Rebels await academic reports

OXFORD — Ole Miss should find out soon the status of three players who are in danger of not being academically eligible for the fall.

“We’re waiting on some final answers from faculty,” coach Hugh Freeze said. “You have to get 18 (hours) in two semesters. If you don’t get the 18, you cannot regain eligibility without sitting out in residence for one year. That’s the issue with those.”

Read more: ClarionLedger.com

7 strong hunches for 2012 season

The NFL is both beloved and exalted in the pantheon of spectator sports because absolutely no one knows what will unfold from week to week. But that doesn’t stop us from predicting up a storm when it comes to the season just ahead. More than two months away from the full-scale opening of training camps, here are seven strong hunches we’re willing to share in a bold foretelling of 2012′s storylines to come:

read more: si.com

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/don_banks/05/15/strong.hunches/index.html#ixzz1vDve7Ldh

NFC East Offseason Roll Call: A Look At Player Movement By Division

With the NFL Draft over and free agency winding down, it’s time to look at who is coming, going and who to watch out for in the NFC East in 2012. Here is a breakdown of roster turnover within the NFC East division: 

New York Giants
Hello: In the latest Super Bowl win over the Patriots, tight end Jake Ballard went down and his status for the season is unknown, hence the signing of free agent Martellus Bennett (Cowboys) and the fourth-round selection of Adrien Robinson (Cincinnati).

read more: profootballguru.com

Stratton, Rea lead Bulldogs past Wildcats

STARKVILLE — The pain is gone.

First baseman Wes Rea overcame a month-long slump and ace Chris Stratton pitched yet another gem Thursday, helping Mississippi State take a 3-1 victory against No. 5 Kentucky at Dudy Noble Field.

Rea, who has battled a shoulder injury, busted out of a 1-for-42 slump with a pair of hits, including a two-run single in the fourth inning.

read more: ClarionLedger.com

More SEC expansion coming, but where?

The last time they stopped playing the “Realignment Rhapsody” and everybody scrambled for a seat, the SEC had 14 available chairs.

One year later, they’re cranking up the band again. And don’t be surprised if the SEC puts another couple of seats on the floor.

Even before the SEC holds a single sporting event as a 14-school conference, the possibility of further expansion is in the wind. WithFlorida State pondering its future in the ACC and batting its eyes at the Big 12, the intercollegiate deck soon could be reshuffled. Look for the SEC to do whatever is necessary to extend its footprint and strengthen its membership.

read more: tennessean.com

Notre Dame QB Tommy Rees pleads not guilty to 4 charges

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges stemming from an incident in which police used pepper spray to subdue him after an off-campus party.

Rees, who turns 20 next week, is charged with one count of battery, two counts of resisting law enforcement and one count of illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor. South Bend police say Rees kneed a police officer in the chest after he ran from the party early May 3 after officers arrived.

read more: suntimes.com

Ohio State’s Urban Meyer, AD Gene Smith admit ‘secondary’ NCAA violations

COLUMBUS, Ohio — At Ohio State right now, anything related to NCAA violations gets people’s attention.

Like first-year football coach Urban Meyer, less than three weeks after he was hired, committing a secondary violation by saying “good luck” to recruit Noah Spence at a game in December. Or athletic director Gene Smith committing a secondary violation in April by filming a video message to a football recruit.

Or even assistant coach Mike Vrabel using smokeless tobacco on the sidelines during football games last season, which was noted and reported to Ohio State by a Columbus-area health teacher, and was a secondary violation of NCAA rules against using tobacco during games or practice.

read more: cleveland.com

New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma’s lawsuit will try to make league play defense for a change

New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is trying to force the NFL to play defense for a change. His defamation lawsuit against NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday was the strongest response yet from anyone in the Saints organization to the league’s bounty allegations.

Vilma is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages to account for the harm done to his personal and professional reputation. Just as significantly, he is trying to force the NFL to reveal the evidence which it has kept secret up to this point in front of an impartial judge.

read more: nola.com

College football coach rankings: Alabama’s Nick Saban tops list of 124 coachesSporting News has ranked the 124 FBS head coaches by conference. Now it’s time to see how they rate overall.

First, some notes about our list:

— The Big 12 coaches have by far the best average ranking: 27.2, which crushes the second-best SEC’s average ranking of 43.3. Next in line: the Pac-12 (43.8), ACC (45.6) and Big Ten (46.8).

— Of course, the Big 12 has only 10 teams. Compared with the top 10 rankings by conference, it falls slightly below the SEC’s average of 26.6. The Pac-12 still ranks third at 34.5, followed by the Big Ten (35.9) and the ACC (37.0).

— The SEC is the only league other than the Big 12 whose lowest-ranked coach isn’t in the 100s. Tennessee’s Derek Dooley, the No. 14 SEC coach on our list, ranks 99th overall.

Read more: aol.sportingnews.com

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEEDS A COMMISSIONER

College football is the most nakedly self-interested of all the sports we love.

That’s why it’s failings are the most human, the most susceptible to special interest capture, the least logical, a banana football republic.

Most sports have a common interest that unites them in pursuit of a common pot of championship gold, college football does not.

read more: outkickthecoverage.com