December 15, 2012 2:42 PM

Seven Catholic schools announce they will leave the Big East

BY Dick Weiss

It's official.

The seven non-football playing Catholic schools in the Big East - Marquette, St. John's, Villanova, DePaul, Seton Hall, Providence and Georgetown - have officially announced they will leave the league to form a new basketball only conference.

Here is a statement from the presidents:

"Earlier today we voted unanimously to pursue an orderly evolution to a foundation of basketball schools that honors the history and tradition of which the Big East was established. Under the current context of conference realignment, we believe pursuing a new basketball framework that builds on this tradition of excellence and competition is the best way forward.

"We are grateful to our Commissioner Michael Aresco, for his exceptional leadership of the Big East Conference. We have been honored to be associated with the outstanding group of institutions that have made up the Big East. While we pursue this opportunity of our institutions, we believe the efforts of the past two years have established the foundation for an enduring national football conference.

We look forward to building this new foundation with an emphasis on elite competition and a commitment to the development of our students engaged in intercollegiate athletics. That is where we will now spend our energy as we move forward."

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December 12, 2012 2:49 PM

Super demand for Notre Dame-Alabama title tilt in Miami

BY Dick Weiss

Ticket demand for the BCS national championship game between Notre Dame and Alabama at Sun Life Stadium in Miami is poised to approach Super Bowl levels.

The Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel is reporting the average ticket on StubHub was priced at $1,912 with six premium seats already selling at $8,824 with three weeks to go before kickoff.

By contrast, seats from last year's Super Bowl between the Giants and Patriots averaged $2,500. StubHub said the average ticket for last year's BCs title game between Alabama and LSU in New Orleans was $1,565.

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December 9, 2012 9:35 PM

Texas A&M to honor Heisman winner Johnny Manziel with billboard in Times Square

BY Dick Weiss

Forget Broadway Joe. Texas A&M is launching a huge marketing campaign to turn Johnny Football into Broadway Johnny.

The university plans to honor its dazzling quarterback Johnny Manziel, the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, with a giant billboard in the heart of Times Square. The ad campaign, first reported by
ESPN,com, will reportedly say, "They call him Johnny Heisman. The 12th Man stands a little taller today as we congratulate Aggie quarterback Johnny Manziel, winner of the 2012 Heisman Trophy.''

Manziel will be honored tonight at the annual black tie Heisman Memorial Dinner Gala at the Marriott Marquis in the theatre district.

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December 9, 2012 9:34 PM

Texas A&M to honor Heisman winner Johnny Manziel with billboard in Times Square

BY Dick Weiss

Forget Broadway Joe. Texas A&M is launching a huge marketing campaign to turn Johnny Football into Broadway Johnny.

The university plans to honor its dazzling quarterback Johnny Manziel, the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, with a giant billboard in the heart of Times Square. The ad campaign, first reported by
ESPN,com, will reportedly say, "They call him Johnny Heisman. The 12th Man stands a little taller today as we congratulate Aggie quarterback Johnny Manziel, winner of the 2012 Heisman Trophy.''

Manziel will be honored tonight at the annual black tie Heisman Memorial Dinner Gala at the Marriott Marquis in the theatre district.

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November 28, 2012 9:38 AM

Louisville the latest Big East school to bolt for ACC

BY Dick Weiss

Louisville is the latest team to bolt the Big East.

The Cardinals have accepted an invitation early Wednesday morning to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014 as a full-time member following a vote by conference presidents and chancellors.

The Cardinals are the fourth Big East school to defect to the ACC since last fall. Pitt and Syracuse announced they were joining the league in the fall of 2011 and Notre Dame joined as a partial member this fall. The Irish will remain an independent in football but agreed to play five games each season against ACC opponents.

Louisville will replace Maryland, which left the ACC for the Big Ten just two weeks ago, effective 2014.

The Big East is now left with UConn, Temple, Navy, East Carolina, Central Florida, South Florida, Tulane, Cincinnati, SMU, Houston, San Diego State, Boise State, Memphis on the football side. The conference will seek a 14th member - likely Air Force or BYU - in 2014.

The new look ACC in 2014 for football will have 14 teams - Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Pitt and Syracuse with Notre Dame playing a partial schedule - a desireable number in the mind of AD John Swofford - indicating expansion in the East is finally done for now.

Louisville, which brings a high profile basketball program, a rising football program, a dynamic AD in Tom Jurich and a $68 million athletic budget, will have full access to the BCS and all the ACC's bowl ties in addition to a TV contract worth $17 million dollars to all its members, including Notre Dame.

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November 7, 2012 10:58 AM

Darrell Royal, who brought the wishbone offense to college football, dies at 88

BY Dick Weiss

The University of Texas has announced sainted former football coach Darrell Royal, who won two national championships and a share of a third, has died. He was 88.

A UT spokesman has confirmed Royal's death in Austin Wednesday. No further details were released. Royal suffered from Alzheimer's disease and recently fell at an assisted living center where he was receiving care.

Royal coached Texas from 1957-1976, won 11 Southwest Conference titles and introduced the wishbone offense to major college football in 1968. He led the Longhorns to two national championships in 1963 and 1969, plus a share of a third in 1970.

He was Texas football.

Earlier this year, Penn State's iconic coach Joe Paterno, who won two national championship and was the head coach for 46 years at Happy Valley before being fired at the start of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, passed away from lung cancer at age 85. 

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November 4, 2012 4:43 PM

Weiss' Top-25 (Nov. 4, 2012)

BY Dick Weiss

1. Alabama (9-0)
2. Oregon (9-0)
3. Kansas State (9-0)
4. Notre Dame (9-0)
5. LSU (7-2)
6. Georgia (8-1)
7. Ohio State (10-0)
8. Florida  (8-1)
9. Florida State (8-1)
10. Louisville (9-0)

Second Ten: 11. South Carolina (7-2); 12. Clemson (8-1); 13. Texas A & M (7-2); 14. Stanford (7-2); 15. Oklahoma (6-2); 17. Oregon State (7-1); 18. Louisiana Tech (8-1); 19. UCLA (7-2); 20. Nebraska (7-2).

Five to Watch: 21. Texas (7-2); 22. Toledo (8-1); 23. USC (6-3); 24. Rutgers (7-1); 25.Texas Tech (6-3).

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October 21, 2012 8:55 PM

Kansas State jumps to No. 3 ranking after thumping West Virginia

BY Dick Weiss

Kansas State's decisive 55-14 Big 12 victory over West Virginia in Morgantown created a tremor in the newest BCS standings released Sunday night. The Wildcats moved up to No. 3, ahead of Oregon and behind SEC rivals Alabama and Florida.

Oregon remains No. 2 in both the Coaches’ and Harris polls, but the Pac-12 Ducks are being hurt by their computer ranking.

Alabama (.9625) is still locked into first, and Florida (.9310) grabbed a firmer grip on second with a 44-11 victory over South Carolina.

The Gators are first in the computer ratings and Kansas State is second. Fourth-place Oregon (.8966), coming off a 43-21 win at Arizona State, is sixth in the computer ratings.

Notre Dame is fifth in the standings heading into its game at Oklahoma. The Sooners are eighth. LSU is sixth and unbeaten Oregon State is seventh.

Unbeaten Rutgers is 15 again after a 35-10 victory over Temple in Philadelphia.

Oregon isn't likely to gain any distance this week unless the teams in front of them lose. Oregon plays a weak Pac-12 opponent Colorado (1-6) at home, while the rest of the teams ahead of the Ducks play ranked opponents. Oregon has a chance to make up ground Nov. 3. The Ducks play USC that day in L.A., then go to Cal. They finish with two ranked teams — Stanford at home and Oregon State — in Corvallis. Oregon could also benefit from playing in the Pac-12 championship game if it is still unbeaten at that point.

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October 20, 2012 12:49 PM

Pro-Joe Paterno billboards going up in Pennsylvania

BY Dick Weiss

Just when it looked like Penn State was finally ready to turn the page and begin supporting the job new football coach Bill O'Brien and his staff have done with his program, a group called PS4truth has started bringing up the past, putting up electronic billboards supporting the late Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno.

Onward State, a Penn State related blog, reports the billboards have six messages that constantly rotate. Among other things, they ask "When? will Penn State honor Joe Paterno's lifetime of service to the University?," criticize the school's Board of Trustees for not resigning, the NCAA for removing 111 of Paterno's career victories and the media for using his name to make money.

Joe Diebold, a member of PS4truth, told the Harrisburg-Patriot News he was upset by "the rush to judgment" implicating Paterno in the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal. The Patriot-News has reported the billboards can be seen along Route 581 near Lemoyne, Pa., on Interstate 83 in Harrisburg and on Route 15 just north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

There is no mention on the billboards of the 10 children who were molested by Sandusky.

After Sandusky was indicted in November, Paterno was fired. He died in January, before a report by ex-FBI Director Louis Freeh concluded that Penn State officials, including Paterno, engaged in a coverup of Sandusky's crimes. One of the billboard messages asks why Freeh never interviewed Paterno.

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October 15, 2012 7:36 PM

'Bob Knight Collection' of memorabilia to be auctioned off by Steiner Sports in December

BY Dick Weiss

The “Bob Knight Collection,” a treasure trove of artifacts from the personal trophy room of the one of the great coaching minds in the history of basketball, will be the centerpieces of the Steiner Sports "Perfect Auction," celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the memorbilia company.

Knight's championship rings from Indiana's perfect 1976 season as well as the 1981 and 1987 title years, 1984 Olympics and Hall of Fame rings, his Olympic gold medal and 1988 Coach of the Year award are the centerpieces of the auction, along with Don Larsen's Perfect Game uniform, that will be up for bid through December 5 at www.steinersports.com .

We only have one question. The last time we heard, with rare exceptions, only competitors receive gold medals at the Olympics. Coaches receive nothing from the IOC.
 
Knight apparently put the items up for sale because he wanted to be able to give some of the proceeds to his grandchildren and charities.

Steiner Sports founder Brandon Steiner will auction off 1,500 never-before-available collectibles.  Among the rare artifacts also available for bidding include: a Mickey Mantle autographed magazine; Shea Stadium visitors lockers of  Henry Aaron and Willie McCorvey, hand written pages from Joe DiMaggio’s diaries; a baseball signed by Yankees iconic owner George Steinbrenner, a Gatorade cooler signed by the 1986 Super Bowl champion New York Football Giants; a signed Frazier Everlast speedbag; and a Madison Square Garden VIP seat from the Knicks 1973 NBA Championship season.

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