COLLEGE FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : Alabama Gets Key Victories in Appeal

Alabama’s football program won two key elements of its appeal of NCAA sanctions Thursday, and Coach Gene Stallings ended weeks of speculation by saying he will return next year.

But the NCAA infractions appeals committee refused to overturn a bowl ban this season, meaning No. 21 Alabama (8-3) won’t make a postseason appearance for the first time since 1984.

The panel sided with Alabama on two issues the school considered more important: It agreed to eliminate a third year of probation and restored nine scholarships. Because of Alabama’s corrective action, the committee said, the third year of probation and the loss of nine scholarships were “excessive and inappropriate.”

It was the first major victory for any school in the three years since the NCAA formed the panel. The Crimson Tide, however, will still lose 17 scholarships through the next two years, a penalty the team could feel into the next century.

The appeals committee action did not affect findings by the NCAA Infractions Committee concerning former player Antonio Langham’s dealings with an agent and bank loans obtained by former player Gene Jelks. But the committee vacated another primary ruling against Alabama: that former faculty athletics representative Tom Jones acted unethically by trying to mislead the organization about the status of Langham.

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All-American wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson was named USC’s most valuable player at its awards banquet at the Biltmore Hotel. Safety Sammy Knight received the Bob Chandler Award for the underclassman with outstanding athletic ability, academic achievement and character, and running back Terry Barnum won three awards, including most inspirational player.

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Junior tailback Karim Abdul-Jabbar and senior offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, and junior outside linebacker Abdul McCullough were named offensive and defensive winners of UCLA’s Henry R. (Red) Sanders Award for most valuable player at the football awards banquet at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

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Texas Christian sophomore Michael Reeder, who made 23 of 25 field-goal attempts and all 20 of his extra-point tries, won the fourth annual Lou Groza Award, which goes to the nation’s best kicker.