Longhorns are still college football's most valuable team: Report

Texas may be south of the Top-25 when it comes to the college football pollsters, but for the fifth straight year, the 8-and-4 Longhorns are still number one with the accountants.

The Longhorns football team is now worth $139 million, almost 20% more than any other team in the country, according to Forbes Magazine.

Texas has been college football’s most valuable team since 2009, when it took over the top-spot from  Notre Dame with a value of $119 million. The team’s unprecedented value is built on the back of the nation’s most dedicated fan base, which has helped Texas lead all schools in merchandise sales, secure the most lucrative school-specific TV deal and become the only college football team in history to cross $100 million in revenue, which the Longhorns have done for the last two seasons.

College football’s second-most valuable team in 2013 is Notre Dame, which rebounded to $117 million after suffering a down year. The 14% surge in value is mostly tied to the Fighting Irish “hosting” an additional home game (which was played in Chicago’s Soldier Field), providing support to academic programming that’s unmatched by any team in college football and qualifying for the BCS National Championship, which netted the school a unique $6.2 million payout.

Alabama has risen from sixth to third this year, with the Crimson Tide’s value up 15% to $110 million. It’s the first time an SEC team has cracked the top three since Georgia held the No. 3 spot in 2007. Alabama’s rise stems not only from the financial rewards of dominating on the field, where the Crimson Tide have won three of the last four BCS National Championships, but also the one-time payout it received for playing Michigan in a season-opening game at AT&T Stadium last year.

To determine college football’s most valuable teams, Forbes considers each team’s value to its athletic department, its university’s academic endeavors, its conference and its school’s local economy. Athletic value consists of football profit that is directed toward supporting non-revenue sports, like softball or gymnastics, while a team’s value to academics consists of money that supports football scholarships or other non-athletic programming, like faculty support, non-athletic scholarships or a library fund. Conference value consists of revenue generated for other conference teams by participating in a bowl game, and a team’s value to its local community consists of the direct spending injected by fans visiting the area on days of the team’s home games.

The Longhorns are still number two in Lone Star State football though. The Dallas Cowboys dwarf their college rivals with a value of an estimated $2.3 billion.

Following Texas, Notre Dame and Alabama, says Forbes, are LSU, Michigan, Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia, Ohio State and Nebraska.

New uniforms revealed for Army-Navy game (PHOTOS)

Army and Navy will play for the 114th time this Dec. 14, at 3 p.m. on CBS. In recent years both teams have broken out some snazzy alternate looks for the occasion, and it won't be any different in 2013. Nike has unveiled the newest uniforms for the rivalry:

I've never really liked teams messing with tradition or trying to jazz up their uniforms — but these Navy helmets rock.

Northwestern's 'blood-spattered' football uniforms under fire

Northwestern University has sparked outrage after it unveiled special edition 'blood spattered' football uniforms, which the team will wear to raise funds for injured veterans.

The university released photos Monday of its Wounded Warrior uniforms, which the Wildcats will don instead of their usual purple for their upcoming home game against Michigan on Nov.16.

The grey jerseys feature the red, white and blue of the American flag splattered with simulated blood on the helmet, gloves, pants and shoes. They have been labeled an "asymmetrical patriotic mish-mash."

Where players' names usually are, one of seven core values is printed: Duty, Honor, Courage, Commitment, Integrity, Country and Service.

After the game, the Under Armour jerseys worn by players will be auctioned online, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Wounded Warriors Project. Additionally, 10 percent of proceeds from the $74.99 non-game jerseys sold will go to the foundation.

The red splattered jerseys have been called everything from "disgraceful" to "classy" by the people who have seen them.

'Isn't 'flag covered in blood' a little on-the-nose for something honoring a group that operates programs for injured veterans?' Deadspin's Barry Petchesky asked on Monday.

Northwestern spokesman Paul Kennedy defended the design on Monday and apologized for any "misinterpretation."

"It's a distressed pattern on both the stars and stripes that was inspired by the appearance of a flag that has flown proudly over a long period of time," he said.

SMU's Garrett Gilbert pulls off crazy two-point play to extend game against Rutgers (VIDEO)

The state of Texas already has one Johnny Manziel but Rutgers might make a good case for putting Garrett Gilbert into the same category.

Gilbert, the Texas University transfer and current SMU quarterback, did his best Johnny Football impression by going left, then right, left again before going all the way right to throw the ball the entire width of the field for a two-point conversion to even the score during a wild game on Saturday.

The ridiculous conversion tied it up at 35, which allowed for a triple OT to take place, with Rutgers ultimately coming back and winning it 55-52.

Still, the play deserves consideration as a play of the day. SMU coach June Jones called Gilbert's scramble, "all him."

5-year-old battling Leukemia sacks Northern Illinois quarterback (VIDEO)

Zach Dacy, a 5-year-old who is battling Leukemia, was recently invited to attend a Northern Illinois football practice.

His parents, Joe and Jen, are NIU alums and Joe had contacted the school over the summer to see about attending a Huskies game. His email made the rounds and the athletic department made arrangements for the Dacy family to come to the Eastern Illinois game and take in a practice the week before.

Little Zach is a huge football fan. He roots for the Green Bay Packers and says Clay Matthews and Aaron Rodgers — both of whom he got to meet last year— are his favorite players.

At the end of NIU practice last week, NIU coach Rod Carey set up a special surprise for Zach. He was going to get a chance to meet the 4-0 team and sack quarterback Jordan Lynch.

The offensive and defensive lines got set up and the blond-maned Zach looked like a miniature Matthews before getting into his stance. He made a few moves, zig-zagged his way through a couple of blockers before sacking Lynch in the pocket  For once, the team didn't mind seeing their QB take some lumps and hoisted a smiling Zach up in the air.

A small gesture with a big reward.

Government shutdown could halt Air Force-Navy game

College football may end up being penalized because of the narrow-minded stubbornness of politicians in Washington, D.C. and their own little game on Capital Hill.

Air Force associate athletic director Troy Garnhart confirmed to the Capital Gazette that there “is a possibility” the game against Navy in Annapolis may not be played Saturday due to the government shutdown.  The Gazette wrote “upper-class cadets at the Air Force Academy are considered military personnel, which means they could be subject to travel restrictions under the shutdown.”

An email seeking comment from Navy on the possibility of the shutdown forcing the postponement/cancellation of the game between the two service academies has yet to be returned.

The paper reports that there should be some clarity regarding the game and if it will go off as scheduled later on today.

The longest government shutdown came in 1995 and lasted 21 days.  The good news for Air Force is that they don’t have another road game scheduled after this weekend until a Nov. 8 trip to New Mexico. Experts say this shutdown could last for weeks.

One thing that isn’t clear, and what we’re attempting to clarify, is whether Army and Navy upperclassmen fall into the same category as the upper-class cadets at the Air Force Academy.  If so, the shutdown could impact a handful of those games in the next month: Army at Boston College this Saturday; Army at Temple Oct. 19; Navy at Duke Oct. 12; and Navy at Navy at Toledo Oct. 19.

UNC shows off Military Appreciation Day helmets for ECU game

North Carolina's home game against East Carolina on Saturday will be the Tar Heels' chance to celebrate Military Appreciation Day at Kenan Stadium. The ceremonies at the game will include several opportunities to honor those who fight for our country, but UNC players will also show off their patriotism with the gear the team will wear on the field.

You can bet UNC fans won't mind trading Tar Heel sky-blue for these colors.

Photos of the American flag-themed helmets were posted to Twitter via the football team's official account.

.@CoachFedora at today's press conference with the UNC ROTC representatives. pic.twitter.com/muvZobrykj
— Carolina Football (@TarHeelFootball) September 23, 2013

Man offers date with step-daughter on Craigslist complete with free tickets to Vols-Gators game

A compassionate dad has offered a date with his step-daughter on Craigslist after she was stood up and is even throwing in 40-yard tickets to an upcoming prime-time college football game to sweeten the deal.

This is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime package deal Gary Yates offered on the Gainesville, Florida Craigslist, when he gave readers the chance to take his step-daughter to see the Tennessee Volunteers take on the Florida Gators this Saturday.

Yates explained that 27-year-old Jessica Flanagan's date had suddenly backed out of their arrangement to go the Vols' Sept. 21 away clash with the Gators in Gainesville and he decided to play Cupid —with the enticement of the free seats.

But the ad lays down some strict ground rules:

My step-daughter's date has backed out (his loss your gain) for the game...

1 Free ticket for the Tennessee-Florida Football game this Saturday (cost to me, $150) on the 40 for the right gentleman. You must be an attractive, professional, single well educated gentleman, with a good sense of humor, 25-33. You also must not be threatened by an attractive, professional, single well educated lady, (as she is). If you do not qualify, please pass this ad to a friend.

The fine print: I lied! (Sorry...not totally free). Your cost will be a modest dinner, drinks and delightful conversation with her before or after the game.

P.S. (Being a Tennessee Vols fan is not required but is highly desirable)

Only those that respond with pictures and resume will be considered! Be creative!

The lifelong Volunteers fan said his inbox had been inundated with offers since the ad — now removed  — was posted on Monday night.

"I've had a couple of lighthearted responses, one of them was hilarious, but yeah, it's been mostly serious responses — I would guess, I don't know, 30 or 40," he said.

And Yates added that he had run the idea by the fair-haired Flanagan before posting the advertisement and she would have the final say over who would be her date.

"I wouldn't do something like that without her permission," said Yates.

There ad doesn't specify if Yates will be tagging along as well. After all, this is Tennessee football — and a $150 ticket —  we're talking about.

Eminem gives whacked-out interview on ESPN's 'Saturday Night Football' (VIDEO)

The rarely seen Eminem appeared on ESPN's "Saturday Night Football" to offer a sneak peek of his video for new single "Berzerk" that will introduce the show every week — and might now wish he stayed in hiding.

A bugged out-looking (see GIF below) Eminem — or Marshall Mathers as he was called — appeared with announcers Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit in the booth during halftime of the Notre Dame-Michigan game. The interview got off to an awkward start when the trio discussed the making of the video — and the exchanges had Herbstreit rolling his eyes. But even hip old Brent knew that the bearded guy in the video clip was music producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin and and that knowledge seemed to put the "uncomfortable" Mathers at ease —sort of.

Musburger asked the die-hard Lions fan if the team would cover the 4 1/2-point spread against the Vikings Sunday, but the zonked rapper didn't want to "jinx" his hometown Detroit team and just said they would win.

At the end of the interview a genuinely humbled Mathers awkwardly told Musburger that he was honored to be in the same booth as the veteran sportscaster and would put him on his fantasy football announcers team along with the late Pat Summerall, John Madden and Al Michaels. He even showed Herbstreit "much respect" and told him, "You're great too."

It was all a little bizarre and surreal from the start but the spacy "8 Mile" star showed that he's a pretty knowledgeable fan of football —or at least the guys who broadcast them.

Isaac won't stop Rutgers-Tulane game at Superdome

With the expanding Tropical Storm Isaac on the verge of turning into a hurricane Tuesday and following a path similar to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, there were some doubts if the Rutgers-Tulane football game could be played Saturday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The storm could flood New Orleans with heavy rains and storm surge after it hits the city sometime Wednesday making it difficult for the Rutgers team to fly down on Friday or get to the Superdome in the storm's aftermath.

Rutgers coach Kyle Flood (that's his real name folks), however, doesn't anticipate that Isaac will affect the Scarlet Knights travel plans for Saturday night's opening game for both teams.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the people down there," said Flood.  "It comes at a time that is ominously close to the time of Katrina a couple of years ago.  So we're hoping for the safety of everybody down in New Orleans, first and foremost."

The Tulane team, as they did in the windy face of Hurricane Gustav in 2008, will be practicing in Birmingham, Ala..  The Green Wave mulled over several options including sticking it out in New Orleans before deciding to prepare for the game at Legion Field in Birmingham Tuesday and Wednesday.   They hope to return back to campus Wednesday night or Thursday morning — conditions permitting.

The Rutgers staff has been in contact with Tulane and is monitoring the situation, added Flood.

"As of right now, as of this minute, we don't have any plans to change our itinerary," the first-year head coach said.  "We have heard nothing of postponing or changing the game or anything like that.  But ... it's going to be an hour-to-hour process."