Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois Fighting Illini have dismissed both wide receiver Darius Millines and defensive end Darrius Caldwell off their football program, citing unspecified program violations. The team announced the dismissals earlier in the week and the fallout is being felt this morning.

Caldwell was a redshirt freshman last season and registered 17 tackles with 2.5 sacks for Illinois. But the real loss is in wide receiver Darius Millines, as he was the Illini’s second best wideout during the 2012 season.

Go ahead and insert your joke here about how Millines being the second best receiver on the Illini last season isn’t saying much. He did only register 319 yards and no touchdowns, but those are astronomical stats for a team as offensively challenged as the Illini were last season.

The school has yet to offer up an explanation as to why Tim Beckman ultimately decided to end the football careers of the two young men, but Millines was already on an indefinite suspension at the time of his dismissal from the team.

Things were not easy for Illinois last season and they just made things a whole lot harder by letting go of two players that could have budded into stars had they gotten their acts together in time. 

Sept. 8, 2012; Tucson, AZ, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Wes Lunt (11) looks on during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Former Oklahoma State quarterback Wes Lunt has been considering a number of schools as he looks to complete his transfer, but it looks like that list has gotten significantly shorter. Oklahoma State has reportedly restricted Lunt from transferring to Southern Mississippi or any school in the Southeastern Conference, according to CBS Sports.

From the CBS Report:

Cowboys spokesman Gavin Lang confirmed the news via e-mail after CBSSports.com spoke with a source with direct knowledge of Lunt’s transfer process. When asked why the SEC and Southern Miss were restricted, Lang said that decision is between Lunt and Gundy.

Lunt was reportedly considering SEC schools Tennessee and Vanderbilt along with Southern Miss, Louisville and Illinois. One college coach tracking the Lunt situation heard about the restriction from Lunt’s high school coach, Derek Leonard out of Rochester (Ill.) High School.

The only SEC team Oklahoma State has on its immediate schedule is Mississippi State in 2013. Oklahoma State and Southern Mississippi are not currently scheduled to play.

It is an interesting development which means Oklahoma State must believe a number of those schools tampered with Lunt before he officially decided to transfer, but there are no official allegations.

In 2012, Lunt threw for 1,108 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Lunt has also been restricted from transferring to any Pac-12 school, Big 12 school or Eastern Michigan.

BREAKING; Rochester HC Derek Leonard: OSU blocking Wes Lunt transfer to SEC, PAC 12, BIG 12, S. Miss & E. Michigan

— Zach Kerker (@ZachKerker) May 17, 2013

When you start restricting transfers to Southern Miss and Eastern Michigan, your school has hit an all-time.

It is a sad day for Oklahoma State as they look truly pathetic for the way they are handling the Lunt situation.

Dec 27, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Anthony Barr (11) against the Baylor Bears in the 2012 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Baylor defeated UCLA 49-26. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

When preseason watch lists start to surface, college football fans should get excited because that means the start of the season is inching closer. Today, the Lott IMPACT Trophy released their watch list of 42 players for their postseason award. The IMPACT award is given to the player who has the best Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity on and off the field.

Last year’s award went to Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o.

The list is headlined by the likes of UCLA’s Anthony Barr, Alabama’s CJ Mosley and Jackson Jeffcoat of the Texas Longhorns.

Here is the complete Lott Trophy watch list:

• Henry Anderson, DL, Stanford
• Geoffrey Bacon, LB, Army
• Calvin Barnett, DL, Oklahoma State
• Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
• Nat Behre, DB, San Diego State
• Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin
• Max Bullough, LB, Michigan State
• Ibraheim Campbell, DB, Northwestern
• Ross Cockrell, CB, Duke
• Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma
• Scott Crichton, DL, Oregon State
• Alden Darby, DB, Arizona State
• Aaron Donald, DL, Pitt
• Steele DiVitto, LB, Boston College
• Ahmad Dixon, S, Baylor
• Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
• Antone Exum, CB, Virginia Tech
• Jake Fischer, LB, Arizona
• Chase Garnham, LB, Vanderbilt
• Bryce Hager, LB, Baylor
• Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas
• A.J. Johnson, LB, Tennessee
• Lamarcus Joyner, S/CB, Florida State
• Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA
• Devon Kennard, DL, USC
• James Morris, LB, Iowa
• C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama
• Damien Proby, LB, Northwestern
• Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford
• Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
• D.T. Shackleford, LB, Ole Miss
• Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State
• Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
• Spencer Shuey, LB, Clemson
• Derron Smith, DB, Fresno State
• John Timu, LB, Washington
• Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame
• Jack Tyler, LB, Virginia Tech
• Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU
• Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
• Avery Williamson, LB, Kentucky
• Ty Zimmerman, S, Kansas State

Nov 10, 2012; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns helmet featuring a DKR logo in honor of former head coach Darrell Royal before a game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

It seems like yesterday that highly touted college quarterback Vince Young was high-stepping his way through the USC defense en route to Texas’ 41-38 victory in the 2006 Rose Bowl.

Of course, yesterday was about, oh, seven years ago now and the one time perceived future NFL is now 30. Oh how a bright future can dim so quickly.

It’s been over eleven years since Vince Young enrolled at the University of Texas, but today, the former NFL quarterback can now say he has graduated from college, an amazing accomplishment for anybody – a lost pro athlete or not.

While there was no big celebration or ceremony, Young did receive his graduation diploma in Earning and Development and can now frame it among the many topless photos of himself in a club he probably also has framed in his home. Hopefully they’re surrounding by the neon necklaces he loves so much. /fistpump

Sadly, there was no $300,000 dollar birthday party or strippers at the University of Texas office when Young was given his long awaited diploma, but despite that, I say congratulations Vince. You’ve earned it.

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban holds the Coaches Trophy after the 2013 BCS Championship game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Sun Life Stadium. Alabama won 42-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Florida Gators assistant Tim Davis recently took some shots at Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban by calling him “the devil himself” and it looks like his former boss caught wind of the comments. Saban was informed of Davis’ comments and he responded with disappointment for his former colleague because of the way he went after him.

“It really is a little terribly disappointing,” Saban said, via al.com. “I try to do right by the people that work for me. It’s a tough, demanding job. And at the same time, if anybody had an issue or problem with me, I would want them to just tell me. It’s just disappointing. If somebody has a problem with me, I’d appreciate it if they’d tell me. If I’m doing something to offend somebody, I’d certainly like to do whatever I have to do to fix it. It’s not our intention. It’s not what we try to do.

“We’re in a tough business. It’s very competitive. Sometimes you’ve got to demand that people do things that maybe they don’t want to do, but it’s not personal.”

Saban took the remarks from Davis personally, because they had a working relationship in the past with the Miami Dolphins and at Alabama.

Davis’ remarks wreaked of jealousy and they were unnecessary. I’m sure Gators head coach Will Muschamp won’t be too happy about the way his assistant went after a former co-worker and friend.

May 16, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel throws out the first pitch at the San Diego Padres game on Thursday night. Manziel recreated his famous touchdown that came against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Mandatory Photo Credit: USA Today Sports

Is there anything that Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel can’t do? Johnny Football has been everywhere in the months following his Heisman Trophy win and his latest endeavor brought him to San Diego to throw out the first pitch at the San Diego Padres game. As you would expect, Manziel had to flaunt the Heisman logo on his sleeve, but that isn’t where the tributes to his 2012 season ended.

[RELATED: Johnny Manziel Hits Home Run During Batting Practice (Video)]

When Manziel walked out to the mound to give the first pitch of the game, he decided it would be a good time to recreate his fumble-to-touchdown play that helped lift the Aggies over the eventual national champion Alabama Crimson Tide.

And it was awesome.

Here is a GIF of Manziel’s first pitch, via SBNation:

It should not be overlooked that the catcher had an unbelievable behind the back catch that may have been the best part of this GIF.

(H/T: @NationalsPR)

With the encouragement of Texas A&M alum Davy Johnson, Manziel drove a pitch deep and out of the park — well not technically out of the park but give it a few days and die-hards will re-tell the story as Manziel hitting the ball clear across six counties. But in all seriousness, Manziel showed that he’s not a one trick pony after all and his home run is yet another thing to enter into his lore.

Manziel was seen hanging out with Johnson, who played a single season at Texas A&M in the early 1960s before signing with the Baltimore Orioles and kicking off his baseball career. Manziel is the current star at A&M, as the Aggies are entering this season with high hopes after the way the Heisman Trophy winner took college football by storm.

A repeat performance of last season is exactly what Aggies fans like Johnson and so many others would love to see. It’s a tall order to follow up a season that saw Manziel become the first ever freshman to win the Heisman, but he definitely possesses the skills to do so. Manziel will be one of the most watched player this college football season, but if things don’t work out he could always skip the NFL and try his hand at baseball.

September 8, 2012; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; A general view of the endzone prior to kickoff of a game between the LSU Tigers and the Washington Huskies at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Think back to your time in first-grade and try to remember what your school did for your field trip. I remember going to some sort of a camp ground with a brown paper bag lunch and it was awful. We stared around at ponds and walked through a cave-like structure before sitting in a pavilion and eating our lunch. Then we were crammed back in a bus and shipped back to school. Luckily for a group of first-grade students on Wednesday, they had the field trip of a lifetime as they got to visit LSU and tour the facilities.

LSU public relations official Herb Vincent shared photos of the first-graders field trip on his Twitter account and, yes, they are as awesome as you would think.

From running out of the tunnel to touring the stadium, these first-graders were one lucky bunch.

Here are some of the photos that Vincent shared with his followers:

What did you do on your first-grade field trip? Surely it wasn’t as awesome as this.

Sound off in the comments section and share your thoughts with us.

Watch this heartwarming video of six Heisman Trophy winners working together to build a home for a family in post-Katrina New Orleans, with a little help from Nissan. These football veterans put in some hard labor for a good cause, and managed to have some laughs along the way.

Nissan has given over $9 million in donations to support hurricane relief efforts since 2005. Learn more about Nissan’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity at nissanusa.com/habitat-for-humanity.

Apr 20, 2013; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Steven Bench (12) gestures before a snap in the first quarter of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O

Former Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Steven Bench just wrapped up a visit with South Florida on Tuesday and he will now be making two more trips while he looks for the best situation to transfer into. Bench will be visiting with the North Carolina State Wolfpack on May 17 through 19 before heading to Starkville, Mississippi on May 20 and 21 where he will visit with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Temple and Florida International are also interested in the sophomore signal-caller, according to the Clarion Ledger.

Because of the NCAA sanctions at Penn State, Bench will be able to compete for a job immediately.

An interesting wrinkle to the Bench transfer situation is that he visited Mississippi State during his senior year of college. He may not be familiar with the exact coaching staff, but he is certainly familiar with the university and atmosphere.

Bench is going on the visits with an open mind and no real favorite in the race, so it will be interesting to see where he ultimately decides to go.

Apr 30, 2013; Greensboro, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban looks on during the Chick-fil-A Challenge at the Reynolds Plantation Resort. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey/CFA-pr via USA TODAY Sports **HAND OUT PHOTO **

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban is the king of college football, so it should come as no surprise that there is some jealousy among the other coaches in the Southeastern Conference. The latest coach to take a shot at Saban is Florida Gators offensive line coach Tim Davis, who coached under Saban during his brief stint in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.

Davis was speaking at an event in Melbourne, Florida when he decided to comment on Saban while he was praising his current boss Will Muschamp, who also coached under Saban with the Dolphins.

Since Saban’s last name is just one letter away from “Satan,” I guess it is only appropriate that Davis called Saban the devil.

“[UF head coach] Will [Muschamp] and I go back to the Miami Dolphins,” Davis said, via 247 Sports’ GatorBait.net. “I’ve always wanted to work with Will. Will’s got a plan. Will coached under the devil himself for seven years. I only did three. He did seven. And his DNA is not any different than Nick.”

Not only is Saban the devil, according to Davis, but he has a crappy personality.

”[Muschamp's] like the other guy, only he’s got a personality,” Davis said. “He’ll smile at you. He’ll talk to you. You understand? That’s what he’s all about. That’s Will. I’m proud to work for him.”

It’s a good thing that smiling doesn’t win championships.

Saban is doing mighty well for himself, despite what is perceived as a poor personality. If he doesn’t want to talk or smile, that is okay, because he is currently focusing on winning a third-straight BCS National Championship while everyone else is worrying about what he does with his facial muscles.

Dec 24, 2012; Honolulu, HI, USA; A general view of Aloha Stadium before the Hawaii Bowl before the game between the Fresno State Bulldogs and Southern Methodist Mustangs. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most unique nicknames in college sports has finally returned. Hawaii announced on Tuesday that the team would be returning to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors nickname that they rocked in the 1990′s. Hawaii dropped the “Rainbow” from their nickname in 2000, but now all men’s sports teams will once again rock the name.

Hawaii athletic director Ben Jay made the announcement, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

“I’ve been asking since I was hired here [in December] who we are and what is most representative of the islands,” Jay said. “Those three words — Warriors, rainbow and Wahine — are representative of who we are.”

While the men’s teams are returning to the Rainbow Warriors, the women’s teams are known as the Rainbow Wahine.

One question that remains unanswered is whether or not the team will ditch the black and dark green uniforms with the new name and return to the multicolored uniforms that the team sported when they were previously referred to as the Rainbow Warriors. Here is an example:

What do you think of the name change and should the team be returning to the bright colored uniforms? Sound off in the comments section and share your thoughts.

November 24, 2012;University Park, PA, USA; A general view of the stadium prior to the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

The Penn State Nittany Lions and Pittsburgh Panthers had one of the best rivalries in college football and they are working to get back back to playing each other on a regular basis. Penn State and Pitt are set to play each other a number of times from 2016-19 to renew the rivalry and both sides are hoping to meet on a regular basis moving forward.

Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson was speaking at the ACC spring meetings when he shared some optimism about the possibility of that happening.

“Whether it’s every single year or not, we’ll have to see how it works out,” Pederson said, via ESPN. “My hope is to try to make that work on a regular basis. I do feel like both sides would like to have it happen. I’m very optimistic.”

Pederson is not alone.

Penn State’s athletic director Dave Joyner also seemed dedicated to getting the rivalry back when he spoke at the Big Ten meetings.

“We’d be interested in talking about that. It’s a great series,” Joyner said. “It’s been a great linchpin in Pennsylvania for everyone there. Steve and I will definitely talk about doing that. We’ve always threatened to meet halfway on the turnpike somewhere at one exit.”

If the two sides can find a way to make the scheduling work, then it will be great for all college football fans.

The two sides have faced each other 96 times since 1893 and we can’t wait to see the upcoming games in the series.

Apr 13, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke talks to offensive linesman Erik Magnuson (78) during the Spring Game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

University of Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke isn’t one to mince words. Hoke has become famous in the college football world for his no-nonsense personality, and that persona shined through on Monday.

Hoke was quoted (at a luncheon in Grand Rapids, Michigan) as saying that the University of Notre Dame “chickened out” of the longtime rivalry between the two schools. According to records, there was an opt-out clause in the contract between the two universities that allowed for the Irish to get out of the annual game by giving three years notice prior to the kick-off of that year’s game.

Just before the two teams kicked off on September 22, 2012, Notre Dame apparently exercised their right to opt out, and fans of both schools were not particularly pleased. The reason for Notre Dame’s opt-out was, of course, their imminent move to the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the 2014 game between the two schools will be the last for the foreseeable future. Michigan AD Dave Brandon made sure to reference that the decision to skip the rivalry was “Notre Dame’s and not ours”, and that was yet another reference to put the focus on Notre Dame.

Notre Dame is a team with multiple rivals (USC, Navy, Michigan State, etc.) and Michigan’s arch-rival will always be Ohio State, but that doesn’t diminish the significance of the series between two of the winningest schools in NCAA history. There are two more match-ups on tap between the two teams, and the final game on the schedule between the teams will be on September 6th, 2014 at Notre Dame Stadium.

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; BCS chief executive officer Bill Hancock (right) presents Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban with the Coaches Trophy after the 2013 BCS Championship game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Sun Life Stadium. Alabama won 42-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Alabama Crimson Tide continue to dominate the college football world. Last season, they were able to dominate the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on way to their second straight BCS National Championship victory. While the team is now focusing on winning their third-straight win, they can take a break to appreciate their win to close out last season.

Alabama wide receiver Kenny Bell took the time to share a photo of the team’s 2012 national championship rings. As you would expect, they are very flashy and feature the Alabama logo along with some images of the Coaches Trophy.

Here is what Bell shared with his followers:

..some new to my collection roll tide instagram.com/p/ZQvi3lxsEm/

— Kenny bell (@TheKennyBell7) May 13, 2013

Photo via Kenny Bell on Instagram

Not too shabby, right?

But I am sure you are all looking for additional angles of the ring, so we found those too. Paul W. Bryant Museum shared another photo of the rings on Twitter that featured multiple angles and an up close look at the championship jewelry.

Photo via Paul W. Bryant Museum on Twitter (@bryantmuseum)

What do you think of Alabama’s championship rings? Share your thoughts in the comments section and let us know if you think they will be adding another ring to the collection after this season.

[H/T: CBS Sports]

November 17, 2012; Gainesville FL, USA; Florida Gators helmet on the sidelines against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Jacksonville State Gamecocks 23-0. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Former Florida Gators quarterback and 2007 BCS National Championship Game Chris Leak is returning to Gainesville to help out the football team. It was reported on Monday afternoon that Leak would be joining Will Muschamp’s staff at Florida.

From Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post:

Florida coach Will Muschamp says the program hired ex-QB Chris Leak as a quality control assistant.

— Jason Lieser (@PBPjasonlieser) May 13, 2013

The former Gators team captain spent some time in the NFL after joining the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent, but he failed to make the final roster. He then bounced around the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders before finishing off in the Arena League with the Jacksonville Sharks and Orlando Predators.

Leak was an incredible leader during his time in Gainesville. Muschamp is hoping his familiarity with the Gators program and leadership skills will translate to the coaching game. He served as a college football analyst for SiriusXM and CBS Sports Network.

[H/T: CBS Sports]

Jan. 3, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Detail view of the Oregon Ducks helmet during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats during the Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Ducks beats the Wildcats 35-17. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

There are some die-hard sports fans in the world and they will do anything to show their support of their favorite team. Whether it be some silly tattoos or crazy face paint and hairstyles, the fans do a lot of insane things. While every fan can have the things I have just mentioned, not everyone is able have a car with a giant helmet on it.

Now, if you are an Oregon Ducks fan, you can do just that with this 1973 Volkswagen Beetle that is for auction.

Check out the fanwagon:

There is a catch, though. The car doesn’t run. Here is the description of the car, via the auction listing on OregonAuthentic.com:

NOTE: THIS VEHICLE IS SOLD AS IS. DOES NOT CURRENTLY RUN

A staple at Autzen Stadium for years, now is your chance to own this one of a kind 1973 VW Bug with an Oregon football helmet on top and CD player inside.[And a CD player, you guys! -- ed.] Imagine parking this at your tailgate on gameday or bringing it to special events …

It has a 1641 CC dual port motor w/ 4 speed stick shift. NOT CURRENTLY IN RUNNING CONDITION.

Disclaimer: This car is currently for display purposes only as it currently does not operate and it has not been driven on roads. The item will need to be picked up from the University of Oregon athletic department. Winning bid is responsible for pick up within 2 weeks!

It may not run, but at least it is one heck of a prop and/or lawn ornament.

[H/T: CBS Sports]

Dec 3, 2011; Atlanta, GA, USA; A general view of the SEC logo at mid-field after the 2011 SEC championship game between the LSU Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Southeastern Conference is undoubtedly the top college football conference in the nation. While the league is discussing expanding to nine conference games, the non-conference schedules can often leave much to be desired. SEC teams routinely beat up on FCS schools, but the high-profile non-conference games will often get overlooked.

Down the road we may get an increase in top-notch non-conference games with the College Football Playoff, but the SEC teams are already starting to schedule some quality games out of their conference.

This year alone we have games like Florida vs. Miami, Georgia vs. Clemson and LSU vs. TCU on a neutral stage and that is just the tip of the iceberg for the SEC moving forward.

Here is a look ahead at some of the most exciting non-conference match ups that we will be treated to in the coming years, via ESPN:

2013

• Georgia at Clemson
• LSU vs. TCU (Arlington, Texas)
• Mississippi State vs. Oklahoma State (Houston)
• Ole Miss at Texas
• Tennessee at Oregon
• Florida at Miami
• North Carolina at South Carolina

2014

• Ole Miss vs. Boise State (Atlanta)
• Clemson at Georgia
• Auburn at Kansas State
• Tennessee at Oklahoma

2015

• South Carolina vs. North Carolina (Charlotte)
• Oklahoma at Tennessee
• Arizona State at LSU
• Texas A&M vs. USC

2016

• Tennessee at Nebraska
• Texas A&M vs. USC
• Michigan State at Alabama

2017

• Nebraska at Tennessee
• Georgia Tech at Ole Miss
• Alabama at Michigan State

2018

• LSU at Oklahoma
• Texas A&M at Oregon
• Ole Miss at Georgia Tech

2019

• Oklahoma at LSU
• Oregon at Texas A&M

Which of the games are you looking forward to the most? Sound off in the comments section and share your thoughts.

NOTE: Annual match ups like Florida vs. Florida State and South Carolina vs. Clemson were not included in the listings to give us a wider variety of opponents.

September 29, 2012; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of Spartan Stadium during 1st quarter of a game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan State Spartans. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

The Michigan State Spartans should have a renovated stadium by May of 2014, according to the Detroit Free Press. Plans call for a renovation that totals $20-million of Spartan Stadium. The Michigan State Board of Trustees will have a meeting from June 19-21 where the construction should be approved.

From the Detroit Free Press report:

The $20 million is split between $14 million in donations — with more than $10 million raised so far — and $6 million of MSU athletic department funds, Hollis said. MSU hired IDS for the architecture and Barton Malow for the construction.

The plan calls for a two-level building at the north end of the stadium. On the first level will be locker rooms for both teams and coaches, a locker room for officials, an equipment room and a media center.

Part of the new two-story building will feature recruiting rooms for sports, while the rest of the second floor will include new restrooms and locker rooms.

The renovation will be just cosmetic and there don’t appear to be any plans to expand the seating capacity.

Nov 3, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Oregon Ducks helmets on the sidelines during the game against the Southern California Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Oregon defeated USC 62-51. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

The NCAA has been investigating the Oregon Ducks football team and it looks like they could soon be ready to announce the sanctions. There is a rumor making the rounds that the Ducks will be under five-years of probation because of the sanctions, but they avoided the devastating bowl ban.

Here are the sanctions according to the rumor making the rounds from Duck Stops Here:

A decision has been reached in the NCAA’s investigation of Will Lyles and the Oregon coaches, and Oregon fans are going to like the result. Official statements should be in a few weeks or less. Until then, everything is off the record, and the Athletic Department can’t comment publicly. The NCAA never comments on pending investigations.

The Ducks will lose one or two scholarships for three years, have some restrictions on recruiting and be placed on probation for five years.

They’ll avoid the hammer, penalties like a bowl ban, rescinded titles or vacated wins. Those “looming sanctions” will no longer loom so ominously.

If this is the only punishment the Ducks program receives, it is likely that the NCAA did them a favor because of their open cooperation.

There may be some college football fans unhappy with Oregon’s punishment if the rumor is true, but this just goes to show what can happen if you own up to the violations, openly admit them and cooperate with the NCAA as they investigate the program.

Apr 13, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel scrambles during the team’s spring game. Mandatory Photo Credit: USA Today Sports

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel burst on to the college football scene as a redshirt freshman as he build the legend of “Johnny Football” on his way to setting numerous records and constantly making mind-blowing plays. Unfortunately for Manziel, there are concerns about whether or not his skillset will translate to the NFL.

Regardless of when Manziel declares for the draft, he is going to be one of the most polarizing prospects in recent memory and for good reason.

One well-respected football mind, quarterback guru George Whifield, shared his thoughts on Manziel as a pro prospect and it went right along with what most people are saying at this time. Manziel is still raw and has a lot of growing to do before he is ready to make the jump to the next level.

“In terms of his position, he is just scratching the surface.” Whitfield said, when speaking on the Draft Tracker podcast with Bucky Brooks of the NFL Network. “He is working towards getting bigger and stronger. At one point this spring he was up to 212, now he’s at 208 pounds.”

An additional note about Manziel’s weight that could cause concern is that Whitfield says he was down to as little as 191 pounds after the season. For a quarterback that barely pushes six-foot tall, the size is a major concern.

It is clear to most talent evaluators that Manziel just isn’t ready to make the jump to the next level just yet, but there is also a strong belief from those who know Manziel that he is preparing to bolt for the NFL after this season. If that is the decision that he ultimately makes, it could be a huge mistake.

July 19, 2012; Hoover, AL, USA; Georgia Bulldogs coach Mark Richt answers questions during the 2012 SEC media days press conference at the Wynfrey Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kelly Lambert-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Bulldogs head coach has one of the best teams in the nation and the return of senior quarterback Aaron Murray will only help. However, he has been making a big impact in more places than just the football field. Richt will be receiving the 2-13 Stallings Award Monday, May 13, in Dallas for his contributions in the community.

The Stallings Award was “created to honor college football head coaches who are also humanitarians and strive to promote healthy, vibrant communities through charitable and community service efforts.”

Here is more information on the award from the Bulldogs’ press release:

The Stallings Award is presented by Dr. Pepper and raises money for children with disabilities as a tribute to Johnny Stallings, Gene’s late son who was born with Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect. Funds will benefit The Rise School of Dallas, a nonprofit preschool for children with developmental disabilities.

Richt will receive the award from Texas Longhorns head coach Mack Brown, who won the award in 2012. The ceremony will take place at the Dallas Country Club.

It is a great honor for Richt and speaks volumes about the kind of man he is.

As a college football coach, you are responsible for much more than teaching the young men the game of football. Being a coach is about helping out in the community and helping to shape the players as young men and prepare them for life after the game. He has done an excellent job in all regards and will be rewarded for his outstanding efforts.

Apr 13, 2013; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kendal Thompson (1) looks to pass in the annual Red White spring game at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla. White beat Red 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Landry Jones landed in Pittsburgh after leaving the Oklahoma Sooners following his senior season, which left a void at the starting position for Bob Stoops to fill. One of the guys vying for that starting gig didn’t do himself any favors this week as Sooners quarterback Kendal Thompson was arrested on charges of public intoxication and disobeying police orders.

Per USA Today:

According to a police affidavit, officers responding to a complaint about a loud party found Thompson asleep on a grass hill outside an apartment complex. Upon waking Thompson up, the officer observed that he smelled like alcohol, didn’t make sense when he spoke and attempted to walk away against the officer’s orders, according to the affidavit.

The Sooners gave the standard response that they’re aware of the incident and will be handling it internally. Thompson is the son of former Sooners quarterback Charles Thomson, who quarterbacked Oklahoma Sooners in The Game of the Century II in which the Sooners knocked off No. 1 Nebraska. However, Thompson was the subject of a high profile drug case on the campus of Oklahoma and became the poster boy for what Sports Illustrated dubbed, the out of control Sooners.

The recent arrest by the younger Thompson is troubling that that there’s history in his family of screwing up good chances. Hopefully Kendal Thompson uses this arrest as a wake up call and gets his act together, which is something his father eventually did, as there could very well be a bright future he’s jeopardizing with his current behavior.

Sept 8, 2012; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen during the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the Auburn Tigers 28-10. Mandatory Credit: Spruce DerdenUSA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State has caused quite the stir with their interesting recruiting letters over the past few months, but they finally seem to have made a successful pitch. The past letters have really been embarrassing and seem to lack any creativity or thought, but this latest pitch from Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen really hits close to home and may be what he needs to sway this particular recruit in his favor.

Here is the tweet from Olive Branch, Miss. offensive lineman Chase Johnson:

S/o to Mississippi State and @coachdanmullen for showing my moms some love! Family is #1 #godawgs twitter.com/Grind0rDie77/s…

— Chase Johnson™ (@Grind0rDie77) May 10, 2013

And a photo of the letter that will surely score Mullen and the Bulldogs some nice points:

Photo via Chase Johnson on Twitter (@Grind0rDie77)

This is a much better recruiting pitch than some of the ones we have seen in the past from Mississippi State. If you don’t remember, this is the university that sent out the “You’re a Baller!” letter that looked like it was written by a three-year-old and the good old-fashioned can of SWAG.

Thankfully, this one hit’s closer to home and looks to have made a positive impact on Johnson.

What do you think of the latest recruiting pitch? Share your thoughts in the comments section and all of you mothers have a wonderful weekend!

Jan 5, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban speaks to the media during media day for the 2013 BCS Championship game at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Conference realignment has often been a hot topic in college football, but it finally seems like things are beginning to settle down. While the realignment is settling down and everyone is preparing for the College Football Playoff, the idea lingers in the back of everyone’s mind of five power conferences who could break away from the NCAA.

Among the supports of that idea is Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban. Saban spoke with al.com to express his support of the five power conferences. 

“I’m for five conferences – everybody playing everybody in those five conferences,” Saban said via AL.com . “That’s what I’m for, so it might be 70 teams, and everybody’s got to play ‘em.”

That is an excellent idea.

If the five conferences would have 14 teams a piece, they could play a 13 game season within their respective conference. At the end of the “regular season,” the top two or four teams from each conference could come together for a playoff. This would allow a number of exciting match ups all season long and the thrilling playoff that college fans are hoping for.

A four-team playoff is an improvement, but it is going to leave a lot to be desired.

Another benefit from the power conferences is that it would eliminate any of the cupcake games from team’s schedules. Too often in college football there are teams who schedule FCS opponents and those who are clearly outmatched, which leads to unappealing games. By having the cream of the crop in a five conference schedule, we would get to see the top level match ups on a consistent basis.

This would be a win-win for all fans.

As for the SEC, Saban would approve of a ninth conference game in the meantime.

“Don’t they want to see good games and all that?” Saban said.

Much like the argument for five power conferences, the SEC would also benefit from adding conference games. They are without question the top conference in college football and the more that they play within the division the more entertaining it will be.

What do you think of the five power conferences and a ninth conference game for the SEC? Share your thoughts in the comments section and let us know if you think it is a good or bad idea.