This Week's News Stories:
A group of Penn State fans have announced a Kickstarter campaign to raise $300,000 for a new statue of Joe Paterno. If the fundraising campaign is successful, the new statue will be erected in downtown State College. Full story here.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is fighting allegations from the Freedom From Religion Foundation over whether he violated the First Amendment rights of his players. The FFRF maintains that Coach Swinney was using his position as head coach to promote Christianity at a public university. Full story here.
Mark Lewis, an N.C.A.A. executive vice president for championships and alliances, made a statement to CBSSports.com about the O'Bannon antitrust lawsuit. Four years ago, former UCLA basketball player Edward O'Bannon filed a lawsuit against the N.C.A.A. over the association's use of athletes' likenesses for commercial gain. A federal judge back in February ruled that the case can go to trial, which is scheduled to begin in June. Full story here.
In an interview with ESPN, Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong discussed his expectations for the upcoming 2014 season. Full story here.
Mary Willingham, the reading specialist and whistle-blower in the North Carolina academic scandal, announced her resignation on Monday. Full story here.
The football coaches of the BIG XII Conference recently attended a meeting in Kansas City. Among the topics they discussed was the upcoming players union vote at Northwestern University. Full story here.
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The 2014 football schedule for Conference USA is now available on The Howell Report. The schedule appears below, but first I would like to provide a brief history of this ever-changing association.
Since it was founded in 1995 as a merger of the Metro Conference and the Great Midwest Conference, C-USA's membership has significantly changed over the last two decades. In 1996, Conference-USA consisted of the following schools: Cincinnati, DePaul, Houston, Louisville, Marquette, St. Louis, South Florida, Charlotte, Southern Mississippi, Alabama-Birmingham, Memphis, and Tulane.
By 2002 three more schools had joined: Army (football only), East Carolina, and Texas Christian. Unfortunately, this collection of schools would not stay together for very long. In 2005 a major Division I conference realignment occurred after the Atlantic Coast Conference expanded from nine schools to twelve by adding three institutions from the old Big East: Boston College, Miami (FL), and Virginia Tech. As a result, the Big East replaced those teams by admitting five C-USA schools: Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, Louisville, and South Florida. That same year, St. Louis and Charlotte joined the Atlantic 10, Texas Christian left for the Mountain West, and Army became an independent. Because of the realignment, C-USA admitted six more schools: Central Florida, Southern Methodist, Tulsa, Marshall, Rice, and Texas-El Paso.
Between 2006 and 2012, Conference USA had twelve members arranged in two football divisions:
East: Alabama-Birmingham, Central Florida, East Carolina, Marshall, Memphis, Southern Miss.
West: Houston, Rice, Southern Methodist, Texas-El Paso, Tulane, Tulsa.
In 2013 another round of conference realignment occurred, resulting in seven schools leaving C-USA to join what would eventually become the American Athletic Conference. Four left in 2013: Central Florida, Houston, Memphis, and Southern Methodist. And three more will leave on July 1st of this year: East Carolina, Tulane, and Tulsa. In order to replace these seven schools, Conference USA will admit nine colleges as full members over a three year timespan. Six colleges joined as full members for the 2013 season: Florida-Atlantic, Florida-International, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, and Texas-San Antonio. Western Kentucky will join C-USA as a full member on July 1st of this year. Old Dominion will also become as a full member in 2014, while Charlotte will rejoin as a full member in 2015.
Because of all these changes, Conference USA will play as a thirteen member conference for the 2014 season. The football divisions will be imbalanced for one season (2014) and they will appear as follows after July 1st:
East: Alabama-Birmingham, Florida-Atlantic, Florida International, Marshall, Middle Tennessee State (MTSU), Old Dominion, and Western Kentucky
West: Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Southern Mississippi, Texas-El Paso (UTEP), and Texas-San Antonio (UTSA).
2014 CONFERENCE USA COMPOSITE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
For non-league games, C-USA members appear in ALL CAPS
For league games, home teams are underlined
August 29th
Bowling Green at WESTERN KENTUCKY
August 30th
FLORIDA ATLANTIC at Nebraska
Bethune-Cookman at FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
MARSHALL at Miami (OH)
Savannah State at MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Hampton at OLD DOMINION
Troy at ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM
LOUISIANA TECH at Oklahoma
NORTH TEXAS at Texas
RICE at Notre Dame
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI at Mississippi State
TEXAS-EL PASO at New Mexico
TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO at Houston
September 4th
Arizona at TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO
September 6th
FLORIDA ATLANTIC at Alabama
Wegner at FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
Rhode Island at MARSHALL
MIDDLE TENNESSEE at Minnesota
OLD DOMINION at North Carolina State
ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM at Mississippi State
WESTERN KENTUCKY at Illinois
LOUISIANA TECH at Louisiana-Lafayette
Southern Methodist at NORTH TEXAS
Alcorn State at SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
Texas Tech at TEXAS-EL PASO
September 11th
Louisiana Tech at North Texas
September 13th
Tulsa at FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Pittsburgh at FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
Ohio at MARSHALL
Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee
Eastern Michigan at OLD DOMINION
Alabama A&M at ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM
RICE at Texas A&M
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI at Alabama
New Mexico State at TEXAS-EL PASO
TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO at Oklahoma State
September 20th
FLORIDA ATLANTIC at Wyoming
Louisville at FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
MARSHALL at Akron
MIDDLE TENNESSEE at Memphis
Old Dominion at Rice
Northwestern State at LOUISIANA TECH
Nicholls State at NORTH TEXAS
Appalachian State at SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
September 26th
Middle Tennessee at Old Dominion
September 27th
Texas-San Antonio at Florida Atlantic
Florida International at Alabama-Birmingham
WESTERN KENTUCKY at Navy
LOUISIANA TECH at Auburn
Rice at Southern Mississippi
TEXAS-EL PASO at Kansas State
October 2nd
Florida Atlantic at Florida International
October 4th
Marshall at Old Dominion
Southern Mississippi at Middle Tennessee
Alabama-Birmingham at Western Kentucky
Texas-El Paso at Louisiana Tech
NORTH TEXAS at Indiana
Hawaii at RICE
New Mexico at TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO
October 11th
Florida International at Texas-San Antonio
Middle Tennessee at Marshall
Old Dominion at Texas-El Paso
North Texas at Alabama-Birmingham
RICE at Army
October 18th
Western Kentucky at Florida Atlantic
Marshall at Florida International
Alabama-Birmingham at Middle Tennessee
Texas-San Antonio at Louisiana Tech
Southern Mississippi at North Texas
October 25th
Florida Atlantic at Marshall
Old Dominion at Western Kentucky
ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM at Arkansas
Louisiana Tech at Southern Mississippi
North Texas at Rice
Texas-El Paso at Texas-San Antonio
November 1st
Alabama-Birmingham at Florida Atlantic
Rice at Florida International
Brigham Young at MIDDLE TENNESSEE
OLD DOMINION at Vanderbilt
Western Kentucky at Louisiana Tech
Southern Mississippi at Texas-El Paso
November 8th
Florida Atlantic at North Texas
Florida International at Old Dominion
Marshall at Southern Mississippi
Louisiana Tech at Alabama-Birmingham
Texas-San Antonio at Rice
Texas-El Paso at Western Kentucky
November 13th
Southern Mississippi at Texas-San Antonio
November 15th
Middle Tennessee at Florida International
Rice at Marshall
Army at WESTERN KENTUCKY
North Texas at Texas-El Paso
November 21st
Texas-El Paso at Rice
November 22nd
Florida Atlantic at Middle Tennessee
Florida International at North Texas
Marshall at Alabama-Birmingham
Louisiana Tech at Old Dominion
Texas-San Antonio at Western Kentucky
November 28th
Western Kentucky at Marshall
November 29th
Old Dominion at Florida Atlantic
Middle Tennessee at Texas-El Paso
Alabama-Birmingham at Southern Mississippi
Rice at Louisiana Tech
North Texas at Texas-San Antonio
December 6th
Conference USA Championship Game
Team with the best record will host.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
UPDATE: Big Ten Network Releases Preliminary 2014 Television Schedule
Earlier today the Big Ten Network (BTN) released its preliminary list of televised evening games for the 2014 season. The scheduled times of six conference games are now available to the public and the list has games that feature Maryland and Rutgers, the two newest members of the Big Ten. In fact, the first evening conference game that BTN plans to broadcast is Penn State at Rutgers on Saturday, September 13th, at 8:00 PM Eastern. The list also includes a major non-conference game between Cincinnati and Ohio State (Sept. 27th at 6:00 PM Eastern). The list below, courtesy of fbschedules.com, includes all Big Ten evening games (both league and non-league) that BTN and other broadcasters have released to the public. All scheduled times are subject to change. For more information, go to btn.com
April 23rd Update: Athlon Sports has released its annual ranking of the Big Ten's toughest football schedules. The top three teams on this list for 2014 are #1 Rutgers, #2 Maryland, and #3 Indiana. More information can be found here.
PRELIMINARY BIG TEN CONFERENCE EVENING TELEVISION SCHEDULE
All Times Eastern
April 23rd Update: Athlon Sports has released its annual ranking of the Big Ten's toughest football schedules. The top three teams on this list for 2014 are #1 Rutgers, #2 Maryland, and #3 Indiana. More information can be found here.
PRELIMINARY BIG TEN CONFERENCE EVENING TELEVISION SCHEDULE
All Times Eastern
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Network |
| Thu., Aug. 28 | Eastern Illinois at Minnesota | TBA | Big Ten Network |
| Fri., Aug. 29 | Jacksonville State at Michigan State | TBA | Big Ten Network |
| Sat., Sept. 6 | Virginia Tech at Ohio State | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sat., Sept. 13 | Penn State at Rutgers | 8:00 p.m. | Big Ten Network |
| Sat., Sept. 20 | Miami at Nebraska | 8:00 p.m. | ABC or ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Sat., Sept. 27 | Cincinnati at Ohio State | 6:00 p.m. | Big Ten Network |
| Sat., Sept. 27 | Illinois at Nebraska | 9:00 p.m. | Big Ten Network |
| Sat., Oct. 4 | Michigan at Rutgers | 7:00 p.m. | Big Ten Network |
| Sat., Oct. 4 | Nebraska at Michigan State | 8:00 p.m. | ABC or ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Sat., Oct. 11 | Penn State at Michigan | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Sat., Oct. 18 | Nebraska at Northwestern | 7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network |
| Sat., Oct. 25 | Ohio State at Penn State | 8:00 p.m. | ABC or ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Sat., Nov. 1 | Illinois at Ohio State | 8:00 p.m. | ABC or ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Sat., Nov. 15 | Michigan State at Maryland | 8:00 p.m. | Big Ten Network |
Friday, April 18, 2014
Introducing . . . The Bag Man
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has a problem, and it is known as "The Bag Man." On April 10, 2014, Steven Godfrey, a writer for SB Nation, published a long-form article entitled "Meet the Bag Man: How to Buy College Football Players, In the Words of a Man who Delivers the Money." In it, Mr. Godfrey discussed how groups of fans known as "shadow boosters" or "bag men" have been arranging cash payments to ameteur football players. According to the article, the problem is not exclusive to one college team. Rather, Mr. Godfrey maintains that networks of "bag men" operate at various colleges and metropolitan areas throughout the SEC's geographic realm.
An animated YouTube video from Tomo News, that I found via Bleacher Report earlier today, effectively summarizes the main points of Godfrey's article. It is available for your viewing below:
An animated YouTube video from Tomo News, that I found via Bleacher Report earlier today, effectively summarizes the main points of Godfrey's article. It is available for your viewing below:
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
UPDATED: 2014 Mountain West Football Schedule
Sunday, April 20th: The Mountain West has unveiled its preliminary television schedule for the 2014 season. Last week's update featured the scheduled times for 11 games to be played on Fridays along with the networks that will air them. Today's update features scheduled times (some to be determined) for 34 Saturday games, and the networks (CBS Sports Network, and ESPN Family of Networks) that will broadcast them. See the composite schedule below for more information. Scheduled times are subject to change.
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This week's news stories:
The NCAA's Legislative Council has approved a proposal which will allow Division I schools to provide unlimited meals and snacks to all athletes, including walk-ons. Full story here.
Today's print edition of The New York Times features a front-page article discussing the flawed investigation of the Jameis Winston rape case. Full article can be found here.
A panel of college administrators at a conference on Tuesday, consisting of Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner Beth DeBauche, former BIG XII Conference Commissioner Dan Beebe, and University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart, recommended changes to the NCAA's business model. Full story here.
Texas A&M head football coach Kevin Sumlin announced that redshirt junior Matt Joeckel will transfer from the program. His departure means that there are only two candidates left in consideration for the Aggies starting quarterback position: Kenny Hill and Kyle Allen. Full story here.
USC head football coach Steve Sarkisian has named junior Cody Kessler as the starting quarterback for the Trojans. Full story here.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, an organization dedicated to the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state, sent a letter to Clemson addressing "what it views as the promotion of Christianity within the publicly-funded school's athletic program." Full story here.
A Drexel University study, conducted in March 2014 with the National College Players Association, concluded that the annual fair market value of the average college football player between 2011 and 2015 is $178,000. Full story here.
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After an unanticipated delay, the 2014 football schedule for the Mountain West Conference is now available on The Howell Report. I had originally planned to have the Mountain West's schedule posted on April 3rd. Unfortunately, I had to postpone this entry because of my decision to research and write an extended commentary about the unionization of college athletics. While I was able to complete that commentary, it took more time to write than I originally thought. So, my apologizes to the fans of the Mountain West that read my blog and I wish your conference continued success on the gridiron.
As for the conference itself, the Mountain West currently consists of 11 full members and one associate member (Hawaii) in football. Starting with the 2013 season, the Mountain West split into two divisions known as "Mountain" and "West." The Mountain division consists of Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Utah State, and Wyoming. The West division contains Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV), San Diego State, and San Jose State. This year's schedule features some exciting non-conference games, including Air Force vs. Navy, Boise State vs. Ole Miss, Colorado State vs. Boston College, New Mexico vs. Arizona State, Utah State vs. Tennessee, Wyoming vs. Oregon, Fresno State vs. Southern California, Nevada vs. Arizona, San Jose State vs. Auburn, UNLV vs. Northern Illinois, San Diego State vs. Oregon State, and Hawaii vs. Washington. The next 2014 schedule I plan to post will be for Conference USA. Enjoy the rest of the week, everybody!
2014 MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE COMPOSITE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
For non-league games, Mountain West members appear in ALL CAPS
For league games, home teams are underlined.
August 28th
Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game - Georgia Dome, Atlanta.
BOISE STATE vs. Ole Miss - 8:00PM Eastern, ESPN.
August 29th
COLORADO STATE vs. Colorado - neutral site: Denver, Colorado.
UNLV at Arizona
August 30th
Nicholls State at AIR FORCE
Texas-El Paso at NEW MEXICO
UTAH STATE at Tennessee
Montana at WYOMING
FRESNO STATE at Southern California
Washington at HAWAII - 2:00 PM Hawaii Time, CBS Sports Network
Southern Utah at NEVADA
Northern Arizona at SAN DIEGO STATE
North Dakota at SAN JOSE STATE
September 5th
Washington State at NEVADA - 7:30 PM Pacific, ESPN or ESPN2
September 6th
Air Force at Wyoming - TBA, ESPN Networks
Colorado State at Boise State - 8:15 PM Mountain Time, ESPN2
Arizona State at NEW MEXICO - 5:00 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
Idaho State at UTAH STATE
FRESNO STATE at Utah
Oregon State at HAWAII - 4:30 PM Hawaii Time, CBS Sports Network
SAN DIEGO STATE at North Carolina
SAN JOSE STATE at Auburn
Northern Colorado at UNLV
September 12th
Northern Illinois at UNLV - 7:00PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
September 13th
AIR FORCE at Georgia State
BOISE STATE at Connecticut
California-Davis at COLORADO STATE
Wake Forest at UTAH STATE - 5:00 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
WYOMING at Oregon
Nebraska at FRESNO STATE - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
Northern Iowa at HAWAII
NEVADA at Arizona
September 20th
Louisiana-Lafayette at BOISE STATE - 8:30 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
NEW MEXICO at New Mexico State
UTAH STATE at Arkansas State
Florida Atlantic at WYOMING
Southern Utah at FRESNO STATE
HAWAII at Colorado
SAN DIEGO STATE at Oregon State
SAN JOSE STATE at Minnesota
September 26th
Fresno State at New Mexico - 6:00PM Mountain Time, ESPN or ESPN2
September 27th
Boise State at Air Force - 5:00 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
COLORADO STATE at Boston College
WYOMING at Michigan State
Nevada at San Jose State - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
Nevada-Las Vegas at San Diego State TBA, ESPN Networks
October 3rd
UTAH STATE at Brigham Young
San Diego State at Fresno State - 7:00 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network (Battle for the Oil Can)
October 4th
Navy at AIR FORCE - 1:30 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
Boise State at Nevada - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
Tulsa at COLORADO STATE
NEW MEXICO at Texas-San Antonio
HAWAII at Rice
Nevada-Las Vegas at San Jose State - TBA, ESPN Networks
October 10th
San Diego State at New Mexico - 7:30 PM Mountain Time, ESPNU
October 11th
Air Force at Utah State - TBA, ESPN Networks
Colorado State at Nevada - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
Wyoming at Hawaii (Paniolo Trophy)
Fresno State at Nevada-Las Vegas
October 17th
Fresno State at Boise State - 6:00PM Mountain Time, ESPN (Battle of the Milk Can)
October 18th
New Mexico at Air Force
Utah State at Colorado State - 5:00 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
San Jose State at Wyoming - TBA, ESPN Networks
Hawaii at San Diego State - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
NEVADA at Brigham Young
October 24th
Brigham Young at BOISE STATE - 7:00PM Mountain Time, ESPN or ESPN2
October 25th
Wyoming at Colorado State (Border War Rivalry)
Nevada Las-Vegas at Utah State - TBA, ESPN Networks
Nevada at Hawaii
SAN JOSE STATE at Navy
November 1st
AIR FORCE at Army
Colorado State at San Jose State - 4:00 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
New Mexico at Nevada-Las Vegas
Utah State at Hawaii
Wyoming at Fresno State - TBA, ESPN Networks
San Diego State at Nevada - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
November 7th
Utah State at Wyoming- 6:00PM Mountain Time, ESPN2 (Bridger's Battle)
November 8th
Air Force at Nevada-Las Vegas
Boise State at New Mexico - 5:00 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
Hawaii at Colorado State - TBA, ESPN Networks
San Jose State at Fresno State (Valley Rivalry) - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
Idaho at SAN DIEGO STATE
November 15th
Nevada at Air Force
San Diego State at Boise State - TBA, ESPN Networks
New Mexico at Utah State - TBA, ESPN Networks
Hawaii at San Jose State
UNLV at Brigham Young
November 21st
Air Force at San Diego State - 6:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
San Jose State at Utah State - 7:30 PM Mountain Time, ESPN2
November 22nd
Boise State at Wyoming - TBA, ESPN Networks
New Mexico at Colorado State
Fresno State at Nevada - TBA, ESPN Networks
Nevada-Las Vegas at Hawaii
November 28th
Colorado State at Air Force - 1:30PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network (Ram-Falcon Trophy)
November 29th
Utah State at Boise State - TBA, ESPN Networks
Wyoming at New Mexico
Hawaii at Fresno State
Nevada at UNLV (Battle for Nevada) - TBA, ESPN Networks
San Jose State at San Diego State (El Camino Real Rivalry) - 12:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
December 6th
Mountain West Conference Championship Game - Team with the highest ranking will host.
Game will be televised on CBS, Time to be determined.
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This week's news stories:
The NCAA's Legislative Council has approved a proposal which will allow Division I schools to provide unlimited meals and snacks to all athletes, including walk-ons. Full story here.
Today's print edition of The New York Times features a front-page article discussing the flawed investigation of the Jameis Winston rape case. Full article can be found here.
A panel of college administrators at a conference on Tuesday, consisting of Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner Beth DeBauche, former BIG XII Conference Commissioner Dan Beebe, and University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart, recommended changes to the NCAA's business model. Full story here.
Texas A&M head football coach Kevin Sumlin announced that redshirt junior Matt Joeckel will transfer from the program. His departure means that there are only two candidates left in consideration for the Aggies starting quarterback position: Kenny Hill and Kyle Allen. Full story here.
USC head football coach Steve Sarkisian has named junior Cody Kessler as the starting quarterback for the Trojans. Full story here.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, an organization dedicated to the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state, sent a letter to Clemson addressing "what it views as the promotion of Christianity within the publicly-funded school's athletic program." Full story here.
A Drexel University study, conducted in March 2014 with the National College Players Association, concluded that the annual fair market value of the average college football player between 2011 and 2015 is $178,000. Full story here.
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After an unanticipated delay, the 2014 football schedule for the Mountain West Conference is now available on The Howell Report. I had originally planned to have the Mountain West's schedule posted on April 3rd. Unfortunately, I had to postpone this entry because of my decision to research and write an extended commentary about the unionization of college athletics. While I was able to complete that commentary, it took more time to write than I originally thought. So, my apologizes to the fans of the Mountain West that read my blog and I wish your conference continued success on the gridiron.
As for the conference itself, the Mountain West currently consists of 11 full members and one associate member (Hawaii) in football. Starting with the 2013 season, the Mountain West split into two divisions known as "Mountain" and "West." The Mountain division consists of Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Utah State, and Wyoming. The West division contains Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV), San Diego State, and San Jose State. This year's schedule features some exciting non-conference games, including Air Force vs. Navy, Boise State vs. Ole Miss, Colorado State vs. Boston College, New Mexico vs. Arizona State, Utah State vs. Tennessee, Wyoming vs. Oregon, Fresno State vs. Southern California, Nevada vs. Arizona, San Jose State vs. Auburn, UNLV vs. Northern Illinois, San Diego State vs. Oregon State, and Hawaii vs. Washington. The next 2014 schedule I plan to post will be for Conference USA. Enjoy the rest of the week, everybody!
2014 MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE COMPOSITE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
For non-league games, Mountain West members appear in ALL CAPS
For league games, home teams are underlined.
August 28th
Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game - Georgia Dome, Atlanta.
BOISE STATE vs. Ole Miss - 8:00PM Eastern, ESPN.
August 29th
COLORADO STATE vs. Colorado - neutral site: Denver, Colorado.
UNLV at Arizona
August 30th
Nicholls State at AIR FORCE
Texas-El Paso at NEW MEXICO
UTAH STATE at Tennessee
Montana at WYOMING
FRESNO STATE at Southern California
Washington at HAWAII - 2:00 PM Hawaii Time, CBS Sports Network
Southern Utah at NEVADA
Northern Arizona at SAN DIEGO STATE
North Dakota at SAN JOSE STATE
September 5th
Washington State at NEVADA - 7:30 PM Pacific, ESPN or ESPN2
September 6th
Air Force at Wyoming - TBA, ESPN Networks
Colorado State at Boise State - 8:15 PM Mountain Time, ESPN2
Arizona State at NEW MEXICO - 5:00 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
Idaho State at UTAH STATE
FRESNO STATE at Utah
Oregon State at HAWAII - 4:30 PM Hawaii Time, CBS Sports Network
SAN DIEGO STATE at North Carolina
SAN JOSE STATE at Auburn
Northern Colorado at UNLV
September 12th
Northern Illinois at UNLV - 7:00PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
September 13th
AIR FORCE at Georgia State
BOISE STATE at Connecticut
California-Davis at COLORADO STATE
Wake Forest at UTAH STATE - 5:00 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
WYOMING at Oregon
Nebraska at FRESNO STATE - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
Northern Iowa at HAWAII
NEVADA at Arizona
September 20th
Louisiana-Lafayette at BOISE STATE - 8:30 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
NEW MEXICO at New Mexico State
UTAH STATE at Arkansas State
Florida Atlantic at WYOMING
Southern Utah at FRESNO STATE
HAWAII at Colorado
SAN DIEGO STATE at Oregon State
SAN JOSE STATE at Minnesota
September 26th
Fresno State at New Mexico - 6:00PM Mountain Time, ESPN or ESPN2
September 27th
Boise State at Air Force - 5:00 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
COLORADO STATE at Boston College
WYOMING at Michigan State
Nevada at San Jose State - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
Nevada-Las Vegas at San Diego State TBA, ESPN Networks
October 3rd
UTAH STATE at Brigham Young
San Diego State at Fresno State - 7:00 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network (Battle for the Oil Can)
October 4th
Navy at AIR FORCE - 1:30 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
Boise State at Nevada - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
Tulsa at COLORADO STATE
NEW MEXICO at Texas-San Antonio
HAWAII at Rice
Nevada-Las Vegas at San Jose State - TBA, ESPN Networks
October 10th
San Diego State at New Mexico - 7:30 PM Mountain Time, ESPNU
October 11th
Air Force at Utah State - TBA, ESPN Networks
Colorado State at Nevada - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
Wyoming at Hawaii (Paniolo Trophy)
Fresno State at Nevada-Las Vegas
October 17th
Fresno State at Boise State - 6:00PM Mountain Time, ESPN (Battle of the Milk Can)
October 18th
New Mexico at Air Force
Utah State at Colorado State - 5:00 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
San Jose State at Wyoming - TBA, ESPN Networks
Hawaii at San Diego State - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
NEVADA at Brigham Young
October 24th
Brigham Young at BOISE STATE - 7:00PM Mountain Time, ESPN or ESPN2
October 25th
Wyoming at Colorado State (Border War Rivalry)
Nevada Las-Vegas at Utah State - TBA, ESPN Networks
Nevada at Hawaii
SAN JOSE STATE at Navy
November 1st
AIR FORCE at Army
Colorado State at San Jose State - 4:00 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
New Mexico at Nevada-Las Vegas
Utah State at Hawaii
Wyoming at Fresno State - TBA, ESPN Networks
San Diego State at Nevada - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
November 7th
Utah State at Wyoming- 6:00PM Mountain Time, ESPN2 (Bridger's Battle)
November 8th
Air Force at Nevada-Las Vegas
Boise State at New Mexico - 5:00 PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network
Hawaii at Colorado State - TBA, ESPN Networks
San Jose State at Fresno State (Valley Rivalry) - 7:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
Idaho at SAN DIEGO STATE
November 15th
Nevada at Air Force
San Diego State at Boise State - TBA, ESPN Networks
New Mexico at Utah State - TBA, ESPN Networks
Hawaii at San Jose State
UNLV at Brigham Young
November 21st
Air Force at San Diego State - 6:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
San Jose State at Utah State - 7:30 PM Mountain Time, ESPN2
November 22nd
Boise State at Wyoming - TBA, ESPN Networks
New Mexico at Colorado State
Fresno State at Nevada - TBA, ESPN Networks
Nevada-Las Vegas at Hawaii
November 28th
Colorado State at Air Force - 1:30PM Mountain Time, CBS Sports Network (Ram-Falcon Trophy)
November 29th
Utah State at Boise State - TBA, ESPN Networks
Wyoming at New Mexico
Hawaii at Fresno State
Nevada at UNLV (Battle for Nevada) - TBA, ESPN Networks
San Jose State at San Diego State (El Camino Real Rivalry) - 12:30 PM Pacific, CBS Sports Network
December 6th
Mountain West Conference Championship Game - Team with the highest ranking will host.
Game will be televised on CBS, Time to be determined.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Extended Commentary: Kain Colter's Union, Part II
Why are college athletes, specifically quarterback Kain
Colter and the Northwestern Wildcats football team, forming a labor union? Today’s commentary will attempt to answer
that question.
But regardless of whether or not Northwestern successfully
appeals the N.L.R.B.’s ruling, one thing is clear: Colter and his colleagues have brought
national attention to the exploitative business of college sports, an industry
that annually generates billions in revenues for the N.C.A.A. and its largest
conferences. One article from Bloomberg
Businessweek estimates that the college athletics business is currently worth
as much as $16 billion. As for the
players themselves, they receive little compensation beyond an athletic
scholarship in exchange for devoting as much as 40-50 hours per week to their
chosen sport. Unfortunately, according
to C.A.P.A.’s website, the N.C.A.A. caps “full” scholarships
“below the cost of attendance by $3,000-$5,000 per player per year.”^ This form of what can be interpreted as wage
suppression occurs at a time when the N.C.A.A. made nearly $913 million in
fiscal year 2013.^^ Most of that money
comes from the current 14-year television contract between the N.C.A.A. and
CBS-Turner to broadcast the Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament for $10.8
billion. In addition, the new College
Football Playoff, which replaces the BCS, has a ten-year television deal with
ESPN worth $7.3 billion.
It is true that money is a major issue
throughout college sports. Some would
argue that it is the central issue behind Kain Colter’s decision to form the
C.A.P.A., which he did in back in January with assistance from both Ramogi Huma,
president of the National College Players Association, and Leo Gerard, president
of United Steelworkers. In a New York Times op-ed dated April 2,
Patrick T. Harker, president of the University of Delaware and a member of the
N.C.A.A.’s board of directors, argued that “player unions would be a disaster
for . . . student athletes” because the “prospect of college football players
bargaining to exchange scholarships for salaries” would “lessen the priority on
learning.”^^^ Currently, one could argue
that most Americans may share that view.
According to a recent HBO Real Sports/Marist College poll, 75% of those
surveyed believed college athletes should not unionize. A second poll from the same organization also
revealed that 67% of Americans were against the idea of paying college
athletes.*
Thus, it appears that the C.A.P.A. will
have to sway public opinion in its efforts to unionize college athletics. But Colter and his allies seem to understand
that the best way to gain public support is to avoid the issue of paying athletes
entirely. Rather, he and his colleague
Ramogi Huma have framed their argument for unionization as one based on
fairness and “giving athletes a seat at the table.” As Huma put it in an article from ESPN.com: “Athletes deserve an equal voice when it
comes to their physical, academic, and financial protections.”** In addressing
these issues, Colter, Huma, and Gerard outlined the following demands back in
January:
1. Provide financial coverage for
sports-related medical expenses (including after graduation)
2. Establish educational trust fund to help former players graduate
3. Make all scholarships guaranteed four-year scholarships
4. Make stipends cover full cost of attendance, regardless of school
5. More representation for major N.C.A.A. decisions
6. Placing independent concussion experts on the sidelines during games
7. "Due Process" before a coach could strip a player of his scholarship for a rules violation
2. Establish educational trust fund to help former players graduate
3. Make all scholarships guaranteed four-year scholarships
4. Make stipends cover full cost of attendance, regardless of school
5. More representation for major N.C.A.A. decisions
6. Placing independent concussion experts on the sidelines during games
7. "Due Process" before a coach could strip a player of his scholarship for a rules violation
Given how much
control the N.C.A.A. and its constituent universities exercise over college
sports, as well as lives of its players, it is highly unlikely that the changes
Colter and his allies are seeking could be achieved on an individual
basis. Indeed, the N.L.R.B.’s report on
Northwestern outlines many rules that college athletes have to follow when they
are off the athletic field:
the Employer’s players (both scholarship players and
walk-ons) are subject to certain
team and athletic department rules . . . Specifically,
freshmen and sophomore year players
receiving scholarships are required to
live in on-campus dormitories. Only upperclassmen
players are permitted to live off campus
and even then they are required to submit their lease
to Fitzgerald for his approval before they
can enter into it. If players want to obtain outside
employment, they must likewise first
obtain permission from the athletic department. This is
so that the Employer can monitor whether
the player is receiving any sort of additional
compensation or benefit because of their
athletic ability or reputation.
Similarly, players are
required to disclose to their coaches
detailed information pertaining to the vehicle that they
drive. The players must also abide by a
social media policy, which restricts what they can
post on the internet, including Twitter,
Facebook, and Instagram. In fact, the players are
prohibited from denying a coach’s “friend”
request and the former’s postings are monitored.
The Employer prohibits players from giving
media interviews unless they are directed to
participate in interviews that are
arranged by the Athletic Department. Players are prohibited
from swearing in public, and if a player
“embarrasses” the team, he can be suspended for
one game. A second offense of this nature
can result in a suspension up to one year.
Players who transfer to another school to
play football must sit out a year before they can
compete for the new school. Players are
prohibited from profiting off their image or
reputation, including the selling of
merchandise and autographs. Players are also required to
sign a release permitting the Employer and
the Big Ten Conference to utilize their name,
likeness and image for any purpose. The
players are subject to strict drug and alcohol
policies and must sign a release making
themselves subject to drug testing by the Employer,
Big Ten Conference, and NCAA. The players
are subject to anti-hazing and anti-gambling
policies as well. (Source:
pp. 4-5, National Labor Relations Board, Case 13-RC121359).
After one reads these rules, he or she can understand why
Colter views the N.C.A.A. as being “like a dictatorship.”*** In a work environment where employees have no
representation, they are at the mercy of their bosses. While some employers are more benevolent than
others, the companies and associations that historically put profits before
persons are usually the first to control, exploit, and abuse their workers. For instance, as New York Times opinion columnist Joe Nocera points out, “the phrase
‘student-athlete’ was . . . dreamed up in the 1950s by then-N.C.A.A. president
Walter Byers, after it appeared that injured athletes in several states might
be allowed to get workers compensation.”< Sixty years later, a severely injured college
athlete faces the possibility of having his or her scholarship revoked.<< Poor academic performance and failing to
follow N.C.A.A. rules can also have the same outcome.
It is interesting to note that the N.L.R.B.’s recognition of
the C.A.P.A. occurred the day after the 103rd anniversary of one of
the deadliest industrial disasters in American history. On March 25, 1911, 146 garment workers,
mostly young immigrant women, died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in
New York City. The disaster endures as a
tragic and horrifying symbol of worker exploitation and abuse because the loss
of life could have been prevented.
First, the factory owners forced their laborers to endure hazardous,
sweatshop conditions as they worked long hours for low pay. Second, the owners locked the doors during
the workday to prevent theft and to keep members of the International Ladies’
Garment Workers’ (I.L.G.W.) union away from the workers. Because the doors were locked when the fire
occurred, and since the factory occupied the upper floors of a ten-story
building, the workers were trapped. As a
result, one of the only ways they could escape the burning building was by
jumping out of the windows. The workers who
made that desperate choice fell to their deaths.
Historians have cited the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire as a
milestone in organized labor’s struggle to unionize sweatshop factories in the
United States during the Gilded Age. The
subsequent public outrage to the disaster convinced many states to pass laws
that improved workplace safety standards.
The I.L.G.W eventually grew into an organization encompassing 450,000
workers by 1969. And two years after the
fire, president William Howard Taft signed legislation creating the Department
of Labor as a cabinet-level position.
The Federal Government ultimately recognized the
right of workers to unionize in the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. This Depression-era legislation was also
responsible for creating the N.L.R.B., whose main duty is conducting elections
that enable labor unions to bargain collectively with employers. According to the N.L.R.B.’s report concerning
the employment status of the Northwestern University football team, it has
authorized an immediate election, by secret ballot, among “all football players
receiving football grant-in-aid scholarship and not having exhausted their
playing eligibility.”<<< Though
Northwestern University has appealed the N.L.R.B.’s ruling, the players’ union
election will hopefully proceed without incident or intimidation.
Indeed, the N.L.R.B.’s decision regarding the
collective-bargaining rights of college athletes only affects private
universities like Northwestern, Miami (FL), USC, and even Syracuse
University. College athletes that play
for public universities will have to go through state-level labor boards if
they demand collective bargaining rights.
Colter and his allies understand that any effort to fully unionize
college sports will take years, perhaps decades, to occur since the N.C.A.A.
and its universities are reluctant to change the current lucrative business
model of college sports. If the C.A.P.A. undertakes this long-term commitment
to unionize “student-athletes” (and every article I read on the subject
indicates that it will), it will need the support of the American public. Unfortunately, as the story of Triangle
Shirtwaist Fire demonstrates, greater public support for progressive causes
such as promoting workers’ rights is often a consequence of tragic events.
In the summer of 2011, a Frostburg State University
football player, Derek Sheely, died after sustaining a traumatic brain injury
from a helmet-to-helmet hit during team practice. Sheely’s parents, two years after their son’s
death, ultimately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the N.C.A.A. and three
Frostburg State coaches (the full story of Sheely’s death can be found here). In response, the N.C.A.A. filed a thirty-page
document to Montgomery County (MD) Circuit Court last December stating: “the
N.C.A.A. denies that it has a legal duty to protect student-athletes.”> Since then, two more college players,
California-Berkeley’s Ted Agu and Navy’s Will McKamey, have died after they had
both collapsed during spring practice.
While it is not yet known what caused Agu’s death, initial reports on
McKamey’s demise mentioned that he had "bleeding on the brain” as well as “a history of
head injuries.”>>
To its credit, the mainstream media has been paying
more attention to the dangers of head trauma and concussions in contact sports
like football, hockey, basketball, and soccer.
But this increased coverage began after N.F.L. players Junior Seau, Ray
Easterling, Paul Oliver, Jovan Belcher, Dave Duerson, and Mike Borich committed
suicide over the last few years.>>> Post-mortem
brain examinations of these players, excluding Jovan Belcher, though his body
was exhumed for such a procedure back in December, all confirmed that they had
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or C.T.E.
C.T.E. is an incurable degenerative disease caused by repeated blows to
the head, and its effects include depression, irrationality, memory loss,
dementia, and mood swings.
It is not known how many football players are currently afflicted
with this disease since a definitive diagnosis of C.T.E. can only be made after
death. Unfortunately, the disease can
affect anyone who has played football at both the professional and amateur
levels. In fact, CNN.com reported in
January 2012 that C.T.E. has been found in players as young as seventeen. That year, CNN confirmed that a high school
football player, Nathan Stiles, who died a few hours after he collapsed on the
sidelines during a game, is currently the youngest player to be diagnosed with
C.T.E.+ Based on this development, along
with a recent New York Times article
about Hall of Fame player Rayfield Wright mentioning “that N.F.L. players
encounter dementia, Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases with greater
frequency than the general population,” one can argue that the United States
has a nascent public health crisis.++
What is known is that the N.C.A.A. and the N.F.L. are
fighting class-action lawsuits in which the plaintiffs allege that both
organizations failed to inform their athletes about the adverse health effects
of concussions and repeated head impacts.+++
In the N.F.L.’s case, a federal judge recently rejected a $765 million
settlement on the grounds that it was too small “to pay for medical tests and
treatment for the thousands of players who face - or could face - heath
problems related to their N.F.L. careers.”--
In the meantime, players like Rayfield Wright, who is currently
suffering from dementia and is one of the 4,500 plaintiffs involved in the
current N.F.L. lawsuit, have access to a health plan, which is jointly operated
by the league and the N.F.L. Players Association, to help cover some of their medical
expenses. As for college players enduring the effects of
constant head trauma and other injuries, no such plan is available to them.~ Hence, it seems like college athletes have
two options when it comes to protecting their health and safety. They can either await the outcome of a
class-action lawsuit, or join organizations like the C.A.P.A. to bargain
collectively for the economic and social protections that they deserve as employees
of the N.C.A.A. and its universities.
So, why are Kain
Colter and the Northwestern Wildcats football team forming a labor union? Because they believe collective action is the
most effective way to solve the various socio-economic problems that have
arisen as a consequence of the unequal relationship between the N.C.A.A. and
its athletes. The problems I discussed
in this commentary (i.e., insufficient funding for scholarships, social
controls placed on the lives of athletes, and the health and safety of players)
are present throughout college athletics and necessitate cooperative methods to solve them. Indeed, Kain Colter and his associates did
achieve a significant victory in what will be a long struggle to unionize
college sports. However, Northwestern
University is appealing the N.L.R.B.’s ruling, and the Wildcats football team
will not hold their vote on union representation until April 25th. Until that day, the next two weeks will
hopefully provide more opportunities for debate on an issue that may reshape
the landscape of college sports.
Sources:
^^^http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/02/opinion/student-athletes-shouldnt-unionize.html?_r=0
*http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/24502907/75-percent-of-americans-against-college-players-unionizing
** http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/10363430/outside-lines-northwestern-wildcats-football-players-trying-join-labor-union
***ibid
< http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/opinion/nocera-unionized-college-athletes.html
<< http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/05/i-trusted-em-when-ncaa-schools-abandon-their-injured-athletes/275407/
<<< http://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/nlrb-director-region-13-issues-decision-northwestern-university-athletes
>http://www.cbssports.com/general/eye-on-sports/24380786/ncaa-denies-legal-duty-to-protect-student-athletes-court-filing-says
>>http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2014/04/01/after-will-mckameys-death-navy-football-team-returns-to-practice/
http://www.wbir.com/story/news/local/2014/04/02/navy-football-resumes-week-after-will-mckameys-death/7205139/
>>> http://truth-out.org/news/item/14314-9-football-players-killed-by-brain-trauma
+ http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/27/health/big-hits-broken-dreams-brain-bank/
++http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/27/sports/football/for-a-cowboys-star-with-dementia-time-is-running-out.html
+++ ibid; http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2014/01/02/concussion-lawsuits-ncaa-consolidated-adrian-arrington/4293867/
--ibid
~http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/05/i-trusted-em-when-ncaa-schools-abandon-their-injured-athletes/275407/
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