LOS ANGELES—Southern California is cleaning house in its tarnished athletic department, throwing out much of what got the school in severe NCAA trouble.

Athletic director Mike Garrett and Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy are the first two items to go.

In a letter to school supporters Tuesday, incoming USC president Max Nikias said [...]]]> Associated Press

LOS ANGELES—Southern California is cleaning house in its tarnished athletic department, throwing out much of what got the school in severe NCAA trouble.

Athletic director Mike Garrett and Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy are the first two items to go.

In a letter to school supporters Tuesday, incoming USC president Max Nikias said Garrett will be replaced Aug. 3 by Pat Haden, the former Trojans quarterback who became a successful businessman and a member of USC’s board of trustees. The school also will return its copy of Bush’s trophy to the Heisman Trust, among several measures to disassociate itself from the tainted tailback.

The NCAA cited Garrett’s administration for a lack of institutional control while slapping the school with heavy sanctions last month, but Haden believes he can change the culture of a program that has been wildly successful and heavily scrutinized over the past decade.

“We’re going to do better,” said Haden, also the color analyst on NBC’s Notre Dame broadcasts for the past decade. “We have to do better. We don’t have any choices here. We stub our toe, there’s going to be some problems.”

USC was hit with four years of probation, a two-year bowl ban and severe football scholarship restrictions after the NCAA found serious rules violations in the athletic department, primarily around the football and men’s basketball teams. Most involved illegal benefits for Bush and O.J. Mayo, the talented basketball player who spent just one season at USC.

Haden said the school’s plan to get rid of nearly all references to Bush and Mayo—right down to scrubbing their images from school murals and removing Bush’s No. 5 jersey in its place of honor in the lobby of Heritage Hall—are all part of the NCAA’s directive to disassociate the school from the athletes.

Bush’s Heisman has been on display alongside the trophies won by Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, Charles White and Marcus Allen. It was still in place Tuesday, but will be gone by the time students show up on campus next month.

Nikias also doesn’t start his new job until Aug. 3, but he’s already at work reforming the Trojans’ image.

“The Trojan Family honors and respects the USC sporting careers of those persons whose actions did not compromise their athletic program or the opportunities of future USC student-athletes,” Nikias said.

After pledging support for new football coach Lane Kiffin, Haden said he realizes the enormity of his task in restoring credibility to USC, where the NCAA found numerous violations during the tenures of football coach Pete Carroll and men’s hoops coach Tim Floyd. After twice telling Nikias he didn’t want to be considered for the job, Haden agreed to take it last week.

“We want to compete ferociously and win in every sport, but we want to do it ethically and within the rules,” said Haden, a former Rhodes Scholar who became a venture capitalist after an NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams. “We’re going to have a culture of compliance around here. Every meeting is going to start with the No. 1 item as compliance. … We’re going to try to be perfect. When we make mistakes, we’re going to fess up, and we’re going to try to do better next time.”

The 66-year-old Garrett has been the Trojans’ athletic director for 17 years, but he received caustic criticism for his handling of USC’s scandals. The school didn’t say whether Garrett retired or had been fired.

Both Garrett and Haden are former USC football players. Garrett won the Heisman Trophy in 1965, while Haden was the Trojans’ starting quarterback for three years in the 1970s under coach John McKay.

Haden also said he’ll hire McKay’s son, J.K., as an associate athletic director to serve as his liaison to the football program. McKay and Haden played together at USC and have been best friends for over 40 years.

“It’s a tough job, because you can only do so much, and there are people out there who are trying to get to your guys every day,” said McKay, an attorney who served as general manager with the XFL’s Los Angeles franchise. “We’re going to do our best to make sure nobody can question our effort on compliance.”

A few months after abruptly leaving Tennessee to return to USC, Kiffin’s self-described dream job has changed drastically. He must rebuild the Trojans under probation and scholarship limitations—and now Kiffin is working for a boss who didn’t hire him. Yet Kiffin, whose staff was cited for several minor NCAA violations during his 14 months at Tennessee, looked tanned and relaxed when he walked through Heritage Hall on Tuesday afternoon.

“He is my coach, and I love my coach,” Haden said. “I think he’s going to be successful here. J.K. McKay is committed to doing it right, and I think Lane is, too. I don’t want to say we’re not going to have any issues. We will. We’re going to have guys whispering in our guys’ ears, but we’re going to do our best. I don’t think we’re going to have a problem with compliance with Lane. I think he knows where we’re coming from.”

Garrett has been mostly unapologetic in the face of the Trojans’ NCAA problems, even saying last month that the NCAA’s ruling revealed “a lot of envy” of the Trojans. Two weeks ago, Garrett was forced to send a letter of apology to five schools after falsely accusing them of breaking NCAA rules by contacting star tailback recruit Dillon Baxter about transferring.

While praising Garrett’s work in rebuilding the USC football program and shepherding construction of the Galen Center basketball arena on campus, Nikias said the USC athletic department under his presidency “will seek to excel in the coming years in a manner that is consistent with the highest values” of the school.

Garrett initially received praise for unexpectedly hiring Carroll, who led a dominant decade for the Trojans’ football team, including seven Pac-10 titles and two national championships. Carroll left USC earlier this year to take over the Seattle Seahawks.

“Wish pat haden the very best in taking over as USC AD!” Carroll wrote on his Twitter account. “I’ll support in any way. Congrats!”

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MIAMI — FedEx is ending its sponsorship of the Orange Bowl after two decades.

FedEx ends Orange Bowl sponsorship after 2 decades

“This was a difficult decision but one that allows us to focus and redirect our marketing efforts toward our other sports properties and marketing initiatives,” the company said in a statement Monday.

ESPN [...]]]> Associated Press

MIAMI — FedEx is ending its sponsorship of the Orange Bowl after two decades.

FedEx ends Orange Bowl sponsorship after 2 decades

“This was a difficult decision but one that allows us to focus and redirect our marketing efforts toward our other sports properties and marketing initiatives,” the company said in a statement Monday.

ESPN is responsible for lining up title sponsors for the BCS bowls as part of its contract to broadcast the games.

“We are in active discussions around the Orange Bowl, which is a premier property and presents a tremendous marketing opportunity. FedEx remains an important client and we continue to be engaged with them in other areas,” Ed Erhardt, ESPN’s president of customer marketing and sales, said in a statement.

FedEx had been the bowl’s title sponsor since the 1990 game, making it the longest continuous sponsor of any bowl game.

“We will continue to work closely with the BCS leadership and ESPN, and we are confident that the network will secure a name sponsor for the Orange Bowl that is beneficial for all concerned,” the Orange Bowl said in a statement.

SportsBusiness Journal first reported the move.

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INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has approved 35 bowl games for the next four years, including two new ones: the Dallas Football Classic and the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York.

The NCAA said Friday that the bowls were licensed on a four-year cycle for the first time, though they will be reviewed each [...]]]> Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has approved 35 bowl games for the next four years, including two new ones: the Dallas Football Classic and the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York.

The NCAA said Friday that the bowls were licensed on a four-year cycle for the first time, though they will be reviewed each year. The move puts the licensing schedule — from 2010-11 through 2013-14 — in line with the length of bowl conference agreements.

The first Pinstripe Bowl will be played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Dec. 30. It will include the No. 3 team in the Big East and the No. 6 school in the Big 12, excluding Bowl Championship Series participants.

The first Dallas Football Classic at the Cotton Bowl is planned for New Year’s Day 2011, involving the seventh-ranked team from the Big 12 against the sixth-ranked team from the Big Ten. Future games will include Conference USA.

Bowl applications were denied for the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fla., and the Christmas Bowl in Los Angeles.

COLUMBUS — For a dozen games last season, Ohio State was true to its roots and ran the ball about twice as often as it threw it.

Then came the team’s trip to the Rose Bowl. And something strange happened.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor tossed 38 passes, the most all year. Both Buckeyes touchdowns [...]]]> Associated Press

COLUMBUS — For a dozen games last season, Ohio State was true to its roots and ran the ball about twice as often as it threw it.

Then came the team’s trip to the Rose Bowl. And something strange happened.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor tossed 38 passes, the most all year. Both Buckeyes touchdowns came on passes and, for the first time, Ohio State looked as if it had embraced a pass-first-and-ask-questions-later offense.

Midway through workouts this spring, the fans — and, for that matter, the Buckeyes themselves — are wondering about the 2010 plan of attack.

“It’s nice to not only get that (passing game) but also get a win — and to bring that into spring ball,” wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said. “It brings a whole new pep to everybody’s step. As far as opening up the offense, you get that question a lot. I don’t know any more than you guys know. But I think being able to be successful at something like that will give the coaches confidence.”

Maybe it was faith in the growth of the mercurial Pryor. Or the offensive line had improved enough to let him throw more. Or it was the maturation of a young receiver corps. Or maybe it was just the matchups against Oregon that led to the air show in a 26-17 win over the Ducks in Pasadena, Calif.

So, are the Buckeyes opening things up?

“I don’t know what that means,” assistant head coach Darrell Hazell, who also oversees the receivers, said with a laugh. “With older players you can run more things and those guys are all a year older. That gives you a chance to do that. But you’re always going to do, as a coach, what you think is the best thing to win the football game, no matter what the fans are saying.”

One thing is for certain: The Buckeyes receivers and Pryor are feeling more confident and comfortable the more they play together. And the coaching staff is giving them more leeway because of that.

“I definitely feel that they’re giving us a lot more ability to make our own (plays),” said DeVier Posey, who led the Buckeyes with 60 catches for 828 yards and 8 TDs a year ago. “That comes with losing your youth and getting older and (the coaches) being able to trust you. This is all a trust factor, the coaches trusting you to get your job done.”

Matchup advantages had to have played a role in the Rose Bowl. Pryor attempted 17 passes in each of the last three regular season games, completing a combined 31 passes for 285 yards. Against Oregon, he was 23 of 37 for 266 yards.

Asked if he sits at home hoping that the coaching staff wants to continue to throw that much, Sanzenbacher flashed a wide grin and joked, “Every night.”

Ohio State is toying with the idea of throwing more to backs and tight ends. However, this isn’t the first time the coaches have suggested that. In the past, though, they’ve changed their minds once they get caught up in the heat of battle.

But this spring they like the idea of getting co-tailbacks Brandon Saine and Dan Herron on the field together. They also like the speed and size (6-foot-5, 245) of tight end Jake Stoneburner.

Still, the key is the wide receivers, one in particular. With a year of experience as a starter under his belt, Posey believes he’ll be called upon more and more.

“It’s weird that I’m growing up,” said Posey, a junior. “(I was) a talented youngster; I’m expected to be a seasoned veteran now. It’s crazy how your role just flips within a winter.”

Hazell believes Posey could explode as a player, if he continues to mature, harnesses his abilities and grows into a leadership role.

“Right now he’s his biggest enemy because he looks for perfection in everything he does,” Hazell said. “So when he makes a mistake, it kind of looms on him for a while. He has to learn to get over that, because he’s going to make a mistake.”

For a coach who has seen Brian Robiskie, Ted Ginn Jr., Santonio Holmes and Michael Jenkins come through Ohio State in his seven years at Ohio State, Hazell has high hopes for Posey, who’s reception provided the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Rose Bowl.

“He is an exceptional receiver. One of the best we’ve had since I’ve been here,” he said. “But he’s got to learn to put some of those things that he doesn’t do as well as he’d like behind him so it doesn’t compound (problems for) him on the next play.”

Former Notre Dame quarterack Jimmy Clausen works out during football pro day for NFL representatives on Friday, April 9, 2010 on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Former Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen tried to show NFL teams Friday [...]]]> Associated Press

Former Notre Dame quarterack Jimmy Clausen works out during football pro day for NFL representatives on Friday, April 9, 2010 on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Former Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen tried to show NFL teams Friday he is worth a first-round draft pick, though he’s still not 100 percent healthy three months after surgery to repair torn tendons in his right foot.

Clausen didn’t run during the 30-minute throwing session attended by 16 of the 32 NFL teams. He completed 57 of 59 passes, overthrowing wide receiver Robby Parris on two long routes. His receivers also needed to make some nice catches on several other throws, with former Notre Dame running back James Aldridge twisting back to catch a short pass on his shoulder and former Irish receiver David Grimes speeding up to make a fingertip grab on a 50-yard pass.

Clausen said he wanted to be able to show he could drive the ball. He said his toe feels fine, but the top of his ankle is weak after being in a boot for eight weeks.

“I need to keep getting that stronger,” he said.

Clausen played the final nine games this past season with two torn tendons in his right foot, which he said were misdiagnosed as turf toe. He said he has been told by doctors he should have had surgery the day after he was injured against Michigan State on Sept. 19 and sat out the rest of the season.

Clausen ran for the first time on March 22, when he jogged two times around a track. He hopes to be 100 percent in about a month.

St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, whose team owns the first pick overall, wouldn’t give much away after watching the workout other than saying he was pleased with what he’s seen from Clausen, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy.

“They’re all very impressive. I think we knew that going in,” he said.

Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell was more specific about what he thought about Clausen’s workout.

“I thought he made some nice throws. He really did a good job for himself in terms of the types of balls that he threw. He threw some deep corner routes, he threw some comebacks, it gives you an opportunity to see how the ball comes out,” he said.

Some rating services have Clausen as the No. 4 player overall, ahead of former Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. Others believe Clausen might fall to later in the first round like former Irish quarterback Brady Quinn did in 2007, when he was taken with the 22nd pick by the Cleveland Browns.

Clausen already has met with the Redskins and Browns and is scheduled to meet with the Bills and the Rams. Clausen also is scheduled to do a private workout with the Redskins next week.

Since the surgery in early January, Clausen has prepared for the draft by lifting weights in California and throwing passes to a variety of receivers, including two former USC players, safety Taylor Mays and defensive end Everson Griffen.

Clausen said he hasn’t decided if he’ll be in New York for the draft, saying he doesn’t know what will happen on April 22.

“I could go top five, top 10, I could go in the second round, I really don’t know,” he said. “My name’s going to get called and I’m going to have a lot of fun.”

Dave Wannstedt's new deal keeps him at Pitt through 2014. And unless something really strange happens or Wannstedt decides to retire early, that's exactly where he'll be in 2015.

PITTSBURGH — Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt signed a two-year contract extension Tuesday that runs through the 2014 season, a deal designed to reassure [...]]]> Associated Press

Dave Wannstedt's new deal keeps him at Pitt through 2014. And unless something really strange happens or Wannstedt decides to retire early, that's exactly where he'll be in 2015.

PITTSBURGH — Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt signed a two-year contract extension Tuesday that runs through the 2014 season, a deal designed to reassure recruits that the Panthers are running one of the nation’s most stable programs.

The extension was the second signed by the former Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins coach since he was hired in December 2004. Pitt has a 19-7 record in the two seasons since Wannstedt signed his initial extension.

“We have always believed that when you have the right person, you should give them the time and support to accomplish all the goals they have for our program,” athletic director Steve Pederson said.

The 57-year-old Wannstedt is promising that Pitt will be his last job, and he sought extra years on his contract so he could assure potential recruits he would be on the job throughout their college careers.

“It’s important when those young men and the mothers are sitting there, they want to make sure that their sons are going into a stable situation,” Wannstedt said. “They know that I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. I’ve said that from Day 1, and I haven’t wavered from that.”

Wannstedt had a 16-19 record in his first three seasons, receiving his first extension hours before Pitt upset then-No. 2 West Virginia 13-9 to end the 2007 season—a victory that made a significant impact on the Panthers’ recruiting.

The Panthers went on to go 9-4 in 2008 and 10-3 last season, when they lost to Cincinnati 45-44 to end the regular season. That last-minute defeat cost them a Big East title and an appearance in a BCS bowl game, but they rebounded to beat North Carolina 19-17 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

The 10-win season was the school’s first since 1981.

“We have a lot of unfinished business,” Wannstedt said. “Our staff and our players, we understand that. … I thought we were very capable of winning a championship last year. From that standpoint, we didn’t, but we were in the game to win one. Now, we have to win one.”

With second team All-American running back Dion Lewis returning for his sophomore season, the Panthers are expected to be the Big East favorite in 2010. That doesn’t bother Wannstedt.

“We can’t just continue to knock on that door,” he said. “we’ve got to win a championship.”

Pederson wouldn’t say if Wannstedt got a pay raise.

“We never talk about the pay of our coaches, but we’ve always tried to compensate our coaches fairly and make sure their (salaries) are competitive,” he said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—Louisville coach Charlie Strong has finished filling out his coaching staff.

Strong has hired former Virginia assistant Mike Groh to coach the quarterbacks and former Georgia Southern assistant Ron Dugans to coach the wide receivers.

Groh spent last season as a graduate assistant at Alabama. Before coaching the Crimson Tide, he was an [...]]]> Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—Louisville coach Charlie Strong has finished filling out his coaching staff.

Strong has hired former Virginia assistant Mike Groh to coach the quarterbacks and former Georgia Southern assistant Ron Dugans to coach the wide receivers.

Groh spent last season as a graduate assistant at Alabama. Before coaching the Crimson Tide, he was an assistant at Virginia for eight seasons, including three as the offensive coordinator.

Dugans played at Florida State and spent five seasons as a wideout in the NFL before getting into coaching. He spent the 2006 season as a graduate assistant at Florida State before moving on to Georgia Southern.

Once there, click on the “Rose Bowl Tickets” icon.

The Buckeyes are making [...]]]> COLUMBUS – Rose Bowl tickets will be available to the general public beginning at 10 a.m., Friday, Dec. 11. Fans can purchase tickets to the Jan. 1 game between Ohio State and Oregon online at OhioStateBuckeyes.com, the Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office announced Wednesday.

Once there, click on the “Rose Bowl Tickets” icon.

The Buckeyes are making their first Rose Bowl appearance since the 1996 season.

What you need to know:

• Game tickets are priced at $155 each and there is a maximum order of four (4) tickets.
• Game day parking passes will be available for $25 each.
• A limited number of tickets to the Rose Bowl Kickoff Luncheon on Dec. 31 will be available for $85 each.
• All orders will incur a $25 per order fee, and will be shipped via UPS overnight delivery.

The sources both said part of the agreement includes pay increases for his assistant coaches.

Patterson, in his 12th season at TCU and ninth [...]]]> FORT WORTH, Texas — TCU and coach Gary Patterson have agreed to terms on a long-term contract extension, according to two sources close to the situation. An official announcement is expected Wednesday morning.

The sources both said part of the agreement includes pay increases for his assistant coaches.

Patterson, in his 12th season at TCU and ninth as head coach, has an 85-27 record in his tenure. That includes TCU’s 12-0 record this season, the school’s first undefeated campaign since 1938.

The Horned Frogs are No. 4 in the BCS standings and are expected to play in the first BCS bowl in the program’s history. Patterson is one of three finalists for the George Munger Award, given by the Maxwell Football Club to the national coach of the year.

Patterson has been mentioned among possible candidates to replace Charlie Weis for the vacant Notre Dame job, but a TCU official said Monday that the coach had not been contacted.

Patterson has had six seasons of at least 10 wins in his nine years at the helm, including five seasons of at least 11 wins since 2003. He’s won three conference championships (two Mountain West titles and a Conference USA title) during his tenure and has taken TCU to eight bowl games, including a 17-16 win over previously undefeated Boise State in last season’s Poinsettia Bowl.

Patterson has beaten some top Big 12 teams, including No. 5 Oklahoma on the road in 2005 and No. 20 Texas Tech, holding the prolific Red Raiders offense to three points in a victory in 2006. He is second in all-time wins at TCU, 24 behind Dutch Meyer, who won two national championships in the 1930s and coached for 19 seasons at TCU.

Patterson arrived in Fort Worth as defensive coordinator for Dennis Franchione, who became head coach in 1998. It didn’t take Patterson long to put together a solid defense. The Horned Frogs had the No. 1 total defense in the country in 2000, Franchione’s final season before leaving for Alabama.

TCU held a national search after Franchione left, but opted for Patterson.

After a 6-6 first season, Patterson’s defense led the way, finishing No. 1 in the country again in 2002 as TCU went 10-2 and shared a conference title. TCU was the top defense in 2008 as well, giving the Frogs some momentum for this season.

Currently, TCU is No. 2 in total defense in 2009, just behind the top-ranked Florida Gators. The Horned Frogs also are No. 3 in rush defense and No. 4 in passing defense. Four opponents have recorded season-low point totals against TCU this season.