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Western Washington drops football program - Jan 09, 2009 | 12:34:20

This post was written by David Pickle, managing director of publishing at the NCAA.

Division II received some bad news Thursday from the West Coast, where Western Washington announced that it has dropped its football program.

The university's statement cited expenses and a lack of revenue as the primary factors behind the decision. "Athletics expenditures have grown more rapidly than revenues over recent years, due in part to increased travel costs, field rentals and a relatively flat growth in gift and donation dollars," the statement said. "This has been compounded by additional budget reductions and the more recent substantial cuts facing the university. Among all the options considered, the only way to ensure Western can maintain a strong program of intercollegiate athletics is to eliminate football."

While the loss of any program is upsetting, the development is particularly painful for Division II, which has struggled in recent years to maintain football sponsorship along the Pacific Coast.

What does Western Washington cutting football mean for Division II?

 JoePa statue: Has anyone seen my glasses? 

Last week was a difficult week for Penn State's legendary coach Joe Paterno. First, his squad was defeated by Southern California in the Rose Bowl, moving the Big Ten's bowl record to 1-6 this year. In addition, late last week, the glasses on Joe Paterno's statue outside Beaver Stadium were stolen. Here's a picture of the glass-less Paterno, courtesy of WJAC-TV and Deadspin:

Obama calls for playoff, again 

President-elect Barack Obama held a news conference today to announce his picks to lead the CIA, and Director of National Intelligence. He also touched on one of his favorite topics: The Bowl Championship Series. The president-elect again called for a playoff to decide the national college football champion.

"If I'm Utah, or if I'm USC or if I'm Texas, I may still have some quibbles," he said. "That's why we need a playoff."

In an interview with CNBC, Obama insisted his main focus is on creating jobs, not a playoff system,. "I probably am going to be spending more time focusing on creating three more -- three million more jobs."

Western Washington ends football program 

Western Washington University officials announced its football program is ending, "following a careful evaluation to determine how best to ensure the excellence of all University intercollegiate sports."

"I have made this decision with a heavy heart as I am well aware of the profound consequences it has on the student-athletes on the football team, their dedicated and hard-working coaches, and on our passionate supporters on campus, in the community and region and on our alumni," said Western President Bruce Shepard.

Western University, a member of the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference, began playing football in 1903 and finished with a 383-380-34 record in 98 seasons.

Ohio State's Wells declares for NFL 

Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells is the latest college superstar to enter his name in the NFL Draft. The junior ranks fourth on Ohio State's all-time rushing list with 3,382 yards, and is projected by many to be one of the top two running backs selected (along with Georgia's Knowshon Moreno).

On a side note, it will be interesting to see how many of the superstars from last night's BCS National Championship game will declare for the NFL Draft. Do you think either Heisman Trophy quarterback (Oklahoma's Sam Bradford or Florida's Tim Tebow) played their final collegiate game last night?

Florida, Utah top final AP poll; Utes fourth in coaches' poll 

Florida is No. 1 in the final AP poll after last night's 24-14 win over Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship game. While the AP voters did not have to place Florida at the top of their ballots (unlike in the coaches' poll, where after its win, the Gators were required to be No. 1), it is no surprise to see the Gators at the top of both polls. In the AP, the Gators received three times as many first place votes as undefeated Utah (48-16), with USC receiving one-first place vote. Texas finished fourth, one spot ahead of rival Oklahoma.

In the coaches' poll, however, Utah finished in fourth place behind USC and Texas. Does Utah's fourth place vote in this poll say anything about how other coaches perceive the Utes and the Mountain West Conference as a whole?

Read more News from the official blog of the NCAA, the Double-A Zone.