About a dozen elite boosters subscribed for the past three years to the e-mail newsletter, called "VIP Connection." It offered Franchione's candid assessments of players and specific injury information, details Franchione routinely declined to discuss publicly because, he would say, it is not "our policy" to disclose injuries.

Franchione made subscribers sign a confidentiality agreement and said he doesn't believe any of the inside information was used for gambling, the San Antonio Express-News reported in today's editions after obtaining a copy of the newsletter through a "third-party source."

"We asked them to sign something," Franchione said. "And for them not to do that. Most of these people are tremendously loyal Aggies."

Athletic director Bill Byrne could not immediately be reached for comment by The Associated Press today.

The newsletter was written by Mike McKenzie, Franchione's personal assistant. The two denied benefiting financially from the newsletter, although Franchione said proceeds were used to underwrite his personal Web site, coachfran.com.

In one newsletter, McKenzie wrote about six players being unavailable to play against Montana State and listed their specific injuries. A seventh player was "iffy" because he had not fully recovered from a mild concussion, according to the newsletter.

McKenzie also wrote about Franchione's assessment of the Aggies' wide receivers.

"Privately, Coach told me last night that Earvin (Taylor) and Pierre (Brown) are very steady but with average speed," McKenzie wrote. "Kerry (Franks) has great speed, but (is) inconsistent in receiving."

"The whole point of it was for them to be informed about the program, straight from the head coach," McKenzie said.

McKenzie referred to "VIP Connection" as "private correspondence between a head coach and the individuals involved."