Rock on: BYU basketball in league of its own?

CHURCH BALL

Seven basketball schools are leaving the Big East to form their own conference. DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova say that becoming the "Catholic 7" is necessary to remain strong.

Rock On sources say if BYU doesn't join a football conference, it will create a "Mormon 6" hoops league that includes itself, Southern Virginia, BYU-Hawaii, BYU-Idaho, LDS Business College and the South Jordan Glenmoor Stake All-Stars.

The tricky part will be rounding up the volunteer refs.

FOOD-O-RAMA

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl officials tossed spuds into the crowd at the end of this year's 41-15 rout by Utah State.

Considering there's also a Little Caesars Bowl, a Chick-fil-A, a Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl and a Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, why not skip the football next year and have a food fight?

TASTE TEST

Jabari Parker, considered one of the top two basketball recruits in the nation, will announce on Thursday his choice of colleges.

Parker is expected to choose between Duke and Michigan State, though BYU is on his list of five finalists.

Due to NCAA rules, BYU can't comment on Parker, though it did seem suspicious when concessions workers began pasting "Jabari Juice" tags on the soda spigots.

APOCALYPSE NOW

Omaha World-Herald columnist Brad Dickson on the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl featuring Ball State and Central Florida: "According to the Mayan calendar, the world will end on this day. Which means Ball State vs. UCF could be the last football game ever played. Naw, I'm still skipping it."

EARLY COMMITMENT

At his introductory press conference at Colorado, football coach Mike MacIntyre pointed to his wife, Trisha, and said, "Looking at her, you can definitely tell I can recruit."

Maybe, but did he really have to insist on her signing a letter of intent?

FRIENDLY PERSUASION

Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice has been suspended three games and fined $50,000 for reportedly cursing and intimidating players during practices.

Sources say former Jazz players call that sort of thing a "Jerry Sloan meet 'n' greet."

SAFE ZONE

St. Louis receiver Danny Amendola spiked the ball after a touchdown on Sunday, but it ricocheted and nailed an usher, knocking off his glasses.

Moments later the Kansas City Chiefs issued a news release saying their ushers need not worry, no one has been in their end zone in weeks.

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