NCAA staffer Greg Johnson has questions about tonight's BCS Championship Game.

Is it me, or is the usual buzz missing from the Bowl Championship Series title game? I'm not sure what is missing this year, but the usual media hype for the event seems subdued. It could be because both LSU and Ohio State lost at home late in the season. The Tigers fell in triple overtime to Arkansas in "Death Valley'' and Buckeyes lost to Illinois in "The Horseshoe.'' Yet here they both are with a chance to claim a national title to quench the thirst of their fervent fan bases.

I'm sure those in New Orleans attending the game are having a good time on Bourbon Street and throughout the French Quarter. Maybe that energy will come through the television set as we watch tonight.

Naismith first again. Springfield College recently named its refurbished basketball court in honor of the game's inventor - alum James Naismith. Because work on the court was underway when the NCAA Playing Oversight Rules Panel decided to move the three-point line from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20-9, the court will be the first to display the line that will be used beginning next season. Will the extra foot make a difference in the college game?

Championship Monday. The BCS will crown its national champion tonight. For the second straight year, the title game will be a match-up between programs from the SEC and Big Ten. Ohio State will look to bounce back from last year's shellacking at the hands of Florida, as the Buckeyes prepare for an LSU squad that plans on playing two quarterbacks. Any predictions?

Video game central. We'll see if LSU's pre-game preparation bears any impact on tonight's outcome. The Tigers have spent the season using a custom-made video game to help prepare for opponents.

What a streak. For the first time in nearly 35 years, the Brandon High School wrestling team lost a dual meet Saturday night. Brandon, located east of Tampa, won 459 consecutive matches before falling to South Dade, 32-28. Can you think of any streaks more impressive than one which lasted for 35 years?

Smith chooses NFL. Kevin Smith has decided to cash in on his sensational season. Smith, who initially announced he would return for his final season at Central Florida, has decided to enter the NFL Draft. The junior ran for 2,567 yards this year, just 61 yards shy of Barry Sanders' NCAA single-season record.

A Chinese adventure. The Emmanuel women's basketball team spent nine days over its holiday break in China, touring the country and playing exhibition games. The Saints visited the Forbidden City, climbed the Great Wall of China and played a lot of basketball. It sounds like the experience of a lifetime.

Those magic changes. It's an exciting day for fans of intercollegiate athletics. The NCAA has revamped its Web site (www.ncaa.org) and the new product is online today. The Association has discontinued the print edition of The NCAA News and will now publish articles online in a daily format to keep us all informed about the happenings in intercollegiate athletics. Make sure to sign up for NCAA News Direct, which will put an e-mail in your box (daily or weekly) with the most pressing story updates.

Congratulations Toto. Kansas finished its historic football season on top last night, beating Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, 24-21. How about Frank Beamer suspending tailback Brandon Ore for the first quarter after the junior was late to practice? In three quarters of action, Ore ran 23 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. If he had played the opening quarter, would the Hokies have had a better shot at winning? Kudos to Beamer for not allowing his values to be compromised - even for a BCS game.

So long, Frank. After 36 seasons as head football coach at Lycoming, the legendary Frank Girardi has announced his retirement. During his tenure, Girardi compiled a record of 257-97-4 and currently ranks 15th on the NCAA's all-time winningest coaches list. Girardi led Lycoming to 13 Middle Atlantic Conference championships and 11 appearances in the NCAA tournament. Girardi, who has also served as athletics director since 1984, twice led the Warriors to the Division III national championship game.

Tour de Athens. Before the holiday, the Georgia women's basketball team provided bicycles for 20 local children through the Boys & Girls Club of Athens. Each player and manager contacted local individuals and business to raise funds for the bikes.

Hooray Beavers! A few thousand miles west, the Oregon State football team also made the holidays brighter for local Benton County children. Each player donated a portion of his per diem for the Emerald Bowl so that gifts could be purchased for less fortunate children. The Beavers raised nearly $1,500.

Hokies on A1A. If you were driving south on A1A outside Fort Lauderdale yesterday around 3 p.m. or so, you wouldn't have heard Vanilla Ice rapping about Beachfront Avenue. Instead, you would have spent 10 minutes waiting at a red light as a police caravan escorted the Virginia Tech football team onto Sheridan Avenue. Four buses of Hokies were heading somewhere in the Sunshine State yesterday afternoon, no doubt gearing up for tonight's Orange Bowl match-up with Kansas.

Political fiesta. The Fiesta Bowl has come and gone, but the political party is just getting started as tonight's Iowa caucuses will bring us closer to naming a new president later this year. While this is not a sporting event, there was a former basketball player making noise at the Iowa State Capitol on Tuesday, as Manute Bol and other United States citizens with ties to Sudan rallied for increased attention to the genocide in Darfur. Also of note, the presidential candidates have ties to a diverse grouping of NCAA institutions - Barack Obama attended Columbia, Mike Huckabee graduated from Division II Ouachita Baptist and Hillary Clinton went to Wellesley, a prestigious Division III college in Massachusetts.

Hawaii Uh-O. Hawaii didn't pull a Boise State in its BCS appearance on Monday, as a super defensive effort from Georgia helped the Bulldogs to a 41-10 victory over Colt Brennan and company. Does that do anything to assuage the doubts of those who thought the undefeated Football Bowl Subdivision team should play for a national championship?

Finding college perfection. It's likely that even the most ardent Belichick haters will acknowledge that 16-0 during the NFL regular season is quite an accomplishment for the New England Patriots. Here's the question: what accomplishment at the college level is on par?

Hines on a mission. Double-A Zone guest blogger Kyle Hines is one of the best college basketball players in the country ??? and now he???s getting the respect he deserves. Kyle, who shares some truly insightful thoughts with us each week, was featured in an Associated Press story yesterday that lauds his superb career. The UNC Greensboro star is on the brink of becoming just the sixth player since the NCAA made blocks an official statistic in 1986 to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 blocks in a career. In addition to his skills on the court, the story mentions his passion for blogging. Way to go Kyle!

Important exams. Tennessee linebacker Shane Reveiz will have surgery to treat an unspecified heart condition, found as a result of free echocardiograms provided by the school to all student-athletes. Reveiz isn???t the first Tennessee student-athlete to benefit from the free exams; basketball player Duke Crews is out indefinitely after his test came back with abnormal results. Should all schools forge these types of relationships with local health facilities? It seems that there are a couple of lives that might be saved in Knoxville as a result.

What???s your background? The Big Ten will begin annual background checks on football and basketball officials after the past of one of its football officials came into question. Background checks had been done prior to hire, but now they will be done every year.

Groundbreaking. Toledo broke ground last week on the construction of a new athletics complex and renovation of its basketball arena, Savage Hall. Most of the $40 million project will be complete by the end of next year.

Sooper job. The Colorado School of Mines softball team spent time this holiday season to participate in the King Soopers Sharing Tree program. Each member of the team donated money and purchased a number of toys for children in need.

Happy birthday, BLOG. Ten years ago yesterday, the term ???blog??? was coined by Jorn Barger. It was on that day in 1997 that Barger combined the terms ???web??? and ???log??? to get ???weblog.??? One decade later, millions and millions of blogs are live on the Internet, including the Double-A Zone, which is now in its 25th month of action.

Important hire in Houston. Kevin Sumlin was named head coach of the Houston football team Friday, becoming the first black coach in the 60-year history of the program. Sumlin, who becomes the eighth minority to lead a Football Bowl Subdivision program, has spent the past five seasons as an assistant at Oklahoma.

Culturally aware. We???re not sure, but Mount Olive???s women???s basketball team could be the first program to play consecutive games in two nation???s capitals. It seems possible that programs located in Washington, D.C. may have pulled it off before, but it???s hard to track that. Mount Olive spent Saturday in Washington, where it fell to District of Columbia, 79-70. This week, the Trojans will play in the Bahamas Shootout, held in capital city Nassau. Ironically, Mount Olive hasn???t played in a state capital since a 2004 game in Raleigh, North Carolina.

They???re all superheroes. Kudos to the student-athletes at Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State L.A. and Desperate Housewife (former Lois Lane) Teri Hatcher, who volunteered their time at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank last week.

Joe won???t go. Just days after Florida State announced a succession plan for legendary coach Bobby Bowden, Penn State lifer Joe Paterno says he isn???t thinking about leaving the sidelines anytime soon. Paterno, who will celebrate his 81st birthday on Friday, says he has a lot of coaching left in him.

King for a day. Congratulations to NCAA Director of Championships Wayne Burrow, who was honored with Wayne Burrow Day in Salem, Virginia on Saturday. Wayne has spent 15 years working with the Division III Football Championship, which is hosted in Salem each year.

Party time! The John Jay baseball team hosted its seventh annual holiday party for more than 20 children from the Catholic Guardian Society and Home Bureau. ???The event has really become a tradition for us,??? said head coach Dan Palumbo. ???I know my guys get a great deal of satisfaction by offering gifts to the less fortunate. And the kids who visit are very grateful and thrilled to be here.??? Each child received a gift paid for by the baseball team.

Will the campus move too? Ann Arbor might want to think about importing a Morgantown House of Pizza. West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez has decided to join former colleague John Beilein up north at Michigan, and will look to take the Wolverines back to the promised land of college football. Rodriguez, who grew up in West Virginia, and played for the Mountaineers, has surprised some by leaving the hometown program he built to national prominence. West Virginia will play Oklahoma in the upcoming Fiesta Bowl. The game has not been moved from Glendale to Ann Arbor.

Bearcat-size disappointment. Northwest Missouri State last won the Division II Football Championship in 1999, but if you asked anybody associated with the program today, it probably seems more like 100 years. The Bearcats lost their third straight title game on Saturday, falling to Valdosta State, 25-20. Michael Terry found the end zone on a 1-yard run with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to propel the Blazers their second-ever national championship.

Mount count over. Like its Division II counterpart in Missouri, Wisconsin-Whitewater was playing in its third-straight Division III Football Championship title game on Saturday, and the Warhawks had the daunting task of facing Mount Union, which had won 37 consecutive games. Behind the superb running of Gagliardi Trophy winner Justin Beaver, Wisconsin-Whitewater found a way to dethrone the beast, knocking off the nine-time national champion, 31-21. Beaver ran for 249 yards, including a 66-yard run in the waning moments of the game.

Mountaineers win again! Things seem to be coming in threes, and fortunately for the Mountaineers of Appalachian State, that meant a third consecutive Division I Football Championship on Friday. Appalachian State ran all over Delaware at the Football Championship Subdivision finale in Chattanooga, rolling to a 49-21 win. The Mountaineers, of course, started their season with a historic upset of Michigan, and went on to finish with a 13-2 record.

Cary loves Zach. The soccer gods were watching over Zach Schilawski this weekend. Just five minutes from his childhood home, the Wake Forest sophomore tallied the game-winning goal in the Division I Men???s Soccer Championship yesterday. Schilawski and the Demon Deacons won their first men???s soccer championship with a 2-1 win over Ohio State. Wake Forest???s Marcus Tracy was named the tournament???s most outstanding offensive player.

Hear us roar. Penn State won a thrilling five-game match with Stanford to claim the 2007 Division I Women???s Volleyball Championship. The Nittany Lions won their second national title in the sport, and kept Stanford from claiming its seventh. Penn State dropped just two games in six tournament matches, both to Stanford.

When Mount Union meets Wisconsin-Whitewater in the Division III Football Championship game on Saturday in Salem, Virginia, it will mark the third straight year that the Purple Raiders and the Warhawks have matched up in the title game. Only one other time in NCAA football championship history (all divisions) have the same two teams advanced to the championship game three straight years. In Division I (Football Championship Subdivision), Youngstown State and Marshall met each other in 1991, 1992 and 1993 with Youngstown winning the national titles in 1991 and 1993 and Marshall winning in 1992.

Also of interest ...of the six football teams competing for a national title this weekend in the three divisions, four (Appalachian State, Northwest Missouri State, Mount Union and Wisconsin-Whitewater) are making their third straight championship game appearance. Appalachian State and Mount Union are each trying to win a third consecutive title.

Saturday night was tough for Grand Valley State and the Laker faithful. Not only was the football team eliminated from the Division II playoffs, but its record 40-game winning streak was snapped as well.

While head coach Chuck Martin won???t hoist the national championship trophy for a third straight season after the Lakers fell to Northwest Missouri State in the semifinals, 34-16, he did exhibit tremendous class in the waning moments of the 2007 season.

With three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and Grand Valley down three scores, Martin walked across the field to the Northwest Missouri State sideline. Martin entered his opponent???s team huddle to let the Bearcat coaches know that he was pulling his starters and was going to run out the clock. The rationale? Martin didn???t want to see anyone on the Northwest Missouri State roster get hurt when the game was already decided.

Grand Valley won its last two national championships with victories over the Bearcats, so Martin has a lot of respect for the Northwest Missouri program. The four-time national champion coach didn???t want to see the Bearcats head into the title game at anything less than full strength because of an unfortunate, unnecessary incident.

Still, for a coach to walk across the field, and into an opposing huddle, is something quite out of the ordinary. It was a superb display of sportsmanship from one of the top coaches in college football.

Who chose Division II? We had a chance to catch Division II in primetime on Saturday night, as two-time defending national champion Grand Valley State took on Northwest Missouri State in a semifinal match-up on the gridiron. Xavier Omon may have forced the ESPN networks to put on more D-II games in future seasons, as the Northwest Missouri State tailback ran for 292 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Bearcats over the Lakers, 34-16. It was the first loss in more than three seasons for Grand Valley State, which had won 40 consecutive games entering Saturday???s contest. Northwest Missouri State will play Valdosta State for the national championship on Saturday.

Surprise! North Carolina didn???t win the Division I Women???s Soccer Championship this fall. In fact, when USC beat Florida State 2-0 yesterday to win the national title, the Trojans became just the seventh program to win the championship since its inception in 1982. Marihelen Tomer and Janessa Currier scored for USC.

Military presence. For fans of the East Carolina football program, a trip to Hawaii may not be in the cards for the team???s game against Boise State in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu on December 23. But in order to fill some seats, East Carolina has asked fans to purchase and donate tickets to active military members stationed in Hawaii who can go to the game and cheer on the Pirates. In exchange for their donations, fans will receive a commemorative bowl ticket.

A lot of dimes. Grinnell guard David Arseneault had a pretty good game on Saturday, setting an NCAA record with 34 assists in his team???s 151-112 win over North Central. Grinnell presses the entire game and shoots more three-pointers that any team in the land, so Arsenault had opportunities to throw a lot of passes. The 34 dimes easily shattered the previous record of 26, established by Kean???s Robert James in 1989. John Grotberg was the beneficiary of many Arseneault passes, hitting 14-of-38 three-point shots and scoring 49 points.

Go Judges! In a big early-season match-up, the Brandeis men???s basketball team made a statement to the Division III community on Saturday, beating defending national champion and top-seeded Amherst, 72-62. Nearly 2,000 people packed the Red Auerbach Arena in Waltham, Massachusetts, as Joe Coppens led the No. 3 Judges with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Big W. There???s an interesting legal dispute happening in Madison, Wisconsin. It seems the Badger faithful believe that Washburn University is infringing upon the trademark of its ???W??? logo.

When Karl Dorrell was fired earlier this week, the dearth of minority head football coaches became even more significant. Presently, there are five coaches of color leading Football Bowl Subdivision programs.

The merry-go-round of hirings and firings has become commonplace each fall, yet we haven???t seen any progress with regard to minorities climbing the ladder. Within Division I, more than 45 percent of football student-athletes are African-American, but there are only nine black coaches out of 231 programs (FBS and FCS). Does that seem right?

And with salaries continuing to escalate, are athletics departments going to hire less-experienced African-American coaches for seven-figure contracts, or are they going to go back to those who have successfully led programs before? Do the high salaries make universities more adverse to the risk of hiring an unknown and maybe less experienced coach? If black coaches can???t get that head coaching experience needed for the big jobs and the big salaries, how are they ever going to get in the mix?

Reports are coming out of Tallahassee that Jimbo Fisher will be the next head football coach at Florida State once Bobby Bowden steps down. That???s great news for Fisher, who likely deserves a shot to lead the program. But has Florida State even considered the possibility that another coach, possibly a minority coach, could take the helm?

Traditional media never discusses the fact that athletics departments are marching to the beat of their own hiring drums. The April 23 edition of The NCAA News asked if athletics is part of the campus, why would it follow anything but institutional hiring policies?

We???ve been discussing changes to hiring processes for years now, yet schools still continue to hire the biggest names out there without conducting thorough searches. If universities refuse to change their processes, will we ever see equity?

Who???s your Heisman? Finalists for the Heisman Trophy were announced yesterday ??? Tim Tebow (Florida), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Chase Daniel (Missouri) and Colt Brennan (Hawaii). Tebow, who has thrown for 29 touchdowns and run for an additional 22, is hoping to become the first sophomore to win college football???s top award. The winner will be announced on Saturday in New York City. Any early predictions?

D-II on the tube. Want some big football action this weekend? Well, you???re in luck. The Division II national semifinals will be broadcast on Saturday, with Valdosta State and California (Pennsylvania) squaring off at 11 a.m. on ESPN U and Northwest Missouri State taking on two-time defending national champion Grand Valley State at 9 p.m. on ESPN 2.

Good or bad? It has been reported that Florida State has selected offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher to replace Bobby Bowden when the legendary head football coach decides to hang up his whistle. Is that a good deal for Fisher? Sure, he would get a high-profile program, but are there any positives to succeeding one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game?

D-III hoops. The Gosman Sports and Convocation Center in Waltham, Massachusetts will be rocking Saturday afternoon, as top-ranked Amherst visits No. 3 Brandeis in a match-up of two Division III men???s basketball powers.

Serving it up. Wrestlers from Wisconsin-Whitewater spent part of their Thanksgiving holiday giving back, as 15 team members served Thanksgiving lunch at the Salvation Army in Janesville, Wisconsin. UW-W wrestler James Gordon said: "I can always go home and get a good meal, but for some of these people this is their good meal. My parents always told me, if you can help somebody in need then take the time to lend them a hand."

Hi Ronald! The Rowan softball team visited the Ronald McDonald House in Camden, New Jersey on Monday. The student-athletes made dinner for the families and played with the children.

When Chadron State completed a 76-73 victory over Abilene Christian on November 24, it marked the fifth time this year that the previous NCAA all-division record for combined points had been tied or topped. The previous all-division record of 136 was set in a College Division (now known as Division II) game between North Park and North Central (Ill.) in 1968. After a wild October and November of high-scoring games, the top five scoring games of all-time all occurred in 2007 and six of the top nine are from the current football season. Each of the four divisions (FBS, FCS, II and III) has had a new record established this season. Surprisingly, only three of the top nine games included overtime. Here are the top scoring games in all divisions:

A quick look at the box score from last night???s game between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens reveals two different teams. An intelligent, well-disciplined bunch, the Patriots collected just four penalties for 30 yards in their come-from-behind win, while the Ravens received 13 flags for 100 yards during the game.

While Tom Brady???s touchdown strike to Jabar Gaffney with 44 seconds left put New England ahead, it was the actions of Baltimore linebacker Bart Scott that kept the Ravens from having a realistic chance to tie the game in the last seconds.

Scott incurred two unsportsmanlike penalties after Gaffney???s catch, using some choice words and tossing the official???s flag into the stands. His actions put New England 30 yards closer on the ensuing kickoff and took away any chance for Baltimore to run it back and begin its drive with decent field position.

The penalties were a dagger for the Ravens and force us to ask whether New England, and other teams like it, win because of discipline and overall intelligence. The Indianapolis Star reported that the Colts and Patriots have more college graduates than most other teams. Does this make a significant difference? Can ???smart teams??? expect to win on a more regular basis?

Full disclosure. Some folks were making a big deal about finding out how much money Joe Paterno is paid by Penn State each year to coach the football team. Previously, the number was kept private, but after a five-year court battle, JoePa???s salary entered the public domain this morning. Ready for the number? The 80-year-old coach was paid $427,220 through the first 10 months of 2007, on track to put his salary around $512K. While Paterno certainly lives comfortably on his salary, it is nowhere close to the dollars earned by many of his peers in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Alabama pays Nick Saban $4 million and Bob Stoops earns more than $3 million annually at Oklahoma. Comparatively speaking, JoePa earns peanuts.

Big weekend. There are a bunch of big football games out there tomorrow. The Football Championship Subdivision, Division II and Division III playoffs are all in full swing, and a number of conference championships will be decided in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Boston College and Virginia Tech play for the ACC title at 1, Tennessee and LSU will fight for the SEC at 4 and Oklahoma and Missouri play for the Big 12 at 8. A win by West Virginia over Pittsburgh at 7:45 will put the Mountaineers in the BCS championship game. In Division II, we have to watch all-time leading rusher Danny Woodhead and Chadron State against Northwest Missouri State ??? Chadron State scored 76 in a classic with Abilene Christian last week. But let???s not forget the rivalry game game of the day ??? the meeting of our academies ??? Army and Navy play at noon on CBS.

Basket o??? errors. Apparently there were 36 scoring errors made in the early-season women???s basketball game between Oklahoma and Mississippi State. While that doesn???t change the outcome, it does impact Courtney Paris, who was credited with two additional rebounds and now has her double-double streak still intact at 66 games. Thirty-six errors is a lot, but as someone who once entered every missed field goal as a missed three-point shot during a conference basketball game, I understand how these things can happen.

Really? I know it???s the NBA, but come on Knicks. 59 points? Really?

Nice job Huskers. So Texas A&M and Mississippi haven???t done a great job of adhering to diversity standards with regard to hiring head football coaches this off-season. While it???s certainly important to discuss and critique how those programs could have provided more equitable interview opportunities, it???s also necessary to laud those programs that are doing it the right way. For example, Nebraska and interim athletics director Tom Osborne have done an admirable job during their search for a new football coach and have apparently narrowed their candidate pool to two ??? Buffalo head coach Turner Gill and LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. Gill, a former assistant at Nebraska, was the MAC Coach of the Year this season and happens to be African-American. Osborne and the Huskers aren???t obligated to hire Gill instead of Pelini because he???s black, but they do have the responsibility to interview and consider a diverse slate of candidates. They seem to have done a good job of that.

Check your watches. What a day to be a fan of the Massachusetts Minutemen. Faced with the daunting task of playing top-seeded Boston College in the second round of the Division I Men???s Soccer Championship, UMass rose to the challenge and beat the Eagles in Chestnut Hill, 2-1. Mike DeSantis converted a Douglas Rappaport corner kick in the 85th minute to knock home the game-winner and send the Minutemen into the tournament???s third round. As if that wasn???t enough excitement, just a couple hundred miles away, the university???s basketball team was engaged in a track meet with the Syracuse Orange. Behind 25 points from Ricky Harris and 23 from Gary Forbes, UMass hammered out a 107-100 win. Let the celebrations begin at The Hangar.

Remember. The ACC won eight of 11 games in its showdown with the Big Ten, but the most important news came out of University Park, Pennsylvania. Prior to Penn State???s Blue-White football scrimmage last spring, locally-owned Family Clothesline raised funds for victims of the Virginia Tech massacre. Last night, a special presentation was made to the family of Jeremy Herbstritt before the game between Penn State and Virginia Tech. Herbstritt, a Penn State graduate, was killed in the shootings. A check for $55,000 was presented to the Herbstritt Memorial Fund and another check for $55,000 was presented to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.

Big-time performers. The National Football Foundation announced its 2007 Scholar-Athlete winners and Draddy Trophy finalists: Alex Brink (Washington State), John Carlson (Notre Dame), Nick Clark (Texas State), Brandon Cramer (Dayton), Dennis Dixon (Oregon), Michael Eubanks (Delta State), Dallas Griffin (Texas), Mike Klinkenborg (Iowa), J Leman (Illinois), Brandon Renkart (Rutgers), Eric Safran (Mount Union (Ohio)), Paul Smith (Tulsa), Jacob Tamme (Kentucky), Jake Weller (Illinois College), Danny Woodhead (Chadron State). All 15 are team captains, and the group also boasts two perfect 4.0 grade point averages, eight academic all-Americans, five all-American performers, nine all-conference picks and the NCAA???s all-time career rushing leader. The finalists maintain one of the highest average class GPAs in NFF history, with a 3.74.

Huddle up! We have to give credit to the administration at Augusta State for being progressive. Donna Hobbs, associate professor of chemistry and faculty athletic representative (FAR) at the university, recently launched a new program called Faculty Huddle Up. As part of the program, faculty members adopt one of the school???s 10 teams, and the relationship grows from there. Faculty members are encouraged to attend practice, games and even host team dinners. Is there a better idea than getting faculty members actively involved with student-athletes and coaches? It seems to be the perfect way to appropriately mesh the academic and athletic experiences on campus.

Lot of scoring. In case you missed it, a Division II playoff-record 149 points were scored in a game between Chadron State and Abilene Christian this weekend. Despite trailing Abilene Christian 49-20 entering the fourth quarter, undefeated Chadron State outscored its opponent 36-7 in the final frame to force overtime. After trading touchdowns in the first two overtime periods, Chadron State won on a 12-yard run from quarterback Joe McLain in the third extra period. NCAA all-time leading rusher Danny Woodhead gained 192 yards on the ground and scored four touchdowns for Chadron State while Abilene Christian???s Bernard Scott ran for 308 yards and five touchdowns in a losing effort. In Saturday???s quarterfinals, Chadron State will take on Northwest Missouri State, the last team to beat the Eagles.

Sister, sister. Twin sisters Kari Klynstra (Wheaton (Ill.)) and Kacie Klynstra (Messiah) went head-to-head in the Division III Women???s Soccer Championship game on Saturday, with Kari getting the best of her sibling with a 1-0 win. Both sisters earned all-tournament honors. After the game, Kari said: "Once you step on the field it's just like any other game. You're just playing against another opponent, you're with your team, but as soon as the game???s over, she's still my sister first. We knew going into college that when we both picked schools with good soccer traditions that there was a chance we'd play each other and were both prepared for it." Messiah suffered its only loss of 2007 in the championship game, which marked its fourth consecutive trip to the national semifinals. The Falcons won the 2005 national title.

Bowl me over. Interesting note from the HBCU Sports Blog, as a number of historically black colleges and universities find themselves among the top-ranked bowling teams in the country. Delaware State, Jackson State and Alabama A&M are all ranked in the top 10.

Tragedy in Miami. Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor was fatally shot in his Miami home early Monday morning. The former Miami standout never regained consciousness and passed early today. It seems we???ve lost a number of college and professional athletes to violent crime during the last year or so. Any ideas why?

Hasty hire? Kudos to Dan Shanoff for raising a couple of important points with regard to Mike Sherman???s hiring as head football coach at Texas A&M. Shanoff suggests that Sherman may be unprepared for the ???rigors of college football,??? given that he has never led a program at that level. Sure, Sherman was head coach of the Green Bay Packers and has been an assistant coach in college, but recruiting players in the 21st century is a lot different than giving Brett Favre the ball every down. That???s not to say he won???t succeed with the Aggies, but it certainly is an interesting point. Secondly, Shanoff says it ???wouldn???t have been too much to ask??? for Texas A&M to adhere to diverse hiring practices and interview minority candidates for its head coaching vacancy. Even if the department knew it would select Sherman in the end, providing the opportunity for other candidates to go through the process is something that needs to happen for each open position. Texas A&M should have known better.

The latest from Abby Waner. Duke standout guard Abby Waner does a great job in her recent blog from the road, posted on Duke???s Web site.

Great cause. Last weekend, the Mercyhurst men???s ice hockey team billed its two games against Sacred Heart as ???Great Hockey for a Great Cause.??? Fans that brought used coats or canned food items to either or both games received free admission, as the program did its part to help less fortunate families during the holiday season. Nearly four canisters of used coats, and two of canned food items, were collected.

Spam-a-lot. Due to excessive spam comments, the Double-A Zone has had to add a filter for those who wish to leave comments. Just a heads up so nobody is surprised by the numeric code they have to enter.

Tavern On The Green. Fifty student-athletes had the meal of their lives last night at Tavern On The Green, as the fortunate few who made it to the New York City championship dined on shrimp, steak and cheesecake. With striking lights and gorgeous chandeliers hanging across the room, the teams ate in the middle of Central Park, something they will remember always, regardless of whether or not they win in Madison Square Garden. The games begin tonight at 7 ??? locker room podcasts will be posted in the next day or two.

The coaching carousel. It???s the time of year where the coaching carousel begins its ride around the world of college football. We don???t need to discuss the particulars of any specific institution, but why are such multi-year, guaranteed contracts offered in the first place if administrators aren???t going to ride out the deals? If a coach inks a six-year deal and is fired three years in, the institution must account for the ensuing three years of salary and hire another coach at the same time. Firing coaches becomes a huge financial commitment, so we have to ask, why are such long contracts provided in the first place?

For Kathleen. In honor of 4-year-old Kathleen Quinn, the Salve Regina Student-Athlete Advisory Committee held its first-ever Powder Puff charity football game on November 18. Kathleen was diagnosed with leukemia last year and has undergone extensive treatment, and the disease is currently in remission. Female student-athletes paid $10 to play in the flag-football contest while male student-athletes organized a bake sale. Proceeds from the find-raising effort went to the Tomorrow Fund at Hasbro Children???s Hospital in Providence.

La Salle to cut football. La Salle becomes the latest school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to drop its football program, joining league members Fairfield, Canisius, Siena, St. John???s and St. Peter???s to leave the gridiron. After a 56-year hiatus, La Salle brought back a non-scholarship football program in 1997, but the dissolution of the MAAC and other variables proved too daunting for the Explorers. In the 10 years since the program returned, La Salle went 35-76 and had back-to-back winning seasons in 2000 and 2001.

Kick it around. The Division I men???s soccer bracket was released Monday and Boston College received the top seed in the tournament. The Eagles lost standout Charlie Davies after last season to the professional ranks, but responded to win the ACC regular season and conference championships. The ACC earned six bids to the tournament ??? BC, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Virginia and Duke. Defending champ UC Santa Barbara is seeded 12th.

Harvard's Carl Ehrlich discusses Crimson controversy before the big game with Yale.

I???ve never met Carl Morris, but once a Harvard football player, always a Harvard football player and I think that it???s my job as blogger liaison to defend the legacy that he worked so hard for during his time in Cambridge. All Carl Morris ever did was keep his head down, work as hard as he could and approach the game with class and respect. The same cannot be said for my roommate, Corey Mazza.

Those of you that have read the press on Harvard football in the last week may have come across articles about Corey Mazza ???tying??? Carl Morris??? career touchdown record with 28. Corey ??? if that???s even his real name ??? suffered an ???ankle injury??? after the second game of his 2005 season and received a medical hardship year so that he could come back and play this year.

There has been quite a bit of chatter online regarding the selections for the Division II football championship. Because the Division II membership has elected not to have conference champions receive automatic qualifiers to the bracket, the selection committee uses something called ???earned access??? instead.

With Shaw bumping an outstanding Carson-Newman team from the tournament because of ???earned access,??? we decided to have the selection process fully explained by committee chair Kevin Buisman, the director of athletics at Minnesota State. Kevin lays out the procedures and gets at the specifics of the decision to put Shaw in the championship, and keep Carson-Newman out.

Get the lowdown on championship selections.

Bringing out the ugly. Last week, Wyoming football coach Joe Glenn guaranteed a win over Utah on the gridiron. I???m not sure why coaches ever make guarantees, and why they would do so publically, but Glenn???s guarantee was clearly ill-advised, as Utah went on to win 50-0. Instigated by Glenn???s confidence, Utah came out on fire and quieted the opposing coach, jumping out to a convincing lead early in the game. To continue the ugliness and poor sportsmanship, Utah executed, and recovered, an onside kick with a 43-0 lead. After the Utes recovered the ball, Glenn directed an obscene hand gesture toward the Utah bench. Glenn has since been reprimanded by the Mountain West Conference and Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham admitted his poor decision in calling for the onside kick. But seriously, what were these guys thinking? What kind of an example were they setting?

Easy, John Kerry. Before bed last night, I flipped to HBO and caught 10 minutes of a special documentary on the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. While fans of both programs offered the usual (and expected) colorful language about the rivalry, it was a John Kerry moment that stole the show for me. While campaigning in Ohio before the 2004 election, Kerry proclaimed to the crowd, ???I love the Buckeyes!??? Obviously, Kerry???s words were met with raucous applause, but when he took the campaign wagon to Michigan, it was a completely different story. Kerry admitted to the Michiganders that he supported Ohio State, and you have never heard such boos before. In fact, one person in the crowd screamed above the noise: ???Do you know anything?????? Ah, the glory of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. It even impacts presidential elections.

OBC at Pioneer Bowl. An interesting note from the Pioneer Bowl, the only NCAA-sanctioned bowl game featuring historically black college football teams: Steve Spurrier, the Ol??? Ball Coach, will deliver the keynote address at the banquet before the game.

Hoops party. What???s up with the freshmen hoopsters so far this season? Indiana???s Eric Gordon had 33 points in his debut while Syracuse???s Jonny Flynn had 28 points and nine assists in his opener. Highly-touted O.J. Mayo had 32 points in USC???s tough loss to Mercer, but promises to excite all season long.

Gameday at Williams. Who saw Fowler, Corso and Herbstreit in Willamstown on Saturday? That???s right ??? the ESPN College Gameday team hunkered down at Division III Williams College this weekend, scene of one of football???s best rivalry games between the Ephs and Lord Jeffs of Amherst. Williams went on to win the game, 20-0, and finished its season 6-2 despite losing its first two contests of the year. Williams claimed its 45th Little Three (Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan) title and will head into the off-season smiling. As a conference rule, NESCAC teams don???t compete in the Division III football championship, so Saturday???s victory will have to last the Ephs into next August. Obviously, the game is meaningful enough to get the ESPN gang out to Massachusetts and for true football fans, taking in an Amherst-Williams game is just as important as seeing Ohio St.-Michigan and Harvard-Yale.

Smart idea. Nick Smart caught 16 passes in Southwest Baptist???s loss to Washburn on Saturday, finishing his season with an NCAA-record 143 receptions. It was rough year for the Bearcats, who finished 0-11 overall, but Smart gave fans a reason to smile all season long, as he came ready to play week in and week out. Along with the 143 catches, Smart also had 1,263 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Stealing the show. Of course, I spent part of yesterday evening checking out the Syracuse men???s basketball team in its season opener against Siena. Yes, I was pumped about Jonny Flynn and his 28 points and nine assists. Of course, Paul Harris fired me up with 15 rebounds. And obviously, I shouted for Donte Green, who blocked five shots in his college debut. But none of that was as impressive to me as when the broadcasters began sharing the resume of Siena head coach Fran McCaffery. Why did the bio catch my attention, you ask? Well, it turns out that McCaffery did his undergraduate work at Pennsylvania, one of the nation???s finest universities. While that???s impressive, it???s not nearly as impressive as the fact that he received his bachelor of science degree from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, which is widely regarded as the best undergraduate (and graduate) education one can receive in the field of business. Upon his graduation from Penn, McCaffery headed to Lehigh, where he worked as an assistant coach and picked up his master???s degree. He became Lehigh???s head coach at the ripe old age of 26 and went 49-39 in three years. He then spent 11 seasons as an assistant at Notre Dame before moving on to UNC-Greensboro, where he spent six years at the helm. McCaffery is in his third year at Siena. Pretty decent credentials, huh?

Reverse curse? Congratulations to Double-A Zone student-athlete blogger Sam Mitchell, who was named Conference Carolinas women???s volleyball player of the year. She was named to the all-conference team for the third-straight season. Way to go, Sam!

Raw deal? Yesterday, the SportsProf asked why we don???t have a playoff in the highest level of college football? He suggests that the teams which lose earliest in the season will have a better chance of competing for the national title, mostly because voters will hold the teams that lose late more accountable. He???s certainly right ??? when we have two undefeated teams, it makes things a lot easier. I want a playoff as much as the next guy, but here???s the reality ??? it???s not coming anytime soon. There are two undefeated teams in the country (Kansas and Hawaii), and if the season ended today, neither would have a chance at the national championship. That doesn???t seem fair to me. But in theory, the SportsProf is right. LSU and Oregon lost earlier in the season have rebounded to claim the top two spots in the BCS rankings. With a loss this weekend, Ohio State fell behind its one-loss brethren and probably can???t recover in time to play for the national crown.

Watch your words. Nebraska???s football team has lost five games in a row and head coach Bill Callahan is on the hot seat. His agent turned in perhaps the most offensive comment of the weekend, saying to Cornhusker fans: ???Listen to how stupid you people are. You people need to start studying soil content or something. Why don't you find out how many pair of socks get washed every day in the locker room?" That seems like a pleasant way to endear yourself to the Lincoln faithful.

A lot of touchdowns. Colt Brennan has to be considered one of the greatest college quarterbacks in history, doesn???t he? The Hawaii standout was 28-of-39 for 396 yards and tossed two touchdown strikes on Saturday night, leading the Warriors to a 37-30 win over Fresno State. Brennan, who was hurt in the victory, tied the NCAA career mark for touchdown passes with his 121st right before he was knocked out of the game. Hawaii improved to 9-0 overall.

A lot of touchdowns, take two. One week after its big victory over Notre Dame, Navy won a shootout against North Texas, 74-62. The teams set a college football record with 136 points in the game, and set another record for 94 in the first half. The Midshipmen clinched a berth in the Poinsettia Bowl on December 20.

Goodbye Orange Bowl. In a tough way to say goodbye to the Orange Bowl, Miami???s offense couldn???t muster any points on Saturday, losing to Virginia in the stadium finale, 48-0. It was the first shutout loss for the Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl since 1974. And it will also be the last.

With two games remaining this season, the Poly Prep High School football team has lost more than it???s won. The Blue Devils are 3-4 this fall, but victories don???t define success for head coach Dino Mangiero.

Now in its second season, ???The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year??? features college and prep coaches each week on ABC. Last week, Mangiero was featured for his outstanding performance ??? on and off the field ??? at Poly Prep.

During his eight-year tenure in Brooklyn, Mangiero has coached approximately 200 players at the varsity level. Of those 200, a remarkable 60 have gone on to play football at the college level. More impressive, however, is the number of players who have earned their college degrees after competing for Mangiero. The number? All of them. A perfect 100 percent.

During Saturday???s piece, Mangiero laid it out quite simply: ???We try and give poor kids from the inner city a chance to come to a school like Poly Prep and maybe change his life for the better.???

Sounds like a pretty good candidate for a ???Coach of the Year??? award to me.

Harvard football student-athlete Carl Ehrlich made a big catch last weekend...and he wasn't even playing.

Flash bulbs popped, grown men were brought to tears and Corey Mazza hasn???t slept in weeks ??? all because of something that happened last weekend in the greater Boston area. Was it the Red Sox World Series match-up? The Patriots routing of the Redskins? The Celtics? No, this remarkable athletic feat took place in Harvard Stadium of all places??? during the JV game???on the sideline (and predictably, by yours truly).

I???m tentative to discuss my athletic prowess with such hyperbolic word choice, but those that were there for ???The Catch??? as some wise man (myself) named it, understand why I???m writing in such a way. ???Star receiver??? Corey Mazza hasn???t looked at me the same since, for fear that I???ll switch to offense and take his spot. Only minutes after my catch, the buzz was already circling through the training room and in a press conference following the varsity game vs Dartmouth, three reporters asked me if I was the player that made the grab. Even my grandmother called from back home to ask me if it was true. Well, everything except for the grandma part.

With all of our good conversation last week about the difference between regular-season games in the NFL and the Football Bowl Subdivision, it seemed like today was a perfect opportunity to engage NCAA President Myles Brand on the topic.

On our weekly podcast, Dr. Brand discusses yesterday's game between the Patriots and Colts, Boston College's tough loss to Florida State and why a playoff could diminish the importance of the college regular season.

Listen to Mondays With Myles

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Last week marked the 60-year anniversary of the creation of the CIA. As Washington prepared to publicly celebrate its ability to be sneaky, college football coaches (at least the ones the AP spoke with) were concerned with a different kind of clandestine operation.

The article???which opened with a reference to the Crimson Tide???s Nick Saban and his sweatshirt loving former boss???highlighted the lengths coaches take to ensure their sidelines are snoop-free. Unfortunately for Saban, his stint under Bill Belichick may have a lingering impact. According to the article, for the first time in seven years, Georgia head coach Mark Richt closed practices leading up to last Saturday???s 26-23 victory over Bama. While Richt maintained his tight-lipped approach had nothing to do with Saban, he told the AP, "Things have changed in the last few years. It's not like it used to be. It's so easy for information to travel so fast." But have things really changed that fast? Haven???t teams always spent hours studying their opponents, deciphering plays and looking for weakness?

Oklahoma???s Bob Stoops apparently closes one side of the stadium during preseason scrimmages, which are open to fans. "I don't want someone sitting out here watching one of our scrimmages and we're just sitting here giving it all (away)," Stoops said. "We put our back to everybody so if we're signaling, I know no one's over there on the west side. Hopefully no one's snuck up in the press box and paying attention to what we're doing."

There???s no question that for many coaches winning and losing one game can make the difference between playing in a bowl and watching it on TV. A winning season is also a ticket to another year as coach, which may make someone desperate for any edge.

Unlike the NFL, however, college football has an obligation to participate in their university community. How secretive can the college game become before it starts to sacrifice the intimacy that makes it special?

Gundy tirade makes sense. Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy went bananas at a post-game press conference on Saturday, and the Cowboys had just won an important game over Texas Tech, 49-45. Instead of discussing his team???s play, Gundy offered vicious criticism of columnist Jenni Carlson, who writes for The Oklahoman. In Saturday morning???s paper, Carlson offered her perspective on why Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid had been replaced as a starter. Carlson suggested that although Reid had exhibited his talent, his attitude left something to be desired. She questioned his toughness and commented on the fact that his mother had been seen feeding him chicken on Friday night. Gundy, who probably should have exhibited a bit more self control in his tirade, was incensed that a college student-athlete was subjected to such criticism in a public forum. I have to agree with the head coach on this one. It???s one thing for a reporter to report ??? to say that a quarterback struggled finding his receivers, or a kid didn???t play because of a violation of team rules. It seems to cross the line, however, when a writer decides that it???s appropriate to attack the personal character traits of a college junior. During his tirade, Gundy said to Carlson: ???If you want to comment on his play, comment on his play. But don't comment on something that's outside of his play that is downgrading or belittling to a young man who is trying to do things right and he has to get splashed all over the newspaper in the state of Oklahoma.??? Gundy is right ??? there is a difference between college and professional athletes. Kids like Reid aren???t paid to play the game, and therefore, shouldn???t be subjected to the heat that professionals often take in the media. They???re just kids, going to school and playing a game they love. The popularity of college football doesn???t make it okay to rip a student-athlete in the press. It???s just inappropriate.

Do you want to dance? When the Rugby World Cup rolls around every four years, rest assured that the New Zealand All Blacks will be in the mix for the prestigious title. Not much has changed during the 2007 World Cup, as the All Blacks have dominated pool play and earned a quarterfinal berth with a perfect 3-0 record in the tournament. While the All Blacks have achieved fame for their outstanding play on the pitch, they???re also noted for the haka they perform before each international match. A Maori dance that has been associated with New Zealand for nearly 150 years, the All Blacks began performing the dance in 1905. The dance has been adopted by a few college programs, most notably BYU and Hawaii. While rugby teams generally watch the All Blacks as they perform the dance, the sportsmanship ramifications have become a hot topic at the college level. Hawaii???s football team was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct a couple of weeks ago, but because of the traditional aspect of the dance, head coach June Jones has indicated his team will continue its performance before games ??? when the other team is not on the field. A spirited and emotional dance, the haka has been seen by some as intimidating and threatening, and has caused a couple of fights on the football field. There certainly is a traditional element to this ritual in New Zealand, but does a team dance belong at the college level? Should our teams have on-field ???performances??? before they play, or should those displays be confined to locker rooms?

Go alma mater. Brandeis was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Jostens Institution of the Year. The award is presented annually to the ECAC institution that exemplifies the highest standards of collegiate academics and athletic performance. Four Brandeis teams reached the semifinals of ECAC Division III New England tournaments last year, and both basketball programs posted 20-win campaigns and qualified for their respective NCAA tournaments. In addition to its on-field success, Brandeis had 156 student-athletes named to the University Athletic Association All-Academic team.

Samuel Alito comes to town. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is apparently a fan of college sports. During a trip to Indianapolis last week, Justice Alito visited with NCAA President Myles Brand and toured the Hall of Champions, which has been nominated as one of the top museums in Indianapolis. During the tour, Justice Alito and Dr. Brand paused for a couple of moments to shoot a few baskets in the Hall???s gymnasium. No word about who had the better jumper.

UCF opens stadium. Central Florida has brought football back to its campus with the opening of Bright House Networks Stadium last Saturday. More than 45,000 fans showed up to watch the Knights battle sixth-ranked Texas, and the energy almost carried the home team to victory, but the Longhorns prevailed, 35-32. Myles Brand was present at the historic game and praised the stadium project: ???They've built a fine stadium that's functionally terrific, but it's not lavish. And it makes great sense. We're not seeing that in every institution. Sometimes we're seeing expenditure that's resulting in problems for some institutions in terms of debt load."

No place like home. Think you can beat New Jersey City???s volleyball team in Jersey City? Forget it. The Gothic Knights won their 34th consecutive home match on Tuesday, sweeping Montclair State (30-25, 30-11, 30-23) to improve to 10-1 overall. Senior middle blocker Lizzelle Cintron collected her 91st career double-double with 16 kills and 11 blocks, and moved into 17th place in NCAA history with 2,457 career kills.

A scoring machine. Dallas soccer player Adam Lunger needed just five games into his junior year to score his 100th career point. Lunger connected on the game-winning goal early in the second half of the Crusaders??? 4-0 win over Illinois College on Sunday. With 43 goals and 14 assists during his career, Lunger has already become one of the most prolific scorers in school history. A strong student-athlete, Lunger carries a 3.0 GPA and plans to major in business and pre-medicine.

What did the goal post do to you? Known for its world-class academics and renowned basketball program, Duke University has had much to celebrate in recent years. The Blue Devils haven???t had anything to cheer about on the football field, however, as the program is consistently one of the worst in the Football Bowl Subdivision. On Saturday, Duke snapped a 22-game losing streak (the longest in the nation) with a 20-14 win over Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois. Almost 1,000 miles away, festivities commenced in Durham, North Carolina, as the Blue Devil faithful partied like it was 1999. Hundreds of fans stormed Wallace Wade Stadium on the Duke campus, tearing down the goal posts despite the fact that there wasn???t a game played on the field that day. We can???t begrudge the Blue Devil fans the opportunity to celebrate the long-awaited win, but why did it have to end with destruction? I might not be writing about this had a sophomore student not been struck by the goal post when it fell after relocation. The student was knocked unconscious and ultimately, will be just fine. But in the past, fans have died when goal posts have fallen on top of them. As fans continue to suffer injuries in raucous celebrations, why can???t the festivities be tuned down a notch or two in order to ensure the safety of all those present? Storming the field and tearing down goal posts are not safe practices.

Kentucky fined 25K. Kentucky turned in one of the biggest shocks of the young football season with a 40-34 upset of ninth-ranked Louisville on Saturday. After that win, Kentucky fans stormed the Lexington field, and thankfully nobody was hurt. The SEC fined Kentucky $25,000 for failing to control the environment. We may see fines become the norm as conferences and institutions try to ensure the safety of their fans and student-athletes.

Blue Planet Run. The cross country and track and field student-athletes participated in an around-the-world non-stop relay on August 31 as part of Blue Planet Run. Starting in New York City on June 1, 20 international athletes ran for 24 hours each day in order to raise awareness and funds to deliver safe drinking water to the 1.1 billion people who are currently without access. The Blue Planet Run covered 15,200 miles across 16 countries for 95 days. Individual runners went 10 miles before handing the baton to their teammates. The District of Columbia student-athletes ran the Washington leg to help the cause.

Historical battle. Probably best known for being the site of a Civil War battle, Cape Girardeau, Missouri was home to history of another sort on Saturday afternoon. For the first time in Football Championship Subdivision history, two African-American coaches from non-Historical Black Colleges and Universities squared off on the gridiron. Lou West and the Indiana State Sycamores traveled west to play Tony Samuel and Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau Saturday in a game that was much more important than the 13-10 Southeast Missouri victory. Although West was serving a one-game suspension for using an ineligible player in 2006, his record was still credited with a loss from the game, so the historical impact stands in the books. NCAA research reveals that African-American coaches have faced off 13 times at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, and the occurrence now happens annually in the Pac-10 when Washington (Tyrone Willingham) and UCLA (Karl Dorrell) play one another. With just seven African-American head coaches at the FBS level, and just a handful more leading FCS programs, games like Saturday???s are far too infrequent. The Diversity and Inclusion arm of the NCAA is working hard to provide opportunities for minority coaches by offering educational and leadership academies. With graduates from the Coaches??? Academies moving on to get head coaching positions, the programs are clearly working, and it will be nice to see match-ups between African-American head coaches become so commonplace that we don???t need to write about them.

Scrumtastic finish. History was also taking place about 200 miles south of the Mississippi River port on Saturday, as Eastern Illinois and West Chester played the first-ever NCAA women???s rugby game. More than 1,000 fans showed up to watch a game that didn???t disappoint, with Sasha Sauffer connecting on a five-point try with 4:27 remaining to propel West Chester to a 20-19 victory over the Panthers. It was an exciting finish to what will hopefully be the first of many women???s rugby games in NCAA history.

New legislation in the mix. At its meeting in Indianapolis last week, the Division I Academics/Eligibility/ Compliance Cabinet sponsored legislation to amend bylaws regarding the financial aid of student-athletes who suffer a medical condition, illness or injury. The legislation applies to pregnant student-athletes and those diagnosed with other conditions such as mental illness or eating disorders.

Weekend football notes. For the first time since 2003, Shepherd lost a West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game. The eighth-ranked Rams fell to Glenville State on Saturday, 24-13. The game was offered via broadband on Division II???s weekly package ??? Linfield scored 20 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarter to win a shootout with Hardin-Simmons, 52-42. With nearly 1,200 yards of total offense, Linfield quarterback Trevor Scharer led the way with 511 passing yards and six touchdown strikes ??? Wisconsin-Whitewater tailback Justin Beaver ran for 177 yards in a 26-13 loss to Division II St. Cloud State to become the all-time leading rusher in conference history.

Last weekend, just hours before the New England Patriots took the field for the first time this season, I patrolled the Internet looking for a Tedy Bruschi jersey. It was going to be my Sunday garb this winter.

I didn???t pull the trigger on Sunday, and now, you won???t see me wearing anything that shouts my support for the Pats in public. I???m too embarrassed.

During the season opener with the New York Jets, it seems that the Patriots had a staffer patrolling their opponent???s sideline with a video camera. After reviewing the content of the tape, the NFL determined that the Patriots were spying on the Jets??? defensive signals.

Yesterday, the NFL fined head coach Bill Belichick $500,000, docked the Patriots $250,000 and forced the team to forfeit future draft picks. Why? Because the Patriots are cheaters.

Whenever we learn that an athlete has used performance-enhancing drugs to gain a competitive advantage, we shake our heads with disgust. This is no different. When one team breaks the rules to gain an advantage over another, it challenges the integrity of the game.

This is a big story because it happened in the NFL, but this type of behavior is unacceptable at every level of competition. It doesn???t matter if it???s football signals in a professional game, baseball signs in a college game or stealing defenses at a high school basketball game. Cheating is cheating.

I think we all like to believe in the purity of sport. We want to believe that teams go at competition as hard as they can, and that the better team on that given day comes out on top. If the field is rigged, however, it challenges our entire faith in the system.

I???m glad I didn???t buy that jersey on Sunday. Now I have some extra money to buy Bill Belichick a copy of John Maxwell???s Ethics 101: What Every Leader Needs To Know.

Oden out. Oh, Greg Oden. The former Ohio State standout and No. 1 NBA draft pick will miss next season as he recovers from microfracture knee surgery. Oden battled injuries throughout his freshman season at Ohio State and still emerged as one of the most dominant players in college basketball last year. The Portland Trailblazers selected the center with the hopes that he could help turn the franchise around, but they will have to wait another season until he takes the court. Oden could have suffered the same injury at Ohio State, but because he decided to leave school early, he will rehab as a millionaire. It???s impossible to argue that blue-chip underclassmen shouldn???t leave school when there are millions on the table for precisely this reason, but how Oden reacts to his time off will be an interesting story to follow. Oden has said all along that he loved college and relished the opportunity to further his education. With a little bit more time on his hands now that he will be rehabilitating his knee, why not enroll in a college in Portland to learn a bit more? He would be sending a lesson to a lot of folks that school is still important to him despite the fact that his wallet his full.

Duck suspended. During the football game between Oregon and Houston on September 1, the Oregon mascot exhibited outrageously poor sportsmanship after a Cougar touchdown. As hundreds of thousands of YouTube enthusiasts now know, the Duck attacked when the Cougar apparently mimicked his trademark move and performed push-ups on the field after a touchdown. The Duck pounced on the Cougar and threw a number of punches during the scuffle. Oregon announced a one-game suspension for the Duck, and I have to wonder if it???s enough. Mascots are supposed to enhance the game environment, not detract from it. There???s no place in college sports for these shenanigans.

Mississippi woman to make history. Veteran Mississippi high school football official Sarah Thomas will make history Saturday night, as she becomes the first woman to ever officiate a game in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Thomas will work as a line judge in the game between Jacksonville State and Memphis. The best part of this story? After Thomas was accepted as a Conference USA official, the league received applications from four other women. The conference hadn???t received any applications from female officials prior to Thomas???.

Welcome to Division II. Chestnut Hill is now formally a member of Division II ??? the men???s soccer program won the college???s first game at that level on August 30. With a 3-1 victory over Concordia, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference???s newest member began its new journey on the right foot???literally.

The outlook was about as bleak as it gets Sunday, when Buffalo Bills player Kevin Everett was catastrophically injured while making a tackle against the Denver Broncos. Not only did paralysis seem an inevitable fate for the athlete, the doctors weren???t completely sure that he would escape with his life.

Everett has since had a miraculous recovery, regaining the ability to wiggle his toes, flex his biceps, bend his hip and feel his mother???s squeeze on his hand. The impossible has become possible. While Everett certainly is not out of the woods and has a long road ahead of him, the fact that he may walk again is nothing short of a miracle.

So how did it all happen? How did Everett injure his spine Sunday and begin breathing on his own less than 72 hours later? The key to the recovery was the quick action taken by Buffalo team physician Andrew Cappuccino, who administered a specialized procedure on Everett shortly after the injury, a procedure that helped Everett turn things around.

Immediately after the injury, Cappuccino ran an ice-cold saline solution through Everett???s system, placing him in a hypothermic state. Because I don???t understand what that means, I shot an e-mail to my cousin Bob Centor, who is associate dean of the Huntsville Regional Medical Campus of Alabama-Birmingham. Bob wrote:

???This result is a great demonstration of better understanding of how to manage spinal cord injuries. The key feature in this case is that the spinal cord was not physically severed. If the cord is severed, then no medical treatment will help. Here (as I understand it) the cord was ???stunned??? and the treatment inhibited the swelling, which could lead to further damage. The key in this case was having trained neurosurgical staff to start therapy quickly.???

Obviously, Everett???s is not the first catastrophic injury to happen to an athlete, but this procedure seems to provide new hope to those who suffer severe injuries on the field of play. If Everett was fortunate enough to have someone with the proper training to administer this procedure on his own sideline, is it possible for every football game to have a doctor with those qualifications in attendance?

According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury, there have been 269 football players with incomplete neurological recovery from cervical cord injuries in the last 30 years ??? 222 to high school players, 33 to college players, five to sandlot players and nine to professionals. Last year, there were 10 such injuries ??? eight to high school players, two to collegians.

The NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook suggest that every institution should have an emergency medical plan in place, but the presence of a physician is ultimately the school???s decision. Even if a physician is present at a football game, are all of them qualified to administer the procedure that Cappuccino did? There are 269 families that would have wanted a physician with Cappuccino???s training on the sidelines when their sons were injured.

Shouldn???t we have appropriate care available for athletes at all costs? If there???s a chance to save an injured athlete from permanent paralysis, we have a responsibility to see it through. Costs may sometimes be prohibitive, but there has to be a way to fight through that. Lives are at stake.

I???m angry. So angry, in fact, that I???m listening to the soothing sounds of Kenny G to calm me down as I write.

As a former student-athlete, as someone who has decided to devote his professional life to intercollegiate athletics and higher education, I believe I have established myself as someone who is truly passionate about college sports. I have played, I have watched, I have laughed, cried and cheered.

We???re all well aware that some fans like to use sporting events as an excuse to drink excessively and root against their opponents. Because I played ball, I never felt it was appropriate to express negative sentiment against others in the competitive arena. I don???t condone taunting and harassment from fans, but I understand that it???s there. It???s disgusting, sophomoric and unnecessary, but it???s there.

While I can remain quiet at the routine instances of poor sportsmanship displayed by boorish fans of sports teams across the world, I can???t stay zipped about the incidents that occurred in Piscataway, New Jersey on Friday night.

During Rutgers??? 41-24 victory over Navy, the Scarlet Knight student section wasn???t a place where you???d bring young children. Heck, it wasn???t even a place I???d want to sit with my wife. It seems the Rutgers students, rejuvenated from back-to-back winning seasons, feel that it???s appropriate to shout anything and everything at opposing players. The things that were shouted need not be recounted; our imaginations will suffice.

As fans from Rutgers attacked the players from Navy, one must wonder if they stopped to think that the people they were yelling at were the same people who will soon travel overseas to defend the United States in a time of war. We always discuss how it???s academics first, athletics second for student-athletes. Well for student-athletes at the academies, it???s about serving your country first, everything else second.

Rutgers President Richard McCormick was outraged at the abysmal behavior of his students and has said so publicly. The Rutgers administration handled the incident admirably; the student-athletes, coaches and administrators weren???t the ones taunting our future lieutenants, captains and admirals.

Most of what I know about the Navy was gleaned from Herman Wouk in his classic novel, The Caine Mutiny, but I do know that Americans shouldn???t have to be told that our Midshipmen have volunteered to put their lives on the line to protect the freedom and liberty of every person in this country. To demean them on the football field isn???t clever, it isn???t fine, it isn???t funny. It???s disgraceful.

So yes, I???m angry this afternoon. That type of behavior has no place in any sporting arena, especially one where servicemen and servicewomen are competing. It???s inherently unacceptable and the Rutgers fans should be ashamed of themselves.

Poll hoopla. The Associated Press has decided that Football Championship Subdivision teams are now eligible to be ranked in its top 25. Appalachian State???s historic victory over Michigan last week pushed the AP to allow lower-division schools to be eligible for inclusion in its weekly poll. In this week???s poll, Appalachian State received 19 votes and is currently ranked 33rd nationally. It???s great that Appalachian State is getting recognition for its victory in the Big House, but is the AP Poll truly an accurate reflection of the best teams in college football now that FCS teams are included on ballots? Appalachian State, the two-time defending national champion, is only sandwiched between Auburn and Cincinnati in the poll because it happened to have Michigan scheduled in its first game of the season. If Appalachian State loses to another team in the Championship Subdivision, will that team make it into the AP Poll? It seems highly doubtful, unless that team also upsets a well-known FBS program. There???s nothing wrong with Appalachian State???s inclusion in the poll, but why don???t other programs merit consideration? Grand Valley State has dominated Division II football for the past few years. Should the Lakers merit consideration for the FCS poll? Mount Union never loses in Division III ??? should that program be ranked in Division II? Appalachian State???s inclusion in the AP Poll doesn???t affect the postseason, as the poll isn???t factored into the BCS rankings and the Mountaineers aren???t eligible for competition in bowl games, even if they ascend to the top spot in the AP Poll.

Shocks and cops. Student-athletes and coaches from Wichita State served as volunteers at the third annual Shocks, Cops and Kids Day at Charles Koch Arena on Saturday. The program taught middle-schoolers about Internet safety, nutrition and physical fitness. The representatives from the Wichita State athletics department were joined by local police officers and employees from the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. It must have been a special day for the children, who got to spend the day with some of the heroes of their community.

Lots of goals. Maryland???s field hockey program is exceptional. The Terrapins are out to a 6-0 start for the sixth straight season and the nation???s top-ranked team is on track to compete for a third consecutive NCAA crown. Maryland dominated the competition at the Terrapin Invitational last weekend, defeating Ohio State on Saturday (4-1) and Northeastern on Sunday (6-0). So far this season, Maryland has outscored its opponents 28-4. Freshman Katie O???Donnell is the team???s leading scorer with eight goals and nine assists (25 points) in her first half-dozen college games. Sophomore Nicole Muracco has seven goals this season.

It seems that hardly a night goes by during the fall without a college football game hitting the airwaves. Years ago, football games during the week were few and far between.

This may not seem like much of a big deal, as most other college sports have games at least once or twice during the week. But is this trend appropriate for the sport of football? Are conferences allowing television networks to play too much of a role in the scheduling of games?

On today???s edition of Mondays With Myles, NCAA President Myles Brand says it???s a two-edged sword. Let us know if you're a fan of weekday games in our latest Double-A Poll.

Listen to Mondays With Myles

I just bumped into Division II Vice President Mike Racy on the stairwell. None the worse for the collision, Mike and I started discussing the game between Chadron State and Northern Colorado and the success Division II teams have had against Football Championship Subdivision opponents this fall.

Interestingly, Mike said a number of folks have congratulated him on last week???s Appalachian State upset of Michigan. He expressed concern that many fans don???t recognize the difference between Football Championship Subdivision and Division II programs. I promised Mike I???d add a couple of points with my cup of decaf.

??? Division I Bowl Championship Subdivision programs can offer 85 scholarships.
??? Division I Football Championship Subdivision programs (Appalachian State, Northern Colorado, etc.) can offer up to 63 scholarships. Some FCS programs aren???t fully funded.
??? Division II football programs can offer up to 36; again, many programs aren???t fully funded.
??? Division III institutions don???t offer athletics financial aid.

There are certainly other factors that impact the success of college football programs on the field, but the scholarship limits are an important part of it. Appalachian State can offer 63 scholarships, 27 more than a fully-funded Division II program. That???s a big difference.

Additionally, the differences between Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision programs only exist in the sport of football. Otherwise, everything is classified as Division I and the championships are all the same.

Tough one for Northern Colorado. There was a time when Northern Colorado dominated Division II football. In fact, the Bears won national championships in 1996 and 1997. After making the jump to Division I, however, Northern Colorado has ceased to dominate much of anything on the gridiron. Last week, the Bears suffered a 63-6 season-opening loss at Hawaii, but things got a whole bunch worse on Saturday. Taking on Division II power Chadron State at home, Northern Colorado couldn???t muster any offense and lost 31-0. Four Division II programs defeated Football Championship Subdivision opponents this weekend, so it???s not a terribly infrequent occurrence. This situation is of particular interest because Northern Colorado used to be a football power in its own right, and after a move up, doesn???t look like it can compete with the heavyweights in Division II anymore. Many programs decide to shoot for the brighter lights of Division I, but does it really make a lot of sense? Will Northern Colorado ever compete with the biggest programs in Division I ??? on the football field or off? It seems that competing for national championships at the Division II level would be a lot more fun than taking tough losses like the one on Saturday.

Undefeated since 1939. In its first football game since 1939, Birmingham Southern defeated Mississippi College (JV) on Thursday night, 41-13. More than 3,000 people showed up to support the program, which was able to return after the college moved from Division I to Division III. It???s time for us all to order ???Undefeated Since 1939??? t-shirts.

Rare loss for Pilots. The Portland women???s soccer team doesn???t lose often. With two national championships in the last five seasons, the Pilots actually lose less than any other program except North Carolina. Yesterday afternoon, Purdue shocked the women???s soccer world, knocking off Portland, 1-0. Shauna Stapleton headed home the game???s only goal off a corner from Parrissa Eyorokon in the 58th minute. Purdue improved to 3-1-1 while Portland fell to 3-1.

Catch a recap of the latest NCAA news in this edition of the 3-Minute Drill, along with a look at some of the more emotional moments of college football's opening weekend.

Powe???s appeal denied. Jerrell Powe will not be eligible to practice or compete for Mississippi???s football team this season. Initially, the NCAA staff determined Powe has not demonstrated he can succeed academically during his first year in college while participating in intercollegiate athletics. The staff came to that decision because Powe had completed just seven core courses out of a required 14 in his first five years of high school, and subsequently completed 14.5 core courses at three different schools concurrently over a four-month period. The average number of core courses completed by a high school student in a year is four. Since the NCAA is a membership-driven organization, it should come as no surprise that the NCAA governance process features multiple layers of appeals for all types of situations. In this case, Mississippi had the opportunity to appeal the staff???s decision to two NCAA committees, comprised of representatives from member institutions. Based on the facts presented to them yesterday, the NCAA Student Records Review Committee and the Initial Eligibility Waiver Learning Disability Subcommittee upheld the staff???s decisions.

YouTube it! MacKenzie Aries is not the best volleyball prospect in the country. If she were, she would have college coaches regularly knocking on her door and asking her to come to their school. She happens to be an excellent high school volleyball player who wants to play in college, however, and is doing everything within her reach to realize that dream. As new media technology becomes more and more mainstream, college coaches will probably be able to do more recruiting than ever before from behind their desks. A computer whiz, MacKenzie has created a Web site that includes information about her and action videos of her playing volleyball. Instead of coaches needing to sift through videos and DVDs they have been sent of prospective student-athletes, all they need to do to see MacKenzie play is click on a link or two. She has even uploaded her videos to YouTube, getting thousands and thousands of hits. It is becoming easier each day for prospective student-athletes to market themselves through the use of new technology. Hopefully the Web site and videos will pay off for MacKenzie, who really wants to play volleyball at the college level.

SCSU collects flood donations. Donations were recently collected at a pair of St. Cloud State sporting events to help flood victims in southeastern Minnesota. A variety of items, including soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, school supplies and other essentials, were collected for areas hit by the devastating flood.

How much is too much? Nearly three dozen colleges and universities have pitched the mascot suit in favor of live animal mascots at their games. Butler brings a bulldog on to its basketball court prior to games, Baylor fans cheer for twin black bears and Mike the Tiger is paraded on the gridiron at LSU. At Baylor, donors came up with the $1 million needed to build a habitat for the bears; at LSU, $3 million was raised for Mike. Understanding the pageantry and tradition of college mascots, it does seem a bit excessive to spend millions of dollars to house a live animal that is probably better served in the wild or even in a zoo. Relatively speaking, the costs of traditional mascot uniforms are miniscule when compared to the costs of maintaining live mascots. Is it really better for live animals to be the symbol of a school???s athletics program? Or can those dollars be appropriated more responsibly to educational initiatives on campus?

Lending a hand. Virginia Tech???s return to the football field four months after the massacre on the Blacksburg campus made national headlines last weekend. What you may not have known, however, is that Southern Methodist student-athletes collected donations during Monday???s football game with Texas Tech to give to the survivors and families of those killed during the shooting. The athletes were stationed at stadium gates and white balloons were released following a moment of silence before the game. To date, Virginia Tech has received more than $7 million in contributions, and a lot of it has come due to grassroots efforts like that at Southern Methodist on Monday.

Michigan can recover. There have been a lot of articles vilifying Michigan and head coach Lloyd Carr for the season-opening loss to Appalachian State on Saturday. It seems that some fans are ready to axe Carr, who has notched a national championship during his tenure in Ann Arbor. While the Wolverines dropped out of the top 25 with the loss, there are still three months to turn the ship around. One game does not a season make, and although losses in college football are more difficult to overcome than in some other sports, if Michigan runs the table, it will find its way back in the top 10. Most perplexing is how fans have discounted the talent on the Appalachian State team. Yes this was a huge upset, but Appalachian State is the two-time defending national champion in the Football Championship Subdivision. Two times! We???re talking about a great football program that pulled a great upset. Appalachian State may be better than people expected and Michigan may be worse, but both teams have a long way to go this fall.

David over Goliath? That???s nothing compared to Appalachian State???s win over Michigan at the Big House on Saturday. Entering the game, some would have predicted that Dennis Kucinich winning the Democratic nomination for president would be more likely than the Wolverines getting dumped by a Football Championship Subdivision team. Although Appalachian State is the two-time defending Division I national champion, it???s hard to imagine a Big Ten power losing on its own field to a program that offers fewer scholarships, doesn???t make many appearances on national television and has just two players on NFL rosters. But it happened and we have to entertain the question ??? should we really be that surprised? Appalachian State isn???t the only team that pulled an upset over an opponent in a higher division so far this fall. In the last two weeks, we???ve seen Division II programs upset Football Championship Subdivision teams ??? Carson-Newman over Tennessee-Chattanooga, Delta State over Jackson State, Tarleton State over Stephen F. Austin and Western Washington over UC Davis. We also saw Division III programs beating Division II squads ??? Sacred Heart over Assumption, Wisconsin-Eau Claire over Southwest Minnesota, Husson over Pace and Concordia (Minnesota) over MSU Moorhead. While none of those other upsets have the national significance of Appalachian State???s victory over Michigan, they???re certainly indicative of the talent spread across the country. You never know what???s going to happen in the 60 minutes spent between the lines, and unless you???re a Michigan fan, doesn???t that signal a lot more fun?

The price of cheers. Ever think about how much it costs to get the marching band to a road game? How about the cheerleaders? In an article in USA Today last week, Patrick Bohn discusses the costs associated with spirit squads and the relationship with athletics departments. Some will argue whether or not having cheerleaders or bands is an important aspect of intercollegiate athletics, but isn???t that part of the college experience? Band members and cheerleaders are part of the student body and their big performances come at athletics events. Should athletics departments be responsible for providing greater funding?

The NCAA has granted a waiver for the University of Oklahoma to set up a fund to assist with funeral expenses of football recruit Herman Mitchell, who was tragically slain last week in his hometown of Houston.

Because Mitchell???s younger brother is a potential football recruit, Oklahoma needed to seek a waiver for bylaws that generally don???t allow boosters to provide preferential treatment to prospective student-athletes and their families. The waiver was received and approved yesterday by the NCAA membership services staff.

Sometimes NCAA rules are a bit restrictive, and it???s great that the NCAA membership services staff is flexible with regard to interpretations. With the sheer volume of requests that group gets, the staffers should be commended for turning this one around so quickly.

Before the waiver was even received, media outlets were criticizing the NCAA for its lack of understanding and for being uptight and stodgy. This type of criticism is always confounding, as the rules folks complain about are made by representatives from the NCAA membership. Each bylaw in the NCAA manuals was proposed, discussed and enacted by some portion of the membership, not by the national office staff in Indianapolis.

Therefore, when people get in a tizzy about how stringent some of the rules are, they should recognize that the bylaws are representative of what the colleges and universities want. The national office staff only has flexibility in its interpretations, and it???s great to see that flexibility was put to good use yesterday.

A couple of days ago, the NCAA announced that prospective student-athlete Jerrell Powe would not be eligible to play football at Mississippi this season. Although Powe won???t be suiting up on the field, he will be able to start his education, which is a significant victory for the young man and student-athlete well-being in general.

The NCAA staff partially approved an initial eligibility waiver for Powe, who will be permitted to receive athletically-related financial aid to attend classes at Ole Miss. He will be unable to compete until he demonstrates the academic progress that is required of all Division I student-athletes.

Although some folks have been critical of the NCAA???s decision to keep Powe off the field this season, don???t we have to laud the Association for keeping this young man???s best interests at the forefront? Still able to receive his athletics aid, Powe can now spend the year working toward fulfilling his academic requirements and reaching his true potential in the classroom. If he succeeds, he can play football. If he struggles, he will still have the opportunity to work toward achieving his degree.

Jerrell Powe, like the other 380,000+ student-athletes competing in the NCAA, is not a professional. He is a student first, athlete second. The NCAA has given him the opportunity to fulfill that requirement and let???s hope he finds success. It would be wonderful to see him on the field next season, making the grade both on and off the gridiron.

In yesterday???s Orange County Register, Marcia Smith discusses the academic accomplishments of a number of football student-athletes currently on the USC roster. Five Trojans have already received their undergraduate degrees, and two have begun graduate programs on campus. It seems that the student-athletes in the program understand the value of education and are doing everything they can to take advantage of the opportunities they???ve been provided.

???When I walked to get my diploma, I felt people looking at me with respect as someone more than an athlete. I was a man," said Jody Adewale, football student-athlete at USC who graduated last spring with a 3.0 GPA and a bachelor???s degree in psychology. The fullback is now enrolled in a master???s program concentrating in marriage and family therapy.

So long, Michael Vick. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges and will accept responsibility for his role in a dogfighting ring. The former Virginia Tech standout will likely head to prison and in my opinion, his football career is over. Someone asked me this morning if I thought this situation was related to the violence of football. I don???t think that could be further from the truth. In fact, I would hate to use this disgusting instance, the mistakes of various Cincinnati Bengals players or other unfortunate transgressions as a means of characterizing an entire sport. Yes, football is a violent game, but players still should know the difference between right and wrong, and no part of me would ever look to justify or find reason in the execution of innocent animals. Rather, I think that Vick has had trouble leaving his past behind, and despite signing a $130 million contract to play football, he still hung around with troubled sorts from his past. Vick???s continued run-ins with the law demonstrate that he isn???t a role model for our children; all of the success and money in the world can???t change that. Just because he???s a famous football player doesn???t make him a respectable citizen. I have long been sour on the Vick brothers, as Michael???s younger brother Marcus was disruptive as a student at Virginia Tech, and was eventually dismissed from the football program. The Vicks haven???t been able to prove themselves as responsible, mature human beings and that???s not reflective of the culture of football. Instead, their disgrace is more likely indicative of their personal natures.

Richard Jefferson gives back. Last year, Carmelo Anthony dropped $3 million on Syracuse in order to help the athletics program build a new practice facility. New Jersey Nets forward Richard Jefferson has continued the trend of generous contributions recently, providing a $3.5 million gift to the University of Arizona for a new basketball/volleyball practice facility. Jefferson, who completed two-and-a-half years at Arizona, is grateful for the opportunity he received while he was there. Now a successful player in the NBA, he has taken advantage of the chance to give back and after his professional playing days are done, he hopes to head back to finish his degree. I don???t think anyone can question whether a guy who makes almost $13 million each year made the right decision in leaving school early. You have to take that type of money. But there???s no question that Jefferson benefited from his time on campus and it???s wonderful that he hopes to someday find his way back there.

We???ve discussed the All-American Football League a few times during the past couple of months, and there???s no doubt that the new professional league is certainly proposing an interesting model.

As the league asserts that all roster spots will be occupied by college graduates, I thought it would be interesting to see how NCAA President Myles Brand feels about the initiative. Dr. Brand and I discuss the AAFL on today???s edition of Mondays With Myles.

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On Tuesday, we noted the tragic passing of Pittsburg State Associate Director of Athletics Tommy Riggs. Beloved in the Pittsburg area, Riggs was so revered that his death has stirred the emotions of one of the Gorillas??? fiercest rivals.

In Joplin, Missouri, home of Missouri Southern State University, two billboards were erected by Lamar Advertising in honor of Riggs. I can???t think of a more fitting tribute.

While we are all passionate about sports and our teams, life transcends the game. When Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State take the football field in Joplin on September 15, fans will be cheering and jeering for both sides. But right now, folks from both towns, from all across the country, mourn the loss of a loved one.

Wins and losses don???t matter when we???re saying goodbye to a friend.

Minnesota fan Kat Krtnick is excited about the football team???s extreme character makeover this off-season.

The University of Minnesota Golden Gopher football fans have not had much to admire during the past couple of seasons. The gigantic ambiance of the Metrodome caused excessive squinting and wrinkled eyes. The College Bowl Series back-to-back losses yielded a sagging spirit. And the Big Ten Conference win-loss records sucked the collagen right out of the program.

But with the groundbreaking ceremony of TCF Bank Stadium (the 2009 home for the U of M football team) and the hiring of new head coach Tim Brewster, the Golden Gophers have just undergone an extreme makeover. These past nine months of augmentations have definitely boosted the fans??? confidence in the program and restored self-esteem to the players.

With football season fast approaching, Minnesotans are excited to see how this facelift will impact the team on the field. Although all of the Botox and silicon has greatly enhanced the image of the team to date, it is has been the most recent procedure that has really made the difference???liposuction.

Head Coach Tim Brewster decided the body of his team was getting soft and frumpy. It was necessary to sculpt the body by removing unwanted trouble areas. The ???fat??? he removed included: standout cornerback Dominic Jones, charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, and three teammates who have been accused but not yet been charged with a crime-- running back E.J. Jones, defensive end Alex Daniels and defensive back Keith Massey.
An advocate of integrity and high standards, ???Doctor??? Brewster eliminated those ???fat??? cells that defied this character and that proved unhealthy for the team???a procedure that every college coach should consider.

No matter how athletically influential a player may be, student-athletes should be held responsible for all their actions and should have strict consequences for their actions, for they represent their respective teams and institutions. Student-athletes should not be an exception to the law or jeopardize the principles of a university.
This liposuction verified the Golden Gophers??? commitment to ethics and moral behavior.

"It is an honor and a privilege to wear the uniform of the University of Minnesota and we have exceedingly high expectations for each of our student-athletes," Brewster said in a statement issued by the university. "We spend a considerable amount of time addressing our players regarding their personal conduct and we will not compromise our values. We are establishing a culture of integrity and we will demand that our players are held accountable for their actions."

I can???t wait to sport my Golden Gopher football apparel this season! Not only do I get to promote a program that has a fresh new face, but I also get to endorse a team that is healthy and highly-principled. GO GOPHERS!

A few days ago, Mark Schlabach wrote an interesting story for ESPN. Schlabach tells the story of Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon, who is the team???s projected starter at quarterback this fall. Dixon, who graduated with a degree in sociology in June, was selected in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball draft last month.

Dixon didn???t play an inning of baseball in college, but his superior athletic talent was enough for the Atlanta Braves to give him $150,000 for a six-year commitment to the franchise. The money isn???t surreal, but it???s certainly hard for a college graduate to turn down for his first job offer.

I???m always intrigued by two-sport standouts, although I find this instance less fascinating because Dixon hasn???t really tried to play both sports at the same time. Only now is he playing professional baseball with the prospects of the fall semester hanging over him. Once the football season is complete, he may or may not have professional opportunities as a quarterback. If he has the chance to keep playing on the gridiron, he will likely choose one sport over the other once again.

The part of Schlabach???s story that bothered me was a quote from Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti. The coach isn???t thrilled with Dixon???s decision to play baseball this summer: ???I think he???d be better served, in my situation, reading defenses rather than reading curveballs.???

I understand Bellotti???s desire to have his quarterback on campus this summer for voluntary workouts, but isn???t this a little presumptuous? Dixon has no guarantees that an NFL career is around the corner, and with injuries so prevalent in that sport, why wouldn???t he have signed a baseball contract?

I???m not a fan of football workouts during the summer. If Dixon wanted to spend the summer surfing in San Diego, he should be permitted to do so. There shouldn???t be an expectation that he will spend his time in Eugene, learning plays and tossing the ball around with receivers. An expectation by the coaching staff no longer makes the workouts voluntary.

On the flipside, NCAA rules permit these summer workouts, and Dixon and others who choose to pursue alternative interests must be prepared to lose playing time during the fall.

The fact of the matter, however, is that Bellotti shouldn???t be unhappy with Dixon???s decision. In my eyes, it looks like a 22-year-old kid had a more exciting summer job than most.

Christina Wright, an NCAA intern in the Office for Diversity and Inclusion and former track and field student-athlete at American, discusses her experience at the recent Men???s Football Coaching Academy.

New Mexico State University, St. Augustine???s College, Syracuse University, and St. Cloud University. These are just four of 28 institutions that have some of today???s brightest and up-and-coming football coaches in the NCAA.

I have had the privilege to spend the last few days shadowing 28 coaches at the NCAA Men???s Football Coaching Academy. I may have not learned about the X???s and O???s of football, but neither did the coaches. Instead, we learned the professional skills and tools necessary to advance in intercollegiate athletics.

Tom Thomas, President and CEO of Cardinal Advisors, shared a story about Chinese bamboo, a plant that takes four years of preparation before it sprouts to reach heights of eight feet and above, all from starting from a measly couple of inches. The Academy is just one of those first four years, establishing a strong root system before these coaches flourish and reach great heights.

I learned that leadership is about making positive change to empower tomorrow???s leaders. The latest studies show the grotesque under representation and decline of African-American head football coaches in intercollegiate athletics. I???m pleased to say that the NCAA is doing a great service to its membership, staff, and above all, the more than 380,000 student-athletes across the nation by providing opportunities like the Academy.

Since 1979, only 26 African-Americans have been selected as head coach of an NCAA Bowl Championship Subdivision team, compared to the 437 employment opportunities since 1982 at those same institutions. That means less than 6 percent of head football coach employment opportunities were given to African-Americans; however, that number is even smaller because we are missing data between 1979 and 1982.

Listening to each of the 28 personal stories of leadership and professional development, I have found that there is one common thread that brings all people in intercollegiate athletics together: the passion to prepare student-athletes for the future through academic and athletic opportunities. And that???s what this profession is all about, finding quality coaches to serve student-athletes, not politics.

I can???t wait for the day when I cross paths with one of these coaches again and to be able to call him my colleague, my friend, and my head football coach.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Articles in today???s USA Today discuss the trend of prospective student-athletes accelerating their high school studies in order to graduate in December and enroll in college one semester early. I find the data striking and disturbing.

Nearly 70 players left high school early to enroll at BCS-affiliated schools this January, presumably not to get a jump on classes but instead to become affiliated with the program during spring football practice.

Theoretically, there???s nothing wrong with graduating high school or college early. What bothers me, however, is that kids are giving up six months of high school just to hop on the field a little sooner. Somewhere, priorities are in the wrong place.

If kids want to enroll in school during the spring semester, that???s fine. But it should be because they want to get to college classes sooner. I don???t think we should let these early entrants practice during the spring season ??? if they want to come early it should be solely for educational purposes. Football can wait until the fall.

I think we need to slow things down a bit. Seventeen-year-olds should be getting excited about senior prom, not frequenting a campus frat house. They should be playing a spring sport, not beginning a college football career. These kids should enjoy the end of an important chapter in their lives, not rush ahead to a new one.

Does the four-month jump make that much of a difference for a football player???s college career? I don???t buy it. Why not take a step back and stay a kid for a little while longer? It sounds like a good deal to me.

On this morning???s edition of Mondays With Myles, NCAA President Myles Brand answers questions about college football. Specifically, he addresses enforcement issues, recruiting and verbal commitments.

The questions Dr. Brand answered were submitted by Brian Sakowski, who runs In The Bleachers. Thanks for sending your questions our way, Brian. I hope others will follow suit.

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I???m pretty vocal about my displeasure when athletics programs cut teams. I was a student-athlete in a Division III program that didn???t generate any money and I am eternally grateful that I was able to have that experience. If my program had been cut, I don???t know what I would have done.

Recently, the athletics programs at Rutgers, Ohio and Butler have cut a number of sports teams and it has infuriated a number of people in those communities. Specifically, we have heard a number of questions and comments from the folks over at Ohio, and I must commend them for their passion about their sports teams. These sports matter and these people matter, and sometimes it seems as though lower profile teams are treated like second-class citizens.

There are hundreds of affected student-athletes who have had their college experience forever altered and I think it???s an absolute shame. What bothers me most is when athletics departments make these financial decisions to cut programs, but still pour more money into football. It???s not right.

On today???s edition of Mondays With Myles, I speak with NCAA President Myles Brand about this disturbing trend and the role the NCAA plays in helping institutions find a way to keep their program intact. While we don???t address the specifics of any one institution, Dr. Brand expresses his frustrations with the trend and speaks about the displaced student-athletes.

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It???s inexcusable that there are so few minority head football coaches at the college level. A number of influential people in intercollegiate athletics attended a hearing yesterday with the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection to discuss the current state of affairs and potential solutions.

"Sadly, if the pace of progress remains the same, it will be approximately 80 years before we reach a percentage (of coaches) that even approximates the number of African-Americans in the general population. This is not only unacceptable, this is unconscionably wrong," said NCAA President Myles Brand during his testimony before the subcommittee.

Indiana football coach Terry Hoeppner stopped by the NCAA national office this afternoon to take part in the Champions Speaker Series sponsored by the NCAA Hall of Champions.

I spent a few minutes with Coach Hoeppner prior to his speech and took the opportunity to ask him about coaching at a basketball school, competing in the Big Ten, his return to the Hoosier State and his commitment to academic success.

NCAA President Myles Brand is scheduled to appear before a Congressional subcommittee tomorrow morning to discuss the lack of minority head football coaches at the college level. Dr. Brand and I discussed the issue this morning on Mondays With Myles and take a look at some of the possible solutions.

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