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Tennessee wants to eliminate a trip to North Carolina from its 2011 football schedule, even if it means paying a $750,000 buyout of a contract with the Tar Heels.
The two schools have a contract to play in Chapel Hill, N.C., in 2011 and in Knoxville in 2012, but Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton requested several months ago that the series be pushed back to future seasons.
Tennessee's tentative 2011 schedule has the Vols playing host to Cincinnati before trips to Florida and North Carolina, home games against Georgia and Louisiana State University and a trip to Alabama.
Hamilton said he's been told by North Carolina officials that the Tar Heels won't be able to delay the series to future seasons, which led to talks of a buyout of the contract.
North Carolina senior associate athletic director Larry Gallo said the final outcome hasn't been decided, though, and the Tar Heels would prefer to play the series.
HORNUNG AWARD: Georgia, Georgia Tech and South Carolina all had players named to the inaugural Paul Hornung Award watch list.
Georgia's Brandon Boykin, Georgia Tech's Joshua Nesbitt and Jerrard Tarrant and South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore were named to list.
The award honors Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame, and will go to college football's most versatile player.
CONNECTICUT: The lawyer for a man accused of fatally stabbing University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard wants to take the case to trial this fall.
Deron Freeman told The Associated Press on Tuesday he plans to file a speedy-trial motion for John Lomax III in Rockville Superior Court and is hoping for a trial in late September or October.
OKLAHOMA: Linebacker Austin Box could miss the start of Oklahoma's season because of a back injury that is expected to sideline him for three to six weeks.
COLORADO STATE: Coach Steve Fairchild says freshman Pete Thomas will start for the Rams in their opener against Colorado on Sept. 4.
Thomas skipped his last semester of high school in California to enroll early at Colorado State.
