Excerpts From Pitino Press Conference

Rick Pitino held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to voice his frustration about the way the media is reporting the story of his involvement with Karen Cunigan Sypher. I was in the front row and here's a portion of what he had to say:

"Everything that's been printed. Everything that's been reported. Everything that you're breaking into the news on a day that Ted Kennedy died is 100 percent a lie. A lit. All of this has been a lie. OK. A total fabrication of the truth. Except what I told you. The mistake that I have made. Everything else is a lie."

"I couldn't say anything because my lawyer said don't say anything. And the University said don't say anything. The authorities said don't say anything. Well enough's enough. I am saying something. It's a lie. It's a 100 percent lie. You've known that it's a lie. You've all known it. You haven't printed it, you haven't said it. You've known the background. But you haven't said it."

"It hasn't hurt recruiting one bit. We will still bring in top 10 players. This program has been a top 10 program the last two years. It will continue to be a top 10program. Our fans are the greatest in college basketball. My opinion I work here. I'm sure there's great fans everywhere. We will continue to bring in great players. We will still run this program with great integrity."

"No question I admitted to you I made a mistake. and believe me I will suffer that mistake. My wife and family do not deserve these lies. You shouldn't be reporting these lies. You want to report the truth go ahead and do it. Report the truth. Do your investigative reporting. Get the open records. Get anything you want that you can get. When it comes to trial you'll know the truth. That's why I haven't gone around to Inside Edition, and this station, and this station, and this station because I know it's going to come out. The FBI and the US Attorney's office don't go after jaywalker's. Thank you very much."

IU to Play Penn State at FedExField in 2010

The Indiana Hoosiers will play Penn State in football at the home of the Washington Redskins in 2010. IU announced this Wednesday morning the Hoosiers and Nittany Lions will play at FedExField November 20, 2010. It's a growing trend in college football where games are being scheduled for NFL stadiums. The game was supposed to be in Bloomington, but IU will be able to schedule another home game to get up to six. Here's the full release from Indiana:

INDIANA TO PLAY PENN STATE AT FEDEXFIELD IN 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University Vice President and Director of Athletics Fred Glass has announced that the athletic department has reached an agreement with the Washington Redskins and FedExField to move its 2010 Big Ten Conference home football game with Penn State to the Redskins' home facility in Landover, Maryland. The game will be played on November 20, 2010. Indiana will add another home game to the schedule so that the Hoosiers will still play six home games in Bloomington at Memorial Stadium in 2010.

"This is a unique opportunity to partner with an outstanding organization like the Washington Redskins to bring Hoosier football to within an afternoon's drive of all our fans and tens of thousands of alumni that live along the eastern seaboard," said Glass. "We believe that this will be an outstanding, bowl-like experience for our student-athletes, provide us with added recruiting visibility on the east coast, and will serve as a wonderful opportunity for our
student-athletes to spend time in and around the nation's capital."

Under the arrangement, IU will receive $3,000,000 and will be responsible for selling 7,000 seats. The game also will be shown by one of the Big Ten Conference’s television partners (ABC, Big Ten Network or ESPN). In addition, Glass said the department is in the process of shuffling the 2010 non-conference schedule and will replace a road game with another foe at home so that there is no net loss of home games for Indiana fans and the Bloomington community.

"We are excited to have Indiana and Penn State playing a Big Ten Conference game at FedExField," Redskins Chief Operating Officer Mitch Gershman said. "Both universities have a very large following with enthusiastic fan support and alumni in the Washington Metropolitan area. It is a unique opportunity for the fans of this area to watch Big Ten Football in person, and we expect a great crowd at the game."

FedExField, with a seating capacity of 91,704, is the largest venue used by a professional sports team in the United States. Opened in 1997, the venue has hosted several college football games, including the 2004 BCA Classic between the Virginia Tech Hokies and USC Trojans. That contest attracted 91,665 spectators.

"We are excited FedExField, the Big Ten, Penn State and Fred Glass worked together to make this happen," said IU Coach Bill Lynch. "FedExField is a state-of-the-art facility and our student-athletes will enjoy playing in a NFL venue."

Mark Krebs Put on Scholarship

UK basketball player Mark Krebs will be put on scholarship for his senior season. Cats Coach John Calipari made the announcement on his website. Krebs has been a walk-on the last two seasons at Kentucky. He's played a total of 28 minutes at UK scoring 6 points. For the complete details of Coach Calipari's decision to give Krebs a scholarship go to coachcal.com

Pacers to Play Exhibition Game at Assembly Hall

The Pacers are coming to Bloomington, Indiana October 23rd to take on the San Antonio Spurs in an exhibition game. Here's the full release from the Pacers:


PACERS TO PLAY PRESEASON GAME IN BLOOMINGTON

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers will travel to Bloomington, Ind., to play a preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs at Indiana University’s Assembly Hall, Friday, Oct. 23 at 7:00 p.m. The Pacers last played in Bloomington when an ABA playoff game was held at Assembly Hall in 1972.

“As part of the great basketball heritage here in the state of Indiana, we are excited to play a game in Bloomington,” said Rick Fuson, Pacers Sports & Entertainment’s Chief Operating Officer. “This is a great opportunity to partner with Indiana University to further that strong tradition.”

"We are unbelievably excited that the Indiana Pacers have decided to include Bloomington and IU in their preseason schedule,” added Fred Glass, Athletic Director of Indiana University. “This is a special opportunity for our community to see the very best basketball in the world, and we are so pleased that we could play a part in bringing it to Bloomington."

Pacers Season Ticket Holders, along with Indiana University Season Ticket Holders and Indiana University Students, will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to the game prior to the general on-sale. Complete ticket information will be announced at a later date.

The entire Pacers preseason schedule is listed below.

2009 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT TIME
Friday Oct. 2 vs. Chicago (at Conseco Fieldhouse) 7:00 p.m.
Thursday Oct. 8 vs. Denver (at Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan) 7:30 a.m.
Sunday Oct. 11 at Denver (at Wukesong Arena in Beijing, China) 12:00 a.m.
Friday Oct. 16 vs. Houston (at Conseco Fieldhouse) 7:00 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 17 at New Orleans (at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans,Lou.)8:00 pm
Wednesday Oct. 21 at Orlando (at Amway Arena in Orlando, Fla.) 7:00 p.m.
Friday Oct. 23 vs. San Antonio (at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.)7:00 p.m.

Pitino Apologizes for Affair With Karen Sypher

University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino apologized to his family, the fans, and the University of Louisville for having an extramarital affair with Karen Sypher six years ago at the Louisville restaurant Porcini's. Here's a full text of Pitino's statement, along with the statement from U of L President James Ramsey, and Athletic Director Tom Jurich:

Statement from Rick Pitino, University of Louisville Men's Basketball Coach:

"I just want to make a statement. I want to say that the past seven months have been very difficult on the people I love. I made a decision seven months ago because of something I've preached to my players for the thirty-some-odd years I've been coaching. They've heard it for thirty-some-odd years and it goes like this: When you have a problem, if you tell the truth, your problem becomes a part of your past. If you lie, it becomes a part of your future. I made a very difficult decision to tell the truth to the federal authorities, the local authorities, the university officials and most importantly, the people that love me the most: my family and friends."

"A grand jury indictment is a very serious thing and I have not commented on it for that reason. I have not said anything to any of you about any of it. But I am here today because I've personally apologized to my family every single day. For all of us, our families - our wife and our children - and mine in particular, make the sun rise for me every morning. They are highly principled people that are very strong morally and very strong fundamentally and I let them down with my indiscretion six years ago. I'm sorry for that and I've told them that every single day."

"But I want to tell more than just them that. I want to tell my extended family, which is all of my players, recruits who believe in me, families who have believed in me, that I'm sorry for that indiscretion six years ago. You as professionals who have covered me for 16 years, I want to apologize to you as professionals for that indiscretion six years ago."

"Besides my apology to the university -- and in particular to Tom Jurich and Dr. Ramsey, who have been very strong with me throughout this period -- I also apologize to my extended family, which is all of the fans. I came here at a very difficult time. When 9/11 hit, you needed a community to get you over it. In New York City, it was easy because everybody knew the devastation of that and they got each other over it. In Louisville, the impact wasn't felt like New York City, but I needed this community to help me get over it. The university officials and my friends and loved ones have helped me through this very difficult time."

"I will continue to cooperate with the authorities as I have from day one. I believe in the judicial system and I won't comment anymore on that. I hope that the trial comes quickly and we can do what all of you should be doing at this period in time: celebrating a BIG EAST Championship and a wonderful season where we once again finished in the Elite Eight with very dedicated players who paid the price to reach that pinnacle."

"The second thing I'm going to do, besides be quiet about the indictment, is that I plan on accomplishing one thing that is very, very important to me. I plan, regardless of how difficult a situation this is, to coach here at the University of Louisville for as long as I physically can maintain the passion I have for the game of basketball, which is still stronger than when I was a head coach at 24 years of age. I love the game. I love my players. I love this university as well as this community. I won't coach anywhere else. I don't believe in anything as much as I believe in this university and this state. So, as long as they'll have me, I'm going to coach here. I'm not a spring chicken, but I'm certainly not over the hill. I intend on recruiting the best athletes and the best people to this program and going a little farther than those Elite Eights in the many years to come. So I thank you as professionals. I know there are much more pleasant things we'd like to talk about, but I do want to apologize once again to my loving family, my wife and university officials, as well as the extended family with all of my players and the great fans we have here at the University of Louisville. So thank you all very much."


Statement from Dr. James Ramsey, University of Louisville President:
Rick Pitino is the University of Louisville's basketball coach. He has been a role model for countless young people and a positive influence on this community.
Regardless of the truth or falsehood of specific actions that have been attributed to the coach, he's clearly made errors in judgment that have come under intense public scrutiny. We can't ignore these errors in judgment, and they have saddened and disappointed me. As we try to teach our students, when you make a mistake, you admit it and right it as best you can. Coach has done that today.
It's not an easy thing to come before the university community and all of you to admit mistakes and commit to do better. I know this has been difficult on the coach, it's been difficult on me, and difficult for our university. But as Coach Pitino and I discussed earlier today, this was the right thing for him to do.
We hope this closes this chapter; we're all ready to move on. Our university is recovering from a flood that shut down a large portion of our campus, preparing for the start of classes on August 24th, and getting ready to welcome the most academically talented freshman class in our history. We need to get back to our job of educating the next generation of Kentucky's leaders.

Statement from Tom Jurich, University of Louisville Vice-President and Director of Athletics:
As I said yesterday, Coach Pitino has been truthful with us about this matter all along and we stand by him and his family during this process. He's been diligent in his work as our men's basketball coach, despite a number of false rumors, reported inaccuracies and the difficulties this personal matter that happened six years ago has placed on him and his family. I'm a million percent behind him. I have great confidence in the federal court system that this matter will be addressed appropriately. I expect Coach Pitino to be the head coach at the University of Louisville for a long time.