College Sports Capsules: BYU, Texas agree to play series
PROVO, Utah (AP) — BYU and Texas have agreed to a home-and-home series starting in 2013.
The Longhorns will visit Provo for the first game, then the Cougars will travel to Texas for a game in 2014. The two schools will play three times in four seasons. BYU was already scheduled to play at Texas on Sept. 10, 2011.
BYU is 2-0 against Texas, winning a home-and-home series in 1987 and '88.
Big 12 Football
Kicker Moreland to miss Oklahoma's season
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops doesn't expect kickoff specialist Matt Moreland to be with the team this season due to academic issues.
Stoops said after practice Friday that Moreland's academic situation hadn't been resolved and the senior likely wouldn't be kicking for the Sooners.
Moreland was the kicker for all 81 of the Sooners' kickoffs last season and recorded six touchbacks. On average, opponents started drives on the 26-yard line.
The Sooners, who struggled with kicking last season, still have Patrick O'Hara, Jimmy Stevens and Michael Hunnicutt competing to be the team's kicker. Punter Tress Way could also handle kickoffs.
Football Features
Ga. State starts new program in tough economy
ATLANTA (AP) — In his previous head coaching jobs, there were plenty of things for Bill Curry to worry about.
Who's going to play quarterback? How does the defense look? Will these Alabama fans ever fully accept me?
There were other issues that never crossed his mind.
Do we have enough helmets and chin straps? What are we going to use for a locker room? Where are we going to practice?
But those are just the sort of things Curry has fretted over in what will certainly be the final coaching job of his career and arguably the most daunting one yet.
In less than two weeks, Curry will lead the Georgia State Panthers onto the field for their very first game, the culmination of a two-year journey that exposed the exhilarating highs and excruciating lows of starting a college football program from scratch.
"It's been a real adventure and I've loved every minute of the challenge," the 67-year-old Curry said, pausing briefly and adding with a wry grin, "Well, almost every minute."
OK, so he didn't really love it when he learned that his first semblance of a team — recruits and walk-ons who spent a formative year doing nothing but practicing and scrimmaging against themselves — didn't actually have a field.
So Curry and one of his assistants, George Pugh, hopped in a car and started riding around Atlanta, looking for any patch of grass and goalposts within a 40-minute radius of Georgia State's downtown campus.
"We found a bunch of them. Then we had to find out who ran them," Curry recalled. "There was an awful lot of time and effort spent on those kind of things, and that's just one example."
It will all seem worth it on the night of Sept. 2, when the Panthers, an independent in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, play their first game against Shorter, an NAIA school. From humble beginnings, they'll run onto a relatively grand stage — the 70,000-seat Georgia Dome, home field of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, site of the Southeastern Conference championship game, venue for two Super Bowls and an Olympics.
"This is the reason why I came here," said Mark Hogan, who was Georgia State's very first player. "I didn't come here to practice all year like we did last year, but that was part of it. That was preparation for this. It was well worth it. Now we're here, and we're about to play some real football."
Georgia State is one of six institutions launching programs this year, a diverse group that runs the gamut from South Alabama, which plans to make a full transition to the top level of Division I in 2013, to Notre Dame, uh, College, a former women-only school in Ohio that will compete in NAIA.
Plenty of others are on the way. According to the National Football Foundation, another 11 schools plan to have football teams up and running by 2013, including one right up Interstate 85 that is of similar size and urban location to Georgia State — the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
For their own roadmap, the Panthers may want to look toward the sunshine state.
South Florida started its program in 1997, holding the first team meeting under a shade tree and meeting in trailers until some actual facilities could be built. Within a decade, the Bulls had risen to No. 2 in The Associated Press rankings. They are now members of the Big East Conference and have appeared in five straight bowl games.
Georgia State isn't dreaming that big — at least not yet, anyway.
The Panthers will play a hodgepodge of teams over the next two years (this year's schedule begins with Shorter and ends with defending national champion Alabama) before moving into the Colonial Athletic Association, which competes in the division formerly known as I-AA.
Of course, everyone keeps asking: Will there ever be a day when Georgia State is competing at the same level as that school over in Athens (Southeastern Conference power Georgia) or the one right down the street (defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech)?
"When we're basically selling our full allotment of tickets in the Georgia Dome, then it'll be time to start thinking about that," Georgia State president Mark Becker said. "But right now, we've got to get a team on the field. We've got to build a competitive program at the I-AA level. If we do those things successfully, and the fan base fills in, then we can talk about those things. Now is not the time."
The Panthers already have the makings of a competitive squad, thanks to several high-profile transfers. Joseph Gilbert, a starting offensive lineman at Georgia Tech the last two years, now plays for the Panthers. So does Star Jackson, a backup quarterback on Alabama's national title team.
"It's definitely going to be a change, but I'm excited about it," Gilbert said. "We have a chance to start something new here. For however long Georgia State has a football program, we're always going to be the first."
For Gilbert, the decision to transfer stemmed largely from academics: He had already graduated from Georgia Tech but failed to get into the school's graduate program. Georgia State offered him a chance to further his studies in accounting.
For Jackson, it all came down to playing time. He didn't want to spend another year on the sideline watching Greg McElroy, who's firmly established as Alabama's quarterback on the heels of a perfect season. By transferring to a FCS school, Jackson didn't have to sit out a year.
"Greg was doing a great job," he said. "I just felt like I wanted to get on the field. I wanted to play right now."
Curry has landed other transfers as well — one from Auburn, another from Georgia Tech, others from more modest football schools — many of them enticed by the idea of playing in a major city at a high-profile venue such as the Georgia Dome. That was the sort of built-in advantage the Panthers were counting on when they decided to start a football team.
"We are very enthused about our personnel," said Curry, who coached at Georgia Tech, Alabama and Kentucky but hasn't been on the sideline since 1996. "Some of them are guys we recruited from a lot of different places. And some of them just flat-out fell from the sky. We are so grateful for the transfers who came our way."
What Georgia State will have to overcome is a general apathy that has always existed toward the school's largely mediocre athletic program — especially in a city with plenty of sports options, including four major league teams, three minor-league franchises and way-more-established Georgia and Georgia Tech.
For most of its history, this has been nothing more than a commuter school. It's been a place that educated tens of thousands of students who did nothing more than drive in from the suburbs, attend classes and head right back home, leaving behind a soulless grouping of nondescript buildings that was derided as the "Concrete Campus."
While the makeup of the school is shifting toward students who now live on or near campus in recently built dormitories, it's still been a challenge to get them excited about their own teams. Just last season, the men's basketball squad — until now, the most prominent on campus — averaged just 1,385 fans per game.
The football team will certainly surpass that, having sold more than 3,000 season tickets. Then again, that will look like a mere speck in the massive Georgia Dome, even with the Panthers only using the lower bowl.
Also, the Panthers couldn't have picked a worse time to start a program. The economic downturn has made it much tougher to raise funds, which have lagged behind projections and forced the school to phase in the completion of its new football training complex.
While the football team moved onto a new practice field in the spring — sandwiched next to railroad tracks and a MARTA rapid-transit line, it epitomizes as much as anything the school's urban setting — the adjoining facilities are still a work in progress. Only part of the building is set to open this season.
"The most unpleasant part has been the economy," Curry said. "That's affected everything we've tried to do, like it has affected everything in world. We certainly couldn't wallow around in self pity because everyone else was suffering the same way."
In the meantime, the Panthers have found ways to make it all work. The locker and weight rooms are located in the school's basketball arena. Meetings are held in whatever classrooms happen to be available around campus.
For someone such as Gilbert, who was playing in the Orange Bowl seven months ago, it's been quite a change.
"The biggest thing is the walking," he said. "We have meetings in one building. The locker room is in another. We go eat in a building over there. That's been a big adjustment, I'm not going to lie. I got a bit lazy while I was at Tech.
"But it's no big deal. I needed the exercise."
-- Paul Newberry
Bama's Ingram latest to chase 2nd Heisman
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Archie Griffin knows that one day he won't be the only multiple Heisman winner.
"Somebody's going to do it three times," the former Ohio State star said. "It's not going to be an easy deal, but somebody out there can get it done."
Enter Alabama's Mark Ingram. The Crimson Tide running back has a chance this season to win his second, and if he sticks around for his senior year, possibly a third.
Last season he became the third straight sophomore to strike the Heisman pose, when only juniors and seniors had previously won the award. But Florida's Tim Tebow couldn't do it. He made two unsuccessful runs at winning a second Heisman. And Oklahoma's Sam Bradford had his quest for a two-peat end early with a shoulder injury last season.
For his part, Ingram sidesteps talk of a Heisman repeat.
"You really can't worry about that type of stuff," the compact tailback said, "all the pressure that people put on you."
But it's there, and will likely be there all season. So will the scrutiny, the attention and of course the trophy — which is on display in Alabama's football building. It's the only one, after all, a Tide player has ever won.
Before the sophomore surplus, 11 juniors had won the Heisman since Griffin captured his second straight in 1975. Only Oklahoma running back Billy Sims (1978), BYU quarterback Ty Detmer (1990), Oklahoma quarterback Jason White (2003) and Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart (2004) returned for another shot.
The rest turned pro early. Ingram has a couple of things in his favor: He plays for the defending national champions at a program that prides itself on winning national titles.
Bradford and Tebow say that makes winning Heisman No. 2 secondary.
"There was people talking about it, but in my mind it wasn't a big deal because there was always so much more pressure in trying to win games and trying to win a championship than winning a Heisman," said Tebow, now a Denver Broncos rookie.
"So, if you were maybe somewhere else where you didn't have that pressure and that expectation of winning a championship, maybe the Heisman would affect you more. But I don't think it really had an effect because of our level of expectations and then the expectations others put on us, too, were so high that you were always more focused on winning a championship than winning a Heisman."
He came close — twice. Tebow was the first three-time finalist and the first player since Georgia's Herschel Walker, the 1982 winner, to finish in the Top 5 three times. He was third in 2008 behind Bradford and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, and fifth last season.
Bradford never got a crack at it, injuring his right shoulder in both the season opener and his brief comeback attempt. He insists winning the Heisman a second time was pretty much a non-issue, anyway.
"I put no extra pressure on myself," said Bradford, drafted No. 1 overall by St. Louis. "I think it depends on who you are but I've always had the approach that individual awards are really based on team success. I know going into each year you're not playing for individual awards, you're playing for championships. If you help your team, if you do what you're supposed to do, then those things will come."
It's the same advice Ingram got from Tebow. The two became friends during the trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony last December.
"He just tells me don't worry about all that, just to be the best player I can be," Ingram said. "Just focus on being the best player I can be for my team and winning games, because that's all that really matters. And that's the same mindset that I have.
"It's the same mindset that he had. You really can't worry about that type of stuff, all the pressure that people put on you. You've just got to be focused on yourself and your teammates."
One of those teammates might hinder Ingram's chances to match his school-record 1,658 yards. Trent Richardson ran for 751 yards as a freshman and could be in line for even more carries this season.
Another challenge, says Andre Ware, is opposing defenders would love to take shots at the Heisman Trophy winner.
"The thing that you face is you're everyone's target when line up on Saturday," said Ware, who left Houston for the NFL after winning the Heisman as a junior in 1989. "Everyone wants to say, 'I hit the Heisman Trophy winner.' You become everyone's claim to fame so to speak. So every weekend, because last year's Heisman winner plays for Alabama, it's ammunition enough but when you've got the Heisman winner on your team, everyone wants that shot to say that they beat the Heisman winner."
Depending on who you ask, being the reigning Heisman Trophy winner doesn't necessarily give you a leg up when the votes are tallied.
"I think it's wide open and I think that's the beauty of the award is that after last December you can wipe the slate clean and everybody starts over," said Ware, now a college football analyst with ESPN. "It's good to have the tag as the Heisman Trophy winner because it puts you on the board immediately for next year's race. But the slate is absolutely wiped clean. It's anybody's race. There's no clear-cut favorites in my mind."
Griffin would write Ingram in as the front-runner — in pencil, of course.
"I always have the incumbent being the favorite because they won it the year before," he said. "I know it's tough to do, but you've got to have them up there pretty high. With the type of team that Alabama's going to have and with what they've got coming back, I would imagine that he's probably the favorite."
Ingram publicly downplays the significance of another Heisman. Tide quarterback Greg McElroy doesn't think he's just being politically correct.
"I don't think he'd be disappointed in what he does this year as long as he helps us win," McElroy said. "He won't even complain about touches or yards or catches whatsoever, he'll do whatever he can to help the team win. That's the epitome of college football, winning the Heisman Trophy and the national championship. Mark's been able to do both and is really hungry to do both again, or give it a shot."
Whatever happens, Griffin plans to take it all in.
"It doesn't bother me if somebody wins it a second time or even a third time," Griffin said. "It's one of those situations where I just enjoy the race."
-- John Zenor
Caldwell's humor disguises strong coaching skills
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Robbie Caldwell might have missed his true calling — the Blue Collar Comedy Tour.
The South Carolina native with a thick Southern accent has a way of telling stories with perfect comic timing. Just listen to him explain away the 15 pounds he lost in his first couple weeks in his new job.
"I know it's hard to believe, but a fat man forgets to eat," the Vanderbilt coach said with a deadpan delivery.
His good ol' boy persona was so refreshing that he earned a round of applause from a room of reporters, including a standing ovation from a few, in his debut at Southeastern Conference media days last month. Coincidence or not, his bosses later removed the interim from his title and started work on a new contract.
Good thing Caldwell has a sense of humor.
He'll need it in the SEC's toughest job at the league's smallest school and its only private one. Even so, his friends say he's more than ready for his first top job and caution against underestimating him because of his accent or humor.
Bobby Johnson, who retired July 14 to clear the path for Caldwell's promotion, has been close friends with him since both were graduate assistants at Furman in 1976.
"We've heard those stories many, many years, and Robbie has them down. He does a good job. They are true. It's all true. But Robbie also has a good way of spinning it, trying to make you think he's just not serious about everything," Johnson said. "Robbie's down to earth, tells you exactly what he's thinking, and I think that's going to be a great asset for him.
"He won't abuse it. He won't do crazy things. He's smart."
Caldwell enthralled reporters at SEC media days talking about his first job working at a turkey farm, using up all 40 minutes allotted to him. His answer to how that happened?
"I had no agenda. No plan. I was just going in to be honest and answer everybody's questions. I was dead serious, and they thought it was hilarious," Caldwell said.
Virginia Tech quarterbacks coach Michael O'Cain has seen Caldwell's skills up close from the time he was the quarterback and Caldwell his center at a North Carolina-South Carolina all-star game. They also worked together as assistants at North Carolina State, and he couldn't be happier that his old friend finally has his first head coaching job at the age of 56.
O'Cain cautions that Caldwell comes across as an unsophisticated country boy. Don't fall for that act. He says Caldwell is very smart, a skilled recruiter, an excellent football coach and a great person.
And yes, Caldwell is much funnier than he is.
"I could tell the same story, and it wasn't very funny at all. He'd tell the story, and everybody would roll out of their chair laughing," O'Cain said. "He's got that knack about him. He's a very good people person, enjoys people and has a lot of fun."
Caldwell returned to Furman in 1978 after a stint under Dick Sheridan as a high school offensive line coach. He followed Sheridan to North Carolina State in 1986, including two years as assistant head coach. He spent 2000 and 2001 at North Carolina before Johnson convinced his old friend to join him at Vanderbilt.
Johnson said Caldwell's true strength is his ability to soak in information and teach players so they respond, even to the point of using different approaches to reach individuals whether it's through music, history or girlfriends.
"He has a great ability to demand a lot from his players, but at the same time care a lot about his players. To me, that's a great talent to have as a coach," Johnson said.
Chicago Bears tackle Chris Williams, a first-round draft pick in 2008, is among those very excited that Caldwell now is Vanderbilt's head coach. He recalled how Caldwell posted a picture of Jim Otto for inspiration, since replaced by photos of the Commodores' own top linemen. Williams predicts the current team will rally around Caldwell.
"He's a guy that you want to show up and work hard for. He's that kind of coach," Williams said.
Anyone mistaking Caldwell for a teddy bear who can't discipline his players will be mistaken.
Kansas defensive coordinator Carl Torbush worked against Caldwell for many years before they worked together at North Carolina, and he listened in once when Caldwell called the Western Carolina coach about an incoming transfer. The offending player sat in front of him having skipped classes a couple days.
"Robbie had him scared to death. The old boy didn't miss anymore classes, graduated and did very, very well. ... I don't even believe he had anybody on the phone anyway," Torbush said.
Caldwell has even more challenges than most Vanderbilt coaches.
Johnson retired with coaches temporarily working in the stadium while crews were renovating and expanding the coaches' offices. Caldwell moved them back in during the first week of August with coaches settling in while workers finished installing base boards, lights and exit signs.
Boxes have been stacked throughout the hall and in Caldwell's new office with the big window overlooking the stadium. So they faced unpacking at the same time running practices for a team coming off a 2-10 season.
How tough is winning at Vanderbilt? Well, the Commodores' lone winning season since 1982 came in 2008, when they went 7-6 and won their first bowl game since 1955. Caldwell faces a difficult schedule with SEC games against LSU, Georgia, Arkansas and Florida, while Northwestern, Connecticut and Wake Forest fill up the non-conference slate.
Torbush believes Caldwell can provide great stability given time.
"People should realize Robbie had quite a few chances to leave Vanderbilt because other people wanted him, and he stayed there because of his loyalties to Vanderbilt and Bobby Johnson. Hopefully they'll do the same thing for Robbie," Torbush said.
Kind words that Caldwell sees as a comedic opening.
"We've upgraded the program every way except maybe the head coaching spot," he said.
And about that ovation at SEC media days? Caldwell insists he didn't know what they were doing.
"That was so kind. I thought they were getting up to leave," he said.
-- Teresa M. Walker
Swarbrick readies Notre Dame for the future
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Jack Swarbrick's comfortable and spacious office is flush with many reminders of Notre Dame's long history of athletic endeavors and excellence. For one, there's the picture of that 1913 team captained by an end named Knute Rockne.
That was the season the Irish unleashed a potent passing game to upset heavily favored Army, a victory that signified Notre Dame's emergence as a force in college football.
As a student in the 1970s, Swarbrick also recalls another landmark day when word broke that Ara Parseghian — who led the school to a pair of national championships — was leaving.
"That news shot through campus pre-text messaging days. It was like wildfire," Swarbrick said. "Just people running down dorm halls telling each other that Ara was stepping down."
Now in his third year as director of athletics at his alma mater, Swarbrick oversees a department featuring 26 varsity teams. And football still rules center stage on campus and for the school whose fan base spans the country.
"I think the passion is very similar, but it manifests itself differently because of the Internet," Swarbrick said, contrasting his student days of more than 30 years ago to the ever-changing technological landscape of today.
"People have a level of engagement that is very different. That's what you see the most. You could argue that the passion is pretty similar. People feel like they know so much about these young men. ... For us, my generation, they were just classmates. What we read about them, we read in the newspaper."
Swarbrick's been busier than ever. There's a new hockey building going up, and the school has announced future football series with Miami and Texas. And, oh yeah, eight months ago he helped hire a new coach in Brian Kelly who's expected to lead the Irish back to the forefront of the college football landscape.
The talk of conferences expanding and realigning enveloped athletics earlier this year. And although the additions and subtractions turned out to be mild compared to some projections — Nebraska to the Big Ten being one of the biggest — Swarbrick reiterated that Notre Dame wants to maintain its football independence.
"Our goals remain the same for reasons I tried to articulate," Swarbrick said.
Notre Dame is comfortable with its television contract with NBC, a partnership that began in 1991 and has been extended through 2015. It brings a reported $15 million per year for football, a figure that is under the $22 million Big Ten members reportedly get with the league's own TV network doing so well.
"It has zero to do with finances," Swarbrick said of the desire to stay independent. "It was all about the identity of this place and its tradition and heritage."
While realignment was making all the headlines and Notre Dame's status was discussed daily, Swarbrick heard from both sides about which avenue would be best — should it have the option.
"Other than winning all our games every year there is never a consensus," he said. "Clearly the sizable majority prefers independence, but there have been a fair number of thoughtful letters from people" who thought joining a conference was a preferable alternative.
He said those opinions came in e-mail, regular correspondence and "people buttonholing you at the baggage carousel at the airport. I heard from a lot of folks."
Swarbrick had an extensive career as an attorney, served as chairman of the Indiana Sports Corporation from 1992-2001 and has been involved in numerous projects connected to college and Olympic sports. He was also instrumental in securing the Super Bowl for Indianapolis in 2012.
He quickly points to two black boxes on a shelf that contain the bid for the Super Bowl, one that he authored. It was a project he called "the ultimate political campaign."
After Charlie Weis was fired following last season's 6-6 finish, Swarbrick had another campaign of sorts. His responsibility was to find the right man for one of the most high profile jobs in American sports.
He set up a screening process and got input from players. He emphasized it wasn't about chasing a big name as much as it was about finding someone who fit the profile he'd established.
He also talked with Parseghian and got great insight from the former coach.
"For the football coach at Notre Dame, the basketball coach at UCLA, those iconic positions in the industry, you got to be careful," Swarbrick said. "You have to manage it in a way. You got to be willing to reach out and be creative.
"Ara said something that was really important to me as I was working through criteria. He said, 'I needed every year I had as a head coach to be able to coach at Notre Dame.'"
After the initial screening process narrowed the field to 18 candidates and then down to nine, Kelly emerged, a 48-year-old with nearly two decades of head coaching experience. "To find somebody Brian's age who coached for 19 years as a head coach is extraordinary," Swarbrick said.
Of course it didn't hurt that Kelly had transformed programs at each of his three previous stops — Grand Valley State, Central Michigan and Cincinnati, where his 2009 team was 12-0 in the regular season behind a modern spread offense.
Now, Swarbrick will be watching intently when the Irish take the field at Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 4 for their first game under a new coach — one that Swarbrick brought to campus.
Finding down time can be difficult for Swarbrick during these busy days. He relishes any opportunity he can spend around college or Olympic athletes because they help him deal with whatever stress he might encounter. And they're never far away.
"There are days that are tough in this job," Swarbrick said, "but if I'm having a bad day, I walk out to practice."
-- Rick Gano
Football News & Notes
Seattle's Balmer: UNC's Austin, Thomas like family
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer said he hasn't spoken with the NCAA about its investigation of North Carolina and that questions about his relationship with two of his former college teammates is "really not fair."
As the NCAA investigates whether defensive tackle Marvin Austin and receiver Greg Little received improper benefits from agents, questions have arisen about a cross-country trip taken by Austin and former Tar Heel Cam Thomas last summer.
Thomas — now a rookie with the San Diego Chargers — said Balmer paid for them to travel to California and train, though Balmer declined to say whether he did so in an interview with The Associated Press.
Balmer, clearly bothered by investigation, said the NCAA has yet to contact him and said both Austin and Thomas were like family to him.
"It's really not fair because, like I said, the bond I have, they're as good as blood to me," Balmer said during the Seahawks training camp. "Even though we're not blood-related, I'd go out there and lay it on the line for them at any time, at any situation.
"Those are my guys. And for us to be scrutinized ... for having a friendship and a brotherhood is just real upsetting and real frustrating."
Balmer played two seasons with Thomas and was a senior during Austin's freshman year in 2007, which was also coach Butch Davis' first season in Chapel Hill. He was a first-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2008, though he went on unexcused leave from 49ers' training camp last week and was traded to Seattle on Monday.
All three played defensive tackle at North Carolina under line coach John Blake, whose longtime friendship with Balmer's agent — California-based Gary Wichard — has also drawn the NCAA's attention.
It's unclear whether the trip would violate the NCAA rule prohibiting preferential treatment for athletes. Both Thomas and Austin played in all 13 games last year, raising the question of whether the Tar Heels would have to vacate their eight wins from 2009 for using ineligible players if the NCAA ruled it a violation.
But Balmer said he has remained close to Austin since hosting his recruiting visit as a nationally touted prep prospect and since meeting Thomas at a football camp when Thomas was still in high school. Balmer said he remained in touch with both players before their arrivals at North Carolina.
"I mean, people don't understand the bond I have with these guys," Balmer said. "When speculation happened with the 49ers, they were the first ones to call me. Cam's in camp. Marvin's in camp. But they made time to call me because they looked at me as their big brother and I looked at them as my little brothers. So anything they're going through, I'm with them. ... I just think it's a lot of speculation going on and I'm pretty sure the truth will come to light."
Austin and Little have been practicing with the Tar Heels' second team during training camp as they prepare for the opener against LSU in Atlanta on Sept. 4
Davis has declined to talk about the investigation or whether he'd sit either one if the NCAA hasn't ruled by then, but he said the team will begin focusing more on the Tigers on Monday.
"We'll have to give some serious consideration and see if there's been any kind of revelation from the NCAA at that particular point and we'll make a decision at that time if we have to," Davis said.
Saban promises uniform change will be minor
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's one-game uniform switch-up won't be that big a deal.
Coach Nick Saban says the changes will be "relatively insignificant." He said Thursday evening he's a traditionalist and doesn't like to change.
Alabama will be one of 10 team sporting Nike's Pro Combat uniforms for a game. They'll be unveiled on Sept. 1, along with the games when they'll be worn by each school.
The change is part of a seven-year, $30 million contract extension with Nike the university signed in May.
Alabama agreed to wear the Pro Combat uniform for a game this season but has approval rights on style changes.
The other teams who will sport the uniforms include Florida, LSU, Texas and Ohio State.
Steve Spurrier teases Vols about UNC series
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Another Tennessee coach, another jab at the Volunteers by Steve Spurrier.
The South Carolina coach commented on his radio program Thursday night about Tennessee's efforts to delay or buy out a two-game series with North Carolina by saying, "Golly, times have changed when Tennessee doesn't want to play North Carolina in football because they're too good for them," and "We're not going to bail out from playing North Carolina the way Tennessee did."
Dooley responded on the Dan Patrick Show radio program on Friday, "I guess I wouldn't be an official member of the SEC if coach Spurrier hasn't taken a shot at our program."
Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton has said he wants to delay the North Carolina series to keep the Vols from playing two non-conference BCS opponents during a rebuilding period.
Ohio State accuses website of trademark violation
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State University has filed a federal lawsuit accusing a company of trying to print unauthorized programs for athletic events.
The lawsuit accuses GDS Marketing Inc. of trademark infringement, unfair competition and cyberpiracy. Ohio State says the Wisconsin-based company owns the domain buckeyeillustrated.com.
University spokesman Jim Lynch says the company declared its intent to produce electronic versions of gameday programs, along with printed versions for distribution in Columbus. He said the lawsuits asks for a temporary restraining order and also seeks to shut down the website.
Lynch said the school is obligated to protect its trademark from unauthorized use. An e-mail requesting comment not returned by the company Friday.
Mountain West, C-USA work on path to BCS
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The commissioners of the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA have spoken about staging a postseason game between their champions in hopes of securing an automatic berth to the Bowl Championship Series.
C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky issued a statement Friday confirming he had met the previous day in Colorado Springs with MWC chief Craig Thompson to discuss "scheduling, television and postseason football."
Neither league has an automatic BCS bid and would likely have to wait until the current BCS contracts expire in four years to broker a deal for one.
The talks follow the announcement earlier in the week that Nevada and Fresno State will move to the Mountain West from the Western Athletic Conference.
Phillips hopes to narrow quarterback search to 2
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Wildcats coach Joker Phillips is hoping to narrow is three-man quarterback race to a duo after a weekend scrimmage.
Phillips told the Lexington Herald-Leader that "we've got to get going" on preparing a starter for the Sept. 4 season opener against Louisville.
Mike Hartline, Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossakowski have been battling for the starting job since fall camp began. Phillips says winnowing the race to two will give the finalists enough practice time where a starter can emerge.
While not his preference, Phillips says he would run a two-quarterback system if it gave the Wildcats a better chance to win.
USC frosh Wright, Scroggins not cleared to play
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California freshmen Demetrius Wright and Jesse Scroggins still haven't been rule eligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
Wright, a cornerback, and Scroggins, a quarterback, were allowed to practice with the team for 14 days while their paperwork was under review, but USC coach Lane Kiffin said after Friday morning's practice that the two were sent home until they qualified.
Kiffin says he is "hopeful that will be resolved very quickly and we will be able to get them back."
Kiffin said several other freshmen were cleared in the last three days.
Buckeyes' Hall doesn't make grades, will redshirt
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State sophomore offensive tackle Marcus Hall will redshirt the 2010 football season, due to academic problems.
Buckeyes spokeswoman Shelly Poe announced the decision on Friday night.
The 6-foot-5, 320-pound, product of Glenville High School in Cleveland played in nine games last season for the Buckeyes as a true freshman. He was expected to be a backup this season. He will still have three more seasons of eligibility.
In a statement, Hall said he was trying to look at his situation as a way to get better both in the classroom and on the field.
Gamecocks OL suspended
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina injured offensive tackle Quintin Richardson has been suspended indefinitely by coach Steve Spurrier as school officials look into an assault claim.
Spurrier said Friday that Richardson would remain suspended because of an undisclosed violation of team rules. Multiple media outlets report the university was reviewing a claim that Richardson assaulted a woman in the Williams-Brice Stadium parking lot. The State newspaper of Columbia reports university spokeswoman Margaret Lamb said no charges were filed and police had closed the case.
Richardson is a 6-foot-4, 290-pound junior who was already out as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Spurrier says Richardson can't take part in team activities while on suspension.
Jacksonville State signs ex-Ole Miss RB
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Former Mississippi running back Darius Barksdale has signed with Jacksonville State.
Gamecocks coach Jack Crowe says Barksdale practiced with the Football Championship Subdivision team on Friday. The freshman and former Mississippi prep Mr. Football set the Class 5A record with 2,917 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior at South Panola High School.
Barksdale was arrested Aug. 6 in Batesville and charged with DUI and driving without a license. The former prep All-American was a part of four straight state champions and unbeaten teams in high school. He attended Hargrave Academy before signing with Ole Miss.
Men's Basketball
Former Michigan State guard Allen Iowa State-bound
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Former Michigan State guard Chris Allen says he plans to enroll at Iowa State this fall and begin playing basketball for the Cyclones starting in the 2011-12 season.
Allen says Iowa State felt like the right place to finish his college career.
He says coach Fred Hoiberg and the Iowa State coaching staff can help him continue pursuing his dream of playing in the NBA.
Earlier this month, Michigan State announced Allen wouldn't return to the Spartans for the 2010-11 season.
Allen started 27 games and averaged 8 points a game last season for the Spartans, who made it the NCAA tournament's Final Four.
In a statement, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo calls Iowa State "a great fit" for Allen and wishes him "nothing but the best."
U of Minn. back in court with fired coach
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The University of Minnesota was back in court Friday with the former Oklahoma State assistant basketball coach who successfully sued it for nearly $1.25 million.
KARE-TV reports the two sides returned to argue post-trial motions. The university asked the judge to reverse the jury's decision and reduce the damages or grant a new trial.
The attorney for Jimmy Williams opposed all three. The judge took the issue under advisement and is expected to make a decision in the next few weeks.
In May, a Hennepin County jury found that Minnesota basketball coach Tubby Smith falsely represented that he had the authority to hire Williams when Smith offered him a job.
Williams resigned from his $200,000-a-year job at Oklahoma State, but Minnesota officials then backed away due to Williams' past NCAA recruiting violations.
Illinois-Chicago hires basketball coach
CHICAGO (AP) — The University of Illinois at Chicago has hired Wisconsin assistant coach Howard Moore to head its basketball program.
Moore, who attended Chicago Public Schools and is a graduate of Wisconsin, is replacing Jimmy Collins who announced last month he is retiring Aug. 31, after 14 seasons with the Flames.
The 37-year-old Moore has served as an assistant at Wisconsin under head coach Bo Ryan for the last five seasons.
UIC athletic director Jim Schmidt said Friday that Moore's integrity, work ethic and track record on the court and the recruiting trail is what made him attractive. He says Moore is committed to leading the Flames to excellence on and off the court.
Moore says he is excited about heading the Flames, and intends to lead the team to the top of the Horizon League.
Oregon Ducks postpone Italy exhibitions
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The University of Oregon basketball team has postponed a summer trip to Italy for a year.
The Ducks had been scheduled to leave Monday for the 10-day exhibition tour. But coach Dana Altman said Friday that team injuries led him to delay the trip until 2011.
The Ducks had practiced five times in preparation for the Italy games.
Official practices for the upcoming season start on Oct. 15.
Women's Basketball
Neb. women's basketball team to host Neb.-Omaha
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska women's basketball team will host Nebraska-Omaha for a non-conference game in November.
The game is scheduled for 11 a.m. Nov. 26 at the Devaney Center.
UNO coach Patty Patton Shearer says the game will give her players a chance to compete against one of the top teams in the country.
