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Could the SEC target the ACC for more expansion?
With the Big 10's move to add USC and UCLA yesterday, the football of the FCS has changed significantly. It's becoming an arms race between the SEC and the B1G, and that may lead to some things that we didn't think were exactly possible 48 hours ago. And that means the possibility of the SEC raiding the ACC.
The reason that seemed very tough to believe is that the ACC, on paper, looks like it's locked down. It has a TV deal with ESPN through 2036 and the control over grant of rights is substantial -- it would cost at least $50 million per team to get out of it.
To which the SEC can say, "so?" Their teams are already getting more than that under their existing TV deals, which will only increase in time as Texas and OU arrive. In other words, they can take the hit. The ACC would almost certainly take this to court, but again, the SEC would likely be able to handle that hit if they wanted to expand further.
Here's the big deal: ESPN's deal with the ACC isn't half of what their deal with the SEC is. It pays $240 million a year, which would be around $17 million per team.
The new deal between ESPN and the SEC schools would bring them at least $68 million a team. You can see where this is going, should the SEC want it to.
I've heard that at least one, and maybe two, ACC teams have already started looking at ways to get out of their grant of rights to the conference. You can bet more than that have hired legal help (or have their own lawyers looking at it) to do the same.
There are a lot of teams the SEC could have an interest in, especially if it doesn't care about gutting the ACC. Miami, UNC, FSU and Virginia Tech all come to mind. And whatever goodwill that was there before may be gone: the PAC and the ACC, with their rookie commissioners, were two of the opponents of the expanded playoff system, at least partly to spite the SEC. Spitting in someone's face and then asking them to be friendly neighbors usually doesn't work well.
USC, UCLA move happened really fast
I don't know what precipitated this, except for the lousy TV contract the PAC has (sensing a trend here?), but earlier this week, USC had decided they'd had enough and were leaving the conference. They didn't have a landing spot and hadn't talked with anyone, they were just leaving. They eventually discussed it with UCLA's leadership and the Bruins were in too.
Once that was decided, they called B1G commissioner Kevin Warren. Their message was simple: "We're leaving the PAC. If you want us, here's your chance."
That qualifies as a "Well, DUH" moment if ever there was one. And, within less than 36 hours, the two teams were in the B1G. This wasn't part of some grand, diabolical scheme hatched by the B1G leadership; they just flat had two big-ticket programs fall right in their laps.
Oregon and Washington have also inquired with the B1G and have been told they're not a priority right now. The B1G is trying to get Notre Dame, and if that doesn't happen, they may move on Oregon and Washington. This shows you why the SEC may strike against the ACC, simply to stay ahead of the competition.
The PAC, on the other hand, may be dead shortly. The Big 12 (!) is even in better position than it is, and the conference could move to grab the likes of Arizona State, Arizona and maybe more.
Explaining 2010 (again)
I saw this come up this week and figured I'd explain what all happened as A&M almost ended up in the PAC, then almost ended up in the SEC, then stayed in the Big 12 -- for a year.
Texas AD Deloss Dodds decided in 2010 that he was tired of the Big 12 and wanted to take the Horns to the PAC. And, in his infinite generosity, decided he'd make sure they took the Aggies as well. OU and Oklahoma State were also likely to come along. Bill Byrne, A&M's AD at the time, absolutely loved the idea (which is vomit-inducing).
While Texas was negotiating to help "little buddy" come along to the PAC, an element of the Board of Trustees, led by Gene Stallings, made contact with Mike Slive and the SEC. They didn't tell Dodds; they just did it. Then the SEC made their pitch and, after weighing everything, was ready to go. It got to the point where it looked like there was a full divorce coming, with Texas and its little group going to the PAC and A&M going to the SEC.
Then came the call from Shanghai.
Gov. Rick Perry, who was running for re-election, called both Austin and College Station and told them to cool it. He didn't want run the risk of losing Baylor and Texas Tech alumni support (financially), because he let A&M and Texas walk and leave them with a rump conference. And that essentially killed both moves.
For a year, at least.
Once Perry got re-elected, his interest in the Big 12 waned. But Deloss Dodds kept looking for new means of revenue, and came up with a brilliant one with ESPN: the Longhorn Network.
And once A&M got the details on that, you know what came next.
Not yet
I've seen a lot of rumblings from the orange people that they believe they're getting LB Anthony Hill and CB Malik Muhammad as they continue their commit spree. If they do, it won't be immediately. Both guys have set their official visits for the weekend of July 29, and that's the weekend of the pool party. You know Texas has tried extremely hard to get players both teams have targeted to make their decision before then, because they know as well as anyone what kind of boost A&M has repeatedly gotten from that event.
Novosad update
A&M QB target Austin Novosad had a very strong showing at the Elite 11 this week, and he certainly had plenty on his mind. The Baylor commit is now the primary QB target for A&M, as well as Ohio State. And Georgia is now getting involved, just to make things a little more interesting. But the Aggies have the advantage of Novosad being a legacy, and the Aggie coaching staff were able to soothe ruffled feathers by saying that they just wanted to see more and watch his development, and they're sold now. Novosad is also impressed with the talent the Aggies brought in at tight end and wideout last year, as well as the ones they're in good shape with for the 2023 class.
This is by no means a done deal, but it sure feels like it's trending towards A&M's direction.
A&M baseball could avoid serious damage in the draft
We know that Dylan Rock, Troy Claunch, Jacob Palisch and Kole Kaler are gone for sure, because they're out of eligibility. But it's possible that the Aggies could keep their other draft-eligible prospects AND their signees. I've looked at the top prospect lists from several baseball publications, going as far as the top 250. There wasn't a single Aggie or Aggie signee on any lists.
Not. One.
That's absolutely mind-blowing, but hey, you'd take that, right? I'm sure Jim Scholossnagle would. If the Aggies can get through the draft process relatively unscathed, they'd suddenly be in a great position for next season.
Courtney's Recruiting Bits
TJ Shanahan:
2023 Austin Westlake five-star offensive guard TJ Shanahan Took an official visit to Texas A&M June 17 weekend. The following weekend the Rivals100 prospect took an official visit to LSU.
Georgia is among the top schools in the race for the 6-foot-5, 315 pound prospect, but I feel very good about the position the Aggies are in to end up with Shanahan.
The recruiting journey for Shanahan is ongoing. He is at 50-plus offers, although I do see Shanahan narrowing things down soon.
Over the last few months the feeling has been that Texas A&M had the edge.
Projecting as a guard at the next level, Shanahan plays both right guard and tackle for Westlake.
“His pad level and balance are solid with a hard punch on his pass-pro,knocking linemen back. If Shanahan gets his hands on you, play over.” - Ryan Wright, Rivals.
Tyler Williams:
Lakeland, Fla., four-star wide receiver Tyler Williams was at his fifth official visit last weekend to A&M, and today the 6-foot-5, 190-pound prospect narrowed his list down to five schools.
Georgia will be the Aggies toughest competitor here.
DJ Hicks:
Katy Paetow five-star defensive lineman DJ Hicks has narrowed his list down to seven schools.
I see it as a Texas A&M and Oklahoma battle for him.
On Texas A&M:
They've been recruiting me for a long time so it's always been the same with them. (Defensive line coach Elijah Robinson) has been the same since I started going up there as an eighth grader.
(Full article) Hicks breaks down his top seven with Rivals: Rivals.com - Five-star DL David Hicks Jr. breaks down top seven
Anthony Hill:
Texas A&M is the team to beat for the Denton five-star linebacker who is down to two - A&M and Texas.
Phone: 281-971-3362
Email: paul@westhoustonsf.com
Could the SEC target the ACC for more expansion?
With the Big 10's move to add USC and UCLA yesterday, the football of the FCS has changed significantly. It's becoming an arms race between the SEC and the B1G, and that may lead to some things that we didn't think were exactly possible 48 hours ago. And that means the possibility of the SEC raiding the ACC.
The reason that seemed very tough to believe is that the ACC, on paper, looks like it's locked down. It has a TV deal with ESPN through 2036 and the control over grant of rights is substantial -- it would cost at least $50 million per team to get out of it.
To which the SEC can say, "so?" Their teams are already getting more than that under their existing TV deals, which will only increase in time as Texas and OU arrive. In other words, they can take the hit. The ACC would almost certainly take this to court, but again, the SEC would likely be able to handle that hit if they wanted to expand further.
Here's the big deal: ESPN's deal with the ACC isn't half of what their deal with the SEC is. It pays $240 million a year, which would be around $17 million per team.
The new deal between ESPN and the SEC schools would bring them at least $68 million a team. You can see where this is going, should the SEC want it to.
I've heard that at least one, and maybe two, ACC teams have already started looking at ways to get out of their grant of rights to the conference. You can bet more than that have hired legal help (or have their own lawyers looking at it) to do the same.
There are a lot of teams the SEC could have an interest in, especially if it doesn't care about gutting the ACC. Miami, UNC, FSU and Virginia Tech all come to mind. And whatever goodwill that was there before may be gone: the PAC and the ACC, with their rookie commissioners, were two of the opponents of the expanded playoff system, at least partly to spite the SEC. Spitting in someone's face and then asking them to be friendly neighbors usually doesn't work well.
USC, UCLA move happened really fast
I don't know what precipitated this, except for the lousy TV contract the PAC has (sensing a trend here?), but earlier this week, USC had decided they'd had enough and were leaving the conference. They didn't have a landing spot and hadn't talked with anyone, they were just leaving. They eventually discussed it with UCLA's leadership and the Bruins were in too.
Once that was decided, they called B1G commissioner Kevin Warren. Their message was simple: "We're leaving the PAC. If you want us, here's your chance."
That qualifies as a "Well, DUH" moment if ever there was one. And, within less than 36 hours, the two teams were in the B1G. This wasn't part of some grand, diabolical scheme hatched by the B1G leadership; they just flat had two big-ticket programs fall right in their laps.
Oregon and Washington have also inquired with the B1G and have been told they're not a priority right now. The B1G is trying to get Notre Dame, and if that doesn't happen, they may move on Oregon and Washington. This shows you why the SEC may strike against the ACC, simply to stay ahead of the competition.
The PAC, on the other hand, may be dead shortly. The Big 12 (!) is even in better position than it is, and the conference could move to grab the likes of Arizona State, Arizona and maybe more.
Explaining 2010 (again)
I saw this come up this week and figured I'd explain what all happened as A&M almost ended up in the PAC, then almost ended up in the SEC, then stayed in the Big 12 -- for a year.
Texas AD Deloss Dodds decided in 2010 that he was tired of the Big 12 and wanted to take the Horns to the PAC. And, in his infinite generosity, decided he'd make sure they took the Aggies as well. OU and Oklahoma State were also likely to come along. Bill Byrne, A&M's AD at the time, absolutely loved the idea (which is vomit-inducing).
While Texas was negotiating to help "little buddy" come along to the PAC, an element of the Board of Trustees, led by Gene Stallings, made contact with Mike Slive and the SEC. They didn't tell Dodds; they just did it. Then the SEC made their pitch and, after weighing everything, was ready to go. It got to the point where it looked like there was a full divorce coming, with Texas and its little group going to the PAC and A&M going to the SEC.
Then came the call from Shanghai.
Gov. Rick Perry, who was running for re-election, called both Austin and College Station and told them to cool it. He didn't want run the risk of losing Baylor and Texas Tech alumni support (financially), because he let A&M and Texas walk and leave them with a rump conference. And that essentially killed both moves.
For a year, at least.
Once Perry got re-elected, his interest in the Big 12 waned. But Deloss Dodds kept looking for new means of revenue, and came up with a brilliant one with ESPN: the Longhorn Network.
And once A&M got the details on that, you know what came next.
Not yet
I've seen a lot of rumblings from the orange people that they believe they're getting LB Anthony Hill and CB Malik Muhammad as they continue their commit spree. If they do, it won't be immediately. Both guys have set their official visits for the weekend of July 29, and that's the weekend of the pool party. You know Texas has tried extremely hard to get players both teams have targeted to make their decision before then, because they know as well as anyone what kind of boost A&M has repeatedly gotten from that event.
Novosad update
A&M QB target Austin Novosad had a very strong showing at the Elite 11 this week, and he certainly had plenty on his mind. The Baylor commit is now the primary QB target for A&M, as well as Ohio State. And Georgia is now getting involved, just to make things a little more interesting. But the Aggies have the advantage of Novosad being a legacy, and the Aggie coaching staff were able to soothe ruffled feathers by saying that they just wanted to see more and watch his development, and they're sold now. Novosad is also impressed with the talent the Aggies brought in at tight end and wideout last year, as well as the ones they're in good shape with for the 2023 class.
This is by no means a done deal, but it sure feels like it's trending towards A&M's direction.
A&M baseball could avoid serious damage in the draft
We know that Dylan Rock, Troy Claunch, Jacob Palisch and Kole Kaler are gone for sure, because they're out of eligibility. But it's possible that the Aggies could keep their other draft-eligible prospects AND their signees. I've looked at the top prospect lists from several baseball publications, going as far as the top 250. There wasn't a single Aggie or Aggie signee on any lists.
Not. One.
That's absolutely mind-blowing, but hey, you'd take that, right? I'm sure Jim Scholossnagle would. If the Aggies can get through the draft process relatively unscathed, they'd suddenly be in a great position for next season.
Courtney's Recruiting Bits
TJ Shanahan:
2023 Austin Westlake five-star offensive guard TJ Shanahan Took an official visit to Texas A&M June 17 weekend. The following weekend the Rivals100 prospect took an official visit to LSU.
Georgia is among the top schools in the race for the 6-foot-5, 315 pound prospect, but I feel very good about the position the Aggies are in to end up with Shanahan.
The recruiting journey for Shanahan is ongoing. He is at 50-plus offers, although I do see Shanahan narrowing things down soon.
Over the last few months the feeling has been that Texas A&M had the edge.
Projecting as a guard at the next level, Shanahan plays both right guard and tackle for Westlake.
“His pad level and balance are solid with a hard punch on his pass-pro,knocking linemen back. If Shanahan gets his hands on you, play over.” - Ryan Wright, Rivals.
Tyler Williams:
Lakeland, Fla., four-star wide receiver Tyler Williams was at his fifth official visit last weekend to A&M, and today the 6-foot-5, 190-pound prospect narrowed his list down to five schools.
Georgia will be the Aggies toughest competitor here.
DJ Hicks:
Katy Paetow five-star defensive lineman DJ Hicks has narrowed his list down to seven schools.
I see it as a Texas A&M and Oklahoma battle for him.
On Texas A&M:
They've been recruiting me for a long time so it's always been the same with them. (Defensive line coach Elijah Robinson) has been the same since I started going up there as an eighth grader.
(Full article) Hicks breaks down his top seven with Rivals: Rivals.com - Five-star DL David Hicks Jr. breaks down top seven
Anthony Hill:
Texas A&M is the team to beat for the Denton five-star linebacker who is down to two - A&M and Texas.
