Hall Eludes JJ

Dartmouth receivers coach Jarrail "JJ" Jackson narrowly missed being chosen for the inaugural arenafootball2 Hall of Fame. The former Oklahoma Sooner standout was one of six players among the 15 finalists for the honor. For a story about the four players who made it, click here.

Jackson was an All-Big 12 honoree as a wide receiver and punt return specialist for Oklahoma from 1996-99 and graduated as the holder of eight school records. He went to camp with the Buffalo Bills and then played six years in the af2. Jackson has been at Dartmouth since 2006, mentoring receivers and giving the Big Green an effective recruiting presence in Oklahoma, among other states.

Hard as it is to believe, Cornell players reported for preseason camp yesterday and will be on the field for their first official practice today at 3:30. (link) Dartmouth reports one week from today and opens practice a week from tomorrow. While it may seem strange that schools in the same league start at different times, the end result is the same: all Ivy League schools will have the same number of practices before the first game. Dartmouth's late start date is simply a result of the late start of classes and the freedom to schedule practices differently than most of the other Ivies.

The digital media guide revolution has picked up speed with Harvard and Colgate putting their guides on the web. Find Harvard's here and Colgate's here. In addition to conference guides from the Ivy League and Patriot League, Brown, Cornell, Harvard, Penn, Holy Cross and UNH have all put their guides on the web to date. A Colgate sports information story notes that like Dartmouth, it will print only football, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's ice hockey this year. Athletic Director David Roach said:

“Having both printed and digital guides this season will make the transition to completely digital in 2010 a lot smoother. The elimination of all printed media guides will take place effectively in 2010."

What's wrong with this statement from Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez?

“If there was one rule to change in Division I college football, they would allow you to have a exhibition or preseason game against somebody else. There doesn’t have to be any crowd or fans there, just so you have an idea of what it’s like to go against somebody else so you can judge yourself a little better. ...

“We’re the only level (without,)” he said. “The NFL has four preseason games, and they’re pros, even on smaller college, when I was in Division II, you could have a scrimmage game. In high school, obviously you have them. In Division I, you can’t have them and it’s kind of silly."

Can't find the error (apart from a few grammatical problems)?

The Ivy League is Division I. And it does allow preseason games against outside competition. (Dartmouth plays Harvard on Sept. 11.)

Rodriguez, like so many others, makes a distinction between the former Division IA and IAA schools that doesn't exist. True, one is the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and one is the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) but both are Division I. (Um, you think the nomenclature isn't working, don't you?)

Wait a minute. I almost missed something.

Does this mean the Ivy League actually allows something in football that others don't? Stop the presses.