PITTSBURGH — The Boston Bruins will be the latest team to attempt to solve what is becoming a perplexing riddle whenever the Pittsburgh Penguins are next up on the schedule.

How do you shut down a player best known for being a shutdown defender?

With his size and strength, expansive wingspan and underrated skating ability, Jordan Staal has been a defensive force since breaking into the NHL with a rookie-record seven shorthanded goals as an 18-year-old in 2006-07.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder immediately became a perfect complement to offensively gifted Penguins centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin — and yet another matchup problem for opponents already concerned with controlling Malkin and Crosby. He often centers the third line, but he’s a top-line talent.

Here’s the problem for the Bruins and the rest of the NHL: Staal’s offense is catching up to his defense.

Staal’s knack of turning big defensive plays into goals – if not for himself, then for a teammate – will be on display when the Penguins play host to the Bruins at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday (NBC, TSN). The Penguins have won eight in a row, while the Bruins are coming off a Saturday afternoon defeat by the Washington Capitals at TD Garden.

“Everybody talks about (the Red Wings’ Pavel) Datsyuk and how good defensively he is, but Staalsy, the way he plays, he’s big physically, he plays on the power play, he creates so much offensively,” Pittsburgh defenseman Zbynek Michalek said. “He definitely is at the top of the League.”

A five-week layoff with a knee injury likely will prevent Staal from matching his rookie-year total of 29 goals. But with 22 goals, including three while shorthanded, and 36 points in 46 games, this is easily his best offensive season since then. He’s become a true force offensively since returning from the injury layoff, with seven goals and nine assists in 13 games since Feb. 11.

“He’s so big and strong, when he’s on the ice you feel like he’s such a big help back there,” Michalek said. “He’s always reliable no matter what. I think he’s a little underappreciated around the League, how good he is at both ends of the ice. To me, he is one of the top two-way players in the League.”

There is no lack of appreciation for Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, who is widely regarded as the League’s most imposing and intimidating shutdown defender. His offensive gifts, however, sometimes are overlooked – he has nine goals, 40 points and is a plus-27 on a first-place team that won the Stanley Cup last season and is leading the Northeast Division.

Bruins-Penguins games characteristically are intense and physically demanding; the Dec. 5 matchup – the last in which Crosby played for Pittsburgh – was especially competitive and featured at least a half-dozen punishing hits as Boston won 3-1 at Consol Energy Center. The Penguins won the rematch 2-1 on Feb. 4 at TD Garden, where the teams meet again April 3.

Crosby won’t return to play Sunday, but could return as early as Thursday against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Look for the Steve Sullivan-Staal-Pascal Dupuis line, which scored all four Pittsburgh goals in the last two games, to match up frequently against the Bruins’ top line of Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Tyler Seguin. Staal’s cross-ice pass led to Sullivan’s goal during Pittsburgh’s 2-1 shootout win over Florida on Friday.

Staal’s defensive responsibilities don’t require him to be less aggressive offensively. His shooting touch is much improved since when he first came into the League; and he currently ranks in the top five in shooting percentage.

“I definitely have been working on it and have been trying to tweak little things, try different things, and it (the puck) seems to be coming off my stick pretty good.” Staal said.

It’s also easy to overlook that Staal, already in his sixth NHL season, is only 23 and is visibly improving from season to season. Coach Dan Bylsma can see it.

“I think he’s got a better understanding of where he can have success and play offense,” Bylsma said. “It gives him more time, more space with the puck. And I don’t think he gets credit on how well he can skate because he’s a bigger, longer-bodied guy. He may not look as great skating, but he’s a big and strong skater as well.”

Staal said, “I don’t know if it’s my best or not, but I feel like I’m improved since I came into the League. A lot of it, when you’re playing well defensively, you get opportunities offensively. You create plays and turn pucks over, and in this league when you start turning pucks over, you have a good attack pack – you can really score some goals.”

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NHL news see: Bruins-Pens game showcases Staal’s two-way skills.

CHICAGO — The good news for Jonathan Toews is he seems to keep making strides from what’s believed to be a concussion that has kept him sidelined for eight straight games.

The bad news is he still doesn’t have a definitive timeline for his return to action despite getting back on the ice the past two days — working on his own Thursday and participating in the Chicago Blackhawks’ morning skate Friday at United Center.

Toews will not play on Friday night when the Hawks host the New York Rangers, but met with reporters for the first time since leaving the lineup following a Feb. 19 home game against the St. Louis Blues.

“I feel pretty good,” said Toews, the Blackhawks’ captain and No. 1 center. “I feel like … I guess off the ice [I've] been doing nothing for three weeks, but considering that the last two days on the ice [were] a lot better than I thought I would be. So I’m pretty positive about that.”

Toews said he doesn’t know when exactly the injury occurred, but it happened at some point during Chicago’s monster nine-game road stretch in February. He initially played through it, but the symptoms worsened and eventually became too much to ignore.

“The toughest thing was just kind of coming to grips with it and saying it’s something I had to deal with and I couldn’t keep playing with,” said Toews, who still leads the Hawks in goals with 29 and is second only to Marian Hossa in points with 57. “Here I am three weeks later almost, still kind of hanging in there [and] getting better every day.”

While it’s been a frustrating stretch, both Toews and the Hawks are pleased with the recent developments in his recovery — especially the on-ice work. While there still isn’t a timetable for his return to games, it’s always a good sign for hockey players when they can get back on skates and log some hard work.

“Once you get him on the ice, you get a better indication of when he’s going to be back and when he can be close to getting back here,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. “So that’s significant progress in a short amount of time here. Let’s hope we’re on the same program here for the next little while. It could be exciting to get him back in our lineup.”

Toews also addressed the single-car accident he was involved in Feb. 23, just a few days after leaving the lineup. Toews was on his way to the United Center for the Hawks’ morning skate prior to a game against the Dallas Stars when he accidentally struck a steel beam turning left onto Lake Street.

He refused medical treatment and wasn’t cited by police for a traffic violation, but people had wondered if the accident might have set him back in his recovery.

“Not at all,” Toews said Friday. “A lot of people kind of want to tie that in there with this injury, but I guess they say when it rains it pours. That was just kind of a rough week and threw that in there with it. It wasn’t too much fun.”

His ego, however, didn’t escape unscathed.

“I guess it was just one of those things where I was more concerned with the traffic that was coming down the one-way and I completely didn’t see the obstacle that was in front of me,” Toews said. “It was one of those embarrassing things … I didn’t want to get out of my car for a long time. It was around 9 [a.m.], and two hours later I’m at home getting text messages from friends back home asking me if I’m alright. I couldn’t believe how fast it got around. It was kind of a crazy day, dealing with everything that was going on around it. The good thing was the only damage was to my car, so we’ll live with that.”

He and the Hawks, however, have lived without him in the lineup for eight games. It will become a ninth straight absence Friday night against the Rangers and possibly extend even further.

The Rangers have lost two games in row, but are still one of the League’s top teams, so facing them would’ve been one of those games that Toews — aka “Captain Serious” — would savor.

Instead, like Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and other NHL players dealing with similar issues, he’ll just continue to rest and try to heal completely.

“You just try to stay positive with yourself and be optimistic about when you’re going to heal and when you’re going to recover and hope that when you do have good days that it’s going to continue that way,” said Toews, who’s exchanged texts with Crosby the past couple days. “The more you think that way, the better it is, I think. This past week it’s been going very well and it’s exciting to be back on the ice.”

This is also not the first concussion in the 23-year old Toews’ brief career. He missed time during the regular season in 2010 after a big open-ice hit from then Vancouver Canucks defensemen Willie Mitchell. Toews and team doctors have also taken that prior injury into account with the treatment of this one.

“I think you’d still be really serious about it if it was your first time for any player, but since it’s not for myself, the level of urgency probably goes up a little bit,” Toews said. “It’s happened before and you see how often it happens with players around the League. You’ve got to be smart about it. You want to make sure I’m 100 percent when I come back [and] that I’m reducing the risk of it ever happening again. It takes a lot of discipline to do that right now, since it’s exciting to be back on the ice and you want to start playing right away.”

Just how much discipline has it taken for Toews to stay out of the lineup to rest? A lot, evidently.

“I sit here and watch the guys play,” Toews said. “I feel that I could easily be out there, but I’ve just got to get rid of those little things, I guess. I thought about a week or week-and-a-half ago that I’d be playing by now, but I think that might be the most frustrating thing and most difficult thing right now that I am back on the ice [practicing]. It’s up to me to be honest with myself and be smart about it. You learn to play through so many other things, but this might be the one thing that it’s not an intelligent thing to do, so I’ll try to be smart about it and make sure that when I’m ready to play I’ll be 100 percent and I can do it while not thinking about it at all.”

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NHL news see: Toews back on ice, return to game action uncertain.

2010 SEC title game part of S. Carolina Lt. Gov.’s resignation

Posted by John Taylor on March 9, 2012, 2:29 PM EST

SEC country sure loves itself some college football, doesn’t it?

Case in point? South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Ken Ard, who is now ex-Lt. Gov. thanks to some campaign indiscretions involving the 2010 SEC championship game.

Elected to his position in 2010, Ard has been involved in a year-long ethics scandal, one which included a five-month investigation that ultimately led to Ard being found guilty of committing 92 campaign violations. Friday morning, Ard released a statement announcing he has resigned his office, in part over how he chose to utilize campaign funds in an apparent show of support for the Gamecocks.

From WIS-TV:

Ard’s ethics trouble began shortly after he was elected in 2010. Campaign disclosure forms showed he had been using campaign funds for things like a hotel room for the 2010 SEC Championship, gas, food, meals, airfare across the country, postage, advertising, phone services, and consulting.

South Carolina, of course, played in its first-ever SEC championship game in 2010, falling to eventual national champion Auburn 56-17 in the Georgia Dome Dec. 4. Obviously, Ard’s expenditures on USC football were just a sliver of what cost the pol his post, but he has taken full responsibility for all that led to his political downfall, for what it’s worth.

“During my campaign, it was my responsibility to make sure things were done correctly. I did not do that,” Ard said in a statement. “There are no excuses nor is there need to share blame. It is my fault that the events of the past year have taken place.”

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1. woebegong says: Mar 9, 2012 2:49 PM

   darn Lt. Gov. at least you could have insured they won against Auburn.
2. thompgk says: Mar 9, 2012 2:50 PM

   She could have just asked Cecil Newton for some money.

   #guffawI’msohilliariousnotreallyRTRobsessedwithauburn
3. rendadoll says: Mar 9, 2012 2:52 PM

   It is really sad that politicians do not stop and think about things when they are getting involved with Expert Gambling entities, and lobbing groups.

   But, if he did what he is alleged to have done? Then he did the right thing by resigning.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more college football news see: 2010 SEC title game part of S. Carolina Lt. Gov.’s resignation.

Move to Superdome being mulled for ’13 S.Miss-Nebraska game

Posted by John Taylor on March 4, 2012, 12:32 PM EST

Scheduled for Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, the 2013 Southern Miss-Nebraska non-conference game could be headed to a facility with a slightly larger capacity – for fans and for dollars.

At a town hall meeting with fans and boosters Thursday, Southern Miss interim athletic director Jeff Hammond told the assembled throng that discussions are under way about the possibility of moving that game to the Superdome in New Orleans. While the discussions are very preliminary in nature, the possibility of a financial windfall makes it likely those discussions will continue.

“We’re exploring our options to see where we can make the most in terms of revenue relative to expenditures.,” Hammond said according to the Hattiesburg American. “It’s good business. We’re not going to sit back. It’s good business and we’re going to create some options.”

And print some money, relatively speaking. The American notes that Southern Miss cleared $ 400,000 when NU visited in 2003; a game at the Superdome would bring in $ 1.2-$ 1.5 million for the athletic department after expenses.

New Orleans is roughly two hours away from Hattiesburg, so Golden Eagles fans wouldn’t be put out too much drive-wise if a move came to fruition.

It’s highly unlikely the Cornhuskers would have any objections to such a move, either. Roberts Stadium seats in the neighborhood of 36,000, while the Superdome can hold upwards of 76,000. Given the fact that the NU faithful travel as well as any fan base in the country, selling additional tickets should be little problem and would likely result in the look and feel of a Cornhuskers home game on Bourbon Street.

While Hammond has yet to have direct talks with his NU counterpart, Tom Osborne, about a move, the school’s official stance at this time is it would be very open to a change in venue.

“Anything would be in the preliminary stages right now,” Jeff Jamrog, NU’s assistant athletic director for football, told the Omaha World Herald. “But I would think it would be something that we would be interested in looking long and hard at.”

Permalink 5 Comments Latest Stories in: Big Ten Conference, Conference USA, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Rumor Mill, Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Top Posts

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1. tigersgeaux says: Mar 4, 2012 12:47 PM

   Bienvenue a Louisiane!

   The more the merrier!

   The Sugar Bowl, BCS NCG, March Madness…and it continues…

   Hope our neighbors to the right and the Cornhuskers will agree and play in the Dome. They will really enjoy the trip, the sights of New Orleans and…of course…the food!
2. tuckfexas says: Mar 4, 2012 12:52 PM

   Good idea. At least New Orleans has an airport, paved roads & electricity.
3. normtide says: Mar 4, 2012 1:12 PM

   Great idea. Top to bottom, from the venue to the atmosphere to the sights, the Superdome is by far the South’s best big game location.
4. thraiderskin says: Mar 4, 2012 2:56 PM

   that really sounds like a cool idea, not just for the fans, but both teams.
5. bender4700 says: Mar 4, 2012 3:21 PM

   With me having family outside New Orleans (one of the biggest Husker fans ever), I’d certainly be down to travel down there and watch this game.

   I think that place would be real red. Give many Husker fans a reason for a New Orleans vacation at the end of the hot midwestern summer.

   What a great idea. Good for both schools.

   GBR!

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more college football news see: Move to Superdome being mulled for ’13 S.Miss-Nebraska game.

Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens caught three passes for 53 yards and three touchdowns in his Indoor Football League debut on Saturday.

Owens’ Allen Wranglers won 50-30 against the Wichita Wild in the Wranglers’ largest crowd ever, according to ESPNDallas.com.

Owens said he thought he “did all right” but that the team should have scored more.

“I’ve always prided myself on being a playmaker, whether it’s [in] this league or the NFL,” Owens told the website.

Owens joined the Wranglers as a player and co-owner after being unable to catch on with an NFL team last season while recovering from a torn ACL. The 38-year-old receiver spent 15 years in the NFL with five teams.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NFL news see: Former NFL star Owens scores 3 TDs in first IFL game.

FSU says it could lose at least $ 2.5 million on lost WVU game

Posted by Ben Kercheval on February 20, 2012, 12:01 PM EST

When West Virginia cancelled its 2012 non-conference game against Florida State in anticipation of departing the Big East for the Big 12, FSU athletic director, Randy Spetman, told the Orlando Sentinel the move could result in litigation against WVU because the withdrawal was so close to the upcoming season.

“We have the buyout [$ 500,000], there’s that, and then there will be whatever liquidated damages,” Spetman said. “If we aren’t able to find another team, that’s what we’re going to have to look at. You’re talking about a lot of money.”

“A lot of money” could be anywhhere from an estimated $ 2.5 million to $ 3.5 million.

Florida State associate athletic director Elliott Finebloom told ESPN’s Sports Business blogger Kristi Dosh that FSU will probably lose around $ 2.5 million in ticket sales alone, not including season ticket sales, from the cancelled WVU game. Finebloom added it could cost the school another $ 1 million to bring an opponent into Tallahassee; FSU apparently isn’t willing to sacrifice a seventh home game in order to fill out their schedule.

“Seven home games is something every business in town counts on, from hotels to restaurants,” Finebloom said. “People think it’s about the athletic department wanting to make more money, but we have a responsibility to area businesses who count on seven home games.”

The Sentinel reported earlier this month that FSU had reached out to schools like Oklahoma, with whom FSU had just finished a home-and-home series, and Texas A&M to fill the slot left vacant by WVU. OU has filled out its schedule and A&M opted for two 1-AA opponents in Sam Houston State and South Carolina State to complete its 2012 lineup. The Aggies will also get Arkansas at home this year before returning that game to Dallas in 2014.

As for FSU, some of you have clamored for a Boise State or Big East option since they have scheduling slots available. Boise has been rumored to be looking for a way to get in the Big East by this upcoming season. Still, that would leave one spot open on the schedule of some Big East teams.

One thing’s clear: WVU’s departure put plenty of schools in an unfavorable scheduling bind.

Permalink 9 Comments Latest Stories in: Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East Conference, Florida State Seminoles, Rumor Mill, Top Posts, West Virginia Mountaineers

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1. thraiderskin says: Feb 20, 2012 12:11 PM

   Well that sucks for FSU. On a side note, why wouldn’t the Big 12 consider bringing Boise State into the fold, is that not a viable option? For some reason that makes more sense to me than WVU.
2. canetic says: Feb 20, 2012 12:12 PM

   I guess some of their players are going to have to take a pay cut
3. jimmy53 says: Feb 20, 2012 12:36 PM

   Canetic, are you a Miami fan making fun of FSU players being paid? Now that’s the funniest crap I’ve heard all day!!! Enjoy the sanctions~
4. woebegong says: Feb 20, 2012 12:40 PM

   That’s why it they call it an escape clause. If WVU paid the half a million bucks, are they really obligated beyond that. The timing isn’t perfect, but it took that long due to the Big east messing around with them, so they evidently, didn’t have much choice. I am sure there are still a few top schools willing to go play them. Either way, they have to fill out the schedule, so there is not a lot of choice with that.
5. drummerhoff says: Feb 20, 2012 12:42 PM

   One thing’s clear: Missouri’s departure put plenty of schools in an unfavorable scheduling bind.
6. tr975 says: Feb 20, 2012 12:47 PM

   “…A&M opted for two 1-AA opponents in Sam Houston State and South Carolina State to complete its 2012 lineup.”

   And with that, it can be said that Texas A&M has truly joined the SEC.
7. indywvu says: Feb 20, 2012 12:52 PM

   Glad to see that while many around college football feel WVU isn’t worth a damn, at least FSU can put a number on it.

   Need proof of what people think about WVU? Someone saying that Boise State would have been a better option for the Big 12 than WVU.
8. tr975 says: Feb 20, 2012 12:59 PM

   indywvu says:

   Glad to see that while many around college football feel WVU isn’t worth a damn, at least FSU can put a number on it.

   Need proof of what people think about WVU? Someone saying that Boise State would have been a better option for the Big 12 than WVU.
   - -
   When all of this conference shuffling began, I was hoping that the Big 10 would have been able to entice West Virginia and Notre Dame into joining, getting the conference to 14 teams. I think it would have been a good fit.
9. indywvu says: Feb 20, 2012 1:20 PM

   I would have loved that, since I’m a WVU alum in Indianapolis. However, the Big 10/11/12 maintains that it’s as much about academics as sports and apparently WVU’s academics just don’t match up.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more college football news see: FSU says it could lose at least .5 million on lost WVU game.

FSU says it could lose at least $ 2.5 million on lost WVU game

Posted by Ben Kercheval on February 20, 2012, 12:01 PM EST

When West Virginia cancelled its 2012 non-conference game against Florida State in anticipation of departing the Big East for the Big 12, FSU athletic director, Randy Spetman, told the Orlando Sentinel the move could result in litigation against WVU because the withdrawal was so close to the upcoming season.

“We have the buyout [$ 500,000], there’s that, and then there will be whatever liquidated damages,” Spetman said. “If we aren’t able to find another team, that’s what we’re going to have to look at. You’re talking about a lot of money.”

“A lot of money” could be anywhhere from an estimated $ 2.5 million to $ 3.5 million.

Florida State associate athletic director Elliott Finebloom told ESPN’s Sports Business blogger Kristi Dosh that FSU will probably lose around $ 2.5 million in ticket sales alone, not including season ticket sales, from the cancelled WVU game. Finebloom added it could cost the school another $ 1 million to bring an opponent into Tallahassee; FSU apparently isn’t willing to sacrifice a seventh home game in order to fill out their schedule.

“Seven home games is something every business in town counts on, from hotels to restaurants,” Finebloom said. “People think it’s about the athletic department wanting to make more money, but we have a responsibility to area businesses who count on seven home games.”

The Sentinel reported earlier this month that FSU had reached out to schools like Oklahoma, with whom FSU had just finished a home-and-home series, and Texas A&M to fill the slot left vacant by WVU. OU has filled out its schedule and A&M opted for two 1-AA opponents in Sam Houston State and South Carolina State to complete its 2012 lineup. The Aggies will also get Arkansas at home this year before returning that game to Dallas in 2014.

As for FSU, some of you have clamored for a Boise State or Big East option since they have scheduling slots available. Boise has been rumored to be looking for a way to get in the Big East by this upcoming season. Still, that would leave one spot open on the schedule of some Big East teams.

One thing’s clear: WVU’s departure put plenty of schools in an unfavorable scheduling bind.

Permalink 9 Comments Latest Stories in: Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East Conference, Florida State Seminoles, Rumor Mill, Top Posts, West Virginia Mountaineers

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1. thraiderskin says: Feb 20, 2012 12:11 PM

   Well that sucks for FSU. On a side note, why wouldn’t the Big 12 consider bringing Boise State into the fold, is that not a viable option? For some reason that makes more sense to me than WVU.
2. canetic says: Feb 20, 2012 12:12 PM

   I guess some of their players are going to have to take a pay cut
3. jimmy53 says: Feb 20, 2012 12:36 PM

   Canetic, are you a Miami fan making fun of FSU players being paid? Now that’s the funniest crap I’ve heard all day!!! Enjoy the sanctions~
4. woebegong says: Feb 20, 2012 12:40 PM

   That’s why it they call it an escape clause. If WVU paid the half a million bucks, are they really obligated beyond that. The timing isn’t perfect, but it took that long due to the Big east messing around with them, so they evidently, didn’t have much choice. I am sure there are still a few top schools willing to go play them. Either way, they have to fill out the schedule, so there is not a lot of choice with that.
5. drummerhoff says: Feb 20, 2012 12:42 PM

   One thing’s clear: Missouri’s departure put plenty of schools in an unfavorable scheduling bind.
6. tr975 says: Feb 20, 2012 12:47 PM

   “…A&M opted for two 1-AA opponents in Sam Houston State and South Carolina State to complete its 2012 lineup.”

   And with that, it can be said that Texas A&M has truly joined the SEC.
7. indywvu says: Feb 20, 2012 12:52 PM

   Glad to see that while many around college football feel WVU isn’t worth a damn, at least FSU can put a number on it.

   Need proof of what people think about WVU? Someone saying that Boise State would have been a better option for the Big 12 than WVU.
8. tr975 says: Feb 20, 2012 12:59 PM

   indywvu says:

   Glad to see that while many around college football feel WVU isn’t worth a damn, at least FSU can put a number on it.

   Need proof of what people think about WVU? Someone saying that Boise State would have been a better option for the Big 12 than WVU.
   - -
   When all of this conference shuffling began, I was hoping that the Big 10 would have been able to entice West Virginia and Notre Dame into joining, getting the conference to 14 teams. I think it would have been a good fit.
9. indywvu says: Feb 20, 2012 1:20 PM

   I would have loved that, since I’m a WVU alum in Indianapolis. However, the Big 10/11/12 maintains that it’s as much about academics as sports and apparently WVU’s academics just don’t match up.

MySportNews іѕ a sports news digest publication that compiles real time, on demand sports news, articles, аnd resources. This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more college football news see: FSU says it could lose at least .5 million on lost WVU game.

Aggies, Hogs moving game to campus for two years

Posted by Ben Kercheval on February 18, 2012, 11:01 PM EST

When Texas A&M made the official move to the SEC last fall, the Aggies knew they would have to adjust the non-conference game with Arkansas, which is now an annual SEC West game.

For the past three seasons, the two have met in Dallas at Cowboys Stadium. For the next two years, however, the game will be held on campus, according to multiple reports out of both College Station and Fayetteville.

Arkansas will visit A&M this season with the Aggies going to Fayetteville in 2013. After that, the game will be relocated back to Dallas to finish up seven years on the contract the two signed when it was a non-conference game.

The move gives A&M six home games this season, and given how quickly things moved with the Aggies’ conference shift, each side has to make sure they’re going to get at least six home games until they can get their non-conference schedule figured out over the next few years.

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1. mrslay1 says: Feb 18, 2012 11:17 PM

   Coming of of the gate these aggies show they have NO CLASS. Make a contract with Jerry World when it’s good for them and then chicken out break the contract. No guts… no glory… no honor and no class. Guess they are taking lessions from irsay. I hope Jerry Jones sues their a$ $ off!!!
2. saints97 says: Feb 18, 2012 11:21 PM

   You mean the same Jerry Jones that told them they’d get $ 5 million a year and then gave them less than 3 last year?
3. mrslay1 says: Feb 19, 2012 12:05 AM

   They got the same payout as the Razorbacks and did not guaranty that in the contract. They loved the deal until they got lucky enough to play in the SEC. It will be more fun kicking their butt in college station anyway.
4. saints97 says: Feb 19, 2012 12:15 AM

   There are also recruiting reasons to play it as a home and home. The SEC does not allow recruits to attend neutral site conference games.

   But mostly this is just a temporary fix because the bind that A&M is in with scheduling. Obviously Jones and his alma mater agreed to two year hiatus. I do not think is a big deal at all.
5. mrslay1 says: Feb 19, 2012 1:33 AM

   I understand your point. It was just not a good thing for Arkansas who went into this deal for the promotional benefit and for recruiting. Getting to tell a player that he would get to play in Jerry world every year was a BIG bonus for Arkansas. Had this been decided by a&m earlier, Arkansas could have found another team who would have loved to play a game there. I would bet most any team in the country would have loved to play a team like Arkansas there (maybe Florida state) if they were given enough time. This did hurt Arkansas, and helped a&m and therefore not a honorable thing to do. I would hope the Hogs find someone else to play there next year and in the future. This is a bonus game for anyone and a&m does not deserve it!

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