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News Nuggets, 05.03.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Sweeping restrictions placed on hoops exhibition games

INDIANAPOLIS — Major colleges will no longer be allowed to schedule men's exhibition basketball games against non-collegiate opponents, such as foreign teams, AAU clubs or Athletes in Action.

The prohibition was approved last week by the NCAA Board of Directors and will go into effect for Division I schools on Aug. 1. Contracts signed before Oct. 21, 2003, will be honored.

The measure was designed to eliminate possible advantages some schools might have in recruiting by playing exhibition games against teams that could include prospective college players. It does not apply to women's teams.

"From a men's standpoint, some of the membership was concerned these games create a relationship between an institution and club teams that result in an unfair recruiting advantage," NCAA spokesman Jeff Howard said. "It just hasn't been addressed on the women's side."

Division I teams would still be allowed to make foreign tours, which are not considered exhibition games and therefore not subject to the new rule barring non-collegiate opponents, as long as they are completed more than 30 days before the start of preseason practice.

The 30-day restriction will apply to foreign tours in all sports and will take effect Nov. 1. All contracts signed before last Oct. 21 will be honored.

The NCAA board also approved measures to:

— Give athletes more access to financial aid, up to the full cost of college attendance, from non-athletic sources such as the federal Pell Grant. This measure is effective Aug. 1.

— Give colleges the option of extending financial aid to incoming athletes the summer before their freshman year, so they can begin meeting academic goals. The board directed President Myles Brand to establish a task force to develop a plan to be considered at its Aug. 5 meeting.

— Allow colleges to cover medical expenses for injuries to athletes, regardless whether the injuries were related to athletics.

Rampaging Pirates plow through league foes

East Carolina firmed up its grip on first place in the Conference USA baseball race, thanks to its weekend sweep of Houston and a Sunday win by Memphis win over second-place Tulane in those teams' three-game series.

The 7th-ranked Pirates, who have won a school-record 19 games in a row and a league-record 17 straight C-USA games, also boosted their chances of continuing a steady climb towards the top of the national polls by methodically dispatching of the nationally-respected Cougars three days in a row.

ECU stretched what had been a two-game lead over Tulane to three games heading into the final three weeks of the regular season. The Pirates will be heavily favored to protect their lofty C-USA perch when they return to conference action on Friday to begin a three-game weekend set at 11th-place Saint Louis.

A home series against Texas Christian the weekend of May 14-16 and a road engagement at defending league champion Southern Mississippi the following week will wrap up ECU's drive to clinch its first regular season title.

The Conference USA Tournament will be staged in Houston May 26-29.

Before the league stretch run begins, however, the Pirates will host UNC-Wilmington on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the final game in Harrington Field before construction commences on ECU's long-planned new baseball stadium.

CONFERENCE USA STANDINGS AND SCOREBOARD

(Includes games played through May 2)

                  CONFERENCE        OVERALL
TEAM             W  L  T  Pct.    W  L  T  Pct.
East Carolina   18  3  0 .857    38  6  0 .864
Tulane          15  6  0 .714    32 14  0 .696
Southern Miss   14  7  0 .667    33 12  0 .733
Texas Christian 14  7  0 .667    28 17  0 .622
Houston         12  9  0 .571    21 25  0 .457
Memphis         10 10  0 .500    22 19  0 .537
South Florida    9 11  0 .450    27 17  0 .614
Louisville       9 12  0 .429    21 23  0 .477
UAB              8 12  0 .400    21 22  0 .488
Charlotte        8 13  0 .381    19 23  0 .452
Saint Louis      4 16  0 .200    13 32  0 .289
Cincinnati       3 18  0 .143     9 34  0 .209

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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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