They say in public relations and media classes in school that if you want to release some negative news the best time to release it is Friday afternoon. That may not be quite the case it once was with the Internet and social networking, but that's exactly what Oregon did Friday night. The University of Oregon admitted to a failure to properly monitor recruiting procedures and the use of recruiting services.

It has been a while since anyone has really mentioned the name Willie Lyles, but with Oregon admitting some wrongdoing we'll start hearing the name a lot more now. Copies of the NCAA's statement of proposed findings of violations was obtained by multiple media outlets Friday following a records request through the freedom of information act. Adam Jude reports (via Twitter) that the university paid $45,245 to "at least three" recruiting services between 2008 and 2011. These recruiting services "did not conform to NCAA legislation."

One thing we constantly hear about athletes (more so professional than college) is that they “don’t stand for anything.” Guys like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and LeBron James have made millions of dollars crafting quaint images of themselves... that are almost always devoid on stances on any important social issues such as politics, race, and foreign affairs. No one is blaming any of those three per se, but it is a complaint heard often.

And it’s because of that, why we need to credit University of Virginia walk-on safety Joseph Williams. The sophomore has taken a stand on an issue which he felt strongly about, and has then put his money where his mouth is in support of it.

Teams from all over the nation are firing up their spring practices within the next few weeks and kicking off their on the field preperation for the 2012 season. Sure, they've already hit their winter conditioning hard to start their championship push but now, when the pads go on, comes the hard work to crack a depth chart and put a team together that can be successful in the fall.

Being the fine group of folks that we are here at Crystal Ball Run we're not only going to do quick capsuls on some of the nation's more intriguing spring situations but we've also put together this Spring Ball FAQ for folks. Get some quick education about the process, how and why it is important and what actually goes on when your teams take the field for this spring semester work.

How many practices does the NCAA allow?

15. That's it. You get 15 days of on the field work. Space them out as you see fit. Most spring breaks fall somewhere in the spring schedule so be conscious of how your team works around the week off from everything.
How long are they?

It's a normal practice so about an hour and a half to two hours on average. Teams flex, do position specific drills then go through the well worn paces of 9 on 7 run drills, one on one pass drills, 7 on 7 pass drills, man on man rush drills, special teams period and wrap it all up with the bow that is team period.

In the wake of two years' worth of press coverage of petty bickering and back-biting, Big 12 interim commissioner and professional coaching rainmaker Chuck Neinas says the conference is preparing a new media blitz to replace the quickly outdated "How We Play" campaign that still features turncoats Missouri and Texas A&M.

CBR managed to obtain footage of the new video spot, and although we can't publish it here, we were allowed to publish the script.

Camp Opens: Feb. 27
Spring Game: April 14

After enjoying back-to-back trips to BCS bowl games, Stanford will have to replace quarterback Andrew Luck, the best quarterback in school history (yes, I know John Elway and Jim Plunkett once played in Palo Alto).

The Cardinal also lost two potential first-round picks on the offensive line in David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin. So Stanford has some of the biggest holes to fill in the Pac-12 and maybe in the nation.

This is the second of many future Spring Practice Primers to come. It all started with the Texas Longhorns.

Stability Factor (1 = chaos; 5 = rock solid): 3

Stanford may have some glaring weaknesses right now, the Cardinal will not lose their identity as a ground-and-pound program. The offensive line is still loaded with experienced players, including Sam Schwartzstein back at center. His knowledge of the offense might make the loss of Luck a bit more bearable. The line also has Cameron Fleming, David Yankey and Kevin Danser.

Luck's ability to read defenses and his ability to run as well, made the Stanford run game that much more effective. But don't overlook the abilities of Stepfan Taylor and Tyler Gaffney. no comments

Across the wire today we found out that Randy Edsall has finally agreed, thanks in part to public pressure, to allow quarterback Danny O'Brien to transfer to Vanderbilt should that be the spot the rising junior quarterback wants to plant his roots. While Maryland does have the formal tampering complain logged with the ACC this does, at least for now, make it okay for the 2010 ACC rookie of the year to take his talents to Nashville.

Consider it a win for O'Brien in the short term and in general proof positive for what the college football media world can do for a kid when the axes are ground for a cause. Personally, I was not one of the axe grinders in this campaign. Not because I thought Edsall was right but because this case did not appear to be much different from most other transfer cases we've seen in recent years. The restriction itself; no ACC schools, no future ACC schools (Syracuse and Pitt) and no one on the Terps schedule for the next few years, was pretty standard. Vanderbilt was the odd school to be added to the mix but given Edsall and Kevin Anderson's shaky ground in College Park it made some sense.

If folks think it sucked for Tom O'Brien to see Russell Wilson be a Heisman candidate, lead Wisconsin to a BCS Bowl and Big Ten Championship imagine what O'Brien success at Vanderbilt would do for Edsall. His team's not very good, likely not going to a bowl in 2012 and Vanderbilt could possibly have the quarterback that he benched and the coach who could/should have been hired instead of him.

(Editor's Note: The air may still be thick with the chill of winter's last vestiges, but college football programs around the country are already gearing up for spring practices. Throughout the next few weeks, CBR will help you get a handle on what to watch as teams hit the field to work out some of the kinks. First up, the Fightin' ESPNs.)

Camp Opens: February 23
Spring Game: April 1

The 'Horns took a few steps in 2011 towards stanching the bleeding from 2010. Eight wins and a trip to the Holiday Bowl wouldn't usually fly with Burnt Orange Nation, but UT did show some signs of improvement while implementing new schemes on both sides of the ball. Starting this spring, the training wheels will have to come off if Texas intends to get back to being Texas – and Mack Brown wants to keep the wolves at bay.

Update: Just moments after posting this story, it was announced that Davonte' Neal has chosen to attend Notre Dame.

With Signing Day 2012 now nearly a month into our rearview mirror, you’d have thought that the stream of goofy recruiting stories would’ve come to a halt by now. Well friends, you thought wrong. Because as five-star recruit Davonte’ Neal showed us once again on Tuesday morning, the moment you believe you’ve seen it all, you realize that you’ve actually seen nothing at all.

Now for those of you who don’t know Neal’s story, here’s a quick rundown: The hybrid wide receiver/running back was considered one of the top high school football players in the class of 2012, and the last “big fish” left on the recruiting market. After passing up on making his decision on Signing Day, Neal was expected to choose a college on Tuesday morning, at his old elementary in Arizona. His suitors were believed to be Arizona and Notre Dame, with North Carolina and Arkansas also in the mix.

That’s what we thought we knew about Davonte’ Neal. At least until this morning, when- at the press conference to make his college decision- everyone showed up... except for Davonte’ Neal and his family. What’s worse is that as best as we can tell, there was no reason given for his non-appearance. No phone call, no apology letter, no carrier-pigeon swooping in with a note of explanation. Just a lot of angry eight-year-olds.

The Tucson Citizen’s Anthony Gimino wrapped up the strange scene this morning:

There was 35-minute program set up at his former elementary school -- Kyrene de la Esperanza, where about 600 children were pulled out of class to sit on the floor while waiting for a high school football star.

The kids ended up seeing Neal's highlight video, but not Neal, who was expected to choose between Arizona, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Arkansas.

Well, it’s safe to say one thing: There’s weird. There’s really weird. Then, there’s this.

But while only Neal truly knows why he didn’t show up Tuesday morning (maybe the line at the Burger King drive-thru was really wrong), one thing I’m hesitant to do is entirely blame Neal alone.

For an explanation why, let me give you a quick backstory:

Late in January, I had the opportunity to head down to Kentucky to take in my first game at Rupp Arena. Chances are, if you follow on me on Twitter, you probably saw me blab on about my trip non-stop for about two weeks before I actually attended the game (and by the way, if you thought my Twitter blabbing was bad, imagine dating me. Acutally, don't).

But in addition to the game itself, a funny thing happened while I was down there: Kentucky got a commitment from a local high school junior named Derek Willis. I was lucky enough to attend his announcement, and what I noticed above all was that as excited everyone was; how happy Willis’ friends and family, teachers and peers were. The problem unfortunately, was that there was one person who was noticeably uncomfortable with it all. That person? Willis himself, who looked more terrified than my dog during a lightning storm, and seemed relieved when the announcement was made and the cameras were decidedly off of him. Simply put, it seemed like everyone in the room had a great time at Derek Willis' press conference, except Derek Willis.

And really, as Signing Day approached a few weeks later, I couldn’t help but think about Willis, and wonder, why do we have all these announcements in the first place?

Look, I’ve never been one to poo-poo the process of Signing Day. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed the coverage, and frankly, these kids should have their moment in the sun if they’re so inclined. It’s obvious that some- like Isaiah Crowell on Signing Day 2011- really do enjoy the process. Frankly, if Crowell wants to hold up a bulldog puppy on national TV, I’m the last guy to tell him he shouldn’t (I only wish I were important enough to warrant the same interest).

The problem is that every kid isn’t Crowell, and not everyone embraces the moment. And too often these “celebrations” that are designed for the kids, are instead hijacked by the egotistical and self-serving adults that surround them. I’m not saying that definitively happened in Neal’s case... but it sounds like it might’ve. Gimino mentioned in the Tucson Citizen that the family had eagerly welcomed cameras and interviews in the lead-up to today’s announcement that never happened. Unfortunately, none of the people around Neal will be blamed for what happened today, as much as Neal himself.

In the end, Neal will make his decision at some point; maybe it’ll be tonight, maybe this weekend or maybe in a month. And when he does, we’ll all crack wise on the decision. We’ll also make jokes whenever Neal actually steps on the field next year; believe me, there’s some faux-comedian out there already writing his “It was nice of Neal to show up” joke for whenever and wherever he suits up in the fall of 2012. I’m not saying that’s right or wrong, just that it’s going to happen.

And when it does, it will be fair for Neal to shoulder some of that blame. When you’re a high school football star, there are already plenty of eyeballs on you. When you pull a stunt like what happened Tuesday morning, there are a lot more eyeballs. Heck, in 2008 Terrelle Pryor delayed his college decision until after Signing Day, and people still bring it up as a character attack on the kid four years later. That’s just how we are as a society.

Just remember though that with whatever happened this morning with Neal, I’m guessing he wasn’t the only one to blame. I’m guessing behind the scenes there was some adult- maybe more than one- who had as much to do with today’s no-show as the kid did.

Let’s make sure when we criticize Neal, that we’re quick to criticize the adults around him too. Ok?

For all his opinion, analysis and articles on college football, please follow Aaron Torres on Twitter.

Also, be sure to follow all the guys of Crystal Ball Run @CrystalBallRun.

Call them the "Five Stages of NCAA Investigation Grief."

A college sports scandal breaks implicating a star player on the take. Amateur Jack McCoys looking through alma mater-colored specs start trying to punch holes in the incriminating evidence with straw man arguments. Fans move on to (rightfully) bitching about the NCAA's nonsensical rules. Probation is announced. The last step is always the most pathetic: "The NCAA had it in for us."

To the surprise of no one, the latest high-profile partisan to act a fool in response to the big, bad NCAA coming down on his squad is bow-tied Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee. In a recent interview with The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper, Gee bemoaned what he views as the NCAA's overly harsh sanctions on Buckeyes football, specifically a one-year bowl ban in addition to self-imposed penalties set by the school:

"First of all, the NCAA — if we would have given up five bowl games, they would have imposed the sixth on us because they were going to impose a bowl ban. This was Ohio State. This was (the NCAA's) moment in time, and they were going to impose a bowl ban no matter what we did."

Blame Realignment. Or Derek Dooley. Or maybe Will Muschamp. Phil Fulmer? Actually, maybe it’s Lane Kiffin. Yeah, let’s just blame him.

Whoever’s to blame, history will likely be made in next year’s Tennessee-Florida game, and unfortunately it’s not the good kind. That’s because for the first time since CBS picked up SEC broadcasting rights back in 1996, it appears as though the Week 3 matchup between the Gators and Vols will not make the network’s airwaves. That’s right, it’s time to trade in Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson, for Pam Ward and Danny Kannell. Or something.

Regardless, here’s more information from the Chattanooga Times-Press:

The Southeastern Conference's new-look football schedule for 2012 may result in the end of a television staple.

Florida and Tennessee have met every year on CBS since the network became the primary broadcaster of SEC games in 1996, but that matchup has stout company this year because of the juggling that occurred when Texas A&M and Missouri joined the league. The Gators and Volunteers are playing in Knoxville on Sept. 15, which is the same day Alabama and Arkansas will vie in Fayetteville.