From newsok.com (Trammel). Site won't let me paste the link for some reason.
Former OU halfback Spencer Tillman talked cryptically the other day about the challenges Bob Stoops faces in returning the Sooners to championship contention. Tillman told our man Jason Kersey that Stoops' biggest problems are "political" and are related to academic standards.
You can read that story from the Monday Oklahoman here.
Tillman refused to elaborate, other than to say the problems begin with "the uneasy tension between academia and athletics and the focus of the administration on dealing with the academic piece first. What's driving the success of that program -- whether they want to acknowledge it or not -- is that football program. Bob's problem is political and it's practical because they're not getting the best athletes because of it."
So I asked Stoops about it Tuesday after his press conference.
And Stoops expressed surprise at the issue. He said he had heard about Tillman's comments but said, "There's no truth to it. I can get in (to school) anyone I want, as long as they meet NCAA requirements."
Stoops said he's under no extra academic restrictions and he said he's not interested in more relaxed standards, because recruiting academic risks generally doesn't pay off.
Stoops also said he knows people will say that he couldn't express frustration or displeasure even if that's the way he felt, but Stoops said that's not true.
OU president David Boren has gradually elevated the university's academic standards and ratings, but Stoops said that hasn't affected the football program. He still recruits strictly by NCAA requirements.
Former OU halfback Spencer Tillman talked cryptically the other day about the challenges Bob Stoops faces in returning the Sooners to championship contention. Tillman told our man Jason Kersey that Stoops' biggest problems are "political" and are related to academic standards.
You can read that story from the Monday Oklahoman here.
Tillman refused to elaborate, other than to say the problems begin with "the uneasy tension between academia and athletics and the focus of the administration on dealing with the academic piece first. What's driving the success of that program -- whether they want to acknowledge it or not -- is that football program. Bob's problem is political and it's practical because they're not getting the best athletes because of it."
So I asked Stoops about it Tuesday after his press conference.
And Stoops expressed surprise at the issue. He said he had heard about Tillman's comments but said, "There's no truth to it. I can get in (to school) anyone I want, as long as they meet NCAA requirements."
Stoops said he's under no extra academic restrictions and he said he's not interested in more relaxed standards, because recruiting academic risks generally doesn't pay off.
Stoops also said he knows people will say that he couldn't express frustration or displeasure even if that's the way he felt, but Stoops said that's not true.
OU president David Boren has gradually elevated the university's academic standards and ratings, but Stoops said that hasn't affected the football program. He still recruits strictly by NCAA requirements.
