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NCAA clears Mississippi State in probe of former Alabama player Luther Davis | AL.com
The NCAA has notified Mississippi State that it is no longer investigating the school's role in an alleged illicit benefits case, a source told CBSSports.com.
The source said the NCAA stated it considers the matter closed as it pertains to the Bulldogs. Mississippi State, Alabama and Tennessee were included in a September report linking former Alabama player Luther Davis as a middle man for agents and prospective NFL draft picks.
Well, crap. I didn't even know the NCAA was investigating MSU in the first place. As far as I know the NCAA isn't investigating Alabama for the Fluker/Davis allegations but the fact MSU was just cleared makes me a little nervous.
"The five conferences have put forth a proposal, as part of the restructuring, to create autonomy in certain areas for the five conferences," Slive said. "The nexus for the autonomy is what we believe, what we call a vision for the 21st century as it relates to our relationship with student-athletes."
"Up until now, the foundation or the philosophy or the basis of legislation in the NCAA has been the so-called level playing field," Slive said. "If you replace that foundation and make the student-athlete the primacy, then what happens is you do things that are in the best interest of the student-athlete."
Allowing the Big Five conferences to govern themselves in those areas is a step to address the concerns of the big schools, which have boiled down to several key talking points for Slive at Monday's annual address to the Associated Press Sports Editors' Southeast Regional meeting.
"Ensuring our student-athletes are covered for the full cost of attendance" - In essence, raising the scholarships paid to athletes to cover not only the costs of education, but also all living expenses.
"Creating more opportunities for student-athletes to finish their degrees if interrupted, cost-free" - Essentially, extending scholarships beyond athletic competition.
"Readdressing the time commitment" - Limiting the hours an athlete can spend on their sport.
"Fulfilling healthy, safety and nutrition needs" - Providing increased resources for student-athletes, such as the recent rule passed that allows schools to provide unlimited meals to athletes.
"Updating rules for agents and advisors to help better assist athletes to prepare for the transition from college to professional, not only in sports" - Changing agent rules to meet with athletes earlier. For example, Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs has been vocal about wanting to be able to provide supervised meetings for agents and players on campus.
"Giving student-athletes a voice and vote in NCAA decisions"
If this is as far as it goes, I'm completely fine with these changes. They are level headed, seem to be catching up with popular opinion but also keep the idea of "student athlete" intact. But again, as I've said a thousand times, I don't want to see college football turn into a free-agent, players negotiating salaries, hold outs, whining about signing bonuses, free for all and guess what? Slive agrees.
After the speech, Slive said, "I was careful to say that what I was interested in is what the student-athletes were interested in getting, not how they got it."
Slive, as do his colleagues, want to modify the collegiate model, not do away with it.
"I'm not in favor of them being employees," Slive said. "What does 'payment' mean? If payment means they are going to be employees, then I am not in favor of it. ... Whatever we do, at least from my perspective and the perspective of my colleagues, is to be done within the collegiate model. ... This is about higher education, so we need to do more within the context of higher education, not in the context of employment."
SEC commissioner Mike Slive: 10-second rule debate 'exposed a glaring error in the process' | AL.com
In a question-and-answer session with reporters at the APSE Southeastern regional meeting Monday, Slive called for the formation of a competition committee filled with "people who care about the game" that ultimately would be responsible for making recommendations to the NCAA Football Rules Committee.
"This would have been a perfect subject for someone to look at the game itself who cared about the game and then come up with an interpretation," Slive said. "Then and only then would it go to the rules committee for some change in the game because they believed in the long-term best interest of the game that 'this is a good idea or not a good idea.'
"This debate exposed a glaring error in the process. Hopefully we can fill that." Such committees exist in other collegiate sports, including men's basketball and baseball, but not football. The NFL has a competition committee.
Mike Slive for NCAA President, PAAWWWWWL. No seriously, this guy gets it and seems to have a firm grasp on what's good for the players, is good for the schools and is ultimately good for the NCAA.
Everything you need to know about the NCAA's coming major changes - SBNation.com
Between the five power conferences likely being able to make their own rules and the flurry of unions, lawsuits, and other court battles, the NCAA has reached the end of an era.
Not to pump sunshine up my bosses #@*# but this breakdown is simply fantastic. Avoid the comment section though because there's a lot of underlying Saban/Alabama hate going on down there.
Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy 'didn't appreciate' AJ McCarron's A-Day complacency comments | AL.com
"I felt like the captains, the older guys, we wanted it. We weren't complacent," AJ said during an on-field interview with ESPN. "I think if you ask coaches or any of them, they'll tell you that. It takes a full team. We were young. We struggled at times."
McCarron's latest comments didn't sit well with another former Alabama quarterback. In an interview Monday on WJOX's "Morning Drive," Greg McElroy said he "had a bit of a problem" with McCarron's analysis.
"The reason being is because if guys are complacent, especially the younger guys, you refuse to allow that to happen," said McElroy, who attended the game in his new role with the SEC Network. "I didn't appreciate the way he came out and said that about his teammates. The season was over, it didn't go the way we wanted it to go and we're all disappointed with the outcome. That's the way he should have handled it."
McElroy, though, had nothing but praise for McCarron when prompted about his future in the NFL. He said McCarron had a "tremendous career" and did "incredible things at Alabama."
GMac is 100% class and also 100% correct. If the team, especially the younger guys, were complacent, the blame rests solely on the "leaders". But GMac probably knows this since he was one of the leaders on the 2010 team that underachieved and dealt with their own fair amount of entitlement issues.
Missouri coaching search: Best possible candidates to replace Frank Haith - Team Speed Kills
Due to Frank Haith's sudden bolt to Tulsa, the Missouri men's basketball team is without a head coach. Who is best fit for this job?
Weird, Anthony Grant's name isn't on this list. Oh, well.
Linebacker explains how Alabama defense differs from 2013, adjusts to changing offenses | AL.com
The junior started in the job formerly held by soon-to-be first-round pick C.J. Mosley and led the game in tackles. His 10 stops included 2 ½ behind the line of scrimmage. An interception of a Blake Sims' pass late in the fourth quarter topped off the day. Ragland read the quarterback's eyes as he dropped in coverage and stepped in front of freshman Cam Sims for the turnover.