VIEW THE MOBILE ALPHA VERSION OF THIS SITE

News Nuggets, 06.06.06
 —  —  —  —  —
NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...

Previous Day Nuggets...             Next Day Nuggets...

Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

NCAA change on grad transfers gets reaction

Jack Carey of USA Today has reported that an NCAA rules change that apparently was off many schools' radar screens for a few weeks could alter college sports rosters.

The NCAA Board of Directors in April approved legislation that allows athletes with eligibility remaining to transfer without having to sit out a year at their new school, provided they already have earned a bachelor's degree.

In most NCAA sports, players already are allowed to transfer without sitting out. But in football, basketball and hockey, transfers sit a year at their new school. The new legislation ends that waiting period for graduate students.

Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, says the rule, while good for athletes, is not good for football. Teaff says he was not aware of the change until about a week ago, but most coaches he's talked to want it rescinded, fearing it could lead to a version of graduate-student free agency.

Teaff says he needs 100 override votes from college presidents by June 27.

"We think you'd have an average of as many as three players a year at each (Division I-A) school who could be candidates (to graduate and then transfer)," he says. "Now, most youngsters are not going to run off and jump at another school, but this could create the opportunities for the kind of (illicit) recruitment that we've gotten away from."

The highest-profile player to take advantage is Richard Kovalcheck, a former starting quarterback at Arizona who is transferring to Vanderbilt, where he will be eligible to play this fall.

Duke reinstates men's lacrosse with conditions

The Duke University men’s lacrosse program will resume this fall under a strict new standard of behavior that the players drafted and with stronger administrative oversight of the program, President Richard H. Brodhead announced Monday in an electronic letter to the Duke community.

Brodhead’s announcement comes two months to the day after he suspended the team’s season following allegations of rape at an off-campus team party on March 13. Three members of the team have been indicted in the incident; the other 44 members of the team have been exonerated.

“When I met with the members of the team last month, I told them that, if and when Duke resumes the playing of men’s lacrosse, we cannot return to the status quo as of March 12,” Brodhead said in his letter. “Though it did not confirm the worst allegations against this team, the Coleman Committee (a faculty committee chaired by Duke Law School Professor James Coleman) documented a history of irresponsible conduct that this university cannot allow to continue.

“... As I wrestled with this issue, I decided that Duke should only resume men’s lacrosse if we made a clear statement of the conduct we expect of the players going forward; if the players made a commitment to live by these expectations; and if we had a strong oversight mechanism to monitor the situation. These conditions have now been met to my satisfaction.”

Under the lacrosse team’s new behavioral standards, violations will include underage drinking, disorderly conduct and harassment. Minimum penalties include counseling and community service for a first offense; a three-game suspension for a second offense; and a season-long suspension for a third offense.

Students who fail to notify the head coach and athletics director of a violation within 24 hours will be immediately suspended from the team. The coach and the athletic director can impose alternative or stricter penalties.

Cardieri resigns as baseball coach at USF

Eddie Cardieri, who has been with the South Florida baseball program for 24 years, including the last 21 as head coach, has resigned.

Cardieri compiled a 731-546 record in his 21 seasons in charge of the program. Including two seasons at Saint Leo University, his career record is 794-579.

Cardieri coached the Bulls to nine NCAA Tournaments and five regular season conference championships. He twice earned Coach of the Year in the Sun Belt and Metro Conferences and once in Conference USA.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007 12:48 PM