Add Boise State and give Mountain West an automatic BCS bid - Jan 06, 2009 | 14:03:32

posted by: Howard Smith

The success of Utah and other Mountain West Conference football programs over the last couple of seasons got me thinking about whether the conference deserves to be considered for a seventh automatic BCS bid.

Under the current BCS system, six conferences (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, SEC) get automatic bids to fill the 10 BCS game slots, with the other four teams as at-large selections. Frankly, the Mountain West has a legitimate argument to be included with the automatic qualifiers, especially if it added football power-Boise State as the tenth team in the conference. STORY>>

Who's paying for that ticket? - Jan 06, 2009 | 15:59:47

After reporters questioned Indiana Governor Mitch Daniel's use of a state airplane to attend tonight's GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and cheer on Ball State's bowl game, the alumni-supported Ball State University Foundation offered to pick up the cost of the flight. According to reports, "The issue arose because Gov. Mitch Daniels is working to trim $763 million from the state's budget. His cost-cutting measures included such things as no pay raises for state employees and a ban on almost all out-of-state travel." The foundation already was providing the governor's ticket and lodging.

Is there anything wrong with the governor using taxpayer's money to support a public Indiana university at a out-of-state event?

Update: Governor, citing bad weather, cancels bowl trip

Hawaii football fundraiser sets goal - Jan 06, 2009 | 14:43:27

Fans and Booster of the University of Hawai'i football team are being asked to raise more than $1.65 million for the team's centennial football season. Over 20,000 Warrior football fans and contributors," were asked to pitch in, according to the letter sent out and signed by coach Greg McMackin and Na Koa president Rick Blangiardi.

Pitt tops basketball rankings for first time in history - Jan 06, 2009 | 13:43:50

Pittsburgh's men's basketball team is the new No. 1 ranked team in men's college basketball after North Carolina and Connecticut's losses over the weekend. On Saturday, Pitt defeated then-number eight Georgetown on the road. But the Panthers probably shouldn't get too comfortable with their ranking - the rugged Big East schedule (currently with nine teams ranked in the top 25) will make it tough for everybody. How many league losses with the Big East champion have this year?

Impressive Wake Forest road win at BYU - Jan 06, 2009 | 12:56:59

During a busy sports weekend that included the NFL playoffs, you might have missed Wake Forest's win at BYU on Saturday night. Why is this noteworthy? Well, before this home loss, BYU was basically unbeatable at home with a 53-game home winning streak, which was the longest in the nation. In a conference where North Carolina and Duke get most of the headlines, don't forget about the Deamon Deacons in March.

Record-breaking Division II women's basketball game - Jan 06, 2009 | 10:27:07

Last night was just another Monday night in Abilene, Texas. Or maybe not.

It's not everyday when Abilene Christian's women's basketball team beats Texas Woman's University 147-143 in quadruple overtime. This game broke a NCAA record for most combined points, most points by a losing team, most combined points in overtime (112) and most points by one team in overtime (Abilene's 58). Texas Woman's Renee Renz led all scorers with 63 points in a losing effort. Yikes, this would be a tough loss to handle.

Jaguars assistant named head coach at Yale - Jan 06, 2009 | 9:07:31

Tom Williams, a defensive assistant coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, will be the next football coach at Yale. Williams replaces Jack Siedlecki, who retired after 12 seasons. Williams will be the first black football coach at Yale and the second in Ivy League history. He began coaching as a graduate assistant under Bill Walsh at Stanford.

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