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News Nuggets, 12.26.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Tulane rewards Scelfo with contract extension

NEW ORLEANS — Tulane football coach Chris Scelfo received a contract extension through 2009, his reward for winning more games at the school than any football coach in more than a half-century.

Scelfo has an overall record of just 31-40 in six seasons at Tulane. Hut his 31 wins are tied for fourth most in school history and are the most by a Green Wave coach since Henry Frnka won that many from 1946-51.

Tulane was 5-6 this season, failing to earn a bowl trip for the second straight season. Scelfo is the only coach to win two bowl games with the Green Wave.

Athletic director Rick Dickson announced the contract extension on Friday. Details of the contract were not disclosed.

Big Ten pushes for instant replay for all of I-A

CHICAGO — The Big Ten's experiment with instant replay went so well the conference is asking the NCAA to approve its use on a permanent basis for all of Division I-A.

The Big Ten hopes its proposal will be heard by the NCAA Football Rules Committee at its February meeting. If instant replay can't be approved for widespread use in time for next season, the Big Ten is also asking the NCAA for a one-year extension for its system, and to allow other conferences to experiment with it in 2005.

``It's our understanding that the request for more permanent change may require a more lengthy process of review in the NCAA governance system,'' Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said Thursday. ``We wanted to make sure we didn't lose the opportunity to continue the experiment in the event the NCAA process is elongated.''

There seems to be widespread interest in instant replay, Delany said. He's had ``reasonably lengthy'' conversations with seven or eight other conference commissioners, and he thinks most would explore it further if the NCAA gives the OK.

Delany hasn't gotten any indication of what way the rules committee will vote, but he's optimistic.

``I think with this information, this data, the cost basis, the support by coaches and administrators, that provides some real momentum,'' Delany said. ``I don't want to speak for how they might look at this, but it seems to me the proof and the information developed from this experiment is going to be hard to rebut. That's my observation.''

Kent Barrett, spokesman for the NCAA, said the organization wouldn't have a reaction until the matter works its way through the legislative process.

The NCAA gave the Big Ten permission to experiment with instant replay for all of its televised games at conference stadiums last season. Under the Big Ten's system, a technical adviser watched the game from the press box and notified officials on the field via pager if he saw something questionable. Play was halted while the adviser reviewed the call using video from the television feed.

Calls could be overturned only if there was ``indisputable video evidence,'' and only calls like scoring plays, pass plays and number of players on the field could be reviewed. Hard fouls such as blocks in the back and facemasks, and some other judgment calls like false starts were not eligible for review.

The Big Ten said replay was used in 28 of the 57 games last season. Of the 43 calls questioned, 21 were overturned.

Games where instant replay was used were three minutes longer on average, with reviews taking an average of 2 minutes and 39 seconds.

Big Ten officials did tweak the system twice. After Wisconsin's season opener was delayed for nearly five minutes for a review that only resulted in a 1-yard change, officials were told to use common sense when deciding which calls to review.

``Did we need to take four-and-a-half minutes to find the right spot?'' said Dave Parry, the Big Ten's coordinator of football officials. ``That's the issue that we wanted to address, to make sure we weren't shutting down plays and taking time for things that really weren't important at all.''

The Big Ten also came up with standard terminology to avoid any confusion in communication.

One thing the Big Ten won't do is give coaches challenges like NFL's instant replay allows.

``To be honest with you, I think this works for us better,'' Delany said. ``Others may find a better mousetrap and we'll learn from that, but we're pretty comfortable with where we are.''

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

Page Updated: 02/23/2007 12:07 PM