14 --The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 12, 1999
NCAA ponders payment of&
antitrust lawsuit settlement
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - The
NCAA is trying to distribute the cost
among its schools of the more than
$67 million it must pay in an
antitrust suit regarding coaches'
earnings.
"The NCAA is healthy and contin-
ues to be solvent and will get through
this," Graham Spanier, chair of the
NCAA Division I board of directors,
said yesterday.
"But there is no question that the
legal fees and the potential settlement
cost of this lawsuit poses a signifi-
cant challenge for all of us."
A U.S. District Court jury in
Kansas City, Kan., last May awarded
$67 million in damages to about
1,900 entry-level "restricted earnings
coaches" in an antitrust lawsuit
against the NCAA.
The court ruled the NCAA acted
unlawfully in capping salaries of
entry-level coaches at $16,000 annu-
Behind sopho-
more guard
Scoonie Penn,
No. 21 Ohio
State is ranked in
the top 25 for the
first time In six
years. The
Buckeyes are one
of seven Big Ten
teams currently
ranked in the
newest AP poll.
AP PHOTO
ally.
Once the' plaintiffs' lawyers' fece
were calculated, the NCA A's finan-
cial obligation in the lawsuit amount-
ed to around $80 million.
Even as the NCAA tries to have the
damage amount reduced in an appel-
late court, it is continuing to negoti-
ate an out-of-court settlement with
lawyers for the coaches, said associa-
tion general counsel Elsa Cole.
The last publicly reported settle-
ment offer by the NCAA was $44
million in October, which Cole called
a "very good offer." The coaches said
they wanted $58.5 million.
How the ultimate award will be
paid has been a source of controversy
among NCAA member colleges and
was a subject of discussion during a
session at the association's annual
convention yesterday.
Small schools want big schools to
shoulder most of the burden, but big
schools say the payment should be
shared equally because the restricted
carnings rule was agreed upon b
nearly all 300 Division I schools.
A Division I budget subcommittee
has been formed to make recommen-
dations on payment methods.
"The range of settlement numbers
that we are talking about is signifi-
cant," said Lane Rawlins, chair of the
subcommittee. "We need to really
budget this. We need to approach this
in a budgetary way."
In another matter, NCAA delegates
were updated on safety concerns
about metal baseball bats. One worn
is the speed of the ball when hit by
such a bat.
Because of disagreements among
the NCAA divisions on which bat
restrictions to establish and when to
implement them, the NCAA execu-
tive committee is expected to take up
the matter again today.
Buckeyes break into AP hoops.
poll for first time in 6 years
Seven Big Ten teams remain in the top 25, most in NCAA
The Associated Press
Ohio State's return to The Associated Press college bas-
ketball poll yesterday after a six-year absence was not met
with celebration by Buckeyes coach Jim O'Brien.
"It's nice because for no other reason it shows that we've
gotten a little bit of respect and it shows we're making a lit-
tle bit of progress," O'Brien said. "But that's it."-
Ohio State's appearance gave the Big Ten a record-tying
seven teams in the rankings.
The top six teams - Connecticut, Duke, Cincinnati,
Stanford, Maryland and Kentucky - held their spots from
last week, but there were some significant moves in the rest
of the top 25.
Wisconsin, Auburn and Iowa all made a jump of at least
five places, while Indiana, Arkansas, Purdue and Clemson
all fell at least four spots.
Ohio State (13-3) came in at No. 21 and joined fellow Big
Ten teams Iowa, Purdue, Michigan State, Wisconsin,
Minnesota and Indiana in the top 25.
The Big Ten was the first conference to have seven teams
in one poll, on Jan. 11, 1993, a number matched by the
Atlantic Coast Conference on Dec. 1, 1997, and again the
next week.
The big difference in the three groups of seven is that
Michigan was the highest ranked of the first Big Ten bunch
at No. 2, and No. 1 Duke led the ACC group. The highest
ranked Big Ten team this week is No. 12 Iowa.
"Obviously, our league is very, very good," O'Brien said.
"Unlike some other leagues, we don't have a marquee team
like Duke or Connecticut. But we've got a conference where
nobody can point a finger and say, 'That team is not a good
team."'
Connecticut (13-0) held the No. I spot for the seventh
straight week after beating Boston College and West
Virginia. The Huskies received 55 first-place votes and
1,756 points from the media panel.
Duke (15-1), which beat Georgia Tech and Virginia by@
combined 87 points, had 13 No. I votes and 1,700 points.
Cincinnati (15-0) received the other three first-place
votes. The Bearcats won three games last week to remain
unbeaten, the last a two-point victory at Southern
Mississippi.
Stanford was No. 4, followed by Maryland, Kentucky,
Arizona, Auburn, North Carolina and UCLA.
St. John's dropped one spot to 11th and was followed by
Iowa, Purdue, Michigan State, Kansas, New Mexico,
Wisconsin, Syracuse, Minnesota, Texas Christian, Ohio
State, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Arkansas and Clemson to
round out the poll.
Ohio State, ranked for two weeks in the 1992-93 season,
won two conference games last week against ranked oppo-
nents, 78-74 in overtime at Wisconsin and 73-56 over
Indiana. The Buckeyes, 8-22 last season under O'Brien, are
unbeaten in nine games at their new arena with the losses
coming at Vanderbilt, Toledo and Miami. Ohio State puts its
ranking and its home streak on the line Tuesday night against
Iowa.
The Buckeyes replaced California (10-3), which entered
the poll for the first time this season last week at No. 25.
Golden Bears split their games last week, beating Oreg .
State and losing to Stanford.
Wisconsin, which beat Michigan State and Purdue last
week, made the biggest jump, from 24th to No. 17. Auburn,
one of three unbeaten teams in Division I, beat Arkansas and
LSU last week to move to No. 8 from 14th. Iowa, which beat
Illinois in its only game last week, climbed five spots to 12th.
Indiana's losses to Michigan and Ohio State dropped the
Hoosiers from 13th to No. 23. Arkansas, which lost to
Auburn and Mississippi, fell five spots to 24th. Both No. 13
Purdue and No. 25 Clemson dropped four places.
Northwestern football coach
denies rumors he
BARN ETT
Continued from Page 13
to be done in a hurry."
For the sake of recruiting, both sides are forced to hus-
tle to a decision. The date for prospects to sign national
letters of intent is Feb. 3.
Neither Barnett nor Northwestern Athletic Director
Rick Taylor could be reached for comment Sunday night.
And Colorado's take on the rumors?
's leaving post
He's definitely been mentioned in every paper. In terms
of most mentions, he'd be the guy."
Barnett was almost the guy for Texas in December
1997. He flirted with the Longhorns, but in the e
decided against leaving.
But Texas officials insist they dropped him from con-
tention.
"My gut feeling was that it wasn't the right thing;to
do," Barnett said last year. "Wednesday morning, I got up
and said, 'I can't do this.' I'm here and I will be here for
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