VIENNA, Va. - Former University of Montana defensive end Dustin Dlouhy - who finished his career at UM last fall - has been named to the 45-man Team USA squad that will play in the World Championship of American Football in July.

Dlouhy is the only player selected from the Big Sky Conference and from the state of Idaho.

The announcement was made by Team USA Football executive director Scott Hallenbeck and head coach John Mackovic.

This is the first time the U.S. will play in this international event. Team USA is training at San Jose State University from June 20 to July 4 prior to leaving for Japan.

The six-country tournament will take place July 7-15 in Kawasaki. This year’s event is the third staged by the International Federation of American Football.

read more at http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/05/29/sports/griz/gr56.txt

Say what you will…this guy is a unique individual…you can watch some his documentary at the following link:
http://isubengals.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/051407aab.html

Here are early results from the Big Sky Track and Field Championships going on at Idaho State University’s Davis Field:

The link should keep you up to date with the latest…

Correction: Three Four of the 34 schools (49 programs) flagged as chronic academic laggards are Big Sky Conference Schools all within the football program.

Idaho State: football
Montana State: football
Sacramento State: football
Weber State: football

From USA Today

The NCAA stepped up a crackdown on academics Wednesday, subjecting 81 poor-performing teams to immediate scholarship reductions and flagging more than four dozen as chronic offenders that could be hit with harsher sanctions a year from now.

The NCAA has identified 49 teams at 34 different schools as chronic academic laggards, warning them by letter that they face stiffening sanctions next year if they don’t improve their Academic Progress Rates (APRs). For the worst offenders, those penalties entail a 10% or greater cut in scholarships and loss of one day of practice per week during the season.

Each scholarship player on each team generally can earn two APR points per semester for remaining at the school and academically eligible, and the NCAA has determined that teams should hit 92.5% of their possible total — an APR of 925 — or face the initial scholarship sanctions. A 925 roughly projects a 60% graduation rate.

The second-stage penalties target teams that post even lower APRs: below 900.

Fail to show improvement or obtain a waiver, and the sub-900 teams will face a 10% or greater cut in scholarships and loss of one day of practice a week during the season. That’s starting in 2008. Teams that have shown improvement will draw lighter slaps: a 5% or greater cut in scholarships and reduction in practice time by four hours per week.

For programs that continue to lag, the NCAA will start handing out postseason bans in 2009.