College Football Rife With Spies

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»

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»

(NEWSER) - The Ivy League has a reputation for excellence in all things, but the consignment of its sports programs—particularly the more visible ones like football and basketball—to college athletics’ second tier has alumni clamoring for change, the Wall Street Journal reports. Academic standards limit the pool of top student-athletes for the eight Ivy schools; the football teams can’t play in the postseason, nixing their title chances. More»

Nothing tops college football in the South

(NEWSER) - With Alabama and Florida getting set to play for what is likely to be a national championship berth tomorrow, the Wall Street Journal looks into what has been giving the juggernaut Southeastern Conference its recent momentum. It's not just great coaching—although that helps—but a combination of culture, politics, and growing wealth in the region. More»

League claims 20M fans south of border, but path to pro ranks is a tough one

(NEWSER) - Mexico isn’t known for loving football—the pigskin kind—but the sport is gaining popularity there, the Los Angeles Times reports. The NFL estimates it has 20 million Mexican fans, and with the game catching on at the high school and college level, players are pushing for more attention from the American league, where just five Mexicans are on practice squads. More»