Oregon's Cliff Harris Pulled Over For 118MPH ((UPDATED: Harris Indefinitely Suspended))

((HT: KVAL-TV Eugene))

And he was driving on a suspended license in a car that was not his own to begin with...

A University of Oregon employee from the Business Affairs office said in an email to Portland TV station KATU that she rented the car to drive out of town because her car wasn’t running well and was leaking oil.

“Cliff and his friend offered to pay for it in full with cash if I let them use it the remainder of the weekend and informed me that only the licensed friend would be driving or else I wouldn’t have let them use it,” she wrote.

Early Sunday morning Harris was behind the wheel when the car was clocked at 118 miles per hour on an Oregon Interstate. Harris was ticketed "for driving with a suspended license and exceeding the speed limit in excess of 100 mph." Another Eugene TV station is reporting that two other football players were in the car.

It could be an NCAA violation giving Harris the car, but both the NCAA and the Pac-10 have been notified of what is going on. Head coach Chip Kelly is going to wait until the facts come out in the case before rendering just how many early morning sessions Harris will get as his punishment...

KATU-TV's Katy Brown has the rest of the story...


PM UPDATE: “Cliff’s future clearly is in Cliff’s hands,” Oregon head coach Chip Kelly said in a press release. “Earning an opportunity to represent the University of Ore-gon and this football program certainly rests far beyond a player’s ability on the field of play. Our behavior out of the spotlight often is more important and will be held to a higher standard. Until Cliff is able to conform to the same standards all of us must comply with, his status will remain unchanged.”

The HQ would like to see how this would compare to other discipline issues on campus...

Fox, Big 12/11/10 Sign TV Deal

The Big 12 Conference and Fox Sports announced a 13-year cable TV deal..

Sports Business Journal is reporting that the contract, which starts with the 2012 football season, will pay the conference $90 million a year. The Big 12 also has a deal with ABC-ESPN running through 2015-16 that would raise the conference's total TV rights revenue to a reported $130 million annually.

The 40 Big 12 regular-season football games that will be carried by Fox nearly doubles the number under the current agreement(s). Most games will be distributed through the regional FSN networks- which reaches more than 85 million homes. Several other games will also be scheduled on FX, which is in 99 million households.

Every Big 12 home football game will be broadcast on ABC, a Fox network or the new Longhorn Network. Big 12 schools will have the option to retain rights to one home football game for distribution as they see fit.

Odds are, that the Pac-10/11/12 will go to the FCSPacific channel for the Pac's own network over time. It will also not surprise the HQ if the Big 12/11/10 gradually works its content to the FCSMidwest channel. This would still leave the FCSAtlantic channel for any and all incidental Fox programming and/or reruns. This would also trim the extra content that is already shown on the FCS chain- boxing out the smaller schools that have their current space there.

More when we know more...

This now leaves who for the open market...???

The Politics Of Dancing: Wazzu, Alabama State, and Princeton

All the HQ has to say about the end of the Pac-10 title game...???

Cold... blooded...

And you know that means it's just Gus...
((HT: CBSSports/NCAA/youtube))


Douglas Davis' buzzer-beater gives it to Princeton and denies Harvard for the 428th consecutive year from going into the tourney...
((HT: ESPN/NCAA/youtube))


Alabama State beat Grambling for the SWAC bid...
Here's some postgame...
((HT: SWACtube))

Broseph's Bits And The Tuesday Gospel

The real conference tournaments kick off this week as teams make their last second push to glory and a chance to be one of 68 in the NCAA tournament or one of seemingly hundreds who will play in a tournament that only gamblers will care about. With that, let's take a look and see who is going to make some noise.

ACC (3/10 - 3/13) -- It's a down year for the conference despite what their fans want to tell you. North Carolina and Duke are the cream of the crop with Florida State being the 3rd seed by default. They are a shell of themselves without Chris Singleton. It would be a major upset if Carolina and Duke didn't meet again this season for the 3rd time in the title game. If you are looking for a sleeper, it could be the winner of UVA and Miami. The Hoos grind it out and force you to play at a pace you just aren't used to while the Canes are the head scratching team with a ton of talent that just hasn't been put together. CHAMPION: North Carolina

Atlantic 10 (3/8 - 3/13) -- This is a conference that always seems to have upsets and intrigue. Xavier and Temple are the cream of the crop and definite tournament teams. The Spiders have the talent to knock off anyone in the conference. The Musketeers haven't exactly treated the tournament as life or death and that strategy has paid off in the NCAA Tournament. Temple should heed that and look to bow out gracefully as the Owls don't have the depth they had in past years. If Richmond can get past Rhode Island, a team they lost to at home this season, the Spiders will be your conference champion. CHAMP: Richmond

Big 12 (3/9 - 3/12) -- Plenty of intrigue with Texas sliding and Kansas State seemingly hitting their stride. The Wildcats are a dangerous team and a quarterfinal matchup against the Jayhawks will light up the Sprint Center. On the other half of the bracket, Baylor and Missouri will present problems for the two and three seeded squads from Texas. This conference is a tough one to call so I'm going to go chalk and take the Jayhawks. Their road isn't tough until the title game. CHAMP: Kansas

Big East (3/8 - 3/12) -- The best tournament in America gets underway this week in the historic Madison Square Garden. This one is WIDE open with a whole host of teams who could take it. We've seen the squads with the double bye fail last season so those teams aren't a guarantee to take it. The best matchup could be the eventual 4/5 game with St. Johns looking to wrest away the title "New York's team" from Syracuse. Ninth seeded UConn would win a lot of conferences, but they are playing in the first round in this monster. I don't think the double byes will be an issue this year. CHAMP: Pittsburgh

Big 10 (3/10 - 3/13) -- Yawn. I'll admit it...this conference is about as intriguing as paint drying in my eyes. I keep waiting for Michigan State to wake up and play like Tom Izzo teams do. They'll have to roll thru Iowa, Purdue and Wisconsin before getting to the title game. I don't see much intrigue out of this conference. Give me the chalk. CHAMP: Ohio State

Conference USA (3/9 - 3/12) -- This one is on UTEP's campus as the Miners get the benefit that Memphis had all those years it was in their town. The one seed is UAB. This conference is a one big league barring one of the bubble teams making an uber run. Remember UCF? Yeah, they fell down big time after their undefeated start. Homecourt rules in this one. CHAMP: UTEP

MAC Conference (3/8 - 3/12) -- Some may be asking why this is here. This conference has always provided excitement and fun as the teams battle on campus sites and then Cleveland. Kent State is the class of the conference, but Ohio may be the hottest team in there. Buffalo is about as dangerous an eight seed as there is in ANY conference in the country. They've had some good wins this season and could upset Kent State in the second round. We're going to take the team playing some of the best basketball right now. CHAMP: Ohio

Mountain West Conference: (3/8 - 3/12) -- It's Jimmer's world vs. UNLV's home court. This tournament will be intriguing to see if BYU can handle the step up in talent without Brandon Davies. UNLV gets a tough first matchup with Air Force who makes you work for every basket and takes time running their offense. Should they win that, they'll most likely face the Aztecs and their balanced attack. This is an underrated conference with Jimmer vs. the Running Rebs my final. CHAMP: UNLV

PAC-10 (3/9 - 3/12) -- The Staples Center will host this spectacular tournament as the PAC 10 tries to get more teams into the tournament. Washington and USC are on the bubble as well as UCLA. Arizona held on for dear life at home against the Huskies. U-Dub has way too much talent, but a first matchup with Wazzu could prevent any sort of run and a postseason bid. Still, I think Washington puts it together and gets help from USC who will knock off Arizona. CHAMP: Washington

SEC (3/10 - 3/13) -- Underwhelming. Outside of Florida and Kentucky, this conference has a lot of teams that you can mix and match. The one squad to keep a look out for is Mississippi State who has been a thru a ton with the problems of talented Renardo Sidney and Ravern Johnson. Still, when they want to play, they are going to beat a lot of teams. Mississippi State may have the most talent outside of UK and Florida. Tennessee and Georgia are also intriguing if they get past their first round matchups. Who knows what Volunteers team will show up on a day-to-day basis. CHAMP: Mississippi State

TWTW: Oregon Survives Early Scare, Beats Arizona

((HT: KVAL-TV Eugene))

Oregon earned at least a share of its second-straight Pac-10 title and stayed on course for a trip to the BCS national championship game.

Darron Thomas passed for 148 yards and three scores and ran for one more. LaMichael James ran for 126 yards and two scores for the Ducks, now 11-0/8-0, who trailed 19-14 at halftime.

"Yeah, we finally get to eat turkey," Oregon cornerback and return specialist Cliff Harris said.

The Ducks have only won 11 games in a season once before, when they went to the Fiesta Bowl in 2001.

The Ducks can lock up the conference title and a spot in the national championship game in Glendale, Arizona, next week with a victory at Oregon State.

Here's your recap... Nick Krupke, apparently, never gets to go outside...

Nebraska Settles With Big 12/11/10, Colorado Does, Too...

((HT: KOLN/KGIN-TV Lincoln))

The University of Nebraska has reached an agreement with the Big 12/11/10 Conference to finally bail and head to the Big 10/11/12.

The conference will withhold a little over $9-million from the estimated $19 million they could have picked up during the last two years of its time in the Big 12/11/10.

If Nebraska is one of two Big 12/11/10 teams to play in a BCS bowl game, the fee would be reduced by $500,000. The settlement is final pending approval by the Nebraska Board of Regents.

"The University of Nebraska believes this is a fair settlement of our disagreement regarding the appropriateness in this instance of imposing any monetary fee on the university for withdrawing from the conference. We continue to value our ongoing relationships with the institutions of the Big 12 and have great respect for their leadership and the leadership of the conference," said Chancellor Harvey Perlman.

"We feel the long-term benefits of entering into the Big Ten, both academically and athletically, will make this a very good investment," said Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne.

Big 12 Conference Commissioner Dan Beebe said: "This agreement was accomplished through a collegial, respectful process among the conference, its institutions, and the University of Nebraska that led to a resolution that all parties believe is fair. I appreciate the cooperation of Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Nebraska staff. The Big 12 has enjoyed its relationship with Nebraska and wishes it well in the future."

Nebraska will become an official member of the Big Ten/11/12 July 1, 2011.

Kevin Sjuts has the details... thanks to our friends at 1011now.com


Colorado gets to move to the Pac-10/11/12 in 2011 instead of 2012 by forking over a little under $7-million...

The HQ thinks this is still the beginning of the landscape shift...

So Oklahoma Was Invited To The SEC After All...

((HT: Tulsa World-Klein))

Surprising no one, Oklahoma University president David Boren now says that the Sooners had offers from both the SEC and the Pac-10.

Boren says the Pac-10 offer was for five Big 12 schools - Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech - to join as a group and create the Big West that the HQ has been talking about. He says the SEC extended offers only to Oklahoma and Texas A&M- remember, they don't need to expand.

Because the SEC offer didn't include Oklahoma State and Texas, he didn't think it was a good idea.

So, now John Klein wants the Big 12/10 to, in his words, "be bold."

In addition to chasing after LSU and Arkansas, he's looking for New Mexico and UNLV.

Las Vegas (42) and Albuquerque (44) are bigger television markets than current Big 12 markets Oklahoma City (45), Austin (49), Tulsa (61), Wichita (69) and Des Moines (71). Omaha (76), the largest market in Nebraska, is tiny compared to Vegas and Albuquerque.

UNLV and UNM, with terrific basketball history and facilities, will need to upgrade football. But that is very possible at both schools. In fact, Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones is from New Mexico, and OU running back DeMarco Murray is from Las Vegas. There is talent in those states, and both schools have the resources to have a regional recruiting base.

Bringing in New Mexico and UNLV could eventually offset the loss of Colorado and Nebraska, but it would not have the impact of when the league lured the four Texas schools into the Big 12.

He also dips his toes into the Louisville, Memphis, Boise, Nevada, Air Force, and UTEP pools for expansion. And while the HQ thinks all these ideas are interesting- knowing most of these schools would jump at the chance to join- would Dan Beebe be that much of a poacher and a forward thinker...???

Doubt it...

As a flashback, here's what OU is missing by not being a member of the Pac-10/12...
Early highlights of the OU-USC game in 1981...
((HT: ABC/AwsiDooger))

DEVELOPING STORY: Utah Makes It A 12-Pac

((HT: KSL-TV))

It's official... Utah is moving, and they want to move quickly from one conference to another. Colorado wants in for the 2012 season, but the Utes want in by 2011.

Utah will increase its current television revenue from $1.2 million per year to between $8 million - $10 million per year. Even more money could come with a TV contract renegotiation.... and the HQ knows it will...

Here's your set-up piece from our friends at KSL-TV, Kathy Aiken is in front of their lectern at the university...

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

More when we have more from Utah...

Utah To Pac-10/11 Sooner Than Later...???

Utah athletic director Dr. Chris Hill is not commenting on possible expansion to the Pac-10/11 ((or anywhere else for that matter)), but speculation all over the country is that Utah will become the 12th team in the Pac-10

Or the 10/12...

Or whatever in the hell they're going to call it...

Lya Wodraska of the Salt Lake City Tribune newspaper has a yes, a no, or a maybe...

A report is out that the Pac-10 will extend an invitation to Utah and a press conference is expected Wednesday. However, John Henderson from the Denver Post just spoke directly to Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott who denied the report.

In addition, MWC officials I just spoke with said they have not received any notification from Utah that it is leaving and Utah associate athletic director Liz Abel said there was "nothing new to report."

As Wodraska admits, there's probably degrees of truth in all of the above...

Here's coverage from Dana Greene and ABC4 in Salt Lake City...

Texas Meetings Set For Tuesday

So, what about the other dominoes in play...???

University of Texas regents will meet Tuesday to decide whether the Longhorns will remain in the Big 12 or switch to the Big West ((or whatever in the hell else they want to call this new thing)).

The regents announced Friday that they will hold a meeting by telephone for "discussion and appropriate action regarding athletic conference membership."

Roger Wallace stands in front of a monitor for breaking news...
((HT: KXAN-TV Austin))

Baylor Thinks They're In The New Pac-10... Maybe, Probably...

Baylor and its administration remain cautiously optimistic about their inclusion on any merger and acquisition plans with the Big 12 and the Pac-10 to form the Big West ((Or whatever in the hell they plan on calling it when this goes down))...

Here's your new evidence from the school their ownselves...

Mark Wiggins got to do a live shot on campus...
((HT: KXXV-TV Waco, Texas))

The Pac-10 Adds Six...??? It's A Thought

The HQ wonders what to call it now if it happens...
The Pick Six-Teen...???

Chip Brown, over at orangebloods.com, is looking at the Big 12-Pac-10 landscape and how college football matters would, in fact, explode... ((The HQ requires reading his thoughts from beginning to end- we're just gonna hit the highlights here...))

His theory from the end of the Big 12 meetings, which end Friday, is that they shouldn't have even met at all... especially to talk expansion...

Because the Pac-10 is preparing, according to Brown, its own killshot to start everything moving helter skelter west of the Mississippi to "...invite Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado to join its league, according to multiple sources close to the situation.

Left out would be Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska and Missouri."

That would create two divisions of eight- presumably an east and west- that would have the 12's refugees paired with Arizona and Arizona State. The rest of what started out as the Pac-10 would be the western conference.

More from Brown: "Such a merger between the six Big 12 schools and the Pac-10 would build a conference with seven of the country's top 20 TV markets (Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, Houston, Phoenix, Seattle and Sacramento)."

Plus the notion that the Fox sports cable partners that broadcast both conferences games at present would give the Pick-16 their own deal similar to the Big Ten Network.

But the idea of Texas A&M jumping to the SEC could be an option as well...
Interesting bedfellows to pay attention to for the next little while...
And who knew that Boise looking to jump would start all this talk...

UPDATE: The Big 12 Conference is holding off on press conferences until Friday because of all the talk, but Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione did address some issues Thursday...
((HT: ESPN))

Stay Tuned For The Pac-10 Channel

It seems that the Pac-10 Conference is seriously exploring the possibility of starting it's own cable channel in fact, the league expects it.

Retiring Pac-1o Commissioner Tom Hansen says he expects the conference to launch its own channel to raise its national profile which barring USC football, is barely on the radar screen plus close an huge financial gap between the Pac-10 and the other major conferences.

Hansen told the Orange County Register, "I think we will" start a Pac-10 network. "I think there will be viability and I know there's interest on our part."

Currently the Pac-10's deal with Fox Sports runs through 2012 but with the current economic situation the league is placing a sense of urgency to see if this could be a possible revenue stream.

"Our television committee is actively studying that and we're going to be undoubtedly talking to Fox Sports Net. We have three more years on the contract." Hansen said. "If, however, we were to partner with them we could advance that and go to a new model."

With its sweetheart deals with ESPN and CBS, The SEC will receive $205 million in annual TV revenue. The Pac-10 pockets $43 million a year from their TV deals with Fox and ABC/ESPN.
A fairly significant gap I must say.

"We're definitely going to be examining all possibilities," Hansen said. "Of course the SEC by threatening to form a network was able to drive some very, very attractive regular contracts with the networks and cable."

The Pac-10 doesn't have that leverage but they have to do something and starting a cable channel makes sense for a league that's becoming more and more irrelevant east of the Rockies.

It might not stop there because the ACC TV contracts expire in 2011 and they might be thinking the way the Pac-10 is feeling.

Stay tuned.

The Day After: College Comings And Goings

Blake Griffin, to no one's surprise, is heading to the NBA Draft...
((HT: KWTV/News9))

Jerry Tipton's work in Lexington has Jodie Meeks declaring for the draft, but not hiring an agent.
Seth Emerson at The State checks in with Devan Downey putting his name in the draft, but like Meeks, is not picking up an agent either.
Sean Miller shows up in Arizona and gets 5-years and $11-million.

Steve Rivera from the Tucson Citizen checks in...
"Miller was greeted enthusiastically by about 150 students at McKale Center as he arrived around 11 a.m.

UA officials released a term sheet they are using as part of contract negotiations with Miller, but they do not have a draft. Some media reports put Miller's contract at up to $18 million over seven years, with the $1 million signing bonus.

The contract must be approved by the Arizona Board of Regents.

Several reporters asked about the current financial crisis, where tuition is increasing and jobs being cut at Arizona. Livengood pointed out that Miller's contract will not be funded by tuition dollars. The UA athletic department operates on its own."

KVOA's David Marino looks at Miller's salary...

Theus "Absolutely" Interested In Arizona Job

((HT: Arizona Republic/Steve Rivera))
Steve Rivera is hot on the trail of Arizona's new head coach- whoever it is...

"I think it's a great job in a great conference," Theus told the Tucson Citizen's Geoff Grammer via phone from California. "For me, with my ability to recruit the West Coast and all over the country, it's a great job for me.

"And it's a job I look at as my last basketball job."

Theus was coach of the Sacramento Kings until last December. Before that, he was the head coach for New Mexico State.

Rivera also decided to make his own list of people to target for the opening since the names who have turned it down includes guys like Floyd, Few, Sean Miller of Xavier, Jeff Capel, and UNLV's Lon Kruger.

He's suggesting guys like Seth Greenberg, Clemson's Oliver Purnell, and Creighton's Dana Altman.

Those of us at OSG HQ don't ever think Altman will leave Omaha. Or, if he does, he'll change his mind a day later. But no one wants to be at a school that will be dealing with NCAA sanctions- unless you're Tom Crean.

Hey, is he available...?

Tim Floyd Stays At USC

A 6:00 press conference on the campus of USC reveals that current head men's basketball coach Tim Floyd is staying in Los Angeles.

Floyd went to Tucson to interview with Arizona AD Jim Livengood Wednesday and was offered the now-vacant Wildcats coaching gig.

Floyd had 24 hours to make his decision.
The decision is that he's staying at the Galen Center.

Chris Gibson's work from the LA Times is in black...
More when we know more...