Big Ten report

Penn State offers fans college football fantasy
So you've always wanted to be a Penn State Nittany Lion?
Now, you can be -- for the mere price of $4,490. - College Football -
The inaugural Penn State Fantasy Football Camp, open to men 22 and older, is June 14-16, 2006, and will give participants a feel for what college football players go through.
There will be four on-field practices with current coaches and former players; participants will go through rehab; they will dine in the player facilities and will even ride in the team's blue buses to Beaver Stadium for the Blue-White flag football game
The camp is open to the first 50 players and 10 honorary coaches who register. For more information, go to PennStatefantasycamp.com or gopsusports.com.
OSU recruit knows his way around the mat
Incoming Ohio State freshman linebacker James Laurinaitis has one of the more unique family backgrounds. - College Football -
His father, Joe, has spent 20 years as a professional wrestler known as "Animal." Joe Laurinaitis and his partner, "Hawk" (Michael Hegstrand) formed a tag-team act knows as "Legion of Doom" or "Road Warriors"
"It was fun, definitely," said James, from Wayzata, Minn. "Growing up, all my friends would come over to watch my dad on TV. We would have wrestling parties, order about four pizzas, have about eight or 10 people over and all have a good time wrestling around. It was fun, a cool experience." - College Football -
For Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, the recruiting experience was, well, different.
"Obviously, (Joe) is very knowledgeable about the competitive world, and he had a lot more experiences coast-to-coast than other parents you meet," Tressel said. "A lot of times you talk with someone about their accounting firm. He's really an intriguing guy."
After defections, IU signs a quarterback
First-year Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner already has had to contend with the departures of two quarterbacks. - College Football -
Redshirt freshman Grant Gregory announced last month he was transferring, and redshirt freshman Mike Vlahogeorge decided to give up football.
Not that the Hoosiers are depleted at the position. Their top returning quarterbacks are sophomore Blake Powers and junior Graeme McFarland. - College Football -
The Hoosiers signed Kellen Lewis, who had been recruited by Florida, Maryland and North Carolina as a running back, receiver or defensive back.
Lewis wants to play quarterback, and he will do that at Indiana. He signed a scholarship last Friday and will be eligible this fall. - College Football -
"I don't know if I'm more excited or more relieved," said Lewis, who describes himself as a scrambler. "I think Indiana is a great situation for me."
Lewis, 6-3, 185 pounds, has been clocked at 4.64 in the 40-yard dash.
Hawkeyes home games are already sold out
Thanks to considerable preseason buzz about the Iowa Hawkeyes' chances to make a national title run, tickets to their four home Big Ten games are sold out.
Iowa, which finished the last three seasons ranked No. 8 in the AP poll, sold more than 40,000 season tickets, an increase of 7,000 from last season. - College Football -
Iowa has sold out 11 straight games at Kinnick Stadium, which holds approximately 70,000.

Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News and Detroit News wire services