Big 12 Conference Should Step Up

Conference realignment is again a hot topic with the announcement of Maryland and Rutgers moving to the Big Ten.

I thought this conference realignment stuff was on hold for a time, but the Big Ten move shocked me. Now, the league will expand to 14 members and qualify for the “super” conference tag.

This action obviously has a ripple effect on other conferences and schools. The so called quiet time in collegiate athletics has become the nervous time again. What will happen to the Big East and ACC? Will more conferences raid their schools?

One conference that should take action is the Big 12. The league needs two more teams to return to the magic number of 12. This will enable the league to host a conference football championship again. The Big 12 is currently the only major conference without a championship game.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby stated this past summer that he was comfortable with the 10-team league, but the realignment game has changed again. Unfortunately, the game is either pick your new members or be in danger of having your members picked. The Big 12 needs to use the pick strategy.

College Football Uniforms

I don’t consider myself the fashion police but what are some of those teams in college football thinking?

Tuning briefly into the Notre Dame-Michigan game last Saturday night, the team’s uniforms caught me attention. Was this some sort of throwback attire or was it a tribute to 9-11? Both teams uniforms looked similar and frankly, gaudy. Okay, it wasn’t like putting plaid and stripes together, but it was far from classy. You had Notre Dame greener than St. Patrick’s Day, while you couldn’t miss Michigan’s large print. I guess it was a sight-challenged person’s dream.

And what’s up at the University of Maryland? Those black, red and white uniforms look like something out of a sci-fi movie. Are they supposed to make the opponents dizzy? Those things are just plain scary looking. As they say, “Don’t adjust your TV set at home.”

I have mentioned Phil Knight’s Oregon uniforms before in this space. Knight and Nike will do what they want to with the Ducks’ apparel. But are these other teams trying to keep with the Jones or do they just do it to have people like me make a big deal over it?
I don’t want college uniforms to go the direction of plain vanilla Penn State, but I think we could still have some class in uniform selection.

What do you think?

Let Mike Leach Coach Again

Mike Leach is a colorful, straightforward guy and college football needs colorful and straightforward characters. But Leach cannot land a job.

Texas Tech fired Leach in 2009 after he was accused of ordering Adam James (son of ESPN commentator Craig James) in an equipment closet. There were lawsuits and Leach is still trying to receive back pay from Texas Tech.

There are two or three sides to every story, but Leach’s view seems believable. He said that he didn’t order Adam James in the closet. We will probably never learn the full story, but obviously Leach and James was not a good match. Then you add a high-profile TV commentator (Craig James) to the equation and there was controversy and widespread media coverage and speculation.

I believe Leach deserves another chance. And he wants one too.

He forced people to talk about Texas Tech football. With his deep and colorful comments, high-powered offense and winning ways (84-43 over 10 seasons), Leach made the Red Raiders an item. He also apparently ran a clean program and graduated players.

Apparently, Maryland reached out to Leach about its opening after the 2010 season before hiring UConn’s Randy Edsall. Let’s hope there are more reach outs in Leach’s future.

Anthony Hubbard Situation Appears Strange

Word out of Iowa City, Iowa yesterday that former junior college player Anthony Hubbard has left the Iowa basketball team to pursue opportunities closer to home on the surface is not really strange. Players transfer frequently and often want to play closer to family and friends.

But Hubbard is a special case. Iowa gave the 26-year-old a scholarship earlier in the year after much scrutiny and controversy. Hubbard spent nearly four years in prison for armed robbery.

He was playing in a summer league near Iowa City and apparently doing well. He apparently enjoyed the Iowa program. Then poof: he’s gone without ever playing a game for the Hawkeyes.

Did Hubbard really suffer from homesickness and want to return to the East (he grew up in Virginia and played junior college basketball in Maryland) or was there another reason? Why did Iowa release him from his scholarship and allow him to transfer to any other school in the country? Often, programs won’t allow players to transfer to a different conference school and/or an opponent on the team’s schedule.

One sports talk show guy speculated that Hubbard broke a rule. The University of Iowa has been obviously tight lipped about the situation and comments reported are of the usual public relations variety.

People may never really know what happened in Hubbard’s case (if it wasn’t homesickness), but in this Internet age you can be sure someone or some people are trying to uncover further information.

Stay tuned.

Mark Turgeon and Maryland

Maryland found its new coach to lead the program and it didn’t take long. Former Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon will be introduced today at a press conference.

Turgeon appears a solid hire. He led the Aggies to four straight NCAA tournament appearances and compiled a 97-40 record in Texas. In three coach stops, Turgeon is 249-158 overall.

He was rumored for several jobs this off season but he goes to a place that definitely breaths basketball and has membership in a historic conference—the ACC.

One could tell that Turgeon was not that happy at Texas A&M. He often talked about the lack of Aggie fan support. Turgeon probably thought basketball played second fiddle at the school. Football like most places in Texas is king.

But Turgeon won’t deal with the basketball lack of respect at Maryland. Its football program is struggling and with a national championship in hoops, Turgeon will have plenty of fan support.

Turgeon will face challenges. Any coach that battles Duke and North Carolina on a regular basis knows what challenging competition is. But I imagine that is one aspect that appealed to Turgeon in this job. He is a basketball guy and he will need to prove it now against some of the nation’s best.

Gary Williams Has Strong Run

Maryland basketball Coach Gary Williams retired late last week to the surprise of some.

But the guy earned the right to quit on his own terms. Williams served as a head coach for 33 years including the last 22 at alma mater Maryland.

He left his mark with the Terps. He led them to a 460-248 over record including the 2002 National Championship. Williams’ teams were a consistent visitor to the NCAA tournament and would occasionally defeat Duke and North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Williams’ fire on the sidelines will be missed. The guy worked extremely hard on game day. He was consistently “chewing” out his players and frequently the guys in the stripe shirts. A Gary Williams team was never dull.

Williams could also be controversial. The latest incident was when former Maryland Athletic Director Deb Yow charged that he sabotage Yow’s present school’s (NC State)
basketball job search. It’s safe to assume that the two didn’t get along too well when they worked together at College Park.

Williams won’t go too far as he will now assist the athletic department. The new guy in the Maryland basketball chair will face challenges. He will replace a legend and the Williams will have a nearby seat to chart the progress of the national caliber-team he built.

A Curious Hire

North Carolina State finally landed itself a basketball coach yesterday and it was just plain strange.

I have nothing against Mark Gottfried the new coach. I have heard and read he is a good guy. Gottfied had success at Alabama before resigning in the middle of the season. He has been working for ESPN the last two years.

The fact that the Pack hired a coach who had been out of the game for two years tells you something about how low this job has sunk. Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart turned it down and apparently a host of others.

In another strange twist, athletic director Deb Yow sent an email out to Pack fans the night before Gottfried was hired. She said coaches she talked to about the position said it would take a major revamp job and that fans need to be patient about the search.

Then to top off the strangest of all twists, Yow attacked Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams for in Yow’s words “sabotaging the search.” This happened at Gottfied’s press conference. Yow is a former Maryland athletic director and the two didn’t get along in College Park. Apparently, Yow thought Williams wasn’t saying nice things to potential NC State coaching candidates. Williams, of course, denied this through the Maryland sports information office.

I am wondering if after the sideshow, Gottfried really wants this job. The marriage has gotten off to a rocky start and we haven’t even had time for the honeymoon.

ACC is Down This Season

The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is far from a mighty league this season.

I follow the ACC because of my interest in North Carolina State. Tuning into the Duke-NC State contest the other night, I was shocked to see the overall records of each conference team.

Yes, the ACC has a number of young players this year. But we aren’t that far removal from the first of the year in which many teams support glossy records despite the competition. Duke is the only team with a glossy record at 17-1.

Three traditional top-tier teams are really struggling. Maryland is just 11-7, while Georgia Tech is barely over .500 at 8-7. Wake Forest is 7-12.

Florida State and Boston College (each 14-5) lead a group of five teams with five overall losses. These two teams should make the NCAA tournament. Boston College’s Reggie Jackson (not the baseball player, ha) is a dynamite talent.

The ACC will need some serious marketing to receive more than four bids this year. The league should definitely sell its rich tradition. But right now, the only real selling point is the potential in the future years.

What do you think of the ACC?

Nike Versus Under Armour for the Championship

Oregon and Auburn battle for the BCS National Championship tonight. But another game within the game will occur. Apparel companies Nike (Oregon) and Under Armour (Auburn) will also fight for exposure.

Some call the University of Oregon Nike University after Nike founder, Phil Knight, an Oregon grad. Oregon has the hippest uniforms of any college football team out there. Maybe Oregon will reveal new uniforms tonight. Don’t underestimate Knight’s desire to make a splash. Remember Nike is Nike.

Auburn will sport uniforms from an up-and-coming apparel company. You see more college teams wearing Under Armour Stuff. Texas Tech and Maryland (where the founder went to school) come to mind. Under Armour wants to make a splash too and it wants part of Nike’s pie.

While Oregon has the advantage in the apparel race, the Ducks could be lacking in the game. Sure they have firepower, but can they handle the pressure of tonight’s big stage.
Then their opponent, Auburn, brings Cam Newton to the contest. The Tigers seem to handle pressure and distractions well.

Enjoy this championship game. And don’t forget to watch the apparel race. Remember, it’s the game within the game.

Coaching Involves More Than Winning

Maryland announced the firing of football coach Ralph Friedgen Monday.

Coaches get fired often, especially this time of year. But most coaches depart due to losing records. Friedgen was fired with a 74-50 record in 10 years with the Terps.

Coaching can be a tough business and this firing was a business decision.

Friedgen actually won the ACC Coach of the Year award after leading Maryland to a surprising 8-4 record in 2010. He leaves with a $2 million severance package.

Maryland is looking for more exposure, more fan interest, more ticket sales and more glitz.

Apparently, Maryland figured Friedgen was yesterday’s news. Frieden played as a reliable old car and the Terps want a sports car.

Rumor has it that Maryland wants former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. That would be a glitz hire.

But there is still something crappy about Friedegen’s firing. The guy wins games, shows loyalty to his alma mater and gets told “its business.”

Life is sometimes really cold. Friedgen received that lesson this week.

Beware of Michigan State

The Michigan State Spartans are entering Friday night's Sweet 16 match up against Northern Iowa with a wounded squad. They best player, Kalin Lucas, was injured in the second round Maryland win.

But don't feel too sorry for the Spartans because coach Tom Izzo is still the reason Michigan State wins games. And you know for that reason, the Spartans will be difficult to beat Friday.

Izzo has had plenty of success in the NCAA tourney and he's not just happy to make an appearance in the Sweet 16. Izzo has taken the Spartans to five Final Four appearances in 11 years. He garnered one national championship. Last season, the Spartans lost to North Carolina in the championship game.

When it's tournament time, Izzo's squads put it into high gear. They peak at the right time. The Spartans are not a fun team to play in March/April. They live for the NCAA tourney.

So it will become another day at the NCAA tournament office for Michigan State. The Spartans will be ready. Expect full-court pressure defense. Expect Michigan State to run, run, run and run more. Expect a full 40-minute game and maybe more. Expect a war.

The Spartans will not overlook Northern Iowa. They are on their usual mission: go to the Final Four.