SPORTS N STUFF

The Obama administration is considering several steps that would review the legality of the controversial Bowl Championship Series, the Justice Department said in a letter Friday to a senator who had asked for an antitrust review.

In the letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch, obtained by The Associated Press, Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich wrote that the Justice Department is reviewing Hatchs request and other materials to determine whether to open an investigation into whether the BCS violates antitrust laws.

Importantly, and in addition, the administration also is exploring other options that might be available to address concerns with the college football postseason, Weich wrote, including asking the Federal Trade Commission to review the legality of the BCS under consumer protection laws.

Several lawmakers and many critics want the BCS to switch to a playoff system, rather than the ratings system it uses to determine the teams that play in the championship game.

The administration shares your belief that the current lack of a college football national championship playoff with respect to the highest division of college football … raises important questions affecting millions of fans, colleges and universities, players and other interested parties, Weich wrote.

Weich made note of the fact that President Barack Obama, before he was sworn in, had stated his preference for a playoff system. In 2008, Obama said he was going to “to throw my weight around a little bit to nudge college football toward a playoff system, a point that Hatch stressed when he urged Obama last fall to ask the department to investigate the BCS.

Weich said that other options include encouraging the NCAA to take control of the college football postseason; asking a governmental or non-governmental commission to review the costs, benefits and feasibility of a playoff system; and legislative efforts aimed at prompting a switch to a playoff system.

Weich noted that several undefeated teams have not had a chance to play for the national championship, including TCU and Boise State this year and Utah last year.

This seemingly discriminatory action with regard to revenues and access have raised questions regarding whether the BCS potentially runs afoul of the nations antitrust laws, he wrote.

Hatch, a Utah Republican, was steamed that his home state team was deprived of getting a chance to play for the title last year.

Im encouraged by the administrations response, he said in a statement. I continue to believe there are antitrust issues the administration should explore, but Im heartened by its willingness to consider alternative approaches to confront the tremendous inequities in the BCS that favor one set of schools over others. The current system runs counter to basic fairness that every family tries to instill in their children from the day they are born.

Under the BCS, the champions of six conference have automatic bids, while the other conferences dont. Those six conferences also receive more money than the other conferences, although the BCS announced this week that the ones that dont have automatic bids will receive a record $24 million from this years bowl games.

The father of injured Texas Tech receiver Adam James threatened to sue the university if it didnt investigate then-coach Mike Leach, according to a memo released Wednesday.

Texas Tech University System attorney Ronny Wall wrote in the Tuesday memo to the Texas attorney general that the threat came during a Dec. 20 exchange with James father, ESPN sports analyst Craig James. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal obtained a copy of the memo in response to an open records request.

The university fired Leach on Dec. 30, two days after suspending him amid allegations he mistreated Adam James, who was recovering from a concussion. The receiver says Leach twice ordered him to stand for hours while confined in a dark place during practice.

Leach denied the allegations, and responded to his firing with a lawsuit against the university, alleging libel, slander and breach of contract.

The Tech memo says James father indicated that litigation could ensue if Tech didnt investigate Leach for the improper treatment of his son.

The threat did not appear to be an idle threat as the parent expressed genuine concern for the health and well-being of his injured child, as well as other student-athletes, the memo continued.

James spokesman Scott McLaughlin issued a statement late Wednesday saying James never threatened to sue Texas Tech.

Further, Texas Tech initiated its investigation of its own accord, he said.

Two more Michigan State football players face misdemeanor assault and conspiracy charges connected to a Nov 22 fight on campus.

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said Tuesday that defensive tackle Oren Wilson and receiver Myles White have been indefinitely suspended. Warrants for the two players were authorized on Monday.

So far, 11 current or former Spartan players have been charged in the fight with members of a campus fraternity.

The assault charge could bring up to 93 days in jail while the conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum one-year sentence.

Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley had what was described as minor arthroscopic surgery on his right wrist Tuesday morning.

The university said the surgery was intended to relieve stiffness in Barkleys wrist and clean up inflammation.

Barkley, who last year became the first non-redshirt freshman quarterback to start a season opener for the Trojans, is expected to recover within four weeks and be ready to participate in spring practice at the end of March.

Mike Kafka was the only East team quarterback who didnt get to practice the 2-minute drill in front of NFL scouts before the East-West Shrine Game this week.

Instead, he showed the pros what he could do in live action.

The former Northwestern quarterback threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Quarless with 6 seconds remaining, lifting the East to a 13-10 win over the West on Saturday in the annual showcase for college all-stars looking to make an impression on NFL scouts.

“At Northwestern, we were notorious for close games, Kafka said. “I felt like I spent my whole career playing games right down to the wire.

Kafka overcame a slow start to lead the 11-play, 55-yard drive on a day when his teams defense was dominant. He finished with 150 yards passing and was selected the Offensive most valuable player.

It was just as sweet for Quarless, who helped Penn State rally over LSU in the Capital One Bowl in the same stadium on Jan. 1, to have consecutive comeback wins. He slipped behind the defense and allowed Kafka to loft a pass over the middle so he could make the leaping catch.

“In the huddle I told Kafka, Just throw it up and Ill make a play. He threw a perfect pass, Quarless said. “It just feels good to go out with a bang.

A play before the winning TD pass to Penn States tight end, Kafka was smothered and surrounded by pass rushers but somehow managed to elude them for 9 yards up the middle.

Max Hall of BYU tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Moya of UCLA moments before the East rallied.

Joshua Shene of Ole Miss added field goals of 44 and 40 yards for the East. And Texas Hunter Lawrence had a 47-yarder for the West.

The attendance of 8,345 was the lowest in the history of the longest running college all-star game, according to the games media guide. The Shrine has been played every year since 1925. This was the first year it was held in Florida.

The good news for players: NFL scouts were still there.

“I think I can make all the throws, Hall said. “More importantly, I think that I can lead a team. I hope the scouts saw that.

Van Eskridge of East Carolina, who was chosen as defensive MVP, intercepted a pass by Kansas Todd Reesing that hung in the air far too long in the second quarter. Wisconsins OBrien Schofield intercepted Hall earlier in the game.

Reesing, already dogged for his 5-foot-11 height, was disappointed with his effort but said one game doesnt define his abilities, especially with limited snaps.

“Im tall enough to ride the rides over at Universal Studios, said Reesing, who was 2 for 5 passing for 11 yards with the interception. “I was a successful quarterback in high school and college, and I can do the same as a professional.

Another West quarterback was able to rebound.

After an unspectacular first quarter, Hall came back strong in the fourth. He zipped a 41-yard pass to Eastern Washingtons Nathan Overbay, the tight end cutting across the middle of a wide-open field. Two plays later, he connected with Moya to give the West a 10-6 lead with 6:59 left.

Then Kafka came back.

Finding tight seams in the defense he had missed earlier, the Easts starting quarterback made quality throws on the final drive, but his best work was done on his feet.

He dropped back from the Wests 10-yard line and didnt even have time to set his feet before the pass rush collapsed on him. He ducked his head, buckled his knees and prepared to be sacked before, somehow, slipping through the line for the run to setup the winning score and give the East a second straight win.

“I was scratching and clawing to get out there so we could get one more play, Kafka said.

The players spent the week mingling with general managers and scouts between practices. Most of them now look ahead to the NFL combine in Indianapolis beginning Feb. 24.

“This was only the first, Reesing said, “of many interviews to come.

Louisiana Tech hired Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes on Wednesday to replace Derek Dooley as head coach.

Dykes has coached in college for 15 years and has been with Arizona since 2007, serving as both offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He has never been a college head coach.

Last Friday, Dooley left Tech after three seasons to replace Lane Kiffin at Tennessee.

Dykes is the son of former longtime Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes. He played baseball for the Red Raiders in college and later returned to Lubbock to become an assistant football coach on Mike Leachs staff.

Dykes spread offense helped revive Arizonas offense, which had struggled under coach Mike Stoops.

The Wildcats set numerous school passing records under Dykes and finished 10th in the country in passing in 2007. This season, Arizona won eight games and averaged 384.5 yards and 27.4 points per game.

He coached at Texas Tech for seven seasons under Leach, rising to co-offensive coordinator in 2005.

Louisiana Tech was 4-8 last season, finishing tied for fifth in the Western Athletic Conference at 3-5.

Scotty Young is glad the decision-making is over.

Late Monday, Denton Ryans record-setting quarterback orally committed to play college football at Texas Tech for the second time in 10 months.

I am definitely happy all this is over with. Again, he said.

Oral commitments are nonbinding. The first day recruits can sign a national letter of intent is Feb. 3.

Young (6-3, 185 pounds), who first gave his pledge to Tech in March, had to rethink his decision last month when coach Mike Leach was fired.

Young was concerned the offense of new coach Tommy Tuberville and his staff would not fit Youngs strengths.

That changed Sunday when Tuberville, new offensive coordinator Neal Brown and graduate assistant coach Sonny Cumbie visited Young at his house in Denton.

They reassured me that they are going to stay with the same offense they had under Leach, Young said.

Houston coach Kevin Sumlin has agreed to a contract extension through the 2015 season.

The school said Monday the deal for an additional three years is pending approval by the Board of Regents.

Sumlins name was mentioned in connection with several BCS conference openings this offseason.

A former assistant under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, Sumlin was hired in December 2007 and agreed to a five-year contract. He was the first black head coach in the 60-year history of the Houston program.

The Cougars went 7-5 in 2008 and won the Armed Forces Bowl, the programs first bowl victory since 1980. Houston reached No. 12 in the Associated Press Top 25 in 2009 and finished with a 10-4 record.

The Carolina Panthers and Wofford College have signed a new agreement to keep the teams training camp at the school, it was jointly announced today Jan 12. The new agreement is for five years with options for the future.

Wofford has been the only site the Panthers have ever had as a training camp location. The team began training there in July of 1995 and it is one of the four longest continuous camp locations in the National Football League.

We are very pleased to continue our long association with Wofford College, says Panthers President Danny Morrison. There is a strong bond between the team and the school and we do not think any team has better training camp facilities. It has been a mutually beneficial relationship and we are pleased that it will extend into the future.

Morrison, who was named president of the Panthers in September, was director of athletics at Wofford when the team selected the school as its training camp site and oversaw a facilities expansion effort that enabled the Terriers to move from Division II athletics to NCAA Division I.

We are thrilled that Wofford will continue to host the Carolina Panthers training camp, says Wofford Director of Athletics Richard Johnson. It affords the Upstate region an opportunity to watch an NFL team practice and provides a much needed economic stimulus to the local economy.

We continue to be deeply appreciative to the individuals and organizations who helped entice the Panthers to hold training camp at Wofford 15 years ago. The relationship has been very positive for the Spartanburg community, Wofford, and many Panthers fans in the area.

Wofford is the alma mater of Panthers owner/founder Jerry Richardson, who played for the Terriers in the 1950s. Richardson was awarded the franchise for the Panthers in 1993 and the school was named the teams training site afterward.

There could not be a better place for training camp from a football perspective, says Panthers general manager Marty Hurney. The facilities are outstanding and the cooperation from the school is everything you could want. It has been an ideal arrangement.

The continuous training camp relationship between the Panthers and Wofford will be surpassed by only Pittsburgh (St. Vincent College), Green Bay (St. Norbert College), and Minnesota (Minnesota State – Mankato) in the NFL.

Gaines Adams route to the National Football League was a road less traveled, running from a small private school not on college scouts typical route to a spit-and-polish military prep school in Virginia and through Clemson University.

He had so many obstacles that he overcame, former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. Just a great story of patience and perseverance.

Adams was home in Greenwood, S.C., after his third NFL season. According to friends he awoke Sunday morning with chest pains and died a short while later. He was 26.

EMS was called to Adams home at 7:14 a.m. He was taken to the emergency room at Self Regional Hospital in Greenwood where he was pronounced dead at 8:21 a.m. Greenwood County Coroner James T. Coursey said Adams died of cardiac arrest because of an enlarged heart.

The State Law Enforcement Division is conducting toxicology tests though drug use was not suspected as a factor in Adams death, said Greenwood County chief deputy coroner Marcia Kelley-Clark. Those results probably will not be available for at least two months.

I feel terrible, said Steve Taneyhill, Adams coach at tiny Cambridge Academy in Greenwood. To think that at 26 years old hes not here. Thats really tough.

A unanimous All-American at Clemson as a senior, Adams was the fourth overall pick in the 2007 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A defensive end, he was traded to the Chicago Bears midway through the current season for a second-round draft pick. During his time in Tampa, Adams had 13.5 sacks in 37 games.

Adams chose to return to Clemson for his senior season rather than enter the draft early. Bowden sat with the family in his office for more than an hour helping them sort through their sons options. By then it wasnt about whether Adams would be drafted or not, but where. At 6-feet-5 and 260 pounds, Adams was long and athletic with uncommon quickness and speed for a defensive lineman.

His parents wanted him to graduate, and Vic Koenning, Clemsons defensive coordinator at the time, believed Adams could help his draft status with another season. Koenning had prepared DeMarcus Ware for the NFL at Troy State, and Adams played the same position in Koennings scheme.

He was a tremendous talent, Koenning said of Adams.

The defining play of his career came on a sloppy day in Winston-Salem, N.C., when he interrupted a field goal attempt at Wake Forest University, snatched the ball from the holder and ran 66 yards for a touchdown. The play changed the games course and Clemson rallied to win 27-17.

Bowden remembered that along with his enormous talent Adams was a model citizen and student who graduated the December before he was drafted.

His dad would come out to practice and stand there in a corner and watch, Bowden said. Never say a word, never called me to complain or anything. He would just stand there and watch his son practice.

Taneyhill said the familys influence was evident when he met Adams the first day of football practice. Cambridge Academy is a nonsectarian, co-ed school with a current enrollment of about 300 students.

The thing about Gaines that tells a lot about him is that he worked for everything he got. Nothing was ever given to Gaines, he said. A lot of kids are dubbed five stars and they go right up on the depth chart, but Gaines worked for everything that came his way.

Bowden said he didnt believe Adams understood initially how good he could be.

I told him he could be one of the best defensive players Id ever have here, sat right there in his familys living room with his parents and told him that, Bowden said. I dont think he believed it until later when he started developing.

He and Taneyhill became friends after Adams entered Clemson. Taneyhill had to explain the enormity of the Clemson-South Carolina game to him because Adams hadnt grown up a fan, and after the 2005 game in Columbia, Adams called him from the team bus.

He was just one of those guys who would go out of his way to put a smile on somebody elses face, Taneyhill said. Thats one thing that everyone who met Gaines said, that he was a class act on and off the field.

Adams death was met with shock throughout football.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he remembered Adams from draft day. Our condolences to Gaines family, his teammates on the Bears and Buccaneers, and their organizations on their loss, he said in a statement.

Today is a tragic day, said ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, who drafted Adams for Tampa Bay. Gaines was an impressive kid with such a tremendous future in front of him. He was a great teammate and well-liked by our coaches and all those who had the opportunity to be around him in Tampa.

Current Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was wide receivers coach on Bowdens staff during Adams career.

This is a sad day for Clemson Nation, Swinney said. Gaines was not only a great player at Clemson, he was an outstanding young man. He was a great example of how you could progress through hard work.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.