The NCAA has clarified its position on blogging during games . . . sort of. The NCAA released a statement today that reaffirmed what we already knew, that “Any transmission of live play-by-play information by any entity other than a media rights holder is prohibited.” But then the statement backs down from the NCAA’s prohibition on blogging score updates, saying, “In fact, in-game updates to include score and time remaining in competition are permissible by any media entity whether credentialed or not.”

I interpret this about-face as a retreat by the NCAA, which must have realized it overreacted and embarrassed itself. All the ban on blogging accomplished was to invite derision and mockery–it did nothing to help the NCAA’s bedfellows, err, official rights holders.

I love how even this “clarification” tries to make it seem like this was all some big misunderstanding, and not a misguided, arrogant but deliberate decision. The release references the incident at the Louisville regional where a Louisville Courier-Journal reporter was ejected from the press box for blogging. “Following this incident,” the release reads, “the NCAA issued incorrect information to credentialed media which stated that in-game updates of any type are prohibited.”

Nice try. This has nothing to do with “incorrect information” being issued. The NCAA issued exactly the information it intended to–it even dug in its heels last week, reiterating its position by handing out a statement to media members in Omaha when they picked up their credentials. The NCAA made a bad judgment, it received plenty of negative publicity, and now it’s finally backing down. Better late than never, I guess.

By the way, it’s now Oregon State 5, UC Irvine 1 in the top of the seventh.