Headlines from around the league:
- Josh Margolin and Ted Sherman of the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger reported Tuesday that Rutgers agreed to pay football coach Greg Schiano an additional $250,000 in July 2007, per a contract addendum the school never disclosed publicly. The addendum was signed five months after Schiano agreed to a new five-year contract that pays him $2 million annually. According to the Star-Ledger report, the money was deducted from sponsorship revenues collected on the university's behalf by a private marketing firm. But the newspaper reported the $250,000 paid to Schiano was guaranteed by Rutgers. It was listed as a payment for "personal services" and was made to a limited liability corporation established by Schiano. According to the Star-Ledger, the payment was questioned earlier this year by university auditors, who criticized the athletic department, saying the way the deal was structured showed a lack of transparency.
- Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh News-Tribune reports Pitt picked up a sixth verbal commitment for 2009 when guard Fernando Diaz of Bronx, N.Y., chose the Panthers over Army and Connecticut.
- A few notes from the Tampa Tribune on South Florida, including the possibility of the Bulls playing Florida in Gainesville in the future (Gators athletics director Jeremy Foley has repeatedly said he doesn't want to play USF in Tampa). Also, FSU coach Bobby Bowden said he won't rule out the possibility of playing USF in the future.
Bennett joined ESPN.com in August 2008 after nine years at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., where he covered college sports and the University of Louisville beat. He lives in Louisville.
