Associated Press
The notebook …
COLUMBIA, S.C. ó The new president has a supporter in Steve Spurrier when it comes to a college football playoff.
South Carolina’s coach strongly backs President-elect Barack Obama’s contention that the sport should have an eight-team playoff to decide a national championship.
“A lot of people don’t think it’s going to happen, but I sort of believe it will happen if President-elect Obama pushes it hard enough,” Spurrier said on this week’s Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference.
“It would be very interesting, but I think there’s a chance it could happen,” Spurrier said. “Maybe it’ll take four years or so, but I think there’s a chance.”
Currently, the Bowl Championship Series matches two teams in a title game.
NO MORE TOMAHAWK
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. ó The University of Illinois put Chief Illiniwek on the shelf last year and the school says it’s now retiring another piece of American Indian imagery.
Saturday will be the last time Illinois and Northwestern play football for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk, Illinois athletic department spokesman Kent Brown said Friday.
The framed tomahawk has been a part of the instate rivalry since 1947. Its run will end as part of the 2005 NCAA directive to stop using American Indian imagery, Brown said Friday.
COASTAL CAROLINA
CONWAY, S.C. ó Coastal Carolina (6-5, 1-3 Big South Conference) finishes its season with the only last game opponent the Chanticleers have ever known: Charleston Southern (6-5, 2-2).
Coastal Carolina has won four of the five games between the teams in what has fast become a rivalry along the state’s coast.
“Both teams have a winning record on the line,” Chanticleers coach David Bennett said. “We’re an hour-and-a-half away ó their seniors’ last game, our seniors’ last game.”
MEAC
ORANGEBURG, S.C. ó South Carolina State hopes to build on its first outright conference crown in 14 years in the NCAA playoffs.
The Bulldogs clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title last week at Morgan State. They play at North Carolina A&T on Saturday with a chance at a perfect 8-0 league mark and to possibly get a first-round playoff game.
The school has bid to host first- and second-round games at its Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium.
South Carolina State’s last solo MEAC title came in 1994, and hasn’t made the NCAA playoffs since 1982.