Louisville football tickets a hard sell

Louisville lags roughly 6,000 behind its season-ticket total from last season at a stadium that will be expanded by more than 13,000 seats for the 2010 season. That construction is under way. The Courier-Journal learned through an open-records request that the university sold 27,218 season tickets by the school’s June12 deadline. However, that is not a firm deadline, and UofL senior associate athletic director Gary Friedman said ticket holders who want to upgrade their seats may not be included in the number. As it stands, it would be the lowest total since the stadium opened in 1998, but sales will continue until the Cards’ opener against Indiana State on Sept.5. – Courier-Journal

Friedgen says he might stay on past contract

University of Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen says he might want to remain in his post for up to five more years if the team is performing well - a move that could complicate the school’s coaching succession plan. Friedgen, 62, said in an interview with The Baltimore Sun that he might want to stay beyond the three years for which he is under contract. On Feb. 6, the university signed an agreement promising to pay $1 million to offensive coordinator James Franklin - who has turned down coaching jobs at other schools and in the NFL - if he is not elevated to head coach by Jan. 2, 2012. – Baltimore Sun

Stoops to Make $5 million by 2011

Bob Stoops will make nearly $5 million as Oklahoma football coach in 2011, should he remain that long, according to his revised contract approved Wednesday by the OU Board of Regents at their regularly scheduled meeting in Ardmore. – Tulsa World

Nutt, Rebels Try to Handle Pressure of Expectations

Ole Miss’ Houston Nutt: The Rebels and their head coach have been riding the wave of optimism since their Cotton Bowl win over Texas Tech. Ole Miss is a preseason top 10 pick in most polls and is being touted as the team to beat in the SEC West. Winning the West and perhaps the SEC crown — although Florida is an overwhelming pick to repeat as SEC and national champions — is a possibility, but making that happen is often more difficult as the favorite. Last year, Nutt and the Rebels made their move a bit under the radar. This year, that won’t be the case. It will be interesting to see how they both respond. – Mobile Press-Register

Dantonio: MSU is “last coaching job”

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio completed another off-season radio interview over the weekend, this time with a station in Lakewood, Ohio, outside of Cleveland. No major news came from the session, but a few interesting tidbits resulted from the questions Dantonio received from Glenn Moore and Dan Brock on “The Dugout Sports Show.” When asked if he had any interest in other coaching jobs, Dantonio cut off the end of the question to say MSU was his last stop. “This is our last coaching job as a family,” he said. “This is where I want to be. I’m 53 years old, so … Michigan State’s a great place, I was here for six years prior to coming back here. I try to keep my eyes and focus on what we’re doing here, so I’m here for the long term.” – Detroit Free-Press

Cincy Extends Kelly

Cincinnati has given football coach Brian Kelly a contract extension, adding a year at nearly $1.5 million. The school said Monday that Kelly is guaranteed $1.475 million to coach the Bearcats through the 2013 season. He had been signed through 2012. – AP

Five of top 10 earners reside in SEC

Follow the money, and it’ll lead to the SEC. A report released Monday in Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal ranks the 10 highest-earning football programs in the country. Five (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee) reside in the SEC. A sixth SEC school, LSU, barely missed the cut, checking in at No. 12 overall. – Birmingham Business Journal

Edsall feels good about UConn’s football team

Before a packed house, the guest speaker expressed confidence in his team, which opens Sept. 5 at Ohio. “I feel good about this group of young men that we have in terms of their focus and what’s going on,” UConn coach Randy Edsall said. “We do have a very tough schedule, the toughest one we might play. I know some fans want it to be tougher.” Edsall drew laughter when he said, “You play all those pretty-named schools and everything … that doesn’t do much for a coach.” “Edsall said the Huskies could figure in the Big East picture if everybody comes together for the common goal, which is what he noticed from the people at MCH. “If you can always keep things in perspective, never get too full of yourself and remember to always give back, that’s what it’s all about,” Edsall said. – Hartford Courant

Chizik mostly mum on Tony Franklin

Gene Chizik made his first public comments Tuesday regarding the recent controversial statements made by former offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. Not surprisingly, Chizik didn’t have much to say. “Everything at Auburn right now is great,” Chizik said before a speaking engagement with the Montgomery Auburn Club at a local Embassy Suites. “What’s happened in the past, what people say, I certainly had no control over that and have no control over it.” Franklin, who now serves as the offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State, said in a Saturday Montgomery Advertiser article that Auburn was the “most unusual place” he’d ever been because of its tension-heavy environment, which caused Tommy Tuberville and his coaching staff to be “paranoid.” – Opelika-Auburn News

20 Gators Charged with 24 Crimes Under Meyer

University of Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley says the numbers don’t tell the whole story. The statistics say that 20 UF football players have been charged with 24 crimes since coach Urban Meyer arrived in Gainesville in December 2004. In the same period, Florida State has had 13 arrests while Miami has had just two. Six Gators have been charged since November, and Pahokee’s Janoris Jenkins became the latest when the sophomore cornerback was charged with misdemeanor affray and resisting arrest following a street fight two weekends ago. “It is really easy to focus on negative issues and negative press,” Foley said. “This is part of the world we live in, and we understand this. No one here condones our players stepping out of line, and everyone here wants to get better. “However, Urban Meyer and his staff are the best that I have seen in modifying behavior and, at the end of the day, the majority of the players who come through this program will make us all proud - and not just because they are good football players.” – Palm Beach Post

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