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News Nuggets, 09.26.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Gamecocks formally unveil "Pops" in win over Troy

COLUMBIA — ``Pops'' Frisby finally made his college football debut — at the age of 39.

Tim Frisby, the Army veteran who is a walk-on receiver for South Carolina, went in for the Gamecocks' final four plays in Saturday's 17-7 victory over Troy.

Frisby got a loud cheer from the crowd of 79,700 at Williams-Brice Stadium when he entered the game with 2:13 remaining, then lined up by himself wide to the right as the Gamecocks ran through the middle to finish things off.

When it ended, he got back slaps and pats from teammates and coaches.

``I'm just glad coach put the trust in me to go out there,'' Frisby said. ``I was glad to be part of it.''

The NCAA gave Frisby, a 20-year Army vet who retired this summer, clearance to play for the Gamecocks this week. Eligibility questions from his time at two Allentown, Pa., high schools kept him on the sideline for games against Georgia and South Florida.

Frisby was among five Gamecocks who led the rest of the team in pre-game calisthenics Saturday. He raised his helmet to the sky like his teammates during the opening kickoff. Then he stood on the sideline and watched, until making his debut at the end.

But Frisby is quite different than his teammates. He's got six children, and the oldest — who is 16 — is nearly the age of some of those teammates.

During his military career, Frisby was a Ranger-qualified member of the 82nd Airborne. He served in Desert Storm and the conflict in Kosovo.

He carries a 3.8 GPA in broadcast journalism, which he hopes to turn into a second career.

Major football, baseball changes under study

INDIANAPOLIS — NCAA football players could have five seasons of eligibility and would be allowed to transfer once without penalty if two new proposals are approved next year.

The NCAA's Championships/Competition Cabinet forwarded both measures for consideration during a 2-day meeting that ended Wednesday in Indianapolis. The committee also approved a proposal that would permit Division I-A schools to again add a 12th football game starting in 2006.

"We didn't have a significant discussion about it because the football issues committee said athletes wanted to play," said Linda Bruno, the committee chairwoman and commissioner of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

If passed by the Board of Directors, schools would receive an annual exemption for one game. Schools were awarded those exemptions each of the past two seasons. They were not available to most schools this year.

Bruno said that proposal had the full support of her committee.

The cabinet also sent along legislation that would give football players one extra season to compete instead of the four they are now permitted and would extend the one-time transfer rule to three additional sports. The committee did not vote on those measures.

Athletes who play football, basketball and hockey are now required to sit out one full year before becoming eligible at their new school. Athletes in other sports are not penalized by sitting out a year, NCAA spokesman Jeff Howard said.

The cabinet also approved new baseball guidelines. If approved, teams would not be permitted to start spring practice until Feb. 1, and games could not begin until March 1. Currently, there is no practice date set for the spring season.

If approved, the College World Series could also be moved back, ending as late as July 4. Last year's national championship ended June 28.

Bruno said the proposal is intended to change the culture of baseball.

"We think it puts everyone on a more level playing field in terms of weather," she said. "But the membership needs to decide if that's what it wants to do to make baseball a national sport."

Final votes on the measures cannot occur before April.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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