It's 2010, and as we watch another great year of college football, there's the harsh reality that some of our Southern Fried Football™ brethren are in need of a little direction and guidance.

As we closed out the 2009 football season, only two schools were under "Southern Fried Football™ Probation"...and they were Duke and Memphis. You can read about their issues and penalties below. Both programs had chances to eliminate their punishment, and both failed. Perhaps 2010 will be the breakthrough season for both squads, as they become eligible for consideration for future Southern Fried Football™ Tourstops.

The Southern Fried Football™ Board of Governors is constantly watching the activities of each and every school....or at least the ones South of the Mason-Dixon Line, because - let's be honest - why would they bother watching the Big Ten?

Unfortunately, while most Southerners are enjoying the SEC's run of four consecutive BCS national titles and the possibility that a 5th straight is right around the corner, there is some disturbing news just weeks before the start of the 2010 season.

The SFF Board of Governors was outraged when they read about the University of Alabama and their inability to give credit to a fellow SEC member. Apparently, the Tide's Ticket Department printed the 2010 football tickets which included Bama's home game with SEC member Mississippi State. Somehow, the defending national champions misspelled "Mississippi" on the tickets.

Keep in mind that there are over 101,000 tickets for the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 13th. How is this possible? It's not like the two teams don't play each other on a consistent basis....and for crying out loud, they are neighboring states.

If you want to botch up a ticket...misspell "Penn State". Bama plays them at home on September 11....plus, we all would have gotten a good laugh out of mocking a Big Ten school in the process.

This shameful act of embarrassing a fellow Southern Fried Football™ brother and conference member, by a school of supposed higher learning like the University of Alabama, has its repercussions. Especially in light of the fact that there are those who would attempt to exploit this egregious oversight to their benefit. This is utterly reprehensible.

The Southern Fried Football™ Board of Governors has decided to place the University of Alabama on a one-year suspension and probationary period, for their sheer stupidity.

Because of this penalty, the Southern Fried Football™ Tour will not be able to attend this year's Bama-South Carolina game in Columbia. It was originally on the final 2010 schedule, until this latest episode.

In addition, the Southern Fried Football™ Board of Governors had planned to allow Duke University a chance to eliminate any and all probationary status if they were able to upset Alabama on September 18th at Wallace Wade Outdoor Stadium. Since the Crimson Tide is now on SFF Probation, this option has now been revoked by the Board of Governors, and Duke's only chance to eliminate their probationary status is to become bowl-eligible.

Finally, the Memphis football program is still under SFF Probation until they can sell out a single home game. We will continue to monitor their attendance figures, and also make sure that the Alabama ticket department has nothing to do with their tickets, as well.

So, for the record: heading into the 2010 college football season, there are officially three teams on Southern Fried Football Probation: Duke, Memphis and Alabama.

	Bama and Mississippi State participate in one of the SEC's longest played series. They've been playing each other since 1896, and the game is referred to as the "90 Mile Drive". This year, the Tide printed their home ticket with the Bulldogs by misspelling their neighboring state. That will cost Alabama a one-year penalty. The Tide is eligible for consideration on the Tour effective on September 1, 2011.
	The Tigers embarrassed the South by having just over 4,000 fans show up for a nationally televised game vs. East Carolina in 2009. Memphis can become eligible for the Southern Fried Football™ Tour when they finally sell out the Liberty Bowl. I suggest that they contact the Tennessee Vols and schedule them to visit ASAP.
	On November 25, 2006, Duke lost 45-44 to arch rival North Carolina in what was billed as the first ever "Southern Fried Football™ Probation Bowl". The loss by Duke capped off a perfect 0-12 season, and it extended the nation's longest losing streak in the process. The Blue Devils can be considered for a future Tour date once they become bowl-eligible....however long that might take.
	On August 31, 2002, the East Carolina University football team traveled to Wallace Wade Outdoor Stadium to play the Duke Blue Devils. At the time, Duke had the nation's longest losing streak at 23 consecutive games. Duke upset ECU, 23-16, and the few Duke fans in attendance for their own home game rushed the field to tear down the goal posts. Needless to say, the Southern Fried Football Board of Governors wasted no time in slapping the proud Pirate program with a two-year probation. The Pirates are now eligible for Tour consideration.
	On October 30, 1999, the University of North Carolina football team taunted their opponent, the Furman Paladins, before the game in their "special blue uniforms" and proceeded to lose 28-3. The lopsided loss did not go unnoticed by the Southern Fried Football Board of Governors. An emergency meeting was held, and it was immediately announced that UNC would be placed on "Southern Fried Football Probation". The Heels were eligible for Tour consideration in 2001.

 The Stories Behind Southern Fried Football™ Probation 

10/29/09 - The Southern Fried Football™ Board of Governors announced today that the University of Memphis football team will automatically go on Southern Fried Football™ Probation.

The reasoning for the ruling was based on the results of a 38-19 blowout loss at home, to East Carolina. The game was broadcast on ESPN, played on a Tuesday night, and witnessed by an announced crowd of 4,117 people.

The Board of Governors doesn't approve of Tuesday night games, especially when the home team accepts a monetary incentive to showcase such an awful brand of football to a national television audience. In addition to embarrassing themselves and college football in the South, the Memphis Tigers played in front of a crowd that was announced at 4,117. It should be noted that the Liberty Bowl has a capacity of 60,000.

Last season, the University of Memphis basketball team averaged over 17,500 per game on a consistent basis. When you draw 4,117 people for a nationally televised game on a Tuesday night, you are doing college football in the South a disservice.

Effective immediately, the University of Memphis football program will be on Southern Fried Football™ Probation. This case is unusual, since it really doesn't involve an unprecedented loss or a history of football ineptitude. The Board of Governors believes that football programs in the South that continue to take monetary payments without regard for the quality of their product, their fans, or the tradition that is Southern Fried Football™ deserve punishment.

The University of Memphis has never appeared on the Southern Fried Football™ Tour, and some Board of Governors members believe they should be the first school to receive the Southern Fried Death Penalty. The Tiger football program will not be served that indignity. However, they will be ineligible to appear on the Tour until they can sell out the Liberty Bowl for any Tiger football game that includes another CUSA opponent.

The Southern Fried Football™ Board of Governors will make sure that the University of Memphis football program doesn't embarrass college football fans in the South anytime soon....even though their next scheduled game is against the Tennessee Vols, at Neyland Stadium.

August, 2009 - While we head into the 2009 season, the Duke football program is currently the only team on Southern Fried Football™ Probation. The Blue Devils will have their best chance to reach bowl-eligibility in years, and therefore can eliminate their probationary status.

As Duke attempts to reach their goal, there is another potential candidate for "Southern Fried Football™ Probation" on the horizon. That team resides in Columbia, South Carolina. The Gamecocks face an important challenge on October 24th, when they host the Vanderbilt Commodores. This game is so important that we have added it to this year's AAA / Southern Fried Football™ Tour.

The past two years, South Carolina - while ranked in the Top 25 - has lost to the perennial SEC East doormats, and if they lose for the third consecutive year, action must be taken against Steve Spurrier's club.

The Southern Fried Football™ Board of Governors has voted, and if the Gamecocks lose to Vandy for the third consecutive year, the "SFF BoG" will place the USC program on SFF Probation. The severity of the punishment will not be announced until after the outcome. We're hoping that this announcement will not have to take place.

We're rooting for the Cocks to take care of business and win the game, since Columbia, SC is one of our favorite Tourstops. Plus, it has to be nearly impossible to lose to Vanderbilt three consecutive years on the gridiron.

How bad is Duke football?

Don't take my word for it; listen to what Duke's very own legal department thinks of its Southern Fried Football™ Probation-ridden program. This story is compliments of the Louisville Courier-Journal, from a case that took place in June of 2008.