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Football at Wrigley close to a reality Posted by John Taylor on January 28, 2010 1:33 PM ET CFT
Over the past summer, discussions commenced between Northwestern, Illinois and Chicago Cubs officials on scheduling a game at venerable Wrigley Field.
Since those late-July reports, however, nothing of note has come out of the talks. Until today.
According to the Champaign News-Gazette, there is an agreement in place between the two schools and the MLB club to hold a game at Wrigley.
The agreement comes with one big caveat, the News-Gazette reports. Next year's game will be played at the venue, the paper writes, " if - and this is a big if - they can work out the financial and operational questions."
Translation? If all sides can clear enough cash, there will be fall ball played amongst the ivy.
Big Ten confirms expansion evaluation Posted by John Taylor on December 15, 2009 4:31 PM ET CollegeFootballTalk
As expected, the Big Ten conference has released a statement this afternoon confirming that the league will discuss the possibility of expanding from 11 to 12 teams over the course of the next 12 to 18 months.
Here is the full text of the statement, released through the league office on behalf of the Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C):
Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference in June of 1990 and its addition has been an unqualified success. In 1993, 1998 and 2003 the COP/C, in coordination with the commissioner's office, reviewed the issue of conference structure and expansion. The COP/C believes that the timing is right for the conference to once again conduct a thorough evaluation of options for conference structure and expansion. As a result, the commissioner was asked to provide recommendations for consideration by the COP/C over the next 12 to 18 months.
The COP/C understands that speculation about the conference is ongoing. The COP/C has asked the conference office to obtain, to the extent possible, information necessary to construct preliminary options and recommendations without engaging in formal discussions with leadership of other institutions. If and when such discussions become necessary the COP/C has instructed Commissioner James E. Delany to inform the Chair of the COP/C, Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon, and then to notify the commissioner of the affected conference(s). Only after these notices have occurred will the Big Ten engage in formal expansion discussions with other institutions. This process will allow the Big Ten to evaluate options, while respecting peer conferences and their member institutions. No action by the COP/C is expected in the near term. No interim statements will be made by the Big Ten or the COP/C until after the COP/C receives the commissioner's recommendations and the COP/C determines next steps, if any, in this area.
This game is for the Big 10 Championship and presumably a trip to Pasadena. I don't think Iowa has a chance in this game. Their starting QB is out but even with him I don't think they had a chance.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- College football's winningest program just took another hit off the field.
The University of Michigan released embarrassing details of an internal audit Monday that discovered Rich Rodriguez's team failed to file forms tracking how much time players spent on football during the 2008 season -- his first -- and the offseason last spring.
Perhaps coincidentally, the NCAA and the school are investigating the program about similar issues. The NCAA sent the school's president a notice of inquiry last month, saying it plans to complete its investigation by Dec. 31.
"I don't know what the NCAA is going to find," athletic director Bill Martin said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, before the audit was released. "I do know this is not academic fraud or gambling.
"I'm not involved with the investigation. It's being handled by our general counsel. We're the ones who picked up the phone to call the NCAA about this."
The audit was completed months ago, but the details surfaced during Ohio State week because they are part of the agenda for Thursday's board of regents meeting.
Rodriguez has said he and his coaches know and follow NCAA rules.
University spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham said Rodriguez would not make a statement about the audit, saying he and school officials are limited in what they can say because of the ongoing investigation.
"The president and the [regents] take very seriously all audits conducted at the university," the school said. "We will take all necessary steps to insure the integrity of all of the university's programs."
Michigan's season has been filled with challenges on and off the field.
The Detroit Free Press, citing anonymous football players, reported in August that Michigan was exceeding NCAA limits regarding practices and workouts.
The Wolverines started the season with four straight wins, but have stumbled and now have lost six of seven.
If Michigan doesn't upset the Buckeyes (No. 10 BCS, No. 9 AP) on Saturday at home, it will fail to quality for a bowl for a second straight season under Rodriguez after enjoying a postseason streak that lasted three-plus decades.
The audit looked into compliance areas for several Michigan teams, including the football and men's basketball programs. Auditors reviewed practice logs for a week during the season and a week in the offseason.
It found "a concern" that the football program failed to file monthly Countable Athletically Related Activities forms created by the school to track how much players work out and practice as a tool to comply with NCAA rules.
"The regular season forms still have not been submitted," the office of university audits wrote to Rodriguez in a letter dated July 24. "All other varsity sports submitted their CARA forms timely."
The report did not find issues of noncompliance, but acknowledged the practice logs for football were not available to be reviewed when the audit was conducted. The forms are now turned in on a timely basis, according to the school.
"The audit does not identify where the system broke down," a school statement read, "and it did not identify any other areas of concern with respect to the football program."
Rodriguez signed a six-year deal last year worth $2.5 million per season.
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.
Everyone wave bye bye to Rich Rodriguez. I have a feeling he is gone after this season. Michigan is taking way to many hits.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan athletic director Bill Martin pushed a student and grabbed the wind breaker of another student during two football games, according to a department of public safety report.
Michigan student Jackie Turner says she told Martin he needed a pass to enter the regents guest area of the press box Sept. 12 during a game against Notre Dame. She said he pushed her shoulder and walked past her.
"Honey, I am the athletic director," Turner quoted him as saying, according to a university report on the incident.
On Oct. 17, Eastern Michigan student Arif Khan said he told Martin and a female companion they needed passes to enter the area after a game against Delaware State. Khan said Martin grabbed his jacket.
"I am the athletic director, I can go in," Khan quoted Martin as telling him.
Turner and Khan were interviewed on Oct. 18, three days before Martin announced he would retire in September.
The students said they were uninjured and did not want to press charges.
"I contacted those involved to discuss the situation and express my regret," Martin said in a statement released by the school Monday night. "I know they were just doing their jobs."
Martin, who became Michigan's athletic director in 2000 on an interim basis, announced his retirement in a letter to university president Mary Sue Coleman.
"Being the Michigan AD is not just a job, it's a way of life and one I have embraced full force," Martin wrote in the letter made public Oct. 21.
Coleman has said Martin will remain as AD until a successor is chosen and then he will remain a special adviser to her until retiring.
Domino's Pizza Inc. CEO David Brandon, a former Michigan football player and regent at the school, is among the candidates to succeed Martin.
So from here on out Ohio State will be tested. This coming Saturday they will be playing Penn State. This looks like another low scoring Big 10 slugfest at least on paper. It seems Penn State has the edge here.
-Penn State is allowing an average of 7 points at home. On the road this year Ohio State is averaging 30 points. Penn State is scoring an average of 28 points at home. While Ohio State is allowing an average 13 points on the road.
-Penn State is ranked 5th in total defense and Ohio State is ranked 6th. On paper Ohio State will be the toughest D PSU has faced this year and vice versa for tOSU.
-Ohio States turnover margin is +8 while Penn States is +5.
-Penn State has allowed 60 pts. in the redzone on 21 drives and tOSU has allowed 71 pts. on 15 drives.
-On the offensive side of the ball Penn State is ranked 24th in total offense and tOSU ranked 63rd.
-Ohio States is ranked 31st for SOS and Penn State is ranked 69th.
Taking all this into consideration I'm going to predict tOSU win's (of course) 17-13.
Ohio State will wear uniforms honoring its 1954 national championship team when it faces archrival Michigan on Nov. 21 in Ann Arbor.
The Buckeyes are among several teams participating in a rivalry uniform program sponsored by Nike. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith reiterated several times in a statement released Wednesday that the uniforms will be worn one time only.
It marks the first time in recent memory that Ohio State will wear an alternate jersey.
"[Nike] offered us a chance to try a new uniform product featuring cutting-edge fabrics and technology," Smith said in the statement. "Participation in the program also offered us a one-time opportunity to salute one of those great championship teams that have built the Ohio State football tradition."
The uniforms are still in production and will be unveiled Nov. 15 on Ohio State's athletics Web site. Ohio State celebrated the 55th anniversary of the 1954 team on Oct. 24 against Minnesota.
"Again, this is a one-time opportunity to honor a great championship team," Smith said. "We have no plans to make any changes to the traditional Buckeye uniform for the foreseeable future."
Hell yes. Can't wait. The article title on ESPN says the jerseys are throwback. The article however does not. Hmm
Minnesota's hopes of becoming bowl-eligible took a serious hit today as the Gophers learned Eric Decker will be lost for the remainder of the regular season.
Decker suffered a sprained foot in this past Saturday's loss to Ohio State, and surgery has not been ruled out.
"What we hope is we can possibly get Eric back for a bowl game," head coach Tim Brewster said.
Decker leads 4-4 Minnesota with 50 receptions, 758 yards and five touchdowns. -----------------------------------------------
Hey, Coach Brew? Hate to break the reality to you but I/you/we aren't even sniffing a bowl game without ED. Period.
Woot Wisconsin got in the top 25 polls this week and will prob stay there for the rest of the season and go to a bowl game unless there is an upset, hardest game on our schedule would be Michigan
Hell of a good pass from a Wide Receiver. Drops it right in there. Yea it was against a really scrub ass team but damn it's good to see some creativeness in Columbus. That play just gives tOSU future opposition one more thing to think about.
In addition to an automatic BcS bid and Rose Bowl pact that runs through the 2013 season already in place, the Big Ten now officially has six additional bowl contracts in place, the league announced today.
The conference reached agreements on extensions with three bowls -- Capital One, Outback and Insight -- and signed new deals with three others -- Gator, Texas and Dallas Football Classic.
All of the deals run concurrent with the current BcS contract, through the 2013 season.
The Big Ten's 2010-13 bowl lineup will begin in late December with the Texas Bowl, followed by six more postseason contests played over an estimated 26-hour period on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The Insight Bowl will be played at night on Dec. 31, followed by five more conference bowl games over a roughly nine-hour period on Jan. 1, including the Dallas Football Classic, Capital One Bowl, Outback Bowl, Gator Bowl and Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi.
• The Capital One Bowl first entered into an agreement with the Big Ten for the 1992 campaign and the conference has sent a team to Orlando, Fla., in each of the last 17 seasons, marking the conference's second-longest bowl agreement behind the Rose Bowl. The Big Ten has won four of the last five New Year's Day matchups, which are held at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.
• The Outback Bowl's association with the Big Ten began in 1993 and will extend through the 2013 campaign with games held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The Big Ten has been victorious in two of the last three New Year's Day games, including wins by Iowa in 2009 and Penn State in 2007.
• After becoming the Big Ten's first Arizona bowl game tie-in in 2006, the Insight Bowl will remain a part of the conference's postseason lineup. Representatives from the Big Ten and Big 12 will continue to meet in the annual game held at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., through the 2013 season. Previously known as the Copper Bowl from its inception in 1989 through 1996, Big Ten teams are 2-3 in this event with victories by Indiana in 1991 and Wisconsin in 1996.
• The Big Ten will return to the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl for the first time in nearly two decades, giving the conference a third Florida postseason game to conclude the 2010 through 2013 seasons. Matching teams from the Big Ten and SEC, the Gator Bowl will be held on New Year's Day at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Big Ten has appeared in five Gator Bowls, beginning with a narrow loss by Ohio State after the 1978 campaign and capped by a Michigan triumph over Mississippi following the 1990 season.
• The Big Ten will continue to play postseason football in the state of Texas with a pair of games beginning after the 2010 campaign. The Big Ten will make its first appearance in the Texas Bowl in December of 2010 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. One of the country's newest postseason games, the first Texas Bowl took place in 2006 and will match a Big Ten and Big 12 program beginning in 2010. A Big Ten school has played a bowl contest in the state of Texas in every season since 1995.
• The Big Ten's second postseason game in Texas will be the Dallas Football Classic, which will debut following the 2010 campaign with teams from the Big Ten and Conference USA. The Dallas Football Classic will mark the conference's fifth New Year's Day game and will be played in Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
The Big 10 is back to the "Big Two". Just replace Michigan with Penn State. There is a big log jam in the middle.
The contenders: Penn State gets QB Clark and RB Royster back. They will have to lead a group that will be inexperienced up front. The defense should be tough in the front 7, but very inexperienced in the secondary. The schedule is an 11 win gift, wrapped up and ready to be handed to JoePa. They get Iowa and Ohio State at home, and the non-con schedule is straight from the bakery. All cream puffs.
Ohio State. The Buckeyes have to develop their offense in a hurry, with Pryor the only returning starter from last year. The defense will be strong up front and in the secondary, but loses all 3 of it's LB's. Ohio State gets tested early by USC, and travels to Penn State. That probably spells 10-2 or better for the Bucks.
Midpack Madness: A bunch of teams will fight for positions 3-8 in the Big 10. Your guess is as good as ours, so here goes.
Illinois. Juice Williams returns at QB and brings experience with him. The offense should shine this year. The defense has numerous holes to fill, especially in the back 7. Missouri, Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan State make up 4 of the first 5 games.
Michigan State. Having to find replacements for QB Hoyer and RB Ringer will not be easy. There is experience at WR and on the line. The defense, with 8 starters returning, will hae to pick up the slack until the offense gets on track.
Iowa. RB Greene went pro, and Iowa now must find a replacement. QB Stanzi will have to improve on his passsing game. Iowa will again depend on a stingy defense, led by strong LB's. The line will have to be rebuilt. Iowa has road games against Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Wisky. Ouch.
Michigan. It could not get any worse for Michigan, after last years fiasco. They return 9 starters on offense, and if Freshman QB Forcier canlearn the offense, Michigan should be able to score. The defense is the problem, with only the LB corp in good shape. The schedule is rather soft.
Northwestern. The 'Cats must replace the skill players on offense, but the line looks solid. The defense returns 8 starters and should continue to show the improvment started last season. Fitgzerald is a very good coach, and Northwestern normally flies under the radar. Can they do it again?
The pretenders.
Minnesota. Lots of returning starters for this group, so may think that they should be a challenger, but how good are the returners? The offense returns 10, but must show better balance. That means running the ball, especially now that they are playing outdoors. The defense is quick, but must win more battles up front. Minny went bowling last year, with 7 wins. This year, No. Illinois, Bowling Green and Montana State are replaced by Syracuse, Air Force and Cal, a bit more challenging. The rest of the schedule, save one game, is no help.
Indiana. A new offense hopes to get better results than last years 3 win campaign. A lot of starters return. Indiana must improve the ground attack and stop giving up so many points. It will be a stretch for a bowl appearance here.
Purdue. Danny Hope takes over from the legendary Joe Tiller. Hope is what is neeed because Purdue is very thin and inexperienced at QB, WR, and RB. the OL is experienced, and must leand the way. The defense returns 7 starters, but needs to lead the team while the offense gells. A tough assignment for this team.
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