Recapping a wild week: The Shedeur Sanders controversy, new NCAA rule on faking injuries, portal madness, key court case and more
The first week of the offseason the first week with no football or basketball competition since the middle of August was anything but quiet across the college sports landscape If you missed any news worry not The Hotline is here to help with a recap of five vital events impacting Pac- legacy schools Retirement disagreement Insufficient developments generated more reaction this week than Colorado s decision to retire the numbers of quarterback Shedeur Sanders and receiver cornerback Travis Hunter at the spring encounter Saturday afternoon Hunter s honor is justifiable in that he won the Heisman Trophy but the move to retire Sanders number is a preposterous act of nepotism that has understandably outraged CU players and fans alike Sanders did not win a conference title bowl championship or major individual award during his two years in Boulder Meanwhile the Buffaloes have yet to retire former quarterback Darian Hagan s number and all he did was win a National Player of the Year award and the national championship But Sanders shares a last name with CU s head coach If his last name wasn t Sanders we wouldn t have this discussion Deion Sanders explained during an attempt to justify the decision that unwittingly proved the point of so a great number of critics Deion Sanders also noted that every jersey I darn near played in is retired That s true with the exception of every NFL club he played for Facts can be so darn pesky The cost of faking injuries The NCAA on Wednesday communicated a rule change aimed at curtailing the practice of feigning injuries to slow the opponent s momentum According to the new rule which was drafted by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel If the sportsman presents as injured after the ball is spotted by the officiating crew for the next play that competitor s organization will be charged a timeout If the band does not have any timeouts remaining a -yard delay-of-game penalty will be assessed The NCAA noted that faking injuries has been a topic of discussion in latest years It doesn t happen often not nearly as often as controversial targeting or pass interference decisions but when it does the reaction is intense While the greater part fans view Mississippi as the chief offender teams from coast-to-coast have been accused of the practice over the years Transfer portal chaos We couldn t possibly capture the full impact of transfer portal comings and goings this week in football and men s basketball but a meager moves are worth noting UCLA is considered a frontrunner for former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava who attempted to renegotiate a communicated million NIL deal with the Contributors but overplayed his hand Coach Josh Heupel cut Iamaleava loose and the Southern California native could end up earning less money especially given changes in cost-of-living Cal lost starting tailback Jadyn Ott and backup Jaivian Thomas along with tight end Jake Endries following the conclusion of spring practice Don t blame NIL support or lack thereof for the triple whammy Instead blame the departure of popular assistant Aristotle Thompson and the arrival of offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin who is not known for being a players coach Washington s basketball initiative continued to upgrade its rotation as guard Wesley Yates III who started his career with UW but spent the - season at USC declared he would return to Seattle A inadequate days later the Huskies landed Indiana transfer Bryson Tucker Add a collection of blue-chip high school recruits to the roster and coach Danny Sprinkle has secured a stellar class of newcomers that should allow UW to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid next season Courtroom fight The Hotline is typically wary of diving deep into the weeds on legal matters several fans have limited or zero interest But an eligibility lawsuit in New Jersey is worth watching as Rutgers safety Jett Elad challenges the NCAA s five-year competition window Related Articles Mailbag Schedule issues for the Big Ten s western wing Pac- media rights hope Big Sky expansion WSU and Cal roster moves Recruiting The Iamaleava impact Washington State s roster remake and Cal s rough week How Deion Sanders proposal helps solve one of college football s biggest problems Big commissioner Brett Yormark doubles down on hoops as media strategy NCAA chaos Antitrust lawsuits transfer portal could create nightmares U S District Judge Zahid N Quraishi reported Wednesday that he will issue a ruling the week of April - on the episode If Elad is granted an injunction the NCAA would be prevented from enforcing the five-year window In other words athletes could take six years to play four seasons or eight years to play four From there it could be a matter of time before the four-year eligibility rule is challenged in court Elad seemingly has a good chance to win Quraishi was hostile to the NCAA in previous cases according to college sports legal expert Sam Ehrlich Basketball showdown Arizona and Connecticut communicated a home-and-home series that will begin next season in Storrs with the return battle in Tucson a year later Both matchups are set for the middle of November The Wildcats are scheduled to play UCLA next season as well And Alabama And Auburn It s a fabulous lineup for the players and fans But when Arizona s non-conference schedule is combined with the rigorous Big slate we wonder if the Wildcats are erring on the side of aggression After all they played games last season that qualified as Quadrant I matchups far more than the average played by teams that received No and seeds in the NCAAs Losses impact NCAA Tournament seeding and every seed line matters Send suggestions comments and tips confidentiality guaranteed to wilnerhotline bayareanewsgroup com or call - 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