Making the morning rounds.
? All quiet on the Columbus front. Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor weren't the only ones vacating the premises at Ohio State over the last few days. NCAA investigators who had taken up residence in Columbus also left campus last week, according to university president Gordon Gee, leaving both sides to the quiet crush of paperwork ahead of OSU's appearance before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions to answer for multiple allegations involving widespread illegal benefits and the subsequent coverup in August. In another effort to reinforce the university's sincerity, Gee also noted that Tressel's resignation won't get him out of the $250,000 fine levied by OSU as an indulgence for keeping his knowledge of major violations secret. [Associated Press]
? Come together. Two days after men's athletic director Mike Hamilton stepped down to much relief in Knoxville, Tennessee announced Thursday it will merge its men's and women's athletic departments, leaving Texas as the only major NCAA program that formally separates men's and women's sports under different departments. The job of interim AD falls to Joan Cronan, who has overseen the women's side of the ledger for the last 28 years, but the campaign to draft ex-Vol football coach Phillip Fulmer for the full-time job is in full swing. [Knoxville News-Sentinel, Associated Press, USA Today]
? Get well soon. USC safety Patrick Hall ? a former five-star recruit hailed in 2009 as one of the most promising newcomers in the country before tearing the ACL in his left knee in his first practice as a true freshman ? will miss the entire 2011 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee during on-field workouts on Thursday. Hall was able to walk off the field after the injury, but later confirmed to USC's Rivals site that he's done for the year. [USCFootball.com]
? Is Jeff Demps getting slower? Maybe not, but the Florida running back and reigning NCAA 100-meter track champion ? who has also taken back-to-back NCAA titles in the 60 meters ?�surprisingly failed to qualify for the finals in the 100 meters during prelims of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Demps' time, 10.40 seconds, was nearly a half-second slower than his national-best 9.96-second sprint earlier this year, and was only good for third place in the slowest of three heats.
He will still move on to the national championships, however, as a member of the Gators' 4x100 relay team, which has also taken back-to-back titles and turned in the second-best qualifying time at the prelims. [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
? Comings and goings. While it's waiting for the other shoe to drop in its ongoing coaching soap opera, West Virginia has also welcomed a pair of fifth-year transfers: Former Wake Forest wide receiver Devon Brown and ex-Notre Dame linebacker Steve Paskorz were among seven new Mountaineers working out with the team this week, and both should be available to play this fall as graduate students in their final year of eligibility. [Charleston Gazette]
Quickly… Anticlimactic video of Trooper Taylor's Obama chest bump. … Nick Saban on Alabama's most recent departures. And the SEC's new legislation to curb oversigning? It ain't no thing. … Tim Tebow can still draw a crowd in Gainesville. … The WAC probably isn't adding any more football teams until next year. … Two hard-luck SWAC schools get banned from the conference championship game for low APR scores. … Eric Crouch needs to "knock the cobwebs off" for his latest attempt at a pro career. … And Brady Hoke's wife "doesn't want to be fluffy" in front of the other women.
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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.
Natassia Malthe Victoria Silvstedt Hilary Swank Whitney Port Minka Kelly
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