- Covered from head to toe in orange, Prince Avenue Christian's Jon Richt looked like any Georgia fan's worst nightmare.

But father Mark Richt, Georgia's football coach, smiled and applauded as his son made his post-high school plans official in front of the Wolverines student body in a color he has learned to loathe.

Wearing an orange hat, orange shirt, orange jacket and orange pants, Jon Richt signed a letter of intent Wednesday to accept a scholarship to play football at Clemson.

"It's a great day," the quarterback said. "It's been in my heart that God, this is where he wanted me to go. ... It's going to be very different, but I believe I'll make it through."

Jon Richt plans to start practice at Clemson on May 21. For his family, that means close to four more months of watching the oldest son strutting around in the same color as Florida, Auburn and Tennessee.

"He gets away with it," his mother, Katharyn Richt, said. "He's been doing it for awhile. Orange is kind of hard for us, but we love Jon. ... To be able to watch part of his dream come true is a blessing."

Putting pen to paper was merely a formality for the Wolverines' quarterback. Jon Richt committed to Clemson on Feb. 1, 2007 and said he never waivered on that commitment.

Both father and son smiled at the thought of the two playing in a game on opposite sides of the field one day. Jon Richt seemed the most excited about the possibility.

"We are very competitive," he said. "He (his dad) is always saying 'Man beats boy.' We are going to change that around one time."

Both agreed that if that day did come, Jon Richt's mother might be wearing as much orange as her eldest son.

"There is no way his mom will be the water boy for Georgia," Mark Richt said. "Our defensive ends would be afraid to drink the water."

Jon Richt didn't put anything past his protective mother either.

"She'd probably spike the water," he said. "I'm not going to lie."

Appalachian State became the opponent after Texas Tech declined an offer to open the season against the Tigers.

Curiosity finally got the best of us. Although all I-A conferences and Independents schedule I-AA teams, what is the league-by-league breakdown? We couldn't hit the send button fast enough on an email to Marty at cfbstats.com, the ultimate site for college football stats junkies. As usual, he came through, and each of the charts displayed on this post cover data from the 2004-2007 seasons.

The chart at the top is a percentage breakdown of games played by I-A conferences vs. I-AA opponents. As you can see, the Western Athletic Conference is the king of the hill when it comes to playing I-AA teams. As always, click a chart for an expanded view.

My first reaction is, c'mon, this cannot be right.

There was an internal memo leaked in South Bend in recent days that details an upcoming 10-game football series between Notre Dame and UConn with no games at Rentschler Field.

Zero?

Five games are planned for South Bend, Ind., and five games are to be split between Foxborough, Mass., and East Rutherford, N.J. And that part seems non-negotiable. It sure sounds like it was "take it or leave it," and UConn is in the process of taking it.

Double-digit games between Notre Dame and the state university of Connecticut between 2009 and 2020, and not one game on state soil? Not one game in a stadium paid for by state taxpayers with the intent of building a major college football program? Wow.

Three years ago, Notre Dame said it would play three Big East teams each year starting in 2011. The scheduling proceeds slowly. As long as there are no repeat 3-9 seasons, Notre Dame football does what it wants because Notre Dame football can. And you know what? If the folks at Notre Dame want to make their own rules, if they want to count the gold at the end of the NBC-BCS rainbow, if they want to be their own monopoly, well, that's fine. It's just a little sad to watch them bleed every cent, every scintilla of pride, from conference brethren.

Concern about limited revenue from a 40,000-seat stadium is understandable. Playing a few "neutral-site" games is cool. But the way this long-term series is constructed, with all UConn "home" games played in other states, it's not done in the spirit of a state institution for the enjoyment of that state. Notre Dame is dictating to Hathaway where his home games will be, telling Connecticut, hey, you're not big enough for us, so you have to go to another state to accommodate our fans. And think about this: The state university will play in a stadium run by a man who brought his NFL franchise to Connecticut only to humiliate the state and take it back to Foxborough. To use the Patriots' credo, there's a lot of humble pie being served.

The Alabama coach announced a signing class of 32 players on Wednesday, which exceeds both the annual signing limit of 25 and the overall scholarship limit of 85.

He has until the players report in August to bring his signing class within limits, but Saban believes people are spending too much time worrying about the numbers.

"First of all, we have a plan for how we're going to manage our numbers," he said. "I think there were 14 or 15 teams that signed over 30 guys and there are various ways" to make the numbers work.

Actually, according to Rivals.com, only eight teams signed 30 or more players -- Alabama (32), Miami (33), Florida State (30), Minnesota (30), Virginia Tech (31), Mississippi (32), Kansas State (33) and Army (34).

In the Southeastern Conference, only five schools signed over their annual limit of 25: Alabama, Auburn (28), Mississippi, Mississippi State (27) and LSU (26).

"I'm not going to expound on this, but some guys grayshirt, some guys have academic issues that you might have to place (in junior college or prep school)," Saban said. "We have a way to manage the future of that."

Last year, when asked about grayshirting a player, Saban denied any previous knowledge of the word. NCAA Bylaw 15.5.5.3.9 allows "delayed initial counters," when a player's eligibility starts, "until the following academic year."

Once Saban gets his class to 25, he has to figure out a way to get the current group of returning scholarship players down to 60. Last year, he offered academic scholarships to four players with recurring medical issues, including receiver Tyrone Prothro.

Several players qualify for that status this year, including junior receiver Will Oakley, who has batted recurring hamstring injuries; outside linebacker Zeke Knight, who has experienced recurring dizzy spells through heart-related problems; guard B.J. Stabler, whose three knee surgeries have not cured him of problems that prevent him from sitting out practice because of the knee; and defensive back Chris Lett, whose case of juvenile diabetes has prevented him from practicing, much less playing with the team.

Even if he lost those players, there could be as many as six more scholarship players that would need to leave the team before the incoming class reports in August.

A version of the minority-interviewing rule that was the catalyst for the NFL to diversify its head coaching ranks has been adopted by major college football.

A written policy stipulating that any division I-A football program with a head coaching vacancy will interview at least one minority candidate was sent just more than three weeks ago to athletic directors at the 120 schools. The two-page document details what it calls "acceptable standards" regarding diversity in interviewing and hiring practices, and was distributed by the Division I-A Athletic Directors' Association.

Officials said the components of the policy previously had been ratified by schools with membership in the athletic directors' association and were informally in place for the hiring cycle that followed the recently completed season.

"It's already had a very significant impact," said Dutch Baughman, executive director of the Division I-A Athletic Directors' Association. "We wanted to improve the number of legitimate, in-person interviews [involving minority candidates] that took place. We weren't so much focused on the number of hirings. That will come in time."

Baughman said he saw a marked improvement in the number of interviews conducted with minority candidates during the just-completed hiring cycle and hopes more gains will be made with the policy now in writing.

"Of the 17 or 18 searches we just had, most involved one or more interviews" with minority candidates, Baughman said.

Members of the Boise State athletic department meet every Thursday with the construction team that is expanding Bronco Stadium.

The first question every week is the same.

"How are we doing on time?"

So far - one year after the groundbreaking and five and a half months before the scheduled completion date - the press box/luxury suites/club seats/ loge boxes/concourse/ticket office/novelty store addition to Bronco Stadium is changing the Boise skyline on schedule.

The facility should be a stunner.

The top floor holds the press box, some luxury suites and a banquet area. The next floor is all luxury suites and a banquet area that overhangs the large Double R Ranch Club below - the facility's signature room.

The next floor is club seats and the Double R Ranch Club. And the bottom floor holds the open-air but covered loge boxes and a club room that will have fireplaces among its amenities.

Underneath the structure, the new west concourse will enhance the experience for fans who sit on that side of the stadium. It includes five concession stands, a novelty store and about 135 toilets, more than triple the previous total.

And the ground floor will feature a new ticket office and permanent Bronco Shop. Less noticeable will be the kitchen that services the premium seating areas and the TV truck bays that will allow for easy hookups for broadcast equipment.

The state appeals court breathed new life Monday into a lawsuit that accused the University of Washington of minimizing an allegation of rape against a Husky football player and treating his accuser with "deliberate indifference."

In a 42-page opinion, a three-judge appeals panel cited "ample evidence" to argue before a jury that the UW tried to keep quiet the 2001 allegation against former Huskies player Roc Alexander by discouraging the accuser from filing a police report, opting instead for a face-to-face mediation session between her and Alexander.

The appellate opinion did not rule on the facts but found that the lawsuit -- filed by a former UW student -- was improperly dismissed in 2005 by King County Superior Court Judge Bruce Hilyer. The ruling sends the case back for trial.

Alexander was a freshman on the UW's Rose Bowl-winning 2000 team. That squad was recently profiled in a Seattle Times series that examined how the UW, the courts and other community institutions responded to allegations of criminal conduct by some players.

The plaintiff sued Alexander and the UW in 2004. Alexander settled for an undisclosed sum. A second woman, also a UW student, likewise sued Alexander, accusing him of rape. Alexander settled that lawsuit as well.

In the summer of 2001, the woman told an assistant football coach that she had been sexually assaulted. She was referred to Marie Tuite, a senior associate athletic director. The plaintiff told Tuite she'd been "violated" and wanted to file a police report, according to the court ruling.

Tuite, the plaintiff alleged, suggested that she stop working with the football team. If the plaintiff continued working with the team, and word of the alleged assault spread, "it would reflect poorly" on the UW, Tuite told her, the plaintiff said.

Tuite also asked the woman to hold off contacting police, according to the plaintiff's account cited in the court ruling.

At the suggestion of the athletic department, the UW's student ombudsman mediated the matter between the plaintiff and Alexander in October 2001. Although the UW has a program for sexual-assault victims, the plaintiff was not referred there for help, according to the court ruling.

At the three-hour mediation, the woman asked that Alexander be suspended from the football program but said Tuite denied the request, saying the media "would ask why he was not playing," according to the court ruling.

As a result of the mediation, Alexander was ordered to do community service and attend counseling.

The plaintiff felt the mediation was "totally biased" against her, she said in the Monday interview with The Times. "I think that's the thing that has stuck with me -- how [the mediation] was run and the lack of outcome."

Alexander joined the NFL in 2004, and is currently with the Houston Texans.

For fans of the Hoosiers, the situation is no different than when the network launched last August, with numerous fans being unable to watch the game on cable television. At least one IU trustee is losing patience.
"I'm very frustrated that this deal has not been done," trustee Phil Eskew said. "We can't keep going on like this."
Eskew said he's also concerned that a year and a half after the contract between the Big Ten Conference and Fox was announced, not enough people know the details. He said he believes nobody at IU has read it other than Adam Herbert, IU's president in 2006. Eskew wonders if IU could get out of the deal if the cable issue isn't resolved.
Neil Theobald, IU's vice president and chief financial officer, and a Fox spokesman confirmed the Big Ten Network contract runs 20 years, with the money guaranteed to each member school throughout. That includes $6.12 million this academic year. IU officials say they have received two payments of $1.53 million each, with the remainder coming in March and June.

"Our goal is to sell out Heinz Field for the entire season. We know we can do it and we've done it before."

Pederson recalled the 2003 season when he and former associate athletic director Jim Earle came up with a ticket pricing plan that enabled the Panthers to sell out all of their season tickets. The team averaged 59,197 fans that year and had more than 60,000 for four of the six home games. Pitt sold a little less than 30,000 season tickets last season but is hoping to increase that number to 50,000, which would be a sellout (not including student tickets and tickets reserved for visiting teams).

Reduced prices: Season tickets, which go on sale today, are less expensive. Student tickets are $25 (down from $49); Upper end zone seats are $72 (down from $99); Lower level end zone seats and some seats in the upper deck are $99 (down from $199); The lower level sideline and upper level sidelines between the 20-yard lines are $144 (down from $199); and Club seats are $270. The club seats and some of the sideline seats will again require a donation to the Panther Club.

"If you look, 33 percent of our season tickets cost less than $100," Pitt ticket manager Reed Patterson said. "That's a tremendous value."

• Parking: For the first time since the Panthers moved to Heinz Field, every season ticket holder will have the opportunity to buy a season parking pass for $60, which breaks down to $10 per game.

"We're selling the spaces at the same cost we pay for them," Pederson said. "But we needed to make sure that if you buy season tickets you can buy a parking pass."

A better home schedule: For the first time since 2003, Pitt is not playing a Division I-AA team. The Panthers home schedule is Bowling Green, Buffalo, Iowa, Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia. That should be a more attractive than last season, which was highlighted by South Florida. Pitt also will enter the season with much higher expectations than the past two seasons, which should generate more excitement as well.

Per NCAA rules, the head coach is allowed only one official home visit. I strategically looked at the calendar for the best chance for me to go into his home and hopefully close the deal. I decided to have my home visit from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday night. He had a basketball game Friday night, which would keep him busy, and he had no more official school visits left for the final weekend. I made up my mind that Thursday night was do-or-die time with this recruit.

I booked the flight to Fort Lauderdale and rented a nice Lincoln Town Car in order to impress him when I drove up. As I met him and his mother on the front porch, I immediately hugged his mom and told her how much I loved her and turned to Martavius and said, "Son, you're going to win a Heisman Trophy at Auburn University."

As I turned to leave, a long black, stretch limousine pulled up in front of the house. A little, short driver with one of those driver's caps and half-jackets on got out, walked all the way around the back of the limousine and opened the back door next to the curb.

Out stepped my ol' man.

He had scheduled his official visit for 7:30 p.m. on the same night.

As he waddled up that sidewalk wearing that silly-looking safari hat and those red/yellow/green sunglasses that he always wears, my eyes got as big as saucers and my jaw dropped.

My ol' man stepped up on the porch, said hello to that mama, shook Martavius' hand, turned to me, patted me on the head (in front of both of them) and said, "Terry, when you get home, your mama wants you to call her."

That's all he said!

You talk about dirty recruiting – it doesn't get any dirtier. Nobody has ever been "who's your daddy-ed" worse than that.

I mean, who do you want to play for – BOBBY – or terry?

On Monday, GOP lawmakers announced a united House-Senate effort to — let’s say it — blackmail the state of Florida into permitting vanity car tags that honor University of Georgia alumni.

Otherwise, lawmakers said, they’ll yank the Gator tags just won by an Atlanta group of University of Florida grads from the state Department of Revenue.

House Minority Whip Barry Fleming (R-Harlem), who just happens to be running for Congress and requires support from Athens, is pitching the bill.

Johnson said the bill would also apply to other states — including Alabama. For a small extra fee, Auburn University alums can buy a prestige plate in Georgia — but Bulldogs can’t buy a Georgia alumni plate in Alabama.

These days, universities that want top-notch faculty, first-rate buildings and enviable football fields don't rely solely on tuition or state support. They fundraise.

In fact, it's hard to find a university that hasn't just initiated, wrapped up or isn't in a record-setting fundraising campaign.

“Since 1997, we've raised twice as much money as we did in the prior 100 years,” San Diego State University President Stephen Weber said.

In June, UC San Diego became the 34th campus in the nation to complete a campaign of $1 billion or more, shattering the university's previous record of $25 million in 1985.

University of California San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox said only 12 percent of UCSD's budget comes from state funding. That compares with 20.5 percent in 1992.

Fox said fundraising consultants told the university that it might be too ambitious to raise the $1 billion needed for faculty research, student scholarships, new buildings and more.

The school had little choice.

“Our only options were to raise private funds or accept a decrease in quality,” she said.

“If you're in a billion-dollar campaign, or in the case of Stanford, $4.3 billion, you're in the business of having to raise something in excess of $1 million a day,” Lippincott said.

The need for more dollars has led to a bigger investment in fundraising staffs.

SDSU more than doubled the size of its core staff to 28 over the past decade and established a philanthropic foundation that helps secure and manage gifts.

UCSD nearly tripled the size of its development department, which includes fundraising professionals, to 129 over 10 years, and simultaneously increased the amount of annual gifts from $58.1 million to $129.6 million.

June Jones has taken his time in filling out his coaching staff, but we should get an official announcement of just about everybody later today.

Tom Mason, of Fresno State, will be the defensive coordinator. Here's Mason's bio.

Locally, Tam Hollingshead, of Rockwall-Heath, will become the director of high school relations.

And watching the Lifetime Channel.
There's this woman who was pregnant when she was 15. Gave birth, then gave up the baby for adoption. Twenty-eight years later, her son looks her up. Then wants to meet the father. Well, the mother and father end up getting together.
Tear-jerker.
I think I miss football. I've become a Kleenix-blowing, Lifetime-watching person.
Permalink 02/12/08 @ 11:15

Rob Schoenhoft, a backup quarterback at Ohio State University the past three seasons, has transferred to the University of Delaware and will battle for the starting job this fall, Fightin' Blue Hens Head Coach K.C. Keeler has announced.

Schoenhoft, a 6-foot 6-inch, 245-pound quarterback, will have two years of eligibility at Delaware.

A native of Mason, Ohio, Schoenhoft was ranked as the No. 17 quarterback in the 2005 recruiting class out of St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. He was rated ahead of 2007 Heisman Trophy finalists Colt Brennan of the University of Hawaii and Chase Daniel of the University of Missouri.

"There was no easy third team to pick out," Bowden said. "Because it had to be a conference opponent."

Comment from: gigi-hawaii © [Visitor] ·
so Mike --- are you getting enough air to your brain at night?

do you fall asleep in class or at work?

Comment from: gigi-hawaii © [Visitor] ·
Mike, have you seen the commercial where the husband wears a strip across his nose to aid breathing? Maybe you should try it.

Permalink 02/12/08 @ 15:16

Comment from: LizKauai [BELIEVER] [Visitor]
xs- (counting) are you saying that gigi snores?

Comment from: LizKauai [BELIEVER] [Visitor] · Edit
ST- you went to work SICK??? Yikes.

Comment from: Kazz [Visitor] · http://www.myspace.com/hcwkazz

Pomai,

More power to Jim Bolla then as I must say his resume is impressive, BUT alas he is here in Hawaii and now is the concern.

Homey,

pffttt... Fresno State... GO 'BOWS!!!

Permalink 02/12/08 @ 15:28
blockquote>
Kazz I don't know anything about him, just that someone was asking about his background, so I googled him and that is just about all I could find on him.

From what I have been reading about him it appears he is not having a good tenure as the coach.

Students at Texas State are scheduled to vote today and Wednesday on a referendum that would authorize fee increases to support a move to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The FBS, formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football. Results of the vote are expected to be released Thursday, a university spokesman said.

If the vote passes, the fee increase would be subject to approval by the Texas State University System Board of Regents.

Texas State has played at the Division I-AA level (recently renamed the Football Championship Subdivision, or the FCS) since 1984.

CBS Sports today announced a comprehensive reorganization of its college sports operations, incorporating the cable, broadcast and online activities of College Sports Television (CSTV) into its world-famous brand.

Effective March 2008, CSTV will become the CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK, bringing the power of the CBS SPORTS name to yet another developing, cross-platform property. In addition, CBS Sports will begin developing proprietary programming for the cable network, and incorporate the growing online activities of CSTV into its industry-leading online operations.

As part of the reorganization, a new emphasis will be placed on developing original programming for the CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK, drawing on the top on-air and creative talents in the industry. Anchoring the lineup will be COLLEGE SPORTS TONIGHT, a news and information program examining the day's developments in the world of collegiate sports, and providing previews of upcoming events. The program will air twice a night. COLLEGE SPORTS TONIGHT is just one of many new programs to be featured on the CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK. Additional programming will be announced shortly.

Thirteen WAC football players invited to NFL Combine(snip)
Fresno State, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State did not have any players invited.

A deal to hold the 2008 Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif., is close to being finalized, a source said.

Along with the trip west, the Cowboys also plan to travel to Denver for a couple of days of training-camp practices with the Broncos.

Because of a conflict with the Alamodome in San Antonio, the Cowboys have been forced to find an alternative location for camp this year. The team is in negotiations with the city of Oxnard, Calif., which hosted Cowboys camp from 2003-2006.

Handles all aspects of on-campus recruiting including the arrangement of lodging, meals, travel and visit itineraries... Also handles correspondence and assigns and monitors a recruiting management program for the SMU staff; Playing Experience: A three-year Longhorn letterwinner... Named the team's special teams MVP in 2004... Was a four-time member of the Big 12 Honor Roll and a nominee for the 2004 Bobby Bowden Award; Education: Earned a B.S. in Corporate Communication (`05) and an M.Ed. in Sport Management (`07) from Texas

I swear over the last month I have woken up to myself gasping for air as if I breathed in wrong in the middle of the night.

Comment from: Stephen [Member]
Guava:
My only objection is when anybody over 40 uses the phrase "dis."
02/12/08 @ 17:44

Comment from: Calvin from Kona [Visitor]
Jason,
What if we go an old jacket from Goodwill? Would you throw it then?
02/12/08 @ 18:41

4. Hawaii
The class is heavy on ... Playmakers for the passing game and defensive backs. June Jones isn't there anymore, but the program isn't going to ditch the high-octane passing attack that led to so much recent success. JUCO transfers Greg Alexander and Brent Rausch will each get every shot to win the starting quarterback job, while five JUCO transfers will compete to fill in the ten-mile wide holes at receiver. The secondary is loaded with good new corners with three excellent high school prospects to mix in with JUCO transfers Jeramy Bryant and Chris Black.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... OG Tui'atua Tuiasosopo
The player you might care about this year ... QB Greg Alexander
What it all means to the real world of college football ... The program wasn't able to build on last year's monster season with the coaching change killing all momentum, but that didn't stop a slew a decent offensive talent from coming in. The problem with recruiting at Hawaii is the lack of options. If the program doesn't get EVERY in-state prospect, it's in trouble, and it lost a few key ones. New head man Greg McMackin has a lot of work to do, and he'll need to come up with another good year to prove

Since I have had the CPAP machine for several years, I get way better sleep with it than with out it. It's a love/hate thing with the CPAP machine.

for 21 minutes i had you and stretch babbling about nothing while the rest of us were pointing fingers at the two fools on the hill.

USC and the Coliseum Commission have tentatively agreed on a lease that will keep the Trojans playing football at the historic stadium for the next 25 years, multiple sources said Tuesday.

The commission will vote today on a nonbinding letter of intent that sets the terms of the deal. The sides would then have 60 days to formalize the contract.

The agreement would put to rest talk of USC moving its home games to the Rose Bowl and would give the school veto power on any potential arrangement between the Coliseum and NFL.

The already-contentious civil lawsuit against Reggie Bush grew even more acrimonious Tuesday when the plaintiff walked out of a pretrial deposition in San Diego, angry that Bush's attorneys had brought along an armed, plain-clothed security guard.

The midday incident sparked a flurry of accusations between lawyers representing each side.

Bush's attorney, David Cornwell, said he felt the need for protection because Lloyd Lake, the man suing his client, is a convicted felon and documented gang member.

Lake's attorney said the "big, heavyset" security guard flashed a holstered handgun and initially refused to identify himself.

"If you're going to have a security guard there . . . have a licensed security guard with a uniform and a business card," lawyer Brian Watkins said. "Why bring this secretive guy who won't tell us who he is? That's witness intimidation."

Bush, meanwhile, is scheduled to be deposed Feb. 25, at which time Lake's attorneys said they will ask him under oath if he received cash gifts while at USC.

Such testimony could be important to the NCAA's ongoing investigation.

Bush's lawyers "are using their last bit of scare tactics right now," Watkins said. "They're pulling out all the stops because they know February 25 is Reggie Bush's day of reckoning."

The state Department of Health has located three Hawaii children who may have been exposed to measles on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from San Diego over the weekend.

Health officials have confirmed that a 10-month-old infant from San Diego, Calif., has measles and was aboard Hawaiian Flight 15 on Saturday.