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SEC MEETINGS: The annual meetings in Destin, Fl., continued through Friday. On the agenda was discussion of the upcoming television contracts between the SEC and Raycom, CBS, ESPN and Fox Sports South that ends after the 2008-09 season. FOX, the national network, wants a piece of the SEC TV pie. All the Raycom games will be in HD this season. There is also talk that an SEC television network (possibly in 2009) could take over the Raycom games some day on a subscriber basis. Neither the Big Ten network nor the Mountain West Sports Network has turned a profit yet, but both are guaranteed their money. In the Big Ten, which has a 20-year agreement with Fox, each school gets an additional $7 million per year. The SEC doesn’t own institutional media rights for each school like the Big Ten does which means the SEC would have to accumulate those rights. Non-revenue sports would benefit the most. Big Ten officials are close to a deal with Comcast that would nearly double the viewing audience.
The SEC office has proposed a conference media policy that would provide reporters with better access. Among the proposals: open scrimmage to the media if they are open to fans; permit freshmen to talk if they contribute and be able to talk to coordinators once a week. The coaches voted it down, 12-0, but the issue went before the athletic directors Friday. Ron Higgins, the president of the President of the Football Writers Association of America, presented the proposal Thursday. Higgins said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive supports the proposal. He also said the proposal would provide more accurate information for fans.
The SEC averaged a rating of 2.7 on ESPN last season, the highest ratings since 1997. ESPN’s average rating was 2.1.
Last year, the SEC distributed $10 million plus per school. LSU and Mississippi State want to raise the scholarship limits for baseball from 11-to-14.
League coaches voted, 9-3, for an early signing period even after voting at the same ratio against it last year. Florida’s Urban Meyer, South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier and Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino remained opposed to an early signing period because it leaves little time to evaluate players. Coaches opposed to it also believe it hurts their chances to recruit out of state. Under the proposal, prospects who have not taken official visits will have one day before the start of the official contact period on Dec. 1 to sign a binding letter of intent.
The “Saban Rule” which means that head coaches can’t visit prospects in person during the spring evaluation process (April 15 through May 31) will likely have a “coach-in-waiting” addendum in order to close a loophole. The rule would apply to Joker Phillips of Kentucky, Jimbo Fisher of FSU and Purdue’s Danny Hope.
EARLY SEC TV games: Georgia at South Carolina, CBS, Sept. 13; Florida at Tennessee, CBS, Sept. 20 and LSU at Auburn, ESPN, Sept. 20 and Florida vs. Georgia Nov. 1, CBS. Also on Oct. 11, CBS will likely broadcast a doubleheader with LSU at Florida and Tennessee at Georgia.
LSU: The Tigers start the 2009 season at Washington then the Huskies come to Baton Rouge in 2012. LSU’s other non-conference 2009 games are Houston, Southern Miss and at Tulane. The Tiger’s have a difficult consecutive four game stretch at Mississippi State (Sept. 26), at Georgia (Oct. 3) then home games against Florida (Oct. 10) and Auburn (Oct. 24). ESPN has shown a lot of interest in televising LSU’s opener against Appalachian State, but the network wants an afternoon kickoff and Tiger officials want a night start.
GEORGIA: According to UGASports.com, receiver signee A. J. Green has qualified and will report to school on June 2. Defensive end signee Toby Jackson will likely end up at a prep school. Offensive lineman Cordy Glenn said he has qualified. Offensive lineman Clint Boling could miss the first one or two games after being arrested for DUI two weeks ago.
ARKANSAS: The Sept. 13 game at Texas has been selected by ABC for a 3:30 pm kickoff. Coach Bobby Petrino said he made the right choice in leaving the Falcons to get back into college football. Petrino also said he and Tommy Tuberville have mended their relationship after 2003 season when Petrino met with Auburn officials.
TENNESSEE: Brandon Warren, a former FSU signee, is set to enroll at Tennessee on June 1. He has spent the past few months at a junior college. His transfer was complicated because he left FSU after only one semester and was not granted his release by FSU. Former Tennessee defensive back Ricardo Kemp is transferring to Jackson State, joining his former Vol teammate Antonio Wardlow who came last season. Kemp played in 26 games for the Vols in two seasons.
ALABAMA: Chance Warmack (6-4, 325), an offensive lineman from Atlanta, has committed to the Tide. Auburn, South Carolina, Rutgers and Arkansas have offered him. Tide defensive line signee Brandon Lewis said he is heading to Hargrave Military Academy because he didn’t qualify. Alabama linebacker signee Courtney Upshaw is on the verge of qualifying according to his high school coaches. Defensive back signee Alonzo Lawrence has been certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse. The Georgia game has been selected by ESPN as a priority selection. No kickoff time has been announced. Saban admitted that in a recent staff discussion concerning the trip to LSU, one staff person said, “Coach, ain’t none of us riding on your bus.”
With the impending athletic director retirements of LSU’s Skip Bertman and Mississippi State’s Larry Templeton, Tide AD Mal Moore is the last of the old guard. Moore said he still has two years on his contract.
AUBURN: Rodney Scott (5-9, 185), a four-star running back from Cross City, Fl., has committed to Auburn over South Carolina and South Florida.
OLE MISS: Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora said he would like to renew the series with Ole Miss and Mississippi State even though Ole Miss Chancellor Robert Khayat is against it. The last time the two teams played was in 1984 in Jackson.
The Rebel preseason depth chart has just been announced. Jevan Snead is No. 1 at quarterback. Tailback Dexter McCluster will be in the ‘Wild Rebel’ position. Cordera Eason is the No. 1 tailback. Ole Miss is deeper at receiver after the emergence of sophomores Markeith Summers and Lionel Breaux. Junior Shay Hodge and senior Mike Wallace are also threats. The key change on defense is at cornerback with Marshay Green moving over from receiver. Ole Miss has plenty of depth on the defensive line with Greg Hardy backing up Kentrell Lockett and Justin Sanders running second team behind Peria Jerry. At linebacker, the team’s leading tackler Ashlee Palmer is first team, but the second leading tackler Tony Fein is now third team.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Backup defensive tackle Kendrick Ellis has been dismissed from the team for violating team policy according to coach Steve Spurrier. Twin brothers, Dustin and Jordin Lindsey, are both eligible for the fall. Both have missed a season due to academics.
The school’s new deal with ISP Sports has given them more money to select better coaches as evidenced by hiring former Temple women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley. Coach Steve Spurrier makes the most of the Gamecock coaches ($1.75 million per year), basketball coach Darrin Horn is second with $800,000 per year and Staley is third with $750,000 per year. Baseball coach Ray Tanner is fourth making $370,000 per year.
Nu’Keese Richardson (5-9, 150), a four-star receiver from Pahokee, Fl., is announcing his school of choice on Friday from among a group including South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Southern Cal and Michigan.
FLORIDA: Quarterback Tim Tebow has arrived was an answer on the game show JEOPARDY last week. The question was who was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy? under the category of “They’re So Athletic”. Former LSU head coach and Florida athletic director Bill Arnsparger has written a book called “Arnsparger’s Coaching Defensive Football” available through St. Lucie Press. He is also helping his son David coach at West Limestone (Ala.) High. Meyer said safety signee Dee Finley has yet to qualify.
ACC NOTES
CLEMSON: Coach Tommy Bowden’s flirtation with Arkansas paid off with a new contract worth $1.8 million that extends through 2014, which is a new four-year deal. Bowden made $1.2 million last year. Virginia’s Al Groh makes $1.97 million and Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen makes $ 1.69 million. FSU’s Bobby Bowden, Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer and North Carolina’s Butch Davis make more than $2 million. Signee Jarrett Crittenton, a defensive lineman from North Dakota State College of Science, has been released from his scholarship and signed with Memphis. C J Spiller is running track for Clemson. He has a qualifying time for this weekend’s NCAA East Regionals of 10.33. Only LSU’s Trindon Holliday (10.17) and Florida State’s Michael Ray Garvin (10.33) have a better time among Division I football players.
Bowden told the media this week that his biggest concern is the defensive line going against the offensive line. The Tiger offensive line has many question marks. They also have to replace all three linebackers. Clemson’s secondary return all four starters from last year.
FLORIDA STATE: Darius McClure returns at safety this season after playing in 13 games last year. Jamie Robinson, who was a cornerback, will battle him. Tight end Charlie Graham is trying to rejoin the football team, but he faces hurdles from the academic side and legal side after he discharged a firearm in the city limits. Graham, who started 10- of- 12 games last year, went to Tallahassee Community College in the spring to regain his eligibility. Casey Weldon, who was fired at North Florida Christian last December, is the new offensive coordinator at Tallahassee Leon. The athletic department is moving forward on the building of an indoor practice facility. FSU officials are expecting a letter of inquiry from the NCAA about the internal academic fraud investigation in two to four weeks.
MIAMI: Inside linebacker signee Garvin Harvin (6-5, 225) did well on his ACT and is currently going through the NCAA Clearinghouse process. Defensive end signee Andrew Smith said he has to raise his grade point average in order to qualify. Outside linebacker Antonio Harper said he has to take the ACT one last time. Also waiting to qualify are Miami Northwestern High offensive linemen Benjamin Jones and Brandon Washington. Safety C. J. Holton needs to raise his GPA in order to qualify.
BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR MYCLAYSUN IN ORANGE PARK, FLA. HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON SPORTS RADIO 1010 XL.
E-MAIL BRENT AT bcbeaird@bellsouth.net
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