D1 College Football News

June 4, 2007

Source: The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.


Oregon State Coach Donates Ultimate Gift

Oregon State offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf donated a kidney during to Laurie Cavanaugh, wife of Beavers' offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh. The successful surgery took place last week at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital in Portland. Both were in satisfactory condition after the procedures.

After almost a year and a half, Langsdorf was found as a match through tests with 18 individuals. Laurie Cavanaugh has autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, which enlarged her kidneys.

BCS Still Considered the Best Route for Postseason Play

After meeting with colleagues at last week's annual SEC spring meeting, Florida president Bernie Machen decided the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is still the best system for finding college football's national champion.

Representatives from the ACC, the Big 12 and the Big East also agreed that while the BCS may have its flaws, it should continue to be the method of choice. The Pac-10 and the Big Ten were strongly opposed to the playoff system, preferring to keep the Rose Bowl tradition alive.

Brand Not Opposed to Fifth Year of Eligibility

NCAA president Myles Brand said that he doesn't mind the idea of allowing a fifth year of eligibility, which was recently proposed by the NCAA football issues committee.

Brand, who mentioned that it takes the average student about 4.7 years to graduate from college, would favor the extra year as long as redshirting could be eliminated and educational activities throughout a student-athlete's five years could be ensured.

Nebraska athletics director Steve Pederson, leader of the NCAA football issues committee, requested the proposal be discussed at the spring meetings of Division I football-playing conferences. If the idea gains support, it would have to go through several NCAA committees before a membership vote.

In other NCAA news, the SEC and Pacific- 10 Conference mentors voted as majorities against early signing date proposals.

Two-Minute Drill

NFF Hall of Famer Vince Dooley will begin radiation treatment for a tumor found in his throat area during recent surgery... Longtime Tennessee (1973-76) and NFL standout (1977-91) Stanley Morgan joined his wife Rholedia in hosting the fourth annual Alex Haley Scholarship Auction and Celebrity Golf Tournament. He still holds the Vols' career record for all-purpose yards with 4,642... SMU has begun a "Milk and Cookies with the Mustangs" summer program where area children can go to the nearby University Park Library and have stories read to them and chat with SMU student-athletes. Admission is free... Rutgers (12,000 increase) and Illinois (10,000 more than '06) are the clubhouse leaders as of June 1 in season ticket sale increases from 2006 to '07... USF and Miami (Fla.) have agreed to a continuing series (which actually started in 2005) through the 2013 season... Marshall is beginning commemoration of the 20-year anniversary of the team's return to grid greatness with a trip to the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA (now known as FCS) title game... Cincinnati's new Student Alliance has outlined plans for community service and student- athletes' involvement in campus projects for 2007- 08... The Big East Conference gained a record $21,888,675 for five bowl appearances in 2006- 07 and went 5-0 in the postseason... Former Miami (Fla.) head coach Larry Coker is writing an autobiography... Colorado revealed its new Nike uniforms last Saturday.

2007 NFF Gold Medal co-recipient Roger Staubach of Navy will ceremonially start the IRL 2007 Bombardier Learjet 500 race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. The start will be shipped live via satellite to large screens at trackside. Staubach, who shares this year's Gold Medal honors with Army's Pete Dawkins, also served as chair of the joint committee to have Super Bowl XLV played at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas in 2011.

Texas A&M-Kingsville announced Jeremy Atteberry as its new head football coach... Oklahoma State named Curtis Luper assistant head coach for player development for football.

Former Navy LB David Mahoney has received the coveted Naval Academy Athletic Association Sword for Men for exemplary achievements during his 2003-06 career... Oklahoma DL Carl Pendleton, a 2006 NFF National Scholar-Athlete, has been named 2006- 07 Big 12 Male Sportsperson of the Year... The University at Albany has selected head football coach Bob Ford as 2007 Citizen of the University for his community service... UCLA director of athletics Dan Guerrero has been asked to chair a special committee on academic achievement and challenges for NCAA Division I... Alabama AD Mal Moore was selected as 2007 Distinguished Alabama Sportsman at the 39th annual Alabama Sports Hall of Fame banquet.

The Colonial Athletic Association will have several football games televised regionally and nationally by CSTV and Comcast Sports South... Utah president Michael K. Young and BYU president Cecil O. Samuelson have started the process of retaining a sports broadcasting attorney to explore options for improving the distribution of athletic television broadcasts to the schools' regional and national fans... ESPNU made its debut on Bright House digital cable in the Tampa Bay, Fla., area last week.

The AT&T Cotton Bowl is making a nationally coordinated awareness push for a future BCS position as it moves to Cowboys Stadium in 2010. The first 71 Cotton Bowls have been held at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas... Roady's Truck Stops have become the new corporate sponsor for the Humanitarian Bowl.

Former LSU DE Marquise Hill, 24, died last week in a jet ski accident near New Orleans.