Pittsburgh Sports Insider

Same old Penn State basketball,  they play a real opponent and there's a really good chance they'll lose. This morning at the Charleston Classic, the Nittanny Lions go down to Tulane, 63-60.  So much for that NIT Championship being a springboard to a good basketball season.  Stick to football. (sorry for the rant).

"Tulane's Kevin Sims made a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 19 seconds to play and the Green Wave held on to beat Penn State 63-60 Friday in the second round of the Charleston Classic at Carolina First Arena.

Aaron Holmes led Tulane (1-2) with 17 points and Kris Richard added 11.

Talor Battle scored 17 points for Penn State (2-2).

Tulane led by 10 with 7:57 to play, but Penn State battled back, despite shooting 27.6 percent from the field.

The Green Wave shot 36 percent from the field.

Penn State led 25-24 after a closely contested first half in which neither team led by more than five points.

Tulane will play at 12:30 p.m. Sunday against the winner of Friday's game between Davidson and La Salle. Penn State will play at 10 a.m. Sunday against the loser."

*Courtesy: Associated Press

Gibbs, who scored 22 against Binghamton on Tuesday, had seven points during a 13-0 run that began with 6:57 remaining in the first half and ended with Pitt leading 41-24.

The Panthers (3-0) rarely allowed the Colonels (1-1) more than one shot on a possession, doubling them in rebounds most of the game before finishing with a 47-25 advantage.

Justin Stommes scored 24 for Eastern Kentucky, which played its first game against a major college opponent this season.

Pitt has won 41 in a row on its home court against non-conference opponents, two off the school record.

Star free agent outfielder Jason Bay has declined Boston's initial contract offer and will head to full free agency, SI.com has learned.

Boston's offer to Bay was believed to be for four years and "close to $60 million,'' according to sources. Bay thus will join star outfielder Matt Holliday and ace pitcher John Lackey as the biggest free agents on this year's market. The exclusive period for incumbent teams expires Friday at 12:01 a.m., when free agents can begin negotiating with other teams.

"Nothing will happen by day's end, but we'll keep talking,'' Bay's agent Joe Urbon said.

"It's not a surprise that a player that's gone this far wants to see what's out there,'' Red Sox GM Theo Epstein said by phone in Bay's regard, though Epstein declined comment on the team's talks with Bay.

*Courtesy: CNNSI.com

Defenseman Jay McKee has an infected finger that will keep him out two to four weeks. He was hurt late in Pittsburgh's 5-2 win over Anaheim on Monday, and is the fifth of the team's top six defensemen to be sidelined since late October.

The Penguins, already playing with three defensemen from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, may not have to recall another because Sergei Gonchar is expected to return Thursday night in Ottawa.

Gonchar, one of the point men on the power play, has missed 12 games with a broken left wrist.

Forward Max Talbot, who scored both Penguins goals in a 2-1 victory over Detroit in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, also could play when they open a three-game trip in Ottawa.

Talbot had surgery in July to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.


*Courtesy: Associated Press

Some fans might have to fork over more money to the booster club to stay in their seats, or can pay the same amount but possibly be moved to a less desirable location -- say someone going from seats on the 40 to behind the end zone.

Other season-ticket holders could be just fine -- again, depending on if their donation to the Nittany Lion Club is commensurate to where they want to sit.

The actual price of the tickets, currently $55, wouldn't change under the plan to be officially unveiled in a letter to season-ticket holders in the next week, said Greg Myford, Penn State's associate athletic director for business relations and communications.

What would change is that seat location would be a new criteria to giving levels to the Nittany Lion Club, along with the number of tickets and parking.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg first reported the new policy, including up to a $600 fee per seat in between the 40-yard lines. Currently, Nittany Lion club members must contribute at least $100 a seat to renew their season tickets, regardless of location.

Myford declined to comment on the dollar amounts in the Patriot-News report, though he said the new policy didn't amount to a personal seat license.

"The primary difference is, usually associated with the seat license is some kind of long-term commitment," Myford said this week. "We do our tickets annually, each and every year. Fans determine how many seats they want to buy, they donate accordingly, and that will continue."

Myford said schools like Ohio State, Michigan, Texas and Florida already have similar plans in place.

"The other key component, when it comes down to the primary reasons for doing it, it's finances, and it's fairness," Myford said. "We need to come up with a way that allows us to properly align and allocate our tickets with how someone is willing to support athletics on an annual basis, and currently we don't do that."

All but two Big Ten schools -- Indiana and Northwestern -- charge minimum donations for the right to buy season tickets, according to a survey Wednesday in the Altoona Mirror.

Penn State is in the middle of the Big Ten in terms of season-ticket prices. One ticket at the 45-yard line would cost $540 for an eight-game schedule; the most expensive ticket is the $1,950 at Ohio State, which includes a $1,500 minimum donation.

The Penn State plan would also shuffle the student section from its current location in one quadrant of the stadium from the 40 to the south end zone, to wrapping around the entire end zone, bookended at about the 10-yard lines. That would open more desirable seats to season-ticket holders.

Myford said possibly 800 more seats could be added to the student section, and that the hope is it would create a more intimidating atmosphere for opponents.

Penn State's athletic department is self-supporting and does not use tuition dollars or other university funding to pay for its large athletics program, which runs 29 sports.

Of those sports, only football and men's basketball operate at a profit. Revenues from football are used to help pay for other sports.

The most recent filing with the Department of Education shows Penn State athletics had nearly $96 million in revenues, and roughly $77 million in expenses last year. The expense figure does not include $11.3 million of debt service.

Remaining dollars are used for capital improvement projects or put in reserve, the department said in the government filing. Myford said things like fan requests to upgrade stadium concessions stands and restrooms would be the kinds of projects Penn State would look at in the future.

Once athletic director, coach Joe Paterno said the school has more pressure to support scholarships in women's sports, as well improving facilities like the softball field.

"We don't get a nickel from the university for anything," Paterno said. "[Athletics] is completely self-supporting. So they've got to do something or we've got to cut back sports, and we don't want to do that. But, that's not my bout."

*Courtesy: Associated Press

Recently released Steeler linebacker Arnold Harrison has a new home.  Late this afternoon, Harrison reportedly signed with the Cleveland Browns. As they say, from the penthouse to the outhouse.

Pitt (9-1, 5-0 Big East) and Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0) are currently ranked among the nation’s Top 10. The Panthers are ranked as high as No. 8, while the Bearcats are No. 5.

 The Panthers have a bye this week before playing at West Virginia on November 27 at 7 p.m.

Dave Wannstedt will be live in-studio with Bob Pompeani tonight during our 6 pm sportscast. Is there a question that Pomp should ask him? Let me know  (only looking for serious questions) and we might use it tonight at 6 pm....