Conferences: The Southeastern Conference will induct the 2006 class of the Cingular SEC Football Legends during the SEC championship game December 2 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The conference will honor Steve Sloan, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; Cliff Powell, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Bo Jackson, Auburn University; Louis Oliver, University of Florida; Garrison Hearst, University of Georgia; Jeff Van Note, University of Kentucky; Y. A. Tittle, Louisiana State University; Jake Gibbs, University of Mississippi; Wayne Harris, Mississippi State University; Willie Scott, University of South Carolina, Columbia; Chip Kell, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and Eric Jones, Vanderbilt University … The Big East Conference launched the Big East Minority/Female Grant program, which provides full or partial grants to seven different league coaches and administrators for professional development. The program was developed by the league’s senior woman administrators and will provide financial support for professional-development opportunities. The conference will distribute grants annually. This year’s recipients are Michael G. Davis, academic advisor for athletics, University of Cincinnati; Tammy Douglass, assistant women’s basketball coach, Cincinnati; Meghan Keck, assistant volleyball coach, DePaul University; Randi Larson, senior academic advisor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick; Molly Myers, compliance coordinator, Villanova University; and Maisha Palmer, athletics academic advisor/Life Skills coordinator, Rutgers … The Big 12 Conference recognized 12 student-athletes as members of its inaugural Fall Sports "Good Works" Team. The team members contribute to their community, maintain good academic standing and participate in athletics. The members are Maurice Linguist, senior at Baylor University, football; Therese Vinal, junior at the University of Colorado, Boulder, volleyball; Jenny Mockler, senior at Iowa State University, cross country; James McClinton, junior at the University of Kansas, football, Morgan Bonds, junior at Kansas State University, cross country; Jessica Vander Kooi, senior at the University of Missouri, Columbia, volleyball; Betsy Miller, junior at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, cross country; Carl Pendleton, senior at the University of Oklahoma, football; Darnell Smith, senior at Oklahoma State University, football; Leticia Armstrong, junior at the University of Texas at Austin, volleyball; Chad Schroeder, senior at Texas A&M University, College Station, football; and Antonio Huffman, senior at Texas Tech University, football.

Milestones: The Eastern Michigan University men’s cross country team set a Mid-American Conference championship record October 28, scoring 23 points, surpassing second-place Central Michigan University by 41 points. Eastern Michigan senior Corey Nowitzke won the individual championship, beating teammate Josh Perrin by 28 seconds. Eastern Michigan sophomore David Brent captured third place. Overall, the Eagles placed five runners in the top 10 at the event.

Miscellaneous: The DePaul University men’s and women’s basketball uniforms for the 2006-07 season will feature a commemorative patch to remember former coaches Ray Meyer and Maggie Dixon. The men will wear the patch in red, white and blue with a "42," "Coach," and "724." Meyer coached at DePaul for 42 years and complied 724 victories with the Blue Demons. He died in March at age 92. The women also will wear a red, white and blue patch with "Coach" in the center and "Ray" for Meyer above it and "Maggie" for Dixon below. Dixon, former head coach at the U.S. Military Academy and assistant coach at DePaul, died in April at age 28. …The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics announced changes to its scoring system related to football for the U.S. Sports Academy Directors’ Cup in 2006-07. The committee previously reinstated all sports in which the NCAA or NAIA offers a championship, along with the Bowl Championship Series to full scoring values (see the October 23 NCAA News). Recently announced changes for football state that all colleges and universities that receive points in the standings will be ranked. Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams will be rated using the ESPN/USA Today final poll as before, but bowl game winners not ranked in the poll will earn 45 points and bowl game losers not ranked in the poll will receive 25 points. Final standings for the Directors’ Cup will be released June 8 for Divisions II and III and NAIA institutions and June 28 for Division I … Western Kentucky University will move its football program from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision. The institution will begin the reclassification process next year and will be eligible for the Sun Belt Conference championship and a bowl game berth in 2009. The Hilltoppers will add 22 scholarships by 2009 and will increase the overall football budget by about $2.5 million. The changes will be partially funded by a $70 increase in the student athletics fee beginning in the fall of 2007.