Reporters' Notebooks

Jake Trotter, Oklahoman: Salaries for assistant coaches in the Big 12 are skyrocketing, with long-term contracts and performance-based incentives rapidly becoming the norm. Associated charts: Ranking salaries by teams; pay according to title; average league salary by responsibility; the 10 highest- and lowest-paid assistants; total assistant salaries; contracts for head coaches.

Ted Sherman and Josh Margolin, Newark Star-Ledger: While Rutgers hiked tuition and student fees to deal with an ongoing budget crisis the past two years, the state university also boosted spending for athletic scholarships by more than $1 million.

Ron Musselman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Now that Joe Paterno has been enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, one question remains: When is he going to retire?

Scott Cacciola, Memphis Commercial Appeal: Houston Nutt has gone from rejected in Fayetteville to respected in Oxford.

Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman: Boise State would like to close the south end of Bronco Stadium with about 5,500 seats and renovations to the locker rooms, training room and equipment room that would be at the base of the new stands.

Jacob Messer, Charleston Daily Mail: Marshall senior cornerback James Paul "J.J." Johnson II has been arrested for the second time in six weeks.

Here is today's mystery link.