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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1986)
Nebraska players ready for first night game Weather.Tartly cloudy today with MhIim in l ho upper 70s. Mild v ml lu-r will cont iniH I his weekend. Sports, Page 15 Grab some rocks to wash your jeans Arts & Entertainment, Page 12 t 7 ti Daily -n Septembers, 1986 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 86 No. 9 ayeirs eligible for Mwday9 game By Bob Asmussen Night News Editor The National Collegiate Athletic Association Thursday granted the Nebraska football team a stay of its ruling on the eligibility of 60 Corn husker players. The stay will allow all Nebraska players to be eligible for Saturday night's nationally televised game with Florida State. A hearing will be held Tuesday on Nebraska's appeal of the NCAA penalty. On Wednesday, Nebraska coach Tom Osborne was informed by the NCAA that 60 players were ineligible for Saturday's game. The NCAA ruled that the players have violated rules regarding the use of complimentary tickets. Nebraska requested a stay of the ruling Thursday so that it could appeal the penalty. "We will play Saturday with a full roster of players," UNL Chancellor Martin Massengale said at a Thursday press conference in the South Stadium lounge. Massengale said he was happy with the NCAA decision. He said the NCAA was cooperative in its discussions with the university Thursday. "I think we've had a very good relationship today with the NCAA," Massengale said. "We now look forward to our game Saturday against Florida State as scheduled." The NCAA ruling helped eliminate the possi bility of a Nebraska forfeit. Osborne discussed forfeiting the game Wednesday, despite the fact that the game is scheduled to be televised by ABC. "I think we were pleased with the stay in that it gives us an opportunity to draw a breath," Osborne said Thursday. "Obviously, if you were going to have to hold players out, you would have to pratice accordingly." Massengale said the timing of the NCAA rul ing wa a major factor in its decision to allow the stay. He said the NCAA worked rapidly Thursday to resolve the situation. "Obviously we thought the initial penalty was on the strong side, or we would not have appealed it," Massengale said. James O'Hanlon, Nebraska's faculty represen tative to the NCAA, said the main concern was the right of the player to have a chance to appeal the decision before his eligibility was affected. "The individual right of Ihe player was the number one item," O'Hanlon said. Osborne said his main concern now is getting the team ready to play Saturday's game. Florida State is ranked No. 11 in the country. "Now we just got to go out and play well," Osborne said. "We're a little bit amazed by the whole process." Osborne told the players about the stay in a meeting Thursday. He said the investigation and announcement by the NCAA has been a distrac tion to the team's preparation. "They're all a little bit emotional about the thing now," Osborne said. "Naturally, we're dis appointed we have to go through4ll this." Osborne said the players will be off limits to the media until after Saturday's game. "I did ask the players not to say much," Osborne said. "I feel at this point I've already said plenty, probably too much." "I'm kind of tired of talking about it." hi t x:': : :J: --"-"' - ichard WrightDaiiy tte&raskan UNL Chancellor Martin Massengale announced Thursday the NCAA's deci sion to postpone ineligibility sanctions against the Cornhusker football team. The Florida State-Nebraska game will be played as scheduled Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. JB oosalis. Off stFess better education 4 ' : 1 J ( Candidates debate at State Fair Park Andrea HoyDaily Nebraskan DoossHs By Todd von Kampen Senior Editor Nebraska's two gubernatorial candidates opened their first face-to-face debate Thursday by stress ing their desire to improve Nebras ka's colleges and universities. But tax and spending issues took center stage during the rest of the debate, witnessed by about 2,000 people at State Fair Park's open-air auditorium. Both Republican Kay !;ie Helen EocssJis use J her'; irirr; :r!y u';: r i cc :n fj r.entry tickets.- If: .y I'M le?.T.:d tvu AJ the last ! JiaiA (!-..r:rj their ir.- jr.: u; -t 0 . Orr and Democrat Helen Boosalis opposed tax increases and called for property tax relief, but Orr called for lower spending rather than higher sales taxes as the best way to lower property tax bills. Judy Basler, president of the Nebraska League of Women Voters, served as moderator for the debate. The candidates answered questions from Keith Blackledge, editor of the North Platte Telegraph; Loretta Carroll of Omaha TV station KMTV; Kent Warneke, farm editor of the Omaha World-Herald; and Paul Wice of radio station KGFM in Kearney. Neither candidate discussed how they would handle NU's budget, which has been cut in mid-year sev eral times during the 1980s. But Orr said the best way to improve higher education would be to help Nebras ka's economy recover. More jobs for Nebraskans means more tax revenue to support colleges and universi ties, she said. Andrea HoyDaily Nebraskan Orr "Government doesn't create the jobs, but government does provide the climate and the opportunity," she said. "And none of our educa tional institutions are going to fare well unless we address that." Boosalis offered a list of 10 ways she would help higher education if elected. Although a governor doesn't run the colleges and universities, she said, she can use her power to make things better. See DEBATE on 8 Students: NCAA too haFsh By Lisa Rood Staff Reporter UNL students' reactions varied Thurs day on the NCAA's decision to punish 60 players for ticket violatons. The NCAA imposed the sanctions after an investigation of the Cornhusker football team revealed that 60 players had been improperly distributing their complimentary football tickets. Play ers, according to NCAA rules, are only supposed to give the tickets to family members or other UNL students. Eligibility of the players will be decided Tuesday when UNL officials meet with the NCAA subcommittee of eligibility appeals. Senior Rob Haase, a mechanical engineering major, said he feels the Wednesday decision was too picky, "considering they've changed the rule five times in the last four years. It's a wonder the players themselves know the rule," he said. Some students said the Nebraska team is being picked on. "It happens at every university, it's not like they were scalping," said senior finance major Diane Sharp. Sharp was standing in line Thursday for football tickets at the South Stadium ticket office. Coach Tom Osborne said in a Thurs day news conference, that he would most likely choose to remove 10 players for six games, if the appeal is denied See REACTIONS on 9