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News Junkie
By Stuart
June 30th
Brian Lockridge only returning Buff out
There were 15 players who missed the Colorado 2011 spring game. As June turns into July, and fall practices approach, only one player, running back Brian Lockridge, remains a question mark for the 2011 season opener on September 3rd against Hawai’i.
As you may recall, there were a number of Buff players who were recovering from off-season surgeries, and sat out spring practices. Two of those players have moved on due to their injuries, offensive linemen Maxwell Tuioti-Mariner and Mike Iltis.
Others who were injured and out for much if not all of the spring, however, are on the mend and should be ready for fall practices. That number includes: FB/TE Matt Bahr (shoulder surgery); offensive lineman Blake Behrens (shoulder surgery); defensive back Vince Ewing (knee); defensive back Parker Orms (knee); and defensive back Anthony Perkins (knee).
Then there are those players nicked up enough to miss the spring game, who will be a “full go” for fall practices, including: wide receiver Toney Clemons; offensive lineman Ryan Dannewitz; defensive end Nick Kasa; tight end DaVaughn Thornton; and linebacker Derrick Webb.
June 29th
Arizona star reportedly out for the season
If its just a rumor, its a doozy …
Arizona All-Pac-12 wide receiver Juron Criner may miss the 2011 season. Criner was a second-team All-American in 2010, leading the Wildcats with 82 receptions for 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns. Criner’s 1,233 yards were the 7th-highest total in the nation last season.
How it started … Arizona Daily Star columnist Greg Hansen, almost off-handedly, reported on Sunday, “Wildcat running back signee Ka’Deem] Carey’s availability somewhat offsets concerns that All-Pac-10 receiver Juron Criner might not be available for training camp in August. Criner’s status for the 2011 season remains uncertain because of undisclosed medical reasons.”
How it got fueled … Criner was supposed to participate in a Pac-12 promotional tour of ESPN this month, but backed out for “family reasons”.
The latest … From TucsonCitizen.com: “For the record, the Arizona sports information office said of Criner’s health and status on Wednesday morning, ‘We are unable to comment,’ citing student privacy guidelines. Not that coach Mike Stoops could comment specifically, but the Arizona football office said Monday that Stoops is out of town this week and not easily reached by cell phone. A text message sent from TucsonCitizen.com to Criner early last week, on an unrelated matter, went unanswered.”
If Criner is out for the 2011 season, it will be yet another huge blow to the Wildcats, who have already lost four players to season-ending injuries this spring. Starting linebacker Jake Fischer, starting safety Adam Hall and backup running back Greg Nwoko all went down with season-ending knee injuries. Then, defensive tackle Willie Mobley tore the anterior cruciate ligament while playing baseball.
June 28th
End of an Era
As Colorado says goodbye to the Big Seven/Eight/12, another conference is also coming to an end, the Pac-10.
In existence for 33 seasons, the Pac-10 evolved from the Pac-Eight in 1978, when Arizona State and Arizona were invited to join. Now, Scott Terrell of the Tucson Citizen has take the time to compile some numbers as to the history of the Pac-10. Terrell’s article looks at the Pac-10, 1978-2010, in terms of overall records, conference records, conference championships, bowl records, and BCS bowl records.
I thought it would be interesting to see how the numbers played out, and then how Colorado fared in comparison.
Let’s start with overall records …
USC, not surprisingly, leads the Pac by a wide margin. Washington, with its national championship team of 1991, remains in second despite a horrible decade in the 2000′s, followed closely by UCLA and Oregon. Somewhat of a surprise, despite their recent successes, is that Cal and Stanford both have losing records during the Pac-10 era.
How does Colorado fare over that same period of time? Not too bad.
Colorado’s record from 1978-2010 encompasses the last year of the Bill Mallory era, all of Chuck Fairbanks’ three seasons, the Bill McCartney era, Rick Neuheisel, Gary Barnett, and Dan Hawkins (including Brian Cabral’s 2-1 record to end 2010). The Buffs’ overall record over the past 33 seasons is 209-179-5, or a .538 winning percentage. That number would squeeze the Buffs right in between the Arizona schools in the middle of the Pac.
Mediocre? Yes. But keep in mind that the 1978-2010 era includes the two longest stretches of losing seasons in Colorado football history, six seasons (1979-84) and five seasons (1996-present).
As to conference records …
Colorado, from 1978-2010, posted a 130-112-4 conference record in Big Eight/12 play. The .536 winning percentage is almost identical to the Buffs’ overall winning percentage during that span, and places Colorado in the top half of its new league.
Pac-10 Bowl Records between 1978-2010 …
Colorado has not been to a bowl game since 2007, but still holds its own in this category, going to 18 bowls, posting an 8-10 record.
In the BCS – Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange Bowls and BCS championship games …
Colorado, during the span of 1978-2010, has been to five BCS bowl games, posting a 2-3 record (2-1 v. Notre Dame; 0-1 v. Syracuse; 0-1 v. Oregon).
Finally, a look at conference championships won …
Colorado, meanwhile, has won four championships during the Pac-10 era, three outright (1989, 1990, 2001) and one shared (1991).
It’s interesting to note that, while every team in the Pac-10 has won at least a share of a title since 1978, the same cannot be said for the Buffs’ old league. In the Big Eight/12, Kansas has gone since 1968(shared) without a title. The same holds true for Iowa State (1912-shared), Missouri (1969-shared), Oklahoma State (1976-shared), Baylor (1994-shared) and Texas Tech (1994-shared). That’s half of the Big Eight which has gone without a football championship for at least 35 years.
Yet another reason why the University of Colorado will fit in – and thrive – in the new Pac-12.
June 27th
Pac-12 Network – coming to a computer near you?
Larry Scott certainly has the credibility with the Pac-12 fans and administrators to do with the Pac-12 Network almost anything he wants.
But watching the Buffs football and basketball teams on your laptop?
Teaming up with Google or Apple is an option the Pac-12 is considering for the Pac-12 Network, according to Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News. In Wilner’s article, he discusses three models for the new Pac-12 Network, expected to be announced in the next 30-45 days.
First option: Take over an existing network. The conference could partner up with an existing programmer and take over their existing channel. Pros: The distribution risk is eliminated, as there will already be an established network, and the Pac-12 Network will instantly find its way into 30-40 million homes. Cons: To take over someone else’s network, the Pac-12 would have to give up some of the revenue. Larry Scott and his team fought hard to retain rights to high profile football games, along with a majority of the basketball games, as they did not want to share those games (and revenues) with ESPN and Fox. Would the Pac-12 Network philosophy be any different?
Second option: The league could start up its own network. This seemed to be the concept of the Pac-12 Network during the television rights negotiations. Larry Scott looked at the Big Ten model, where the league only owns 49% of the rights, and wanted to go a different direction. Having the league own its own network, and not having to share revenues, would be consistent with what we have been hearing about the new Network. Pros: Control and money. There would be significant start up costs – which the league can now afford – but the back end could produce tremendous revenues. Plus, the Pac-12 Network would control what is shown, when, and with which advertising partners. Cons: It will take some significant hustle to get the Network up and going by August, 2012, and the conference would then have to make deals with existing cable operators to get the league on the air. In order to gain access, the league might also have to surrender some measure of control.
Third option: Bypass the traditional, sub-based model altogether and team up with Apple or Google. In an approach called “the whopper” by Wilner, the model would envision fans watching the Pac-12′s offerings on their computer or even their phone. Pros: Once again, the conference would be on the cutting edge, planning on technology that, at least in some respects, doesn’t exist yet. Instead of teaming up with Time Warner or Comcast to show the Pac-12′s football, basketball and Olympic sports, the league would instead team up with Google or Apple to provide fans access. And access would be universal. Fans in New York and New Dehli would be able to watch their favorite Pac-12 team. Cons: There would not be the subscription revenue of options one and two, as the league would have to rely on advertising to generate revenues. Plus, the conference, while on the cutting edge, might steer off in a direction that may not prove as lucrative as one of the first two options.
What will Larry Scott announce in July as the model for the new Pac-12 Network?
Best bet: a combination of No. 3 with either No. 1 or No. 2. While Larry Scott has been ahead of the curve for some time now, it might be an easier sell to the league officials (meeting in early August) to go with a plan that generates considerable income now from an established format, but leaves room for expansion into other media in future years.
Then again … who knows? Before the Pac-12 was able to convince rivals ESPN and Fox to work together on a bid for the television contract, no one saw that coming as a possibility.
Prepared to be surprised …
June 24th
Larry Scott interview
Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News has posted an interview with Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott. Some of the highlights:
- On the Pac-12 Network, Scott indicated that he expected to “lock into a partner” within the next 45 days. As to the Network making money for the league, Scott had this to say: “I don’t really have a good sense yet. There are a few business models, and unlike the partnerships with Fox and ESPN that have guaranteed economics, this is entering a new venture where distribution and advertising will evolve annually. It’s a very different animal than signing a licensing agreement.”
- On the investigations into Willie Lyles and other recruiting services utilized by Oregon, Scott did not have any comment. He did say that “to the best of my knowledge”, the NCAA has not given the Pac-12 any indication that a formal investigation is imminent.
- The Pac-12 hasn’t closed the door on playing some of its football games on Sundays, should the NFL be unable to reach a labor agreement with the players. The league has had discussions “at high levels on our campuses” about playing on Sundays if there is an NFL void. The Pac-12 athletic directors have meetings already scheduled for August. In the event that the NFL has not resolved its issues by then, “We’ll be ready to move quickly,” said Scott.
June 23rd
Oregon hires “the Cleaner”
When in doubt, go with Bond, Schoeneck & King.
Michael Glazier, known as the “NCAA defender to the stars”, as well as “The Cleaner”, was retained in March. Glazier leads a division of the Bond Schoeneck & King law firm, the Collegiate Sports Practice Group, which routinely represents schools in NCAA infractions cases.
Glazier has represented schools or individuals including Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Florida, Missouri, Minnesota, Louisville and former Oklahoma and Indiana basketball coach Kelvin SampsoGlazier’s strategy sometimes involves admitting violations and seeking to atone for them with self-imposed penaltiesn. Glazier’s work has been credited with helping mitigate NCAA sanctions when schools have been found guilty of rules violations.
“We’re charged with finding out the truth, and we do that,” Glazier said in an interview with ESPN.com in 2008. “Sometimes we can learn the allegations aren’t founded, but oftentimes they are. And when they are, we say that. We don’t hide anything.”
“As is prudent in a specialized matter, the university has consulted with outside counsel,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens wrote in an email to the Eugene Register-Guard. “In March, Mike Glazier was retained and has assisted UO in providing the NCAA all the information they have requested.”
And the best they could come up with was a $25,000 booklet from Willie Lyles containing profiles of players who had signed letters of intent as part of the Class of 2009 …
June 21st
Oregon facing a true dilemma
Did the Oregon coaching staff really pay $25,000 for a worthless product?
Or are they covering up a payoff for a recruit (or recruits)?
It’s a tough choice for the Oregon athletic department to make … but the school is apparently going with choice No. 1 in hopes of avoiding NCAA sanctions.
A brief primer
Back in March, it was disclosed that Houston-based recruiting consultant Willie Lyles had been paid $25,000 for recruiting services shortly after Signing Day, 2010. This seemed quite suspicious, as one of the top Oregon recruits in the Class of 2010 was running back Lache Seastrunk. A product of Temple, Texas, Seastrunk was very close to Willie Lyles, so close in fact that Lyles had stayed at Seastrunk’s home the previous fall, and Seastrunk’s mother had told the senior’s high school coach, amongst others, that Lyles was handling Seastrunk’s recruitment.
It’s all on the up-and-up, stated the Oregon athletic department. Lyles was paid by Oregon for a 2011 “national scouting package”, from Lyles’ business, Complete Scouting Services. Yes, $25,000 was a great deal of money (“For $25,000, it better provide a hell of a lot,” Scouting Evaluation Association founder Dick Lascola told SI.com in March. “That’s an extreme amount of money to pay for something”), but Oregon paid other recruiting services, so the payment to Lyles was in the ordinary course of business.
It was just a coincidence, was the Oregon party line, that Lyles had a close relationship to Seastrunk (as well as to at least two other Oregon recruits of the past few seasons. Lyles is considered by Oregon running back – and 2010 Heisman trophy finalist – LaMichael James to be a friend and a “mentor”).
The latest
Several media outlets, including the Eugene Register-Guard and the Oregonian, filed an open records request with the school, looking for information as to the communications between Lyles and the University of Oregon, as well as documentation as to what Lyles had provided to the school in exchange for his $25,000 paycheck.
After several months of delay, the school finally produced Lyles’ “2011 National Package” … and it is a joke.
The package contains information on exactly zero 2011 recruits. One of the documents, the “2010 National High School Evaluation Booklet”, which purportedly contained “Player Profiles – 2011″, had the following problems:
- Every player profiled was from the recruiting Class of 2009;
- In the “National” package, 133 of the 140 players profiled were from Texas (the significance of this issue discussed below);
- Of the 140 players profiled, only 15 signed with BCS automatic qualifying schools (not exactly the players a top ten team would be recruiting – even back in 2009);
- There is documentation to show that, with regard to several of the players, Lyles simply cut and pasted the profile from material produced by his former employer, Elite Scouting Services (where Lyles worked until a month before Seastrunk gave his verbal commitment to Oregon).
For this “2010 National High School Evaluation Booklet”, Oregon paid $25,000.
An Oregon spokesman said that the school also received videos from Lyles, but that the number (and quality) of those videos could not be determined, as the coaching staff grouped videos by players, not by source. (If this sounds lame to you, I’m with you … Lyles provided no information about the Class of 2011 in writing, but he delivered high quality videos on 2011 recruits? Highly unlikely).
And this was the best Oregon could come up with after three months of looking … You would think that if Oregon could produce 2011 recruit videos from Lyles – or any evidence of decent recruiting services from Willie Lyles – it would do so in a heartbeat.
But wait, there’s more …
Oregon head coach Chip Kelly exchanged text messages via cell phones with Willie Lyles on numerous occasions while he was the offensive coordinator (prior to his elevation to head coach in March, 2009). Kelly traded 12 texts with Lyles two days before January 17, 2008, the day LaMichael James committed to play for Oregon (you know, that star player who considers Lyles to be his friend and “mentor”?).
In addition, records released by the University of Oregon show that Oregon coaches made or accepted 70 calls in a four-month period between December, 2009, and March, 2010. The running backs coach, Gary Campbell, made 27 calls to Lyles, and received 11 more from Lyles.
No records exist as to the nature of the calls or the texts, but it would be safe to assume that Chip Kelly and Gary Campbell were not sharing recipes with Willie Lyles.
What does it all mean?
The NCAA has not yet issued a Notice of Inquiry to Oregon, which would mark the start of a formal investigation.
One BCS conference compliance officer told CBSSports.com, that, based upon what is known now, “It doesn’t look good, but I won’t predict how it plays out”.
What, if anything, did Oregon do wrong?
There are four main NCAA bylaws which govern scouting or recruiting services: 11.3.2.5 (school personnel can’t consult or endorse services), 12.3.3.1 (services can distribute student-athletes information but can’t be paid a fee based on placing them at a school), 13.1.7.20 (coaches can’t watch off-campus video of athletes provided by services) and 13.14.3, which is the main definition of a recruiting or scouting service.
The biggest issues for Oregon involve 12.3.3.1 – paying Lyles for placing players at the school – and 13.14.3, which reads:
An institution may subscribe to a recruiting or scouting service involving prospective student-athletes, provided the institution does not purchase more than one annual subscription to a particular service and the service:
(a) …
(c) Disseminates information (e.g., reports, profiles) about prospective student-athletes at least four times per calendar year;
(d) Publicly identifies the geographical scope of the service (e.g., local, regional, national) and reflects broad-based coverage of the geographical area in the information it disseminates;
(e) …
Lyles’ “2010 National High School Evaluation Booklet” fails to meet the requirements of (c) and (d), as he did not publish his reports at least four times a year, and what he did produce was far from a “National” service (recall that 133 of the 140 players profiled in the report were from Texas).
The NCAA enforcement staff could well declare that Lyles’ business was not a permissible recruiting service. It would not be too great a leap thereafter to declare that the $25,000 paid to Lyles was a payoff for bringing players to Oregon … which would be a major violation. The Ducks would be looking at forfeiting games in which Lyles’ recruits played (including all 12 wins in 2010), and bring down significant future sanctions on the school (especially with respect to future recruiting).
The Oregon athletic department seems to be between a rock and a hard place.
After searching for three months to come up with a plausible explanation as to why they paid Willie Lyles $25,000 right after his own personal recruit, Lache Seastrunk, signed with Oregon, the best the school could come up with is a lame (and laughable) booklet which contained the profiles of players which had already signed letters of intent a year earlier.
If the Ducks take the “gosh, we were just stupid” approach, another issue is raised …
Bylaw 10.1 governs unethical conduct. If the school knew – or should have known – that they paid $25,000 for outdated materials which had no value to the school, and did not take any steps to remedy the error before it was brought to the school’s attention by other parties, that would constitute a violation of Bylaw 10.1.
The same Bylaw which brought down Jim Tressel at Ohio State …
June 20th
Colorado turning a profit … sort of
Want the good news first, or the bad news?
The Business of College Sports did a review of the top 50 most profitable programs in college athletics. The article looked at the 2009-10 school year, and, lo and behold, the University of Colorado made the list!
At least the football team did.
In comparing revenue and expenses of the football and basketball teams of the BCS conference teams, the Colorado football team came in 32nd in the nation. The football program generated $26.2 million in revenue, against $12.6 in expenses, leaving a profit of $13.6 million. Out of all of the teams in the new Pac-12, Colorado came in 2nd place, coming in behind only Washington (27th place, with $14.7 million in football profits).
Overall, the report showed Texas football as king, with $68.8 in football profits alone, far ahead of No. 2 Georgia ($52.5 in football profits). The top ten consisted of only football programs, with the Big 12 represented by Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma, the Big Ten represented by No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Michigan – with the other six spots all taken by SEC teams.
The most profitble basketball program was at Louisville. The Cardinals came in with a profit of $16.8 million in basketball, good enough for 27th place overall.
Now, the flip side …
While Colorado’s football program was one of the most profitable in the nation, the basketball team was one of the worst in terms of net profits.
In all, the report looked at 139 Division 1-A football and basketball programs, and the Colorado basketball team came in 136th. The Buffs were one of only seven programs to be shown running a deficit. Colorado took in $3.58 million in basketball revenues, but had $3.81 million in expenses, for a net loss of -$224,506 for the year.
What to take from these numbers …
1) The most important number to take from the article is 2009-2010 – the year of the report. The Colorado basketball program fared much better in 2010-11 in terms of attendance and television appearances (still important in the good ‘ol Big 12). The Buffs also made it to the semi-finals of the NIT, with additional revenue from three extra home games. The report also – naturally – doesn’t take into account what the University of Colorado can expect to bring in starting in 2012-13 when the new ESPN/Fox Sports contracts kick in;
2) The report doesn’t look at the big picture, just revenues and expenses for individual programs. Oregon basketball in 2009-10 was an even worse drain than Colorado basketball, losing $2.25 million for the year, finishing 138th out of 139 teams reviewed (only Wake Forest football, with losses of $2.28 million). Think the Oregon athletic department is pinching pennies? Hardly. In another article from the same Business of College Sports, Oregon is atop the list of “self-sustaining” schools, with profits of $41.8 million, far ahead of second place Alabama ($26.6 million in profits);
3) That it will be some time before Colorado is really in the black. The CU athletic department is in limbo financially. Burdened with lost revenues as a result of leaving the Big 12 early in fiscal year 2010-11, and facing a smaller cut of the revenue pie in the first year of the Pac-12 (when Colorado will not be a full partner in the last year of the Pac-10 television contracts), there will be some lean times over the next few seasons …
… Just as is the case with the Colorado football program on the field, progress may be slow – but it is coming!
June 18th
USC lose highly touted defensive back for the season
University of Southern California defensive back Patrick Hall will undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL, and will miss the 2011 season.
Hall suffered the injury on what was described as a fluke fall after an interception on the final play of a players-only summer throwing session two weeks ago. “I knew it was the ACL because of the swelling,” Hall told ESPN.com. “I was hopeful it was just a tweak, but I knew it was the ACL.”
Hall has yet to play a down for the Trojans, but was being counted on in the soon-to-be-depleted USC roster. Hall was a five-star recruit out of the Class of 2009. Hall was considered by Rivals.com to be the 2nd-best athlete in the nation, as well as the 19th-best overall player of the entire 2009 Class. Hall tore a ligament in the opposite knee in fall camp, 2009, and delayed his enrollment until January, 2010.
Suspended for a time last season by head coach Lane Kiffin as Hall struggled with academics, the star defensive back ended up sitting out all of the 2010 season.
In theory, Hall could apply for a sixth year of eligibilty down the road, applying for a medical red-shirt season.
June 17th
Pac-12 Bowl schedule set
So you can get your holiday plans in order …
Saturday, December 17th – Pac-12 No. 7 v. Mountain West – New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque, New Mexico – ESPN
Thursday, December 22nd – Pac-12 No. 5 v. Mountain West No. 1 – Las Vegas Bowl – ESPN
Wednesday, December 28th – Pac-12 No. 3 v. Big Ten No. 5 – Holiday Bowl, San Diego – ESPN
Thursday, December 29th – Pac-12 No. 2 v. Big 12 No. 3 – Alamo Bowl, San Antonio – ESPN
Saturday, December 31st – Pac-12 No. 4 v. ACC No. 4 – Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas – CBS
Saturday, December 31st – Pac-12 No. 6 v. Army (if eligible) – Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, San Francisco – ESPN
Monday, January 2nd (no bowl games on Sunday, January 1st) – Pac-12 No. 1 v. BCS – Rose Bowl, Pasadena – ESPN
Monday, January 9th – Allstate BCS National Championship Game – Pac-12 (if eligible) v. BCS – New Orleans – ESPN
June 16th
Mike Iltis leaves Buffs
It has been rumored for the past several weeks, and today it became a reality.
Senior center Mike Ilits will not be returning for the fall after suffering the second major knee injury of his career in the 2010 season finale against Nebraska. Iltis underwent surgery to repair at torn anterior cruciate ligament, a torn medial collateral ligament and torn meniscus in his left knee.
During spring practice, it was reported that Ilits was making good progress on his rehabilitation. Something changed in the intervening months. Embree said Iltis explained his decision as one that was less about his injuries and more about just wanting to focus on academics.
“He has decided just to pursue his education,” Embree told the Daily Camera.
The injury Iltis suffered at the end of last season was the second major setback of his career. In 2008, Iltis the entire season with a torn ACL in his right knee.
Options?
Senior center Shawn Daniels was out for much of the spring recovering from foot surgery, with redshirt freshman Daniel Munyer earning most of the first-team snaps.
“I’m OK with it,” Embree said when asked about his options at the position. “I think we have some flexibility. I was very pleased with Daniel and Shawn this spring.”
Another option – at least for the future – was announced today. Colorado today added Brad Cotner, a 6’4″, 290-pound center from Thousand Oaks, California (more on Cotner under “Recruiting Class of 2011” …
June 15th
Cliff Harris suspended “indefinitely”
Oregon All-American cornerback Cliff Harris will miss “at the very least” the 2011 season opener against LSU, head coach Chip Kelly announced Wednesday.
After that, Harris’ status would be dependent on his adherence to the football program’s rules.
“Cliff’s future clearly is in Cliff’s hands,” Kelly said. “Earning an opportunity to represent the University of Oregon and this football program certainly rests far beyond a player’s ability on the field of play. Our behavior out of the spotlight often is more important and will be held to a higher standard. Until Cliff is able to conform to the same standards all of us must comply with, his status will remain unchanged.”
University of Oregon employee identified
The University of Oregon compliance office has spoken multiple times with Mindy Schmidling, a payroll specialist in the university’s office of business affairs who rented the car and loaned it to Cliff Harris and another unidentified player.
Schmidling, 27, said she is not a graduate of the University of Oregon, nor has she worked in the athletic department.
While some fans and commentators suggested Tuesday that Schmidling’s involvement could or even should threaten her position in the business affairs office, she told the Eugene Register-Guard: “I don’t feel this incident will threaten my job status in any way. I simply let a licensed driver borrow my rental. … I did not give Cliff permission to drive nor did I pay for the rental … so I don’t see how that would affect my job or violate NCAA rules.”
NCAA regulations specifically prohibit the use of a car by student-athletes if it is furnished by “an institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interests.” Further, rules dictate, “If the student-athlete receives an extra benefit not authorized by NCAA legislation, the individual is ineligible in all sports.” However, Schmidling’s assertion that she was paid by the players for the use of the car could protect their ability to play for the Ducks, though it may still be considered a minor violation of NCAA rules.
A compliance official from another school suggested Tuesday that, if the facts as currently understood are true, the payment to Schmidling would likely protect the players’ eligibility. The loan of the car would be ruled an extra benefit, and Oregon would report it as such to the Pac-10 — the first step in such situations — but because it was of no monetary value, the players’ eligibility would not be threatened.
Stay tuned …
Ralphie needs your help
ESPN is running a poll of the best college football traditions. Colorado and the “Running of Ralphie” is pitted against the Michigan “Go Blue” banner.
As of this morning, Ralphie is running behind Big Blue, 57% to 43%. If you want to cast a vote for Ralphie and CU, here is the link:
ESPN SportsNation poll
June 14th
Oregon defensive back a little too fast
As an All-American cornerback and punt returner, University of Oregon star Cliff Harris has a name associated with speed.
Now it could cost him playing time.
Harris faces a $1,148 fine after receiving a speeding ticket Sunday for driving a rented 2011 Nissan Altima 118 mph along a stretch of Interstate 5. Harris, who is 20, was also fined for driving with a suspended license, which carries with it a separate fine of $427.00.
“We are obviously very disappointed in the lack of judgment exercised by Cliff and feel it’s unacceptable,” Oregon head football coach Chip Kelly said in a statement issued Monday afternoon. “I’ve said from the beginning that it should be a privilege to play football at the University of Oregon. With that said, individuals must bear the responsibilities for their own behavior. Once we have finished collecting all the information in this situation, we will determine the appropriate action.”
If it were just the speeding ticket, Harris might be in trouble with the Oregon coaches, but he might not be missing any playing time this fall.
Until you start to unpeel the onion …
This was not Harris’ first offense
Harris has been ticketed for speeding and driving without a license at least three times in the past 18 months, according to a story in the Oregonian. On one of those cases, a January, 2010 case of driving 49 mph in a 30 mph zone and driving while suspended, Harris was found guilty by default after not appearing in court to contest the charges.
On another case (driving 45 in a 35 mph zone), Harris has until today (Tuesday) to appear or pay a fine, or he will be found guilty in that case.
Harris was also convicted in January, 2010, of being a minor in possession.
Not exactly an angel.
The car Harris was driving was a rental
You cannot rent a car until you are 25 years old. Harris is 20 years old.
So how did he get into a rented 2011 Nissan Altima?
The car was rented by an unnamed university employee.
“So, I rented the car for my own purposes on Friday. Cliff Harris and his licensed friend, who showed me his license, asked to borrow it and paid me the full amount in cash that I paid for the rental,” the woman told local televison station KEZI, on condition of anonymity. The woman, who describes herself as a friend of Harris over the past few months, said she was unaware Cliff would be driving and also said she has proof that the amount she paid for the rental car matches two separte deposits she made into her bank account Friday. “I do have a copy of my bank statement, showing two deposits Friday of $180 and $120″, she said.
The University of Oregon employee later clarified her statement for Portland television station KDRV: “I’m telling you the same things I’ve told (the Compliance Office),” she said. “I have nothing to hide. I didn’t have any part in the actions Cliff Harris made. Cliff and his friend paid me for the rental, so I don’t see any NCAA violations, but they will determine that.
“I only needed the car Friday night to go up past Blue River, since my car isn’t running good and leaking oil,” she said, in regards to why she would initially rent a car for herself and then agree to let Harris and his friend, whom she says she doesn’t know, use the vehicle.
“Cliff and his friend offered to pay for it, if I let them use it the remainder of the time and informed me only the licensed friend would be driving, or else I wouldn’t have let them use it.”
According to cash deposits on the employees’ ATM, she deposited $180.00, then $120.00 last Friday. The Hertz charge was for $220.44, charged on Monday.
Not only do the amounts not match up, but there is no way to determine if the cash deposits did in fact come from Harris or one of his (unidentified) teammates who were also in the car when it was pulled over Sunday morning.
NCAA rule 16.12.2.3c states:
An institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interests may not provide a student-athlete with extra benefits or services, including, but not limited to: The use of an automobile.
So now, the University of Oregon compliance office is involved. Late Tuesday, the Oregon Athletic Department contacted the Pac-10 in regards to Cliff Harris using a vehicle rented by a university employee.
“Oregon has been in contact with the Conference office, however the Conference does not comment on potential NCAA violations,” said Pac-10 Vice President of Public Affairs Kirk Reynolds, when asked if UO had notified the conference about the rental car Harris was driving.
Harris is not some backup the Ducks can go without
Cliff Harris, as a sophomore, was a concensus All-American. Harris is the most decorated return man in a single season in Oregon history, and was named All-America by the Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News, SI.com and ESPN.com, and earned second-team All-America status as a cornerback according to the Associated Press and SI.com.
Harris is one of just four consensus All-America picks in Oregon school history and first as a returner/all-purpose player. Harris garnered all-Pac-10 accolades as a punt returner (Coaches, Phil Steele, Rivals.com, Scout.com) and cornerback (Phil Steele), as well as second team honors at his defensive position (Coaches, Rivals.com, Scout.com). As a sophomore, Harris was one of ten semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive back, and on the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the top defensive player in the country.
In 2010, Harris led the Ducks with six interceptions, including one he returned 76 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee. Harris’ 29 punt returns went for 546 yards and four touchdowns. His average punt return went for 18.8 yards (by comparison, Colorado averaged 7.2 yards per punt return in 2010).
In mock 2012 NFL drafts, Harris – if he decided to go pro a year early – is a consensus first round pick. In the opinion of CBSSports.com senior writer Pete Prisco, Harris is the No. 6 overall prospect in the entire 2012 draft.
Oregon head coach Chip Kelly has a real dilemma on his hands:
1) brush off the actions of a player who has shown disregard for the law (on at least four occasions), and give Harris a brief suspension – and then face the scrutiny that he is giving preferential treatment to a star player; or
2) make an example of Harris, and go without one of his very best players (if not his very best player) for a significant portion of the season.
Oregon opens the 2011 campaign with a game against LSU in Arlington, Texas, on September 3rd …
June 12th
Buffs to pick up a running back commitment
Adam at BuffStampede.com is reporting that on Monday Colorado will pick up its fourth commitment of the recruiting Class of 2012 (UPDATE: see Verbal Commitments – 2012)
Terrence Crowder, from Galena Park, Texas, is a 5’11, 208-pound running back who has been timed at a 4.48 in the 40. Crowder does not have an offer from any other Division 1-A schools, though he does reportedly have an offer from Texas-San Antonio, as well as interest from North Texas and Minnesota.
“It all depends on my mom,” Crowder told BuffStampede.com on June 6th. “She wants to go out and see all the colleges for herself before I commit. She also wants me to be closer to home but I don’t want to be in Texas so it is going to be a fight for me to commit to Colorado or wherever else I commit to, if it is further away from home.”
In his junior year, Crowder rushed for 1,338 yards and 15 touchdowns in leading his team to a 7-4 record. Offensive coordinator and running backs coach Eric Bieniemy has been responsible for Crowder’s recruitment. “Colorado said they love the way I run the ball,” Crowder said. “They think I could be someone that could come in and help lead them to being a dominant team in the Pac-12.”
While it is disconcerting that the Buffs are enamoured with a recruit no one else seems to be excited about (Crowder does not even show up as a recruit on the Scout.com browser, much less a highly sought after recruit), you have to believe that Bieniemy knows what he wants, and likes what he sees.
Check out Crowder for yourself … Crowder’s YouTube highlights
More on Crowder later when his commitment to become the fourth member of the Colorado recruiting Class of 2012 …
June 11th
CBS articles laud the efforts of Larry Scott and the new Pac-12
Larry Scott is No. 1!
Okay, so Larry Scott was only No. 1 on the list of the CBS top 100 influential players in college football, but it’s nice that the new league, three weeks from officially opening, is receiving national acclaim.
“He’s truly been, and I don’t use this word lightly, a transformative figure,” according to Chris Bevilacqua, the league’s TV consultant and Scott’s right-hand man in the negotiations.
Dennis Dodd goes on to make the argument that what Larry Scott has done in creating the Pac-12 brand, negotiating a 12-year, $3 billion television contract – while still retaining the rights to the majority of football and basketball games for the new Pac-12 Network – makes Larry Scott one of the most influential individuals in college sports … ever.
Cal AD Sandy Barbour was asked to consider who has done more, quicker, to alter the system since the marriage of college sports and television six decades ago. “I don’t think there is a name to put in that blank,” Barbour told CBSSports.com.
Before Larry Scott, Pac-10 were bringing in $6 million (Washington State) to $11 million (USC) per year in television revenue. Starting next year, the number will jump to $18 million per team, rising above $25 million per team by the end of the ESPN/Fox Sports 12-year contract. Scott talked the power players in the conference, USC and UCLA, to play fair with the rest of the league, and also managed to get all of the schools in the conference to agree to allow the league, through the Pac-12 Network, to control the showing of every football and men’s basketball game.
What’s more, Scott has the vision to look ahead, keeping future platforms for the league. “If 10 years from now somebody comes up with the invention to watch a game on a toaster oven,” Bevilacqua said, “[the Pac-12 is] going to have the rights to watch the game on a toaster oven.”
According to Dennis Dodd, “In five to seven years, Scott wouldn’t be surprised if a major portion of Pac-12 fans watch games on something other than TV. In a stroke of negotiating brilliance, he got the rights-holders to agree that the Pac-12 Network will have first choice of the best games. He is in talks with Google, a year into Smart TV, which is essentially the next wave — Internet TV.”
Want more? Scott is taking advantage of the Pac-12′s base to exploit other media resources. The head of Pixar is a Utah graduate. George Lucas is a Trojan, and Steven Spielberg is a USC Trustee.
With Larry Scott doing so much in such a short period of time (Scott’s second anniversary with the Pac-10/12 comes up July 1st), there is already speculation that Scott may be lured away from the Pac-12. “How long he wants to do this is to be determined,” said UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood, who was with Arizona when Scott was hired. “Larry’s one of those persons who always has a challenge ahead of him.”
If creating and expanding the Pac-12 Network does not provide enough of a challenge for Scott, his deputy commissioner might be able to keep the momentum going. The Pac-12′s deputy commissioner is Kevin Weiberg, the former commissioner of the Big 12. The pair have been working together for a year and a half, and, according to a second CBSSports.com article, have worked well together since their first meeting.
“It was amazing, in that (first) conversation (in early 2010), how many things Larry had on his priority list that were that I had experience with,” said Weiberg. “From conference expansion to television negotiations to his desire to have a television network that the conference would have an ownership stake in, just a variety of things. We seemed to hit it off pretty well and it just seemed like a good fit.”
Weiberg said he tried to convince Big 12 members of the benefits of a Big 12 Network, equal revenue sharing, and league control of all of the league’s games. “Ultimately, there were hurdles you just couldn’t get over in the Big 12,” said Weiberg. Translation: Texas, along with perhaps Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Nebraska, didn’t want to share the wealth. As a result, the new Big 12, even with equal revenue sharing going from 57% to 74%, is clinging to the “Texas and then everyone else” mentality, while the Pac-12 has cooperating partners. “From my perspective, (the lack of agreement on revenue sharing) was a pretty clear indication of what the future would be like,” said Weiberg. “They’ve done well in some of the most recent media negotiations, but the conference just has a different philosophy and approach to how to handle some of their media pieces.”
Weiberg also worked with the Big Ten Network when the BTN was in its infancy, and has seen the pitfalls of a league owned network.
“I think there are multiple advantages to having a network and it’s not without its risks and its challenges,” Weiberg said. “I just think it provides a great diversity of exposure and programming for not only athletic departments but really universities. It gives you a lot more control of your own destiny.
“It’s sort of a cultural change too. You go from an environment where you primarily just provide rights to third parties to being in an ownership stake in something that carries your brand in it.”
As was the case with the Big Ten Network, distribution will be the major obstacle. “The big challenge surrounds distribution of the network,” said Weiberg. “There were a lot of details that I worked on at the Big Ten Network that you just don’t think about. It may be simple things like how to handle studio space or how to get broader involvement from student workers to support productions of events that previously hadn’t been televised. Just a lot of details that universities probably don’t realize when they get involved in this.”
With the “Conference of Champions” dominating Olympic sports, there will be plenty of programming available, but the league – quite smartly – retained the rights to some high-profile football games, as well as the majority of basketball games, in order to make the Pac-12 Network more attractive.
“We’re not thinking of all this being a short-term investment. It’s a long-term deal,” said Weiberg.
The Pac-12 Network is reportedly going to bring in another billion dollars to league members over the next seven to ten years. Those are numbers Texas can match – to the exclusion and detriment of its Big 12 rivals – but will not be likely to be coming to the coffers of any other conference any time soon.
In the CBSSports.com articles, Larry Scott and Kevin Weiberg are described as “Batman and Robin”. I’m not sure if the analogy fits, but the results are what matter.
It was just a year ago that Colorado fans were waking up to the reality that the Buffs were to be a part of a new Pac-12 … or Pac-16. The dominos of expansion were still falling – Nebraska joined the Big Ten a few days after Colorado joined the Pac-10, with Utah joining the new Pac-12 shortly thereafter.
While results on the gridiron remain a challenge for the University of Colorado, the future nonetheless remain bright.
Thanks to the efforts of Larry Scott and Kevin Weiberg.
June 8th
Buffs one step closer to bowl eligibility
And then there were seven …
The new Pac-12 was to get by with six bowls in 2011, picking up the New Mexico Bowl in 2012.
Instead, the sixth annual New Mexico bowl will move up its contract with the Pac-12 a year. The 2011 New Mexico Bowl was supposed to pit a team from the Mountain West Conference against from the Western Athletic Conference, but now the bowl will have a Pac-12 representative instead. The 2011 game will kickoff the bowl season, with the game to be played on Saturday, December 17th, in Albuquerque.
“We are excited to begin our relationship with the Pac-12 this year and to have our game showcased as the first bowl game of the year once again,” said Jeff Siembieda, New Mexico Bowl Executive Director. “The Saturday afternoon time slot has been very good to us. Kicking off the bowl season in New Mexico with the whole nation watching a Pac-12 team take on a team from the Mountain West is a great opportunity for our state.”
The game will kickoff at noon (MT), and will be shown by ESPN.
With USC ineligible for a bowl in 2011, there will be 11 Pac-12 teams vying for seven bowl slots.
Just get us to seven victories, Buffs. In 2011, anyway, Albuquerque sounds very nice.
June 7th
Terrelle Pryor leaves Ohio State
Ohio State senior quarterback Terrelle Pryor, through his attorney (how else?) has announced that he will not be returning to play for the Buckeyes this fall.
“In the best interests of my teammates, I’ve made the decision to forgo my senior year of football at The Ohio State University,” Pryor said in a statement issued by Columbus lawyer Larry James. Pryor’s announcement comes just eight days after Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel was forced to resign for knowing about the players’ improper benefits but not telling any of his superiors. “He did not want to be a a distraction to his teammates,” James said of Pryor. “This is something he came to consider after much thought.”
Ohio State administrators were quick to wish Pryor well in his future endeavors. Luke Fickell, who will serve as Ohio State’s interim head coach in place of Tressel this fall, found out about Pryor’s decision on Tuesday night. “I was notified this evening that Terrelle has decided to pursue a professional career,” Fickell said. “I wish him the best in his pursuits.”
Pryor may attempt to play for the NFL this fall, as there is a supplemental draft which usually takes place in June. With the labor unrest, however, that is not a certainty, which may mean that Pryor either sits out the 2011 season, or plays for a year in the Canadian Football League.
What does this mean for Colorado?
Arguably, the loss of Pryor has no impact on the Colorado/Ohio State game on September 24th, as Pryor was already not slated to play in that game. As part of his NCAA penalties, Pryor, along with several teammates, had already been suspended for first five games of the 2011 season, including the Colorado contest.
It can also be argued that the loss of Pryor for the season actually works against the Buffs. With Pryor in the fold, a mere two weeks away from reinstatement – against Nebraska on the road, no less – the imminent return by Pryor could a distraction for the team. With Pryor gone for good, the team will have no choice but to rally around his replacement at quarterback. There will be no bailout for the team if the Buckeyes play poorly early. They know now that Pryor will not be the quarterback, and can spend all of fall camp, and the first three weeks of the season prior to the Colorado game, planning accordingly.
Personally, I would have preferred if Pryor had been around for the 2011 season, with stories about his cars, his memorabilia, and his contributions to the ultimate dismissal of the team’s head coach being discussed all summer long.
Oh well, we can’t have everything …
June 6th
Contract extension for Colorado athletic director
Other than the “tying up of some loose ends”, according to Colorado Chancellor Phi DiStefano, CU athletic director Mike Bohn should have a contract extension by the end of this month.
The Board of Regents will be asked to approve an extension which will not vary significant than Bohn’s present deal, but will carry the agreement out another 2 1/2 years to the summer of 2016.
“I think Mike has done a very good job as athletic director,” DiStefano told the Daily Camera. “And I think working together with Mike and the president’s office to move out of the Big 12 and into the Pac-12, it took a lot of collaboration and cooperation and Mike was right there. I believe he deserves a contract extension.”
Bohn’s salary, over $300,000 annually, was one of the lowest three in the Big 12, but is ranked in the middle of the Pac-12. While the base salary is reported to be about the same in the new contract, incentives related to fundraising will be added to give Bohn the opportunity for an even higher income. “Even though we’re getting a significant bump from media, we still have fundraising goals,” said DiStefano. “Especially related to scholarships and possible facilities.”
Pros – Bohn is given credit for helping Colorado negotiate its way into the Pac-12, and helping Colorado negotiate its way out of the Big 12 (for about one-third of what Colorado might have otherwise been forced to pay – or more precisely, go without – for leaving the conference a year early). The two latest basketball hires, Linda Lappe and Tad Boyle, both took their basketball teams to the NIT, with the men’s team setting a new school record for victories, with 24.
Cons – Bohn was also responsible for bringing in Dan Hawkins and Kathy McConnell-Miller, with neither coach living up to expectations. Bohn was roundly criticized for retaining Dan Hawkins after the 2009 season (though that may not have been completely his decision). Bohn has hired Jon Embree, a popular pick with the Buff Nation, but Bohn is being given an extension before Embree has coached – or won – his first game.
Overall – It is debatable as to how much influence Mike Bohn had in getting Colorado into the Pac-12. Some would argue that it would have taken place with or without Bohn; others can argue that Colorado would have been a member of the Texas League, content to live in the shadow of the Texas Network, if it had not been for Mike Bohn. The fact is, Colorado joined the Pac-12 under Mike Bohn’s watch, and that is a move that a year ago this month seemed far from a certainty. If Mike Bohn has no other legacy at Colorado other than bringing the Buffs into the Pac-12, he has earned his extension.
While it would be nice to see results on the field before an extension is offered (see Dan Hawkins, 2007), every sign seems to point toward future success with the new football coaching staff. I am also glad to see that a good portion of any increase in income for Mike Bohn is tied to incentive clauses. If Bohn can help to raise funding for Colorado programs and facilities, then he should be compensated accordingly.
I have met Mike Bohn on several occasions, and while he wouldn’t know me from Adam, he has always been friendly, appreciative of the supporters of the program, and genuinely interested in opinions and views of others.
I’m marking this down as a good move on the part of the Colorado administration.
June 5th
Big 12 revenue agreement gives more to the “Forgotten Five”
Isn’t there some saying about trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear?
That was the feel one could take from the Big 12′s spring meetings, in which it was announced that members would receive an equal distribution of 76% of the television revenues, up from a 57% equal distribution in year’s past.
A year ago, the Big 12 was on the brink of extinction, with the “Forgotten Five” – Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State, Baylor and Iowa State – agreeing to allow Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma to take a bigger share of revenue in exchange for not bolting the league.
Now, with a new $1.17 billion deal with Fox for cable rights taking effect in 2012, there are more millions to spread around, so the bigger schools were willing to give the lesser schools a bigger share. “The important thing is we’re dealing with a lot more revenue, so everybody feels good about the contract, and giving us the flexibility and resources to be more competitive,” Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton told reporters at the Big 12 spring meetings. “And there’s also growing recognition that to be a strong conference, we’ve got to have every member strong and competitive in an ongoing basis in all sports.”
Lost in the hand-holding and singing of kumbaya, though, are some realities.
While Texas and Oklahoma have agreed to allow the equal distribution to go up from 57% to 76%, there remains 24% of the television revenue which will not be equally distributed (as will be the case with the Pac-12). The remaining 24% will be distributed based on the number of television appearances, quality of competition, and willingness to move games to accomodate television (translation: Texas v. anybody will generate more revenue for Texas; Kansas State v. Northwestern Teacher’s College will generate nothing for the Wildcats except a better chance at accumulating six wins and a bowl bid).
Plus, the new agreement does not affect “third-tier” rights to games. This means that the Texas Network, with its multi-million dollar deal with ESPN, will go on churning up dollars for the Longhorns, while the Forgotten Five try to generate whatever they can out of an Iowa State / Kansas game which the networks pass on televising.
“It’s very significant,” said Missouri’s Deaton. “We’re all faced with multiple fiscal challenges. This enables us to make sure we have the right programs in place for all of our student-athletes.”
Nice talk from an athletic director who wanted to bolt for the Big Ten (recall that it was Missouri’s lobbying for admission to the Big Ten which helped crank up the expansion talk last spring), but the fact remains that Nebraska, as a member of the Big Ten, and Colorado, as a member of the Pac-12, will be earning considerable more dollars than their former rivals – and will be playing on a much more balanced financial field.
Enjoy that 76%, Forgotten Five, while watching Texas and Oklahoma continue to get bigger and bigger, stronger and stronger, and more and more dominant …
June 2nd
BCS executive director to meet with Justice Department
Bill Hancock, the executive director of the Bowl Championship Series, will voluntarily meet with the Justice Department later this month.
“I still believe the government has more important things to do, but I’m happy to talk about the benefits of the BCS every chance I get,” Hancock told ESPN. “We see this as an opportunity to tell them why this has been created, how it works, and the benefits it has brought to the game. And to answer all their questions.”
Hancock doesn’t see any chance that there will be a finding that the BCS is in violation of antitrust laws. “I am confident (the BCS selection process) follows the law,” said Hancock. “I’m not an attorney, but the fact is that antitrust is to protect the consumer against lack of access and a lack of competition. The BCS provides more football to the consumer than ever before, including a guaranteed No. 1 v. No. 2, and the access for the non-AQ’s (automatic qualifiers) is far greater than ever before. There’s no question the access is much better.”
While fans of TCU, Boise State, Hawai’i, Utah, BYU et al., teams which have not been allowed into the championship game in recent years may disagree with Hancock’s access argument, at the end of the day, practicality might rule the day.
“If the conferences are prohibited from coming together to create a BCS, then they would also be prohibited from creating anything else, like a playoff,” argued Hancock. “So if the BCS goes away, then the most likely scenario is a return to the old bowl system, where there’s not a guarantee of a meeting between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams.”
We’ll see. Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff has said that he plans to file an antitrust lawsuit in June against the BCS.
Last check of the calendar … it’s now June.
June 1st
Game times set for CSU and Utah games
The game times have been set Colorado two “rivals” – one old; one new.
The Colorado athletic department has announced that the Colorado/Colorado State game on September 17th will kickoff at 11:30 a.m., while the regular season finale against Utah in Salt Lake City will kickoff at 1:30 the day after Thanksgiving. Both games will be shown nationally by FSN.
The Colorado/Colorado State game, known the last six years as the Cinch Jeans Rocky Mountain Showdown, will be played before a national or regional television audience for the 17th consecutive year. Despite the insistence by Ram fans that they have drawn closer to the Buffs in terms of quality of play in the last decade or so, the fact remains that Colorado owns an 11-5 (68.5%) edge since the television streak began, a 17-6 (73.9%) advantage since the series was resumed in 1983, and a 60-20-2 (74.3%) lead overall.
The downside of having a nationally televised game? Once again being forced to a morning kickoff …. Yuck.
The Colorado/Utah game will be played in the afternoon, at 1:30, also shown nationally on FSN. The “new” rival is actually one of Colorado’s oldest and most bitter. The Buffs own a 30-24-3 all-time edge, with the last game being played in Salt Lake City in 1962. In games played at Utah, the Utes hold a 15-14-2 advantage.
The addition of the CSU and Utah games to the television schedule, Colorado now has four games which Buff fans will be know will be on television: September 3rd @Hawai’i, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN2); September 10th v. Colorado State (Denver), 11:30 a.m. (FSN); November 4th (Friday) v. USC, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2); and November 25th (Friday) @ Utah, 1:30 p.m. (FSN).
Any number of other games, particularly the California home game and the Ohio State road game, should be chosen for television (NCAA willing, with regard to the Ohio State game). Other Pac-12 games will also likely be televised, but Buff fans may not know until 12 days before the game, as networks chose the games they wish to televise.
Other Pac-12 televised games of note …
September 3rd – Minnesota @ USC – ABC
- UCLA @ Houston – FSN
- Oregon v. LSU (@ Arlington, Texas) – ABC
September 8th (Thurs.) – Arizona @ Oklahoma State – ESPN
September 9th (Friday) – Missouri @ Arizona State – ESPN
September 10th – Nevada @ Oregon – FX
- Utah @ USC – Versus
September 17th – Texas @ UCLA – ABC/ESPN
- Stanford @ Arizona – ESPN
- Utah @ BYU – ESPN2
September 24th – Oregon @ Arizona – ESPN or ESPN2
- USC @ Arizona State – ESPN or ESPN2
October 6th (Thurs.) – California @ Oregon – ESPN
October 13th (Thurs.) – USC @ California – ESPN
October 20th (Thurs.) – UCLA @ Arizona – ESPN
October 29th – Stanford @ USC – ABC
November 19th – USC @ Oregon – ABC
November 25th (Friday) – California @ Arizona State – ESPN
November 26th – Notre Dame @ Stanford – ABC or ESPN
UCLA @ USC – FSN
December 2nd (Friday) – Pac-12 Championship – Fox
Originally posted by CU At the Game
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June 30th
Brian Lockridge only returning Buff out
There were 15 players who missed the Colorado 2011 spring game. As June turns into July, and fall practices approach, only one player, running back Brian Lockridge, remains a question mark for the 2011 season opener on September 3rd against Hawai’i.
As you may recall, there were a number of Buff players who were recovering from off-season surgeries, and sat out spring practices. Two of those players have moved on due to their injuries, offensive linemen Maxwell Tuioti-Mariner and Mike Iltis.
Others who were injured and out for much if not all of the spring, however, are on the mend and should be ready for fall practices. That number includes: FB/TE Matt Bahr (shoulder surgery); offensive lineman Blake Behrens (shoulder surgery); defensive back Vince Ewing (knee); defensive back Parker Orms (knee); and defensive back Anthony Perkins (knee).
Then there are those players nicked up enough to miss the spring game, who will be a “full go” for fall practices, including: wide receiver Toney Clemons; offensive lineman Ryan Dannewitz; defensive end Nick Kasa; tight end DaVaughn Thornton; and linebacker Derrick Webb.
June 29th
Arizona star reportedly out for the season
If its just a rumor, its a doozy …
Arizona All-Pac-12 wide receiver Juron Criner may miss the 2011 season. Criner was a second-team All-American in 2010, leading the Wildcats with 82 receptions for 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns. Criner’s 1,233 yards were the 7th-highest total in the nation last season.
How it started … Arizona Daily Star columnist Greg Hansen, almost off-handedly, reported on Sunday, “Wildcat running back signee Ka’Deem] Carey’s availability somewhat offsets concerns that All-Pac-10 receiver Juron Criner might not be available for training camp in August. Criner’s status for the 2011 season remains uncertain because of undisclosed medical reasons.”
How it got fueled … Criner was supposed to participate in a Pac-12 promotional tour of ESPN this month, but backed out for “family reasons”.
The latest … From TucsonCitizen.com: “For the record, the Arizona sports information office said of Criner’s health and status on Wednesday morning, ‘We are unable to comment,’ citing student privacy guidelines. Not that coach Mike Stoops could comment specifically, but the Arizona football office said Monday that Stoops is out of town this week and not easily reached by cell phone. A text message sent from TucsonCitizen.com to Criner early last week, on an unrelated matter, went unanswered.”
If Criner is out for the 2011 season, it will be yet another huge blow to the Wildcats, who have already lost four players to season-ending injuries this spring. Starting linebacker Jake Fischer, starting safety Adam Hall and backup running back Greg Nwoko all went down with season-ending knee injuries. Then, defensive tackle Willie Mobley tore the anterior cruciate ligament while playing baseball.
June 28th
End of an Era
As Colorado says goodbye to the Big Seven/Eight/12, another conference is also coming to an end, the Pac-10.
In existence for 33 seasons, the Pac-10 evolved from the Pac-Eight in 1978, when Arizona State and Arizona were invited to join. Now, Scott Terrell of the Tucson Citizen has take the time to compile some numbers as to the history of the Pac-10. Terrell’s article looks at the Pac-10, 1978-2010, in terms of overall records, conference records, conference championships, bowl records, and BCS bowl records.
I thought it would be interesting to see how the numbers played out, and then how Colorado fared in comparison.
Let’s start with overall records …
USC, not surprisingly, leads the Pac by a wide margin. Washington, with its national championship team of 1991, remains in second despite a horrible decade in the 2000′s, followed closely by UCLA and Oregon. Somewhat of a surprise, despite their recent successes, is that Cal and Stanford both have losing records during the Pac-10 era.
How does Colorado fare over that same period of time? Not too bad.
Colorado’s record from 1978-2010 encompasses the last year of the Bill Mallory era, all of Chuck Fairbanks’ three seasons, the Bill McCartney era, Rick Neuheisel, Gary Barnett, and Dan Hawkins (including Brian Cabral’s 2-1 record to end 2010). The Buffs’ overall record over the past 33 seasons is 209-179-5, or a .538 winning percentage. That number would squeeze the Buffs right in between the Arizona schools in the middle of the Pac.
Mediocre? Yes. But keep in mind that the 1978-2010 era includes the two longest stretches of losing seasons in Colorado football history, six seasons (1979-84) and five seasons (1996-present).
As to conference records …
Colorado, from 1978-2010, posted a 130-112-4 conference record in Big Eight/12 play. The .536 winning percentage is almost identical to the Buffs’ overall winning percentage during that span, and places Colorado in the top half of its new league.
Pac-10 Bowl Records between 1978-2010 …
Colorado has not been to a bowl game since 2007, but still holds its own in this category, going to 18 bowls, posting an 8-10 record.
In the BCS – Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange Bowls and BCS championship games …
Colorado, during the span of 1978-2010, has been to five BCS bowl games, posting a 2-3 record (2-1 v. Notre Dame; 0-1 v. Syracuse; 0-1 v. Oregon).
Finally, a look at conference championships won …
Colorado, meanwhile, has won four championships during the Pac-10 era, three outright (1989, 1990, 2001) and one shared (1991).
It’s interesting to note that, while every team in the Pac-10 has won at least a share of a title since 1978, the same cannot be said for the Buffs’ old league. In the Big Eight/12, Kansas has gone since 1968(shared) without a title. The same holds true for Iowa State (1912-shared), Missouri (1969-shared), Oklahoma State (1976-shared), Baylor (1994-shared) and Texas Tech (1994-shared). That’s half of the Big Eight which has gone without a football championship for at least 35 years.
Yet another reason why the University of Colorado will fit in – and thrive – in the new Pac-12.
June 27th
Pac-12 Network – coming to a computer near you?
Larry Scott certainly has the credibility with the Pac-12 fans and administrators to do with the Pac-12 Network almost anything he wants.
But watching the Buffs football and basketball teams on your laptop?
Teaming up with Google or Apple is an option the Pac-12 is considering for the Pac-12 Network, according to Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News. In Wilner’s article, he discusses three models for the new Pac-12 Network, expected to be announced in the next 30-45 days.
First option: Take over an existing network. The conference could partner up with an existing programmer and take over their existing channel. Pros: The distribution risk is eliminated, as there will already be an established network, and the Pac-12 Network will instantly find its way into 30-40 million homes. Cons: To take over someone else’s network, the Pac-12 would have to give up some of the revenue. Larry Scott and his team fought hard to retain rights to high profile football games, along with a majority of the basketball games, as they did not want to share those games (and revenues) with ESPN and Fox. Would the Pac-12 Network philosophy be any different?
Second option: The league could start up its own network. This seemed to be the concept of the Pac-12 Network during the television rights negotiations. Larry Scott looked at the Big Ten model, where the league only owns 49% of the rights, and wanted to go a different direction. Having the league own its own network, and not having to share revenues, would be consistent with what we have been hearing about the new Network. Pros: Control and money. There would be significant start up costs – which the league can now afford – but the back end could produce tremendous revenues. Plus, the Pac-12 Network would control what is shown, when, and with which advertising partners. Cons: It will take some significant hustle to get the Network up and going by August, 2012, and the conference would then have to make deals with existing cable operators to get the league on the air. In order to gain access, the league might also have to surrender some measure of control.
Third option: Bypass the traditional, sub-based model altogether and team up with Apple or Google. In an approach called “the whopper” by Wilner, the model would envision fans watching the Pac-12′s offerings on their computer or even their phone. Pros: Once again, the conference would be on the cutting edge, planning on technology that, at least in some respects, doesn’t exist yet. Instead of teaming up with Time Warner or Comcast to show the Pac-12′s football, basketball and Olympic sports, the league would instead team up with Google or Apple to provide fans access. And access would be universal. Fans in New York and New Dehli would be able to watch their favorite Pac-12 team. Cons: There would not be the subscription revenue of options one and two, as the league would have to rely on advertising to generate revenues. Plus, the conference, while on the cutting edge, might steer off in a direction that may not prove as lucrative as one of the first two options.
What will Larry Scott announce in July as the model for the new Pac-12 Network?
Best bet: a combination of No. 3 with either No. 1 or No. 2. While Larry Scott has been ahead of the curve for some time now, it might be an easier sell to the league officials (meeting in early August) to go with a plan that generates considerable income now from an established format, but leaves room for expansion into other media in future years.
Then again … who knows? Before the Pac-12 was able to convince rivals ESPN and Fox to work together on a bid for the television contract, no one saw that coming as a possibility.
Prepared to be surprised …
June 24th
Larry Scott interview
Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News has posted an interview with Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott. Some of the highlights:
- On the Pac-12 Network, Scott indicated that he expected to “lock into a partner” within the next 45 days. As to the Network making money for the league, Scott had this to say: “I don’t really have a good sense yet. There are a few business models, and unlike the partnerships with Fox and ESPN that have guaranteed economics, this is entering a new venture where distribution and advertising will evolve annually. It’s a very different animal than signing a licensing agreement.”
- On the investigations into Willie Lyles and other recruiting services utilized by Oregon, Scott did not have any comment. He did say that “to the best of my knowledge”, the NCAA has not given the Pac-12 any indication that a formal investigation is imminent.
- The Pac-12 hasn’t closed the door on playing some of its football games on Sundays, should the NFL be unable to reach a labor agreement with the players. The league has had discussions “at high levels on our campuses” about playing on Sundays if there is an NFL void. The Pac-12 athletic directors have meetings already scheduled for August. In the event that the NFL has not resolved its issues by then, “We’ll be ready to move quickly,” said Scott.
June 23rd
Oregon hires “the Cleaner”
When in doubt, go with Bond, Schoeneck & King.
Michael Glazier, known as the “NCAA defender to the stars”, as well as “The Cleaner”, was retained in March. Glazier leads a division of the Bond Schoeneck & King law firm, the Collegiate Sports Practice Group, which routinely represents schools in NCAA infractions cases.
Glazier has represented schools or individuals including Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Florida, Missouri, Minnesota, Louisville and former Oklahoma and Indiana basketball coach Kelvin SampsoGlazier’s strategy sometimes involves admitting violations and seeking to atone for them with self-imposed penaltiesn. Glazier’s work has been credited with helping mitigate NCAA sanctions when schools have been found guilty of rules violations.
“We’re charged with finding out the truth, and we do that,” Glazier said in an interview with ESPN.com in 2008. “Sometimes we can learn the allegations aren’t founded, but oftentimes they are. And when they are, we say that. We don’t hide anything.”
“As is prudent in a specialized matter, the university has consulted with outside counsel,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens wrote in an email to the Eugene Register-Guard. “In March, Mike Glazier was retained and has assisted UO in providing the NCAA all the information they have requested.”
And the best they could come up with was a $25,000 booklet from Willie Lyles containing profiles of players who had signed letters of intent as part of the Class of 2009 …
June 21st
Oregon facing a true dilemma
Did the Oregon coaching staff really pay $25,000 for a worthless product?
Or are they covering up a payoff for a recruit (or recruits)?
It’s a tough choice for the Oregon athletic department to make … but the school is apparently going with choice No. 1 in hopes of avoiding NCAA sanctions.
A brief primer
Back in March, it was disclosed that Houston-based recruiting consultant Willie Lyles had been paid $25,000 for recruiting services shortly after Signing Day, 2010. This seemed quite suspicious, as one of the top Oregon recruits in the Class of 2010 was running back Lache Seastrunk. A product of Temple, Texas, Seastrunk was very close to Willie Lyles, so close in fact that Lyles had stayed at Seastrunk’s home the previous fall, and Seastrunk’s mother had told the senior’s high school coach, amongst others, that Lyles was handling Seastrunk’s recruitment.
It’s all on the up-and-up, stated the Oregon athletic department. Lyles was paid by Oregon for a 2011 “national scouting package”, from Lyles’ business, Complete Scouting Services. Yes, $25,000 was a great deal of money (“For $25,000, it better provide a hell of a lot,” Scouting Evaluation Association founder Dick Lascola told SI.com in March. “That’s an extreme amount of money to pay for something”), but Oregon paid other recruiting services, so the payment to Lyles was in the ordinary course of business.
It was just a coincidence, was the Oregon party line, that Lyles had a close relationship to Seastrunk (as well as to at least two other Oregon recruits of the past few seasons. Lyles is considered by Oregon running back – and 2010 Heisman trophy finalist – LaMichael James to be a friend and a “mentor”).
The latest
Several media outlets, including the Eugene Register-Guard and the Oregonian, filed an open records request with the school, looking for information as to the communications between Lyles and the University of Oregon, as well as documentation as to what Lyles had provided to the school in exchange for his $25,000 paycheck.
After several months of delay, the school finally produced Lyles’ “2011 National Package” … and it is a joke.
The package contains information on exactly zero 2011 recruits. One of the documents, the “2010 National High School Evaluation Booklet”, which purportedly contained “Player Profiles – 2011″, had the following problems:
- Every player profiled was from the recruiting Class of 2009;
- In the “National” package, 133 of the 140 players profiled were from Texas (the significance of this issue discussed below);
- Of the 140 players profiled, only 15 signed with BCS automatic qualifying schools (not exactly the players a top ten team would be recruiting – even back in 2009);
- There is documentation to show that, with regard to several of the players, Lyles simply cut and pasted the profile from material produced by his former employer, Elite Scouting Services (where Lyles worked until a month before Seastrunk gave his verbal commitment to Oregon).
For this “2010 National High School Evaluation Booklet”, Oregon paid $25,000.
An Oregon spokesman said that the school also received videos from Lyles, but that the number (and quality) of those videos could not be determined, as the coaching staff grouped videos by players, not by source. (If this sounds lame to you, I’m with you … Lyles provided no information about the Class of 2011 in writing, but he delivered high quality videos on 2011 recruits? Highly unlikely).
And this was the best Oregon could come up with after three months of looking … You would think that if Oregon could produce 2011 recruit videos from Lyles – or any evidence of decent recruiting services from Willie Lyles – it would do so in a heartbeat.
But wait, there’s more …
Oregon head coach Chip Kelly exchanged text messages via cell phones with Willie Lyles on numerous occasions while he was the offensive coordinator (prior to his elevation to head coach in March, 2009). Kelly traded 12 texts with Lyles two days before January 17, 2008, the day LaMichael James committed to play for Oregon (you know, that star player who considers Lyles to be his friend and “mentor”?).
In addition, records released by the University of Oregon show that Oregon coaches made or accepted 70 calls in a four-month period between December, 2009, and March, 2010. The running backs coach, Gary Campbell, made 27 calls to Lyles, and received 11 more from Lyles.
No records exist as to the nature of the calls or the texts, but it would be safe to assume that Chip Kelly and Gary Campbell were not sharing recipes with Willie Lyles.
What does it all mean?
The NCAA has not yet issued a Notice of Inquiry to Oregon, which would mark the start of a formal investigation.
One BCS conference compliance officer told CBSSports.com, that, based upon what is known now, “It doesn’t look good, but I won’t predict how it plays out”.
What, if anything, did Oregon do wrong?
There are four main NCAA bylaws which govern scouting or recruiting services: 11.3.2.5 (school personnel can’t consult or endorse services), 12.3.3.1 (services can distribute student-athletes information but can’t be paid a fee based on placing them at a school), 13.1.7.20 (coaches can’t watch off-campus video of athletes provided by services) and 13.14.3, which is the main definition of a recruiting or scouting service.
The biggest issues for Oregon involve 12.3.3.1 – paying Lyles for placing players at the school – and 13.14.3, which reads:
An institution may subscribe to a recruiting or scouting service involving prospective student-athletes, provided the institution does not purchase more than one annual subscription to a particular service and the service:
(a) …
(c) Disseminates information (e.g., reports, profiles) about prospective student-athletes at least four times per calendar year;
(d) Publicly identifies the geographical scope of the service (e.g., local, regional, national) and reflects broad-based coverage of the geographical area in the information it disseminates;
(e) …
Lyles’ “2010 National High School Evaluation Booklet” fails to meet the requirements of (c) and (d), as he did not publish his reports at least four times a year, and what he did produce was far from a “National” service (recall that 133 of the 140 players profiled in the report were from Texas).
The NCAA enforcement staff could well declare that Lyles’ business was not a permissible recruiting service. It would not be too great a leap thereafter to declare that the $25,000 paid to Lyles was a payoff for bringing players to Oregon … which would be a major violation. The Ducks would be looking at forfeiting games in which Lyles’ recruits played (including all 12 wins in 2010), and bring down significant future sanctions on the school (especially with respect to future recruiting).
The Oregon athletic department seems to be between a rock and a hard place.
After searching for three months to come up with a plausible explanation as to why they paid Willie Lyles $25,000 right after his own personal recruit, Lache Seastrunk, signed with Oregon, the best the school could come up with is a lame (and laughable) booklet which contained the profiles of players which had already signed letters of intent a year earlier.
If the Ducks take the “gosh, we were just stupid” approach, another issue is raised …
Bylaw 10.1 governs unethical conduct. If the school knew – or should have known – that they paid $25,000 for outdated materials which had no value to the school, and did not take any steps to remedy the error before it was brought to the school’s attention by other parties, that would constitute a violation of Bylaw 10.1.
The same Bylaw which brought down Jim Tressel at Ohio State …
June 20th
Colorado turning a profit … sort of
Want the good news first, or the bad news?
The Business of College Sports did a review of the top 50 most profitable programs in college athletics. The article looked at the 2009-10 school year, and, lo and behold, the University of Colorado made the list!
At least the football team did.
In comparing revenue and expenses of the football and basketball teams of the BCS conference teams, the Colorado football team came in 32nd in the nation. The football program generated $26.2 million in revenue, against $12.6 in expenses, leaving a profit of $13.6 million. Out of all of the teams in the new Pac-12, Colorado came in 2nd place, coming in behind only Washington (27th place, with $14.7 million in football profits).
Overall, the report showed Texas football as king, with $68.8 in football profits alone, far ahead of No. 2 Georgia ($52.5 in football profits). The top ten consisted of only football programs, with the Big 12 represented by Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma, the Big Ten represented by No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Michigan – with the other six spots all taken by SEC teams.
The most profitble basketball program was at Louisville. The Cardinals came in with a profit of $16.8 million in basketball, good enough for 27th place overall.
Now, the flip side …
While Colorado’s football program was one of the most profitable in the nation, the basketball team was one of the worst in terms of net profits.
In all, the report looked at 139 Division 1-A football and basketball programs, and the Colorado basketball team came in 136th. The Buffs were one of only seven programs to be shown running a deficit. Colorado took in $3.58 million in basketball revenues, but had $3.81 million in expenses, for a net loss of -$224,506 for the year.
What to take from these numbers …
1) The most important number to take from the article is 2009-2010 – the year of the report. The Colorado basketball program fared much better in 2010-11 in terms of attendance and television appearances (still important in the good ‘ol Big 12). The Buffs also made it to the semi-finals of the NIT, with additional revenue from three extra home games. The report also – naturally – doesn’t take into account what the University of Colorado can expect to bring in starting in 2012-13 when the new ESPN/Fox Sports contracts kick in;
2) The report doesn’t look at the big picture, just revenues and expenses for individual programs. Oregon basketball in 2009-10 was an even worse drain than Colorado basketball, losing $2.25 million for the year, finishing 138th out of 139 teams reviewed (only Wake Forest football, with losses of $2.28 million). Think the Oregon athletic department is pinching pennies? Hardly. In another article from the same Business of College Sports, Oregon is atop the list of “self-sustaining” schools, with profits of $41.8 million, far ahead of second place Alabama ($26.6 million in profits);
3) That it will be some time before Colorado is really in the black. The CU athletic department is in limbo financially. Burdened with lost revenues as a result of leaving the Big 12 early in fiscal year 2010-11, and facing a smaller cut of the revenue pie in the first year of the Pac-12 (when Colorado will not be a full partner in the last year of the Pac-10 television contracts), there will be some lean times over the next few seasons …
… Just as is the case with the Colorado football program on the field, progress may be slow – but it is coming!
June 18th
USC lose highly touted defensive back for the season
University of Southern California defensive back Patrick Hall will undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL, and will miss the 2011 season.
Hall suffered the injury on what was described as a fluke fall after an interception on the final play of a players-only summer throwing session two weeks ago. “I knew it was the ACL because of the swelling,” Hall told ESPN.com. “I was hopeful it was just a tweak, but I knew it was the ACL.”
Hall has yet to play a down for the Trojans, but was being counted on in the soon-to-be-depleted USC roster. Hall was a five-star recruit out of the Class of 2009. Hall was considered by Rivals.com to be the 2nd-best athlete in the nation, as well as the 19th-best overall player of the entire 2009 Class. Hall tore a ligament in the opposite knee in fall camp, 2009, and delayed his enrollment until January, 2010.
Suspended for a time last season by head coach Lane Kiffin as Hall struggled with academics, the star defensive back ended up sitting out all of the 2010 season.
In theory, Hall could apply for a sixth year of eligibilty down the road, applying for a medical red-shirt season.
June 17th
Pac-12 Bowl schedule set
So you can get your holiday plans in order …
Saturday, December 17th – Pac-12 No. 7 v. Mountain West – New Mexico Bowl, Albuquerque, New Mexico – ESPN
Thursday, December 22nd – Pac-12 No. 5 v. Mountain West No. 1 – Las Vegas Bowl – ESPN
Wednesday, December 28th – Pac-12 No. 3 v. Big Ten No. 5 – Holiday Bowl, San Diego – ESPN
Thursday, December 29th – Pac-12 No. 2 v. Big 12 No. 3 – Alamo Bowl, San Antonio – ESPN
Saturday, December 31st – Pac-12 No. 4 v. ACC No. 4 – Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas – CBS
Saturday, December 31st – Pac-12 No. 6 v. Army (if eligible) – Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, San Francisco – ESPN
Monday, January 2nd (no bowl games on Sunday, January 1st) – Pac-12 No. 1 v. BCS – Rose Bowl, Pasadena – ESPN
Monday, January 9th – Allstate BCS National Championship Game – Pac-12 (if eligible) v. BCS – New Orleans – ESPN
June 16th
Mike Iltis leaves Buffs
It has been rumored for the past several weeks, and today it became a reality.
Senior center Mike Ilits will not be returning for the fall after suffering the second major knee injury of his career in the 2010 season finale against Nebraska. Iltis underwent surgery to repair at torn anterior cruciate ligament, a torn medial collateral ligament and torn meniscus in his left knee.
During spring practice, it was reported that Ilits was making good progress on his rehabilitation. Something changed in the intervening months. Embree said Iltis explained his decision as one that was less about his injuries and more about just wanting to focus on academics.
“He has decided just to pursue his education,” Embree told the Daily Camera.
The injury Iltis suffered at the end of last season was the second major setback of his career. In 2008, Iltis the entire season with a torn ACL in his right knee.
Options?
Senior center Shawn Daniels was out for much of the spring recovering from foot surgery, with redshirt freshman Daniel Munyer earning most of the first-team snaps.
“I’m OK with it,” Embree said when asked about his options at the position. “I think we have some flexibility. I was very pleased with Daniel and Shawn this spring.”
Another option – at least for the future – was announced today. Colorado today added Brad Cotner, a 6’4″, 290-pound center from Thousand Oaks, California (more on Cotner under “Recruiting Class of 2011” …
June 15th
Cliff Harris suspended “indefinitely”
Oregon All-American cornerback Cliff Harris will miss “at the very least” the 2011 season opener against LSU, head coach Chip Kelly announced Wednesday.
After that, Harris’ status would be dependent on his adherence to the football program’s rules.
“Cliff’s future clearly is in Cliff’s hands,” Kelly said. “Earning an opportunity to represent the University of Oregon and this football program certainly rests far beyond a player’s ability on the field of play. Our behavior out of the spotlight often is more important and will be held to a higher standard. Until Cliff is able to conform to the same standards all of us must comply with, his status will remain unchanged.”
University of Oregon employee identified
The University of Oregon compliance office has spoken multiple times with Mindy Schmidling, a payroll specialist in the university’s office of business affairs who rented the car and loaned it to Cliff Harris and another unidentified player.
Schmidling, 27, said she is not a graduate of the University of Oregon, nor has she worked in the athletic department.
While some fans and commentators suggested Tuesday that Schmidling’s involvement could or even should threaten her position in the business affairs office, she told the Eugene Register-Guard: “I don’t feel this incident will threaten my job status in any way. I simply let a licensed driver borrow my rental. … I did not give Cliff permission to drive nor did I pay for the rental … so I don’t see how that would affect my job or violate NCAA rules.”
NCAA regulations specifically prohibit the use of a car by student-athletes if it is furnished by “an institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interests.” Further, rules dictate, “If the student-athlete receives an extra benefit not authorized by NCAA legislation, the individual is ineligible in all sports.” However, Schmidling’s assertion that she was paid by the players for the use of the car could protect their ability to play for the Ducks, though it may still be considered a minor violation of NCAA rules.
A compliance official from another school suggested Tuesday that, if the facts as currently understood are true, the payment to Schmidling would likely protect the players’ eligibility. The loan of the car would be ruled an extra benefit, and Oregon would report it as such to the Pac-10 — the first step in such situations — but because it was of no monetary value, the players’ eligibility would not be threatened.
Stay tuned …
Ralphie needs your help
ESPN is running a poll of the best college football traditions. Colorado and the “Running of Ralphie” is pitted against the Michigan “Go Blue” banner.
As of this morning, Ralphie is running behind Big Blue, 57% to 43%. If you want to cast a vote for Ralphie and CU, here is the link:
ESPN SportsNation poll
June 14th
Oregon defensive back a little too fast
As an All-American cornerback and punt returner, University of Oregon star Cliff Harris has a name associated with speed.
Now it could cost him playing time.
Harris faces a $1,148 fine after receiving a speeding ticket Sunday for driving a rented 2011 Nissan Altima 118 mph along a stretch of Interstate 5. Harris, who is 20, was also fined for driving with a suspended license, which carries with it a separate fine of $427.00.
“We are obviously very disappointed in the lack of judgment exercised by Cliff and feel it’s unacceptable,” Oregon head football coach Chip Kelly said in a statement issued Monday afternoon. “I’ve said from the beginning that it should be a privilege to play football at the University of Oregon. With that said, individuals must bear the responsibilities for their own behavior. Once we have finished collecting all the information in this situation, we will determine the appropriate action.”
If it were just the speeding ticket, Harris might be in trouble with the Oregon coaches, but he might not be missing any playing time this fall.
Until you start to unpeel the onion …
This was not Harris’ first offense
Harris has been ticketed for speeding and driving without a license at least three times in the past 18 months, according to a story in the Oregonian. On one of those cases, a January, 2010 case of driving 49 mph in a 30 mph zone and driving while suspended, Harris was found guilty by default after not appearing in court to contest the charges.
On another case (driving 45 in a 35 mph zone), Harris has until today (Tuesday) to appear or pay a fine, or he will be found guilty in that case.
Harris was also convicted in January, 2010, of being a minor in possession.
Not exactly an angel.
The car Harris was driving was a rental
You cannot rent a car until you are 25 years old. Harris is 20 years old.
So how did he get into a rented 2011 Nissan Altima?
The car was rented by an unnamed university employee.
“So, I rented the car for my own purposes on Friday. Cliff Harris and his licensed friend, who showed me his license, asked to borrow it and paid me the full amount in cash that I paid for the rental,” the woman told local televison station KEZI, on condition of anonymity. The woman, who describes herself as a friend of Harris over the past few months, said she was unaware Cliff would be driving and also said she has proof that the amount she paid for the rental car matches two separte deposits she made into her bank account Friday. “I do have a copy of my bank statement, showing two deposits Friday of $180 and $120″, she said.
The University of Oregon employee later clarified her statement for Portland television station KDRV: “I’m telling you the same things I’ve told (the Compliance Office),” she said. “I have nothing to hide. I didn’t have any part in the actions Cliff Harris made. Cliff and his friend paid me for the rental, so I don’t see any NCAA violations, but they will determine that.
“I only needed the car Friday night to go up past Blue River, since my car isn’t running good and leaking oil,” she said, in regards to why she would initially rent a car for herself and then agree to let Harris and his friend, whom she says she doesn’t know, use the vehicle.
“Cliff and his friend offered to pay for it, if I let them use it the remainder of the time and informed me only the licensed friend would be driving, or else I wouldn’t have let them use it.”
According to cash deposits on the employees’ ATM, she deposited $180.00, then $120.00 last Friday. The Hertz charge was for $220.44, charged on Monday.
Not only do the amounts not match up, but there is no way to determine if the cash deposits did in fact come from Harris or one of his (unidentified) teammates who were also in the car when it was pulled over Sunday morning.
NCAA rule 16.12.2.3c states:
An institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interests may not provide a student-athlete with extra benefits or services, including, but not limited to: The use of an automobile.
So now, the University of Oregon compliance office is involved. Late Tuesday, the Oregon Athletic Department contacted the Pac-10 in regards to Cliff Harris using a vehicle rented by a university employee.
“Oregon has been in contact with the Conference office, however the Conference does not comment on potential NCAA violations,” said Pac-10 Vice President of Public Affairs Kirk Reynolds, when asked if UO had notified the conference about the rental car Harris was driving.
Harris is not some backup the Ducks can go without
Cliff Harris, as a sophomore, was a concensus All-American. Harris is the most decorated return man in a single season in Oregon history, and was named All-America by the Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News, SI.com and ESPN.com, and earned second-team All-America status as a cornerback according to the Associated Press and SI.com.
Harris is one of just four consensus All-America picks in Oregon school history and first as a returner/all-purpose player. Harris garnered all-Pac-10 accolades as a punt returner (Coaches, Phil Steele, Rivals.com, Scout.com) and cornerback (Phil Steele), as well as second team honors at his defensive position (Coaches, Rivals.com, Scout.com). As a sophomore, Harris was one of ten semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive back, and on the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the top defensive player in the country.
In 2010, Harris led the Ducks with six interceptions, including one he returned 76 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee. Harris’ 29 punt returns went for 546 yards and four touchdowns. His average punt return went for 18.8 yards (by comparison, Colorado averaged 7.2 yards per punt return in 2010).
In mock 2012 NFL drafts, Harris – if he decided to go pro a year early – is a consensus first round pick. In the opinion of CBSSports.com senior writer Pete Prisco, Harris is the No. 6 overall prospect in the entire 2012 draft.
Oregon head coach Chip Kelly has a real dilemma on his hands:
1) brush off the actions of a player who has shown disregard for the law (on at least four occasions), and give Harris a brief suspension – and then face the scrutiny that he is giving preferential treatment to a star player; or
2) make an example of Harris, and go without one of his very best players (if not his very best player) for a significant portion of the season.
Oregon opens the 2011 campaign with a game against LSU in Arlington, Texas, on September 3rd …
June 12th
Buffs to pick up a running back commitment
Adam at BuffStampede.com is reporting that on Monday Colorado will pick up its fourth commitment of the recruiting Class of 2012 (UPDATE: see Verbal Commitments – 2012)
Terrence Crowder, from Galena Park, Texas, is a 5’11, 208-pound running back who has been timed at a 4.48 in the 40. Crowder does not have an offer from any other Division 1-A schools, though he does reportedly have an offer from Texas-San Antonio, as well as interest from North Texas and Minnesota.
“It all depends on my mom,” Crowder told BuffStampede.com on June 6th. “She wants to go out and see all the colleges for herself before I commit. She also wants me to be closer to home but I don’t want to be in Texas so it is going to be a fight for me to commit to Colorado or wherever else I commit to, if it is further away from home.”
In his junior year, Crowder rushed for 1,338 yards and 15 touchdowns in leading his team to a 7-4 record. Offensive coordinator and running backs coach Eric Bieniemy has been responsible for Crowder’s recruitment. “Colorado said they love the way I run the ball,” Crowder said. “They think I could be someone that could come in and help lead them to being a dominant team in the Pac-12.”
While it is disconcerting that the Buffs are enamoured with a recruit no one else seems to be excited about (Crowder does not even show up as a recruit on the Scout.com browser, much less a highly sought after recruit), you have to believe that Bieniemy knows what he wants, and likes what he sees.
Check out Crowder for yourself … Crowder’s YouTube highlights
More on Crowder later when his commitment to become the fourth member of the Colorado recruiting Class of 2012 …
June 11th
CBS articles laud the efforts of Larry Scott and the new Pac-12
Larry Scott is No. 1!
Okay, so Larry Scott was only No. 1 on the list of the CBS top 100 influential players in college football, but it’s nice that the new league, three weeks from officially opening, is receiving national acclaim.
“He’s truly been, and I don’t use this word lightly, a transformative figure,” according to Chris Bevilacqua, the league’s TV consultant and Scott’s right-hand man in the negotiations.
Dennis Dodd goes on to make the argument that what Larry Scott has done in creating the Pac-12 brand, negotiating a 12-year, $3 billion television contract – while still retaining the rights to the majority of football and basketball games for the new Pac-12 Network – makes Larry Scott one of the most influential individuals in college sports … ever.
Cal AD Sandy Barbour was asked to consider who has done more, quicker, to alter the system since the marriage of college sports and television six decades ago. “I don’t think there is a name to put in that blank,” Barbour told CBSSports.com.
Before Larry Scott, Pac-10 were bringing in $6 million (Washington State) to $11 million (USC) per year in television revenue. Starting next year, the number will jump to $18 million per team, rising above $25 million per team by the end of the ESPN/Fox Sports 12-year contract. Scott talked the power players in the conference, USC and UCLA, to play fair with the rest of the league, and also managed to get all of the schools in the conference to agree to allow the league, through the Pac-12 Network, to control the showing of every football and men’s basketball game.
What’s more, Scott has the vision to look ahead, keeping future platforms for the league. “If 10 years from now somebody comes up with the invention to watch a game on a toaster oven,” Bevilacqua said, “[the Pac-12 is] going to have the rights to watch the game on a toaster oven.”
According to Dennis Dodd, “In five to seven years, Scott wouldn’t be surprised if a major portion of Pac-12 fans watch games on something other than TV. In a stroke of negotiating brilliance, he got the rights-holders to agree that the Pac-12 Network will have first choice of the best games. He is in talks with Google, a year into Smart TV, which is essentially the next wave — Internet TV.”
Want more? Scott is taking advantage of the Pac-12′s base to exploit other media resources. The head of Pixar is a Utah graduate. George Lucas is a Trojan, and Steven Spielberg is a USC Trustee.
With Larry Scott doing so much in such a short period of time (Scott’s second anniversary with the Pac-10/12 comes up July 1st), there is already speculation that Scott may be lured away from the Pac-12. “How long he wants to do this is to be determined,” said UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood, who was with Arizona when Scott was hired. “Larry’s one of those persons who always has a challenge ahead of him.”
If creating and expanding the Pac-12 Network does not provide enough of a challenge for Scott, his deputy commissioner might be able to keep the momentum going. The Pac-12′s deputy commissioner is Kevin Weiberg, the former commissioner of the Big 12. The pair have been working together for a year and a half, and, according to a second CBSSports.com article, have worked well together since their first meeting.
“It was amazing, in that (first) conversation (in early 2010), how many things Larry had on his priority list that were that I had experience with,” said Weiberg. “From conference expansion to television negotiations to his desire to have a television network that the conference would have an ownership stake in, just a variety of things. We seemed to hit it off pretty well and it just seemed like a good fit.”
Weiberg said he tried to convince Big 12 members of the benefits of a Big 12 Network, equal revenue sharing, and league control of all of the league’s games. “Ultimately, there were hurdles you just couldn’t get over in the Big 12,” said Weiberg. Translation: Texas, along with perhaps Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Nebraska, didn’t want to share the wealth. As a result, the new Big 12, even with equal revenue sharing going from 57% to 74%, is clinging to the “Texas and then everyone else” mentality, while the Pac-12 has cooperating partners. “From my perspective, (the lack of agreement on revenue sharing) was a pretty clear indication of what the future would be like,” said Weiberg. “They’ve done well in some of the most recent media negotiations, but the conference just has a different philosophy and approach to how to handle some of their media pieces.”
Weiberg also worked with the Big Ten Network when the BTN was in its infancy, and has seen the pitfalls of a league owned network.
“I think there are multiple advantages to having a network and it’s not without its risks and its challenges,” Weiberg said. “I just think it provides a great diversity of exposure and programming for not only athletic departments but really universities. It gives you a lot more control of your own destiny.
“It’s sort of a cultural change too. You go from an environment where you primarily just provide rights to third parties to being in an ownership stake in something that carries your brand in it.”
As was the case with the Big Ten Network, distribution will be the major obstacle. “The big challenge surrounds distribution of the network,” said Weiberg. “There were a lot of details that I worked on at the Big Ten Network that you just don’t think about. It may be simple things like how to handle studio space or how to get broader involvement from student workers to support productions of events that previously hadn’t been televised. Just a lot of details that universities probably don’t realize when they get involved in this.”
With the “Conference of Champions” dominating Olympic sports, there will be plenty of programming available, but the league – quite smartly – retained the rights to some high-profile football games, as well as the majority of basketball games, in order to make the Pac-12 Network more attractive.
“We’re not thinking of all this being a short-term investment. It’s a long-term deal,” said Weiberg.
The Pac-12 Network is reportedly going to bring in another billion dollars to league members over the next seven to ten years. Those are numbers Texas can match – to the exclusion and detriment of its Big 12 rivals – but will not be likely to be coming to the coffers of any other conference any time soon.
In the CBSSports.com articles, Larry Scott and Kevin Weiberg are described as “Batman and Robin”. I’m not sure if the analogy fits, but the results are what matter.
It was just a year ago that Colorado fans were waking up to the reality that the Buffs were to be a part of a new Pac-12 … or Pac-16. The dominos of expansion were still falling – Nebraska joined the Big Ten a few days after Colorado joined the Pac-10, with Utah joining the new Pac-12 shortly thereafter.
While results on the gridiron remain a challenge for the University of Colorado, the future nonetheless remain bright.
Thanks to the efforts of Larry Scott and Kevin Weiberg.
June 8th
Buffs one step closer to bowl eligibility
And then there were seven …
The new Pac-12 was to get by with six bowls in 2011, picking up the New Mexico Bowl in 2012.
Instead, the sixth annual New Mexico bowl will move up its contract with the Pac-12 a year. The 2011 New Mexico Bowl was supposed to pit a team from the Mountain West Conference against from the Western Athletic Conference, but now the bowl will have a Pac-12 representative instead. The 2011 game will kickoff the bowl season, with the game to be played on Saturday, December 17th, in Albuquerque.
“We are excited to begin our relationship with the Pac-12 this year and to have our game showcased as the first bowl game of the year once again,” said Jeff Siembieda, New Mexico Bowl Executive Director. “The Saturday afternoon time slot has been very good to us. Kicking off the bowl season in New Mexico with the whole nation watching a Pac-12 team take on a team from the Mountain West is a great opportunity for our state.”
The game will kickoff at noon (MT), and will be shown by ESPN.
With USC ineligible for a bowl in 2011, there will be 11 Pac-12 teams vying for seven bowl slots.
Just get us to seven victories, Buffs. In 2011, anyway, Albuquerque sounds very nice.
June 7th
Terrelle Pryor leaves Ohio State
Ohio State senior quarterback Terrelle Pryor, through his attorney (how else?) has announced that he will not be returning to play for the Buckeyes this fall.
“In the best interests of my teammates, I’ve made the decision to forgo my senior year of football at The Ohio State University,” Pryor said in a statement issued by Columbus lawyer Larry James. Pryor’s announcement comes just eight days after Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel was forced to resign for knowing about the players’ improper benefits but not telling any of his superiors. “He did not want to be a a distraction to his teammates,” James said of Pryor. “This is something he came to consider after much thought.”
Ohio State administrators were quick to wish Pryor well in his future endeavors. Luke Fickell, who will serve as Ohio State’s interim head coach in place of Tressel this fall, found out about Pryor’s decision on Tuesday night. “I was notified this evening that Terrelle has decided to pursue a professional career,” Fickell said. “I wish him the best in his pursuits.”
Pryor may attempt to play for the NFL this fall, as there is a supplemental draft which usually takes place in June. With the labor unrest, however, that is not a certainty, which may mean that Pryor either sits out the 2011 season, or plays for a year in the Canadian Football League.
What does this mean for Colorado?
Arguably, the loss of Pryor has no impact on the Colorado/Ohio State game on September 24th, as Pryor was already not slated to play in that game. As part of his NCAA penalties, Pryor, along with several teammates, had already been suspended for first five games of the 2011 season, including the Colorado contest.
It can also be argued that the loss of Pryor for the season actually works against the Buffs. With Pryor in the fold, a mere two weeks away from reinstatement – against Nebraska on the road, no less – the imminent return by Pryor could a distraction for the team. With Pryor gone for good, the team will have no choice but to rally around his replacement at quarterback. There will be no bailout for the team if the Buckeyes play poorly early. They know now that Pryor will not be the quarterback, and can spend all of fall camp, and the first three weeks of the season prior to the Colorado game, planning accordingly.
Personally, I would have preferred if Pryor had been around for the 2011 season, with stories about his cars, his memorabilia, and his contributions to the ultimate dismissal of the team’s head coach being discussed all summer long.
Oh well, we can’t have everything …
June 6th
Contract extension for Colorado athletic director
Other than the “tying up of some loose ends”, according to Colorado Chancellor Phi DiStefano, CU athletic director Mike Bohn should have a contract extension by the end of this month.
The Board of Regents will be asked to approve an extension which will not vary significant than Bohn’s present deal, but will carry the agreement out another 2 1/2 years to the summer of 2016.
“I think Mike has done a very good job as athletic director,” DiStefano told the Daily Camera. “And I think working together with Mike and the president’s office to move out of the Big 12 and into the Pac-12, it took a lot of collaboration and cooperation and Mike was right there. I believe he deserves a contract extension.”
Bohn’s salary, over $300,000 annually, was one of the lowest three in the Big 12, but is ranked in the middle of the Pac-12. While the base salary is reported to be about the same in the new contract, incentives related to fundraising will be added to give Bohn the opportunity for an even higher income. “Even though we’re getting a significant bump from media, we still have fundraising goals,” said DiStefano. “Especially related to scholarships and possible facilities.”
Pros – Bohn is given credit for helping Colorado negotiate its way into the Pac-12, and helping Colorado negotiate its way out of the Big 12 (for about one-third of what Colorado might have otherwise been forced to pay – or more precisely, go without – for leaving the conference a year early). The two latest basketball hires, Linda Lappe and Tad Boyle, both took their basketball teams to the NIT, with the men’s team setting a new school record for victories, with 24.
Cons – Bohn was also responsible for bringing in Dan Hawkins and Kathy McConnell-Miller, with neither coach living up to expectations. Bohn was roundly criticized for retaining Dan Hawkins after the 2009 season (though that may not have been completely his decision). Bohn has hired Jon Embree, a popular pick with the Buff Nation, but Bohn is being given an extension before Embree has coached – or won – his first game.
Overall – It is debatable as to how much influence Mike Bohn had in getting Colorado into the Pac-12. Some would argue that it would have taken place with or without Bohn; others can argue that Colorado would have been a member of the Texas League, content to live in the shadow of the Texas Network, if it had not been for Mike Bohn. The fact is, Colorado joined the Pac-12 under Mike Bohn’s watch, and that is a move that a year ago this month seemed far from a certainty. If Mike Bohn has no other legacy at Colorado other than bringing the Buffs into the Pac-12, he has earned his extension.
While it would be nice to see results on the field before an extension is offered (see Dan Hawkins, 2007), every sign seems to point toward future success with the new football coaching staff. I am also glad to see that a good portion of any increase in income for Mike Bohn is tied to incentive clauses. If Bohn can help to raise funding for Colorado programs and facilities, then he should be compensated accordingly.
I have met Mike Bohn on several occasions, and while he wouldn’t know me from Adam, he has always been friendly, appreciative of the supporters of the program, and genuinely interested in opinions and views of others.
I’m marking this down as a good move on the part of the Colorado administration.
June 5th
Big 12 revenue agreement gives more to the “Forgotten Five”
Isn’t there some saying about trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear?
That was the feel one could take from the Big 12′s spring meetings, in which it was announced that members would receive an equal distribution of 76% of the television revenues, up from a 57% equal distribution in year’s past.
A year ago, the Big 12 was on the brink of extinction, with the “Forgotten Five” – Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State, Baylor and Iowa State – agreeing to allow Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma to take a bigger share of revenue in exchange for not bolting the league.
Now, with a new $1.17 billion deal with Fox for cable rights taking effect in 2012, there are more millions to spread around, so the bigger schools were willing to give the lesser schools a bigger share. “The important thing is we’re dealing with a lot more revenue, so everybody feels good about the contract, and giving us the flexibility and resources to be more competitive,” Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton told reporters at the Big 12 spring meetings. “And there’s also growing recognition that to be a strong conference, we’ve got to have every member strong and competitive in an ongoing basis in all sports.”
Lost in the hand-holding and singing of kumbaya, though, are some realities.
While Texas and Oklahoma have agreed to allow the equal distribution to go up from 57% to 76%, there remains 24% of the television revenue which will not be equally distributed (as will be the case with the Pac-12). The remaining 24% will be distributed based on the number of television appearances, quality of competition, and willingness to move games to accomodate television (translation: Texas v. anybody will generate more revenue for Texas; Kansas State v. Northwestern Teacher’s College will generate nothing for the Wildcats except a better chance at accumulating six wins and a bowl bid).
Plus, the new agreement does not affect “third-tier” rights to games. This means that the Texas Network, with its multi-million dollar deal with ESPN, will go on churning up dollars for the Longhorns, while the Forgotten Five try to generate whatever they can out of an Iowa State / Kansas game which the networks pass on televising.
“It’s very significant,” said Missouri’s Deaton. “We’re all faced with multiple fiscal challenges. This enables us to make sure we have the right programs in place for all of our student-athletes.”
Nice talk from an athletic director who wanted to bolt for the Big Ten (recall that it was Missouri’s lobbying for admission to the Big Ten which helped crank up the expansion talk last spring), but the fact remains that Nebraska, as a member of the Big Ten, and Colorado, as a member of the Pac-12, will be earning considerable more dollars than their former rivals – and will be playing on a much more balanced financial field.
Enjoy that 76%, Forgotten Five, while watching Texas and Oklahoma continue to get bigger and bigger, stronger and stronger, and more and more dominant …
June 2nd
BCS executive director to meet with Justice Department
Bill Hancock, the executive director of the Bowl Championship Series, will voluntarily meet with the Justice Department later this month.
“I still believe the government has more important things to do, but I’m happy to talk about the benefits of the BCS every chance I get,” Hancock told ESPN. “We see this as an opportunity to tell them why this has been created, how it works, and the benefits it has brought to the game. And to answer all their questions.”
Hancock doesn’t see any chance that there will be a finding that the BCS is in violation of antitrust laws. “I am confident (the BCS selection process) follows the law,” said Hancock. “I’m not an attorney, but the fact is that antitrust is to protect the consumer against lack of access and a lack of competition. The BCS provides more football to the consumer than ever before, including a guaranteed No. 1 v. No. 2, and the access for the non-AQ’s (automatic qualifiers) is far greater than ever before. There’s no question the access is much better.”
While fans of TCU, Boise State, Hawai’i, Utah, BYU et al., teams which have not been allowed into the championship game in recent years may disagree with Hancock’s access argument, at the end of the day, practicality might rule the day.
“If the conferences are prohibited from coming together to create a BCS, then they would also be prohibited from creating anything else, like a playoff,” argued Hancock. “So if the BCS goes away, then the most likely scenario is a return to the old bowl system, where there’s not a guarantee of a meeting between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams.”
We’ll see. Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff has said that he plans to file an antitrust lawsuit in June against the BCS.
Last check of the calendar … it’s now June.
June 1st
Game times set for CSU and Utah games
The game times have been set Colorado two “rivals” – one old; one new.
The Colorado athletic department has announced that the Colorado/Colorado State game on September 17th will kickoff at 11:30 a.m., while the regular season finale against Utah in Salt Lake City will kickoff at 1:30 the day after Thanksgiving. Both games will be shown nationally by FSN.
The Colorado/Colorado State game, known the last six years as the Cinch Jeans Rocky Mountain Showdown, will be played before a national or regional television audience for the 17th consecutive year. Despite the insistence by Ram fans that they have drawn closer to the Buffs in terms of quality of play in the last decade or so, the fact remains that Colorado owns an 11-5 (68.5%) edge since the television streak began, a 17-6 (73.9%) advantage since the series was resumed in 1983, and a 60-20-2 (74.3%) lead overall.
The downside of having a nationally televised game? Once again being forced to a morning kickoff …. Yuck.
The Colorado/Utah game will be played in the afternoon, at 1:30, also shown nationally on FSN. The “new” rival is actually one of Colorado’s oldest and most bitter. The Buffs own a 30-24-3 all-time edge, with the last game being played in Salt Lake City in 1962. In games played at Utah, the Utes hold a 15-14-2 advantage.
The addition of the CSU and Utah games to the television schedule, Colorado now has four games which Buff fans will be know will be on television: September 3rd @Hawai’i, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN2); September 10th v. Colorado State (Denver), 11:30 a.m. (FSN); November 4th (Friday) v. USC, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2); and November 25th (Friday) @ Utah, 1:30 p.m. (FSN).
Any number of other games, particularly the California home game and the Ohio State road game, should be chosen for television (NCAA willing, with regard to the Ohio State game). Other Pac-12 games will also likely be televised, but Buff fans may not know until 12 days before the game, as networks chose the games they wish to televise.
Other Pac-12 televised games of note …
September 3rd – Minnesota @ USC – ABC
- UCLA @ Houston – FSN
- Oregon v. LSU (@ Arlington, Texas) – ABC
September 8th (Thurs.) – Arizona @ Oklahoma State – ESPN
September 9th (Friday) – Missouri @ Arizona State – ESPN
September 10th – Nevada @ Oregon – FX
- Utah @ USC – Versus
September 17th – Texas @ UCLA – ABC/ESPN
- Stanford @ Arizona – ESPN
- Utah @ BYU – ESPN2
September 24th – Oregon @ Arizona – ESPN or ESPN2
- USC @ Arizona State – ESPN or ESPN2
October 6th (Thurs.) – California @ Oregon – ESPN
October 13th (Thurs.) – USC @ California – ESPN
October 20th (Thurs.) – UCLA @ Arizona – ESPN
October 29th – Stanford @ USC – ABC
November 19th – USC @ Oregon – ABC
November 25th (Friday) – California @ Arizona State – ESPN
November 26th – Notre Dame @ Stanford – ABC or ESPN
UCLA @ USC – FSN
December 2nd (Friday) – Pac-12 Championship – Fox
Originally posted by CU At the Game
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