Shocked!  Yes many of us were. Why?  The Philadelphia Eagles drafted USC’s quarterback Matt Barkley.

Matt Barkley gets his first real taste of the NFL when the Philadelphia Eagles‘ rookie mini-camp opens Friday.

Many fans and NFL draft prognosticators were shocked when new Eagles Coach Chip Kelly drafted the former USC quarterback.

But USC Coach Lane Kiffin was not.

Kiffin said Monday that Kelly spoke with him about Barkley “early on” in the evaluation process and later sent the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach to Southern California to work out the Trojans‘ four-year starter. This despite Barkley’s not appearing, on the surface anyway, to be an ideal fit for the fast-paced spread-option offense that Kelly ran at Oregon.

Kiffin said he thought at first it might be “a smoke screen,” but the Eagles’ decision to draft Barkley with the first pick in the fourth round proved that Kelly was “serious all along.”

“It’s a great organization for Matt,” Kiffin said during a teleconference of Pac-12 Conference coaches.

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Pac-12 football: Coaches used spring to blueprint season – Arizona Daily Star “It’s giving a blueprint of what we want,” he said Monday, when Pac-12 coaches discussed their spring practices on a teleconference. “If you can’t see it, and we don’t preach the different aspects of it continuously, then they don’t get it done.” But …

Pac-12 football coaches not fully sold on spring games All the coaches in the Pac-12 hopped on a conference call Monday to wrap up the spring football session. Most seemed satisfied with … In addition to the injuries at USC, the Trojans revamped their coaching staff during the offseason. Washington made …

Pac-12 Football: Post Spring Practice Power Rankings  This program has a long way to go before it becomes a contender in the Pac-12, and just one spring and summer won’t be enough. The departure of Nick Hirschman …. USC has a lot of talent, but most of it is young and inexperienced. A lot of growth …

Losing a rite of spring: Could contact in practices become minimal? Losing a rite of spring: Could contact in practices become minimal? Pac-12 football coaches got together for an offseason conference call Monday, partly to review: • USC’s spring game

ASU is just like every other Pac 12 football team.  During the lazy days of summer all Pac 12 football fans get engaged in the ‘what if’ for their favorite team.  So now it is ASU’s fans time.  Who will be the player most likely to dominate for the Sun Devil’s defense this coming season?  Carl Bradford is getting many votes

A popular debate among Sun Devil fans this offseason has been whether consensus All-American Will Sutton or Carl Bradford will lead the team in sacks. Last fall, the duo’s 24.5 combined sacks (13 by Sutton) was the most among any two teammates in the FBS. With Sutton’s surprising return, they are primed for a record-setting season.

For me, I think the answer to the initial question is a clear one. It’s Bradford for two reasons.

First off, Sutton remains one of the nation’s most disruptive defensive presences, and while the duo presents a “pick your poison” proposition, nearly every offensive coordinator ASU will face this fall has Sutton atop their threat list. Teams will be game-planning to limit Sutton, and while Sutton proved he’s more than up to the task, this should allow Bradford a bit more room to run.

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Steve Patterson changes culture at Arizona State Crow wants ASU football to play at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix during its one season out of Sun Devil Stadium, but an agreement must be reached with the Phoenix venue’s primary tenant, the Diamondbacks. — If built with a soccer-suitable lower bowl …

Notre Dame, ASU to share spotlight in Texas Now it just so happens that the Fighting Irish will play Arizona State in the $1.2 billion showplace of the Dallas Cowboys about nine months after losing to Alabama in the BCS championship game — and about 15 months before the first College Football …

ASU football should split its season – AZCentral.com At an April 23 news conference announcing ASU’s plan to play baseball at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, President Michael Crow declared that his university’s football team also would play in Phoenix — at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks …

You must admit the Pac 12 gets around to it eventually.  The IT?  The apparent targeting of Basketball Coach Sean Miller during the Pac 12 Tournament in Las Vegas. Did it Happen?  Was a ‘hit’ on Miller issued and was it carried out in a game.  We shall find out.

The Pac-12 has done the right thing in hiring an outside legal firm to investigate officiating issues during the conference tournament, including glib remarks by former officials coordinator Ed Rush that promised rewards if one of his crew penalized Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller.

The name of the legal firm?

Ice Miller LLP.

You can’t make this stuff up. …

College recruiting in the state has a hip-hop vibe this spring. Arizona State is eyeing sophomore wide receiver Cordell Broadus, the son of rapper Snoop Dogg, er, Snoop Lion now, and Arizona has interest in junior cornerback Naijiel Hale, the son of late hip-hop artist Nate Dogg. …

As someone who loves all things basketball, I’m excited about the Hoophall West high school basketball tournament, announced on Tuesday and coming to the Valley on Dec. 13 and 14.

The competition, sponsored by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Grand Canyon University, will feature five major basketball powerhouses in a national showcase as well as a separate event featuring eight Arizona programs.

“It just made sense,” said John Doleva, the Hall of Fame president and CEO. “Everything came together for the West to have a great event.” …

Pac 12 Investigation

Pac-12 hires firm to review officiating situation – Arizona Daily Star After the tournament, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said officials coordinator Ed Rush improperly tried to motivate officials into more closely monitoring UA’s Sean Miller and other coaches. Miller was called for a technical foul on March 15 against …

Recapping another April Madness for Wildcats – Arizona Daily Star April 1- A report surfaced that Pac-12 officials coordinator Ed Rush improperly tried to motivate his officials by offering incentives to his referees to watch Sean Miller at the Pac-12 Tournament, comments Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott says were “in …

Documents spotlight tension between Arizona, Pac-12 – USA Today That was the game that led to a public reprimand and $25,000 fine for Arizona coach Sean Miller, both for his postgame confrontation with referee Michael Irving and for a subsequent outburst near a Pac-12 staff member minutes later. Two weeks later …

Sean Miller vs Pac-12 Conference Officials Continues: How Does Arizona’s … Ed Rush and Arizona just hadn’t had the most cordial of relationships after Sean Miller berated officials in the loss the UCLA early in the conference season and sent a request of 21 incidents for review by Rush of officiating calls during that game …

The SEC is joining the Pac 12 and the Big 10 with their own Sports Network.  Will pressure mount on Direct TV to now pick up the Pac 12, as additional pressure will be created by the West Coast SEC fans.  Football fans are demanding to watch their favorite teams games.  Will the SEC Network cause the SEC conference to now play 9 conference football games?  Questions still to be answered. 

• So what do we actually know about the network at this time? Not a whole lot,

2012 SEC Football Plays of the Year
Relive the moments that made it another banner year in the SEC. From the opening kick, a record-setting Heisman winner and a 7th straight championship…The …

due mostly to the fact that the thing isn’t launching until August 2014 and Mike Slive shot down all questions about the network’s financials with a quickness. What we have learned: ESPN and the SEC have extended their current media rights agreement to 2034. The network will be headquartered in existing ESPN property in Charlotte and offer 24/7 programming. Some original programming will be produced on member campuses, although it doesn’t sound at this time like that part of the plan is as firmed up as the Pac-12?s. The conference already has a deal with one major distributor, AT&T U-Verse.

• So how much football does this translate to for me, Joe Football Fan, on this channel? Slive anticipates 45 SEC football games per season to appear on the network, at a rate of three per week.

• What about me, Steve Football Fan, on the West Coast? To quote ESPN president John Skipper: “This is not a regional network. This is a national network.” Repeated promises were made today of the commitment to serve SEC fans from Michigan to California to New York to Nebraska. We shall see.

Several coaches, including Tennessee’s Butch Jones, expressed excitement for a national television network as a recruiting tool. It’s particularly attractive for a guy like Jones, whose state isn’t a particular hotbed of homegrown football talent: ”You’re able to walk into a young man’s home from coast to coast and say, “There may be a week when your relatives or parents can’t come, but they’re going to be able to see you.”

• What does that mean for the CBS game? CBS still has the first pick of Saturday fare, but ESPN could program against it in the 3:30 p.m. slot.

• What about weeknight games? The conference is committed to two Thursday night games, but Slive maintains, “We’re a Saturday league.”

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A lot on table with College Football Playoff PHOENIX — Although the new College Football Playoff format likely will ignite a spirited debate between Pac-12commissioner Larry Scott and his SEC counterpart, Mike Slive — as well as every other major conference commissioner — there is at least …

Crimson Rewind: Star’s power source and will there be a 4th non-conference … When the University of Utah left for the Pac-12 and BYU set its own independent course, it was only a matter of time before the Beehive State’s biggest football rivalry ended. But now a slim chance has opened up for that wall between red Salt Lake …

The Washington State Cougars were one of the most talked about teams in the Pac 12 heading into the 2012 season thanks to the arrival of new head coach Mike Leach. Things didn’t go quite as planned, however, and the Cougs limped to a 3-9 finish in year one under the Palouse Pirate. While Leach and company try to get things turned around in Pullman and make a return to WSU’s glory days of the early 2000?s, they will run into a major hurdle in 2013. Specifically, their schedule.

In a word, the Cougars 2013 slate is rough. They open the year with back-to-back road games against the Auburn Tigers and USC Trojans. While Auburn isn’t in great shape and could be open to an upset if the Cougars come out firing on all cylinders, it’ll be a tough trip into SEC country for a roster still trying to figure it out. And last year’s 3-9 team enjoyed the benefit of not having to play USC, a luxury they will not get to enjoy again in 2013 as they open up their Pac 12 schedule in the Coliseum.

After a rough start to their schedule, they get a slight reprieve with the rest of their non-conference schedule but get thrown right back into the Pac 12 fire. In addition to their trip to USC, the Cougars go on the road next season to face the Cal Bears (who are trending upward), Oregon Ducks (a lock for preseason top five), Arizona Wildcats and Washington Huskies (both strong top 25 programs on the rise).

That doesn’t even take into account the rest of the Pac 12 North they have to face with the Stanford Cardinal and Oregon State Beavers coming to Pullman. The only teams they avoid in conference play this year are the defending Pac 12 South champion UCLA Bruins, which is a plus, and the ailing Colorado Buffaloes, which would have been a probable win for them in 2013.

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Ducks 6th, Beavers 8th at Pac-12 Men’s Golf 

Pac-12: USC should have more impact in 2014 draft They’re among nine Pac-12 players listed in the first round. The most intriguing player is UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley (No. 9), who’s eligible as a redshirt sophomore. The others are Arizona State defensive tackle Will Sutton (No. 14), Washington … 

Pac-12 football coaches reportedly will discuss move to 8-game schedule this … Pac-12 football coaches are expected to discuss the possibility of eliminating one conference game from their annual schedules, according to CBSSports.com. Bruce Feldman of CBSSports.com reports that scheduling will be one of the items discussed during …

Pac-12 Networks analysts discuss football recruiting . . . Pac-12 Networks put together a football-signing conference call Monday with football analysts Rick Neuheisel and Yogi Roth. Roth used to work as an aide on Pete Carroll‘s staff at USC, and Neuheisel, well, he doesn’t need a lot of introduction. Much of …

National Signing Day guesses, Pac-12 Edition: UCLA football cleaning up? Fitts really likes USC, really wants to attend USC, but got screwed over due to scholarship limitations and another Trojan recruit taking his early entree status. Will Fitts really stick with USC after all of that? Fitts doesn’t want to leave the West …

Utes ink 23 recruits It’s not one that many outside Utah will point to and say, “wow”, especially since it’s coming in at the lower-end of the Pac-12. Of course, that should be expected after last year’s struggles and shows just how difficult it is to recruit at this level …

College Football Recruiting: Priest Willis Still Committed To UCLA Bruins The UCLA Bruins brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the Pac 12 this National Signing Day. However, one thing didn’t go quite as they expected as safety Priest Willis decided not to sign his letter of intent today without giving much of an …

Stanford signs 12 to National Letters of Intent Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw announced today the members of the 12-man 2013 recruiting class who have officially signed their National Letter of Intent and Financial Aid Agreement to play football at Stanford University. … A …

Utes try to get faster, longer with 2013 recruiting class … After playing in the Pac-12 for two years, the Utah football team has realized it needs to get faster and longer to compete with the elite teams in the league. So speed and length were two priorities for the University of Utah‘s football recruiting

Which Pac-12 Players Are Going to Flip on National Signing Day? Every one except the football fan who will recoil in horror as he witnesses his team’s highly-coveted commit flip to another school—or even worse, his team’s rival. Like all signing days, February 6 will have the usual drama of announcements including …

Jim, John Harbaugh Almost Coached Pac-12 Rivals Stanford, UCLA The Pittsburgh Panthers have an opportunity to make a statement and potentially find their way back into the top 25 rankings if they can defeat the Syracuse Orange. The Panthers will try to improve upon their 5-4 conference record as they host the team …

Pac-12 Recruiting Update: Oregon Football Looks To Close Strong The Oregon Ducks take aim at Kani Benoit, Tevorris Johnson, Johnny Ragin while trying to secure Dontre Wilson and Darren Carrington. Also plenty of updates from around the conference, including Quinton Powell announcement times and Eddie ….

Pac-12 chat wrap ESPN (blog) Questions to Ted Miller  from Jacob (Augusta, GA) Which Pac-12 team is surprising you the most on the recruiting trail this year? Ted Miller (3:17 PM) … Ted Miller (3:42 PM) No … and you likely won’t anything until the pressure heats up this summer as the football season …

TOM HOFFARTH on the MEDIA: Pac-12 Networks provide lab lessons  In need of some money to pay bills, he found a job through longtime UCLA video operations director Ken Norris to shoot football coaches‘ game film. When the Pac-12 Network asked for help with its game coverage,

The University Of Utah will honor the late Rick Majerus, the greatest basketball coach in the University’s history, by hanging a sweater in the rafters of the Huntman Center.  He will join two players he coached who have their jerseys hung in the Huntman Center, Andre Miller and Keith Van Horn. 

SALT LAKE CITY — When it comes to retirement ceremonies, the University of Utah’s tribute to former head coach Rick Majerus will certainly be warm and fuzzy — in a literal sense.

At halftime of Saturday’s game against Colorado in the Huntsman Center, the Utes will hang a banner replicating the late coach’s trademark sweater.

Utah athletics director Chris Hill said the sweater just makes so much more sense than a jersey number.

“It was, as they say, a no-brainer and we’re excited to do it,” Hill said.  Continue Reading Pac 12 Utah Basketball

Nine-year-old with brain tumor has come to inspire Saint Louis Friday, we shared with you how Saint Louis reeled off nine wins in a row after the death of Rick Majerus. The streak ended at Temple on Saturday, but the backstory on what the team’s quietly done to honor Majerus is still worth reading. And as it …

Temple hands St. Louis first loss since death of Rick Majerus St. Louis has been on an astonishing run since the sudden death of former Billikens coach Rick Majerus. That’s nine wins in a row. Billikens coach Jim Crews claimed, in a recent conversation with CBS’ Matt Norlander, that they hadn’t even given it a …

Temple to face St. Louis team missing late coach Rick Majerus When Temple hosts St. Louis on Saturday, someone will be missing on the Billikens bench. Rick Majerus is no longer patrolling the sideline. The St. Louis coach died Dec. 1 of heart failure at the age of 64. “A good man,” Temple coach Fran Dunphy recalled.

In wake of Rick Majerus’ death, Saint Louis has not lost a game The biggest surprise about Saint Louis’ nine-game winning streak since Rick Majerus died on Dec. 1: The team neglected to catch on to the coincidence. When approached about the sort-of serendipitous story following the team’s latest win — Thursday …

In wake of Majerus’ death, Saint Louis has not lost a game

How will the NCAA lawsuit affect the PAC 12 and the PAC 12 Network?  The NCAA is being sued but former players saying that the use of “their image” in the rebroadcast of a sporting event should be compensated, because the NCAA is making money from the rebroadcast when they sell that sporting event to a television network.

Just like an performer will earn residual income from a rebroadcast of a television show or movie on one of the networks, if successful, the lawsuit would allow an athlete to earn residual income for rebroadcasts from sporting events they were involved with. Then, NCAA athletes would earn residual income just like SAG-AFTRA members with more than 150,000 actors, announcers, broadcasters, journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voice-over artists and other media professionals whose work can be seen and heard in theaters, on TV and radio, sound recordings, the Internet, games, mobile devices and home video.

What is the recruiting advantage for a conference like the PAC 12,  which has their own broadcast network and continually rebroadcast games when they are not doing a live event, have on an athlete’s decision making process on which team they will sign and play with due to residual income they could earn from rebroadcast of their sporting events. 

n dismissing a motion by the NCAA to prevent football and men’s basketball players from legally pursuing a cut of live broadcast revenues, a federal court judge Tuesday raised the stakes for the governing body of college sports as it defends its economic model.

Judge Claudia Wilken issued her ruling Tuesday, rejecting the NCAA’s motion that players in the antitrust suit led by former UCLA star Ed O’Bannon should be precluded from advancing their lawsuit on procedural grounds.

 “Now the (NCAA and its co-defendants) are facing potential liability in the billions of dollars instead of tens or hundreds of millions. It’s a more accurate context for what the players deserve.

” – Michael Hausfeld, interim lead counsel for plaintiffs

The NCAA had objected to the players amending their lawsuit last year to claim a share of all television game revenues, not just those from rebroadcasts.

“Now the (NCAA and its co-defendants) are facing potential liability that’s based on the billions of dollars in revenue instead of tens or hundreds of millions,” said Michael Hausfeld, interim lead counsel for the plaintiffs. “It’s a more accurate context for what the players deserve.”

Unlike NFL or NBA athletes, players lack a union or similar body to negotiate a share of revenues flowing from media and other licensing contracts. The NCAA does not legally treat athletes as employees, and players have not organized to represent their interests collectively.

The O’Bannon suit attacks that model through the means of class-action, the legal question now before Wilken. Former college stars such as Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson have joined O’Bannon on behalf of all Division I players in football and men’s basketball, asking Wilken to declare that they are similarly situated and to certify the class.

Continue reading Pac 12 Football Teams NCAA

A Judge Just Opened The Door For College Athletes To Sue For TV Money … Back in 2009, former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon led a group of athletes in filing an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA regarding the use of their likenesses in promotional materials. The suit was immediately recognized to have far-reaching …

Judge lets class-action efforts in O’Bannon case go on
USA TODAY – A federal judge in California has ruled that lawyers representing current and former college athletes in a potentially landmark anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA over use of their names and likenesses can proceed with efforts to have the case …

Judge rules NCAA can’t stop players from pursuing TV revenue The NCAA had objected to the advancement of an antitrust lawsuit led by former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon. The players wanted to amend that lawsuit last year to claim a share of all televised game revenues, not just revenue from rebroadcasts…