Facilities: Jackson State University dedicated the Walter Payton Athletic Complex recently in a ceremony outside the Ellis Gymnasium. Payton, the former Jackson State star running back who went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Bears, died November 1, 1999. Former Bears linebacker Mike Singletary, one of Payton's longtime teammates, was among the attendees. "We think this is one of the highest honors that Walter has ever received," said Eddie Payton, the brother of Walter Payton. Jackson State will unveil a Walter Payton monument, which will be located at the entrance to the sports complex. When all venues have been completed, the Payton complex will include practice football fields, 12 tennis courts, a baseball facility, two soccer fields, a softball field, a training facility, a tennis pro shop and a Hall of Fame room. "Walter had a special fondness for Jackson State," Eddie Payton added. "He considered it an honor to represent Jackson State by his performance and by the way he carried himself throughout his career."

Miscellaneous: Bowl Championship Series (BCS) coordinator John Swofford has announced that future meetings regarding BCS issues would include the Western Athletic and Mid-American Conferences in addition to the original equity conferences (Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific-10 and Southeastern), Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference. "As we move forward in planning the next six years of the Bowl Championship Series, the original BCS entities believed it was important to include all of the conferences currently playing major college football," said Swofford. "We believe the commonality of the group will serve us well in future discussions regarding such issues as postseason football, the marketing of the game and legislative matters that may impact the sport." The football champions of the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC will remain the only teams to receive automatic bids into the Bowl Championship Series, and the conferences represented by those teams plus the University of Notre Dame will remain the only entities with BCS voting privileges.

-- Compiled by Gary T. Brown