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Friday's College Basketball

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:45:18 +0100

EAST

Albany, N.Y. 71, Alcorn St. 55

Amherst 76, Maine-Farmington 51

Brockport 60, Tufts 55

College of N.J. 76, DeSales 71

Columbia 72, Longwood 61

Grove City 73, Penn St.-DuBois 63

Hamilton 89, SUNY-Canton 56

Harvard 77, Bryant 51

Hofstra 87, Farmingdale 48

Loyola of Chicago 76, Holy Cross 73

Marywood 83, Penn St.-Hazleton 56

Mercyhurst 74, Concordia, N.Y. 59

Misericordia 81, Baptist Bible 55

Mount St. Mary, N.Y. 74, W. New England 70

Niagara 82, Howard 77

Richard Stockton 88, W. Connecticut 86

Rochester 68, Green Mountain 59

Rutgers 58, Drexel 56

Seton Hall 89, Cornell 79

St. Bonaventure 66, Binghamton 40

St. John's 79, Brown 76

Ursinus 85, Keystone 83

Vassar 77, Newbury 62

SOUTH

Alabama 84, Providence 75

Bethel, Tenn. 92, Kuyper 72

Carson-Newman 85, Concord 67

Clemson 89, UNC Greensboro 67

Drake 65, Georgia St. 58

Elon 102, FDU-Florham 68

Fla. International 83, N.C. Central 73

Florida 80, Troy 58

Lindsey Wilson 87, Ohio St.-Newark 46

Louisiana Tech 74, Miami (Ohio) 62

Maryland 82, New Hampshire 55

Memphis 92, Tennessee Tech 59

Mid-Continent 78, Cumberlands 74

Murray St. 71, James Madison 43

N. Carolina A&T 67, Davis & Elkins 53

N.C. State 66, Akron 45

Queens, N.C. 89, Wingate 88

Salisbury 65, Goucher 63

Tenn.-Martin 79, Harris-Stowe 67

UCF 84, Auburn 74

Winston-Salem 94, Atlanta Christian 57

MIDWEST

Detroit 71, Robert Morris 59

IUPUI 77, Austin Peay 63

Indiana St. 65, Colorado St. 60

Iowa 68, Bowling Green 46

Michigan 77, Houston Baptist 55

Michigan St. 75, Toledo 62

Michigan Tech 62, Minn. St., Moorhead 56

Minn. St., Mankato 105, Maryville, Mo. 73

Missouri St. 70, Md.-Eastern Shore 53

N. Illinois 85, Tennessee St. 57

Nebraska-Kearney 77, Minn. Duluth 71

Northland Baptist 91, Northland 68

South Dakota 99, Mayville St. 67

St. Cloud St. 78, St. John's, Minn. 71

The Citadel 63, E. Michigan 56

Trevecca Nazarene 72, Point Park 62

SOUTHWEST

Arkansas 81, Appalachian St. 72, OT

Texas A&M 68, Samford 49

Texas-Tyler 88, Jarvis Christian 76

FAR WEST

Arizona St. 104, San Francisco 65

Gonzaga 90, IPFW 55

New Mexico 83, Nicholls St. 59

Pepperdine 72, CS San Bernardino 70

UCLA 75, CS Bakersfield 64

Vanguard 83, Montana St.-Northern 67

TOURNAMENT

2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic

Championship

Syracuse 87, North Carolina 71

Third Place

Ohio St. 76, California 70

Albion Rotary Club Tournament

First Round

Albion 71, Edgewood 60

DePauw 50, Bluffton 45

Calvin Tip-Off Tourney

First Round

Davenport 88, Lake Forest 73

Grace Bible 83, Calvin 68

Carolina Classic

Semifinals

Miami 67, UNC Wilmington 60

South Carolina 69, South Florida 66

Consolation Bracket

La Salle 84, Davidson 70

Tulane 63, Penn St. 60

Carthage Classic

First Round

Wis.-Platteville 86, Aurora 79

Wis.-Whitewater 82, Carthage 81

Cedarville Invitational

First Round

Cedarville 96, Rio Grande 72

Christian College Classic Tournament

First Round

Asbury 87, S. Virginia 84

Cincinnati Christian 110, Temple Baptist 80

Coaches vs Cancer Tip Off

First Round

Augsburg 96, Loras 69

Wis.-River Falls 92, Crown, Minn. 70

Days Inn Tip-Off

First Round

Messiah 59, Gettysburg 46

Wittenberg 70, Catholic 45

Dock Jacobs Classic

First Round

St. Michael's 81, Chestnut Hill 53

Equinox Classic

First Round

Middlebury 65, Swarthmore 57

John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic

First Round

Christian Brothers 47, Tusculum 43

N. Kentucky 96, Lake Erie 73

Merchants Bank Tip-Off Classic

First Round

Cardinal Stritch 75, Palm Beach Atlantic 46

Winona St. 106, Clarke 60

O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-

Semifinals

Mississippi 86, Kansas St. 74

Villanova 71, Dayton 65

Consolation Bracket

Boston U. 71, Indiana 67

Georgia Tech 70, George Mason 62

Oki Data Americas Tip-Off

Semifinals

Rowan 66, Regis 60

Widener 112, St. Joseph's, N.Y. 58

Olive Garden Tip-Off Tournament

First Round

Bethel, Minn. 93, Nebraska Christian 21

Wis.-Stout 75, Waldorf 54

Pizza Hut Tip-Off

First Round

Hobart 60, Dickinson 51

Reggie Minton Air Force Classic

First Round

Air Force 95, Dickinson St. 77

N. Colorado 66, Texas Southern 62

Rhodes College Tipoff Classic

First Round

Hendrix 80, Westminster, Mo. 78

Rhodes 71, Greenville 61

Rotary Tip-Off

First Round

Franklin & Marshall 102, N.Y. Tech 40

Gwynedd-Mercy 87, St. Lawrence 77

SMSU Classic

First Round

Bellevue 81, Upper Iowa 75

SW Minnesota St. 69, Lewis 62

Scotty Wood

First Round

Oneonta 72, Muhlenberg 58

William Paterson 75, Moravian 45

Texan Classic

First Round

Angelo St. 71, SE Oklahoma 55

USVI Paradise Jam

First Round

DePaul 60, N. Iowa 52

Purdue 74, S. Dakota St. 63

Saint Joseph's 84, Boston College 80

Tennessee 105, East Carolina 66

Viterbo Pepsi Tournament

First Round

Bemidji St. 60, Coll. of the Ozarks 54

EXHIBITION

Marian, Ind. 69, Finlandia 64

Northwestern, Minn. 73, North Central 64

Friday's Sports Scoreboard

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:18:14 +0100

Toledo routs Eastern Michigan 47-21

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:48:40 +0100

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — DaJuane Collins ran for two touchdowns and Morgan Williams rushed for another to lead Toledo to a 47-21 win over Eastern Michigan on Friday night.

Williams finished with 155 yards rushing and one touchdown for the Rockets (5-6, 3-4 Mid-American Conference), while Collins rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns.

In the second quarter, Alex Johnson recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, putting the Rockets up 16-0 with 13:13 left.

A 48-yard touchdown pass from Eastern Michigan quarterback Alex Gillett to Tyrone Burke made the score 16-7 with 11:57 remaining until halftime, but Collins broke a 55-yard touchdown run with 4:29 left in the second frame to give Toledo a 23-7 lead.

The Eagles (0-11, 0-7) were led by Gillett, who threw 13-for-25 with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 78 yards.

Rutgers defeats Drexel 58-56 on last-second layup

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:16:56 +0100

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Gregory Echenique scored the game-wining layup as the clock expired to lift Rutgers to a 58-56 win over Drexel on Friday night.

Drexel finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds, Mike Rosario added 13 points and Mike Coburn had 11 for the Scarlet Knights (2-0).

After Drexel's Yannick Formbor scored on a putback with 12.3 seconds remaining, Rutgers brought the ball up court and called a timeout with 1.9 seconds remaining.

Echenique caught the inbounds pass from Coburn at the foul line and drove to his left side, banking in an off-balance, left-handed layup.

Rutgers held its biggest lead of the second half at 45-38, but missed 15 of 20 foul shots in the final 13 minutes to let the Dragons stay in the game.

Drexel (0-3) was led by Gerald Colds and Jamie Harris with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Rutgers led 29-28 after a first half that saw 13 combined turnovers.

Bowling Green holds off Akron 36-20

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:39:26 +0100

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Tyler Sheehan had a record-setting day, throwing for 338 yards and two touchdowns, to lead Bowling Green to a 36-20 victory over Akron on Friday night.

Trailing 10-9, Sheehan threw scoring passes of 4 and 15 yards to Freddie Barnes to put the Falcons (6-5, 5-2 Mid-American Conference) ahead for good with 4:28 left in the third quarter.

Sheehan, who was 23-for-32, became the Bowling Green leader in career pass completions with 914, passing Brian McClure (1982-85) with 900.

Barnes, who leads the nation in receptions per game (11.7), had 12 catches for 197 yards. Chris Bullock rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown.

The Zips (2-9, 1-6) pulled within 30-20 with 10:50 left when Patrick Nicely threw the second of his two touchdown passes, a 34-yarder to Andre Jones, but Keith Morgan returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards for a TD.

Nicely finished 22-for-32 for 259 yards.

Ohio State-Michigan series has slipped in stature

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:07:08 +0100

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The Game has lost a lot of luster.

Ohio State has beaten Michigan five straight times, its best winning streak and the longest in the series since the 1920s.

The ninth-ranked Buckeyes (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) have already clinched at least a share of their fifth straight conference title and a spot in the Rose Bowl.

Michigan (5-6, 1-6) is mired in another miserable year — coming off a school-record nine-loss season — and is nearly a two-touchdown underdog to lose Saturday at home to guarantee consecutive losing records for the first time since 1962-63.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, though, insisted those factors haven't diminished the rivalry.

"That would never occur to the participants," Tressel said. "Perhaps to someone from the outside, someone from Utah or something, might not maybe jump on it because neither team is being talked about every day in the national scheme of things."

Michigan has stayed in the news lately for unwanted reasons.

An internal audit was released Monday in untimely fashion with details about the football program failing to file the school's forms that track how much players work out and practice. The forms are used as a tool to help comply with NCAA rules.

The office of university audits sent Rodriguez a memo on July 24 stating that forms from the 2008 regular season had not been submitted.

The Detroit Free Press, citing anonymous players, reported a month later that Michigan exceeded NCAA limits regarding practices and workouts. That triggered a school investigation and later an NCAA letter of inquiry that has the school, program and fans bracing for bad news for the once-proud program.

Rodriguez said Wednesday the process of filing forms was corrected as soon as he learned it wasn't happening, but said the investigation prevented him from further comment.

An upset against Ohio State would take some heat off Rodriguez for his on-the-field woes and would give a lot of young players some much-needed practices and upperclassmen who were recruited by Lloyd Carr a chance to experience the postseason again.

But Rodriguez said all will not be lost if Michigan loses to Ohio State — again.

"It's not like we're going to say we're doomed without a bowl game this year," Rodriguez said in an interview with The Associated Press in his office. "But I really want it for our seniors."

While speculation swirls about Rodriguez's future, he is confident the school will stay committed to him.

"The administration has been very supportive," Rodriguez said. "I've heard from many alumni and former players and they've all been very supportive."

One former player was anything but supportive when he left Ann Arbor.

Justin Boren played for Carr for two years, then did the unthinkable and transferred to Ohio State after Rodriguez arrived because he said "family values have eroded" in a parting shot.

"That was just like a slap in the face," Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham said.

Tressel wouldn't let Boren speak with reporters this week, but his teammates said he'll be fired up to play in the Big House in scarlet and gray.

"This is his week," Ohio State offensive tackle Jim Cordle said. "I remember when he first came here and all the talk and everything like that, and all the messages he was showing me, and then he went off to the media and said some things about Michigan.

"That's probably why he's not out here (talking to reporters) right now. But he's pumped up for this one and I know those guys are going to be going after him."

The Wolverines will be going after Terrelle Pryor, too, if their struggling defenders can catch him.

Pryor considered attending Michigan when Rodriguez left West Virginia to coach college football's winningest team, but chose to be a Buckeye.

Rodriguez acknowledged it would be difficult to prepare his defense for Pryor.

"You find a guy 6-6 that runs a 4.3," Rodriguez said. "If I had him, he probably wouldn't be on the scout team."

Ohio State seems set up to roll to another easy victory in the rivalry, perhaps like its 42-7 win against Michigan last season.

The Buckeyes have won two straight — against Iowa and Penn State — while the Wolverines' only win since September was against Delaware State.

Michigan's defense has been bad enough to give up at least 35 points in the last four games. Its offense will be without one of its best players, running back Brandon Minor, because of an injured shoulder.

But Tressel knows the rivalry well enough to realize the best team doesn't always win The Game.

"You have to be a little bit careful," Tressel said. "Very seldom do you go into this game and study the statistics sheet. That's just not the way it works."

Thursday's Sports Scoreboard

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:48:09 +0100

U-M's Coleman sidesteps football audit questions

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:44:48 +0100

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman has declined to answer questions following a Board of Regents meeting in which an internal audit of the football program's practice time was on the agenda.

Coleman slipped through a door following the Thursday meeting. Spokesman Kelly Cunningham said Coleman would not address an ongoing NCAA investigation into whether Michigan's football program exceeded mandated practice limits last year.

Michigan was the only varsity program that didn't provide practice logs to the NCAA, according to the audit. Rodriguez has said he took care of the issue once he became made aware of it.

Regent Andrew Richner says the board was told of the NCAA investigation during the meeting, but did not comment further.

New Penn St. tix plan to account for seat location

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:14:51 +0100

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State plans to adjust its season-ticket pricing guidelines in 2011 to account for where people sit in Beaver Stadium.

Some fans might have to fork over more money to the booster club to stay in their seats, or can pay the same amount but possibly be moved to a less desirable location — say someone going from seats on the 40 to behind the end zone.

Other season-ticket holders could be just fine — again, depending on if their donation to the Nittany Lion Club is commensurate to where they want to sit.

The actual price of the tickets, currently $55, wouldn't change under the plan to be officially unveiled in a letter to season-ticket holders in the next week, said Greg Myford, Penn State's associate athletic director for business relations and communications.

What would change is that seat location would be a new criteria to giving levels to the Nittany Lion Club, along with the number of tickets and parking.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg first reported the new policy, including up to a $600 fee per seat in between the 40-yard lines. Currently, Nittany Lion club members must contribute at least $100 a seat to renew their season tickets, regardless of location.

Myford declined to comment on the dollar amounts in the Patriot-News report, though he said the new policy didn't amount to a personal seat license.

"The primary difference is, usually associated with the seat license is some kind of long-term commitment," Myford said this week. "We do our tickets annually, each and every year. Fans determine how many seats they want to buy, they donate accordingly, and that will continue."

Myford said schools like Ohio State, Michigan, Texas and Florida already have similar plans in place.

"The other key component, when it comes down to the primary reasons for doing it, it's finances, and it's fairness," Myford said. "We need to come up with a way that allows us to properly align and allocate our tickets with how someone is willing to support athletics on an annual basis, and currently we don't do that."

All but two Big Ten schools — Indiana and Northwestern — charge minimum donations for the right to buy season tickets, according to a survey Wednesday in The Altoona Mirror.

Penn State is in the middle of the Big Ten in terms of season-ticket prices. One ticket at the 45-yard line would cost $540 for an eight-game schedule; the most expensive ticket is the $1,950 at Ohio State, which includes a $1,500 minimum donation.

The Penn State plan would also shuffle the student section from its current location in one quadrant of the stadium from the 40 to the south end zone, to wrapping around the entire end zone, bookended at about the 10-yard lines. That would open more desirable seats to season-ticket holders.

Myford said possibly 800 more seats could be added to the student section, and that the hope is it would create a more intimidating atmosphere for opponents.

Penn State's athletic department is self-supporting and does not use tuition dollars or other university funding to pay for its large athletics program, which runs 29 sports.

Of those sports, only football and men's basketball operate at a profit. Revenues from football are used to help pay for other sports.

The most recent filing with the Department of Education shows Penn State athletics had nearly $96 million in revenues, and roughly $77 million in expenses last year. The expense figure does not include $11.3 million of debt service.

Remaining dollars are used for capital improvement projects or put in reserve, the department said in the government filing. Myford said things like fan requests to upgrade stadium concessions stands and restrooms would be the kinds of projects Penn State would look at in the future.

Once athletic director, coach Joe Paterno said the school has more pressure to support scholarships in women's sports, as well improving facilities like the softball field.

"We don't get a nickel from the university for anything," Paterno said. "(Athletics) is completely self-supporting. So they've got to do something or we've got to cut back sports, and we don't want to do that. But, that's not my bout."

Wednesday's Sports Scoreboard

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:48:10 +0100

Memphis won't release NCAA vacated win response

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:15:20 +0100

The University of Memphis refused on Wednesday to release the NCAA's response to its appeal of a ruling that vacated the 2007-08 men's basketball season.

Memphis's legal counsel Sheryl Lipman said they can't produce the document because they didn't receive a copy, and instead read a version of it through the NCAA's Web site. The university says NCAA rules prohibit the university from printing the document for the media off the association's Web site.

The Associated Press had requested the document under Tennessee's Open Records Act.

The NCAA did not immediately return a telephone message left late Wednesday afternoon at the association's office in Indianapolis.

In a similar public records case, a Florida court ruled last month the NCAA must release documents on Florida State University's appeal of an academic cheating penalty. The NCAA tried to keep them secret on a read-only, secure Web site.

Memphis filed a brief supporting its appeal Oct. 8, and the NCAA's Infractions Appeals Committee had 30 days to respond. Now both Memphis and the NCAA's enforcement staff have a chance to comment. Memphis will get the last chance to respond before the appeal hearing before the committee.

Memphis is arguing that the NCAA Committee on Infractions imposed unprecedented penalties and used improper reasoning to wipe out the Tigers' 38 wins in a season that ended with an overtime loss to Kansas in the national championship.

The school's 45-page brief targets the so-called "strict liability" standard imposed after the NCAA ruled a player believed to be Derrick Rose was retroactively ineligible because of an SAT score that was invalidated by the Educational Testing Service in May 2008.

"The Committee's statement concerning the finding that this is a 'strict liability situation' is not supported by evidence, precedent or logic," Memphis argued in the brief.

By upholding the penalties given to Memphis under the "strict-liability" standard, the school argues it sets a precedent that "will apply to (future) situations that do not warrant such treatment and could result in outcomes unacceptable to the Division 1 membership."

A copy of that appeal was obtained under Tennessee's open records law. The university has complied with all previous records request involving this case.

Rodriguez era at Michigan has been full of blues

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:59:38 +0100

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez was handed a blue button with "Beat Ohio State" in maize letters when he was introduced as the new leader of college football's winningest program.

Rodriguez said earlier this week he has kept the button on his desk.

After being asked about the button later by a visitor to his office, Rodriguez had to do some searching. He found it tucked under some paper in the top drawer of the desk.

"I put it in there one day when I got mad," Rodriguez said.

It would be tough to figure out what day that was because there's been a lot of reasons for him to be angry during his two tumultuous seasons in Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines started 4-0 this season, earning a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and Rodriguez was hailed for the turnaround after losing a school-record nine games last year.

Two closely contested losses on the road to Michigan State and Iowa snowballed into a skid that has included only one win — against Delaware State — in a seven-game stretch.

The collapse has made Saturday's game at home against No. 9 Ohio State more important than usual, but in an unusual way for Michigan.

If Michigan beats its rival for the first time since 2003, it will salvage some pride with a bowl bid and get much-needed practices.

If not, the Wolverines will have a losing record in consecutive years for the first time since the 1962-63 seasons and will endure another miserable offseason that might be compounded if the NCAA delivers bad news during an investigation it plans to complete by the end of the year.

Rodriguez hasn't gotten to enjoy many days since a messy divorce with West Virginia led to a turbulent transition at Michigan.

He insisted, though, he doesn't regret leaving West Virginia or turning down an opportunity to be Alabama's coach.

"It's taxing on my family and me, but this is a big-boy business," Rodriguez said in an interview with the AP. "I've been at big schools before. We had drama, but not as much here.

"It's a wonderful profession, but when things are not going the way you'd like, it certainly takes a toll."

Rodriguez took his latest hit off the field on Monday, when an internal audit was released in untimely fashion with details about the football program failing to file forms that track how much players workout and practice. The forms are used to comply with NCAA rules.

He said Wednesday the process of filing forms was corrected as soon as he learned it wasn't happening. He declined further comment because of an ongoing NCAA investigation.

The office of university audits sent Rodriguez a memo on July 24, stating that forms from the 2008 regular season had not been submitted.

The Detroit Free Press, citing anonymous players, reported a month later that Michigan exceeded NCAA limits regarding practices and workouts.

Detroit Lions offensive lineman Jon Jansen, who helped the Wolverines win the 1997 national championship, says it's disappointing to know people with ties to the school have conspired against Rodriguez since he replaced the retiring Lloyd Carr in part because they wanted somebody else — such as LSU's Les Miles — hired.

"You'd have to be blind to not see there are divisions among Michigan folk," Jansen said. "I think that while he's there, he should get as much support as he can get.

"Whether you are for or against Rich Rod, everybody should be for Michigan. I hope he's successful because I want Michigan to be successful."

An e-mail was sent to every member of the school's board or regents, asking for comment on Rodriguez and the program, and no one responded.

University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman declined an interview request, but issued a statement.

"As I've said before, I continue to support our coach and our football program," Coleman said in a statement sent by her office.

If Michigan did want to fire Rodriguez — who signed a six-year deal worth $2.5 million per season — it would likely be an ugly process.

According to his contract, Rodriguez can be fired for cause if the NCAA, the Big Ten or the school determines he has committed a major violation of NCAA rules or he has intentionally committed any other type of violation of NCAA rules.

If the school completes a four-step process to fire Rodriguez for cause, it "shall be without liability to Rodriguez," according to the contract he signed Oct. 24, 2008.

Athletic director Bill Martin, who hired Rodriguez and is retiring by September at the latest, tried to voice as much support as he could as his outgoing boss.

"We're in a transition and we all have to be prepared to stay the course," Martin said earlier this week. "Is our record a surprise? Sure. Do I totally support Rich? Absolutely. You don't want to make excuses, but take a look at our personnel. We have only 71 players who came here on scholarship. We've got freshman going against fifth-year seniors in a lot of places.

"We didn't have a lot of candidates to replace Lloyd's best players in his last season."

BCA considers new ways to make hiring progress

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:17:37 +0100

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The head of the Black Coaches and Administrators group called Wednesday for more involvement by college presidents in hiring football coaches, a move he said would lead to more minority coaches on the sidelines.

Floyd Keith, executive director of the group, believes it's the best option to make changes quickly.

After releasing the group's latest hiring report card Wednesday, Keith said he was willing to listen to any ideas, including a possible lawsuit, to improve numbers that show nine of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision schools have minority head coaches.

"Today, I believe the one group that can change this situation outside of state and or federal legislation is college presidents," he said. "Presidents can create and demand the proper environment and process for equitable searches. In the equation of the collegiate hiring process, a college president is the one individual who can demand justice in the search process."

Keith said last year that the BCA was actively seeking someone to file a discrimination lawsuit under Title VII legislation. On Wednesday, he said the group's legal hot line is still fielding two to three calls per week, looking for the right case.

Schools with coaching vacancies are graded in five categories — communication with the BCA, length of the search, ratio of minority candidates who were interviewed, adherence to the school's affirmative action policies and percentage of minorities on the search committee. Point values are assessed in each category and are added together to come up with a final point total, which is then translated into an overall grade.

The report showed that 60 percent of all schools graded over the past six years received A's or B's more, than twice as many as those receiving D's or F's (28 percent). And the report card showed that 11 of 32 schools received A's this year, while five received F's.

Of the 32 coaches who took over in the FBS or Football Championship Subdivision this season, five were coaches of color.

Richard Lapchick, director of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, called for a "civil rights movement" in college sports.

Lapchick contends that minority coaches actually lost ground because three black coaches at BCS schools — Kansas State's Ron Prince, Mississippi State's Sylvester Croom and Washington's Tyrone Willingham — were not retained. And the four hires in the Bowl Subdivision did not result in black coaches in prominent enough positions.

"What is lost in the improvement in numbers is that three jobs were lost in the Pac-10, Big 12 and SEC," Lapchick wrote. "Adding positions at Miami University (Ohio), New Mexico, New Mexico State and Eastern Michigan was important but these schools will likely never get a shot at a BCS championship."

The study also found that the percentage of minorities on search committees at FBS schools declined from 30 percent in the 2008 report to 27 percent this year.

Miami (Ohio) and New Mexico State were the only schools to receive straight A's. Five schools received F's, though Oregon was the only one to receive all F's.

The report also proposes creating a Diversity Progress Rate, something akin to the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate.

Tuesday's Sports Scoreboard

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:48:07 +0100

Tuesday's College Basketball

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:15:16 +0100

EAST

Army 63, Long Island U. 56

Boston College 72, St. Francis, NY 44

Brandeis 90, Lasell 79

Bridgewater, Mass. 86, W. New England 83

Central St., Ohio 72, Wayne, Mich. 68

Clarion 124, Penn St.-New Kensington 50

DeSales 73, Penn St.-Berks 35

George Washington 69, Boston U. 59

Georgetown 46, Temple 45

Hilbert 72, Waynesburg 67, OT

Niagara 76, Drexel 69

Norwich 76, Mass.-Boston 64

Notre Dame Coll. 77, Mount Vernon Nazarene 64

Pittsburgh 71, Binghamton 46

Rutgers-Camden 62, Gwynedd-Mercy 60

Saint Joseph's 69, Holy Cross 67

Scranton 73, Kean 64

Siena 59, Northeastern 53

St. John's 69, St. Bonaventure 68

St. Peter's 58, Monmouth, N.J. 34

Thomas More 90, Bluffton 78

Walsh 84, Houghton 49

West Chester 77, Sciences, Pa. 52

Yeshiva 61, Purchase 55

SOUTH

Alabama 86, Jackson St. 69

Appalachian St. 77, Lees-McRae 44

Armstrong Atlantic 77, St. Augustine's 72, OT

Asbury 100, Johnson Bible 52

Bethune-Cookman 74, Edward Waters 55

Campbell 74, East Carolina 68

Campbellsville 57, Union 50

Centenary 71, Grambling St. 66

Charleston Southern 61, The Citadel 60

Chattanooga 85, ETSU 76

Clemson 79, Liberty 39

Coll. of Charleston 69, Winthrop 57

Cumberlands 77, King, Tenn. 59

Fla. International 88, Florida Memorial 82

Freed-Hardeman 68, Lindsey Wilson 61

Furman 68, Presbyterian 64

Georgia St. 77, Carver Bible 53

Guilford 91, Methodist 72

Iona 68, Hampton 63

LeMoyne-Owen 98, Christian Brothers 93

Lincoln Memorial 87, Tenn. Temple 65

Louisville 96, Arkansas 66

Marshall 63, Middle Tennessee 60

Maryland 71, Fairfield 42

Old Dominion 98, Longwood 59

Radford 94, Lynchburg 70

Southern Miss. 73, Loyola, N.O. 62

Tennessee 124, UNC Asheville 49

Transylvania 77, Berea 66

Trevecca Nazarene 89, Free Will Baptist 61

UAB 87, Jacksonville St. 62

UCF 68, Howard 59

Virginia Tech 59, UNC Greensboro 46

Wofford 60, Georgia 57

MIDWEST

Aquinas 69, Olivet 55

Creighton 78, Florida A&M 53

DePaul 59, Columbia 53

Duquesne 52, Iowa 50

Hamline 79, Northwestern, Minn. 78

Hope 65, Rochester, Mich. 50

IPFW 86, Madonna 57

Illinois 80, N. Illinois 61

Iowa St. 90, Drake 70

Kansas 57, Memphis 55

Lawrence 77, Marian, Wis. 68

Loyola of Chicago 89, Canisius 69

Macalester 77, Crown, Minn. 60

Marquette 86, Md.-Eastern Shore 60

Michigan St. 75, Gonzaga 71

Missouri 83, Tenn.-Martin 68

Northern St., S.D. 93, Jamestown 74

Ohio 93, N. Carolina A&T 82

S. Arkansas 80, Champion Baptist 54

S. Illinois 84, Indianapolis 69

SW Minnesota St. 86, Dordt 59

St. Francis, Ind. 87, Cornerstone 76

St. Scholastica 76, North Central 72

UMKC 78, Lincoln, Mo. 52

Wis.-Parkside 92, Northland Baptist 60

Wis.-Platteville 73, Clarke 66

Xavier 101, Bowling Green 57

SOUTHWEST

Houston 92, Nicholls St. 60

Oklahoma 72, Louisiana-Monroe 61

Tulsa 59, Ark.-Little Rock 45

FAR WEST

BYU 87, Idaho St. 53

CS Bakersfield 58, Utah Valley 51

E. Washington 100, Whitman 88

Fresno St. 65, N. Arizona 59

Long Beach St. 67, Pepperdine 58

Montana St. 68, Colorado Christian 58

New Mexico 97, New Mexico St. 87

Portland 98, Seattle 81

Southern Cal 77, UC Riverside 67

UC Santa Barbara 66, Weber St. 57

TOURNAMENT

Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season TIp

Second Round

Arizona St. 52, TCU 49

CS Northridge 85, Texas St. 82

Coastal Carolina 69, Elon 46

Connecticut 76, Hofstra 67

Duke 101, Charlotte 59

Indiana St. 76, Wis.-Milwaukee 63

LSU 71, W. Kentucky 60

Yale 65, Colgate 55

EXHIBITION

Northland 94, Finlandia 85

No. 2 Michigan State rallies to beat Gonzaga 75-71

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:40:11 +0100

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Durrell Summers hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:02 left, made two at the line with 5.7 seconds to go and finished with 21 points to help No. 2 Michigan State rally for a 75-71 win over Gonzaga on Tuesday night.

The Spartans (2-0) won their 41st straight game at home against a nonconference team, extending a streak that started after a lost to Duke on Dec. 3, 2003.

Robert Sacre matched a career high with 17 points for the Bulldogs (1-1) despite foul trouble. Gonzaga freshman Elias Harris scored 17, Matt Bouldin had 15 points and Steven Gray added 13.

Kalin Lucas made a layup with 39 seconds left to give Michigan State a three-point lead and finished with 19 points. Raymar Morgan scored 16 off the bench.

Michigan State scored first, then was out played by Gonzaga for much of the game.

The Bulldogs led by 13 midway through the first half and were ahead 35-30 at halftime.

They built another double-digit lead early in the second half, but were hurt by the 7-foot Sacre getting called for a third foul and 7-5 reserve Will Foster getting a fourth foul shortly after halftime.

Michigan State freshman Derrick Nix made a putback with 11:52 left in the game to put the home team ahead for the first time since the opening minute.

The Bulldogs, though, refused to wilt in the raucous Breslin Center despite having one of their youngest teams since becoming one of college basketball's stronger programs.

Sacre made a shot midway through the second half to put Gonzaga ahead by seven and a fadeaway with 4:42 to go for a 65-61 lead.

The Spartans made enough shots and stops in the final minutes in a game that will get them ready to play Florida, North Carolina and Texas before Big Ten play.

Gonzaga, hoping to reload instead of rebuild, also faces a tough schedule with games against Wake Forest, Arizona or Wisconsin, Duke, Oklahoma and 23rd-ranked Illinois before starting its West Coast Conference slate.

Obituaries in the news

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:30:17 +0100

Ed Czekaj

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Former Penn State University athletic director Ed Czekaj, who was credited with helping coach Joe Paterno build the football team for its success in the 1970s and into the 1980s, has died at age 87.

Czekaj died Monday at a retirement home in State College, the university said.

The native of Mount Pleasant, Pa., was a three-year letterman on the Penn State football team in the 1940s. He became an employee of the athletic department in 1953 and held several positions before becoming athletic director in 1969. He held that job until 1980, when Paterno took that position. Czekaj retired in 1982.

Current athletic director Tim Curley said that besides helping to build the football program, Czekaj presided over an expansion of women's sports.

Czekaj also oversaw four expansions of Beaver Stadium, raising the capacity from less than 50,000 to 83,770 for the 1980 season.

___

Ken Kirk

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Ken Kirk, a co-captain on the 1959 Ole Miss national championship football team, has died at a Tupelo hospital. He was 71.

Kirk died Monday at the North Mississippi Medical Center after a brief illness.

The Tupelo native lettered for three seasons at Ole Miss as a fullback and center. He played four years at linebacker in the NFL, playing games for the Chicago Bears (1960-61), Pittsburgh (1962) and the Los Angeles Rams (1963).

Members of the 1959 Rebel team are to be honored at Saturday's LSU-Ole Miss game in Oxford.

___

Ken Ober

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ken Ober, who hosted the 1980s MTV game show "Remote Control" and helped produce the shows "Mind of Mencia" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine," has died. He was 52.

His agent, Lee Kernis, says Ober was found dead Sunday in his Santa Monica home. Kernis says Ober complained of headaches and flulike symptoms on Saturday night but the cause of his death wasn't clear.

Ober was born Ken Oberding in Massachusetts. He hosted five seasons of "Remote Control" beginning in 1987. Contestants in lounge chairs were asked pop-culture questions from categories such as "Dead or Canadian?" The show featured early appearances by comedians Adam Sandler, Denis Leary and Colin Quinn.

___

Sy Syms

NEW YORK (AP) — Sy Syms, founder and chairman of the SYMS Corp. discount clothing chain, died of heart failure Tuesday in New York, according to a statement issued by the company. He was 83.

Syms founded his apparel business in 1959 in New York's financial district as a discount retailer of off-price men's clothes. By 1983, he had expanded the business to 11 stores and taken the company public. It eventually grew to 30 stores in 13 states.

The company was known by its slogan, "An educated consumer is our best customer," which Syms created and debuted on its first TV commercial in 1974. It is still used today.

The company expanded even further in June, when it bought the Filene's Basement chain and expanded its presence to 52 stores in all.

Sy Syms was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on May 12, 1926, with the name Seymour Merinsky. The family changed its name to Merns when Syms' father and brother opened a store of the same name on Vesey Street.

Syms attended Midwood High School in Brooklyn and New York University, under the GI bill. He worked as a sportscaster in Maryland and West Virginia before going back to New York to join the family business in 1950.

Nine years later, he opened a competing store on Cortland Street, around the corner from his family's store. He named it Sy Merns, but he was forced to change the name to Syms after a court fight. He later took the name legally as his own.

Syms was CEO of the company until 1998, when his daughter Marcy took over.

Virginia Tech beats UNC-Greensboro 59-46

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:21:24 +0100

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Jeff Allen recorded a double-double and Virginia Tech broke open a tie game with an 11-0 run midway through the second half en route to a 59-46 victory over UNC-Greensboro on Tuesday night.

UNC-Greensboro tied the game at 38 on a basket by Kyle Randall with 10:48 remaining. But Allen and Malcolm Delaney sparked Virginia Tech's 11-0 run, with Delaney scoring seven of those points.

Delaney's 3-pointer with 6:39 left gave the Hokies a 49-38 lead and the Spartans got no closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Allen finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for his 20th career double-double. Delaney added 17 points for Virginia Tech (2-0) despite going just 6-for-16 from the floor. The Hokies shot just 37.5 percent.

Randall and Mikko Koivisto paced the Spartans (0-2) with 10 points each. UNC-Greensboro shot 35.3 from the field and turned the ball over 23 times.

LeBron believes he could star in NFL

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:23:39 +0100

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James watched the Cleveland Browns get shut out by Baltimore on Monday night and came to one simple conclusion: He could help.

"If I put all my time and commitment into it, if I dedicated myself to the game of football, I could be really good," the Cavaliers superstar said before facing the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. "No matter what team I was on."

The Browns have one of the NFL's most anemic offenses, a key problem during their 1-8 start. The NBA's reigning MVP certainly couldn't make things any worse.

James was an All-Ohio wide receiver at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School before quitting football after his junior year to focus on basketball. But he still follows the game closely and believes he could have been a hybrid tight end/receiver in the mold of San Diego's Antonio Gates or Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez.

Gates, who played basketball in college and not football, is listed at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds. James is listed at 6-8 and 250 pounds.

"They're not always lined up next to the tackle," James said. "Sometimes they go against strong safeties and linebackers. It's tough to match up with those guys because they're so athletic."

James filmed a commercial last year for an insurance company that depicted him in a No. 23 Browns jersey with "LeBron" stitched across the back.

He has no serious plans of returning to football, but said playing the two sports takes entirely different types of stamina.

"I'd be in football shape during football season, then I'd go to basketball and feel like I was out of shape," he said. "It's totally different. And another thing you have to get used to is getting hit again."

Since James never went to college, it was mentioned he still may have eligibility remaining if he wanted to try playing college football. There is just the issue of the $90 million shoe contract James signed with Nike before ever playing a game in the NBA.

"What if I gave it all back?" he joked.

Monroe's layup gives No. 19 Georgetown 46-45 win

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:50:12 +0100

WASHINGTON (AP) — Greg Monroe scored on a driving layup with 6.5 seconds to play, rescuing No. 19 Georgetown from a lackluster Tuesday afternoon performance to give the Hoyas a 46-45 win over Temple.

Georgetown won despite having more fouls (18) and turnovers (16) than made baskets (15). The Hoyas blew a 12-point second-half lead, shot 36 percent from the field and 3 for 18 from 3-point range.

Chris Wright had 15 points, and Monroe had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Hoyas (2-0). Lavoy Allen had 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Owls (1-1), who nearly recovered from an abysmal first half to pull out the win.

Temple could have put the game away if it had made its free throws down the stretch. The Owls made 6 of 13, and Ramone Moore's miss on the front end of a 1-and-1 with a one-point lead and 23 seconds to play gave Monroe and the Hoyas the chance to win it.

After Monroe scored, the Owls had a final chance to win, but Juan Fernandez was tied up for a jump ball while driving to the basket with 1.3 seconds to play.

Temple had won 68 straight games when holding opponents to under 50 points.

This was the 4 p.m. game in ESPN's 24-hour Tip-Off Marathon, but it was more suited for 6 a.m., should've-stayed-in-bed snoozer. The halftime score was 19-13, with Georgetown leading by default. Here are more ugly facts from one of the worst halves of basketball ever seen at the Verizon Center:

—There were more combined fouls (14) and turnovers (13) than made baskets (12).

—Both teams shot 1 for 10 from 3-point range.

—Ryan Brooks, who scored 23 points in Temple's season-opening win over Delaware, was 0 for 6 with two turnovers. He finished the game 2 for 14. Monroe, the Big East rookie of the year last season, was 1 for 5 with three turnovers in the half.

Was it because of good defense? Not really. Each team had only one steal.

Temple shot 19 percent (5 for 26), Georgetown a relatively robust 30 percent (7 for 23). During one painful stretch, the teams combined to miss 11 straight shots.

The Hoyas appeared to get their act together at the start of the second half, opening with an 8-2 run, but Allen and Moore started playing as if they were ready to lead the Owls to a third straight Atlantic 10 title. A 24-6 run gave Temple a six-point lead and all the momentum, but Monroe looped in a high shot on a baseline drive and added a free throw for a three-point play that started a 9-0 Hoyas run.

Monroe finished the run with another three-point play to make the score 42-39, but Craig Williams' 3-pointer tied the score again with 4:53 to play. The Hoyas didn't regain the lead until Monroe's game-winner.

Kansas' Mangino says school investigating incident

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:26:41 +0100

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A bad year for the Kansas Jayhawks just got worse.

The school said Tuesday that it is investigating an unspecified personnel issue involving coach Mark Mangino, the national coach of the year two seasons ago. And Mangino — his team mired in a five-game losing streak — conceded that he's lost the support of "some people around here."

Mangino was not present Monday night when athletic director Lew Perkins met with the entire football team. The coach, who has been dogged by anger issues during his eight seasons at Kansas, met briefly with Perkins on Tuesday but neither would say what was discussed.

Mangino insisted he has not lost the support of his players, something that was echoed by quarterback and team leader Todd Reesing.

"I haven't lost the team, not one bit," Mangino said. "I may have lost some people around here but it's not players."

Asked to elaborate, Mangino said, "Take it for what it's worth. You decipher it and see."

Reesing said he expected the situation will not drag on.

"They're going to try to bring it to a quick resolve so we can get our focus and everyone else's focus on (this week's) game," he said.

Mangino inherited a program in shambles in 2002 and coached the Jayhawks to their greatest season ever in 2007, a 12-1 record and Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech. He was named Associated Press coach of the year and Perkins began millions of dollars worth of construction of new and improved facilities designed to put the long-struggling program on par with Big 12 gridiron powers.

Perkins has also begun an ambitious $34 million project to build a new level of premium seating at Memorial Stadium. He hopes to open the club in time for the beginning of next season.

But after a 5-0 start that shot them to No. 16 in the AP poll, the Jayhawks have lost five straight and will be huge underdogs this week at No. 3 Texas. They finish their regular season the next week against Missouri.

A losing record would not help sell expensive tickets to the new facility.

If the current flap involves Mangino's treatment of players, it would not be the first time he has drawn attention to himself in such a way. Several years ago he wound up on YouTube when cameras caught him angrily cursing a player who drew a penalty for hot-dogging.

Mangino, whose contract runs through 2012, has had other temper problems as well. After a close loss to Texas several years ago, he suggested in his post-game news conference that officials had rigged the outcome in order to get a second conference team into a BCS Bowl. He issued an apology that night.

After a run-in with officials during his son's high school game, he was banned by the school from the sideline.

Neither Mangino nor Perkins nor any Kansas players would disclose the specifics of the investigation. Mangino said it had to do with the disappointing season.

"You lose a few games in a row, those type of things surface. It's not uncommon," he said. "I don't take it lightly, but I'm focused on Texas and I'm very comfortable the way we manage and run the football program here. This is what comes when things aren't going well. You're going to find disgruntled people."

Asked if Mangino had lost the support of his team, or at least parts of it, Reesing said emphatically, "No. Not at all."

"I don't think this has anything to do with the recent performance and the number of games we've won," he said.

Perkins issued a statement and was not available to the media.

"I can confirm an internal review is under way," he said. "It involves a personnel matter, and as a result, is confidential. It would be inappropriate for me to provide further information right now."

In eight seasons at Kansas, where football has historically struggled, Mangino is 50-46 overall and 23-39 in the Big 12.

Reesing was evasive when asked if Perkins was supporting Mangino.

"I think Lew's doing what he has to do in the position that he has as a job," he said.

The senior quarterback also said he was surprised the incident had flared into such prominence.

"I think it's a little surprising that it happened like it did. And I didn't realize some things were being said, or feelings that people had. You hear things from time to time from people and guys and you don't know if people are kidding, how serious they are or how true their feelings are about certain things."

Weis: doesn't think decision on 2010 has been made

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:42:22 +0100

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Charlie Weis is going about his job as Notre Dame coach as normal, saying he doesn't think a decision about his future has been made.

"Oh no, I don't think that any decision's been made because I probably would know, and I don't know," Weis said Tuesday. "With that being said, it's full speed ahead to UConn, full speed ahead to Stanford and full-speed ahead to recruiting. That's exactly the way we're approaching it."

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick has said he will evaluate the program after the season. Last season Swarbrick caught up with Weis during a recruiting trip, meeting in San Jose, Calif., three days after the season ended. Swarbrick agreed to bring Weis back for a fifth season because they agreed on what steps needed to be taken to restore the program to prominence.

"The question you're ultimately asking yourself is: Is he in a position to help direct the changes in the program, to help steer it back to where he and I really want it to be?" Swarbrick said at the time.

This past summer, Swarbrick said there is a list of factors by which Weis will be measured, beyond wins, losses and graduation rates. Swarbrick said there are certain statistics he pays attention to more than others. He wouldn't disclose those statistics, but used third-down conversion rates on both offense and defense as examples.

The Irish are 53rd in the nation offensively in converting on third downs and 55th defensively. Overall, the Irish rank well in most categories offensively and are below average in most areas defensively. In five seasons under Weis, the Irish have never been strong defensively, never ranking higher than 39th in total defense or 34th in rushing defense.

This season, the Irish are 83rd in total defense, giving up 391 yards a game. The only time the Irish ranked lower was in 1956, when they ranked 103rd during a 2-8 season.

The Irish (6-4) head into their game Saturday against Connecticut on a two-game losing streak that has left Weis with a 35-25 career record, a .583 winning percentage. That's the same record Bob Davie was fired with and the same winning percentage Tyrone Willingham was fired with.

Names of possible replacements have emerged in recent days. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops on Tuesday dismissed media reports he could be a candidate.

"Notre Dame has a coach, and I have a great job. People just make stuff up. I don't need to comment on that," he said. "If there's some basis to anything, I'd gladly comment on it."

As he has the past two weeks, Weis declined to answer most big picture questions about his five years as coach of his alma mater.

"I'm not going back and reflecting about anything right now," he said. "I think when the season's over, that's when you go back and analyze this season and go back track to previous years."

Weis did joke that Patriots coach Bill Belichick took some of the pressure off him by going for it on fourth-and-2 while leading against the Colts on Sunday.

"I was only the story for a day, instead of two days," Weis said, laughing.

Unfortunately for Weis, though, speculation about his future has been the top story in South Bend since a 23-21 loss to Navy two weeks ago.

Weis met with team leaders on Monday, telling them he is counting on the seniors to keep the team focused.

"I said, 'I'll coach football, but when it comes time to talking to the team, I want the senior leaders of the team to be the ones expressing their voices this week," he said.

___

AP Sports Writer Jeff Latzke in Norman, Okla., contributed to this report.

BCS creates football executive director role

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:33:25 +0100

NEW YORK (AP) — Defending the Bowl Championship Series and trying to convince critics that it is the best way to determine a college football champion has to qualify as one of the toughest jobs in America.

Bill Hancock now has that job.

Hancock, the former director of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, was selected Tuesday to become the first executive director of the BCS.

He has been the BCS administrator since 2005, often acting as a spokesman for the conference commissioners, university presidents and bowl organizers who run college football's controversial postseason system.

Hancock will still be working for those decision-makers, but starting next year he will be the public face of the BCS and the top advocate for their choices.

"My feeling is that I can help people understand it," he said in a telephone interview. "A lot of the frustration with the BCS is because people don't understand it.

"They think there is this hypothetical playoff which would just be a panacea. The fact is a playoff would be as contentious or more contentious than what we have now.

"A playoff is just not right for college football."

The executive director position will replace the BCS coordinator. The coordinator position has rotated on a two-year basis between conference commissioners since the Bowl Championship Series was implemented in 1998.

Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford is the current BCS coordinator and the only person to hold the job twice. He first held it in 2000-01.

"With the growth of the BCS over the past seven years, the demands that go along with the coordinator's role increased dramatically," Swofford said.

"There's quite a difference now from the very beginning because of the interest level, the growth of college football and the controversies that go along with it. The coordinator's role was outdated."

Swofford's latest two-year term ends Jan. 7, the day of the BCS championship game.

The plan to hire an executive director has been in the works for about six months, Swofford said. He said Hancock became the obvious choice.

"Bill is very well connected, not necessarily high-profile. Very experienced. Knows the BCS inside out. Understands it. Can articulate it to others," Swofford said. "He appreciates the fact the presidents, the conferences, the commissioners and the bowls are ultimately the decison-makers. He works effectively with the internal group as well as externally with the media and others."

In 1989, Hancock became the first director of the basketball tournament, a job he held for 13 years.

He begins his new job with the BCS facing political pressure from lawmakers to change the system, and threats of antitrust lawsuits.

"We are going to respectfully explain why this is the best system for college football," Hancock said. "We are confident that this arrangement complies with the law."

Hancock said over the years he has received almost 1,000 playoff proposals and ideas from college football fans, supporters and members of the media.

"All those kind of things and the detail in those, it shows what passion there is for college football," he said. "I completely understand where they are coming from. If you compare (the BCS) to the NFL or an NCAA tournament bracket, it's frustrating."

"But if you look at it through the prism of preserving the bowl system, fitting the academic calendar, you'll come to the position that this is the best way to do it."

Former Cal player sentenced in fraud case

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:03:47 +0100

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A former University of California lineman who spent time in the Tennessee Titans' camp in 2001 has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for his role in a $5 million Ponzi scheme.

Reed Diehl was sentenced in Orange County federal court Monday. The 31-year-old was indicted last year following an FBI investigation.

He pleaded guilty in July to three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. He admitted that he cheated investors by promising high rates of returns on investments, including multimillion dollar condominium projects in Mexico.

Prosecutors say Diehl's bond was revoked in January after he tried to enter into a real estate transaction for a $3.5 million house using a false name and someone else's Social Security number.

Monday's Sports Scoreboard

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:48:10 +0100