Truth & Rumors > NCAA

10:19 AM ET 05.19 | UCLA and Steve Alford. What could go wrong? Plenty. When the news conference was over, what was supposed to be a breezy, feel-good event quickly turned sticky and uncomfortable. During a one-on-one interview, Iowa came up. Alford, who coached the Hawkeyes for eight seasons, was asked about his staunch defense of Pierre Pierce, a player accused of sexually assaulting another student in 2002. "I totally believe he's innocent," Alford had said at the Big Ten Conference's basketball media day that year. "I believed it from Day One, and I still believe it." Days later, Pierce, a star guard, agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and also sit out one basketball season. Now, asked to explain his actions and comments so many years later, Alford took a defensive stance after the news conference last month. He said he had handled the situation the way his bosses at Iowa had instructed him to. "I really didn't do anything," he said. "The university made the call on everything." So, they told him to say Pierce was innocent? "When those comments came out, it was just about supporting your player," he said sternly. "But you have no idea what's going on." UCLA athletic administrators were stunned. They had signed Alford to a seven-year, $18.2-million contract with the expectation that his hiring would invigorate an apathetic fan base. They expected him to be greeted with open arms. Guerrero was also questioned -- about whether UCLA had properly vetted its new coach and investigated what happened at Iowa. He said he "clearly discussed" the Pierce situation with Alford before hiring him. However, when Alford was asked a similar question, he said the topic never came up. Guerrero later amended his comment, saying he discussed Pierce with his staff and Alford's representatives, but not with Alford.

Los Angeles Times

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10:11 AM ET 05.19 | Kliff Kingsbury's tenure as Texas Tech's head coach has barely begun, but the 33-year-old is already leaving his mark on the program. Before Tech's players headed out for a break before summer practice kicks off, Kingsbury forwarded a note to his team with a bit of advice: stay active and skip the video games. Texas Tech offensive lineman Alfredo Morales tweeted out the note earlier this month: "We advise you to be active over the break as you will need to be ready to work once June rolls around. Sitting at the house playing COD/2K13/Madden against 12 year olds online doesn't suffice as activity even if you claim to 'wreck shop.' " If the abbreviations went over your head, COD (Call of Duty), 2K13 (NBA 2K13) and Madden are all popular video games.

Dallas Morning News

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09:00 AM ET 05.18 | The University of New Mexico and former men's basketball coach Steve Alford have reached an agreement in principle on the buyout he owes his former employer. UNM issued a news release Friday stating the buyout amount plus savings of deferred compensation payments, incentive bonuses would net the university a "favorable" outcome of $625,000. UNM had demanded $1 million and Alford had offered $200,000. After sorting through who owes who what, the additional "hard" dollars Alford and his new employer, UCLA, will owe UNM come to $300,000. UCLA, meanwhile, said it was blindsided Friday afternoon by UNM's announcement. The two sides have not yet signed any agreements, and UCLA made it clear that it is not paying the $625,000 initial media reports implied in UNM's statement. "On Friday afternoon, the University of New Mexico issued a news release stating that they had reached a buyout agreement with their former Men's Basketball Coach, Steve Alford, who last month accepted the head coaching job at UCLA," read an emailed statement UCLA sent to the Journal on Friday. "The UNM news release does require some clarification. While there has not been a signed agreement, New Mexico has agreed to accept $300,000 of their original $1 million demand. A larger figure included in UNM's release appears to include certain bonuses which Coach Alford previously agreed to forego (sic) when he decided to terminate his contract there and accept the offer from UCLA."

Albuquerque Journal

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08:22 AM ET 05.18 | Quarterback Wes Lunt's transfer list just got shorter. Oklahoma State is restricting Lunt from transferring to either Southeastern Conference schools or Southern Miss, where Lunt's former offensive coordinator Todd Monken is now the head coach. Cowboys spokesman Gavin Lang confirmed the news via email after CBSSports.com spoke with a source with direct knowledge of Lunt's transfer process. When asked why the SEC and Southern Miss were restricted, Lang said that decision is between Lunt and coach Mike Gundy. Lunt was reportedly considering SEC schools Tennessee and Vanderbilt along with Southern Miss, Louisville and Illinois. More reports say the restrictions extend to Pac-12 schools and future opponent Central Michigan.

CBS Sports

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10:19 AM ET 05.18 | Arizona Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez announced Friday that running back Daniel Jenkins has rejoined the program after a short-lived transfer to Washington State. Jenkins, who has one season of eligibility remaining, announced in January that he was leaving the Wildcats' program to transfer to Washington State after serving as Ka'Deem Carey's backup last season. Jenkins graduated in December and would have been able to play for the Cougars right away. The Moreno Valley, Calif., native has ultimately decided to spend his senior season with the Wildcats after a few months in Pullman, Wash., though. Jenkins rushed for 301 yards and two touchdowns on 67 carries as a junior for the Wildcats. Rodriguez said tonight that Jenkins will be looked upon as a leader immediately.

Arizona Republic

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