Pitt reserve fullback Derrick Burns suffered a stroke and his football career is over, his father told a local television station Wednesday. Burns' dad, Dan, told KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, "Found a mass, a blood clot in the back of his head, and a small one on the left side which caused a stroke and left his right side weak." Burns, a 20-year-old redshirt sophomore, had only played in one... [Read More]
South Florida starting defensive tackle Cory Grissom broke his ankle during spring practice Monday and will undergo surgery later this week. Grissom had been having an outstanding spring as one of the veteran anchors of the Bulls' defensive line. Last season, Grissom had 38 tackles, six for loss, and 1½ sacks. His coaches believe he can improve upon those numbers in 2012. USF does have depth at... [Read More]
Nearly a decade after Temple's moribund football program was pushed out of the Big East, the revitalized Owls are rejoining the conference -- and bringing along their potent men's basketball team.The school will move to the Big East for football next season and all other sports in 2013."We didn't deserve, truthfully, to be in the football competition in those years. But it's hard to get... [Read More]
Syracuse receiver Marcus Sales is back on the football team after serving a season-long suspension for his arrest on drug charges, coach Doug Marrone said Friday.Those charges were dropped in October, paving the way for Sales to make his return."He's on the football team," Marrone said during a news conference to discuss Syracuse's upcoming schedule. "He's enrolled in school with... [Read More]
Connecticut safety Jerome Junior has been suspended from the team and is no longer enrolled at the school.The university said Thursday that Junior was suspended for a violation of team rules, but did not divulge any details.The school says Junior, who would have been a fifth-year senior next season, is no longer enrolled at UConn and will not be in school next fall.Junior was fourth on the team... [Read More]
The Big East will announce Wednesday that Memphis is joining the conference in all sports in 2013.Outgoing Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson confirmed to ESPN.com that the official call with the Big East to accept the invitation from commissioner John Marinatto will take place at 1 p.m. ET.A news conference will follow in Memphis.Details of any exit fee for Conference USA or entry fee will... [Read More]
West Virginia has decided to cancel its Sept. 8 football game at Florida State.School officials informed Florida State late Friday they would pay a $350,000 escape fee to shelve the trip.Florida State athletic director Randy Spetman said Saturday he's disappointed that West Virginia would not honor the first half of a home-and-home agreement that calls for Florida State to visit Morgantown,... [Read More]
After a hasty search, Rutgers found a replacement for Greg Schiano in one of his proteges.Longtime assistant Kyle Flood is getting his first shot at running a college football program, replacing his former boss with the Scarlet Knights.Rutgers promoted Flood to head coach on Tuesday, five days after Schiano left to become coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- and one day before high school players... [Read More]
Interim coach Kyle Flood interviewed for the head coaching job to replace Greg Schiano at Rutgers.Schiano stepped down Thursday to take over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Flood said that none of the 17 high school players who committed to Rutgers have changed their mind before national signing day."The response from the recruiting class is just tremendous," Flood said at an impromptu news... [Read More]
Greg Schiano, who left Rutgers for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, owes the school $800,000 in buyout and loan payments, Bloomberg News reported Friday.Schiano owes Rutgers a $500,000 contract buyout, in addition to $300,000 remaining on a home loan arranged in his most recent contract, school athletics spokesman Jason Baum said, according to the report.The $800,000 home loan was... [Read More]
Pittsburgh coach Paul Chryst has hired longtime NFL wide receiver Bobby Engram as the Panthers' wide receivers coach.Engram, who played in the NFL from 1996 to 2009, spent last season as an offensive assistant with the San Francisco 49ers.He finished with 650 receptions for 7,751 yards and 35 touchdowns while playing for the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs.The 39-year-old... [Read More]
Coach Butch Jones has received a three-year contract extension and a raise for leading Cincinnati to a share of the Big East title and a victory in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.The university's board of trustees approved the extension on Wednesday.Jones got the job after Brian Kelly left for Notre Dame after leading Cincinnati to back-to-back league titles and berths in the Discover Orange Bowl and... [Read More]
Navy is expected to announce soon that it will join the Big East Conference for football in 2015, a source said Monday.Navy, one of three service academies in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, presently plays as an independent.Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk has previously said that scheduling and bowl and television contracts would make the transition from independent status to... [Read More]
South Florida has hired Kansas State assistant Chris Cosh to be its defensive coordinator, reuniting him with coach Skip Holtz.Cosh served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Wildcats since 2009. Kansas State improved in a big way in 2011, cutting almost 100 yards per game off of their rushing defense to rank 37th nationally.Holtz and Cosh worked together as assistants at South... [Read More]
West Virginia starting running back Dustin Garrison hurt his knee during practice Friday in South Florida and will miss the Discover Orange Bowl against Clemson, the school announced late Friday night.Garrison sprained the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He also has a slight medial collateral ligament sprain in the same knee. He will undergo surgery, and is expected to be out six... [Read More]
Cincinnati will start quarterback Zach Collaros in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Vanderbilt, coach Butch Jones announced after practice Thursday in Memphis, Tenn.Collaros broke his ankle in a loss to West Virginia on Nov. 12 and missed the final three games of the regular season. But he returned to practice several weeks ago and appeared to be the favorite all this week to start the game... [Read More]
Cincinnati Bearcats coach Butch Jones said Monday he had agreed to a contract extension that would keep him at the school through the 2017 season.The contract still must be approved by the school's board of trustees, which is set to meet Jan. 24. That is considered to be a mere formality.Jones, who led Cincinnati to a share of the Big East title in his second season with the Bearcats, had been... [Read More]
West Virginia University on Friday asked a Rhode Island judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Big East conference over the university's bid to make a quick exit for the Big 12.A lawyer for the university argued that the Rhode Island court lacks jurisdiction in the case and that a lawsuit the university filed in West Virginia is already proceeding."West Virginia University is an arm of the... [Read More]
The Big East is set to add Boise State, San Diego State, SMU, UCF and Houston as it begins to rebuild its league, with an announcement expected as early as Wednesday, sources confirmed to ESPN.com. Boise State and San Diego State of the Mountain West will enter the league as football-only members, while Houston, SMU and UCF, all of Conference USA, will join the Big East for all sports, sources... [Read More]
