Appalachian St. Stuns Michigan

Former #5 team's 0-2 start sparks calls for coach's resignation

(NEWSER) - Michigan started the college football season ranked fifth. Now, after embarrassing losses to unranked Appalachian State and Oregon, the Wolverines have plummeted out of the polls, and fans are reacting, USA Today reports. Home-crowd fans booed the Wolverines last weekend, and Detroit columnists are calling for coach Lloyd Carr to resign. More»

There's a society for every taste

(NEWSER) - Looking to meet like-minded people as the new school year begins? Never fear—these days, there’s a club for everybody, the Detroit Free Press reports. A few of the oddest:

• Squirrel clubs. Both the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University offer societies aimed at interacting with our bushy-tailed friends.
• Tree Musketeers. Northern Michigan’s club welcomes those interested in learning to swing from tree to tree in the manner of Tarzan.

They, plus 4 others, must repay value of illicit benefits

(NEWSER) - In the wake of the University of Miami booster scandal , eight football players have been suspended by the NCAA for accepting illicit benefits from Nevin Shapiro. All of them must also repay the value of those benefits, ranging from $140 for quarterback Jacory Harris to $1,200 for defensive starter Olivier Vernon, who also received the harshest penalty with a six-game suspension. Five other players, including the quarterback, must miss Monday’s opening game before returning, while the remaining two will miss four games. More»

Colleges can't ignore race in admissions, say judges

(AP) - A federal appeals court today struck down Michigan's ban on the consideration of race and gender in college admissions, saying it burdens minorities and violates the Constitution. The 2-1 decision upends a sweeping law that forced the University of Michigan and other public schools to change admission policies. The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals said the law, approved by voters in 2006, violates the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. Michigan pledged to appeal, and the case could end up in the Supreme Court. More»

Philosophy professor led sports powerhouse after firing Bob Knight at Indiana U.

(NEWSER) - Myles Brand, the first academic in 50 years to head the National Collegiate Athletic Association and perhaps best known as the man who, as president of Indiana University, fired legendary basketball coach Bob Knight, died today of pancreatic cancer; he was 67, the New York Times reports. The former philosophy professor spearheaded academic reform, instituting a system under which universities are penalized if student-athletes don’t meet certain standards. More»