National Collegiate Athletic Association

Rice Denies "Terrorist," "Axis of Evil" Racial Slurs Surrounding Implosion of Men's Basketball Team

It's been four long, sad decades for the Rice men's basketball program. There have been a few moments of levity -- the opening of Tudor Fieldhouse, Morris Almond's mid-range jumper, Willis Wilson's mustache -- but, by and large, the tale's been one of cumbersome academics and milquetoast community ... More >>

March Madness 2013: My Predictions In The Form Of Prop Bets

The play-in game appetizers are done, and Thursday morning the main course of 63 games involving 64 teams over the next two weeks begins. For the first time since I got into radio in 2007, I will be able to actually settle in and watch the games for the entire first two days with no radio responsibi ... More >>

College Football: Bear Bryant Award Finalists Revealed (Aggies Will Be Happy)

If you're a prominent, successful college football player or coach, it is usually necessary to block out the second week of December. This is when most of the college football awards are handed out, the week after the regular season ends. For many, it's an exhausting, circuitous journey across the n ... More >>

Texas Southern University Athletics: NCAA Calls Foul Once Again

The Texas Southern University Athletics Department was once again cited for infractions by the NCAA Tuesday and placed on five years probation, something which certainly has to leave both its supporters and detractors discouraged. As the NCAA report noted, TSU "either has been on probation or had v ... More >>

A Few Suggestions For Houston Sports Moments and Personalities To Be Memorialized

The greatest player in the history of the Houston Oilers is, without a doubt, Earl Campbell. And Ross Greenburg, the former head of HBO Sports, is producing a documentary on the life and career of Campbell that will air later this year on the NBC Sports Network. And last month the MLB Network did a ... More >>

Penn State Scandal: My Statement To The Paterno Family

"The sanctions announced by the NCAA today defame the legacy and contributions of a great coach and educator without any input from our family or those who knew him best." -- The Paterno Family, in a statement (how else?), 7/23/12 Since the moment that Jerry Sandusky was whisked out of the back of ... More >>

If Any School Deserves The NCAA Death Penalty, It's Got To Be Penn State

If ever a major collegiate football program deserves the so-called NCAA death penalty, it's got to be Penn State. The myth of Joe Paterno and his ethical football program has been blown out of the water, and the least the NCAA can do is put this program out of the misery of college sports fans. For ... More >>

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: The Year Just Past In Cougar Sports

John RoyalCase Keenum was the Man of the Year for the Cougars​Yes, it's that time of year. That time of year when I take a look back at the year just past. On Friday, I looked back at the sports year for the Rice Owls. Today, let's take a look at the top 25 events, in no particular order, f ... More >>

Texas A&M and SEC Make It Official

​Finally putting an end to unrelenting speculation, rumor and hand-wringing from colleges, media and sports radio, the Southeastern Conference formally accepted Texas A&M University into its conference Sunday, ending A&M's tenure in the Big 12 and leaving the future of that conference very muc ... More >>

UH's Case Keenum Named To Maxwell Award Watch List

​UH's Case Keenum, once a leading candidate for a Heisman Award, has been named for the watch list of the Maxwell Award, given annually to college football's best offensive player. We profiled Keenum in the spring as he began a comeback from the injury that ended his Heisman-hopes season last ... More >>

The Fiesta Bowl Gets Slapped on the Wrist

One possible solution​For illegal chicanery including, but not limited to, allowing its former CEO John Junker to reimburse political campaign contributions from the bowl revenues and permitting Junker to run up extravagant, frivolous, non-bowl-related expenses on the bowl's dime, the Fiesta B ... More >>

And in the End: 20 Final Thoughts on the Final Four

John RoyalLeAnn all dressed up for a white wedding.​In an attempt to wipe that awful excuse for a basketball game on Monday night from my head, I thought I would purge a few things still running through from my mind about the whole Final Four weekend. So... 1. I like attractive women. And ... More >>

Final Four: Find Yourself at the Game

Was Waldo there?​SI.com has got a neat feature up today -- a gigapan, searchable photo of last night's NCAA Final. In case you don't know what that is (and we probably got the terminology wrong), it's basically a GoogleStreetview of the arena last night -- you can zoom in, pan around and even ... More >>

Reese's College All-Star Game

NCAA® Division I Men's Basketball Championship

Dear Ms. Judd, Welcome to Houston

Dear Ashley, welcome to Houston. I'll be in the press section, come find me.​Dear Ms. Ashley Judd: I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to my hometown of Houston, Texas. Now I know you've visited our fine place before, especially several years ago when you were here with your race ... More >>

So Kenny Chesney Is Playing Discovery Green After All

Kenny Chesney models what will now be known as "The CultureMap Smirk."​Looks like CultureMap - and their "anonymous" sources - had it right. Way to go, guys. After the Houston digital daily broke the story (to Rocks Off's extreme skepticism), The NCAA, Turner Sports and CBS announced later Th ... More >>

The Final Four Is Coming to Town

John RoyalThe NCAA is coming to town​The NCAA Final Four is coming to town in April. So get ready for the hype. Get ready for the out-of-towners bitching about what a crappy city Houston is. Get ready for complaints from people having to stay in hotels out in The Woodlands. And get ready f ... More >>

The So-So Year In Cougar Sports: 25 Things From 2010

The year in UH sports​Since I'm taking a look at the sports year that is about to come to an end, I thought I would focus on the Houston Cougars, one of the teams that I cover for the Press. So... 1. The men's basketball team shocked the students, alums, administration, fans, C-USA, and the ... More >>

One Guy's Thoughts On The Sports Year: 25 Things To Remember

So with the end of the year fast approaching, I thought I would take some time to revisit some of the highlights, and lowlights, of this past sports year. Your list is probably different, but these are the things that caught my attention this year. maxim.com Thanks for everything, Jenn​1. ... More >>

Case Keenum Will Try To Come Back For Another Year At UH

Trying to come back to UH​Case Keenum's big run-for-the-Heisman year ended with an injury last month, but he has decided to appeal to the NCAA for another year at UH rather than go into the NFL draft."After talking this over with my family and people close to me, I have decided to try for another ... More >>

Sam McGuffie, Ready To Fly At Rice

Sam McGuffie was a HS YouTube sensation​Sam McGuffie wasn't very comfortable while playing football at Michigan. He suffered several concussions. He was a bit of a loner. He missed his family. He was a long way from home. All of this was written in various stories after the 2008 college football s ... More >>

USC Trojans: They're Different From 1980s SMU How, Exactly?

Snoop & Pete: BFFs​The Southern Methodist University football team was hit with NCAA sanctions on February 26, 1987 because of a slush-fund created to pay players. Seeing as how the Mustangs were a repeat offender -- they were already on probation for recruiting violations -- the NCAA le ... More >>

What? Tom Penders' UH Team Had Trouble With Academics?

Go to class!! If you can​Here's a surprise -- the University of Houston men's basketball program has been warned by the NCAA about poor academic performance, the Houston Chronicle reported. It's not surprising because of the absolute jaw-dropping notion that UH athletes might not be racking up GP ... More >>

UH Makes An Odd Choice For Its Basketball Program

​When Tom Penders resigned last week, University of Houston Athletic Director Mack Rhoades made it clear that he was looking for more than just a head coach of the basketball team. He was looking for a partner. Somebody who would not only turn the team into a winner, but would also grow the pro ... More >>

Game Time: Calipari Seeks His First Final Four....You Know, Because The Other Two Never Happened

The NCAA makes me chuckle sometimes. Forget about the laughable amount of time it takes them to investigate transgressions at schools where you may as well be investigating jaywalking outside Minute Maid Park on Texas Street after an Astros game. (For those of you who don't live in Houston, after ... More >>

Your Brackets Already Are Blown -- Start Thinking About Next Year

​Face it, your NCAA brackets this year are a joke. Your Final Four of Kansas, Villanova, Pittsburgh and New Mexico didn't turn out to be the lock you imagined.So start thinking about next year. When the Final Four is right here in Houston.The ticket application process is still open for the 2011 f ... More >>

NCAA Being Sued By Former Players Who Find Themselves Being Used In Video Games

​Not many people remember Ed O'Bannon for his exploits on the basketball court. But if he has his way, his name may end up as one of the most memorable in college sports history, primarily because he could end up being the one who changes college sports history. O'Bannon was a star forward on the ... More >>

Expanding The NCAA Tournament to 96 Teams: That's March Madness

​Last fall, the NCAA began discussions regarding a change to the men's basketball tournament, otherwise known as March Madness. This is currently a 65-team tournament. Win or out. And it determines the best college basketball team in the country. It's a huge moneymaker for the schools and the NCAA ... More >>

Kevin Sumlin Didn't Leave (This Time), But Unlike His Players, He Could

​There was much panic among the Houston Cougar faithful when head coach Kevin Sumlin's name was mentioned in regards to the open University of Cincinnati coaching job. And that same panic was seen as well at Stanford when coach Jim Harbaugh's name was mentioned in connection with the Kansas job. & ... More >>

UH Hoops, Battling The Second-Rate Reputation Of Conference USA

​Tom Penders has been tasked with returning the Houston Cougar basketball program to relevance. And that's a task at which he feels he's been successful. But he's yet to succeed with the ultimate goal of basketball relevance, and that's getting into the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.Now, the ... More >>

NCAA To Recommend Sickle-Cell Testing As A Result Of Rice Football Player's Death

Dale Lloyd was a promising Rice football player who had shined at Lamar High. Three years ago, the freshman collapsed at a workout and died.His family sued the university and Rice; a settlement was announced today that could go towards seeing that the tragedy helps someone else one day.After his dea ... More >>

Rice Hosts NCAA Baseball Regional, Doesn't Get Top Seed

Photo by Daniel KramerYesterday saw the announcement of the NCAA's 64-team bracket for the College World Series, and it was a mixed bag for local fans.Good news: Seven Texas teams are in it.Bad news: Rice didn't get a top regional seeding, for the first time in three years, kind of a slap to the new ... More >>

Why Is Everybody Getting Laid Off But Tom Penders?

You know, as the NCAA Tournament starts today, I can't help but notice that the Houston Cougars have once again failed to gain entry into the field of 65. Sure, they're playing in something called the CBI, but that's really not the same thing, is it? (Especially seeing as how the Cougars lost las ... More >>

Why Is Everybody Getting Laid Off But Tom Penders?

You know, as the NCAA Tournament starts today, I can't help but notice that the Houston Cougars have once again failed to gain entry into the field of 65. Sure, they're playing in something called the CBI, but that's really not the same thing, is it? (Especially seeing as how the Cougars lost las ... More >>

25 Random March Madness Facts

Photo by All your picture are belong to us It's once again time for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, or as most refer to it, March Madness. And instead of doing an analysis and picking the winner, like I do (badly) every year, I've decided to go another way. I'm sure you've all seen those Fac ... More >>

25 Random March Madness Facts

Photo by All your picture are belong to us It's once again time for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, or as most refer to it, March Madness. And instead of doing an analysis and picking the winner, like I do (badly) every year, I've decided to go another way. I'm sure you've all seen those Fac ... More >>

BCS Bill in Congress? About Time Our Politicos Got to the Important Stuff

The nation is in peril. There's still the threat of terrorism. The military is mired in two wars. The economy is falling apart. Rich banking execs are getting bonuses for their failing businesses -- bonuses being paid by taxpayer money -- and the auto industry is on the verge of collapse. But if ... More >>

NCAA Tournament: Forget Mount St. Mary’s and Coppin State; Villanova and Kentucky Need to Slug It Out

John Royal’s Friends’ Top Twenty Sports Moments of 2007, Part Two

Video Game Review: NCAA Football 08

OU Fans Pretty Pissed

Something's Coming

Piling On

A View to the Rooms

Football U., Week 2

Football U., Week 2

Cat 'n' Bird Fight

Goal Oriented

Rice's women's soccer team kicks it up a notch

News Hostage