You won’t find the Ohio State Buckeyes speaking up on behalf of the Michigan Wolverines often ever. That is, until now. With things crumbling at Michigan amid lawsuits and practice scandals, players at the school’s biggest rival are coming to their defense – at least about the so-called “ridiculous” practice schedule.
According to reports, Michigan’s coaching staff has been pushing the players to work out many more hours than is allowable according to NCAA rules. While these extra hours are “voluntary” on paper, anonymous players have said that punishment was in store for anyone who didn’t volunteer their time.
Sez the Buckeyes, …read more

Few people at Michigan were happy when former West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez accepted the head coach position after the retirement of Llyod Carr. We’re actually still seeing players leave the team after the mass exodus that happened nearly immediately after he was given the job. It’s not that Rodriguez isn’t a good coach; few people can argue that he’s not after what he did at West Virginia. The people and players of Michigan just don’t like his coaching style, which seems to be a big departure from the coaching of greats like Carr, Bo Schembechler, and other Michigan greats.
I …read more

Minor league baseball team the Fort Myers Miracle thought they were being clever to host an event with a Tim Tebow theme. However, their “What Would Tim Tebow Do?” night had to be changed after the team received a cease and desist letter via email from the University of Florida.
NCAA rules prohibit any college player lending his name or picture to a commercial promotion. While it is unclear whether or not Florida could be fined over an event they couldn’t control, it is better safe than sorry, and they quickly emailed the Miracle about the event. The team was a …read more

There’s a sort-of grassroots movement happening among NCAA teams as part of a sportsmanship initiative – and really, in my opinion, this is coming at a great time. The NCAA and American Football Coaches are encouraging all schools to arrange team handshakes before the kickoff on Week One. It’s symbolic, but hopefully that will remind everyone just what the game is all about.
The NCAA isn’t requiring the players/teams to shake hands, but they’re hoping that everyone opts in. Coaches are required to shake hands before and after each game. NCAA basketball teams shake hands before games, but due to the …read more

Jeremy Jarmon of the Kentucky Wildcats is officially ineligible for his senior season, according to reports. The NCAA deemed him ineligible due to a failed drug test. Jarmon insists that he inadvertantly took the substance, but his appeal has been denied.
The defensive end says that he had been taking a supplement for 15 days while recovering from an injury, and immediately stopped taking the supplement when trainers told him that the substance was against rules. He says that the supplement was to help him lose weight during the offseason, and he purchased it after it was recommended by one of …read more

The NCAA may have a new text messaging rule to limit the contact coaches have with prospects, but there’s no rule against social networking…yet. And many coaches are taking advantage of that.
Division I and II coaches are allowed to contact recruits one-on-one using direct messaging services on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and other social networking websites. These types of messages are considered emails, which are permissable according to NCAA rules. Coaches can’t instant message or chat with recruits, but social networking opens new doors.
While public messages (such as posting on a Facebook wall) isn’t allowed, direct messages are often programmed to …read more