TOP POST

Palin takes issue with DII Policy
It isn't often that a Division II policy change attracts attention from politicos, but a recent contingency plan adopted by the Division II Championships Committee has caught a pretty big fish. Gov. Sarah Palin has written the NCAA to complain about the contingency plan that could affect the way regionals for this year's Division II basketball championships are staged.

IN THE ZONE

Michigan State raises football ticket prices
Football ticket prices at Michigan State will rise $3 per game. Mark Hollis, Michigan State's athletics director, told the Lansing State Journal, the increase was necessary for the school to combat the economic downturn in the state. He said in a press release that the increase could generate around $600,000 in additional revenue for the athletic department.

Education calling
Do "smart" cellphones belong in the classroom? Despite being a bane of annoyed teachers everywhere, cellphones are making inroads as learning devices, especially in math and science.  

Plasma promotes quicker healing
A new medical procedure, platelet-rich plasma therapy, is showing tremendous potential as a treatment for sports injuries and chronic problems like tennis elbow. NFL stars Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu received plasma therapy before the Super Bowl. According to an article in the New York Times, the method "centers on injecting portions of a patient's blood directly into the injured area...

Horse-collar tackle banned from high school football
The National Federation of State High School Associations has banned the horse-collar tackle from high school football. The 15-yard penalty will start this fall. The NFL and the NCAA already have similar bans in place.

Notre Dame's Weis might stay in press box
Irish coach Charlie Weis is considering coaching from the press box this season. Weis suffered torn knee ligaments in his left knee during a sideline collision with a player in September. The knee pains eventually forced him to coach from the press box in Notre Dame's bowl game.

Brand reveals extent of illness
In an article in USA Today, NCAA President Myles Brand revealed the prognosis of his pancreatic cancer and the impact it has had both personally and professionally. Although Brand says it was "a real shocker" to learn he was in stage four of the disease, he said he's going to stay on as president, "as long as I'm able to contribute in a full-blown way, as long as I'm able to add some value to the position and help the NCAA stay on course."