Bobby Johnson said Wednesday that there as he retired less than a month before Vanderbilt starts fall practice.

The 59-year-old Johnson said it was a very difficult decision, one that he began seriously considering month ago. He said he informed vice chancellor David Williams in a meeting Monday. The announcement came Wednesday after Williams couldnt talk Johnson out of retiring even with offering more money.

Bobby Johnson coached Vandy for eight seasons, including going 2-10 in 2009. (AP) “Football is not life, but its a way of life and it consumes your life,” Johnson said. “You only have so many years to live, and you want to see a different way.”

During the 35-minute news conference and in follow-up interviews, Johnson never said why he chose now to retire. He did say neither he nor his wife have any health concerns.

The timing of his retirement could not come at worse time for Vanderbilt.

Johnson was scheduled to appear at next weeks Southeastern Conferences preseason media days, the annual kickoff to the new season. Its just about three weeks before the Commodores start fall practice and seven weeks before the Commodores opener Sept. 4 against Northwestern.

Coaching college football is demanding, and Johnson indicated he wasnt ready to continue giving 100 percent.

“If you dont have the investment in a season where it means everything to you, then I dont think you should be coaching,” Johnson said.

News leaked out Wednesday morning with WGFX-FM 104.5 The Zone citing sources that Johnson was resigning. That came four hours before Vanderbilt officials planned to inform the Commodores themselves, so the news conference was hastily scheduled with assistant head coach Robbie Caldwell named the interim head coach.

Coaches left reporters to speak with players who already had heard the news from friends or text messages. Once Johnson spoke to them, they reacted with stunned silence. Then the Commodores immediately went to a scheduled workout.

“This isnt something you can sit around and mope about,” defensive lineman T.J. Greenstone said. “Having coach Caldwell helps a lot. He knows the kind of people we have here. He knows how the system works. He knows the personnel. Were not planning on missing a beat here.”

Defensive lineman Adam Smotherman, a Tennessee native, credited Johnson with changing Vanderbilt from a favorite homecoming opponent to a program with a chance to win every game.

“I hope he is happy and finds I guess the happiness that hes looking for out of life. Were going to move on. We are Vanderbilt football. Were going to keep going and keep trucking,” Smotherman said.

Williams said he realized Johnson was serious when he called the coachs house late Tuesday night and spoke with Catherine Johnson.

“I could tell from her voice I had lost,” Williams said.

Caldwell will be given the chance to keep the job with his performance this season. Williams said he has a coach right now and has no plans for a national search.

“Im not searching for anything other than a victory and a lot of them,” Williams said.

Johnson started coaching in 1976 at Furman and finishes with an 89-102 record overall. He led Vanderbilt the past eight seasons and went 29-66, coaching the Commodores to their only non-losing season since 1982 in 2008 with a win at the Music City Bowl that gave them a 7-6 record. He went 2-10 in 2009.

“This is quite a shock to us,” said Caldwell, who learned of Johnsons decision Wednesday.

Caldwell has never been a head coach before outside of a stint as a high school baseball coach for one season in South Carolina. He didnt even have time to alert his family with the news and had to quickly change from shorts to pants for the news conference.

As Caldwell answered questions about whether he was ready to be head coach, Johnson interrupted.

“Hes ready,” Johnson said with a smile.

Johnson had become just the third coach in Vanderbilt history to hold the job for at least eight years, joining Dan McGugin and Art Guepe. Johnson went 29-66 at Vanderbilt and coached the Commodores to their only non-losing season since 1982 in 2008 by winning the Music City Bowl.

That was only Vanderbilts second bowl win ever and first since the 1953 Williams had that trophy brought out and put on a table during the news conference.

Johnson also ended losing skids to eight other SEC teams during his tenure, including a 22-game string to Tennessee in 2005.

“They expect to win,” Johnson said of the Commodores. “Thats the best thing I couldve done for this program.”

But he lost the top recruit of his incoming class in February when Georgia running back Rajaan Bennett, the highest-rated player ever signed to Vanderbilt, was shot to death at his home. Asked about competing in the SEC as the leagues only private school, he cited a stat that Vanderbilt had lost 26 games by seven points or less during his tenure.

“Thats kind of tough,” Johnson said.

Posted on July 15th, 2010 by admin
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Tennessee coach Derek Dooley says he is embarrassed by the recent arrests of some his players and has vowed to change the culture of the Volunteer program.

But those changes cant come soon enough.

There is an ongoing police investigation of several players involved in an off-campus bar brawl. Two players have been arrested and a seventh has been identified as a possible suspect.

Defensive tackle Chase Nelson was named in a Knoxville police report released Wednesday.

Sophomore defensive back Darren Myles Jr. was arrested Friday and has been dismissed from the team. Incoming freshman wide receiver DaRick Rogers was arrested, but Dooley has taken no disciplinary actions against him yet.

Posted on July 15th, 2010 by admin
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Tommy Tuberville or the Big 12?

Before we answer, consider that Texas Techs new coach has …

•  Won at least nine games six times.

Mack Brown and Texas will keep the Big 12 together as long as they want it. (US Presswire) •  Coached his teams to 10 bowl games.

•  Guided his teams to at least a tie for a division or conference title in five seasons.

•  Become the second SEC coach to go 13-0 while winning a conference title.

Now, consider that the Big 12 has …

Texas in the fold, for now. Well, that and promises of a financial windfall from Fox cable. That promise is all that stands between the Big 12 and oblivion. There are no contracts, no signed documents. So when Tuberville innocently said last week that “I dont think this conference will last long,” he merely articulated what the rest of us are thinking:

The Big 12 on shaky ground. Its on shaky ground because it will stay together as long as Texas wants it to stay together. That statement was practically written in stone when the league was saved at the 11th hour last month. Texas was talked in off the ledge when competitors ESPN and Fox cable convinced Longhorn officials that there was enough money to make a 10-team Big 12 worth their while.

Describing it any other way is ludicrous. There are reports that a portion of the Tentative Tens have-nots (perhaps Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Baylor) will surrender to the haves (Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma) portions of Nebraskas and Colorados buyout money. That amounts to protection money paid by run-of-the-mill shop owners to neighborhood bullies.

Anyone remember villain Don Fanucci? Now, imagine this dialogue.

The Big 12 almost broke up because of the disparity in revenue distribution. What did Tuberville do? Remind everyone there is “too much [financial] disparity between all the teams.”

In other news, water is wet and the sky is blue. But for his comments, Tubs was reprimanded by Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe. Not fair. This wasnt like Mike Leach disparaging game officials or Bobby Knight (ano with another outburst.

This was one mans opinion. Check that, Tuberville was stating the opinion of millions.

Oh, and what about the right to free speech? Its hard not to disparage something that 3½ weeks ago was on the brink of collapse. Put it this way: Tuberville (1995 as a head coach) and the Big 12 (1996 as a conference) both started at essentially the same time.

Tuberville will still be able to get a job in five years. Will the Big 12 even exist?

USCs collateral damage

USC probably wont drag anyone down with it when it is left out of the coaches poll this season.

The American Football Coaches Association announced Thursday that it will not allow the Trojans to be in the poll per its rules regarding programs facing major sanctions. No surprise there. Alabama was left out of the coaches poll in 2002 and 2003 while serving a two-year bowl ban.

The question is how USCs absence in the coaches poll will affect other schools chances in the BCS. Not much, it turns out. Executive director Bill Hancock says, “theyll [USC] just be a non-entity,” in the polls. However, USCs strength of schedule will still exist meaning opponents can profit.

For example, “Oregon will get credit for USCs strength of schedule,” if it beats USC, according to Hancock. It isnt a major issue considering that USC, a and thats stretching it (Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Oregon State and Notre Dame). Only the Ducks are projected to be in national championship competition. And thats a long shot.

“They [USC] just wont be in the two polls,” Jerry Palm told CBSSports.com. “It wont matter unless theyre 11-1 or 12-0.”

The coaches poll is half the human component. The Harris Poll was not part of the BCS in the early 2000s, but it probably will copy the coaches poll edict this time and not include USC.

Alabama finished 10-3 in 2002, reaching the top 10 in AP late in t Ole Miss, LSU and Tennessee. Mississippi also finished 10-3 that year and did not appear in the BCS top 15 all season. LSU finished 8-5, the year before its national championship. It did debut in the BCS top 10 before sliding back. Tennessee also finished 8-5 and did not appear in the BCS.

In 2003, Alabama went 4-9 beating no ranked teams.

Boiling down realignment

The ACCs new $1.86 billion deal with ESPN further summarized the conference realignment issue.

It comes down to Texas, Notre Dame, Duke-Carolina and the ACC basketball tournament. Those are the trigger points for any movement. None of the four entities changed homes so the alignment, this time, was minor.

Texas was convinced to stay in the Big 12. Because Texas stayed put, the Pac-10 couldnt expand to 16. Because the Pac-10 didnt expand that far, there was no push for Notre Dame to join the Big Ten, which stopped at 12 teams by inviting Nebraska.

ESPN paid almost $2 billion over the next 12 years essentially for the rights to a pair of Duke-Carolina games and the ACC tournament each season. Per-team rights fees doubled because the ACC bundled football and basketball rights together for the first time. Football? An afterthought in th have slumped since expansion.

So when thinking of alignment in the future, dont think of conferences so much as the “properties” they own. The Big 12 is Texas. The ACC is Duke, Carolina and its hoops tournament. The Big Ten is Ohio State-Michigan. You already know my feelings on that.

Essentially, nothing has changed. The Big 12 has become a stronger basketball power without Colorado and Nebraska. The Pac-10 will command more bucks with Utah and Colorado. The Big Ten, most likely, will have a football championship game.

The ACC? Suddenly looking strong after mucking through five seasons since expansion.

“Weve got a group of schools that are together for multiple reasons,” ACC commissioner John Swofford said. “Theyre together because theyve chosen to be together.”

Posted on July 12th, 2010 by admin
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If Alabama basketball coach Anthony Grant needs any perspective while recruiting, he need only look to his own family.

“Im a parent of a 14-year-old, and I know right now my son is in no position to make a decision mentally or physically in terms of what he wants to do when he turns 18 or 19,” Grant said. “For me, Id be a coach that would rather wait a little longer and see a kid mature a little bit better and see where hes at academically and where he ends up physically before any of those life-changing decisions are made.”

The NCAA is looking at the same issue. Last month, the Division I Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Issues Cabinet backed a proposal to ban scholarship offers to recruits before July 1 in the summer between their junior and senior years in high school.

The rule would apply to all sports if passed, and some coaches are hopeful it could slow an arms-race mentality that has led to earlier and earlier commitments by unproven prospects.

Just this year, the father of a seventh grade quarterback from Delaware said his son had already committed to Southern California. Such statements are nonbinding, along with anything else a recruit does before signing a letter of intent, but many coaches clearly feel pressure to secure even a verbal commitment from a potential program-changing prospect.

Barry Gebhart, the athletic director at Fayetteville High School in Arkansas, said one of his athletes was recently offered a scholarship as a ninth grader.

“On one hand, its good for that young man, but what does it really mean? Are we to think that if he breaks his ankle in his senior year or he has a career-threatening knee injury, that theyre going to honor that commitment? I dont think so,” Gebhart said. “To me, its a gimmick. That might be too harsh, but its something that college coaches do so they can go back to that young man and say, Hey look, we were the first to offer you.”

When a young recruit is offered a scholarship, theres plenty of wiggle room, but although there are no official consequences for backing out, a coach and a recruit can end up in a tough spot.

“It actually happened to us where a kid committed to us early,” Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright said. “By the time he was a senior, we both knew he hadnt developed to the point where we thought he would. We both agreed on that, and he was able to go elsewhere.”

Two years ago, the National Association of Basketball Coaches said it opposed accepting commitments from students who had not yet completed their sophomore seasons in high school. Jim Haney, the groups executive director, said membership hasnt had much time to discuss the NCAAs new proposal, but he understands the reasoning behind it.

“It can be cool to be able to say as a sophomore, Hey, I committed to so-and-so,” Haney said. “But a couple years, a year passes, and his whole attitude toward where hes going to go can change.”

The proposal would also require coaches to receive a high school transcript documenting at least five semesters or seven quarters of academic work for a recruit before offering a scholarship.

Not everyone is enamored with the proposal. West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins isnt buying the idea that early scholarship offers are a widespread problem.

“What are you supposed to do if a kid says he wants to come? You have a state like ours where we pretty much are the predominant university, and a kid comes up following Mountaineer sports and says he wants to come. I dont know what were supposed to say.” Huggins said. “Theres 360-some schools. How many of those 360-some made offers to eighth graders? A couple? … Nobody should be recruiting eighth graders. That shouldnt happen.

“It concerns me that we continue to make legislation for a couple people.”

For his part, Grant said prospects and their families should still have some say over when to start the recruiting process.

“If a kid is in a position early in his career, to gather information, to visit campuses and get a feel for where they fit and whats a good situation for them … I think some of that needs to be left up to the individual families,” he said.

Theres also the question of how the new rule would be enforced. Any scholarship offer is unofficial until a letter of intent is signed, so it would be difficult to monitor what coaches are saying to prospects in private.

Petrina Long, the recruiting cabinets chair, said the plan can still be modified and feedback is welcome. At the very least, she figures the rule might postpone the hype surrounding a recruits choice until hes a bit older, meaning there coul and on coaches to offer him that chance.

“I think thats unfortunately been what the coaches have been complaining to us about,” she said. “They dont want to do it, but other people do it, so they have to.”

Posted on July 12th, 2010 by admin
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Two football players for the University of Georgia were jailed early Saturday morning on alcohol-related charges less than a week after an embarrassing drunken driving arrest prompted the universitys athletic director to resign.

Dontavius Jackson, listed as a sophomore tailback, and sophomore split end Tavarres King were in a Chevrolet Avalanche stopped on a campus road just before 3 a.m., UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said.

Jackson, 20, was charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and other motor vehicle offenses. King, 19, was charged with underaged possession of alcohol as were two other passengers inside the Chevrolet. A fifth person was allowed to leave without being arrested.

Williamson said his officers started following the truck because it failed to move into the left lane while police were conducting an unrelated traffic stop on the same stretch of road. Soon, the police officer following the car heard a radio transmission saying that the Chevrolet was wanted for an earlier hit-and-run accident.

Jackson was being held in the Clarke County jail Saturday afternoon and did not return phone and e-mail messages. A phone listing for King, who was released, was unavailable.

UGA spokesman Claude Felton said football coach Mark Richt was aware of the arrests and is gathering information about the incident. Felton said he was not expecting any decisions on discipline Saturday.

The arrests came less than a week after UGA Athletic Director Damon Evans resigned following an arrest for drunken driving. According to a police report, Evans told an officer: “I am not trying to bribe you, but is there anything you can do without arresting me?”

Evans asked to be taken to a motel instead of a jail or to be let off with a warning, according to police. The arresting officer said Evans, who is married, had a pair of red panties between his legs belonging to a 28-year-old female passenger who was not his wife.

Posted on July 11th, 2010 by admin
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Seantrel Henderson considered signing with Miami months ago. Now, hes decided to play for the Hurricanes after all.

The top offensive lineman in the 2010 recruiting class, Henderson told Miami he plans to enroll in early August, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Henderson has not signed a letter of intent.

Miami opens practice Aug. 5, and Henderson is expected to begin workouts with the Hurricanes then.

The decision completes an odd week for Henderson, who was released from a letter of intent by Southern California on Tuesday, the latest salvo in the fallout following an NCAA scandal. He was released without restrictions.

Henderson did not return a call seeking comment, but updated his Facebook page to say, “Its all about The U,” the Hurricanes motto.

The NCAA recently banned USC from bowl games for two years and imposed severe scholarship restrictions following an investigation surrounding Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Reggie Bush dating to the Trojans 2004 national championship.

USC was penalized for a lack of institutional control in the ruling by the NCAA following its four-year investigation. The coach who presided over the alleged misdeeds - Pete Carroll - is now with the Seattle Seahawks.

Henderson, a 330-pound offensive lineman from Saint Paul, Minn., originally picked USC over Ohio State, Notre Dame and Florida.

Posted on July 10th, 2010 by admin
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Two Tennessee players were charged during an early morning bar brawl that left an off-duty police officer who tried to break up the fight knocked unconscious, and more could be facing charges, police said Friday.

Incoming freshman receiver DaRick Rogers was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, Knoxville police said. Rising sophomore defensive back Darren Myles Jr. was charged with assault, resisting arrest and evading arrest, University of Tennessee police said.

Tennessee coach Derek Dooley dismissed Myles from the team Friday evening and indefinitely suspended sophomore linebacker Greg King and sophomore defensive tackle Marlon Walls, though it was not clear what their alleged roles were in the matter.

A campus police report said Myles tried to hide under a car and in some bushes as an officer tried to arrest him, then elbowed the officer in the face. It was the second offseason arrest for Myles, 19. He also was charged with public intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest on April 18 after a disturbance at a Knoxville restaurant and nightclub.

“It is a privilege, not a right, to be a member of the University of Tennessee football team,” Dooley said in a statement.

“The most important responsibility of that privilege is to properly represent this institution and our supporters on and off the field,” the statement added. “I am disappointed and in many ways embarrassed by the poor judgment displayed on many fronts by several members of our footba rising senior receiver Denarius Moore, junior college transfer defensive tackle John were detained and questioned but had not been charged as of Friday afternoon. Another player, rising sophomore defensive tackle Montori Hughes, was present but has not been questioned by police.

Police said their investigation was ongoing.

Robert Capouellez, an off-duty Knoxville officer who was a patron at Bar Knoxville and tried to break up the fight, was being treated for a head injury after being knocked unconscious, Knoxville police spokesman Darrell DeBusk said.

Capouellez, 24, was in serious but stable condition at the University of Tennessee Medical Center on Friday afternoon. Police said he was hit in the head, knocked to the ground and then kicked several times.

Another patron at the 18-and-up bar, Gary Russell, 20, was treated at UT Medical Center and released.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Atlanta native who was part of Lane Kiffins only recruiting class showed promise during spring practice. After the Vols April 17 spring game, he was awarded the programs Fourth Quarter Award by coaches for dedication to the program.

The 18-year-old Rogers, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound native of Calhoun, Ga., was among Dooleys first signing class.

Both were released from the detention center Friday afternoon. It was not clear if either player had an attorney.

Several witnesses told police two patrons got into a fight inside Bar Knoxville around 1:50 a.m., and several others jumped into the melee. Employees pushed the brawl out onto the street.

Knoxville attorney Greg Isaacs, who represents Hughes, said that his client was “the victim of an unprovoked assault” and that he has no knowledge of anything that took place outside the bar. Isaacs said he did not expect Hughes to face charges.

Sandy Morton, who owns Bar Knoxville with her husband, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press theyve never had any problems from Vols players. She said many of the players, who are treated as VIPs and dont pay a cover charge, are on a first-name basis with her husband.

“I dont know what happened, but several of the guys started beating up the other customer,” she told the newspaper. “I want to guess there was seven to 10 guys beating up this one gentleman.”

Dooley said he is working to change the culture at Tennessee, a program that has seen a number of player arrests in recent years under multiple coaches.

“As I have referenced on many occasions, a change in culture is achieved in time through a combination of education, discipline and support. We will aggressively continue to build on the many positive changes that have occurred over the last five months to ensure our program is represented with class and dignity,” he said.

Posted on July 10th, 2010 by admin
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University of Tennessee incoming freshman receiver DaRick Rogers was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and six other people were being questioned by police after a brawl at a bar near the Knoxville campus early Friday.

Police spokesman Darrell DeBusk told the Associated Press that Robert Capouellez, an off-duty Knoxville officer who tried to break up the fight at Bar Knoxville, was being treated for a head injury after being knocked unconscious.

DeBusk said the officer was hit in the head, knocked to the ground and then kicked several times. It was not clear who hit the officer.

Another bar patron also was taken to a hospital, though the extent of that persons injuries were not clear.

DeBusk said police would not release the names of the others detained until they were charged, but said some of them may also be associated with the Vols football program.

The 18-year-old Rogers, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound native of Calhoun, Ga., was among Volunteers coach Derek Dooleys first signing class. An officer at the Knox County Detention Center said Rogers was at the center but had not been booked as of Friday morning. It was not clear if he had an attorney.

A message for Tennessee athletic officials was not immediately returned Friday morning, and the bar was not open for business. DeBusk said police notified Dooley, who was out of town at the time.

Several witnesses told police two patrons got into a fight inside Bar Knoxville and several others jumped into the fight. Employees pushed the brawl out onto the street.

Capouellez was at the bar as a patron and was not in uniform.

Sandy Morton, who owns Bar Knoxville with her husband, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press theyve never had any problems from Vols players. She said many of the players, who are treated as VIPs and dont have to pay a cover charge, are on a first-name basis with her husband.

“I dont know what happened, but several of the guys started beating up the other customer,” she told the newspaper. “I want to guess there was seven to 10 guys beating up this one gentleman.”

Knoxville police turned over one of the six people detained to the University of Tennessee Police Department after a campus police officer was assaulted trying to take him into custody.

Posted on July 9th, 2010 by admin
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The Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN have agreed to a 12-year deal that would give the network exclusive rights to conference football and mens basketball games.

A person familiar with the agreement told the Associated Press that its worth $1.86 billion over the 12 years. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because financial terms were not released when the two sides announced the deal Thursday.

That would double the leagues annual TV revenue when the contract begins in the 2011-12 season. It would also give ESPN syndication rights that would allow Raycom Sports to carry games and maintain its long-running regional broadcasting relationship with the league.

Partnering with ESPN ends talk for now about the ACC following the lead of the Big Ten by creating its own television network. Commissioner John Swofford said the league did its “due diligence” by researching the issue, but said the ACC opted to avoid the upfront startup costs and the financial risk in favor of utilizing ESPNs in-place broadcast and multimedia outlets.

“When you go with somebody for that kind of money with no financial risk and they have the exten plus they have the technology and th it really begs the question: why would you need your own network?” Swofford said.

The agreement marks the first time the ACC has negotiated one contract to bundle broadcasting rights for football and basketball. The previous deal brought in an average of about $72 million in TV money annually, which t an average of about $6 million per school.

By contrast, the ESPN deal would bring an average of $155 million in TV money per year, an average of more than $12.9 million per school. Those payouts dont include money from bowl games, NCAA tournaments or any other revenue the league distributes to member schools.

Thursdays announcement comes after 15 months of negotiations and a season in which league schools won a record eight national championships, with Dukes NCAA title in mens basketball marking the ACCs fifth crown in 10 seasons. It also comes despite the national economic downturn and the recent possibility o which ultimately amounted only to a handful of schools.

“We have been stable, are stable, and I think this [deal] will enhance that,” Swofford said.

In a conference call with reporters, ESPN executive vice president of content John Skipper said there are provisions in the agreement pertaining to future ACC realignment, though he said the deal would remain in place regardless of whether the league gained or lost schools.

“This is the first time we at ESPN have basically done an all-in deal with a conference where we worked to be able to acquire all their product,” Skipper said. “I think that speaks to how much we value the product thats in the ACC.”

For football, on Saturdays, Thursday nights and Labor Day on one of its channels or online. ESPN would also carry the leagues championship game.

In mens basketball, the network would carry all league games in the same fashion. The deal would also include the entire womens basketball tournament and more non-revenue sports.

ESPN, which said some games would appear through its partnership with ABC, said there will also be some game simulcasts through its mobile service and there will no longer be local blackouts for games that are also being broadcast regionally.

“Were offering fans a choice,” Skipper said. “They can watch Raycom or they can watch ESPN and we believe well see the overall rating go up.”

Posted on July 9th, 2010 by admin
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Southern California has apologized to Florida, Alabama, Washington, Oregon and Fresno State for accusing those schools of breaking NCAA rules by contacting one of the Trojans players without permission.

In a letter dated July 1 and addressed to Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, USC AD Mike Garrett said freshman running back Dillon Baxter confirmed to Garrett that the player “did not receive a call from your institution.”

“I apologize for any inconvenience or embarrassment this matter has caused to you and your institution,” Garrett wrote in a hand-signed letter.

The letter to Foley was obtained by the Associated Press. Spokesmen for Alabama and Washington also confirmed Wednesday that their athletic directors received apology letters from USC.

ESPN.com reported USC filed a complaint with the Pac-10 in June about several schools tampering with Baxter after the Trojans were hit with NCAA sanctions.

Pac-10 spokeswoman Danette Leighton told the AP in an e-mail that it was the conferences policy not to comment on enforcement matters.

USC received a two-year postseason ban, a loss of scholarships and was forced to vacate victories from the 2004 and 05 seasons for NCAA violations involving former star tailback Reggie Bush.

Because of the sanctions, USC upperclassmen are allowed to transfer without the usual NCAA restrictions, but only juniors and seniors can be contacted by other schools.

New USC coach Lane Kiffin got himself into trouble last year when he was at Tennessee for unjustly accusing Florida coach Urban Meyer of breaking NCAA recruiting rules. Kiffin later had to apologize to Meyer and the Gators.

Kiffin is in his first year at USC after spending one tumultuous season at Tennessee.

Posted on July 8th, 2010 by admin
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