The Week in News: Memphis to the Big East, B1G Playoff Proposal, and the Fighting Sioux is Back

Welcome to another edition of The Week in News.

Whiskey is off this week, doing Whiskey-stuff and loving every minute of it. I'm here this week to make sure the readers keep up to date with all the juicy news and rumors going around in this early offseason.

All the stories coming up right after the jump.

It was announced this week that Memphis will be joining the Big East for all sports starting in 2013-14. It just keeps getting better and better for this once proud league, doesn't it?

In 2015 the conference will have the following football teams: Boise State, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Navy, Rutgers, San Diego State, SMU, and South Florida. How many major bowl victories does this whole conference have in the history of college football?

In 2015, the league's basketball teams will be Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Houston, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, St. John's, Seton Hall, SMU, South Florida and Villanova. Much better than the sport of football, but just wait until Louisville leaves for the Big 12.

With Memphis leaving the Conference-USA, that league is now fast-tracking its merger with the Mountain West conference. In a bid for survival it is imperative that two crappy leagues become one! It appears this merger would create a league of 17 teams, if not more.

Last weekend Stanford linebacker Shane Skov was arrested for DUI. It will be interesting to see how the Cardinal staff and university handle this situation---one that Notre Dame fans know all too well from this time last year. Skov was presumed to be coming back for his senior season after suffering an injury in their third game in 2011. Does this force him to leave early if healthy?

Some rather big news came this week as the Big Ten is mulling a 4-team playoff proposal. I guess this is a breakthrough of sorts, but I also think that the B1G simply realizes how dominant the SEC has become and both needs to control the set up of the playoff and prove that it is still a player on the national scene.

I would imagine the SEC with their direct lines to BCS title games will fight this proposal as much as they can---which is ironic seeing as how the B1G opposed the playoff in years past and the SEC was in support. Well, look at that! It's SEC commissioner Mike Slive saying we're still a couple years away from a playoff.

My favorite part of the B1G proposal is having the semifinal games on the campus of the higher ranked team. That and doing away with the nonsense of incorporating the bowl games into a playoff. These are absolutely key components to a successful playoff in my opinion.

Back to more conference realignment drama as West Virginia has dropped Florida State from their football schedule just 7 months before the game was to take place. The Mountaineers are petitioning to join the Big 12 as soon as next season and will have to pay a $500,000 penalty to FSU for skipping out on the game this September. I can't wait until the Seminoles are forced to add North Texas or Louisiana-Lafayette instead, I mean we're all winners in this scenario, right?

The NFL Combine has officially released its list of invitees and six Irish players will be taking part in the activities. The Domers are CB Robert Blanton, WR Michael Floyd, RT Taylor Dever, S Harrison Smith, RB Jonas Gray, and LB Darius Fleming.

We'll have a full report of their workouts once they are complete.

I'm still surprised Trevor Robinson wasn't invited---did his play really drop-off that much over the course of his career? I know the Shield favors tackles over guards but there's no way anyone would have believed Dever would be invited and not Robinson not too long ago.

Hopefully Jonas Gray is healthy enough to participate. If not, he'll wow teams with his personality anyway. Watch out for Smith and Fleming to test really well.

The new Rivals 100 for 2013 has been released and it features a bunch of players with high interest in Notre Dame, so that's nice. Are you ready to jump right back into the world of recruiting again!!?!?

Alabama leads the way with 4 verbals from this list with their prospects coming in at No. 2, No. 20, No. 35, and No. 75. The Tide just keep rolling and there's nothing you can do about it.

Irish verbal and offensive tackle Steve Elmer is No. 49 on the list and the fifth best O-linemen in the entire country according to Rivals right now. You should expect a really nice haul up front this year for the Fighting Irish.

In other news, North Dakota will resume using the "Fighting Sioux" nickname and this makes me smile. I really can't stand the PC on steroids agenda that made North Dakota drop it in the first place. Trust me, I will go on a rampage if Notre Dame ever comes under fire for being the "Fighting Irish."

Stanford's co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Jason Tarver has left Palo Alto to coach with the Oakland Raiders. Tarver will be the Raiders defensive coordinator.

Another Irish rival has lost a coach as well. USC's receivers coach Ted Gilmore is leaving LA to also coach with the Raiders. The Trojans now have three position coach vacancies to fill and I'd like to wish Lane Kiffin the best of luck in that search.

TWWL's Mark Schlabach's has revised his early preseason top 25 and Notre Dame fell one spot to No. 24. It's not really worth reading too much into it (or reading it at all I suppose), but there it is nonetheless.

Enjoy the weekend everyone.