Reporters' Notebooks

Jane Stancill, Raleigh News & Observer: North Carolina is ending its relationship with the state lottery, but large public universities in the surrounding states of Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee continue to have major advertising partnerships with state lotteries.

Detroit Free Press: How to fix Michigan State football, which includes an interview with WXYT host Mike Valenti, who is best remembered for his Spartan rant after last year's loss to Notre Dame. Also a Q&A with new coach Mike Dantonio and columns from Drew Sharp and Michael Rosenberg.

Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times: Notre Dame coach Crewcut Charlie Weis is venturing into enemy territory (Beverly Hills) to raise money for a good cause.

South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame's Oct. 20 home game against USC is the second-most demanded alumni ticket in team history behind last year's game against Penn State.

Ian R. Rapoport, Birmingham News: Alabama has reported three secondary NCAA violations since Oct. 16, 2006. Two of the violations occurred under Nick Saban's clock.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: It looks like the budding rivalry between South Florida and Central Florida, teams located 98 miles apart, is over after the 2008 season.

Ryan Finley, Arizona Daily Star: Arizona is the 16th athletic departments to partner with StubHub to resell (i.e. scalp) tickets to Wildcat sporting events.

Mark Bradley, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Here are 20 reasons Georgia Tech won't outclass Georgia this season.

Brett Vito, Denton Record-Chronicle: Several ticket policy changes at North Texas will result in fans will be paying a lot more for seats.

And here is today's mystery link.

Hello Wimbledon!

We once again venture down that slippery slope of an off-topic post. Spinal Tap, England's loudest band, reunites to play Wembley Stadium for Live Earth and debuts its new single, "Warmer Than Hell." We suspect the videos won't be around for long, so view them while you can.

Shuffle Up and Deal

The main event at the World Series of Poker started Friday in Las Vegas, and Daniel Negreanu, one of the premier players in the world, was our guest Friday night/Saturday morning on "Sports Overnight America" on the Sports Byline USA Radio Network.

We covered a lot of territory in this interview and Daniel, one of the top spokesmen for poker, had plenty to say about the state of the game just hours before was to begin his quest for poker's biggest prize. You can listen to the interview by clicking here (MP4 file in Quicktime format).

On a sidenote, a dropout from the University of Pittsburgh was the first player eliminated. Luke Staudenmaier, 21, who paid the $10,000 entry fee himself, lasted all of nine minutes. He went all-in with $20,000 after being raised.

"I was excited," he said. "I thought I was going to be the chip leader and double up immediately."

They'll Be One Less Magazine Next Year

It appears there will be one less college football preview magazine next season. Word is that Sporting News and Street and Smith's will be merged into one magazine in a cost-cutting move.

Although there remains plenty of competition, Phil Steele's preview is a clear favorite of Eric Crawford of the Louisville Courier-Journal. He writes:

"The 328-page publication is the only one that has attained full reference status for me, meaning it must be saved from year to year. Steele isn't much worried about aesthetics. The print is tiny. Copy juts nearly to the end of the page and right to the borders of pictures.

"The front trumpets the magazine as 'jampacked' with information. There's no such word. But Steele has no time for hyphens."

Although Steele has a staff of researchers, the magazine is primarily his work. Steele, 47, is a resident of Cleveland who has 12 televisions in front of his desk and says he works about 100 hours a week on his obsession.

Now how accurate are the magazines? Chris Stassen ranks them from year to year, and Steele's was No. 1 last season, with Athlon No. 2. Over the past five years, Sporting News and Lindy's have been the most accurate.

Reporters' Notebooks

Blake Jackson, Oklahoman: Oklahoma will be among 15 teams using the Head Impact Telemetry System that alerts officials of possible head injury.

Mel Bracht, Oklahoman: An Oklahoma City radio station, as a service to a fast-growing Hispanic population, will broadcast the Sept. 8 Miami-Oklahoma game in Spanish.

Robbie Andreu, Gainesville Sun: Former Florida cornerback Avery Atkins, 20, who was arrested three days earlier for possession of crack cocaine, was found dead in his car.

David Dye, Detroit News: Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer, listed at 6-2, 212 pounds, is eating 6,000 calories a day in an attempt to gain weight before the start of the season.

Adam Jones, Tuscaloosa News: University of Alabama employees have ordered more than twice the number of allotted season tickets and a quota system will be used to distribute seats.

Tad Walch, Deseret Morning News: Brigham Young running back Manase Tonga was arrested after a traffic stop early Tuesday morning for allegedly failing to pay a traffic ticket and giving a fake name to Provo police.

And here is today's mystery link.

It's Your Call

A reminder to join us Friday night/Saturday morning on "Sports Overnight America" on the Sports Byline USA Radio Network. Although we are working on a surprise guest or two, this will be your chance to call in and tell us what's on your mind as we race toward the start of the season. Join us at 11:30 p.m. (Pacific). The number to call is 800-878-7529.

You can hear "Sports Overnight America" over the Internet at SportsByline.com, on the American Forces Network, available in 177 countries and U.S. territories and Navy ships at sea, through the Cable Radio Network or one of the Sports Byline affiliates.

It's the Team Nobody Wants to Play

"Teams don't want to make the trip anymore," Hawaii coach June Jones says. "They come here, we kick their ass, they go home."

Jones has a point.

The Warriors were unable to find a 13th opponent to fill their schedule despite offering $750,000 and a trip to paradise.

Hawaii was put in this position because Michigan State tried for a year to get out of a game in Honolulu — the same one Hawaii now can't replace — before finally paying $250,000 to do so, reports Matt Hayes of the Sporting News.

Michigan State, of course, got beat in its last trip to Hawaii, 41-38, in 2004. The Spartans are not alone. Alabama, Purdue and Arizona State have lost in recent years on the island.

Mississippi State was one team that refused to play Hawaii, and that game would have been played in Starkville. Jones told Hayes that "a couple" of Pacific 10 teams were offered the $750,000 — plus national television coverage — for a game in Honolulu, but declined.

With quarterback Colt Brennan returning, it's not surprising that teams didn't answer the Warriors' call for a 13th game (allowable under a 52-year-old NCAA exemption). Hawaii, you might recall, punted only 16 times in 14 games last season, half of that total coming in the first six games. Ultimately, the loss of an extra game will cost Brennan any shot of winning the Heisman.

Skeptical of the Warriors' talent? Consider this: Hawaii had five players selected in this year's NFL draft. That's more than Nebraska, Georgia, Oklahoma, UCLA or Alabama. Brennan could be next year's No. 1 pick.

And the restocking process has already taken place. Hawaii was the state most efficient in producing Division I-A recruits this year in relation to population.