Alabama Football
Crimson Tide Fine-Tuning For Fresno State
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - The University of Alabama football team is tweaking and fine-tuning for this Saturday's clash with Fresno State. The Crimson Tide worked out in full pads on Wednesday afternoon during a two-hour practice on the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields.
The Wednesday practice session saw the Tide working more specifically to the game plan to be utilized on Saturday with the Bulldogs. The UA defense must look to contain and explosive State offense that produced 613 total yards of offense and 66 points points in its season-opener this past weekend against Incarnate Word.
Starting defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand was working with the outside linebackers yesterday, and was third in the rotation.
During the media viewing period injured Rashaan Evans was seen working on a stationary bike.
This will be the first meeting between Alabama and Fresno State, being led by first-year head coach Jeff Tedford. The Tide is also working to be able to distribute the ball among more receivers this week offensively, as well as get some work in, if possible, for more players. Alabama head football coach Nick Saban said that he was looking for improvement and getting more players in the game.
Alabama has two practices remaining prior to the Saturday contest. Today and tomorrow afternoon the Tide will continue to work the game plan to bring victory number two into fruition. Alabama and Fresno State are scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN2, with Adam Amin, Anthony Becht and Rocky Boiman making the call.
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Nick Saban Press Conference
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| Click HERE to view press briefing via Tide TV |
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Alabama Basketball
Tide Tipoff Set For October 24th
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
The doors will open for the event at 6 p.m. CT. The on-court event begins at 7 p.m. CT with the teams participating in a variety of activities.
Seating at The Tide Tipoff will be first come, first serve basis with general admission seating. More details surrounding the event will be released at a later time.
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Locksley To Be On Bama Sideline This Saturday
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| Alabama football's Mike Locksley Photo Credit: BlackSportsOnline.com |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - University of Alabama co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Mike Locksley will be on the sideline helping to coach the Crimson Tide this Sunday when it takes the field in its home-opener against Fresno State at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Locksley made his return to T-town on Tuesday after traveling to Maryland following the death of one of his sons. It is reported that Locksley made the return so soon to provide some "normalcy" after the tragic death.
Following the Wednesday practice session, UA head football coach Nick Saban said, "We doing everything we can to support him and his family. I think the funeral arrangements are going to be after the game, so I think the plan is for him to leave right after the game. I think the service will be on Monday. I don't know all the details.
"I told him he certainly wasn't expected to be here. He could spend as much time as he needed with his family, and he said, 'It's helpful for me to be here. It kind of gets my mind off things.' So, we're happy to have him be around us and support him any way we can."
Meiko Locksley, 25, was shot and critically wounded, transferred to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center and was pronounced dead that night, according to a news release. The incident is still under investigation.
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NCAA Considering Transfer Rules Changes
Once again the NCAA is looking into more rules changes, and this one could actually cause more headaches for football programs of all sizes.
The Division 1 Transfer Working Group of the NCAA is considering a proposal to eliminate the rule forcing a student-athlete to sit out a year when transferring from one school to another. These student-athletes would, however, have to meet a GPA requirement in order to be eligible to transfer immediately. Additionally, the committee is looking at giving schools less power to block a student-athlete's possible transfer.
One problem with this is the student-athlete that has been at a school for more than a year, and has benefitted from the attention, conditioning and training they have received from that school. Then to be able to immediately transfer and take the work done by the previous school, as well as schemes and plays, to another school that is potentially a rival, opens a can of worms.
Offenses and defenses change. Play change. But rarely would an immediate change take place that would scrap and entire offensive and defensive scheme in only one season. If student-athletes are allowed to transfer immediately, then the school from which they are leaving should at least have the right to bar them from taking all of the knowledge accrued from their time with the team to another team that could benefit from it the next time the two meet.
The rules currently in effect have (overall) stood the test of time. Tweaking the rules rather than wholesale changes such as are being considered should at least be the next baby step before taking this giant leap.
Yes, those who have had problems transferring would disagree with this philosophy. But during the recruitment a student-athlete holds all the cards. He or she can shop around for the best situation. Most consider this selection process for a number of years before committing to a school. To allow a transfer, good immediately, based on a few games or a moment of anger, or confusion or whatever the reason will make it even easier for that student-athlete to make a bigger mistake.
Sitting out a year before a student-athlete may go from, say, Alabama to Georgia, is not unreasonable. Consideration by the NCAA should include situations concerning immediate eligibility to a school in the same conference. If the student-athlete is allowed to immediately be eligible to play outside the conference but sit out a year if he or she remains in the conference would be a reasonable solution.
Also being considered is the "permission to contact" rule. Currently, schools can deny permission for student-athletes to discuss transfer opportunities with other programs. The NCAA wants to allow that contact without approval from their current university. This one seems reasonable, but it should also state in a rules change that it must be the student-athlete that initiates the contact and not the other program. There should never be a case where a coach or coaches are soliciting players from another school once said player is an active member of a football program.
With the proper wording, safeguards and enforcement these proposed changes could work and be a benefit to the student-athlete. But don't over-penalize a university after putting in the time and expense to coach up said student-athlete. Athletes can transfer now, but admittedly most must sit out a year. Best not to rush the process but consider any and every angle of what this could mean for the future of not just the small percentage of student-athletes disgruntled with the previously chosen university, but the future of college football as well. Make it fair on both sides of the ball.
