NCAA Action Starting Up Again!!

It has been a long, fun summer of professional sports. Major League Baseball pennant races have been close, golf and tennis majors have been exciting, football training camps have begun, and many more entertaining developments. Yet for many, there is nothing like the thrill of college athletics.

College programs have been teasing us with stories here and there, but starting this week here in Carbondale, the action will heat up as teams begin practicing for the fall season. Saluki football gets ready for the final season at McAndrew Stadium. It will be fun to see coach Dale Lennon's squad back on the field and looking to defend their conference title.

Don't forget about the Saluki volleyball team. Coach Brenda Winkeler enters her fifth season and the team has increased its win total every year during that time. They still remain in the middle of the pack in the MVC, but there has been plenty of improvement over the years. The atmosphere of Davies Gym makes the team very fun to watch as well.

It is also very good for us media folks in a college town. Yes, there is plenty of love here in southern Illinois for the Miners, St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, but the main focus is on the college sports. With practices starting Monday, there will be plenty of news to feed the hungry Saluki fans.

Oh, and don't forget about the high school sports as well. August is a wonderful time of year, and as the professional sports keep rolling along, the NCAA and IHSA will provide even more entertainment for the southern Illinois fans.

TTU coach Mike Leach wants to put the 'student' back in student athlete

Tired of jocks getting everything they want as they skate through school?

So is Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach.

See, Leach's Red Raiders found themselves in a three-way tie in the Big 12 South with Texas and Oklahoma after Saturday's action. TTU beat Texas, but fell to Oklahoma. Oklahoma beat TTU, but was dropped by Texas.

See the confusion?

And while the Big 12 uses BCS ranking to choose the division champion that will represent in the conference championship game, Leach himself provided a pretty good idea for a tiebraker.

"I think they should break that three-way tie based on graduation rate. I think the Big 12 Conference should have an executive session [immediately]," Leach said. "When they do that, they will find that no one's more deserving than the Red Raiders."

When you're done laughing and ridiculing this thought, you can refocus and realize why this idea makes perfect sense.

Seeing that TTU graduates 79 percent of its football players (tops in the Big 12) while Texas (50 percent) and Oklahoma (46 percent) rank 11th and 12th, respectively. Maybe Leach has a point.

The NCAA shoves the idea of "student athletes" down your throat 24/7 365. Think about it.

According to commercials, Coach K doesn't just arm you with a jump shot. He arms you with what you need to succeed in life. There are a billion NCAA student athletes and most of them go pro in something in other than sports. At least that's what those March Madness ads say. Heck, the NCAA's top reason for not having a FBS playoff system in place is because they don't want student athletes missing classes.

Bull-loney!

So it would only make sense that the No. 1 tie-breaker should be graduation rates. Right?

Logo courtsey of Chris Creamer's sports logos