Reporters' Notebooks

Dick Weiss, New York Daily News: A six-word warning for Arkansas after the school's hiring of Bobby Petrino as its new coach. Be careful what you wish for.

Tony Barnhart and Ronnie Ramos, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Some shady back-door maneuvers led to Petrino's exit. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had a big hand in all of this.

Charles Goldberg, Birmingham News: Petrino's contract includes an agreement that he will not leave to accept a job with another Southeastern Conference West school (Auburn).

Wendell Barnhouse, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Should players have the same freedom of movement and be able to transfer to a different school when a coaching staff leaves?

Susan Kantor, Daily Illini: A group of Illinois students is planning to purchase a 72-seat bus they found on eBay, paint it Illini and drive it to the Rose Bowl. Thanks to UWire.

Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: Tickets for the Sugar Bowl are among the most coveted of this season's bowl lineup, selling online at prices behind only the Bowl Championship Series title game and the Rose Bowl.

Ed McGranahan, Greenville News: The Atlantic Coast Conference title game is leaving Jacksonville. It will be played in 2008 and 2009 at Tampa and in 2010 and 2011 at Charlotte.

Joseph Person, Columbia State: South Carolina is going to have to pay to replace defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix. The average salary for Southeastern Conference coordinators was $282,500 and Nix was paid $195,000.

Doug Doughty, Roanoke Times: Virginia has sold only 8,451 of its allotted 13,500 tickets to the Gator Bowl.

Tom Kubat, Lafayette Journal and Courier: Purdue has sold only 4,000 tickets to the Motor City Bowl, but that includes an estimated 1,500 complimentary tickets for players and guests, band members and those in the official traveling party.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: The Pacific 10 made several adjustments to its 2008 schedule, including moving the USC-Oregon State game at Corvallis from Sept. 27 to Sept. 25, a Thursday night. Oregon State also added a game at Penn State on Sept. 6.

Charles Goldberg, Birmingham News: New Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin is expected to bring a no-huddle spread offense to the Tigers.

Oklahoman: A $12.5 million plan to make renovations and improvements to Oklahoma's Memorial Stadium has been approved.