College Football | Notebook

Reggie Bush to be stripped of Heisman

NEW YORK — Yahoo! Sports is reporting that 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush will be stripped of the award by the end of the month

The former USC running back would become the first player in the 75-year history of the award to have the Heisman Trophy taken away. The report also said the award would be left vacant for ‘05.

The NCAA found major violations in USC’s football program and levied serious sanctions against the school in June.

“I can tell you the Heisman Trophy trust has made no decision regarding the Reggie Bush situation,” Robert Whalen, executive director of the Heisman Trophy Trust, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The website cited two anonymous sources close to the Heisman Trophy Trust, who say the group’s investigation is almost complete and would agree with the NCAA’s finding that Bush was ineligible during the ‘05 season.

Bush now plays for the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, who said Tuesday that they would have no comment on the report.

Typically, the Saints have declined comment on Bush’s NCAA violations because they have no bearing on his pro career.

Boise State gains support

NEW YORK — More AP Top 25 voters are buying into Boise State as the No. 1 team in the country.

Boise State gained seven first-place votes and closed in on No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Ohio State as the top three teams in the first regular season Associated Press football poll held their spots from the preseason. (For complete poll, see page C4)

The Broncos remained third after a thrilling 33-30 victory against Virginia Tech on Monday night, receiving eight first-place votes and 1,399 points from the media panel, 13 points behind the Buckeyes.

Ohio State received four first-place votes and 1,412 points.

Alabama had 47 first-place votes, down seven from the preseason poll, and 1,484 points in the rankings released Tuesday.

TCU from the Mountain West Conference moved up two spots to No. 4, marking the first time since the Bowl Championship Series was implemented in 1998 that two teams from conferences without automatic BCS bids have been in the top five. Boise State is the defending Western Athletic Conference champion.

Big Sky adds two

NEW YORK — The Big Sky Conference has announced the addition of the football teams from Cal Poly and UC Davis.

Cal Poly and UC Davis are Football Championship Subdivision teams that compete in the Great West Conference for football, but participate in the Big West for the majority of their sports. A timeline for the move has not been set.

Big Sky Conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton says adding the teams to the nine-team league gives the conference more depth to compete for additional playoff berths.

Fullerton said Tuesday’s announcement is the first part of an expansion that could lead to a 12-team football conference with two six-team divisions.

The Big Sky Conference currently includes Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State and Weber State.

Ducks in Cowboys Classic

ARLINGTON, Texas — Oregon and LSU will play at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington in the opening weekend of the 2011 season.

The Sept. 3 prime-time matchup was announced Tuesday, three days after fourth-ranked TCU beat then-No. 24 Oregon State 30-21 in the 2010 Cowboys Classic at the $1.2 billion home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

Seventh-ranked Oregon and No. 19 LSU haven’t played each other since 1977. LSU has won two of the previous three meetings in the series.

Stanford loses TE

STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford tight end Levine Toilolo will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Toilolo, who earned the starting spot for No. 25 Stanford’s opener against Sacramento State on Saturday, was hurt during the game’s second play. He caught a 27-yard pass from Andrew Luck and was hit with a helmet to his knee.

Illini lineman suspended

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois has indefinitely suspended defensive lineman Michael Buchanan after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving over the weekend.

Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said Tuesday that Illinois State Police arrested the 19-year-old sophomore at about 2:25 Sunday morning in Champaign.

Ingram still ailing

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama tailback Mark Ingram has missed another practice ahead of the Penn State game.

Ingram didn’t practice Tuesday with a left knee injury that kept the Heisman Trophy winner out of the top-ranked Crimson Tide’s opener against San Jose State.

Coach Nick Saban said Monday that Ingram’s status would depend on how he progressed daily in his rehab. He said in order for him to put his star into the game against the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions, he had to “see Mark Ingram being Mark Ingram.”

Associated Press