LSU board OK's higher football ticket prices
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- The cost of watching defending national champion LSU will jump this season, after the school's Board of Supervisors approved price hikes Thursday for individual ticket sales and many season ticket packages.
Season ticket holders who pay into the school's "Tradition Fund" will see those fees jump by up to 100 percent over three years. Those who paid a $500 fee last year will pay $650 this year, $800 next year and $950 in 2010.
The price of individual non-conference games will go from $40 to $45, and tickets for Southeastern Conference games will increase from $45 to $50. Student ticket prices are unchanged.
Athletic director Skip Bertman told the board the increases are necessary to pay for rising costs of coaches' salaries, travel, utilities and upkeep on 84-year-old Tiger Stadium. Even after the increases, Bertman said ticket prices and fees would be among the lowest in the SEC.
"This funding plan really isn't excessive," Bertman told the board.
Bertman said the increases will raise $11.6 million over the next three years.
Board member Charles Weems offered the only objection, saying the school needs to find another way to raise money for athletics. Otherwise, Weems said ticket price hikes will become routine and fans will be priced out of Tiger Stadium.
"What we are basically doing is presiding over the systematic eviction from Tiger Stadium of those many loyal fans who supported the football team when they were 2-9 and 3-8," said board member Louis Lambert of Prairieville. "We must find a way to keep these loyal people in Tiger Stadium."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Purdue to select coach Joe Tiller's successor within days
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Purdue might announce the successor to football coach Joe Tiller as soon as Friday, a person familiar with the coaching search said.
The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because negotiations are ongoing, said Thursday that the 65-year-old Tiller will coach the Boilermakers in 2008, and the successor would take over after that.
The date and time of the announcement are uncertain, the person said, because the details are still being worked out.
Several media outlets have reported Eastern Kentucky coach Danny Hope will be hired as assistant head coach, then become head coach in 2009.
The person familiar with the search declined to comment on the reports.
The 49-year-old Hope was an offensive line coach on Tiller's staffs at Wyoming, then Purdue, before leaving the Boilermakers after the 2001 season.
After one season as assistant head coach at Louisville, Hope is 35-22 in five winning seasons at Eastern Kentucky.
In 2007, he led the Colonels to a 9-3 record and the Ohio Valley Conference title and was a Football Championship Subdivision Regional Coach of the Year.
Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Hope by telephone were unsuccessful, and e-mails to his Eastern Kentucky account are being routed to an office associate.
"Any information about the coaching position at Purdue needs to come from Purdue," Eastern Kentucky athletic director Mark Sandy said.
Tiller came to Purdue from Wyoming in 1997 and brought a spread passing attack that helped revive a program that had gone through three coaches and just two winning seasons in the previous 16 years.
"We've changed the culture surrounding the football program," Tiller said before the 2007 season. "I think that we certainly have changed the expectation level, and I don't know if that's good or bad."
It was both.
Tiller's teams went 83-54 from 1997 through 2007, one win short of the record 84 won by Jack Mollenkopf in 1956-69. Under Tiller, the Boilermakers made 10 bowl appearances in 11 years, including the high point in 2000 when Drew Brees led the team to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1967 and was third in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Purdue's success, however, created such high expectations that the Boilermakers' failure to reach the perennial elite status of traditional Big Ten powers Michigan and Ohio State fueled frustration by many fans.
Purdue started last season 5-0, but consecutive losses to the Buckeyes and Wolverines doomed the Boilermakers once again to second-tier status in the conference. They finished the regular season with three straight losses -- including their first to rival Indiana since 2001 -- before outlasting Central Michigan 51-48 in the Motor City Bowl to finish at 8-5.
Even then, with three more years on Tiller's contract with Purdue, the grumbling never subsided.
Neither did Tiller's enthusiasm for the college game.
"I enjoy the college environment, so much so that I don't see myself ever doing anything other than this," the coach said at the start of last season. "Right now, I couldn't tell you when I would no longer be doing it."
Defensive end Anthony Spencer, a captain in 2006 and a rookie this year with the Dallas Cowboys, said Tiller is trying to relate better to today's players.
"He's definitely a good coach, but he's probably more stuck in the old ways," Spencer said. "He has been working to become more of a players' coach. I could see that last year, and yeah, it helped a lot."
Tiller's only losing season with Purdue was in 2005, when the Boilermakers went 5-6 with what he said was one of his most athletic teams. The downfall, he said, was they didn't approach the game properly.
"That was, in my opinion, personnel driven, and we've made those corrections," Tiller said.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Clemson hopes to avoid letdown like last year's bowl game
CLEMSON, S.C. -- It didn't take long for Clemson center Thomas Austin to realize the team's trip to the Music City Bowl in 2006 wouldn't go the Tigers' way.
Clemson was lethargic, partly because disappointment was rampant following losses in three of the final four regular-season games, and the Tigers lost to Kentucky 28-20.
This postseason is much different. Optimism is abound with so many starters returning next season, and No. 15 Clemson (9-3) knows a victory over No. 22 Auburn (8-4) on Monday in the Chick-fil-A Bowl will go a long way toward next year.
Clemson looked ready to fold again this season, their 4-0 start wiped out with consecutive defeats to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. But they've fought back several times down the stretch.
"That what makes this team so unique is that we did lose a couple of early games but fought back and put ourselves in contention," Austin said.
Clemson reeled off four straight victories to set up a showdown for the Atlantic Coast Conference title game with the Boston College.
The Tigers showed their mettle against the Eagles, moving ahead in the final quarter and nearly rallying at the end in a 20-17 loss.
A week later, Clemson needed another comeback to squeak past rival South Carolina. Quarterback Cullen Harper connected on four passes with receiver Aaron Kelly -- including back-to-back throws of 14 and 12 yards after facing third-and-18 -- that led to Mark Buchholz's 35-yard game-winning field goal.
"To be on the winning track and to get an opportunity to play in a huge bowl game," Austin says, "we're excited about that."
Clemson coach Tommy Bowden spoke to his team about their chance to make history -- no group of Tigers has reached 10 victories in 17 years.
Just as important, Bowden stressed, is what success on New Year's Eve can mean to his team, which is expected to have as many as 18 starters returning next fall.
"If you want a chance to jump on the radar and set a standard and try to maintain and exceed the standard, then I think winning is important," Bowden said. "It's the last signature that this puts out to the public."
Several standout juniors, like running back James Davis, defensive lineman Phillip Merling and safety Michael Hamlin, could have decisions about leaving early for the NFL draft.
Davis, just 8 yards shy of his second straight 1,000-yard season, said the success down the stretch has improved the team's attitude and desire to keep it going. "That's obviously a big deal," he said.
Plus, the Tigers don't want to go through what they did after last season. Bowden has said several times that his team's eight victories a year ago gave him nothing but "eight months of headaches."
The bowl loss to Kentucky "kind of overshadowed the whole offseason and kind of put us in a bad light," Kelly said.
Since the end of the season, Bowden's agreed to a new deal that will tie him to the Tigers through 2014, and should end the headaches.
Bowl workouts haven't gone without incident. Starting linebackers Tramaine Billie and Nick Watkins, and offensive lineman Christian Capote, are out because of academics. And linebacker Cortney Vincent's status is up in the air after his arrest.
Through it all, Harper thinks the players have kept their eyes on the game -- something he didn't see a year ago.
"There's a lot out there for us to take," Harper said. "We have a chance to finish this season off and be really special. ... There's a lot of good things that can happen for us next year and that's even more of an incentive for us to go out and play well."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Wisconsin's Beckum to return for senior year
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Wisconsin tight end Travis Beckum plans to return for his senior season with the Badgers.
Beckum, a finalist for the 2007 John Mackey Award given to the best tight end in the country, said Thursday he looked into his opportunities before deciding to spend another season in school.
I'm enjoying being a Badger and can't wait for our bowl game in Tampa, as well as for next season," Beckum said in a statement. "I'm glad this decision is behind me and I'm looking forward to another year at Camp Randall."
Beckum, a third-team All-America selection, had 73 catches and for 960 yards, the most among tight ends in the nation and a school record. He is three catches shy of breaking wide receiver Lee Evans' school record for receptions in a season and is 40 yards away from becoming the fourth 1,000-yard receiver in school history.
Wisconsin (9-3) plays Tennessee (9-4) in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla. on Jan. 1.
"I always encourage our players to explore the options they have and we give them all the help we can," Badgers coach Bret Bielema said. "Travis saw that the best situation for him is to remain a Badger and I support that and, obviously, I'm very excited to have him with us for his final year."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Wyoming tabs Cole offensive coordinator
LARAMIE, Wyoming (Ticker) - University of Wyoming football coach Joe Glenn announced Monday that Bob Cole has been named offensive coordinator.
Cole will take over for Bill Cockhill, who was fired as offensive coordinator after the 2007 season. Cole signed a two-year contract worth $247,000.
Cole is known for running a wide-open scheme and has had success with offenses at Montana and Utah State. Cole was a part of a staff fired by the Florida A&M administration following a disappointing 3-8 campaign.
A college coach since 1988, Cole began his career as the offensive coordinator at Sonoma State University in California.
"We are fortunate to have a coach with the great experience and success that Bob Cole has had join our coaching staff," Glenn said. "Bob has great leadership qualities, and many years of experience in the role as an offensive coordinator.
"His offenses have been among the most productive in the nation during his career. Bob's offenses are innovative and exciting, and he has tutored some great players over the years. He will officially join our staff on Wednesday."
Wyoming started the season with a 23-3 victory over Virginia and was 4-1 with its lone loss to Boise State before the wheels fell off. The Cowboys finished 1-6 and averaged only 12.8 points in their last six losses.
"I am thrilled to be a part of the Wyoming Football program," Cole said. "Joe (Glenn) is one of the best, if not the best, coach in the country to work for. I look forward to working along side such a great group of coaches and a great guys. I think Wyoming has a lot of talent returning, and I look forward to being a part of a program that has a rich football history.
"The West is where I've worked most of my career in college football. It is where I have the most contacts, and my family and I are excited to get back to that part of the country."
Copyright 2007 PA SportsTicker. All Rights Reserved
Barnett says lawsuit held CU 'hostage'
DENVER (AP) -- Former University of Colorado football coach Gary Barnett says the lawsuit brought by two women who claimed they were gang-raped by football players and recruits at a party held the school "hostage".
CU announced it was settling the lawsuit on Wednesday, three months after an appellate court revived the case. Without admitting fault or liability, the school agreed to pay Lisa Simpson $2.5 million, while the other woman, who did not wish be identified publicly, will receive $350,000. The women had claimed they were raped at an off-campus party for football players and recruits on Dec. 7, 2001.
In a posting on his Web site, Barnett said the settlement means CU and its athletic department will never get their day in court.
"It is hard to believe that we live in a society where allegations have enough clout to hold a wonderful and well respected university hostage," he said.
No sexual assault charges were filed as a result of the women's complaints. A grand jury investigation resulted in a single indictment against a former football recruiting aide for soliciting a prostitute and misusing a school cell phone.
A separate inquiry, backed by the university's governing Board of Regents, concluded that drugs, alcohol and sex were used to entice blue chip recruits to the Boulder campus but said none of the activity was knowingly sanctioned by university officials.
The scandal prompted broad university reforms and led to a shakeup of the school's top leaders. CU President Betsy Hoffman and Athletic Director Dick Tharp resigned, but Barnett survived. He later accepted a buyout after a 70-3 loss to Texas in the 2005 Big 12 championship game.
Simpson's lawyer, Baine Kerr, said he wasn't surprised by Barnett's reaction.
"It's just ironic that that the guy who was responsible for causing so much damage would be blaming others, but it's to be expected from him," Kerr said.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Nevada, BYU game in 2008 on hold after Nevada schedules Grambling State
PROVO, Utah (AP) -- Brigham Young won't be opening next season against Nevada after all.
BYU is looking for a new opponent after a scheduling conflict with Nevada. The Wolf Pack and Cougars had one game remaining on a three-game deal and Nevada was scheduled to visit Provo on Aug. 30.
But Nevada scheduled Grambling State, a Championship Subdivision team, for that date. Nevada announced its schedule on Tuesday.
BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said Thursday that he has been trying to find a replacement for the last couple of weeks, but most teams have already booked their schedule for 2008.
"You can find a game, but finding home game on that particular date and an opponent like we were looking for is difficult," Holmoe said.
Nevada spokesman Chad Hartley said Thursday that Nevada told BYU it needed to delay the meeting in order to get two home games during the non-conference season. Visiting BYU next fall would have given Nevada five home games and seven on the road.
"We needed to get another home game for that Aug. 30 date," Hartley said.
Nevada played at BYU in 2001 and BYU visited Reno the following year. There was one game remaining in the original deal that was pushed back to this year.
Without Nevada, UCLA is BYU's only non-conference home game on next fall's schedule. The Cougars will visit Utah State and Washington. Holmoe said he'd rather not have to schedule a Championship Subdivision team to replace the Wolf Pack.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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