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News Nuggets, 02.08.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Marquette prefers exit fee over scheduling pact

Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville and South Florida have accepted a deal proposed by Conference USA under which the teams will continue to schedule games against C-USA opponents in lieu of paying an exit fee to depart for the Big East, reports the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Under the five-year arrangement which will begin when they formally enter the Big East in 2005-06, Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida will play one football game and two basketball games per season against C-USA schools.

DePaul, which does not sponsor a football program, will play two basketball games per year against its former mates.

Marquette, which will also leave C-USA for the Big East in 2005-06, has elected instead to pay a yet-to-be-determined exit fee out of its share of NCAA Tournament revenue already earned by C-USA.

The agreements were revealed by Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson, reported the newspaper, after a phone conference this week involving C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky and league AD's that also touched on the possibilities of changing the conference's name and adding another football-playing member in the wake of nine defections within the last year.

Departing will be Army, Charlotte, Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Saint Louis, South Florida and Texas Christian. Of those schools, Charlotte, DePaul, Marquette and Saint Louis do not sponsor Division I football teams.

East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulane and UAB are staying put and will be joined by Central Florida, Marshall, Rice, Southern Methodist and Tulsa in the 2005-06 season.

C-USA would achieve a membership level of 12 by luring another school, a configuration that would enable the conference to divide itself into two divisions for football and stage a lucrative championship game at the end of the regular season.

Pot keeps boiling in Buffs' recruiting scandal

BOULDER — The University of Colorado suspended four football players Saturday for violations that included one player taking a recruit to a strip joint. The violations came to light during a mandatory team meeting on news that police in neighboring Broomfield are investigating allegations that CU's football program hired an escort service for recruits in 2002 and 2003.

The accusations are the latest against the football program, under fire for allegedly using sex and alcohol-fueled parties to entice recruits. The university denies the allegations, but regents have appointed an independent commission to investigate.

Football coach Gary Barnett said in a statement that players denied the claims about the escort service, but did admit to other infractions. Barnett announced that linebacker Chris Hollis, offensive lineman Brian Daniels, offensive lineman Jack Tipton and cornerback Sammy Joseph will not play in the season-opener against Colorado State.

Barnett learned Friday that Hollis took a recruit to an 18-and-over strip club in Boulder. There was no underage drinking and the recruit was back to his hotel room by 12:30 a.m. in time for curfew, Barnett said.

The other three players were suspended for conduct that violated team rules, including one alcohol violation, Barnett said. The violations were related to recruiting activities, but no other details were released. Athletic department spokesman Dave Plati declined to comment on the suspensions.

The alcohol violation will be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs, Barnett said.

"We are pleased that the three players came forth with this new information and that the coach took swift action," said a statement from CU President Elizabeth Hoffman and Chancellor Richard Byyny. "We continue to evaluate other information we have received and will take swift, decisive and appropriate action upon the receipt of credible information."

Colorado's flagship university has been caught in a firestorm since depositions surfaced last week about a December 2001 off-campus party in Boulder attended by football players and recruits. Three women who say they were raped at or just after the party sued the school, saying it fostered a hostile environment for women in violation of federal gender equity laws.

Boulder District Attorney Mary Keenan declined to file rape charges but said in a deposition leaked to reporters she believed sex was used to lure recruits and that athletics officials had ignored her demands to crack down. Keenan has appointed investigators to re-examine allegations stemming from the party.

Gophers join Colorado in strip joint spotlight

MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota's investigation into reports of football recruits visiting strip clubs and bars during official visits has been turned over to the Gophers' compliance office.

Minnesota Athletic Director Joel Maturi had said he would investigate the matter. But the investigation was turned over to compliance officials because possible NCAA rules violations are involved, along with possible violations of athletic department and team policies, university general counsel Mark Rotenberg told the St. Paul Pioneer Press for a story published last week.

"We don't want to have the athletic department investigating itself or coaches doing things unrelated to coaching," said Rotenberg, to whom the compliance office reports. Rotenberg confirmed that the investigation has begun.

Rotenberg speculated the interview portion of the process would take about a month, adding that he doesn't expect a large-scale investigation.

Earlier news reports had had noted that at least three prospects said they were part of a group that visited bars as minors and that several were served alcohol during a recruitment visit the weekend of Dec. 5-7. Several prospects also went to a downtown strip club that admits people 18 and older but does not serve alcohol, according to the reports.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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