Kansan sportswriter Shawn Shroyer previews the Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Kansas City Royals defeated the Chicago White Sox 10-4. Check out 5B for the rest of the evening's MLB results. 5B
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
PAGE 1B
ADMINISTRATION
Player sues for alleged Title IX violation
BY C.J. MOORE
F o r m e r
University of
Kansas football
player Eric Butler's
bair to play other
year of college
football took two
hits on Tuesday.
First,the NCAA Student-Athlete
Butler
Remstatement Committee denied the final appeal by the University to give the defensive lineman an extra year of eligibility.
Later, a judge in the U.S. District Court refused to award Butler an injunction that would allow him to continue practicing with the team while a pending lawsuit is resolved, according to officials in the Kansas Athletics Department.
Butler has sued the University and the NCAA in an effort to gain a sixth year of eligibility because of a pregnancy waiver that allows female athletes an extra year of eligibility if they become pregnant at some point during their college career.
After the birth of his daughter in October 2011, Butler took a year
off from school before attending Avila University in 2003, where he played football. Butler is arguing that because he took a year off to care for his family, he should be allowed leave like a female athlete would have. By not giving Butler an extra year, he is arguing the NCAA is violating his Title IX rights.
Butler, who played all 12 games last season with the Jayhawks, started his eligibility clock in 2001 when he enrolled at DVry in Kansas City, Mo. Athletes are allowed five years to play four seasons once they begin college. Butler's fifth year ended after
last season. However, Butler is arguing that he deserves an extra year,
The NCAA did not agree with that reasoning. Erik Christianson, director for public and media relations for the NCAA, would not comment beyond the NCAA's previous statement on the issue.
"The pregnancy exception is explicitly written for female students whose physical condition due to pregnancy prevents their participation in intercollegiate athletics, and therefore is not applicable in this case," the statement reads.
The athletic department first
appealed the ruling to NCAA staff in June, and the NCAA denied the appeal. The final appeal was to the NCAA Reinstatement Committee. It told the athletic department Tuesday that the rule was written for female students only.
"We are disappointed in the NCAA committee's decision," Marchiony said. "We think the young man accepted responsibility as he should have and he's a good kid trying to do the right thing. It's unfortunate that he's not going to get another year to play. Wed like to see that happen."
The only chance Butler has now
to continue his career is if he wins his lawsuit. When reached Wednesday by The University Daily Kansan, Butler's attorney, Tarun Mehta, would not comment on whether they would continue with the lawsuit.
"We're disappointed and respectively disagree with the ruling," Mehta said of the refusal of an injunction.
Kansan staff writer C.J. Moore can be contacted at cjmore@kansan. com.
》SUMMER
Summer in review: Randle leaves KU; Gordon injures ankle with Vikings
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
The summer months are a slow time for college sports, but that doesn't mean nothing happened of importance. The University Daily Kansan kept tabs on Jayhawk sports throughout the summer, including these stories and many more available online at Kansan.com.
Randle led the Jayhawks in rushing in 2004, but was plagued by off-the-field legal problems. Randle was suspended from the team before the 2005 season. He remained on scholarship during that time.
Randle transfers to SIU:
Former Kansas running back John Randle transferred to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL.
Randle will be eligible to play immediately at SIU and has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining. In a statement released by the University, SIU coach Jerry Kill said he envisioned Randle playing as a multi-purpose back.
"After sitting out last year, it's going to take him a little while to get into it" Kill said. "But he could make an impact later on in the season."
Gordon injures knee.
Gordon injures knee.
Former Jayhawk football player Charles Gordon injured his left knee in a pressason practice with the Minnesota Vikings. He will be unable to play for the remainder of the pressason.
Gordon left Kansas before his senior year to jump to the NFL but was not selected during the league's draft. The Vikings brought him to their training camp to try out for the team. Gordon could still be named to the team's practice squad.
SEE SUMMER ON PAGE 78
VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OVERCOMES KATRINA DISASTER
Freshman middle blocker uses family volleyball to regain confidence
BY DREW DAVISON
Brittany Williams was in Lawrence, like most KU students, the weekend Hurricane Katrina hit. Unlike most students, Williams, a New Orleans native, was on her official recruitment visit with the KU volleyball team.
"Hurricane Katrina was coming into the Gulf, and it was coming in around Friday," Williams, a 6-foot-1 freshman middle blocker, said of the weekend. "By the time I was ready to go home, it was at least eight or nine hours outside of the city. We had to wait and see if it was safe for me to fly home, and I was able to get back home. At the calm of the storm, I was able to get with my parents, and we drove to Atlanta where we stayed the rest of the year."
In Atlanta, Williams said the hospitality she received was a blessing from God.
Her school in Atlanta, Marist School, took in more than 10 Katrina refugees while it contributed to Habitat for Humanity and numerous food drives for Katrina victims.
"Thev gave
season, and helped them to a runner-up finish at the Georgia state championships.
Williams joined the Marist volleyball team midway through the
While the hospitality in Atlanta was overwhelming. Williams said it was still emotionally difficult to deal with day-to-day life after the hurricane.
They gave us free uniforms and free books," Williams said. "It was just such a blessing and such an opportunity. I made sure I took the opportunity the fullest, and I even made sure I played volleyball there for them."
"You don't think about things so much, you just think about the game, whatever is outside you deal with after the game."
"It was very hard, to the point, at one point, I just shut down," she said. "I watched television that very first week and saw family members and friends at the convention center and the Superdome."
While her two homes were still standing, Katrina took nearly everything from Williams and her family. Williams said after the hurricane her dad was in New Orleans trying to fix up their property, so her mom stayed with her and her brother, Byron Jr., in Atlanta. Because her mom devoted herself to her children, she was not able to get a job in Atlanta during the school year.
BRITTANY WILLIAMS Freshman middle blocker
Williams said that now her parents have switched roles, because her mom has a job and her dad is still looking for work.
Through it all. Williams
said her parents have been there for her and her brother.
"They've been very great, keeping us feeling normal," she said. "We feel like a family. We feel like nothing ever happened sometimes. You'd
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 7B
THE RANT
Guesswork should end soon for idle University sports fans
BY RYAN COLAIANNI
There is not a bigger time for speculation in college athletics than the final few weeks of summer. Even the slightest ripple of news about the two big sports at the University — football and basketball — cause major waves this time of year.
Why?
Because there is nothing else to
talk about.
There is very little going on in the sports world right now. Major League Baseball's regular season is wrapping up and NFL teams are in training camp.
In a little more than two weeks, college football will begin. That is when all the speculation will end.
Can Kansas continue its winning
ways on the gridiron and go to its
to Toledo to face a team that is consistently in the top of its conference. It will be a difficult task for the Jayhawks simply because of Kansas' recent inability to win on the road.
second-straight bowl game? Fans will see whether Kerry Meier is, in fact, the quarterback of the future, or if Mike Rivera can fill the shoes of the trio of linebackers who graduated last year.
The Rockets have lost just twice at home in their past 36 games.
The Jayhawks have won just three road games in the past four seasons and have only one road victory in conference play.
While Kansas' first two contests will give an indication as to where individual players are, the Jayhawks will not be tested until the third week of the season when they travel
Toledo will certainly be a tough task for the young Kansas players, but the trip will help the team prepare for the difficult environments on the road in the Big 12 conference.
Even though college basketball is still a few months away, there are numerous publications producing early top 25 polls. Nearly every poll
SEE THE RANT ON PAGE 7B
.