Former four-star linebacker Aaron Porter will transfer to Washington State

After leaving UCLA in early April, former four-star prospect Aaron Porter will transfer to Washington State.

Originally signed as a linebacker in 2012, Porter never played in a game for the Bruins — converting to fullback after falling down the depth chart. He was not enrolled for spring quarter and seemed unlikely to return to a team that played 18 true freshmen over him last season.

Cougfan.com first reported the news.

UCLA announces five kickoff times for 2014 season

Five kickoff times for UCLA’s 2014 season are now set, with only one being slotted for a Pac-12 Networks broadcast.

The culprit is the Bruins’ home opener against Memphis, which will start at 7 p.m. on Sept. 6. The game follows a week after UCLA opens its season at Virginia with a 9 a.m. PT start on ESPN, which was first announced last week.

The team’s primetime visit to Texas at AT&T Stadium will start at 5 p.m. PT on FOX, while the conference slate begins with a 7 p.m. PT visit to Arizona State on Fox Sports 1.

Seven games in October and November are still without finalized kickoff times, but UCLA’s regular-season finale against Stanford will start at 12:30 p.m. on ABC.

Here’s the full UCLA football schedule for 2014 right now: Continue reading “UCLA announces five kickoff times for 2014 season” »

Oddsmaker gives UCLA eighth-best chance at College Football Playoff berth

The college football season doesn’t start for another three months, but oddsmakers are already taking early bets.

Online sportsbook Bovada.lv gave UCLA a 12-to-5 shot to make the inaugural College Football Playoff, good for an eighth-best chance at the field of four.

Defending national champion Florida State led with 2-to-7 odds, followed by Alabama (11-to-10), Oregon (1-to-1) and Ohio State (20-to-21). The Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl will host national semifinals on Jan. 1, with winners advancing to the Jan. 12 title game at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

USC closed the 11-team list with 6-to-1 odds.

Pac-12 links: Conference sets revenue records with help of new TV deals

» The Pac-12’s new TV deals pushed it to $334 million in revenue for the 2012-2013 fiscal year — the record for any college conference. UCLA gets a $19,838,644 payout.

» Two recent pieces on former UCLA stars worth reading: Grantland’s look at the unusual career arc of point guard Russell Westbrook, and Sports Illustrated’s story about safety Rahim Moore and how he nearly lost his leg.

» UCLA’s use of a drone in football practices is part of a larger trend in sports.

» Todd Graham’s one-year extension will keep him at Arizona State through the 2018 season, and raises his annual salary to $2.7 million.

» Arizona has also agreed to contract extensions to May 31, 2019 for basketball coach Sean Miller, football coach Rich Rodriguez and athletic director Greg Byrne. Continue reading “Pac-12 links: Conference sets revenue records with help of new TV deals” »