sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to International Kissing Day!
There are many types of kisses—they are practiced on different occasions and have various meanings. There are passionate kisses between lovers, a person's first kiss, the kiss between a child and their parents or grandparents, and a kiss on the cheek or hand as a greeting or to say goodbye. There are even kissing competitions—as of 2018 the longest kiss has lasted over 58 hours. Kisses are an important part of social bonding and are celebrated today. The day appears to have started in the United Kingdom in 2006, and is now observed worldwide. While its main focus is on celebrating kisses between lovers, all types of kisses may be celebrated.
"Kiss" comes from the Old English word "cyssan," which itself came from the proto-Germanic word "kussijanan" or "kuss." This word probably comes from the sound that kissing can make. The first written mention of kissing is in the four Vedic Sanskrit texts, which may date to as early as 1500 BCE.
SU News
Sellers-to-Sellers TDs could be the future for SU after offer to brother of '23 QB (PS; Leiker)
Norris Sellers was watching his sons’ high school football game when he got a call.
It was from Ramon Robinson, the quarterbacks coach his eldest son trains with.
“Man, I know you’re over there in tears,” Norris Sellers recalled Robinson saying over the phone.
LaNorris Sellers, Norris’ oldest and a Syracuse football commit, had just thrown a touchdown to his younger brother, Jayden Sellers, in their team’s biggest game of the 2021 season. Last year was the first season the two were playing together on a varsity team — LaNorris as a junior QB and Jayden as a freshman wide receiver.
“And that’s when it kind of hit me: This is really happening. My boys are really growing up,” Norris Sellers said.
Jayden Sellers announced June 28 he received a scholarship offer from Syracuse football. It’s the first for the class of 2025 wide receiver and another sign Norris Sellers’ sons aren’t little boys playing Pop Warner anymore. The offer came just a few days after the family was in Syracuse for LaNorris Sellers’ official visit.
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Three-star OL lists Auburn among top six schools (usatoday.com; Jones)
Auburn Football has begun to see a much-needed upward trend in commits for the 2023 cycle, as they have doubled their commitment list in just three days by reeling in four-star running back Jeremiah Cobb and four-star wide receiver karmello English.
Auburn may receive extra help in the form of an offensive lineman soon.
Naquil Betrand, a three-star offensive tackle from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has released his top-six college choices, with Auburn making the cut.
Joining Auburn in Betrand’s top-six are Syracuse, Penn State, Georgia, Kentucky and Texas A&M According to On3, the slight favorite to land him is Syracuse, who has been given a 35.8% chance to grab Betrand’s commitment. However, Auburn is third on the list with a 21% shot at landing him.
Betrand, who was committed to Colorado at the time of his official visit to Auburn during the weekend of June 21, told Auburn Live that Auburn has “a really good chance” to land him.
Betrand is currently ranked as the No. 65 OT in the country and the No. 20 prospect from the state of Pennsylvania according to On3. A commitment date has not been announced at this time.
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Empire State of Mind: Syracuse Football Recruiting Sees Uptick in In-State Commitments (SI; McAllister)
Syracuse football has done a nice job with in-state recruiting thus far in the 2023 cycle. The Orange has landed four players from New York in tight end David Clement, defensive lineman Rashard Perry, defensive lineman Jalil Smith and linebacker Zyian Moultrie-Goddard. There has been a perception that the efforts in the Empire State have been greater than in years' past. Is that perception reality? We took a look back at every recruiting class under Dino Babers to find out.
The short answer is yes. The four in-state players would be the most of a recruiting class in the Dino Babers era and the most since 2012 when the Orange signed seven New York prospects. Of the seven previous recruiting classes under Babers, Syracuse has had two or fewer New York players six times. The 2018 class, which was headlined by Trill Williams, had three Empire State products. Here is the breakdown by class.
2022: 2
2021: 2
2020: 1
2019: 0
2018: 3
2017: 2
2016: 0
Since the 2019 cycle yielded zero New York State recruits, there has been a steady uptick culminating with the 2023 results to date. It would represent double or more of six of Syracuse's last seven recruiting classes, and the cycle is not over. The Orange has offers out to other in-state prospects, including defensive back Zion Tracy (while he is attending a prep school in Connecticut, he is a New York native).
The increased efforts go beyond just commitments as well. Syracuse has seen a flurry of visitors this spring and summer, many of which were in-state recruits. With approximately five months until early signing period and seven months until the late period, there is the potential Syracuse could add to its haul before the cycle is over.
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ACC, Pac-12 discuss 'loose partnership' that could include 'championship game' in Las Vegas (cbssports.com; Dodd)
The ACC and Pac-12 have discussed what has been termed a "loose partnership" that could end the season with the conferences playing a "championship game" in Las Vegas, sources confirm to CBS Sports.
The concept, believed to have been proposed by the ACC, is seen as a way for the conferences' common rightsholder, ESPN, to increase the value of their current media rights contracts.
It's not likely this proposal would have much impact considering ESPN has cost certainty with the ACC in a contract that lasts through 2036. The Pac-12 is trying to survive after the loss of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten in 2024. Rights for Pac-12 teams without the California powers are now worth about $30 million annually, down from approximately $42 million per program with the Trojans and Bruins in the fold.
John Canzano first reported the proposed the Pac-12 discussing a "loose partnership" with another conference Tuesday afternoon, noting some regular-season crossover games could be played in addition to the "championship game."
Sources indicate the proposal is viewed as a "strength in numbers" move. While the 24 combined ACC and Pac-12 teams wouldn't have nearly the clout of the 32 programs combined in the SEC and Big Ten, it would be something to combat the growing financial gap between those burgeoning superconferences and everyone else.
With the Big 12 and Pac-12 in flux, ACC schools are becoming increasingly aware of a media rights gap that could approach $50 million per year compared to the SEC and Big Ten.
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Syracuse Orange defensive back Garrett Williams (8) celebrates a play against Clemson at the Carrier Dome on Oct. 15. Williams made the PFF 2023 NFL Draft big board Tuesday. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
Garrett Williams breaks top 20 on PFF preseason NFL Draft ranking (PS; Leiker)
Syracuse football’s Garrett Williams earned a spot on Pro Football Focus’ 2023 NFL Draft: Preseason Top 50 Big Board on Tuesday, and the spot’s a lot higher than some might expect.
Williams is the No. 16 player overall on the big board and the second cornerback behind Georgia’s Kelee Ringo. Five cornerbacks cracked the top 50, but Williams is the only one from the ACC. In June, Williams was the ninth-ranked CB on ESPN Mel Kiper’s 2023 draft list.
The junior led the conference in pass breakups in both 2020 and 2021 and was an All-ACC selection last season. Williams finished 2021 with 52 total tackles and six tackles for loss. He set a season-high of seven solo tackles in Syracuse’s 17-14 loss to Clemson.
“Williams is unfortunately stuck in a scheme that isn’t set up to make his numbers look the best,” PFF’s Michael Renner writes.
He goes on to briefly talk about Williams’ strength in press-man coverage and how little Syracuse runs that variation of defense in coordinator Tony White’s 3-3-5 scheme. Williams played just 26 snaps of press-man coverage last season, according to Renner.
PFF’s list includes a number of other ACC players from Clemson’s Myles Murphy (No. 5) and Bryan Bresee (No. 6) to Miami’s Zion Nelson (No. 33). There are five players from the conference in the top 50, plus three from independent yet ACC-affiliated Notre Dame.
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2023 commit David Clement views Syracuse football 'as family' - The Juice Online (the juice; Cheng)
Syracuse 2023 tight end commit David Clement’s official visit to Syracuse in June deepened his commitment to the Orange, he said in an interview with The Juice Online.
“It was good. I really liked it,” Clement said. “Really just hanging out with the players helped me realize this is a team, this is family. I’m going to know everyone when I get there.”
Clement, who attends Christian (NY) Brothers Academy in Albany, was one of Syracuse’s earliest commits in the 2023 cycle. The Orange offered him on March 25, and Clement immediately accepted. That led to his official visit from June 17 to 19.
Two people he got to know well on the visit were EDGE Jalil Smith and linebacker Zyian Moultrie-Goddard. Both committed to the Orange after the trip.
“We talked a lot,” Clement said. “What it’s like playing for teams in different areas. It was nice to get to know them. Just connect with them on a football level and a friend level, just to show them that this could be the next four years with us.”
Clement also got a chance to sit down with the assistant coaches, and specifically offensive coordinator Robert Anae, who was his lead recruiter.
“I talked to Coach Anae a lot,” Clement said. “I’ve got the best connection with Coach Anae. He’s expecting me to come in there and be a true tight end. Block and catch. Just make the defense have to be aware of both. I’m not just going to sit there and block. I’m not just sit there and run a route. I can do both.”
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Klein Named Voice of WKU Women's Basketball and Volleyball - Western Kentucky University Athletics (wkusports.com)
Congrats Brad
Following a nationwide search for the next voice of WKU women's basketball and volleyball, Hilltopper Sports Properties General Manager Chris Freeman has announced that Brad Klein will fill the position beginning in the 2022-23 season.
"We are thrilled to have Brad join the Hilltopper Sports Radio Network Team, he brings a lot of versatility to the role coming from Syracuse," said Freeman. "Brad will bring passion to the role that will help continue to highlight women's sports at WKU."
Klein is a 2022 graduate of Syracuse University. During his time at Syracuse, Klein served as a play-by-play announcer on ACC Network Extra for volleyball, soccer, women's basketball, ice hockey and field hockey games. He also broadcasted Syracuse football, men's basketball and men's lacrosse games for WAER, Syracuse's NPR affiliate radio station.
He also worked with Syracuse's student radio station, WJPZ, as a play-by-play broadcaster for women's basketball, Central New York high school football and women's lacrosse. Klein is currently serving as the radio broadcaster for the Birmingham Barons, the AA White Sox minor league team.
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Syracuse Needs to do this to Avoid Oblivion Amidst Nationwide Conference Realignment (audible.com; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse is in a sticky situation, similarly to the rest of the nation outside the SEC and the BIG 10. Matt Bonaparte and Brad Klein determine what Athletic Director John Wildhack's next move should be. Do the Orange need a new conference? Or, will the ACC hold up?
ESPN Syracuse: 30 Minutes In Orange Nation 7-5 on Apple Podcasts (ESPN; radio; Orange Nation)
Steve and Paulie start the show assessing Syracuse's chances at surviving another conference realignment. Then, a caller suggests that the program should focus on moving back to the roots of college athletics as the rest of the country sprints forward. Later, Paulie debates Steve on something that caught his eye from Monday's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
ESPN Syracuse: On The Block On Demand 7-5 on Apple Podcasts (ESPN; radio; Axe)
Brent continues to discuss the latest scenarios with conference realignment and where Syracuse could potentially be left when the dust settles.
What are Syracuse’s options if we end up with two Super-conferences? A look at a possible revised ACC (TNIAAM; Wall)
Syracuse Orange fans probably spent some portion of the holiday weekend wondering about the impact of USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten. We’ve had a spirited discussion in the comments but now it’s time to step back and look at what might come next.
I shared this in the comments on Friday but I’ll put my guess at what 20-team Big Ten and SEC conferences could look like (certainly plenty of room to debate these possible additions). TV markets don’t matter. These two leagues are looking to grab national brands to raise the amount of the media rights deals they are seeking.
Big Ten
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Michigan St
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Northwestern
- Ohio State
- Penn State
- Purdue
- Rutgers
- Wisconsin
- UCLA
- USC
- Oregon
- Washington
- Stanford
- Cal
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Should Syracuse Try To Join The Big 10? – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; Bainbridge)
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
That’s the thought that’s surely crossed every embittered college football fan’s mind over the past few days – or years, give or take – as they’ve watched the NCAA’s traditional structure and Power Five alignment begin to break down. It should tell you a lot that UCLA and USC’s ridiculous June 30th decision to bolt for the Big 10 is still holding the attention of even the most sugar-crazed, attention-deficit riddled circles of social media. Like it or not, a new West Coast flavor is what’s coming to the conference.
Last summer, we wrote about how the ACC might be interested in welcoming refugees from the staggered Big 12, which had just learned of Oklahoma and Texas’ intention to move on to the SEC. Now, another pillar of the Power Five is collapsing, and there are even more teams trying to snag hold of Big 10 and SEC life preservers before they’re doomed to irrelevance or awkward fits in conferences that resent them.
The consequence of college football now resting in a throttling chokehold of ESPN and FOX’s monetary ‘forever war’ is this: no conference has steady footing any longer. The SEC and Big 10 are almost certain to keep growing, and that means grabbing better programs from existing conferences to add into the mix. The Pac-12 has just about been euthanized, and the ACC and Big 12 now sit on quicksand. Is Clemson going to be content for much longer with wiping the floor with the ACC, or will the Tigers up the ante and head off to the SEC? Would former Big East outfits in Miami, Pitt, or Virginia Tech decide to jump ship and further weaken the conference?
These are all things for Syracuse Athletic Director John Wildhack and his programs to think about. SU football isn’t the dynamic program it once was, but it needs to avoid the fate of teams like UConn, whose quality of play and stability have steadily declined since an ill-advised trip to the American Conference. The alarmist vision is that if ‘Cuse chooses wrong and budgets begin to tighten with less conference money to go around, things could easily get worse and do so quickly. If you’re a fan of square peg and round hole fits, you can do enough gymnastics to get enthusiastic about a Big 10-bound SU team rekindling geographic rivalries with Rutgers and Penn State and using Big 10 money to jumpstart recruiting efforts in nearby pipeline states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
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Notre Dame, ACC are keys to future conference realignment, insiders say | SEC to counter Big Ten? (NJ.com; $; Lanni)
It’s the day after Independence Day, which begs the question: What’s next for Notre Dame, college football’s most-coveted independent?
With the gears of conference realignment shifting again, several insiders think whatever happens in South Bend could influence the next wave of moves after USC and UCLA reignited the conversation last week.
“The next decision really rests with Notre Dame,” one industry insider told Sports Illustrated. That same source speculated the decision could come “in a week, or six months, or a year from now. We don’t know.”
As it currently stands, Notre Dame plays an independent football schedule, but the Irish play within the Atlantic Coast Conference in every other sport. The school remains contractually obligated to the ACC through 2036, but sources said Notre Dame could get out of its commitment with “relative ease,” according to Brett McMurphy of the Action Network.
That’s why Notre Dame remains the next power play in realignment. It doesn’t necessarily mean officials in South Bend, Indiana want to defect for the Big Ten immediately, however. According to another Sports Illustrated source, “independence remains the preference and leader in the clubhouse” for Notre Dame officials.
The two decisions that could change Notre Dame’s thinking? The fates of the college football playoff and Atlantic Coast Conference. As Sports Illustrated reported: “If one or both collapse, Notre Dame could be compelled into the Big Ten.”
What about the rest of the landscape?
According to McMurphy, the SEC and Big 12 want to be proactive. The SEC would likely target ACC schools — Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina or Virginia — while the Big 12 hopes to expand to 16 teams by poaching what’s left in the Pac-12.
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ACC Football 2022 predictions for Pitt's opponents: Georgia Tech (247sports.com; O'Brien)
Panther247 takes a look at some of the ACC Football 2022 predictions for Pitt's opponents this upcoming season. Several media outlets have already published its predictions for each ACC team.
Today, we'll take a look at some of the ACC Football 2022 predictions for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech finished with a 3-9 overall record (2-6 ACC) last season.
James Parks of SI.com thinks Georgia Tech has the No. 3 toughest schedule in the nation.
Panther247's Take: I have to agree. It gets no tougher than facing the defending national champions late in the season. The Bulldogs should be firing on all cylinders.
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What Would a Pac-12/Big 12/ACC Super-Merger Look Like? (SI; Curtis)
Previously we hypothesized what a Pac-12/Big 12 merger might look like, and there are reports that might happen. But some reports indicate the Pac-12 might be thinking even bigger, which may be a requirement when competing with the Big Ten and SEC for television money.
Could the Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC merge their most attractive schools into a super conference that could compete with the Big Ten and SEC for TV rights? You would have to believe it has crossed the minds of officials in those three conferences.
There is also the possibility of the Pac-12 merging with the ACC and leaving the Big 12 out of the picture, but we will explore that option on another day. For now we're looking at the Pac-12/Big 12/ACC trifecta merger.
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic makes a suggestion:
And Pete Thamel of ESPN offers a wide-ranging report on the situation facing the Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC, and what each could do.
Here is an excerpt from that story regarding the Pac-12.
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Clemson football: ACC sits idle while college football landscape changes around them (rubbingtherock.com; Coleman)
While the landscape of college athletics continues to shift, the ACC stands pat.
Perhaps you’ve heard that USC and UCLA are headed to the Big 10 in 2024 and Texas and Oklahoma are going to the SEC in 2025.
Meanwhile, the ACC is…likely figuring out who it’s next “alliance” is going to be with (could you feel my eye roll?) and how all this realignment of football powers impacts basketball and field hockey.
Admittedly, I’m not smart enough to figure out the best move, but I also don’t get paid to do so like Jim Phillips does.
At a time when forward thinking is needed and the PAC-12 hired a media executive as their commissioner and the Big 12 has hired a sports and entertainment executive as theirs, the ACC is stuck in 1970 and hired an old fashioned athletics administrator.
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Where College Football is Now and Where it Goes in the Future: ACC (gobblercountry.com; Fahvaag)
Ironic coming from Blacksburg...
We Told You This Wasn’t Set in Concrete... More Like Quicksand, Now
As we noted in the quick hitter and poll, on 28 June 2022 - the ACC has thrown everyone a major curve ball and as of the 2023 season there will be no more divisions and the winner of the conference will be the Number 1 and Number 2 teams playing each other in Charlotte under a different sponsor than Dr. Pepper. It’s now being sponsored by Subway.
This Stuff Still Stands
We’re back at it, and this time it’s a good hard look at our home conference the Atlantic Coast Conference (aka – Tobacco Road, plus some guys). The first reality of the Conference that we see hit people is a sort of geographic “nonsense” that places Pittsburg, Syracuse and Louisville remotely close to the Atlantic Coast. Maybe with Eastern New York being the northern most mid-Atlantic state… but Western New York has almost nothing to do with the city, and is actually closer to the Rust Belt Great Lakes region. Pittsburgh has always been “eastern” but it’s past most of the mountains and really is an industrial Ohio River city (origin of that river, for the geography challenged) city and that goes for Louisville as well. AND THEN there is the very industrial city on the southern shores of lake Michigan (South Bend, Indiana) that provides teams to the conference in every sport BUT football, Notre Dame.The Irishman in the Sitting Room
As they say, therein lays the rub. Notre Dame football operates as its own conference. It’s a national football phenom with its own big-name contract with NBC Sports and a national following that often has absolutely nothing to do with any sort of alumni status with the university. To many folks in college football fandom, Notre Dame is “the core” of college football. That gives the program a monster level of negotiating power, and a serious individual revenue flow that it neither share nor part with. No rational fiduciary would, either. We’ll talk about that later, but for now let’s leave Notre Dame on the edge of the basic football analysis – it’ll come in as a hypothetical and a poll question. (Yes, we are going to make up for the lack of a Big XII poll by hitting you up twice in this article.)The Current Situation is Unbalanced and Chaotic
On the surface the ACC seems to be fairly stable. The conference has been through three expansion/departure periods over the last generation, most notably the 2004/5 (Miami, Tech, BC) and 2013/4 (Pitt, Cuse, Louisville) pulses. The conference lost Maryland (an original member) to the B1G back in 2013/14 and the Cardinals were the replacement balance. Of course, Notre Dame joined in 2013 for everything but football.The following is the current grid for the football conference:
The ACC for 2022 - 2025
| Team | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Division | ||
| Boston College Eagles | C+ | Once a real threat and big winner in the Big East, now a middling player |
| Clemson Tigers | A | As of now - until the Nictator leaves Alabama and Dabo hangs in SC - this is the only playoff viable team in the ACC |
| North Carolina State Wolfpack | B+ | We saw a slight resurgence last season. They can routinely challenge for the Atlantic if Clemson is down |
| Florida State Seminoles | C+ | Once great - now struggling - lots of money - lots of NIL potential - will improve or be a mess permanently |
| Louisville Cardinals | C+ | Another Basketball program with an occasional good football season |
| Syracuse Orange | C | Most people do not even know where it is - old - worn - outdated - like most of New York State |
| Wake Forest Demon Deacons | B+ | This season was a surprise - ceiling is still a B in general but there is no telling how long it will last |
| Coastal Division | ||
| Duke Blue Devils | C | Great coach fired, new coach unknown, rarely above their B ceiling |
| Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | C- | Georgia Tech's floor is where it is - the ceiling isn't better than a B - though |
| Miami (FL) Hurricanes | B- | New coach - lots of hype - little return on that investment - with the money and NIL potential still a high ceiling |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | B | A basketball school with a football team that can win the Costal but not beat a healthy Clemson |
| Pittsburgh Panthers | B+ | Nardo is a drama queen on the sideline but challenges for the Coastal often and win in a down Clemson season. |
| Virginia Cavaliers | C | A basketball school that doesn't really give a rip about football - at all |
| Virginia Tech Hokies | C+ | New coach - lots of history - failed next guy - hoping this is the floor - the ceiling is at least an A- |
ACC + Notre Dame 2022 (RX; HM)
ACC + Notre Dame 2022
Is there anything the ACC can reasonably do to convince Notre Dame to stay?We know the Irish would prefer to remain independent if they can, but will join the Big Ten if they must. So, what can the ACC do to preserve the status quo, or maybe even enhance it? Here are some ideas...
1. Instead of rotating through all 14 ACC teams evenly, modify the ACC/Notre Dame schedule so that the Irish get a little more of the ACC's cream. Since Notre Dame plays 15 games against the ACC every three years (3 X 5), a small change might be to play all 14 ACC teams but save that 15th game for the highest-ranked team over that 3-year span (which would be Clemson at present). One extra Clemson vs. Notre Dame game every three seasons may not sound like a lot, but it might be just right - but if it's not enough, I'm sure something more challenging could be worked out.
2. The smaller-venue ACC teams could be convinced to move their Notre Dame games to a larger venue. In fact, you could move both the home and away games, which gives the Irish plenty of "Shamrock" games. For example, you might have a rotation like this:
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ACC has a limited time offer (RX; HM)
ACC has a limited time offer
Will ACC leaders be caught sleeping again?What happens next?
Sure, the ACC may be hesitant to invite teams from the West Coast, but how would this affect the league's ability to poach Big XII teams? Would teams like WVU, Cincinnati, and UCF be less likely to accept an ACC invitation if it mean parting ways with Arizona, Colorado, and Utah? How much more would those teams be worth if they played an ACC schedule? Think WVU/Pitt, Louisville/Cincinnati, and Miami/UCF. Plus, if the ACC can grab Cincinnati and UCF before they officially join the Big XII, no GoR, no exit fees, available right away!
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Out of Box Solution: Merge ACC into Pac-12 (RX; HM)
Out of Box Solution: Merge ACC into Pac-12
Frank the Tank has an intriguing idea:Hey, at least the Pac-12 is up for a new TV contract. Yes, this would probably be the death of the ACC Network - and an lawsuit from ESPN - but imagine it being replaced by an A&P Network sold to the likes of Amazon for a billion dollars or so, along with the regular T1 rights (probably another $3 billion given the number of teams). If the Pac-12 is smart, they'd invite Duke and Wake Forest as non-football members, too - that would eliminate a lot of low-value football games, thus increasing the value of the tv contract further.
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Reviewing 2020 Revenue by School (RX; HM)
Reviewing 2020 Revenue by School
I saw this posted on CSNBBS by "EnterSandman" who, despite the cool nickname, is a Louisville fan![note: ACC teams in bold; potential ACC expansion teams in red - Hokie Mark]....
GUEST: Is this the final endgame? (RX; HM)
GUEST: Is this the final endgame?
Guest writer Bill Dooley has some ideas about how this round of realignment might shake out...What if the Big Ten and the SEC both grow to 32 teams? What if there's later another breakaway - to cull the number down to about 35 teams or so - who would make the final cut? Here are some of his thoughts:
Big Ten Alignment
15 teams move on to the elite division(RED = Won't make the final cut to the elite division)
| Pacific | Plains | Midwest | Atlantic |
| USC | Nebraska | Michigan | Penn State |
| UCLA | Kansas | Michigan State | Pitt |
| Cal | Kansas St | Ohio State | Syracuse |
| Stanford | Iowa | Notre Dame | Boston College |
| Oregon | Iowa State | Purdue | Maryland |
| Oregon State | Wisconsin | Northwestern | Rutgers |
| Washington | Minnesota | Indiana | UNC |
| Washington State | Colorado | Illinois | Duke |
SEC Alignment
20 teams move on to the final elite division| West | Central | East | North |
| Oklahoma | Texas | Florida | Tennessee |
| Oklahoma St | Texas A&M | Miami | WVU |
| Arizona | TCU | Florida St | S Carolina |
| Arizona State | Baylor | Georgia | Clemson |
| Utah | Texas Tech | Georgia Tech | Kentucky |
| BYU | Missouri | Alabama | Louisville |
| Ole Miss | Arkansas | Auburn | Virginia |
| Mississippi State | LSU | Vanderbilt | Virginia Tech |
Seven more ACC teams would get invited to join the 32-team version of the SEC, with four of them - Clemson, Florida State, Miami, and Virginia Tech - moving on to the final group.
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College Football: Realignment perspectives from ACC schools (bamahammer.com; Evans)
No one knows how long it will be before the next college football realignment move is made. Alabama football fans are far more interested in recruiting and chasing 2022 championships. Going along with that is an Alabama attitude of ‘bring on all comers’ bold enough to believe they can compete in the SEC.
College Football is Big Business
The business side of the college football world thinks a bit differently. If a major realignment is inevitable, as most college football experts think, then opportunities must be maximized.
Pat Forde wrote on Monday that Notre Dame can and will play a waiting game. As a national brand, the Fighting Irish are the ultimate catch. Notre Dame is not a must-get for the SEC. For the Big Ten, the Irish are a must-get, in that Notre Dame giving up independence for another conference would be a blow.
A couple of days ago, while joking around about a fictional phone call between Greg Sankey and Big Ten Commissioner, Kevin Warren, I suggested the top SEC targets should be Clemson, Miami and Florida State.
It could be that very soon, Kevin Warren will be encouraging those additions to the SEC in a real call to Greg Sankey. As Pat Forde commented, Notre Dame can wait patiently if it chooses. But can it wait once it becomes obvious the ACC will fall apart? The Irish could be left with diminished independence or being forced to align with a weakened Big 12 or struggling Pac 12.
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Other
The historic Jefferson Clinton Hotel in Syracuse's Armory Square opened in 1927. (Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com)
Historic Armory Square hotel gets a new owner and soon a new name (PS; $; Moriarty)
A hotel that has stood in Syracuse’s Armory Square for 95 years has a new owner and will soon have a new name and look.
Syracuse Hospitality Developers, an offshoot of Corning-based Visions Hotels, bought the independent Jefferson Clinton in December 2019 for $6.1 million, according to Onondaga County property tax records. The seller was Jefferson-Clinton Hotel LLC, an ownership group that included Syracuse developer Joe Hucko.
The new owner is turning the 11-story, 68-room hotel into a Best Western. Its new name will be Best Western Syracuse Downtown Hotel and Suites.
Renovations are under way. They include new furniture and full kitchen and bathroom remodels in guest rooms. Lobby renovations will include new furniture, lighting and updates to the breakfast area while keeping the original marble at the reception desk intact. New carpeting will be installed throughout the building.
“It’s going to be a little more modern looking, but it will still have an historic look,” said Stephenie Jones, the hotel’s general manager. “We’re keeping the historic feel.”
The hotel’s staff of 15 employees will not change, she said.
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