COLLEGE FOOTBALL / GENE WOJCIECHOWSKI : Association Wary of FTC Complaint

Remember the name, James P. Timony.

The administrative law judge has been assigned the case involving the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint against the College Football Assn. and its new television contract with Capital Cities/ABC, which also owns ESPN.

The FTC charges, among other things, that the CFA, which includes 63 Division I-A schools, and Capital Cities would partly control the number of college games seen on television and also act as an illegal cartel. If proved true, the CFA and Capital Cities will be in violation of antitrust law.

In short, the FTC, which conducted an 18-month investigation into the matter, says that if the new contract is allowed to stand, the CFA and Capital Cities will enjoy a monopolistic arrangement. The FTC wants the five-year, $300-million contract between the two organizations nullified.

In Oklahoma City, the law firm of Crowe & Dunlevy, recently retained by the CFA, prepares for a Nov. 13 pretrial conference with FTC officials and Timony. The trial, which could destroy the CFA as a major player in the television negotiation business, is scheduled to begin May 13, 1991.

“We’re very positive that our plan will be found legal,” said Chuck Neinas, CFA executive director.

Added Sam Jankovich, University of Miami athletic director: “Anybody who wishes the FTC wins that suit, there’s something wrong with him.”

The CFA contends that college football telecasts have increased, from 76 in 1983 (the final year of the NCAA’s ill-fated network contract), to 236 in 1988. That number includes national, regional, local and pay-per-view games.

If the CFA contract is voided, the possible ramifications are many. For starters, the FTC also may file complaints against conferences that have negotiated exclusive deals with networks. Or, it could signal the beginning of an every-school-for-itself mentality, a la Notre Dame. One thing is sure: The CFA would be rendered virtually powerless.

The absurd quote of the week comes from Colorado Coach Bill McCartney. McCartney’s team squeaked past Missouri, 33-31, last Saturday, thanks to the ineptitude of seven on-field game officials, none of whom noticed that Colorado was granted a fifth down on the Tiger one-yard line.

With the extra down and two seconds remaining, Buffalo quarterback Charles Johnson scored the winning touchdown.

Asked later if he would consider forfeiting the victory, McCartney said: “If I felt like Missouri had out-played us under fair conditions and we were inadvertently given an extra play at the end, I’d have to meet with my squad and coaches and really search my heart to consider if we shouldn’t forfeit the game. But I don’t feel like that.”

Missouri had more first downs, 18-16; more yards passing, 326-151; and the same number of fumbles lost--one. Colorado had the edge in rushing yardage, 330-87; return yardage, 108-5; and time of possession, 33:41-26:19. If Missouri didn’t outplay Colorado, it came close.

McCartney also argued that the artificial turf at Missouri’s Faurot Field was too slick and that Tiger players had an unfair advantage, since they knew how to play on the stuff without slipping. Huh?

According to Jeff Bollig, information director of the Big Eight Conference, McCartney has never registered a complaint about the field’s surface in years past. To use it as an excuse for keeping a tainted victory is shameful.

McCartney, who speaks of restoring integrity and pride to Colorado football, had an opportunity to do the right thing. Instead, he took the cheap victory and hid behind slippery turf.

The next NCAA convention isn’t until January in Nashville, Tenn., but already there is talk of widespread changes in the business of football.

Miami’s Jankovich said cost-cutting measures probably will include a restructuring of coaching staffs, a 5% cut in the number of available scholarships and a reduction in the time and money spent on player recruitment.

“We do think it’s time to have some reform,” Jankovich said. “We do think it’s time to have some cost reduction.”

As for the issue of athletic dormitories and training tables, don’t look for the athletic directors to be in such a compromising mood. They want the decision to have an athletic dormitory or training table left to the school.

If Arkansas (2-2) loses any more, the Southeastern Conference may be tempted to change its mind and withdraw its invitation to the Razorbacks. The supposedly strong Arkansas team has lost to Mississippi and surprising Texas Christian, which is 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Southwest Conference.

Southwest Conference presidents passed a rule last week that will make partial academic qualifiers ineligible for athletics as long as they are in the conference.

A partial qualifier is someone who has passed only one of two NCAA requirements--at least a 700 SAT score or a 2.0 grade-point average in core curriculum courses. Under NCAA rules, that person is ineligible during the freshman season but can resume play for the remaining three years of eligibility.

The presidents are having the rule checked by lawyers.

The famed “12th Man” kickoff unit at Texas A&M; finally failed. Formed eight seasons ago, the kickoff team includes walk-on players exclusively. It had never allowed a touchdown until Saturday, when Texas Tech’s Rodney Blackshear returned a kickoff 92 yards for a score.

If it’s any consolation, Texas A&M; overcame a 13-7 halftime deficit and beat the Red Raiders, 28-24.

High-strung Miami Coach Dennis Erickson, a self-avowed Maalox addict, celebrated last Saturday’s 31-22 victory over then-No. 2-ranked Florida State with an impromptu dance atop a locker room table. A month ago, Erickson had warned the Hurricanes that embarrassing displays of celebration would be grounds for benching.

Since his own performance was done in the locker room, Erickson said he doesn’t qualify for disciplinary action. However, several of his players suggested, Erickson might want to work on his moves.

“The dance definitely wasn’t ‘Club MTV’ material,” Miami offensive tackle Mike Sullivan told the Miami Herald. “It had a little rhythm in it, though. A little.”

Coach David McWilliams of Texas has been accused of allowing too many of the state’s blue-chip high school players to go to Oklahoma. The Sooners have 43 players from Texas, 35 from Oklahoma. . . . Undefeated Georgia Tech hasn’t allowed a touchdown in four games. . . . Don’t be fooled by Indiana. The Hoosiers (4-0) have yet to play Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois.

Our top 10: (1) Michigan, (2) Virginia, (3) Oklahoma, (4) Miami, (5) Auburn, (6) Nebraska, (7) Tennessee, (8) Florida, (9) Notre Dame, (10) USC.

Our waiting list: Florida State, Houston, Brigham Young, Georgia Tech, Washington.