a school dance. While we haven???t spent time talking about the horrific event lately, rest assured it???s still fresh in the minds of those involved. One of the two men accused in the shooting pled guilty yesterday to attempted homicide and will serve between seven and 14 years in prison. Three of the five players shot ??? Shawn James, Kojo Mensah and Aaron Jackson ??? have recovered and will be in uniform for the team???s first game this season. Sam Ashaolu, who was hit twice in the head, expects to be back next year.

Have you ever wondered how NCAA rules are made? While legislation in all three divisions is proposed and passed by representatives from NCAA member institutions, the process differs between Division I and Divisions II and III.

On this week???s 3-Minute Drill, Atlantic-10 Associate Commissioner and Division I Management Council Chair Jackie Campbell tells us about the override procedures recently enacted for three proposals in Division I. NCAA Director of Governance, Membership, Education and Research Services Delise O???Meally also fills us in on the differences between the three divisions.

Mount Olive senior Sam Mitchell has excelled in the classroom and on the volleyball court since she arrived on campus. In her first post for the Double-A Zone, Mitchell lets us know how she fell in love with a school 22 hours away from home.

Hello Double-A Zone readers! My name is Samantha Mitchell and I am a senior at Mount Olive College in Mount Olive, N.C. This is the home of Mt. Olive Pickle Company, making Mount Olive the unofficial ???Pickle Capital??? of the world! So you may be asking how a girl from Wisconsin wound up attending a college in Eastern North Carolina!

I grew up in Boyd, Wis., a small town of 680 people. I grew up in a wonderful Christian family with my parents Monte and Jill, and my three beautiful sisters. I was a tomboy growing up (everybody calls me ???Sam???) and was always involved with sports. I was daddy???s little girl because I was the closest to a boy he was ever going to get!

Icing that???s not on your cake. The game-winning field goal attempt is one of the most exciting moments in football, and recently, the moment has become longer than ever before. Coaches have always used timeouts to ice kickers before the big moment, but now, the strategy has evolved to a new level. In an effort to aid clock management, the NFL and NCAA allow coaches to call timeouts from the sidelines. The result has been disastrous for kickers, many of whom have had to attempt two game-winning kicks as coaches whisper timeout in the sideline official???s ear right before the ball is snapped. The kicker usually doesn???t get the memo in time and the play happens despite the fact that it doesn???t count. Everything has to happen a second time, and kickers are not happy about the tactic. I tend to agree with the strong-footed species ??? there seems to be a complete lack of sportsmanship and respect. Coaches are well within the rules to call last-second timeouts, but there???s something that just doesn???t feel right about the new way to ice kickers. Do you agree, or is all fair in love and football?

NIT says YES to more hoops. Beginning next fall, the NIT Season Tip-Off will guarantee four games to each member of its 16-team field. First- and second-round games will continue to be hosted at four campus sites, and the four winners will continue to meet in New York???s Madison Square Garden over the Thanksgiving holiday. In the past, the 12 teams that didn???t advance to the Garden would move on to the remainder of their schedules, but that won???t be the case in 2008. Those dozen squads will play third- and fourth-round games on three campus sites; teams in the bracket won???t play each other twice. The NIT has evolved significantly in the last three years and this is the latest in a long line of excellent enhancements. If you???re a team that loses in one of the first two rounds, why wouldn???t you want to get two more games like the winners?

En Español. If you???re a prospective student-athlete, the NCAA???s Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete is a remarkable resource. The guide, which helps prospects and their families understand the rules of the road, will be published in Spanish for the first time this year.

Home to one of the most successful athletics departments in the country, it won???t come as much of a surprise that Texas spends megabucks on its intercollegiate athletics program. The university has one of the lone departments to actually turn a profit in the expensive world of college sports.

A recent package in the Austin American-Statesman discussed the finances of Texas athletics, reporting that the department will spend more than $100 million during this academic year, more than twice its expenses of just six years ago. The university spends more than $200,000 to support each of its student-athletes.

On today???s edition of Mondays With Myles, NCAA President Myles Brand discusses the rate of growth in intercollegiate athletics and explains the economics of college sports.

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Another exceptional NCAA intern will be joining the Double-A Zone as a frequent contributor. In his initial post, Michael Fly, who works with the Corporate and Broadcast Alliances staff, addresses why there isn???t a playoff in college football???s highest division. He also addresses some of the misconceptions he had about the NCAA before he headed to Indianapolis.

As a child, growing up in the Bluegrass state, the first connection I remember having to the NCAA was the 1992 NCAA Basketball Tournament. I fell in love with college sports as a nine year old after watching my beloved Wildcats come within one Christian Laettner shot of making the Final Four. I can still remember the tears running down my face as Duke ran off the court in celebration, but more lasting than my tears was the idea that the NCAA would forever be linked in my mind to emotion, hope, and the idea that every team, even one with improbable odds, had the chance to compete for a championship.

After letting my blue and white heart heal, I turned my attention to football season to see what the NCAA had in store for me in the fall. It only seemed logical to me that if the NCAA was responsible for such an amazing basketball tournament, football season would be just as exciting. Imagine my confusion and disappointment when the 1992 Kentucky football team went 4-7 and was not invited to a bowl game, much less a chance to play for a national title.

Though it was a tough lesson, I was even more confused in 1997 when Michigan and Nebraska won the national championship. The shared national title was the last straw for me and I decided I was fed up with the NCAA. Why would it do such a great job with the Division I Men???s Basketball Tournament and let football fall by the wayside? How could the NCAA allow the dreams of fans and teams around the country to be crushed each Saturday if their team lost one game or did not play in a power conference?

As a current NCAA employee, I now know how misguided I was to be angry at the NCAA for all of those years. However, after reading in Thursday???s New Haven Register that Dr. Myles Brand felt the need to clear up any misconceptions about the NCAA???s involvement with the FBS football postseason, it made me question whether the general public understands or still views postseason football as I did as a nine-year-old.

Father assaults coach. Little league fields should be a safe place for kids to play, an escape from all of the challenges that accompany childhood and adolescence. Last week, in my old stomping grounds of Queens, a coach benched an 11-year-old player for his constant use of profanities during batting practice. After the reprimand, the child called his father, who drove to the field with his brother, and proceeded to beat the coach into the hospital. The Bellmore Lightning coach suffered a concussion, neck and back injuries in the assault. Despite being pummeled by the two men, the coach refused to lift his own hands, choosing instead to set an example for his players. On this particular afternoon, the safe haven of the baseball field was compromised and became a threatening environment for a bunch of 11-year-old kids. There is no excuse for that. If this is the type of behavior a father condones, are we really surprised when his kid curses like a sailor? Unfortunately, the child is the one to lose out, as he will not return to his baseball team this fall.

Academics first. On Friday, Georgia Director of Athletics Damon Evans spoke with us about a class attendance policy for student-athletes and discussed the decision to suspend three men???s basketball players a total of 30 games for failed compliance. Last week, Stanford followed Evans??? example and suspended sophomore Brook Lopez indefinitely. Lopez, who was already academically ineligible, decided it was acceptable to miss a few classes last week and the Cardinal decided his priorities were in the wrong places. Instead of being able to practice with the team, Lopez has been freed of his athletics responsibilities so that he can get his academic ducks in a row. Schools are taking a firm stance about the importance of education for their student-athletes and that can only mean positive things for intercollegiate athletics.

Weekend football updates. USC had a bumpy plane ride to South Bend on Friday, but the Trojans came out strong on Saturday, shutting out Notre Dame, 38-0. Backup quarterback Mark Sanchez threw four touchdowns in place of the injured John David Booty ??? Homecoming was spoiled in College Park, as a late Virginia score stopped Maryland, 18-17 ??? Grand Valley State won its 35th straight game to set a Division II record for most consecutive victories. The Lakers beat Northwood on Saturday, 51-20, as quarterback Brad Iciek threw for 403 yards ??? Fifth-ranked Capital lost for only the second time in 33 games, as Otterbein beat its cross-town rival, 17-10 ??? Mary Hardin-Baylor had four touchdown runs of 75 yards or longer in a 69-30 win over Mississippi College. Jarvis Thrasher ran for 324 yards and four touchdowns.

Harvard senior basketball player Jessica Knox counts down the 26 days left before the Crimson's first game of the season.

26 days. 26 days until our first game. 25 days of practice. 24 days of running sprints for losing competitions or missing shooting goals???what Coach Delany-Smith likes to call ???extra conditioning opportunities??? (we try not to miss). These are the days that seem like they???ll never end. Practice goes for two-and-a-half hours, with long lifts in addition on some days. Non-stop drilling, and 5-on-0 plays; early morning individual workouts, and practices all weekend. Oh, when will the games start? 26 days.

Last week, Duke women???s soccer player Allison Lipsher shared some thoughts from the road.

After a long string of home games, DWS [Duke women???s soccer] is back on the road and back to our usual antics. Of course no trip would be complete without some sort of airport trouble and this past weekend???s trip to Boston College proved to be no different.

One of the most progressive directors of athletics in the country, Georgia???s Damon Evans has made news recently for taking a hard-line stance on the academic progress of his student-athletes. Evans recently instituted an attendance policy for all Georgia student-athletes and actually fines them when they have unexcused absences. This week, Georgia suspended three men???s basketball players a total of 30 games for failing to adhere to that policy.

Each of the players is academically eligible to compete, as they still meet minimum NCAA and university standards, but Evans doesn???t want his student-athletes coasting along. He wants them to go to class. On today???s Campus Connection, Evans discusses the policy and says wins aren???t as important as the education Georgia???s student-athletes should be receiving.

Four months have already passed during my intern experience with the NCAA. Can you believe how time flies? Still a rookie, I???ve endured many trials, triumphs and touchstones, but last weekend I experienced a definite highlight at the 2007 National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) National Convention. The convention was held October 6-9 in St. Petersburg, Florida. I sheepishly admit that I was initially attracted to this professional development excursion because of the tropical location, but the NACWAA National Convention transcended every expectation-- palm trees, ocean breeze and all.

Get your popcorn ready. What are you doing around 8 p.m. Eastern time? How about finding a television with CSTV and tuning in to watch one of the greatest college football players of this era? On tonight???s nationally televised game between Chadron State and Nebraska-Kearney, NCAA all-time leading rusher Danny Woodhead will lead the 7-0 Eagles against the 4-2 Lopers. There are a couple of things to know before getting the kernels going:

??? Woodhead has rushed for 1,219 yards and 16 touchdowns in the first seven games of the year. He also leads the team with 366 receiving yards.
??? There aren???t any seats remaining for the game; the only way to get in is to purchase a standing-room only ticket.
??? Chadron State is ranked third in the Division II standings.
??? The Eagles won last year???s game 31-12, as Woodhead ran for 282 yards and three touchdowns.

Tonight???s broadcast is due to a partnership between the NCAA and CSTV, which also work together to use broadband technology to stream live football games on the Internet each Saturday. The partnership, which also included men???s and women???s basketball last season, will expand tomorrow night with the first volleyball broadband match, played between last year???s national championship match participants, North Alabama and Tampa.

Community service on campus. Kentucky students will dribble a basketball from Lexington???s Central Bank this morning, taking it all the way to the edge of Fayette County. On Friday, the ball will be passed to Louisville students, who will dribble the ball through Jefferson County. All participants will wear t-shirts that say ???Score One for the Kids.??? The event will raise funds for the Kentucky Children???s Hospital and the Daniel Pitino Foundation ??? On Sunday, the men???s soccer and women???s volleyball teams at Franklin Pierce participated in the American Cancer Society???s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk along the Charles River in Boston. The volleyball squad will also raise money as part of the ???Dig For a Cure??? campaign at its home finale later this month ??? Four Aurora students, including women???s soccer player Stephanie Walker, served as first-aid volunteers at the Chicago Marathon earlier this month ??? Last week, the Lawrence men???s basketball team spent the day building a house with Habitat for Humanity.

Many folks at Oregon are devastated that the university???s wrestling program will be discontinued following this season. The heartache is understandable ??? nobody likes to see opportunities diminished for student-athletes.

In today???s Oregon Daily Emerald, Robert Husseman offers an argument that the transition of women???s rugby from club to varsity status would not only help the university become a national leader in that sport, but would aid in Title IX compliance.

I am of the belief that no school should ever use Title IX as a reason for eliminating a sport. If budgetary reasons are to blame, that???s completely different. In Oregon???s case, it???s estimated that the addition of baseball and competitive cheer programs will add about $300,000 to the annual budget.

Husseman suggests that a self-sufficient athletics program could afford to move its club program to varsity status and keep the wrestling program going. I???m not privy to accounting information in Eugene, so I don???t know if this is realistic.

What I do know, is that Husseman has the right thinking in mind. He wants to see the university add more opportunities, not subtract them. He figures that if Oregon wanted to add baseball, it should have done it, but not at the expense of wrestling. Instead, he says, add women???s rugby to the mix. Not only is it an exciting sport, but rugby is similar to football in that it accommodates and requires a large number of participants. More opportunities? No problem.

With four varsity programs out there, Oregon could continue a trend that might bring us closer to an 89th NCAA championship.

Chief Wahoo is offensive. During last night???s game between the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians, I was reading a live chat on ESPN.com. Rob Neyer, the host of the conversation, was asked by a fan if he thought Cleveland mascot Chief Wahoo offended Boston???s Jacoby Ellsbury, who is of Native American descent. Neyer answered well ??? stating that he was sure Ellsbury found the mascot offensive but that he was likely not concerned about it during the game. I wasn???t playing last night so I had time to think about Chief Wahoo, and although I???m not of Native American descent, was more than offended. A truly distorted characterization of Native American people, Chief Wahoo does nothing to honor the culture or traditions of the group, instead serving to marginalize them. Whether or not you agree with the NCAA???s policy that restricts the use of Native American mascots, nicknames and imagery, most reasonable people will probably agree there is nothing valuable or respectful about Cleveland???s mascot. This morning, when I started surfing around the Web to see what was happening in the world of sports, I found one of the most despicable fan photos I???ve ever seen. Although it???s offensive, I felt compelled to include it in this post to provide some context. Most individuals wouldn???t want their culture mocked by a mascot in this fashion. Would you?

Do you have eligibility remaining? In Monday???s Morning Coffee, we discussed Mike Flynt, the 59-year-old grandfather who plays football for Sul Ross State. Flynt began his college career more than 40 years ago, but after being kicked out of school as a senior, never finished his eligibility. In a comment on the post, one reader asked why Flynt was able to complete his eligibility four decades later. It???s a great question. Sul Ross State is a Division III institution, and Divisions II and III have a 10-semester/15 quarter rule that permits student-athletes to leave school and continue their playing careers upon their return. Division I, on the other hand, employs a five-year eligibility clock that runs out five years after the date of enrollment in the institution. Therefore, if Flynt had played three years at Florida State and left for twenty years, he couldn???t have come back to play his fourth season, as his eligibility would already have been exhausted.

Can you Woo Woo? Cheerleading is very much a part of the intercollegiate athletics landscape. Virginia State sports information intern Bianca Warren recently wrote a nice piece about junior Candace Hankins and the rest of the Woo Woo???s.

North Carolina sophomore Danielle Forword teaches us another lesson about field hockey and intercollegiate athletics.

Emotions of excitement, reminiscence and sadness filled the Tar Heel locker room on Senior Day, a game against Radford on Oct. 7. An amazing senior class of seven, consisting of Miss Authentic, Miss Intensity, Miss Leadership, Miss Tenacious, Miss Humor, Miss Love and Miss Kindness create a perfect mix of role models, friends, leaders and teammates.

The rest of the team turned the locker room into a bundle of streamers, balloons, posters, photographs and memories, a ritual that has been carried out for many years. The seniors were honored for their dedication and love for Carolina field hockey. I speak on behalf of the team when I say a sense of pride and awe filled our hearts when looking at our seven seniors who have all achieved, given and done so much. Whilst standing there holding back the teardrops, I had to remind myself that it may be the end of our intertwining hockey careers but it???s the beginning of another chapter of friendship. The amazing thing about our family is that no matter how far or how long it has been, we always reunite and rekindle those friendships and memories that were made.

Historic win. What a run the Colorado Rockies are having. First, the Rockies won 13 of 14 games to force a one-game playoff with the San Diego Padres to determine which team would win the National League Wild Card. The Rockies won the playoff, went on to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies in the Divisional Series, and last night, finished a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the League Championship Series. The Rockies have now won 21 of their last 22 games and have earned their first-ever berth in the World Series. I???m not sure I can remember a streak quite like this one before. Grand Valley State won its 34th straight football game on Saturday to tie a Division II record ??? is that as impressive? Oklahoma???s football team won 47 straight games between 1953-57 ??? will that streak ever be touched? Of course, UCLA???s men???s basketball team won 88 straight games from 1971-74. Cael Sanderson won 159 matches and lost none during his college wrestling career. Where do those stack up? Remember, Colorado has only been around for 15 years, breaking in as a franchise in 1993. On the current college landscape, South Florida???s football program is in only its 11th season, yet the Bulls are ranked second in the nation and could earn a shot at a national title if they run the table. I offer some of these comparisons as a means of debate ??? where does this Colorado run stack up? How great is it?

Tough loss. It was tough to hear about the death of Alec Kessler last week, as the former Georgia basketball standout died of an apparent heart attack while playing in a charity game. Kessler, who spent four years playing in the NBA, was a role model for all student-athletes during his college days. After graduating with a 3.9 GPA and a degree in microbiology, Kessler later graduated from the Emory University School of Medicine and became an orthopedic surgeon. In his blog post on the topic, Marc Isenberg said it well: ???Charles Barkley and others like to remind us that kids have a far better chance to grow up to become doctors than NBA players. Alec Kessler beat incredibly long odds. Twice.??? Kessler did it all during his 40 years and it???s a shame he had to go so soon.

Trouble, trouble. Kelvin Sampson is in trouble again. The Indiana basketball coach apparently violated the one-year penalty that had been imposed for previous recruiting violations and now will pay the price for his dubious behavior. I???m not quite sure how this could have happened. Why would Sampson have participated in recruiting calls when he knew he wasn???t supposed to do that? Doesn???t he recognize the rules apply to him? It???s been a rough start for Sampson in Bloomington, and if he doesn???t begin to follow the rules, it could be an early finish.

On the heels of Mike Gundy's protective rant in Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago, I felt compelled to engage NCAA President Myles Brand on the issue. Although Dr. Brand couldn't discuss the specifics of that instance on his weekly podcast, he did comment on the differences between college and professional athletes and how they are treated by the media.

Listen to Mondays With Myles

Getting tough in Athens. Georgia Athletics Director Damon Evans and his staff mean business. Last January, Evans instituted an attendance policy that brought fines and game suspensions for unexcused class absences. The new policy was developed in an effort to boost graduation rates of student-athletes and ensure that degrees are truly earned. On Thursday, three Georgia men???s basketball players, including the team???s two returning leading scorers, were suspended for a combined 30 games for violating the class attendance policy. Although the players are still academically eligible to compete, Evans and head coach Dennis Felton have imposed more stringent penalties, and have decided wins aren???t as important as academic success and integrity.

Burning couches? I couldn???t take my eyes off the television screen on Saturday night, as Kentucky pulled off a huge upset over top-ranked LSU in triple overtime, 43-37. Traditionally a basketball power, the Wildcats have cemented their position among the nation???s football elite this fall, improving to 6-1 and moving up to eighth in the Associated Press poll. Folks are pumped up in Lexington, and it has as much to do with the gridiron as with Friday???s Midnight Madness that marked the start of official basketball practice. It???s exciting that October has new meaning in Kentucky, but at least 22 arrests Saturday night should not have been part of the celebration. Most people were arrested for disorderly contact and alcohol intoxication, but others were sent to jail for their part in lighting couches on fire. Somewhere along the line, I missed the part where setting upholstery on fire was a good idea and a mark of celebration. When people woke up Sunday morning, were they still happy about the win, or ticked off that they had nowhere to sit? I???ve never understood destructive celebrations, and this one seems to make absolutely no sense at all. Why tear down goal posts? Why flip over cars? What???s the root cause of this destructive behavior and how do you stop it?

59 and fabulous. Mike Flynt helped Sul Ross State win in triple-overtime on Saturday night, as the Lobos beat Texas Lutheran, 45-42. The 59-year-old Flynt played his first college game in 37 years and was on the field for nine snaps ??? all of them meaningful. If you thought Flynt???s return to school was a joke, think again. No coach in his or her right mind would put a player in during overtime as a gimmick. Flynt is good enough to help the Lobos win, and he did just that on Saturday. Although he???s been injured for most of the season, Flynt expects to play in each of the team???s final four games, making history each time he steps on the field.

Football updates. The Bowl Championship Series standings are out and if the season ended today, South Florida would take on Ohio State in the national championship game. We???re only halfway through the regular season, but can you believe that South Florida is in the national title mix? The Bulls earned their sixth win of the year on Saturday with an impressive 64-12 victory over Central Florida ??? Boise State and Nevada combined for 136 points on Sunday night, as the Broncos won in four overtimes, 69-67. Ian Johnson carried 28 times for 205 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown. The 136 points are the most scored in a Football Bowl Subdivision game since 1937, when official record-keeping began ??? Grand Valley State wasn???t at its best Saturday night, but the two-time defending national champion tied the Division II record with its 34th straight win, beating Indianapolis, 41-17. With a win next week, the Lakers will eclipse the streak set by Hillsdale from 1954-57 ??? Trailing 35-13 in the second quarter, Catawba rallied to beat Carson-Newman, 55-49 ??? John Gagliardi snagged his 450th career win, as St. John???s (Minnesota) dominated Gustavus Adolphus, 40-0.

Taylor Rochestie will be an integral part of the Washington State basketball team this winter, and is slated to spend his junior year as a starting guard.

Because the Cougars had all of their scholarships committed for the 2008-09 season, Rochestie volunteered to give up his own scholarship in order for the program to sign highly-touted recruit Marcus Capers.

Rochestie is giving up his scholarship because his family can afford to pay his tuition to attend Washington State next year. With the Cougars going 26-8 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament last year, Rochestie figures this is a way to give back to the program and help keep it among the nation???s elite for years to come.

This is a selfless act and certainly benefits Capers and the Washington State community. Whether or not Rochestie and his family can afford the $25,000 for tuition is largely irrelevant ??? they are still parting with a large sum of money for the benefit of others. The act is generous and should be loudly applauded.

The larger issue that is raised, however, is whether coaches would ever take advantage of financially-privileged recruits and encourage them to pay their own way for the ???greater good??? of the program. In my opinion, it would be a highly unethical recruiting strategy, and I don???t actually think it would happen. What do you think? Could coaches use well-off recruits to help chase national championships?

Decorum matters. There will be higher expectations for the behavior of basketball coaches and student-athletes this season, as a new initiative endorsed by the NCAA, the Collegiate Commissioners Association, the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Women???s Basketball Coaches Association will crack down on inappropriate on-court antics. Officials have been asked to strictly enforce bench-decorum rules and will assess direct technical fouls without warning for any misstep by coaches or players. With kids emulating their college heroes, it???s nice to see the college basketball community putting extra emphasis on sportsmanship.

On a Rolle. With the recent academic fraud scandal surfacing at Florida State, it seems like a good time to laud one of the student-athletes who is taking advantage of his educational opportunities at the university. One of the top defensive backs in the nation, Myron Rolle has made his mark both on the field and off at Florida State. He???s on track to graduate next August, although he will still have two years of eligibility remaining, and hopes to go to medical school when he is done playing. Oh yeah, Rolle is vice-president of the school???s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has dreams of becoming a Rhodes Scholar. Florida State Head Coach Bobby Bowden says: ???"He's the poster boy for what you'd like a college student-athlete to be. If all of your players were like him, coaches wouldn't have a lot of worries." A true role model for aspiring student-athletes, Rolle spent part of last summer studying in London.

NCAA News updates. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has named a mentoring award after Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball. The first winner of the Selig Mentoring Award will be announced later this month ??? The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics is conducting a summit Monday in Washington, D.C. The objective of the summit is to discuss faculty perceptions of intercollegiate athletics ??? Conversations have been taking place for some time about the possible creation of a Division IV. The issue will be discussed more fully during an Association-wide forum at the 2008 NCAA Convention in Nashville this January ??? The NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced October 27 at the awards dinner in Indianapolis. In the recent edition of The NCAA News, Michelle Hosick provides some history on the prestigious honor.

The excitement at Chadron State has reached an all-time high in the last week, as football standout Danny Woodhead broke the all-time NCAA rushing record with his performance against Western New Mexico on Saturday. On today???s Campus Connection, we touch base with former Chadron State football coach and current Director of Athletics Brad Smith, who lets us know what intercollegiate athletics means to the Nebraska campus.

Harvard football student-athlete Carl Ehrlich tips his helmet to teammate John Hopkins.

My name is Carl Ehrlich and I???m a junior and a defensive tackle on the Harvard Crimson football team. I???m still getting used to the concept of being a ???blogger??? and accepting the inevitable ridicule that comes with it from my teammates. I hesitated taking on the role as ???blogger liaison??? for the football team, because it???s such a unit-driven program. It seems odd for one person to write and try to accurately describe all his teammates. I???ll try my best to write entries that the entire team would agree with, and if I fail, I???m sure they???ll let me know about it.

Money can wait. When standout student-athletes have an opportunity to move on to participate in professional sports, they generally don???t hesitate to leave school early. The allure of six- and seven-figure salaries is just too great, and school and intercollegiate athletics are usually left behind. There are exceptions to every rule, however, and friend of the Double-A Zone Patrick Miller provides a perfect example in his recent article about four North Dakota hockey student-athletes. After seeing their hockey team fall in the national semifinals in April, North Dakota fans expected a mass exodus of players to the National Hockey League. It didn???t happen. Looking for a third consecutive trip to the Frozen Four and a first national championship, superstars Ryan Duncan, T.J. Oshie, Taylor Chorney and Joe Finley elected to return to Grand Forks instead of leaving for the bright lights of the National Hockey League. Each could be gearing up for their first full professional seasons right now, but they are still balancing classes and hockey practice in the university setting. Each member of the quartet returned to school for his own reasons, but there???s no doubt that leaving dollars on the table is not an easy thing to do. It???s refreshing to see student-athletes pining after a national championship and in no rush to grow up. It will be interesting to watch North Dakota???s results this season, but with much of last year???s roster still intact, expectations are high for the nation???s preseason No. 1.

Protecting student-athletes. After reading our post about the deadly heat during the Chicago Marathon, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Commissioner Chris Martin sent a note to let us know about an important initiative in his league. In August 2005, CCIW institution Illinois Wesleyan lost one of its football players to a heat-related illness suffered during a preseason football practice. Although it wasn???t the sole reason for future discussion on the issue, the tragedy made the presidents and chancellors of the conference institutions aware that something should be done to protect current and future student-athletes. Last spring, the CEOs created a conference-wide Heat Task Force made up of athletics directors, senior woman administrators, athletic trainers and others athletics administrators to discuss the pressing issues. The group created a Heat Illness Protocol that was put into place for football and soccer this fall. The new set of guidelines states that ???intercollegiate competition occurring during extreme heat conditions shall include mandatory hydration/cooling breaks at specified times in the sports of football and men???s and women???s soccer.??? The CCIW has put student-athlete welfare at the forefront of its thinking and should be commended for doing everything possible to prevent another devastating casualty.

Should Marion Jones??? relay teammates from the 2000 Olympic Games have to give up their medals because of her recently admitted steroid use? For some it may seem a harsh punishment for athletes who had nothing to do with the choices Jones made; for others, one ineligible athlete should signal immediate disqualification for the entire team. This is a contentious issue that is currently being discussed among representatives of the International Olympic Committee.

We all have conversations in our heads, so I figured I might as well make mine public, as I had an interesting one with myself about this very topic. For clarity, I will call one of the voices Bosh.

Josh: It really stinks that Marion Jones??? teammates might have to give up their medals. They spent their whole lives training for the Olympics and after achieving their dreams, may have to part with their success for the indiscretions of one? That???s just not fair.

Bosh: It may not be fair, but is there really a way around it? Jones was juiced up. If she had been clean, would the team still have won a medal? Her performance impacted the results; you can???t assume it would have happened without her.

Josh: But this is seven years ago. Does it really matter if her clean teammates part with their medals? What harm does it do to leave them as Olympic winners?

Bosh: It???s about the integrity of the event, the integrity of competition. Jones cheated, and by relation, her teammates cheated as well.

Josh: I don???t know if I can get there. Your words make sense, but it just doesn???t seem right. What if you were on the team? You had done everything asked of you, and done it right for years, and now something you had no control over ruins everything. How is that appropriate?

Bosh: I would be angry and disappointed, but cheating is cheating. If one member of a team isn???t eligible and competes, the entire team should be out.

Josh: This isn???t the only instance of forfeiting medals or victories. We???ve seen this at the college level, as teams have competed with ineligible players and had to vacate wins years later. I hate when that happens too. Why should an innocent backup linebacker have to give up a bowl victory because of the indiscretions of another player?

Bosh: This isn???t a fun thing. Nobody smiles when it happens, but what other way is there to prevent it from happening in the future? Taking away medals or victories is harsh. Others may stay within the rules in order to make sure that doesn???t happen to them.

Josh: I don???t think we???re going to agree on this one. There has to be some compassion for the innocent.

Bosh: You were always a bit more sensitive than me, but I do understand where you???re coming from. There???s no doubt about it ??? it???s a tough situation.

Josh: Thanks for chatting it out.

Bosh: I???m always here.

Shameful act. Rivalries are part of intercollegiate athletics and that???s much of what makes the enterprise so special. Too often, it seems, fans are crossing the line of what???s actually appropriate within the landscape. We???ve established that it???s not right for fans to shout negative and harassing things at opposing players from the stands, but some Texas Tech students stooped to a new low this week. With Saturday???s football game between the Red Raiders and rival Texas A&M rapidly approaching, members of a fraternity did their best to make a buck off grotesque references to the Michael Vick proceedings. On the front, the t-shirt says ???VICK ???EM???; on the back, a football player wearing a Vick jersey is holding a rope with an image of the Texas A&M mascot at the end of a noose. The Texas Tech fraternity responsible for the t-shirts has been suspended indefinitely by the university and the t-shirts will not be sold before Saturday???s game on the campus. Texas Tech acted swiftly to remedy the situation, but we still have to wonder ??? what were these kids thinking? When would it ever be appropriate, funny or a remotely good idea to design something in such poor taste? It goes against the spirit of rivalries and the nature of competition.

Community service on campus. James Madison???s student-athletes hosted ???A Day With the Dukes??? last month, a special program for Special Olympians. The Olympians attended a basketball scrimmage, volleyball match, football game and toured athletics facilities ??? Harvard???s wrestling team participated in the university???s Day of Service on September 29. Every member of the wrestling team participated in the event ??? many volunteering at a local Boys and Girls Club while others organized activities for children during the Chinatown Field Day for Youth program. Other wrestlers helped clean the banks of the Charles River and some planted flowers and picked weeds at a rundown house in Boston ??? Last Saturday, the Tusculum women???s volleyball program hosted its second ???Dig For The Cure??? Day during a match with Brevard. The Pioneers raised more than $1,500 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, as both teams collected pledges from sponsors per dig registered during the match. Tusculum is one of 42 institutions that have dedicated a home match to raising money for breast cancer research this season ??? On Friday, members of the Sewanee women???s basketball team spent several hours participating in a local Habitat for Humanity build.

Concession geniuses. This summer, we discussed the deliciousness associated with a cheeseburger served between two halves of a jelly donut. While surfing the Web last night, I stumbled upon what may be the next great concession stand innovation to hit stadiums and arenas across the country ??? the french-fry covered hot dog. It???s already hit the streets in Seoul, South Korea, so hopefully it won???t be long before we???re chowing down on this piece of heaven during the seventh-inning stretch.

The Black Coaches??? Association released its annual hiring report card on Tuesday, and the results weren???t anything to cheer about. Although the 11 schools that received ???A??? grades for their hiring practices was a record high, the 10 that received failing marks also set a new, less appealing precedent.

There were 33 coaches hired by football programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision since the end of last season. Only two minority coaches were hired to fill those vacancies ??? Randy Shannon (Miami) and Mario Cristobal (Florida International). Top marks are not reserved for institutions that hire ethnic minorities, but will be given to schools that demonstrate fair and diverse hiring practices for all individuals.

Currently, there are seven coaches of color at FBS institutions and five at FCS schools. That???s not a good number considering how many vacancies there have been over the past couple of years. While the results aren???t exactly thrilling, it???s certainly positive that the conversations continue to happen surrounding the diversity issues in intercollegiate athletics.

One of the best Division III programs in the country, the Washington University in St Louis men's basketball team went 25-5 last season and advanced to the national semifinals. Troy Ruths led the Bears with 19.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game as a junior, and as he gears up for his final go-around in a college uniform, Troy has decided to join us on the Double-A Zone.

Right now I'm about at sunset, with one glorious last spectacle before I fizzle into the post-athletic abyss we like to call "the rest of our lives." Well, at least I hope it's glorious. There are a ton of seniors, no doubt, entering their last season with the same anticipation with which I charge into mine. I'm sure they all want their senior season to be legendary, but only a few will actually achieve a championship berth. The pressure to perform as a senior surely comes down to the fact that it is the ultimate season - there isn't a subsequent year to make up for last year's failures or to build on last year's achievements. This is it.

During a basketball game there is a period when opposites exist, and each of these opposites counteract each other, for instance a steal and a turnover, or letting your defender score and scoring yourself. However, once there are about five minutes left in a close game, opposites no longer apply. There isn't enough time to rely on opposites to mediate the game - each action in the last minutes has a resounding effect on the outcome. It's the same with a senior year. Opposites no longer apply. There are no more re-dos. This is it.

I guess this leads in well to why I like DIII sports. There still exists a strong sense of competition, but how much or how little you achieve largely depends on what you're willing to put in. Since there are lots of rules tying the coaches' hands especially in the off-season, it's up to the player to choose how much they want to improve. This means that the personal and also team goals for my senior season are largely set by myself, which takes pressure off since I am the one setting the expectations. Don't get me wrong - the coaches definitely have their own expectations, but in the end I am the one responsible for my preparation and therefore performance.

Division III also caters more to the student in the student-athlete. This means that the aforementioned "rest of our lives" won't be the abyss it is feared to be. In fact, with more time developing the degree and education, I'm going to be far better off in my job than I ever was as an athlete.

So to all those seniors out there - we've got one good one left. Let's make the most of it.

What do you think? On the heels of Danny Woodhead breaking the all-time NCAA rushing record last weekend, I thought it would be interesting to debate the most impressive feats in intercollegiate athletics. Is running for 7,500 yards in a career more impressive than hitting in 60 consecutive games? Is scoring 1,000 points in a basketball season on par with rolling a 300 in bowling? Let us know what you think in our latest Double-A Poll and share some thoughts with us here as we debate this interesting topic.

Why we love college sports. My morning coffee may not do the trick this Tuesday, as my slow start cannot be mended by caffeine. I stayed up late last night, watching my beloved New York Yankees and their $200 million payroll falter against the boys from Cleveland. After turning off the television, I proceeded to toss and turn for a while, replaying the game in my head. While Tony Gwynn, Bob Brenly and the fluorescently-attired Craig Sager discussed the potential dismantling of the Yankee roster in the off-season, I couldn???t help shaking my head at the philosophy of professional sports. In college, education rules the landscape, and for the most part, kids come to school, go to class, play four years of athletics, graduate and move on to the workforce. When we cheer for our favorite college teams, we root for the players, but mostly we yell for the institution. There is no talk of dismantling rosters after a lackluster season, and while we may hope for better recruiting classes, we know our players are mostly teenagers and are there to stay until they graduate. I don???t know who will manage the Yankees next year, who will play first base, whether Alex Rodriguez will return or Mariano Rivera will close games. I do know that Jim Boeheim will coach at Syracuse, John Gagliardi will lead the footballers at St. John???s (Minnesota) and Jan Hutchinson will roam the field hockey and softball sidelines at Bloomsburg. For the most part, we know freshmen will become sophomores, sophomores will become juniors and so on. There are student-athletes that leave early, transfer or choose not to play ??? but there isn???t the free agency that can disrupt and change the make-up of your favorite team. And although money matters in college sports, there are other things that make it such a special enterprise, notably the relationship with higher education. Perhaps this is one bitter fan???s morning-after lament, but there???s no hiding my gratitude for being a college sports fan today. Am I making sense? Do we root for the name across the chest or the players? Do the principles of amateurism make you feel better when cheering for your favorite college team?

Tim Donaghy. Bill Belichick. Marion Jones. In recent weeks, those three names have been associated with cheating and fans across the country have begun to question whether or not their favorite sports are clean or dirty.

On today???s edition of Mondays With Myles NCAA President Myles Brand shares his stance on cheating ??? inside the classroom and out.

Listen to Mondays With Myles

Harvard volleyball senior Mimi Hanley joins the Double-A Zone community with her inaugural post this afternoon. Mimi refutes the geographical stereotypes that often characterize volleyball student-athletes and describes the journey she took to Harvard.

Everyone assumes that because I am on the Harvard women???s volleyball team, I must be a ???NorCal??? or ???SoCal??? native. Countless number of times have I been asked, ???You are from California, right???? Wrong.

It is true that California does breed excellent volleyball players, so maybe I should look at that inquisition as a compliment on my athletic abilities. California does seem to dominate the volleyball world. If you look at the rosters for all of the Ivy League teams, the vast majority are from the Golden State, but volleyball enthusiasm and culture is growing all over ??? especially in my native New England. So I politely correct the questioner, and tell them that I actually grew up in Seattle and became a volleyball player at my high school in Massachusetts.

I grew up in the Seattle area playing basketball because my dad played the sport as did my older brother and sister. We were a basketball family. So when I decided I wanted to go to prep school in the east, I left home committed to working hard both academically and athletically. As summer ended and freshman fall approached, I decided that I would try out for the volleyball team. I had played for my school???s team for fun whenever I could fit it into my basketball schedule. And I had enjoyed it, so why not continue on in high school?

Andover???s high school volleyball coach saw the potential in my 6-foot frame, and put me on the squad to give me technical coaching I would need to become a real ???player.??? And this is where my love for the game grew. New England volleyball lags somewhat behind the rest of the country in terms of competitiveness, but this offered me a tremendous opportunity to get experience and develop as a player.

I was still as committed as ever to basketball and my future in it, but I had developed a new passion. I was able to balance both sports along with academics while even managing to pick up lacrosse in the spring. I was loving high school, and couldn???t have been happier with my decision to go to Andover.

Then junior year rolled around. I had spent hundreds, maybe even thousands, of hours practicing, traveling, and competing, all in an effort to realize my dream of playing collegiate basketball. But by this time, my dream had changed. Basketball was no longer the joyous game it had once been for me. Maybe it was the pressure I had put on myself. Maybe I was sick of the constant physical beating you get when playing under the hoop. Whatever the reason, I had turned my attention solely to volleyball.

Volleyball was a game that I had grown to love and excel at. All my hopes of playing collegiate sports hadn???t died, but had just changed venues from the basketball arena to the volleyball court. I was fortunate to get the chance to play in college at Harvard, and have loved every minute of it for the last three years. I began playing this sport as more of a fun social experience (all my middle school friends played on the school team), and continued playing because it is a dynamic sport. Looking back, it seems strange to think that competitive volleyball, which has been such a huge part of my life, will be over in just a few short months. And although my collegiate career may end shortly, there is no doubt that I will keep playing???somewhere, somehow.

King of the ground. Danny Woodhead needed 121 yards on Saturday to become the all-time leading rusher in the history of NCAA football. The Chadron State tailback didn???t even need three quarters to eclipse the mark, and finished with 208 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-0 win over Western New Mexico. Woodhead surpassed the record established by Grove City???s R.J. Bowers in 2000 and now has 7,441 career yards on the ground. With a handful of regular season games remaining, and a probable run in the postseason, Woodhead seems a safe bet to eclipse the 8,000-yard mark for his career later this fall. The country will get a live look at Woodhead on October 18, as Chadron State and Nebraska-Kearney play on CSTV.

Wedding bells. New York Yankees pitcher Ian Kennedy and USC women???s basketball player Allison Jaskowiak were married on Saturday outside St. Louis. Last month, Kennedy was unsure if he would be able to make the wedding ??? which sparked much interesting debate on the Double-A Zone ??? because the potential existed for the rookie to be pitching in the postseason. Kennedy was left off the team???s Division Series roster, however, and was able to proceed with his nuptials. If the Yankees advance to the American League Championship Series, the groom could still see postseason action. The bride will begin basketball practice at USC next week, so it looks like the honeymoon will have to wait.

Heat kills in Chicago. Fall hasn???t arrived yet in the Midwest, and that much was apparent yesterday, as sweltering temperatures forced race organizers to shut down the Chicago Marathon course in the middle of the race. Hundreds suffered from dehydration and a Michigan police officer died while trying to complete the 26.2 miles. The race actually turned out to be one of the best in marathon history, as Patrick Ivuti edged Jaouad Gharib by 0.05 seconds to win the men???s event. I???ve often wondered if marathons were appropriate for NCAA competition. Although yesterday???s circumstances were certainly extenuating, I???m not sure we could monitor student-athletes enough throughout such a long race to make sure they???re healthy. What do you think?

Al Gore would be proud. The NCAA is doing its part for the environment, starting a green initiative that cuts down on waste in the national office. I don???t know if it???s 90 degrees in October because of global warming, but something doesn???t seem right out there. I???ve chucked my Styrofoam coffee cups for a new mug, and implore you all to do the same. Like Kermit, we can all work harder at ???Bein??? Green.???

Weekend football notes. Stanford shocked the world ??? and USC ??? on Saturday night, knocking off the second-ranked Trojans, 24-23. With 49 seconds remaining, Cardinal quarterback Tavita Pritchard found Mark Bradford for a 10-yard touchdown strike. It was the first career start under center for Pritchard ??? Illinois fans are going bananas, as their team dumped fifth-ranked Wisconsin to improve to 3-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1990. Rashard Mendenhall and Juice Williams combined for 252 yards rushing in the 31-26 upset ??? South Florida is 5-0 and currently ranked fifth in the Football Bowl Subdivision ??? North Dakota overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit and went on to beat Minnesota State, 38-34 ??? For the second straight week, Pittsburg State tangled in overtime, but this time came up a bit short. The Gorillas fell to Northwest Missouri State on Saturday, 37-34, in front of more than 19,000 fans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Xavier Omon ran for 274 yards and five touchdowns to lead the ninth-ranked Bearcats ??? St. John???s (Minnesota) scratched by St. Olaf, 30-29, to improve to 6-0. Head coach John Gagliardi, now in his 59th year at the helm of the St. John???s program, won his 449th career game.

On this special edition of the 3-Minute Drill, we discuss the impact of the Little Rock Nine, a group of black students that helped desegregate Little Rock Central High School 50 years ago.

Georgia Director of Athletics Damon Evans joins us on the program to share his thoughts about the Little Rock Nine and discuss racial diversity in intercollegiate athletics. NCAA Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Charlotte Westerhaus shares a historical perspective on the Little Rock Nine and tells us how the NCAA has changed over the last five decades.

After representing California (Pennsylvania) at the 2007 NCAA Leadership Conference in Orlando, Renata da Silva returned to campus equipped with the skills needed to effectively lead her volleyball team and the university???s student-athlete population. The standout sophomore shares some thoughts about her experience in today???s guest blog.

As intimidated as I felt entering the 2007 NCAA Leadership Conference, I could have never imagined a more life-changing experience. With my timid personality, I felt like a fish out of the water in an environment that forced me to break out of my shell. I met so many people and I learned the concept that when you take risks, people surprise you and you surprise yourself.

My comfort level increased with each conversation I shared among a large group of talented student-athletes from all over the U.S. Over the short five days, my confidence grew and I began to do things I never thought possible. The coordinators of the conference were great and always pushing me to be my best. We did a lot of activities which helped me to learn about myself and about styles of leadership. I also learned the importance of setting goals and to keep my eyes focused ahead, adjusting and changing as needed.

With these new tools, I started a new chapter in my life as a leader. I can now lead by example, I respect those around me and demand respect in return, and I gained priceless friendships and memories that I will always cherish. Some of the feedback I received was that, even though I do not say much, my smile makes an impact and can make other people feel good. Hearing the stories of other athletes allowed me to see that, no matter what culture you come from, if you have a common goal and good leadership you can make a difference.

As I left the Conference, I could not help but think of the many ways my leadership training would help my team at California University of Pennsylvania. I created long range plans ??? with much improved confidence as a leader to complete them ??? and I will do whatever it takes.

Steroids galore. The steroid mess continued yesterday, as reports surfaced that track and field sensation Marion Jones will admit use of performance-enhancing drugs. Jones, who won three gold and two bronze medals during the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, apparently has admitted to using steroids prior to that competition. This is perhaps the most notable in a series of black eyes for the track and field community, but it once again raises questions about the issue of cheating in athletics. Jones denied using steroids for years, but now she looks to be as guilty as they come. We cheered her, rooted for her and allowed her to represent the country on the international stage. She not only cheated the other competitors, but she cheated us as well. It???s no secret that athletes do what they can to gain a competitive advantage, but it???s surprising that so many will break the rules to win. In an upcoming edition of Mondays With Myles, I will discuss the issue of cheating with NCAA President Myles Brand, who has spent years as a professor of philosophy and takes a hard-line stance against academic fraud as well as performance-enhancing drugs.

The gridiron king. You may not have heard of Danny Woodhead, but that???s about to change. The Chadron State tailback has run for more than 7,200 yards during his college career and stands just 121 yards short of the all-time NCAA record. Woodhead, who is just 5-foot-8, didn???t garner attention from Division I programs while he was a prospective student-athlete, and headed to Chadron State to prove all the doubters wrong. Last year, he scored 38 touchdowns and became the first player in NCAA history to rush for more than 2,700 yards in a season. Woodhead went on to win the Harlon Hill trophy, which recognizes the top Division II player in the country. On Saturday, Woodhead will look to become the all-time rushing king of college football when his Eagles take on Western New Mexico. The country will have a chance to watch Woodhead in action on October 18, when Chadron State and Nebraska-Kearney play in a nationally-televised game on CSTV.

The NCAA released new data for its Graduation Success Rate (GSR) yesterday, and the results were positive. The metric tracks student-athletes who entered Division I institutions from 1995-2000. In that six-year stretch, scores have increased in a number of sports, including men???s and women???s basketball, football, baseball, softball, women???s volleyball and women???s soccer. The GSR in men???s basketball has jumped nearly 8 percent.

Now in its third year, GSR was developed to more accurately assess long-term student-athlete success. The metric differs from federally mandated graduation rates in that it accounts for transfers. The overall figures show that 77 percent of student-athletes who began college from 1997-2000 graduated in six years.

Yesterday evening, I was perusing some of my favorite Web sites and hopped on the Boston College athletics site to see what was happening in my old neck of the woods. The site???s top story was about the institution???s positive GSR performance, specifically citing that 16 varsity programs recorded perfect scores. Additionally, the school???s football team, currently ranked in the top 10, ranked third among Football Bowl Subdivision programs.

I was excited to see how well the student-athletes at Boston College were performing, but the news release caused me to begin thinking more globally. If Boston College was bragging about its GSR data, other schools must also be issuing status updates on their classroom performance. I checked some other Web sites and found that Duke, Siena, Holy Cross and Minnesota all touted their academic performance.

On the other side, I also noticed that coaches were forced to defend lackluster GSR scores. Coaches can no longer get away with simply calling press conferences to discuss recruiting classes or game strategy, they must defend the academic performance of their players as well. If programs perform well in the classroom, institutions are celebrating; if they perform poorly, people want to know why.

The academic reform initiatives instituted by the NCAA, notably the GSR and Academic Progress Rate (APR), force institutions to take a hard look in the mirror and evaluate their performance in the classroom. Conversations are now taking place publicly about academic performance ??? there won???t be any slipping under the radar anymore, and that???s absolutely a good thing.

There are plenty of misconceptions about what higher education and intercollegiate athletics are supposed to look like. The truth is, however, is that there isn???t a specific blueprint that any one of the NCAA???s 1,000+ institutions follow. In today???s Coaches??? Corner post, Baruch women???s volleyball coach Allison Gunther discusses the experience her players have as student-athletes at a commuter school in the heart of New York City.

Although I have been at Baruch College for 14 months, it only took me one month to realize that Baruch was a college like none other!

Baruch is located in the heart of New York City, in buildings 14 stories high equipped with escalators and elevators. The college is the largest public business school in the United States, and the second most diverse institution with more than 15,000 students.

I also recently discovered that most of the student population commutes on average 40 minutes to attend class four days a week because we do not have dorms.

But that???s not a knock on Baruch; it???s actually proof that Baruch???s academic reputation is so esteemed that students will tolerate the commute to get a top-notch education at an outstanding price of $2,000 per semester for an in-state resident!

I initially wondered how it was possible for an urban school, with no dorms or on-campus fields, to possibly be successful in athletics? I was in for a learning experience.

In the past two years, we have won seven conference championships and have had five teams qualify for the NCAA tournament. We have also won back-to-back Commissioner???s Cups, which are awarded to the college with the most successful athletic program in the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC).

I believe that one of the reasons our teams are so successful is that the athletes support one another, whether it???s traveling on the fan van to a soccer game in Queens or helping out one another with homework in the student-athlete lounge. Because Baruch does not provide dorms, the athletics department and student-athlete lounge becomes their second home and their fellow student-athletes their extended family.

Although most students commute from home, we have recruited more and more student-athletes from around the country and abroad. On my volleyball team alone, I have players from Texas, Arkansas, Nevada, Albania, West Indies and Puerto Rico. And instead of dorms, athletes find apartments together in New York City.

All this success comes with the dedication of our athletics staff and coaches, consisting of seven full-time and eight part-time employees, and more importantly, the student-athletes who manage to balance their schoolwork, practices/games and commutes into their busy schedules.

Baruch College is truly a unique place.

During the 2008-09 academic year, Detroit-Mercy will add men???s and women???s lacrosse teams and a men???s tennis team as it expands it varsity program. The university will have the only Division I lacrosse program in the state of Michigan.

In addition to program expansion, Detroit-Mercy has its hands full as host of the Midwest Regional of the 2008 Division I Men???s Basketball Championship, and host of the 2009 Men???s Final Four. On today???s Campus Connection Detroit-Mercy Director of Athletics Keri Gaither discusses the excitement at the university.

Get connected with Detroit-Mercy

Sederick Green is fast. Sederick Green has finished first in each of Virginia State???s cross country races this fall save one ??? and that was a meet he didn???t compete in. While it might sound like Green is just another solid runner, the junior has battled all sorts of pain and injury throughout his career. As a sophomore, Green had tendonitis in his knee and wasn???t at 100 percent for most of the season. Finally healthy this fall, Green recently ran the 8-kilometer course at the Bowie State Invitational in 28 minutes, 25 seconds. Undefeated in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association competition, the Trojans are looking toward a league title with Green leading the charge.

Sister like sister. Jennifer and Alayna Hirsch shared a lot of things growing up, but the twins never expected to share injuries. As high school freshmen, Alayna tore her left ACL while playing basketball. One year later, Jennifer tore her left ACL on the softball diamond. Upon their arrival at Millikin, the twins had hoped to put their injury-sharing relationship behind them, but things don???t always go as planned. During the non-traditional soccer season last spring, Jennifer, the team???s starting goalie, tore her right ACL during a workout. The following week, Alayna was hit in the right knee during a softball game. Although she was able to finish her junior campaign, Alayna proceeded to tear her right ACL running toward second base in a game this summer. Experts at leaning on one another for support, the twins are working together to get back on their respective fields after surgery. Jennifer recovered from her surgery in record time and is back in goal, leading the Big Blue to its best start in school history. Alayna also expects to be at the top of her game when softball practice begins in January.

We don???t lose. There are three Division I women???s soccer teams yet to lose this season ??? Boston College, BYU and Villanova.

Player of the week. NYIT sophomore and Jamaica native Andre Lee was named East Coast Conference Player of the Week for his recent play on the soccer field. Lee tallied game-winning goals against St. Thomas Aquinas and New Haven last week.

Healthy lifestyle. Kelly Pless isn???t an NCAA student-athlete, but her fight against obesity demonstrates the importance of physical activity. Three years ago, Pless weighed in at 215 pounds. After making significant lifestyle changes and deciding to train for marathons, Pless has dropped more than 90 pounds.

A sophomore on the North Carolina field hockey team, Danielle Forword is loving every second of playing for the nation???s top-ranked team. The East London, South Africa native has always been passionate about field hockey, and now she???s made it her goal to educate all of us about the sport. Danielle has signed on to be a regular contributor for the Double-A Zone and will be providing insight into the game every couple of weeks. This season, she has four goals and one assist for the 12-0 Tar Heels.

When I say field hockey, are you one of those who say, ???Is that ice hockey on a field????

To answer your question, nope, but don???t be ashamed, as you are not the first to have asked this question, a common faux pas in the States.

So, as some of you may have gathered, I am a field hockey player at the University of North Carolina, commonly referred to as ???heaven.??? I am a South African sophomore studying Journalism and Mass Communication. One could say my family eats and sleeps hockey, the topic of discussion at every meal and the thing that occupies my dreams and thoughts.

Born into a hockey family with mother and sister both representing national teams, I started playing field hockey at the tender age of six (sacrificing my Saturday morning cartoons for mini hockey). My favorite color is turquoise and I love photography, watching old movies and drinking gallons of coffee.

So now that you know me, let me tell you about my amazing team. One could say they are the Mary Poppins of all teams (perfect in every way), the cream of the crop, the Delta Phi of field hockey. Every week, two team members present a chapter from the book ???Talent is Never Enough,??? by John Maxwell. This week was ???Practice sharpens your talent??? ??? it is not the fact that you practice (as we know this is a standard on most teams), it???s how you practice. Practice doesn???t make perfect ??? it makes you better and better is closer to your best, so practice like champions. Think of this while practicing and motivate other team members to push themselves harder.

Our team has worked hard, thus far keeping our minds on each game, not underestimating the opposition, respecting all competition and living in the moment. The UNC field hockey team recently added another shutout to its track record of seven thus far and a 12-0 winning streak. On September 25, the Tar Heels took on Davidson, a well-organized team that half-court pressed us for the majority of the game. This makes it difficult for a team to attack as the entire opposing team is squeezed into one half of the field. Our midfielders ran hard to open spaces for direct balls to the forwards and we were able to move their team by passing the ball around the back and waiting patiently for an opening. We won 8-0 with an awesome team effort and unselfish passes leading to goals.

Last Saturday, we took on Wake Forest, one of our strongest opponents in the ACC. We won 5-0 scoring four of the five goals in the first half. We scored early, which took some pressure off us and allowed for a goal-scoring frenzy. With awesome leads, we were able to transfer from defense through midfield and to the forward line.

I will attempt to inform the not so educated, but eager, ???fockey??? fans:

Ways in which you can sound like an intellectual fan:
???That is not a goal as no one touched it within the circle??? or ???That was a foot, ref.???

Word of the week: shibaz ??? to strut your stuff on the field, show off your talent and basically show someone how to play hockey. Used in context: ???The Tar Heels really shibazzed on Saturday.???

Be sure to check out my next blog for another field hockey tip. In no time I will have you all fully-knowledgeable field hockey fans.

p.s. Follow us on our March on Maryland (where the NCAA Championships will be held) on TarHeelBlue.com

This plan needs some work. A college education is devastatingly expensive. Tuition at many of the nation???s private institutions exceeds $40,000 each year. Since most teenagers aren???t fortunate enough to secure a full athletics scholarship, many colleges and universities are simply unaffordable for prospective college students. In Sunday???s Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley suggested four years were simply too expensive, and requirements for a degree should be cut in half. Daley said: ???They should cut half the courses. It would cut the cost down tremendously. What are the basic courses that you need in college? Cut some of the unnecessary courses out.??? While Daley is right that college is too expensive, I fail to see his logic in reducing the required courses. What course is truly unnecessary? We do have two-year colleges that offer associate degrees, and that is an excellent option for many individuals. If we cut course requirements for bachelor???s degrees in half, our students won???t be nearly as educated when they enter the working world. How is that a positive move for our society? Instead, we should work on ways to get the costs down so that education is more accessible. Wouldn???t that make more sense?

Seven years for Cozad. Former Northern Colorado backup punter Mitch Cozad was sentenced to seven years in jail yesterday for stabbing starting punter Rafael Mendoza last fall. Cozad attacked his teammate in an effort to take over the starting position.

Making their mark. Student-athletes are getting it done in their communities. Last weekend, the Adelphi women???s basketball team participated in the annual American Heart Walk, an event that raises funds in the fight against heart disease and stroke on Long Island ??? In Knoxville, the Tennessee baseball team exceeded its fund-raising goal for Thursday???s Light The Night Walk, raising more than $5,000 for cancer research in a player-driven effort.

In conjunction with the Double-A Zone, Harvard has formed an online community for its student-athletes. The plan is to follow the lives of student-athletes in practice, competition, the classroom and around Harvard Square. Harvard will post blogs from its student-athletes weekly and the Double-A Zone will also utilize the guest posts on a regular basis. In today???s guest blog, senior ice hockey player Laura Brady discusses her love of the sport and how she ended up at one of the nation???s finest institutions.

As a senior captain of the Harvard women???s ice hockey team, I often look back at my life and how hard I worked to get where I am today. Growing up, I played almost every sport you could think of: tennis, softball, basketball, dance, field hockey, and ice hockey. There came a day when my practices between these different sports began to conflict and I had to choose which one I wanted to focus on the most. My older brother played hockey and my dad was a huge hockey fan, thus making my decision very easy. Hockey was now the biggest part of my life.

My town of Hudson, N.H. was so small it did not have a hockey team and I was forced to play on travel teams throughout the Massachusetts area. I played on four different all-boys teams, which kept me very busy throughout middle school. Not only was I playing between eight and 10 games in a weekend, but I also joined Mike Boyle???s strength and conditioning program four days a week. My parents realized how committed I had become to the game of ice hockey and I had told them my goal to eventually play at the Division I level. The first step, of course, would be to try and figure out where I would play in high school.

I began looking at prep schools in order to put myself in the best position possible to attend the best college ??? and play the best hockey in the nation. Being tremendously close with family narrowed down the list of prep schools. After touring several campuses, Cushing Academy was the perfect fit.

I spent four years there playing both field and ice hockey. I captained both teams as a junior and senior while preparing for the college application process. I understood that attending an Ivy League school would require rigid preparation for SAT???s as well as continued concentration on my academics at Cushing. I also considered scholarship schools because the Ivies don???t offer athletic-only scholarships.

I weighed the pros and cons of several schools academically, athletically and socially. Again, location was a huge factor in my decision and I narrowed my choices down to five official visits. I took these visits at Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, Boston College and Harvard. Harvard was my last visit and as soon as I walked on campus I knew it was the right fit. From the campus, to the coaches, to the team, it was just perfect.

The past three years have been everything I dreamed they would be. I am close to my family, I am at a top school both academically and athletically and I am playing for one of the top teams in the nation. I am excited to embark on my senior year and begin the next chapter of my life!

A three-sport athlete during her days at Oneonta State, Liz McGrail???s biggest athletic impact was felt on the soccer field, where she scored 137 points to become the leading scorer in school history. During her junior year, McGrail and the Red Dragons went undefeated in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play and claimed the 1999 league crown. Eight years later, Oneonta State still hasn???t lost a SUNYAC game. Now in her first year as head coach of the women???s program, McGrail was on the sidelines Saturday as the Red Dragons defeated Geneseo State, 4-1, to make it 100 consecutive conference games without a loss (98-0-2). In today???s Coaches??? Corner post, McGrail shares some of her thoughts on the milestone.

To be a part of 100 straight State University of New York Athletic Conference games without a loss as a player and now as a coach has been an incredible experience that I am very proud of. The first things that come to mind are the history and tradition of Oneonta State women's soccer. Tracey and David Ranieri have built this program on the values of a hard work ethic, a passion for something you love, and commitment to something greater than your self! It has become the culture of the Oneonta State women's soccer team and it has been one constant variable during the last nine years.

The only other constant variable that has been a part of this streak from the beginning is David Ranieri. David is an alumnus of Oneonta State, and former standout player who has been embedded in the program since 1993. He is the only person to witness and coach every player from the first game to the 100th game. He would say that it goes beyond the players and the coaches to the parents that are at every game, and the fans that follow us everywhere, to the area youth that run along the sidelines. It has become an ever-growing family that only those a part of it would understand.

As a player on this team from 1997-2000, we never dreamed it would come to this. The streak began in 1999; my junior year. We never set out to have it as a goal of ours. How could we? We were only there for four years and that???s not even 50 conference games. Each year you make team goals ??? goals that are realistic and attainable ??? and as a team you work for them. In 1997, my first year, we were undefeated in the SUNYAC and reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. It was at that time that the program got its first taste of what was possible.

Every year since, it has been a goal of the team to go undefeated in SUNYAC play and get to the NCAA tournament. Now the goal is getting to the Final Four and taking home the championship. As you reach team goals you are setting a standard and raising the bar for the players that come after you. While my team set the standard of winning the SUNYAC championship, the 2003 team set the standard of winning the national championship. The culmination of the last nine years has set the standard of never losing a conference game.

To be able to come back and coach the team that I played for, the team that helped shape me to be the person I am today, has been a dream come true. To have the streak still alive is just icing on the cake. It amazes me to see the players continue to raise the bar and it???s still about the same foundations David and Tracey instilled in me and my teammates. It???s about hard work ??? day in and day out, it???s about the passion for the game we all love, it???s about playing for your teammates and now it has become playing not just for your current teammates, but for everyone who has come through this program.

Streaks are made to be broken and when that day comes, we will be proud to have been a part of something great and feel privileged that it lasted as long as it has.

Nice job Glenallen. It doesn???t get much more exciting than last night???s baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres. After 162 games, the National League West rivals found themselves playing one more game for the Wild Card berth into the postseason. In an instant classic, the Rockies won on a controversial sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 13th, and sent the Mile High city into absolute bedlam. It was a perfect ending to the regular season, but it wasn???t the baseball that made me shut off my television at midnight with a smile. During the game, I noticed that Colorado first base coach Glenallen Hill was wearing a helmet while he was out on the field. Most base coaches stand 90 feet away from the batter without any sort of protection, and it signals significant progress when a Major League coach sets an example for our high school and college kids who emulate what they see on television. In Little League, kids who coach bases are required to wear helmets. Many high schools enforce the same rule. In college, however, the rules don???t require base coaches to wear helmets, so most don???t. In July, Tulsa Drillers first base coach Mike Coolbaugh was struck in the head by a foul ball and died shortly after. It might take a while to get everyone thinking safety first, comfort and appearance second, but Glenallen Hill certainly set a great example last night.

Striking performance. New Jersey City freshman Jennifer Albuja isn???t waiting too long to make her mark on the school record books. The soccer striker scored her 14th and 15th goals of the season yesterday to lead the Gothic Knights to a 2-0 victory over Keystone. With her 15th tally, Albuja shattered the program???s single-season scoring record in just her 10th college game. Albuja also registered 16 shots (seven on goal) in the game, breaking the single-game school record of 14, set by Kelly Daly in 2005. With eight regular season games remaining in her freshman year, Albuja???s assault on the NJCU record books isn???t close to complete.

Softball smarties. St. Bonaventure didn???t win a national championship on the softball field in 2007, but for the second consecutive year, the program was tops in the country in the classroom. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced that the Bonnies topped Division I programs with a team GPA of 3.622. In Division II, Grand Canyon also claimed top honors for the second straight year, turning in a cumulative team GPA of 3.633. Emerson led Division III softball programs with a 3.548 GPA.

A couple of weeks ago, we discussed the appalling behavior of some Rutgers fans at a game between the Scarlet Knights and Navy. Because that isn???t the only instance of inappropriate fan behavior at college games, it seemed an appropriate time to discuss the issue with NCAA President Myles Brand on our weekly podcast.

Listen to Mondays With Myles

Violent weekend. Last week, a St. John???s (New York) student walked across the Queens campus with a .50 caliber rifle. Although no shots were fired, all students at the university were understandably put on edge. This weekend, there were tragedies on a pair of NCAA campuses, as two student-athletes were shot and killed. On Saturday, Mississippi track and field standout Rodney Lydale Lockhart was found shot to death in his apartment. A junior psychology major, the 20-year-old Lockhart was a member of the gold medal-winning 1,600-meter relay team at the 2006 World Junior Championship in Beijing. The violence continued on Sunday night, as Memphis defensive lineman Taylor Bradford was shot in a campus parking lot. After being hit, Bradford got back in his car and attempted to drive away, but made it just one block before crashing. He was later pronounced dead. There isn???t anything to analyze about these three particular incidents ??? we all know how unfortunate they are. College campuses should be safe from the awful things that happen out there, and after this latest flurry of violence, it???s pretty clear that not all of them are.

Are you serious? The NCAA competed in the annual Indianapolis Corporate Challenge on Saturday morning and it was a ton of fun. I originally had signed up to run the 5-kilometer race, but was a last-minute scratch because our team leader thought we could use points from the male demographic in the 5-kilometer race walk. It turned out he was right, as I walk faster than I thought, and was able to score some points for Team NCAA. I went out on Saturday looking to have a good time, bond with some colleagues and work hard in the name of physical fitness. Once the gun went off, I was competing as hard as I could, but some decided that they were going to take shortcuts to score some extra points. During the race walk, someone from another corporation blew right past me, and it wasn???t because he was a faster walker. He was jogging, and would slow his gait whenever he approached a judge. This was the Corporate Challenge, folks, and there were people trying to get an unfair advantage. We spend an awful lot of time talking about alleged cheaters like Barry Bonds and Bill Belichick, but it seems to me that if people are going to cheat in the race walk of the Indianapolis Corporate Challenge, we might as well expect that they???ll cheat elsewhere. Some of the cheaters were caught and disqualified; others made it through without being noticed. I had a wonderful time on Saturday, and cheaters or not, I will do this every year I can. But I have to admit, there was a bit of ugly that reared its head on Saturday, and I was a bit surprised.

Football updates. Grand Valley State won its 32nd straight game on Saturday, defeating Wayne State 41-10. Quarterback Brad Iciek threw for 403 yards and four touchdowns as the Lakers dominated the game at Fifth Third Ballpark, home of minor league baseball???s West Michigan Whitecaps ??? Division III powers Wisconsin-Whitewater and Wisconsin-La Crosse played one of the best games of the weekend, with third-ranked Whitewater eking out a 35-38 victory over its sixth-ranked opponent. Justin Beaver rushed 26 times for 155 yards for Whitewater ??? How good is South Florida? Pretty good. The Bulls improved to 4-0 with a 21-13 victory over fifth-ranked West Virginia on Friday night ??? Oklahoma, Florida and Texas lost on Saturday. You don???t hear that sentence too often.