Oct 7, 2022; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA;  Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Anthony Grant (10) warms up before the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska suspends leading rusher Anthony Grant

Nebraska has suspended running back Anthony Grant for the start of spring practice, new head coach Matt Rhule announced Monday.

Rhule said Grant, who led the Cornhuskers with 915 rushing yards in 2022, is dealing with off-the-field issues and needs to improve his academics to get back on the field.

“Working on academics and general things,” Rhule said. … “That will be day by day. Good kid. Just have to get him going in the right direction.

Grant carried the ball 218 times and scored six touchdowns in 12 games last season, adding 18 catches for 104 yards and earning an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection.

It was Grant’s first season with the Cornhuskers after he played at Florida State (2018-19) and the New Mexico Military Institute (2020-21).

Rhule also said kick returner and receiver Tommi Hill has been suspended for unspecified reasons, while tight ends Chris Hickman and James Carnie and cornerback Tyreke Johnson have left the team.

The Cornhuskers finished 4-8 overall (3-6 in the Big Ten) last season under former head coach Scott Frost and interim coach Mickey Joseph.

–Field Level Media

***DUP***Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5)/Tennessee defensive back Kamal Hadden(5) is pulled down by Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey (33) during the NCAA college football game on Saturday, November 12, 2022 in Knoxville, Tenn.

Ut Vs Missouri

Missouri LB Chad Bailey arrested on DWI suspicion, suspended

Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey was arrested early Sunday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and subsequently was suspended by the school.

Police in Columbia, Mo., booked Bailey at 2:46 a.m. Sunday. The 23-year-old was released on $500 bond, according to online records from the Boone County (Mo.) Sheriff’s Department.

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Bailey had been suspended.

“We are aware of the situation involving Chad Bailey,” Drinkwitz said. “He’s been suspended according to Department of Athletics policy. We have high expectations for all of our student-athletes, on and off the field, and we will follow all departmental and campus policies.”

The Post-Dispatch said police records showed Bailey was pulled over for an expired license plate and lane violation. After a field sobriety test, he was arrested.

Bailey, a defensive captain last season, was set to return to Missouri this fall as a sixth-year senior. Last season, he started 11 games and recorded 57 tackles (8.5 for loss) and 2.5 sacks. He has appeared in 43 games with the Tigers since joining them in 2018.

–Field Level Media

Apr 23, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A general overall view of the line of scrimmage as Southern California Trojans center Andrew Milek snaps the ball during the spring game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Dartmouth coach ‘Buddy’ Teevens in hospital following accident

Eugene F. “Buddy” Teevens, the winningest coach in Dartmouth football history, remains hospitalized in Florida following a bicycle accident, the school announced.

The accident involving Teevens, 66, occurred Thursday in the St. Augustine area, where the family has a home.

In a statement Saturday night, Dartmouth said the Teevens family wasn’t accepting visitors.

“Out of respect for the family, updates on Teevens’ condition will be made available in accordance with their wishes,” the statement said.

Teevens played quarterback at Dartmouth in the late 1970s and was Ivy League Player of the Year in 1978. He has coached for more than 30 years — 23 at Dartmouth.

Teevens’ head-coaching jobs have taken him to Maine (1985-86), Dartmouth (1987-1991, 2005-present), Tulane (1992-96) and Stanford (2002-04).

His record at Dartmouth is 117-101-2, including 83-70-1 in Ivy League play.

His overall record is 151-178-2. He has been named Ivy League Coach of the Year twice — in 2019 and ’21.

–Field Level Media

Aug 27, 2022; Dublin, IRELAND;  A general view of event branding on the pitch before the Aer Lingus college football series game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Northwestern Wildcats at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Moran-USA TODAY Sports

Florida State, Ga. Tech to open ’24 season in Ireland

Florida State and Georgia Tech will kick off the 2024 season in Ireland, both schools announced Wednesday.

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic will be held at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Aug. 24, 2024.

It will be the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams and a home game for the Yellow Jackets.

“I am so excited for our student-athletes, coaches, staff, administration and fans for this opportunity,” Florida State head coach Mike Norvell said. “When this idea was first presented to me, I was immediately intrigued by a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the people in our program.”

It will be the first time Florida State has played outside of the United States. Georgia Tech beat Boston College 17-14 at the same venue in 2016.

–Field Level Media

Sep 3, 2022; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Mike Hollins (7) carries the ball during the first half against the Richmond Spiders at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Shooting survivor Mike Hollins back at Virginia practice

Virginia running back Mike Hollins returned to practice Tuesday, four months after being wounded in a shooting that killed three of his teammates.

The fifth-year senior was a full participant as the Cavaliers kicked off spring practice in Charlottesville, Va.

“Just to watch how he’s attacked everything, could easily have made excuses, easily have overthought things and but he’s taking it upon himself to respond and show perseverance and be resilient,” Virginia coach Tony Elliott said, per ESPN.

“I think a lot of it is for himself, but the majority of it is for his teammates. There was a time when we didn’t know if he’d ever have the chance to play to play football again. I’m just grateful to be on the grass, grateful to have an opportunity to be here at the University of Virginia and lead this program, lead these young men, all the guys that decided to come back and pick up the pieces and turn this tragedy into a triumph.”

On Nov. 13, Hollins was one of four players shot on a charter bus after returning to campus from a field trip to Washington, D.C.

Hollins was shot in the back and spent a week in the hospital, including some time on a ventilator.

According to his mother, Hollins had returned to the bus to help others after the shooting started.

Teammates Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and D’Sean Perry did not survive. Another student, Marlee Morgan, survived a gunshot wound.

A former Virginia player, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., was charged with three counts of second-degree murder.

Hollins has rushed for 540 yards and seven touchdowns and added 24 catches for 197 yards in 30 career games with the Cavaliers.

“Just so happy for Mike, because we all know that as a football player that your time is going to come to an end,” Elliott said. “You definitely wouldn’t want it to come to an end in that fashion. So to see him to have another opportunity, just to go out on his own terms, makes it really special.”

Fellow running back Perris Jones said seeing Hollins on the field is an inspiration to the rest of the team.

“Just the way he’s carried himself throughout this tragedy and how he continues to carry himself, it’s surreal,” Jones said, per ESPN. “He is a strong man, and his fight every day encourages all of us to continue to fight and to do the best that we absolutely can because if he can do it, we can as well, so it’s definitely motivating.”

The Cavaliers canceled their last two games and finished 3-7 in their first season under Elliott.

Virginia opens the 2023 season on Sept. 2 against Tennessee in Nashville.

–Field Level Media

Former Bengals Chad Johnson watches warmups before the first quarter of the NFL Week 4 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Miami Dolphins at PayCor Stadium in downtown on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.

Miami Dolphins At Cincinnati Bengals Week 4

Florida A&M hires Chad Johnson as ambassador

Former NFL All-Pro receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson will serve as an ambassador and consultant for Florida A&M.

The school announced his appointment Wednesday night.

“Anyone familiar with Chad knows that he has always been a great ambassador for FAMU,” athletic director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes said in a news release. “It’s time to make it official. I am happy that we could reach an agreement to formalize his role with the University.”

Johnson, 45, will take part in special projects as identified by Sykes.

Raised in Miami, Johnson didn’t attend the school but is a longtime fan of the program. He played in community college and then one season at Oregon State.

“I fell in love with FAMU after attending my first Classic in 1984 with my grandma, and the rest is history,” Johnson stated.

Johnson was a second-round draft pick by the Bengals in 2001 and had seven 1,000-yard seasons in Cincinnati before spending his final NFL season with the New England Patriots in 2001.

He finished his career with 766 receptions for 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns. He remains the Bengals’ franchise leader in many statistical categories, including career receptions (751), receiving yards (10,783) and receiving touchdowns (66).

More recently, Johnson was an analyst for Fox Sports during the 2022 World Cup.

–Field Level Media

Jan 2, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; Purdue Boilermakers linebacker OC Brothers (20) and Purdue Boilermakers safety Cam Allen (10) attempt to tackle LSU Tigers running back John Emery Jr. (4) during the second half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

LSU RB John Emery (academics) out for start of spring practice

LSU fifth-year running back John Emery missed the first day of spring practice on Thursday and won’t return until he meets academic requirements, coach Brian Kelly said.

A Louisiana native, Emery was a five-star prospect and ranked as the nation’s No. 2 running back — No. 13 overall recruit — in the 2019 class by the 247Sports composite. But he has failed to live up to expectations, largely because of academics.

Emery missed the 2021 season and the first two games of 2022 because of academic ineligibility.

“John is focused strictly right now on his academics,” Kelly said. “He’s got some marks that he has to hit from an academic standpoint before we talk about football with him. That was the deal with John and talking to his family. If his primary focus was academics and taking care of his degree, then we would have a conversation about football.”

Emery has appeared in 30 career games (five starts) and run for 941 yards with 13 touchdowns at LSU. He has caught 33 passes for 262 yards and two scores.

The Tigers enter spring practice undermanned at the position. Josh Williams and Armoni Goodwin are out with injuries, with Goodwin’s ailment expected to keep him out until preseason camp. Both players had their 2022 seasons cut short by knee injuries.

Noah Cain and freshman Trey Holly are the only available scholarship players, NOLA.com reported.

–Field Level Media

Dec 4, 2022; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders speaks during a press conference at the Arrow Touchdown Club. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado regents to meet to discuss Pac-12 troubles

Colorado’s board of regents will meet in a special session on Wednesday with questions about the future of the Pac-12 swirling amid its inability to secure a lucrative television rights contract.

The board will meet in executive session with the agenda topic listed as “Legal advice on a specific matter — athletics update on PAC 12.”

ESPN reported that the board is expected to discuss the television negotiations.

The special meeting comes following a recent Yahoo report that said the Big 12 has reached out to Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State to determine their level of interest in jumping to that conference.

Power-conference shuffling has been ongoing since mid-2021, when Texas and Oklahoma announced their intentions to leave the Big 12 in favor of the Southeastern Conference. The Big 12 tapped into new markets by moving to add BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF.

The pending exit of Southern California and UCLA for the Big Ten has left the Pac-12 vulnerable as it hasn’t been able to secure a deal without teams in the Los Angeles market.

Colorado left the Big 12 for the Pac-12 in the 2011 academic year. Its football program, now led by coach Deion Sanders, is poised to regain prominence on the national landscape.

–Field Level Media

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz walks to the sideline during a timeout in the third quarter of the TransPerfect Music City Bowl game against Kentucky at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. Iowa defeated Kentucky 21 to 0 in the first shutout in bowl history.

Ncaa Football Music City Bowl Iowa At Kentucky

State reaches $4M settlement in Iowa discrimination suit

The state of Iowa has reached agreement on a $4 million settlement with 12 former Black football players who accused Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz of racial discrimination, the Des Moines Register reported Monday.

Further, auditor Rob Sand, one of three on the Iowa Department of Management’s State Appeal Board, wants Iowa athletic director Gary Barta ousted before approving taxpayer funds to be doled out in the settlement.

Under the settlement, the school would pay out $2.175 million and the state would pick up the rest.

“Enough is enough. Clear personal accountability is necessary. I will not support taxpayers funding this settlement unless Gary Barta is no longer employed at the university and forfeits any severance or similar pay,” Sand said in a statement to the other board members.

Sand cited three other discrimination lawsuits under Barta’s watch before this one as reasons to oust Barta.

The 12 former Iowa football players signed the settlement on Feb. 23, according to the Register. They will receive roughly $184,201.05 per player. Thirteen players originally filed the lawsuit in November 2020, claiming a culture of mistreatment against Black players.

An outside law firm, Husch Blackwell, conducted an investigation and concluded that “the program’s rules perpetuated racial or cultural biases and diminished the value of cultural diversity.”

The accusations led to the dismissal of strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle.

The lawsuit originally sought $20 million in damages in addition to the firing of Ferentz, his son, Brian, Iowa’s offensive coordinator, and Barta.

–Field Level Media

Quarterbacks Quinn Ewers (3) and Arch Manning (16) talk during the first Texas Longhorns football practice of 2023 at the Frank Denius Fields on the University of Texas at Austin campus on Monday, March 6, 2023.

Aem Texfoot First 2023 Practice 14

Texas begins QB 2-step with Arch Manning, Quinn Ewers competition

The eyes of Texas are on the high-profile quarterback competition set to get underway as the Longhorns kick off spring practice.

2023 recruit Arch Manning arrived to the drumbeat of No. 1 recruiting rankings, the billing of a future No. 1 draft pick and an unparalleled family legacy at the position. Sophomore Quinn Ewers, the No. 1-ranked recruit in the Class of 2021 by the 247Sports composite and listed at No. 2 by ESPN, landed in Austin in 2022 after one season at Ohio State.

“I’m not worried about who’s going to be on the cover of what magazine next week,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I’m more focused on is, is each guy focusing on what they need to do to develop to be the best player that they can be? Quinn has an entire year of a head start, but I don’t want to hold Arch back. I want to see how far he can take this thing and what it can look like.”

Second-year quarterback Maalik Murphy also is in the running for reps in Austin.

Ewers started 10 games and had 15 touchdown passes with six interceptions last season. His offseason transformation included chopping off his mullet and trimming his facial hair, but that’s not the part of his new appearance Sarkisian is most excited about.

Sarkisian said Ewers accepted the challenge from coaches to be the vocal leader of the offense in 2023.

“I think what he’s done, he’s serving for Arch and, ‘Hey, this is what it looks like,’” Sarkisian said. “‘And this is how to go about your business.’”

The son of Cooper Manning, Arch Manning has never been a backup. He was the starting varsity quarterback as a freshman at the Isidore Newman School in New Orlean and rewrote the Louisiana high school record books by erasing the prominent names of previous record-holders — his uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning. Arch Manning owns the state marks for passing yards and touchdown passes.

A five-star recruit who enrolled early, Manning should “still be in high school,” Sarkisian reminded on Monday following Texas’ first practice of the spring. He’s just 17 and won’t be 18 until May.

While Sarkisian said he doesn’t want to use any special lens to evaluate his quarterbacks on a day-to-day basis, Sarkisian said it’s easy for outsiders to forget what it means to be a freshman.

“For Arch today, Day 1, there’s some plays for sure that he would love to have back,” Sarkisian said. “There’s some other plays that he made where I think everybody was like, ‘Wow, that was a heck of a play.’ But he brings a worker’s mentality and he wants to be really good at this game.”

–Field Level Media