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November 30, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 09:11 AM on November 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Division I, Division II, Division III, Football, Morning Coffee, Women's Basketball
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?
November 29, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 06:21 AM on November 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Academics and Athletics, Division I, Football, Morning Coffee
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.
November 28, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 08:52 AM on November 28, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Academics and Athletics, Diversity and Inclusion, Division I, Division II, Division III, Football, Morning Coffee, Women's Sports
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.
November 27, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 08:53 AM on November 27, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Diversity and Inclusion, Division I, Football, Ice Hockey, Morning Coffee
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.
November 26, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 11:51 AM on November 26, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Division I, Division III, Ice Hockey, Morning Coffee
Historic ice. Less than 24 hours after the NIT cleared out of town, Madison Square Garden had lowered the temperature and welcomed a pair of college hockey teams to the house for the first time in a few years. The men’s ice hockey squads from Boston U. and Cornell played in the Garden on Saturday night, with the Terriers grabbing a big win, 6-3. We discussed how dreams came true for the basketball players scoring their first buckets on the hardwood at the Garden, but the same is true for the hockey players who skated their first minutes in the building. The Garden is special, and a sold-out crowd suggests MSG might think about offering college hockey games on a more regular basis, as the last one was played in 2003. GOAL!!! I was sitting in my parents’ living room on Saturday night and decided to check out what was happening in the world of Division III soccer. The men and women both had title matches scheduled that day, so I was curious to see how things had unfolded. It turns out that I picked the perfect time to search, as I noticed that CSTV was streaming the game live on its Web site. I picked up the scoreless men’s final between Trinity (Texas) and Middlebury in the first overtime and watched the teams play a second scoreless extra frame before heading into the most dramatic of finishes – penalty kicks. I tore my laptop from its plug and plopped it right down on my father’s lap, as we watched Middlebury win its first men’s soccer championship on kicks, 4-3. It was an amazing spectacle to watch, and I began thinking about all the sports fans that missed the incredible game because they were watching football. There are a lot of amazing sporting events to watch out there, and seeing a national championship decided in this fashion was tremendous. The road back. Exciting news from the Big Easy – the University of New Orleans is bringing back three varsity sports. Men’s and women’s tennis, as well as men’s swimming and diving, will begin competition next fall, after a hiatus caused by Hurricane Katrina. After the hurricane, the university reopened and sponsored just six sports, instead of the minimum 14. The NCAA granted an exemption that would allow New Orleans to ease back into full sponsorship. This first step back is reason to celebrate.
November 21, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 11:42 AM on November 21, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Community Service, Division I, Football, Morning Coffee, NCAA Basketball
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.
November 20, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 08:51 AM on November 20, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Division II, Morning Coffee, NCAA Basketball, Women's Basketball
The ultimate competition. It’s no secret that women’s basketball is a rapidly growing game and the sport is hoping to take it to a new level this season. Between January 1 and February 17, participating Division I institutions will compete in a “Pack the House Challenge,” stuffing as many fans as possible into their arenas. Institutions will predetermine one home game as its “Pack the House” entry and marketing staffs will work to fill the stands for that contest. The goal is for each institution to eclipse its previous year’s single-game attendance record. Thirty-two institutions will be selected as champions and the NCAA will donate $500 to a non-profit organization of each winning institution’s choice. Competition within competition – you have to love it. One fast dude. Are you kidding me Nicodemus Naimadu? The Abilene Christian senior won his fourth Division II cross country title this weekend, becoming the first runner in NCAA history to accomplish the feat. Naimadu didn’t just win by a little bit, he finished nearly 30 seconds ahead of Adams State’s Aaron Braun. Naimadu has also won eight individual titles in indoor and outdoor track competition. Want to know more about this phenomenal student-athlete? Check out this month’s “NCAA On Campus,” which will air tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN Classic. A special tournament. I have touched down in New York City, where I will spend the next few days behind-the-scenes of the NIT Season Tip-Off. In addition to attending the ancillary events held for the student-athletes during their special Thanksgiving in the Big Apple, I will also be spending time with the Syracuse program. It’s going to be a great week, so stay tuned! My kind of education. If I could find six weeks, I would be heading out to Scotland this summer. Yesterday, I caught wind of a sports journalism class that will be taught this summer through the Wisconsin-River Falls “Wisconsin in Scotland” program. Students from any college in the country are eligible to sign up and get credit for the course. In addition to learning about sports journalism, students will attend several Scottish sporting events – including soccer, rugby and tennis matches. Of course, the class will culminate with a trip to St. Andrews, the mecca of golf. Is it me, or does this class sound like a ton of fun?
November 19, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 07:21 AM on November 19, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Morning Coffee
Holy Harvard. While much of the noise surrounded the game between Ohio State and Michigan on Saturday, I was tuned into a big match-up in the Ivy League, as “The Game” was taking place between Harvard and Yale in New Haven, Connecticut. The 124th game between the academic powers had a lot at stake, as both the Bulldogs and Crimson entered the contest a perfect 6-0 in league play. In just the fourth meeting between undefeated Ivy teams in the final week of the season, Harvard took it to the hometown Yalies, 37-6, and claimed the Ivy League crown. I’m sure we’ll get more details later in the week from Harvard senior and Double-A Zone blogger Carl Ehrlich. Tourney football is here. Bowl season is around the corner, but if you’re like me and like tournament football, there’s a ton of action to follow across the three divisions. The Division II and III football championships are currently underway, and the Football Championship Subdivision bracket was released this weekend. At 11-0 Northern Iowa is the top-seeded squad in the bracket, while McNeese State and Montana are also perfect this season. Appalachian State, which has won the last two national titles and upset Michigan early in the season, will play James Madison in the first round. Although it seems that every football fan wants a playoff system to replace the bowl games, there are some out there who enjoy the way things are set up. Carolina wins. It’s a been a big week for Double-A Zone bloggers, as North Carolina’s Dani Forword beat Penn State on Sunday, 3-0, to claim the Division I field hockey championship. Dani scored in the second half for the Tar Heels, who finished the season perfect at 24-0. Tough break. Dennis Dixon reinjured his torn ACL on Thursday night, and the Oregon senior quarterback is out for the rest of the season. After Dixon left the game, the No. 2 Ducks went on to lose to Arizona, effectively spoiling their chances at a national championship. The Heisman front runner before Thursday’s game, Dixon’s shot at the prestigious award also went down with his left knee. While this certainly is an unfortunate turn of events for Dixon, injuries are part of the game. In July, we discussed Dixon’s summer job, which pays him decent money for his commitment to the Atlanta Braves franchise. Oregon coach Mike Bellotti wasn’t pleased when Dixon signed with the Braves, but I wonder what he thinks now. If Dixon had suffered a career-ending injury, at least he would have had some money to fall back on.
November 16, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 07:09 AM on November 16, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Division I, Division II, Morning Coffee, NCAA Basketball, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
SAACs to meet. The national Student-Athlete Advisory Committees will meet this weekend in Indianapolis to discuss important issues affecting the more than 380,000 student-athletes across the country. I am fortunate to serve as a staff liaison to the Division III committee and listening to our members debate student-athletes issues is something I look forward to every single day. We will discuss meeting outcomes after the weekend. An unnecessary tradition. Each year, Clemson students burn the South Carolina mascot in effigy before the teams play their football game. Traditionally, South Carolina students return the favor, holding an annual “Tigerburn.” Clemson has announced that the annual ritual will be cancelled this year because of the beach house fire that killed seven students from the schools last month. South Carolina is still contemplating whether or not to burn the paper-mache Tiger. There are plenty of traditions in college sports, but I’m not sure burning your opponent’s mascot is appropriate. Am I too conservative on this? Restructuring at Arkansas. Since 1972 and the inception of Title IX, Arkansas has had separate men’s and women’s athletics departments. With longtime athletics director Frank Broyles retiring at the end of the year, the timing seemed right for Chancellor John White, who has decided to merge the departments. Jeff Long has been tabbed as the school’s new athletics director, and Bev Lewis, who has led the women’s department since 1989, will become an associate vice chancellor at the university and report to Long. 264 points. Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble would be proud. Troy beat Division II Paul Quinn on Wednesday night, 133-131, as Justin Jonus led the Trojans with 44 points. Damien Chisholm hit eight three-pointers for Paul Quinn and finished with 42 points. The teams combined for 37 threes in the overtime thriller.
November 15, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 10:01 AM on November 15, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Division I, Division II, Morning Coffee, NCAA Basketball, Women's Basketball
Fire closes NCAA office. A fire at the NCAA Hall of Champions yesterday morning has caused the national office to close its doors for a second consecutive day. A display at the Hall malfunctioned, starting the fire and causing the sprinklers to activate. There has been significant damage to the Hall, which is truly unfortunate, as the building serves as a wonderful gathering place for youth groups within the Indianapolis community and visitors from all over the country. 101-point victory. The Lipscomb women’s basketball team beat Fisk yesterday, 123-22, coming just one point shy of the Division I women’s record for biggest winning margin. While it’s hard to justify a 101-point differential, Fisk head coach Shavicka Newsome wasn’t angered, saying she didn’t think Lipscomb tried to run up the score at all. In fact, Lipscomb coach Frank Bennett played his entire team, but the bench players responded and scored 86 points. With 1:49 left in the game, and just six points from the record, Lipscomb attempted just one shot, choosing not to embarrass its Division III opponent anymore.
Why? A third postseason basketball tournament will be offered for Division I programs this winter, although I’m not exactly sure why. With 65 teams earning berths to the NCAA tournament and an additional 40 gaining access to the NIT, nearly 33 percent of Division I basketball teams already have an opportunity to compete in the postseason. The inaugural College Basketball Invitational, sponsored by the same folks who put on the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic, will be played this March and will offer an additional 16 teams postseason opportunities. The Invitational will be single-elimination until the championship series, which will be a best-of-three format. Additional postseason opportunities are fine, but I’m just not sure it’s necessary. Sure, the extra games are good for young teams, but aren’t there enough opportunities out there already? Another championship. Listen up Division II field hockey players – Jamie Vanartsdalen has another year of eligibility. The Bloomsburg junior set single-season record for points and goals this season while leading the Huskies to their fifth national title in six years. Vanartsdalen had two goals in Bloomsburg’s 5-2 win over UMass-Lowell on Sunday. She finished the season with 35 goals and 89 points.
November 14, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 10:24 AM on November 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Division I, Football, Morning Coffee, Sportsmanship
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.
November 13, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 06:31 AM on November 13, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Division I, Division II, Division III, Football, Morning Coffee, NCAA Basketball, Volleyball
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!
November 12, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 08:59 AM on November 12, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Division I, Football, Morning Coffee
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.
November 09, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 11:56 AM on November 09, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Division I, Morning Coffee, NCAA Basketball
Changing of the gard? After Michigan State and Ohio State lost exhibition basketball games to Division II programs, I asked if greater parity was responsible for the upsets. Our friend JM, one of the Double-A Zone’s most frequent commenters, refuted the notion. On Wednesday night, Gardner-Webb knocked off 20th-ranked Kentucky, 84-68, in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic. With an enrollment of about 4,000, Gardner-Webb pulled off the greatest upset in school history, and handed Mike Gillespie a devastating loss in just his second game on the Wildcat sidelines. Yes, it’s November. Yes, it’s just one game. But can’t we agree that there’s a lot of parity out there? JM? Anybody? Safety first. How many times have you gotten into a taxi and left the seat belt dangling by your side? When you get on a bus, do you glance over your shoulder for the safety gadget? Even the most religious of seat belt wearers probably doesn’t buckle up when he or she takes a shuttle from the airport to a hotel. But why not? Inspired by the bus crash that killed five Bluffton baseball players last spring, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison announced a proposal Thursday that would require seat belts on buses used for long rides. The senators also want better training for drivers and roofs that will hold up in rollover accidents. Protect your heart. Beginning with the football team in September, Stanford researchers completed elective electrocardiograms on all 800 of the university’s student-athletes and heart ultrasounds are coming up next. The researchers are looking for genetic defects that can cause sudden death if they haven’t been discovered.
November 08, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 10:04 AM on November 08, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Academics and Athletics, Division I, Division II, Division III, Morning Coffee
Getting it done. Want proof that student-athletes are performing well in the classroom? Well, here it is. The second year of Academic Success Rate data shows that 69 percent of Division II student-athletes graduate within a six-year window. The ASR is similar to the Division I Graduation Success Rate and was developed to provide a more accurate representation than the federal methodology, which doesn’t take into account nearly 16,000 nonscholarship student-athletes. If the federal rate is used as an indicator, 55 percent of Division II student-athletes graduate within six years – significantly higher than the 46 percent from the regular student body. One fast dude. Former Hunter College men’s cross country standout Omri Holzman finished 34th in Sunday’s New York City Marathon, finishing the 26.2-mile course in 2:32.13. It was the best career finish for Holzman, who finished 48th last fall in the same year he finished his undergraduate studies. The City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) male scholar-athlete of the year in 2006, Holzman graduated from Hunter with a 3.73 GPA and a degree in computer science. During his time in college, Holzman balanced his athletics responsibilities with a full-time day job at the United Nations while attending night classes. A 15-time conference champion, the Tel Aviv native first took up running during his days in the Israeli army. Findlay wins! It hasn’t been a great week for Big Ten basketball, so it’s a good thing we’re not in the full swing of the regular season. On Tuesday night, Ohio State became the second Big Ten squad to drop an exhibition game to a Division II opponent in less than one week, as Findlay dropped the Buckeyes, 70-68. Last week, Grand Valley State’s men’s team knocked off Michigan State in an exhibition contest. Both exhibition games were aired on the Big Ten Network, as was the season-opening football game between Appalachian State and Michigan. Will Big Ten schools start looking for a way back to network television??? Findlay happens to be have a strong Division II program and Ohio State is rebuilding following last year’s run to the national championship game, but there does seem to be more parity in college hoops than one might expect.
November 07, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 05:11 AM on November 07, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Morning Coffee
The faster alternative. Sprint football isn’t an NCAA-sponsored sport, but it’s still extremely cool. Sprint football, which uses the same rules as regular football, requires that no player weigh more than 172 pounds. The sport was developed in 1934 and is generally regarded for its fast-paced action. Currently there are five teams in the Collegiate Sprint Football League – Army, Navy, Cornell, Princeton and Pennsylvania. Now it looks like a sixth team will join the league, as Mansfield announced it will begin sponsoring sprint football in 2008. The Division II university discontinued its varsity football program in 2006 due to a large projected financial loss, but administrators have determined that sprint football offers an affordable alternative for the campus community. Mansfield all-time wins leader Tom Elsasser will come back to the university as director of football operations. Intelligence on the mats. Ohio State’s men’s gymnastics program won its third straight Big Ten championship title last spring, marking the fifth time in seven years the Buckeyes have gotten it done on the mats. More importantly, Ohio State’s gymnasts are excelling in the classroom as well, as the team was honored as the 2007 National Academic Team Champion for its cumulative GPA of 3.4. Seven Buckeye gymnasts secured GPAs of 3.5 or higher and were named College Gymnastics Association All-America Scholar-Athletes - Jake Bateman, Tony Duong, Kristopher Kline, Mike Marino, Andy Saurber, Shachar Tal and Jimmy Wickham. Fans came out in droves to support the Buckeyes at the award ceremony this week, and the Buckeyes responded with an autograph session afterwards. Tourney time! The Division III field hockey and men’s soccer tournaments begin this afternoon. Trinity (Texas) headlines the men’s soccer bracket with a perfect 18-0-0 record and the support of a campus still fired up over the football team’s 15-lateral play. Defending field hockey champ Ursinus received a bye to the second round and could face undefeated Bowdoin in the national semifinals. It’s tourney time, baby!
November 06, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 10:23 AM on November 06, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Morning Coffee
Hoop it up. Alright hoopsters, it’s officially that time of year. The college basketball season tipped off last night in Memphis, as the third-ranked Tigers rolled over Tennessee-Martin, 102-71, in the opening round of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic. Junior Chris Douglas-Roberts led Memphis with 28 points while highly-touted freshman Derrick Rose had 17 points, six rebounds and five assists in his college debut. Congratulations in order. We’re also gearing up for another exciting year of women’s basketball and former Auburn standout and current NCAA national office staff member Linda Godby was selected by the Indianapolis Star as one of the 10 best Indianapolis Metro Area high school female basketball players of all-time. Linda played professionally in the now-defunct American Basketball League, placing third in the 1998 all-star slam dunk contest. Brotherly love. Four brothers on one football team? In case you missed it on ESPN College GameDay Saturday morning, let’s take a second to discuss the Linfield Lemons today. Four brothers – Chet, Chase, Bubba and Mychal Lemon – all play for the Linfield football team. Their father, Meadow, is in his fourth year as an assistant coach with the program. Meadow’s father is Meadowlark Lemon, the legendary frontman for the Harlem Globetrotters. It’s definitely an athletic family, and quite a remarkable story. Unfortunately for Linfield and the Lemons, the Wildcats had their Northwest Conference title hopes dashed on Saturday after a 10-6 loss to Whitworth. Best letter in the alphabet. Hope College recently awarded varsity letters to 240 female student-athletes who attended the college between 1939 and 1972. The women competed at a level deserving of varsity letters, but due to inequitable treatment of females in educational settings before the days of Title IX, they never received them. Fifty of the former student-athletes attended a special ceremony to receive their letters. The idea for the honor came from a research project by two 2007 graduates of the college – Rachel Sauerman and Lisa Smith.
November 05, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 10:46 AM on November 05, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Morning Coffee
The day after. Yesterday’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots lived up to the hype, as the Pats scored late in the fourth quarter to win 24-20. As good as the game was, however, it was still a regular-season contest that will likely bring a rematch in a couple of months. Boston College, on the other hand, lost to Florida State on Saturday night and is out of the national championship picture after one loss. Which regular season game had more impact in the grand scheme of things? Home-field advantage or no chance to win a national title? The college regular season means more. Tragedy in NYC. Ryan Shay collapsed and died in Central Park on Saturday during the sixth mile of the United States men’s marathon Olympic trials. Shay, who won the 2001 NCAA individual title in the 10,000 meters while at Notre Dame, had been diagnosed with an enlarged heart but was cleared to run by doctors. Shay’s death is a huge loss for the marathon community, which lost an amateur runner earlier this fall during a race in Chicago. An interesting note – the marathon was created when the Greek soldier Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to announce the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon. After running 26.2 miles to Athens to make his announcement, Pheidippides collapsed and died. Based on its history and recent tragedies surrounding the sport, are marathons too dangerous? It’s tourney time. The Division III men’s soccer bracket was finalized at about 3 on Sunday morning, and you can tune in at 11 to see where your favorite teams will end up. While the Division I basketball tournament brackets are well publicized, the selection committees for all NCAA sports spend long hours reviewing criteria to make the best possible decisions when putting together a bracket. It’s always an arduous task, but it’s certainly worth it, as more than 380,000 NCAA student-athletes dream of winning a prestigious NCAA championship. Midshipmen get day off. There are a lot of rivalries in college football, but few have the one-sided history of that between Notre Dame and Navy. The two programs have met each of the last 79 years with Notre Dame getting the better of the Midshipmen most of the time. Things were different on Saturday, however, as Navy pulled out a thrilling 46-44, triple-overtime win. It was Navy’s first victory over Notre Dame in 44 years and despite Notre Dame’s lackluster 1-8 record, the game meant everything to the folks in Annapolis – enough to grant the Midshipmen a day off from classes today. Parity – exhibition style. Tim Selgo should have bragged more during our chat about Grand Valley State on Friday. The Laker men’s basketball team pulled out an 85-82 double-overtime victory over Michigan State in an exhibition game on Friday night. And although the game doesn’t mean anything as far as records are concerned, it does say something about the parity between the divisions. Grand Valley wasn’t the only Division II team to pull out an exhibition upset this weekend – Tarleton State beat Baylor, 95-85.
November 02, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 10:34 AM on November 02, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Community Service, Morning Coffee
Extra bucks for play-in winner. The Division I Board of Directors voted to award a unit of revenue distribution to the winner of the opening-round game in the men’s basketball championship beginning in 2008. Traditionally, teams are awarded a unit of revenue distribution for earning a berth in the championship and for each victory thereafter. The only exceptions were the winner of the opening round game and the winner of the championship game. For example, all 65 teams were awarded one unit upon qualification for last year’s NCAA tournament. After advancing to the championship game, Florida and Ohio State each received six shares for five wins – a victory in the final game is not rewarded with a unit of revenue distribution. Last year’s play-in game was between Niagara and Florida A&M and both teams were awarded one share. This year, Niagara would have had a second share because of its opening-round win. Conceivably, the winner of the play-in game could receive seven shares of revenue distribution if it ran the table, but since a No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1, that doesn’t seem terribly likely. Instead, the benefit will help those programs build for future success.
Markers to the rescue. Virginia Tech rolled to a 27-3 victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta last night, as Sean Glennon tossed three touchdown passes for the Hokies while wearing a Georgia Tech jersey. That’s right, Glennon had to wear a replacement jersey courtesy of the Yellow Jackets after his own and three others vanished prior to the game. Glennon’s name was written in magic marker on the back of a Georgia Tech road jersey while the school’s nickname was blacked out across the front. Student-athletes in the community. The Saint Augustine’s women’s basketball team participated in American Cancer Society’s “Strike For Survival” bowling event, helping to raise $500 for cancer research. One day earlier, the Lady Falcons volunteered for the Interfaith Food Shuttle, delivering meals in vans to elderly folks nearby … With classes cancelled due to the devastating wildfires, student-athletes at San Diego State spent their spare time providing support for victims last week by volunteering at Qualcomm Stadium and the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center … Thanks to the baseball and softball programs at Texas-San Antonio, gloves, bats, balls and more are on their way to Iraq. The equipment will help soldiers continue a softball league they have started on base.
November 01, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 08:03 AM on November 01, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Morning Coffee
Joe knows school. I love the Yankees, respect what Joe Torre did during his dozen years at the helm, grew up idolizing Don Mattingly and always admired the way Joe Girardi went about playing the game of baseball. I didn’t want to see Torre leave the Bronx, and it’s hard to imagine Donnie Baseball in anything but pinstripes, but I am excited for the Girardi era to begin. Most exciting for me, however, is that I had a chance to chat with Girardi this summer in San Diego, when he was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame. That’s right, Joe was a stud in the classroom during his days at Northwestern, and the former World Series champion and National League Manager of the Year called the academic honor his “favorite award.” Want to play? Today is a big day in NCAA history. The doors – and phone lines – of the NCAA Eligibility Center opened for business this morning, as the initial-eligibility baton has been officially transferred from American College Testing (ACT) to the NCAA. The Eligibility Center, which is located about two miles north of the NCAA national office, brings the initial-eligibility academic and amateurism certification functions together under one roof. The hope is to provide enhanced customer service and efficiency to the NCAA membership, prospective student-athletes and their parents. In a typical year, the Eligibility Center will process approximately 160,000 registrations and will work with conference offices to process 35,000 National Letters-of-Intent. Crazy stats. Bloomsburg’s Jamie Vanartsdalen has broken the Division II field hockey single-season scoring record. She currently has 81 points for the season, breaking the previous mark of 74 set by Suzanne Cornelissen of Indiana (Pennsylvania) in 2004. She also has scored 32 goals this season, one shy of the record set by Terry Voit of Longwood in 1975. If Bloomsburg advances deep in the NCAA tournament, Vanartsdalen could potentially get the season assist record as well. She currently has 17 assists, with the record being 22. In a sport that routinely has 1-0 and 2-1 games, 81 points in a season borders on absurdity. Bloomsburg has won four of the last five Division II national championships.
October 31, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 10:31 AM on October 31, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Division III, Morning Coffee, Sportsmanship
Tough Saturday. Nevada basketball player Tyrone Hanson was beaten unconscious and robbed at a Halloween party in Reno on Saturday night where three people were shot to death. Hanson, who has since been released from a local hospital, has been kicked off the basketball team because head coach Mark Fox told his players not to go out that night. Hanson had violated team rules earlier in the year and the second miscue was too much for Fox. Although he didn’t do anything wrong at the party, Hanson just wasn’t supposed to be there, and will now pay the price. It seems to be a hard lesson for a kid who is recovering from a brutal beating, but he isn’t crying foul. Do you think the punishment is too severe? Should coaches be able to dictate when their players go out and when they don’t? Pass the baton. Haverford’s men’s cross country team won its 15th consecutive Centennial Conference championship on Saturday, finishing well in front of second-place Dickinson. A pair of Haverford runners led the pack and headed into the final stretch in the lead, on their way to a certain one-two finish. Before the line, senior Ian Ramsey-North slowed by a step to allow classmate Donald Letts to finish first and claim the individual conference crown. Last year, Letts slowed down at the finish line to allow senior Zachary Vaslow to be the individual champion. In 2005, Grant Scott allowed Ramsey-North to finish first and the senior wanted to pass forward the favor to his friend Donald this time around. Stepping aside to allow a teammate to win an individual conference championship is quite an unselfish act – and an unusual tradition. But if Haverford keeps on winning conference titles, can anybody argue with the practice? Good news for cheeseheads. Wisconsin sports fans have much more to cheer about than the 6-1 Green Bay Packers. On Monday, Charter Communications announced the launch of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) channel through its Video On-Demand service. The channel will feature athletics events from one of the premier conferences in the country and is the first initiative of its kind in Division III. A variety of sports will be broadcast, including football, basketball, swimming, wrestling, volleyball and track and field.
October 30, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 09:04 AM on October 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Morning Coffee
Over the top? Have you seen Georgia’s celebration following its first touchdown against Florida on Saturday? After Knowshon Moreno found the end zone on a 1-yard run nine minutes into the contest, the entire Bulldog bench cleared to join in the celebration. Dozens of white jerseys and red helmets jumped up and down, gleefully cheering a 6-0 lead in a game against last year’s BCS champion. Here’s the kicker – Georgia head coach Mark Richt told his players to celebrate until they received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. While Richt says he only intended for the players on the field to celebrate, don’t we have to question the lesson he’s teaching when he instructs his student-athletes to laugh in the face of sportsmanship? I was surprised to hear a coach had endorsed such behavior, especially one from Georgia, which has recently been a leader in the world of intercollegiate athletics. I understand Richt trying to fire up his troops during a big game, but does this cross the line? Team nerd. I was reading ESPN The Magazine this morning and eventually thumbed my way to page 44, where Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan was looking over his shoulder at me. As I read “Seven Things You Should Know About Boston College Football,” I stopped to smile at number five. Apparently, Ryan thinks that it’s important for fans to know that true freshman Anthony Castonzo is concentrating in biochemistry. An outstanding prep student at Fork Union Military in Illinois, the 6-foot-7 offensive tackle is described by Ryan as “the team nerd.” I could think of worse things to be, couldn’t you? Biochemistry and BC football – that’s a nice combo. Compliance linebacker. I have to give major kudos to Iowa State for the “Compliance Linebacker” program it airs on its athletics Web site. An educational video put on by the compliance department, “Compliance Linebacker” features Alvin Bowen, who leads the Cyclones with 50 tackles this season. In the show, Bowen magically appears whenever a student-athlete is about to commit a violation and makes a tackle. After each scene, an Iowa State student-athlete explains why the scene portrayed a violation and how student-athletes should steer clear of those situations. This initiative is extremely educational and brings a ton of laughs. Check it out.
October 29, 2007Morning Coffeeby Josh at 09:20 AM on October 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Academics and Athletics, Division I, Division III, Football, Morning Coffee, Morning Coffee
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. Morning Coffeeby Josh at 09:20 AM on October 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)Posted to Academics and Athletics, Division I, Division III, Football, Morning Coffee, Morning Coffee
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.
October 26, 2007 |
