NCAA Football FanHouse

Bad Omen? U of Arkansas Licensed Coffin

Ryan Ferguson — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:37:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, Arkansas State Football

I'm guessing that this is really not what Razorback fans want to see less than 48 hours away from kickoff.

But for those of you grieving -- or soon planning to grieve -- the loss of a loved Hog fan, this University of Arkansas officially licensed coffin might be just the way to "kick off" (pun intended) with a bang. From Collegiate Memorials (wow! College football mania is off the hook!), this urn-shell design coffin comes with quarter round trim moulding, brush or paint finish, a hand-sewn velvet interior and an adjustable bed and mattress. (Adjustable? How many ways can someone lay in a coffin?) But the best feature, according to the company, is that

All producted are fully-licensed and insured
All royalties are paid by Collegiate Memorials to colleges and universities

In other words, yeah, it's that spiffy red "A" with the hog bangin' through.

Arky fan sez: "Bad omen? Let's flip it. Bury the ghosts of the past!"

Okay. What to put in there? Ideas: Houston Nutt's cell phone. Admission records of Mitch Mustain, Damien Williams, and Andrew Norman. Gus Malzahn's "coming to Fayetteville" presser. Fish's punt fumble in the SEC championship game. ~~Frank Broyles.~~ Nah, that's too rotten. Don't worry, you didn't just read that.

HT: Hawg Blawg

Bad Omen? U of Arkansas Licensed Coffin originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Major College Athletic Departments Issued Subpoenas in Loan Probe

Brian Grummell — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:49:00 EST

Filed under: Auburn Football, Georgia Tech Football, Kansas Football, Louisville Football, Oregon Football, Pittsburgh Football, UCLA Football, UCF Football, Rutgers Football, NCAA FB Scandal, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Texas, Arkansas State Football, Bowling Green Football, Central Michigan Football, Colorado State Football, East Carolina Football, Florida Atlantic Football, Houston Football, Ohio Football, Oregon State Football, South Florida Football, TCU Football, Tulane Football, UAB Football, UTEP Football

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has issued subpoenas for 39 collegiate athletic departments in a probe of their relationships with student loan providers. At its most basic, this investigation is asking whether or not cash, kickbacks, gifts and other bribes or misleading measures were communicated between various student loan providers and the cited athletic departments.

Cuomo is investigating whether athletic departments at these universities agreed to promote SFS loans to students in exchange for kickbacks.

"Students trust their University's athletic departments because so much of campus life at Division I schools centers around supporting the home team," said Cuomo. "To betray this trust by promoting loans in exchange for money is a serious issue, especially when Division I schools already generate tremendous revenue from their student athletes. Today's action is an important new step as we continue to examine the unethical conflicts that pervade the student loan industry.

"The Attorney General's office is specifically investigating whether athletic departments evaluated UFS interest rates before recommending their federal loans, or if their endorsement of UFS was based purely on payments from the lender. Such an arrangement would constitute revenue sharing, which is a violation New York state consumer protection laws, as well as a violation of federal law.

D-IA football schools named (prominent schools in bold): Arkansas State, Auburn, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Colorado State, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Tech, Ohio, Oregon State, Rutgers, TCU, Tulane, Alabama-Birmingham, UCLA, UCF, Houston, Kansas, Louisville, Oregon, Pittsburgh, USF, UTEP. See link for complete list.

Of note: USC and Texas have also been scrutinized in a similar probe, but to my knowledge it has not been linked to their athletic departments but rather the university-wide financial aid offices of the schools.

It's good that athletic departments have an awareness of and working relationship with loan providers, but obviously there's a problem when that relationship gets too cozy and bad loan options are pressed upon students and student-athletes.

(Via: Yahoo!)

Major College Athletic Departments Issued Subpoenas in Loan Probe originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Arkansas State Prepares to Bow to NCAA

Bruce Ciskie — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: NCAA FB Campus, NCAA FB Fans, NCAA FB Gossip, Arkansas State Football

There is no doubt that the NCAA is a powerful organization.

Sometimes, one has to wonder if they've become too powerful.

In 2005, the NCAA announced a "ban", of sorts, on Native American imagery in college sports. The NCAA, legally, can't stop schools from using whatever nicknames, logos, or mascots they please. However, the "ban" was put in place to keep schools in violation from hosting NCAA championship events.

(Yes, college football fans, there are actual NCAA championship events. They do these things called "playoffs" in every NCAA sport at every level. Well, except for Division I-A football, now known as the "Football Bowl Subdivision". Novel idea, huh?)

None of this should have come as a surprise. After all, back in 2003, NCAA President Myles Brand spoke to the National Press Club, and he declared that the NCAA should have a goal to "provide a catalyst for social change". Such a phrase would lead one to believe that the nickname regulation is only the beginning of the NCAA's work.

This "ban" has been somewhat effective. Perhaps it would be more effective if the NCAA hadn't gotten in the business of handing out exemptions to schools such as Florida State, Central Michigan, and Utah. Some schools have actually changed their nicknames and/or imagery. Illinois retired longtime mascot Chief Illiniwek, but was able to keep the "Illini" nickname. William and Mary (Tribe) has said they will change their nickname. Louisiana-Monroe switched from "Indians" to "Warhawks".
There are still some schools who have not complied with the NCAA regulations. Alcorn State (Braves) has not sought a review or indicated what they will do with their nickname.

Arkansas State doesn't appear to be on that list anymore. Monday night, a committee put together to review the school nickname of "Indians" approved a resolution recommending a nickname change. Arkansas State, which is in Jonesboro, is a Division I school primarily competing in the Sun Belt Conference. The committee recommended the use of a national committee to create a new mascot for ASU. The resolution moves on now to the chancellor, Robert Potts. He will be charged with deciding whether to have the board of regents look at the issue.

Personally, this is disappointing to me. As a Native American, I have never had a problem with nicknames like "Indians", "Braves", or "Tribe". "Redskins" bothers me because of the obvious negative connotation behind the term, and I'm glad SE Oklahoma moved on to something besides "Savages", which is offensive on any imaginable level.

Polls have shown support among most Native Americans for these nicknames, with approval ratings sometimes running in the 80th percentile.

Division II (soon to move to Division I) North Dakota has made up their mind. The Fighting Sioux attempted multiple appeals of the nickname legislation. Since UND has seen much success in Division II athletics, they were very aggressive to defend their ability to host NCAA championship events without changing the nickname or imagery. UND does not have a mascot.

After the appeals dried up, UND got approval from the North Dakota Board of Higher Education to sue the NCAA. It's a case that is still pending, with a December trial looking likely at this point. State attorney general Wayne Stenehjem doesn't think the NCAA policy can hold up:

"UND has no mascot; they have a logo designed by a Native American. Compare that to Florida State, which has a white guy who dresses up as an Indian get on a horse and ride into a stadium with a flaming spear as everybody chants war chants. But that is permissible? That is what is just fundamentally unfair."

University president Charles Kupchella called the policy "arbitrary and capricious", and he wrote in a letter to Brand that member schools like North Dakota "deserve much better from the NCAA than to be charged with decades of being hostile and abusive".

The policy is all of those things and more. I'm all for social change, but inconsistently applied rules are not a good way to go about it. While I understand the desire to right a wrong, Arkansas State is doing nothing here but unnecessarily complying with a bad NCAA ruling, and their decision is only going to serve to make it more difficult for schools such as North Dakota to fight this rule.

Arkansas State Prepares to Bow to NCAA originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments