Pitt Announces AD Fired as Coach Leaves for Wisconsin

Well, if Pitt was looking to troll Wisconsin for hiring its now former head coach Paul Chryst they may have succeeded.

As the Badgers were announcing the return of native son Chryst, the Panthers announced his boss, now former AD Steve Pederson was fired.

The report--originally reported by Brett McMurphy of ESPN, doesn't give a reason for Pederson's departure and several other reports state he'd been interviewing potential coaching candidates as recently as Tuesday night.

Several rumors have circulated that former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano had interest in the coaching job and several others have said he's the leading candidate. Pederson's departure may accelerate the move.

Pitt has already named an interim replacement for Pederson. Dr. Randy Juhl, Vice President of Compliance will oversee the athletic department until a replacement is named.

As for the football team, offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph will handle the team through the Armed Forces Bowl on January 2nd. 

Morning Wrap: NCAA Bluffed Penn St Into Accepting Sanctions

((ht: cbssports.com))

Oh, great. The NCAA did something stupid again. We are shocked.

A group of NCAA internal e-mails shows that their may have been some deceit involved when the organization levied one of the strongest penalties of all time to Penn State back in 2012 on the heels of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

The revelations here aren't that stunning. We knew going in the NCAA was moving into uncharted territory by sanctioning a school for the criminal acts of one guy and for the allegations of a cover-up.
That had never been done before, which most of us knew.

What we didn't know is that the NCAA had some trepidation about it.

One of the e-mails, from then director of enforcement Julie Roe Lach to VP of academic and membership Kevin Lennon stated; “I know we are banking on the fact school is so embarrassed they will do anything, but I am not sure about that, and no confidence conference or other members will agree to any of that. This will force the jurisdictional issue that we really don't have a great answer to that one.”

They guessed right. Penn State basically said "Do what you will". The school was slapped with a $60 million fine, a bowl ban until 2017 and limited to 65 scholarships for the football team.

Those sanctions will be lifted after this year.

The NCAA did respond to the accusations that they singled out or targeted Penn State by saying essentially the conversations, debates are a part of the discussion over the merits in taking such actions. They were not out of line nor did they indicated a vindictive nature.

We agree.

It looks kinda bad, but to take action, such a discussion needed to be had.

Did they (the NCAA) take advantage of a situation? Probably. Did they have to act and act decisively, absolutely. The Penn State folks still consider it an assault on them. And maybe to an extent it was. But what was uncovered there had to be addressed and measures had to be taken in order to make sure it would never happen again.

Deal with it.

ICYMI: O'Bannon Suit Over; Plaintiffs Win NCAA Loses...Sort of

Ok, so this has been a bizarre week in the world of college sports.

Early in the week, the NCAA granted the "Power 5" conferences the right to do pretty much whatever they want when it comes to setting the rules for sports participation.

Then late Friday afternoon, the landmark case of Ed O'Bannon and others antitrust suit against the NCAA for not sharing profits that came from the usage of their likenesses.

Confused?

Yeah, we sort of are too. But we'll attempt to explain what this all means.

The O'Bannon suit and ruling means the NCAA can no longer keep athletes from getting a share of the profits from TV, Video Games and other such profitable items. Essentially, if you buy an NCAA 2014 Football Video game, the players are entitled to a cut of the profits if their likeness is used.

The NCAA had claimed the players were not eligible for that money because they only can get money from scholarships or the cost of attending a school.

But....there was a stipulation added to the decision by Judge Claudia Wilken.  That stipulation states that the schools must hold the revenues due players in a trust fund until they finish school. And that fund can be capped at $5000 per year max.

The ruling also stated the schools don't have to set aside any monies...as long as they don't license the athletes names or likenesses for marketing.

Got it?

To keep from a lengthy discourse, both the O'Bannon ruling and the "Power 5" ruling means the College Sports landscape is about to change yet again. And you may...or may not like it. If you are Power 5 school or fan, no big deal...if not, well, maybe not.

For major college athletes...this means you are going to get paid. You are going to have money besides your scholarship money, which basically is enough to get you to school.

Let the bidding wars begin...

Yes, this is all going to eliminate the amateur part of sports. There are parts of all this we totally agree with: Athletes should be entitled to money generated by sales of their jerseys or if their likeness is used in a video game.

And yes, the "Power 5" conferences should have their own leagues. And we don't have issues with a small stipend for athletes for expense monies.

But...

Giving the "Power 5" schools autonomy to make their own rules? And no, the set-up where the other conferences have a seat at the table, that means nothing. They don't have enough sway to change any votes and can't stop the "Power 5" from making their own decisions.

We've said all along their should be a conference for the "Big Budget" schools and then one for everyone else. It's not fair to a Conference USA or Sun Belt school to try and compete for a national title with the bigger schools. They will never, ever win it.

Getting to a bowl game should not be a "Top of the Ladder" goal for any college football player. Winning a title should. But only the Top 50 or so "Power" schools have a sot at it.

And sorry folks, as much as we agree with some of these rulings, on the whole, this is wrong...

The fine folks at ESPN...who've had a hand in creating this chaos, try to offer an explanation:

Minor League Baseball Team to host Mark Emmert Fan Appreciation Night

((ht: collegefootballtalk.com))

Bwhahahaha! This is fantastic....

The Lake County Captains, the Class A Minor League affiliate for the nearby Cleveland Indians have come up with a wickedly smart promotion that some may not get, but if you know your college sports, you definitely will.

The Captains will hold Mark Emmert Appreciation night on July 2nd.

Yes, that's NCAA President Mark Emmert...

The Captains came up with the idea after Emmert, while testifying in the Ed O'Bannon college athlete trademark case said "We know that in the U.S, minor league sports aren't very successful either for the fan support or for the fan experience.

A link to the Captains press release: RIGHT HERE

Here are your rules:

--All fans who do nothing but stay until the 3rd inning, get credit towards a future game of their choice.
--In honor of the new ruling allowing student-athletes to eat food whenever they want it, 4 college students at the game will get "All-you-can-eat" wristbands and tickets to a future game.
--During the game, fans can move from their ticketed seat location to another seat, subject to a one inning waiting period...if they want a different view.
--Copies of the book "Undue Process--The NCAA's Injustice For All" will be given to lucky attendees.
--Other prizes include: "One and Done" player basketball cards and copies of college football and basketball video games.
--Participants involved in the in-game promotions will NOT be rewarded for their efforts, instead, they will have the satisfaction of just having a chance to participate
--Fans who wear a "Generic" college jersey that may...or may not correspond to a famous athlete who may...or may not attend the same college will be greeted by a Captains Booster who will give them a $100 handshake
--And...the team says they considered offering free tickets to any local student-athlete for the game, but due to regulations, they'll have to show a student I.D to receive a $2 discount.

This folks, is subtle, somewhat passive-aggressive and very sarcastic humor at it's finest. Whomever the Lake County Captains P.R folks are, they should be applauded for this.

Bravo!

Kentucky Fans Burn Stuff After Win (Why?)

((ht: kentucky.com))

Please forgive us for stereotyping here, but we have questions...

Can someone please explain to us why you burn a couch after your team wins a big game?

Please?

We get celebrating that your team won and is going to the National Championship game. No problem with that...

But why the couch burning?

Is it an Appalachian Mountain thing? Is it something you feel obligated to do if you are a hillbilly? Sure, we're old and we don't quite agree with the whole rioting in the streets thing, but at least THAT, we understand. This makes no sense. The only two places we've ever heard of couches being burned in celebration are Kentucky and West Virginia (the stereotype question).

What does burning a couch signify? Heck, you burn your couch, it means you have to go buy a new one.

The reason we ask is this:

After their last second win vs. Wisconsin late Saturday night, University of Kentucky students and other hangers on took to the streets in Lexington, proceeding to burn couches and anything else they could light on fire.

According to Kentucky.com firefighters had to put out over 60 fires and at least 30 people were treated for injuries.

Read more from Kentucky.com RIGHT HERE

No doubt Kentucky fans will take offense of this, but...are you all that STUPID? And no, we aren't knocking you taking to the streets to celebrate, that's a time honored tradition....that's usually reserved for WINNING a CHAMPIONSHIP.

And we know full well if you win on Monday night, that's exactly what you'll be doing, celebrating in the streets, burning anything you can get ahold of.

But why?

Oddly, this seems to be something that Kentucky's fans embrace. We know people in that part of the world and they just kind of laugh about it.

Why?

We'd be more than happy to hear a logical explanation for this, but we don't think there is one. And no, "Kids will be Kids" isn't acceptable.

Why do you burn couches to celebrate?  One of life's mysteries we suppose, and it's all good 'til someone gets hurt, which is something we're betting is coming soon.

Video of the Burning of the Couches from Kentucky.com:

UMass Football Asked to Leave the MAC

Insert joke here...

No seriously. The University of Massachusetts and the Mid-American Conference will part ways in 2015. And aside from the requisite jokes being made due to the ineptitude of the Minutemen football program, there's actually a reason for this.

UMass was a football only member of the MAC, the basketball team plays in the Atlantic 10.

According to ESPN.com, UMass was asked to be a full-time member of the MAC, but decided to pass. The problem: The Atlantic 10 is a basketball only conference. And the MAC, well, they wanted all or nothing from the Minutemen.

Read more from ESPN.com RIGHT HERE

So...this has little to no impact on the MAC. They will become a 12-team conference. No big deal, even scheduling in 2016.

UMass has a bigger problem. Perennially one of the worst teams in the FBS (Division 1), they are a bad team now with no home. The school wants to stay where they are, the problem is, where do they go? Most of the smaller College Football programs in the Northeastern U.S are FCS (1-AA) teams. There are several that play in FBS, but they are all in power conferences. None of which would have any interest.

Not a huge story on the Sports landscape here, but an interesting one never the less and one that further enhances a question we often ask: What happens to the non-power schools in the FBS after the playoff and split happens?

And no, there's not a simple answer....

NLRB: Northwestern Football Players Allowed to Unionize (UPDATE: NCAA Disagrees)

That sound you heard may be the college sports landscape shaking.

Early Wednesday afternoon, the National Labor Relations Board Office in Chicago agreed with a petition filed by football players, at Northwestern University including QB Kain Colter,
to form a union.

The NLRB ruling gives those players collective bargaining rights and as employees of the school opens the door to them getting paid. The reasoning behind the ruling is fairly cut and dried: (a) They are compensated for their services (scholarships), (b) have supervisors (coaches), (c) must abide by rules and regulations and (d) are held to different standards then normal students in that they can lose their scholarships for violating any set rules and/or standards and (e) must abide by the set rules by agreeing to them to maintain their scholarships

A link to the ruling from ESPN.com is RIGHT HERE

For now, the ruling only applies to student athletes at private schools, but it does open the door for public schools to make the same petition to their state labor boards.

The players filed the petition based on pretty good reasoning: They wanted fully guaranteed scholarships, improved medical protections for injured players and a fund to help them continue their education after they exhaust their scholarships.

For their part, the school (Northwestern) has stated they will appeal to the National NRLB Office in Washington, D.C.

This is a pretty important ruling for several reasons:

1) It opens the door for College Football and Basketball players to become paid employees.This is going to happen. Soon. And it will further split the College Sports landscape. Only the top 50-60 Division I schools can afford to do this.

2) The NCAA is going to lose some money. Between the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit and a few other pending legal challenges, the group is in trouble. They (the NCAA) have been profiting from players and their likenesses for years. That is likely to stop.

3) Even if Northwestern's appeal overturns the decision, there will be more attempts at doing this. Now that someone has made a ruling in the players favor, look for more teams to file petitions on the regional, state and national level. They will win again at some point.

Stay tuned folks, College Sports as you and I know it are beginning to change. It's not going to happen overnight, but this is another in a long series of steps that are going to do it.

1645 UPDATE: The NCAA has responded and, naturally, they're not liking what the courts are saying...

“While not a party to the proceeding, the NCAA is disappointed that the NLRB Region 13 determined the Northwestern football team may vote to be considered university employees. We strongly disagree with the notion that student-athletes are employees.

We frequently hear from student-athletes, across all sports, that they participate to enhance their overall college experience and for the love of their sport, not to be paid.

Over the last three years, our member colleges and universities have worked to re-evaluate the current rules. While improvements need to be made, we do not need to completely throw away a system that has helped literally millions of students over the past decade alone attend college. We want student athletes – 99 percent of whom will never make it to the professional leagues – focused on what matters most – finding success in the classroom, on the field and in life.”

Bonnie Bernstein discusses with Kristi Dosh
((HT: Campus Insiders))

The End is Near: Power Schools Likely To Break Away

((ht: yahoosports.com))

The end is near. The BCS may be dead, but it's future will be frighteningly similar.

Why? Because what we told you was going to happen in July is about to come to fruition. The NCAA, at it's annual meetings this week has all but decreed the Big 5 Conferences (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC) are about to break off into their own division.

And no, we don't know what they are going to call it....yet.

The NCAA's annual convention has been taking place all week in San Diego. And rough polling by Yahoo Sports indicate that when NCAA president Mark Emmert, presents a proposal to the full group to approve the move, it will pass.

Read an explanation from Yahoo Sports writer Pat Forde RIGHT HERE

We first told you this might happen back in July. Read that story RIGHT HERE

What does this mean to you?

A lot.

First off, it eliminates the chance anyone outside of these conferences ever playing for College Football's national title on the highest level. Although realistically, there was little chance anyone from the MAC, AAC or other smaller D-1 (FCS) schools were ever going to do that.

Second, part of the proposal will essentially allow the power schools to break from NCAA regulations and pay players, something the smaller schools without TV money can't afford to do, but the big guys can.

If you thought the end of the BCS and beginning of the playoff system was going to change the College Football landscape, you ain't seen nothin' yet.This is a doozy.

Because it has yet to be put in place, there are multiple ways it can play out, but here's what we think will happen. The "Power Schools" will get their own division. They'll play, for the most part each other, with the Top 4 teams going to the playoff. The other schools, will filter down through the bowl system.

The "Others", well, they'll have their own division, we're guessing something similar to the FBS or old 1-AA. However, we don't necessarily know if they'll do a playoff like the FBS does. The FBS has been hemorraging schools over the past decade and we wonder if the remaining schools will filter down to Division II.

That may not happen, but folks, we're telling you now, this is a game changer. It's most definitely a case of the "Rich Getting Richer" and unless you are a fan of a "Power Conference" school, you are shit out of luck. Everyone else will be regulated to the Regional Sports Networks of the world. (Hope you have them). The Big Boys will be your games on the major networks, unless you happen to be chosen to be a sacrificial lamb for a big school looking for an easy win.

We are following this issue closely, and will keep you updated on how it progresses.

Oregon Football Players Get and Appear To Be Selling New Air Jordans

((ht:bizjournals.com/portland))

Hmmm….what was that argument about college football players needing to get stipends or paid?

It appears, according to a report in the Portland (OR) Business Journal that at least one lucky University of Oregon football player or someone related to one,  has a pair of the new "Limited Edition" Air Jordan sneakers on sale on EBay.

We don't know for absolute certain that it's an actual Oregon Football player selling the shoes…but. The shoes are apparently part of some "Player Exclusives" given to the football team by team owner…um…I mean Nike magnate Phil Knight or at least his representatives.

And yes, it's an NCAA violation if this in fact is an athlete selling the shoes. The Business Journal did contact the University who said they are monitoring but all inventory are accounted for as far as they know.

Read the entire story RIGHT HERE

Okay, so does anyone else find it amusing that there are apparently some 43 active auctions of similar shoes…that were supposed to be "Limited Editions" or "Player Exclusives"?

And for that matter, is there not a restriction on Nike granting athletes multiple pairs of shoes selling for a LOT of money? Money they would not have themselves?

And if only "Select" athletes get them, who decides who is in that group? While we certainly aren't against the whole "Stipend" thing, this is a bit excessive? No regular students have access to these. Heck, it appears a lot of athletes don't.

Just some of the many questions sitting out there. And no, we don't begrudge Oregon for taking advantage of the team owner's benevolent gift giving at all.

Would you?

Robert Morris Cutting 7 Sports

Robert Morris University is cutting seven programs to keep the remaining 16 afloat in the Northeast Conference.

Men's indoor and outdoor track, tennis and cross country and women's golf, tennis and field hockey will be phased out following the 2013-14 academic year. 80 student-athletes are effected...

Athletic director Craig Coleman says those moneys will be re-allocated to fund additional scholarships, facility upgrades and increased travel and recruiting budgets.

"Clearly, this is the most difficult decision I've faced as athletic director, and one of the hardest we've had to make as a university. I understand that our student-athletes are very upset by this news, and we apologize for the distress this has caused," said Coleman in a release. "Nonetheless, this is the right decision to ensure that the university's present growth remains sustainable and that our student-athletes enjoy an excellent experience at RMU."

More from the university:

One of the primary reasons the university chose to reduce its Division I sports, according to Coleman, is that RMU has one of the largest budgets in the Northeast Conference (NEC) but spends among the least per student-athlete, owing to the sheer number of sports it offers. With 23 sports, RMU offered more Division I programs than Pitt or West Virginia, for example. Including the sports to be reduced, RMU has approximately 560 Division I athletes on its rosters.

The university considered several criteria in reducing sports: the number of student-athletes; competitive success; academic achievement; cost; the adequacy of facilities; compliance with Title IX; and whether a program was a NEC sport of emphasis. RMU sought to maximize its cost savings while impacting the fewest student-athletes. Money saved will be ploughed back into the remaining Division I sports.

Here's what folks remember the most about Robert Morris in the last year or so...
((HT: WTAE-TV))


The HQ empathizes with the 80...
More when we know more...

College Football Power Schools Bail Out on EA Sports CFB Game

((ht: collegefootballtalk.com))

Hmmm....

Coincidence? Or not?

It appears the Big 10, Pac 12 and SEC have all told EA Sports "Thanks, but no thanks" when it comes to having their teams represented in EA Sports game: NCAA Football.

The move comes on the heels of the NCAA distancing themselves too.

The SEC was first to announce this, saying: “Neither the SEC, its member universities, nor the NCAA have ever licensed the right to use the name or likeness of any student to EA Sports.”

The other conferences followed suit shortly thereafter.

We find this utterly fascinating in light of the Ed O'Bannon class action suit against the NCAA for royalty payments for just such an arrangement.

We should also remind you of the NCAA bailing out of the college player jersey selling business just last week after being ridiculed on the Internet. The reason for that is very much the same as in this instance.

You can read last weeks story for background RIGHT HERE

If we were in Las Vegas and betting on the motivation for such a decision by the "Big Name" schools, we'd justify it like this:

(1) The NCAA and power conferences are petrified they are going to lose the O'Bannon suit and will be liable for a small fortune. Because of that fear, they are distancing themselves from as many things bearing the likeness of College Athletes they possibly can.

(2) All the above conferences are going to be part of the "Mega-Division" we fully expect to be announced at the NCAA meetings in January. If this happens and the NCAA wins the O'Bannon case, rest assured they will cut a large--no, an extra large deal with EA Sports to license their teams and players. But only the "Power Schools".

So there's your food for thought. Nothing snarky here, just the reality of the situation. We fully believe the NCAA and the Power Schools (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC) are positioning themselves for the inevitable shift. They will go on their own, make a gazillion dollars in TV money from ESPN and from merchandising on their own.

Folks, if you thought "Galactic Realignment" over the past two years was crazy, well, hold on to your shorts, when this College Football season ends, that's going to look like a blip on the radar....

Emmert: NCAA Change is a Coming

((ht: indystar.com))

The constant drumbeat is slowly reaching a crescendo. It appears last years Galactic Realignment is only the 1st step in what appears to be a monumental change in the way College Sports...or at least the major ones, are conducted.

And that audible sigh you heard came from the "Big 5" Conference commissioners who are leading the charge.

In an interview with the Indianapolis Star, NCAA president Mark Emmert went on the record, telling the paper, along with others to "Save the Date" of Jan 16 and 17 for a significant announcement on the future.

And it's already being speculated that future will split off the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC and maybe one or two others will break off from Division 1, and give them their own sandbox to play in.

And we couldn't agree with that idea more.

Read the IndyStar interview RIGHT HERE

We (The OSG) along with many others have gone on record with proposals and reasons as to why this should/has to happen.

This is what we think (for what its worth) should happen.

1st Check our story in March broaching this very subject RIGHT HERE

Allow me to re-state the key points:

Division 1 Football has to change. Yes, SI.com and the other big sports sites continue to talk about the conferences complaining about the NCAA enforcement and rules creating the problem. The so-called "Big 5" want to compensate their football and possibly basketball athletes. And most of them can afford it.

But the Sun-Belt and MAC teams of the world can't.

And really, let's not kid ourselves, it's about money. Think about the amount of money ESPN/FOX and/or others will pay for the rights to do "Big 5" games. You'll never see any other school on anything other than regional networks.

And that unfortunately is the truth of the matter. Most of the smaller Division 1 schools can't compete with the Alabama's and Ohio State's of the world. They never will.

Imagine for a minute you attend Miami (Ohio) or Georgia Southern or Idaho. Yes, congratulations, you are a Division 1 team. But you will NEVER get to play for the national championship. And don't give me this whole March Madness, on any given day thing. Basketball is different.

In football, nobody from the Sun-Belt, MAC, Conference USA, WAC or any other small division 1 conference will EVER win an NCAA title under the current system.

EVER!

So yeah, as much as we loathe the alleged "Non-Profit" University's of the world, they are making a killing and trying to pay bills they can't pay right now by squeezing TV money to pay for the new mega-practice facilities. No school outside the Big 5 can afford to compete with them on that front. And they'll never get a TV contract big enough to do it.

No, we'd rather see the Sun-Belt champ have a shot at a bigger title. Getting away from the SEC's of the world will be the only way that happens. So what if it's played on the CBSSports Network instead of CBS or on ESPN 2 instead of ESPN. It doesn't matter. At least it will be competitive.

Irony: Pac 12 Upset at D-1 Inclusion of For Profit School

((ht: cbssports.com))

Does anyone else find this kind of funny? Or at the very least, a pot and kettle situation?

It appears the Pac-12 Conference is less that amused at the NCAA allowing Grand Canyon University Antelopes
to move from Division II to D-1

The 8,500 or so students who attend or take classes at the Arizona based Christian school are in line for a move to the Western Athletic Conference, which was decimated by realignment.

Read more from CBSSports.com RIGHT HERE

The reason we've labeled this ironic is simple. The Pac-12 and other "Big-Time Schools" all claim to be--"Not for Profit". Yet, they've thrown away traditional alignments, budget consciousness and everything else in the pursuit of TV money.

So much so that many long-time schools like Maryland and Rutgers who've jumped to the Big 10 primarily to pay off the debt they acquired building monsterous practice facilities and firing coaches they owe small fortunes to after a season or two.

Yes, Grand Canyon exists to make money. But you could argue so does every school in the PAC-12.

Sure, the Pac-12/Division 1 schools don't have to pay taxes on their profit. (They could eliminate half the national debt if they did), but many of them make profits. Yes, they umbrella it under the "Athletic Associations", but think about it. Many get up to $20 million a year from ESPN before they ever play a game.

Who wouldn't call that profit?

Lacrosse Coach Killed Players Injured in Bus Crash

((ht: cbsnews.com))

The women's lacrosse team from Seton Hill University was decimated early Saturday morning when the bus they were riding in crashed into a tree, killing the driver, the team's head coach and injuring multiple players.

According to reports, the bus slid off the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Carlisle, PA as the team was heading Millersville University for an afternoon game.

Coach Kristina Quigley died en route to an area hospital. Quigley was 6-months pregnant. The child did not survive either.

Read the story from CBSNews.com RIGHT HERE

Yes, the accident is being investigated and it doesn't appear that weather was an issue.

No word yet on what the team, the school or any of the families next course of action is either. Obviously the game and a game on Sunday were cancelled.

It has yet to be determined if, when or how they plan on moving forward on their season.

Your Inflatable Nebraska Mascot Drug Induced Video of the Day

The headline is the only explanation we could think of since there's apparently no context for this.

Check out this somewhat strange, techno-music produced video of an inflatable University of Nebraska mascot break dancing and other things in an arena surrounded by other mascots.

It's either a dream sequence or someone is doing to much ecstasy. It's the only explanation that makes any sense.