DESTIN, Fla. — Steve Spurrier has a plan to pay football players — and it wouldn’t cost schools or conferences a dime. The South Carolina football coach offered an interesting yet far-from-feasible proposal Wednesday that would give 70 players a $300 stipend every game.
Spurrier acknowledged the plan probably won’t get very far at the Southeastern Conference’s annual meetings or in the NCAA realm, but it could open the door for future dialogue on the issue.
Spurrier, Alabama’s Nick Saban, Florida’s Will Muschamp, LSU’s Les Miles, Mississippi’s Houston Nutt, Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen and Tennessee’s Derek Dooley signed the proposal.
Spurrier said the players could use the extra cash to give to their parents for travel, lodging and meals, or they could take their girlfriends out for dinner.
“A bunch of us coaches felt so strongly about it that we would be willing to pay it — 70 guys, 300 bucks a game,” Spurrier said. “That’s only $21,000 a game. I doubt it will get passed, but as coaches in the SEC, we make all the money — as do universities, television — and we need to get more to our players.”
• While the NCAA is interested in Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor and his use of cars, the state of Ohio said he shouldn’t be driving — period.
Pryor’s driving privileges have been suspended for 90 days because he failed to produce proof of insurance when he was pulled over for a stop-sign violation Feb. 19 in Columbus. Pryor received repeated requests to appear in traffic court to show that he had valid insurance before he eventually paid a $141 fine and court costs April 2. But Ohio authorities said he has never produced proof of insurance.
“Our records do not indicate that (Pryor) has driving privileges in Ohio,” Lindsey Bohrer, a communications officer for the Ohio Department of Public Safety, said.
Pryor was photographed driving a Nissan 350Z to and from a team meeting Monday. He drove the same car to a workout Wednesday.
Bettman expects realignment
VANCOUVER, B.C. — Commissioner Gary Bettman said he believes the NHL will adopt a more balanced schedule when the relocated Winnipeg franchise likely moves to the Western Conference in 2012.
Bettman confirmed the relocated Atlanta Thrashers will be the northwesternmost team in the Southeast Division next season in Winnipeg, but likely will move to the Western Conference a year later.
That shift will set off several dominoes of realignment: Columbus, Nashville and Detroit are among the candidates to move to the Eastern Conference.
Bettman also said Colin Campbell is done serving as the NHL’s chief disciplinarian, handing off one of the most thankless tasks in hockey to Brendan Shanahan.
Louisville, Memphis to meet again
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis and Louisville will renew their longtime rivalry in the 2011 Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout.
The game will be played Dec. 17 at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center and will be broadcast nationally by CBS. The teams have not met since Louisville left Conference USA in 2005.
Denver Post wire services
