Tag Archives: NCAA

The BCS blahs

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Were you thinking that the BCS bowl lineup this year was a bit of a snoozefest? You weren’t alone if so. Ticket sales for some of those games — the Orange, Sugar, Rose and Fiesta bowls — have been sluggish, … Continue reading →

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TCU to the Big East

Posted on December 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t say that this was unexpected, given that TCU changes conferences more often than some people change clothes. TCU, located “Where the West Begins,” is headed east. To the Big East Conference, to be exact. The school announced Monday that … Continue reading →

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Time for the annual “Someone said something stupid about the BCS” kerfuffle

Posted on November 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I was going to write something about Ohio State President Gordon Gee and his obnoxious remarks about Boise State, TCU, and the BCS, but Mean Green Cougar Red covered all the of the ground that I would have, so I’ll … Continue reading →

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Conference realignment isn’t just for the big boys

Posted on October 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Expect to see a lot of smaller fish moving around now that the dust in the big conferences has mostly settled. [Southland Conference] commissioner Tom Burnett told the San Antonio Express News last week that he expected Texas State and … Continue reading →

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From the “If at first you don’t succeed, lower your standards” department

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Too many bowl games, (maybe) not enough bowl-eligible teams. The NCAA’s football postseason licensing subcommittee might have to alter eligibility rules for playing in the postseason depending on how the season plays out. There are 35 bowl games this year, … Continue reading →

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68 is a difficult number to work with

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The poobahs of the NCAA are gathering this week to discuss the nuts and bolts of the new 68-team basketball tournament, and they’ve got a challenge on their hands. After meeting in May, the [10-member Men’s Basketball] committee asked NCAA … Continue reading →

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UH’s academic argument for the Big XII

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting strategy. The head of the Big 12 insists there are no plans to add Texas teams to the conference, but Renu Khator, chancellor and president of the University of Houston, apparently didn’t get the message. She’s still pushing for … Continue reading →

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Utah to join PAC 10

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In case anyone still cares. Oh, and the Big 10 is having some scheduling issues now that they have 12 members. Boy, no one could have predicted that. I think I’ve decided that the now-misnumbered Big 10 and PAC 10 … Continue reading →

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Is the Big XII in UH’s future?

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Now that we know the Big XII will survive, one question that now arises is whether it will try to replace defectors Nebraska and Colorado, and if so with which teams. Already, there’s a drumbeat for UH being included. Richard … Continue reading →

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Big XII lives

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. “The University of Texas’ athletics programs will continue competing in the Big 12 Conference,” the school announced Monday in a statement. Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin released the following statement: “Texas A&M is a proud member of the … Continue reading →

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Bye-bye, Big XII

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good-bye, Colorado. The Pac-10 announced Thursday that the University of Colorado has agreed to leave the Big 12 to join its conference. “This is an historic moment for the conference, as the Pac-10 is poised for tremendous growth,” commissioner Larry … Continue reading →

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The Baylor-PAC 10 emails

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It’s impossible to keep up with all of the Big 12/PAC 10/Big 10 stuff, and the many possible permutations of what could happen, but I was amused by the emails from a Baylor regent trying to whip up support for … Continue reading →

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Baylor versus Colorado

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Like Justin, I find this a little hard to believe. Political forces in the state of Texas are preparing to demand that Baylor — not Colorado — should be one of the schools in the mix should the Pac-10 extend … Continue reading →

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The PAC-16?

Posted on June 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

You know, nothing quite says “Pacific Coast” to me like Lubbock, Texas, and Stillwater, Oklahoma. Two reports surfaced Thursday, in the midst of the annual Big 12 meetings, that indicated the Pacific 10 is mulling offering six Big 12 schools … Continue reading →

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The NCAA licensing lawsuit

Posted on May 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Keep an eye on this. If you’re a sports fan with a legal bent, add this to your Memorial Day weekend reading list: The March 10 complaint in Case No. C 09-01967 CW, United States District Court, Northern District of … Continue reading →

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Don’t play ball with the state of Arizona

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

What Kevin Blackistone says. About 10 years ago, the NCAA made one of its most bold and upright decisions: it refused to allow any more of its postseason tournaments, like March Madness, to be held in South Carolina until the … Continue reading →

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NCAA tournament expands

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

To 68 teams, which is a lot less than 96. The three-team expansion is much more modest than 80- and 96-team proposals the NCAA outlined just a few weeks ago at the Final Four. The move coincides with the new, … Continue reading →

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NCAA 96 on the way

Posted on April 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Let the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the reactionaries begin. The NCAA appears to be on the verge of expanding the men’s basketball tournament to 96 teams. Insisting that nothing has been decided, NCAA vice president Greg Shaheen nonetheless … Continue reading →

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If there’s a big sporting event in town…

Posted on March 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Then it must be time for a story about the economic impact of that big sporting event. For a city that has hosted the Super Bowl, the World Series and NBA and MLB All-Star games in the past decade, the … Continue reading →

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NFL to consider new overtime rules

Posted on March 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

But only for the playoffs, at least for now. Under the new format, both teams would get the ball at least once unless the first team to get the ball scores a touchdown, Greg Aiello said. If the first team … Continue reading →

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UTSA football update

Posted on March 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib has a nice story about the state of UTSA’s fledgling football program. Next fall, UTSA will spend millions to field a football team it hopes will someday compete with cross-state rivals like the University of Texas, Texas Tech … Continue reading →

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Expanding the NCAA Tournament may still happen

Posted on February 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Put me down as being in favor of this. The NCAA started talking about [expanding the men’s basketball tournament] in the fall, along with numerous topics in all 88 championships, and hasn’t gotten past the discussion stage yet. “It’s still … Continue reading →

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Playoff PAC

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The battle for a college football playoff took to the air this week. Playoff PAC says it will run the 30-second ads in Dallas-Fort Worth and Boise, Idaho, into the homes of fans of TCU (12-0) and Boise State (13-0), … Continue reading →

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Who you calling not a real Texan?

Posted on January 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I can never tell if Richard Justice is being serious or silly – it’s too hard to tell the difference with him – so if this is intended as a joke, then I guess it’s on me. If he really … Continue reading →

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“Non-profit” college sports

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Really good read in the Statesman. One way to view Mack Brown’s recent salary modification, to as much as $5.7 million this year with performance bonuses, is that the University of Texas’s generosity has made him the highest-paid college coach … Continue reading →

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Leach v. Tech

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday, Texas Tech head Mike Leach filed a lawsuit against the school to force them to let him coach in Saturday’s Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. Mike Leach is taking his battle from the football field to the courtroom. Attorney … Continue reading →

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Wash your hands

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

College football teams try to stave off a bunch of players missing games due to the flu. As players across Texas and the nation prepare for a new season, the high-tech world of college football is taking on the essential … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit over NCAA licensing practices

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Came across this the other day and have been meaning to give it a mention. Lawyers for the former U.C.L.A. basketball star Ed O’Bannon filed a class-action lawsuit against the N.C.A.A. on Tuesday, claiming former athletes should be compensated for … Continue reading →

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The secret coaches’ poll

Posted on June 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Starting next year, you may know which college football coaches are voting in the USA Today Top 25 coaches’ poll, but you may not know how they vote at the end of the year. The final regular-season ballots in the … Continue reading →

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Graduation rates

Posted on May 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

According to one study, a little more than half of HISD’s high school freshmen ultimately graduate. Despite dozens of commencement ceremonies planned for the next two weeks, only 58.5 percent of Houston-area students who should be graduating will be earning … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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More heat on the BCS

Posted on May 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I realize there are about a billion higher priorities for the President and the Congress to be dealing with these days, but I still really enjoy watching these guys squirm. At a hearing Friday before the House subcommittee on commerce, … Continue reading →

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Planning the workaround

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

While one may feel reasonably optimistic about the chances of a legislative override to Governor Perry’s decision to reject stimulus funds for unemployment insurance, it never hurts to try to grease the skids a little. Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson … Continue reading →

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The Lege versus the BCS

Posted on February 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It’s always heartwarming to see the Lege pay attention to the really important stuff. Take a look at HCR35, for the purpose of “Urging the institution of a playoff system to decide the NCAA football national championship in place of … Continue reading →

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