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Jackson will return to ABC

© Chuck Bednar

Football fans who were searching for a way to survive the 1999 college season without the golden voice of Keith Jackson can rejoice -- the ABC sports broadcaster isn't retiring after all.

Jackson, who announced his retirement after the 1998 college football season, will return to the booth to cover Pac-10 games and the Rose Bowl this season. He will continue to work with Bob Griese, and will be able to remain close to his home in Los Angeles by covering only west coast games.

Rounding out ABC's six person play by play staff will be Brent Musburger, Brad Nessler, Tim Brant, Terry Gannon and Roger Twibell. John Saunders will be joined in the studio by former Auburn head coach Terry Bowden.

Insight.com Bowl moved to Dec. 31 -- This year's Insight.com Bowl will be moved from Dec. 26 to New Year's Eve in order to help bolster attendance.

In an interview with the Arizona Daily Star on June 15, Insight.com Bowl marketing and sales director Tom Biehl said, "We felt it was important to move it away from Christmas because it didn't allow as many fans to travel, and we felt the closer we got to Jan. 1, the better."

"This is much better for Tucson," he added. "Obviously, it will have a greater economic impact while also allowing us to showcase Tucson to more people."

Pac-10 accepts Washington's penalties -- Officials from the Pacific-10 conference have agreed to accept the University of Washington's self-imposed penalties for football recruiting violations committed by new coach Rick Neuheisel. Neuheisel had violated NCAA rules by allowing five coaches to conduct in-person, off-campus recruiting visits with eight prospective students athletes during a "quiet period" on Jan. 31 when such contacts are barred.

Five athletes signed with Washington after being visited were initially declared ineligible by the school, but Washington petitioned the NCAA and had their eligibility restored. The five coaches each were withheld from two weeks of off-campus recuiting in May and will be withheld from two weeks of recuiting in the December-January contact period. Neuheisel and the five assistants will receive letters of reprimand. In addition, Neuheisel will be limited to nine evaluation days (instead of the usual 29) during the 1999-2000 spring and fall evaluation periods.

Also, Neuheisel and two assistant coaches directly contacted two students at their former team at Colorado without permission from that school's athletic director. As a result, no Colorado football player enrolled as of Jan. 11 will be allowed to transfer to Washington.

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