sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to International Hamburger Day!
International Hamburger Day celebrates hamburgers! Traditionally, a hamburger consists of a patty of ground beef that has been pan-fried, barbecued, or flame broiled, and it is served in a bun. Condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and relish are often included, as well as toppings such as lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, pickles, and cheese. Besides the hamburger made of ground beef, there are many variations of the burger, such as the turkey burger, veggie burger, and bison burger. Burgers are commonly served at fast food restaurants and diners, and even at high-end restaurants.
There are many people who claim to have invented the burger. Some sources say that Louis Lassen did it, at Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut, on July 28, 1900. No matter who came up with the hamburger, it was created sometime around the turn of the nineteenth century, and its popularity was boosted at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Some popular early restaurants that served a burger were White Castle starting in 1921, Kewpee Hamburgers starting in 1923, Big Boy beginning in 1936, and McDonald's beginning in 1940. Although the hamburger was created in the United States, its name is taken from the city of Hamburg, Germany.
SU News
Syracuse Football: Oronde Gadsden II ranked a top-20 national player for 2024 season (itlh; Adler)
A new set of national rankings of the top players ahead of the 2024 season has Syracuse football tight end Oronde Gadsden II highly placed.
The X account CFBudge is rating the top-50 players around the country for the upcoming campaign, and per a recent post on social media, the 6-foot-5, 223-pound Gadsden checks in at No. 17.
That ranking, undeniably, is impressive. To me, it's also a little surprising, giving that Gadsden missed most of the 2023 season after suffering a Lisfranc injury during the Orange’s home win over Western Michigan last September.
Still, Syracuse football fans are eager to see Gadsden, a redshirt junior, pick up where he left off in a break-out 2022 campaign. That season, Gadsden caught 61 passes for 969 yards and scored six touchdowns through the air, while being named to the All-ACC first team.
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How A Syracuse Icon Landed Fran Brown Yet Another Recruit (orangefizz.net; Papillo)
It’s no secret that Fran Brown has done wonders for Syracuse football in his short time under the helm. In just six months in the 315, Brown has brought in one of the top recruiting classes in the country, with a strong majority coming from his home state of New Jersey. You may say that Brown doesn’t need any help landing highly touted recruits, but he owes an assist to one of the most polarizing athletes in Syracuse University’s history: Carmelo Anthony.
Jaylen Pray is a lineman who plays both sides of the ball at the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut. Sizing up at 6’7 and 265 pounds, Pray is slated as the fourth best recruit in the state according to 24-7 Sports. The three-star recruit had offers on the table from both SU and ACC foe Boston College before Brown landed him, but it wasn’t for the reason you may think.
Pray is a dual-sport athlete at the Brunswick School, the other being manning the middle in basketball. Along with offers to play D1 football, it was reported that Pray had received D1 basketball scholarships from both Maryland and Georgia Tech. The decision to take his talents to the gridiron was one with many influences, including from Anthony.
In an article published by 24-7 Sports, it was revealed that Pray and Anthony’s son Kiyan, who has been making some waves in his own right, played on the same AAU team as middle schoolers, the New York Gauchos. After some conversations with Anthony since receiving an offer from Brown, Pray decided that Syracuse was the place he wanted to continue his career.
“(Anthony) definitely helped in that process,” Pray said when asked about his commitment back in March. “It was reaching out to the coaches and telling them about my capabilities.”
The rising senior will step onto SU’s campus in 2025 committed only as a defensive lineman. However, that decision may prove beneficial under the new regime of coaches. Defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson is bringing in a revamped system from his time at Texas A&M, one that commonly sees four down linemen. This would allow Pray to see the field more often and consistently get reps even as an underclassman.
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Predicting ceiling, floor for Syracuse in 2024 season (on3.com; Smith)
Following eight seasons with Dino Babers at the helm, Syracuse will now embark on a new era under first-year head coach Fran Brown. The former Georgia assistant who has already made a strong impression on the recruiting trail and generated buzz surrounding the Orange.
18 players have joined Syracuse this offseason through the transfer portal, headlined by names like former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, Texas A&M defensive lineman Fadil Diggs, and a handful of former Bulldogs. But will that translate to instant success for Syracuse in the 2024 season?
ACC Network’s Roddy Jones spoke about just that on Monday with On3’s Andy Staples, as the two broke down what the best and worst possible season could look like for Brown and Syracuse.
Ceiling: 9-3
“This was a bowl team last year with without a quarterback, like Garrett Shrader‘s shoulder didn’t work for the vast majority of the season to the point where they had to put Dan Villari, a tight end who played quarterback in high school, at quarterback. And they struggled, but they were still a bowl team despite the limitations that they had,” Jones said.Despite facing adversity at the most important position, Syracuse still managed a 7-6 record last season. And with that position now taken care of thanks to McCord plus some overall roster strength against a majority of their competition, 2024 could represent the program’s best season since they secured 10 wins in 2018.
“I am high on Syracuse,” Jones added. “I think if you look at that schedule, like I don’t think they’re better than NC State. I don’t think they’re better than Virginia Tech. I don’t think they’re better than Miami. But everyone else I think is a winnable game for them, including Georgia Tech, which is a bit of a toss up, but including Georgia Tech. So I look at Syracuse and I think their ceiling’s 9-3.”
Floor: 6-6
Both Staples and Jones don’t see Syracuse taking any steps back despite having a different head coach. Each expressing a strong belief in the new Orange head man based on his reputation, resume, and recruiting very early in his head coaching career.“Fran Brown’s got this infectious personality so I feel like they’re gonna play hard. Will there be some bumps as a first-year head coach?” Jones asked. “Probably. But I think their ceiling’s 9-3 and from a floor standpoint, I still think it’s still a bowl team, they’re probably 6-6 at the floor. That’s if all the toss-ups don’t go your way.”
“Fadil Diggs is a great example, Elijah Robinson obviously comes from Texas A&M, but Fadil Diggs a Jersey guy, so Fran Brown’s got those connections too,” Staples added. “Remember Fran Brown was working for Kirby Smart at Georgia, so working on establishing a culture at Syracuse that he’s going to try to mimic a lot of what Kirby Smart does at Georgia.
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2024 Syracuse Orange Football Predictions (youtube; podcast; WahooBrad)
2024 Syracuse Orange Football Predictions
Is More ACC Expansion on the Way? (orangefizz.net; Aitken)
ACC expansion has completely changed the look of the league over the last year. Going forward, Cal and Stanford join from all the way across the country, plus SMU from Texas. Before those three schools even play a game in the conference, there might be more additions coming. College football reporter Luke Fletcher identified four schools that could join the ACC, especially if there are departures in the near future.
Utah
Utah doesn’t fit in the footprint of the classic ACC, but that’s out the window already. The more confusing part of Utah’s potential move is that the Utes just moved from the Pac-12 to the Big 12. However, that was a move made out of desperation, as their former conference is all but dead. Perhaps Utah believes it fits better with the ACC than the Big 12. The conference would win too, as it could expand its television coverage into Salt Lake City, the number 27 market in the country.
Oregon State
Oregon State has been looking for a permanent home since it got left out of realignment following the collapse of the Pac-12. Following Cal and Stanford is a lot better than many alternatives, like joining the Mountain West or rebuilding the Pac-12 with mid-major schools. Similar to Utah, Oregon State provides another television market for the ACC to move into, number 23 Portland.
San Diego State
San Diego State doesn’t fit the mold of a Pac-12 school looking for a new home. The closest path that SDSU would be following is SMU, a school with solid athletics in a great television market. Instead of Dallas, Texas though, this would be San Diego, California (the number 30 market). Media money is really shaping up to be a key factor in ACC expansion.
South Florida
USF would be a replacement, albeit a mediocre one, for Florida State if the Seminoles successfully leave the ACC. They pick up the number 12 Tampa media market, but are probably have the weakest overall athletics out of any possible addition.
Syracuse football transfer WR finds a Power-Four destination (PS; $; Carlson)
Former Syracuse wide receiver Bryce Cahoon, one of more than 20 players who has left the school since the arrival of new head coach Fran Brown, announced on Friday night that he will return to his home state and play for Kansas.
Cahoon arrived at Syracuse ranked as a three-star recruit and a member of Syracuse’s Class of 2023. He was ranked by 247 Sports Composite rankings as the No. 230 wide receiver in his class and the No. 1,575 prospect overall.
He has four years of college eligibility remaining after playing in three games last season. He did not accumulate any statistics. He was not projected to crack Syracuse’s two-deep depth chart this season.
Cohoon was listed on Syracuse’s roster last year at 6-foot-2 and 187 pounds.
He entered the transfer portal in late April.
The Syracuse football roster has undergone a dramatic overhaul since the arrival of Brown.
Cahoon is one of the minority of outgoing transfers who has landed with a Power-Four program, providing what looks to be a substantial upgrade in talent heading into next season under Brown.
Syracuse has brought in Colorado State wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons, as well as Georgia wide receivers Yazeed Haynes and Jackson Meeks, while losing wide receivers Damien Alford, Isaiah Jones and Cohoon.
A fourth wide receiver who played for the Orange last season, Donovan Brown, was “not with the team” at the end of spring practice. It’s unclear if that will change.
The players to transfer from Syracuse who have found Power-Four homes include Alford (Utah), offensive lineman Joe More (Arkansas), defensive tackle Kevon Darton (Arizona), linebacker Stefon Thompson (Nebraska), defensive back Jeremiah Wilson (Houston) and defensive end (Leon Lowery).
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Former football coach Dino Babers was Syracuse’s highest-paid employee in 2022 (PS; Carlson)
Former Syracuse football coach Dino Babers was Syracuse’s highest-paid employee in 2022, when athletic department employees made up four of the school’s seven highest-paid employees.
Babers earned just under $4.4 million in total compensation in 2022. That included a base salary of $4.2 million. He was paid just over $4 million the previous year.
The Orange won its first six games in 2022 and played in the Pinstripe Bowl, the team’s first bowl game since 2018. Syracuse finished with a 7-6 record. Babers received a $25,000 bonus. He also earned small amounts in retirement and benefits.
That compensation package would have placed Babers No. 41 on USA Today’s most recent list of highest-paid football coaches, between California’s Justin Wilcox and recently-fired Houston coach Dana Holgorsen.
Former Syracuse men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim, former football defensive coordinator Tony White and athletic director John Wildhack were all listed among the school’s highest-paid employees during 2022.
Their salaries were included on the school’s 990 form which it is required to provide to the Internal Revenue Service each year because it is a non-profit organization.
Syracuse fired Babers before the end of the 2023 season. It is believed that he had one year remaining on his contract when he was fired. The salary for his final year of coaching and any severance package will likely be included on next year’s tax form. Syracuse has not commented on whether Babers received a buyout from the school and how much it paid.
Boeheim was second on the school’s highest-paid list, receiving a compensation package worth $2.9 million in 2022. That included a $2.6 million salary and $40,000 in compensation that had been earned during a previous year but was paid out in 2022.
Boeheim earned a bonus of $20,000. The Orange finished 16-17, the only losing season in Boeheim’s 47 years leading the program. He earned $2.8 million in 2021. Adrian Autry took over after the 2022-23 season.
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Nunzio Campanile files complaint against NJSIAA looking to overturn senior transfer rule (northjersey.com; Cooper)
In a case that could have a far-reaching impact on New Jersey high school sports and beyond, current Syracuse University football assistant coach Nunzio Campanile has filed a complaint against the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association in Superior Court of New Jersey, calling the organization’s transfer rule for seniors unconstitutional.
Campanile is filing the complaint on behalf of his son, listed only as M.C. in the court documents, and is being represented by attorney Patrick J. Jennings. It says that M.C. has been a student and football player at Bergen Catholic High School (coincidentally playing for Nunzio’s older brother, Vito Campanile) but plans to transfer to Ramsey High School for his senior season.
According to NJSIAA rules, M.C. would be considered a “senior transfer” and be forced to sit out 22 days, or half the majority of contests in that sport, whichever is less.
Senior transfers are the only athletes required to sit out for any period of time by the NJSIAA. The state governing body for high school sports altered the rules regarding transfers in May 2023, allowing freshman, sophomore and junior athletes one “free transfer” without penalty. At the time, the argument given to support making a senior athlete sit was to establish a deterrent for schools that might try to create “super teams.”
The complaint, filed by Jennings, calls the new transfer rule “unconstitutionally irrational and discriminatory, violates due process and fundamental fairness and violates the right of a parent to educate one’s child as the parent sees fit.”
It seeks a summary hearing from a judge and asks for said judge to declare that the new transfer rule is “void, unconstitutional and unenforceable” and that “the New Transfer Rule violates the equal protection of the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution and equal protection of the NJ Constitution.”
Nunzio Campanile served as head coach at Bergen Catholic from 2010-17 before taking a job at Rutgers in 2018. He served as interim head football coach for eight games at Rutgers in 2019, then was interim head coach at Syracuse at the end of the 2023 season. He remains on the Syracuse staff as Associate Head Coach for Offense and Quarterbacks Coach.
Jennings has led multiple successful cases against the NJSIAA, including preserving former Paramus Catholic star Rashan Gary’s eligibility against recruiting allegations in a high-profile case, and most recently, clearing current Paramus Catholic coach Greg Russo from any wrongdoing in a recruiting charge and getting his suspension overturned.
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Syracuse Football Transfer Portal Update: Will Nixon to Cuse! - Washington Running Back Commit (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Football Transfer Portal Update: Will Nixon to Cuse! - Washington Running Back Commit
2003 Notre Dame @ Syracuse (youtube; video; Diedrich)
The Orangemen crush the Irish in the ".500 Bowl" season finale, 38-12. This rare December regular-season game was the first meeting between Notre Dame and Syracuse in 40 years, as well as ND's only appearance (to date) in the Carrier Dome and Syracuse's last game before rebranding as the Orange. Recorded Dec. 6, 2003 on WOKR (now WHAM) in Rochester. Includes ABC pregame and segment with Carmelo Anthony and Denver Nuggets on NBA Inside Stuff.
Barstool Syracuse on Instagram: "A look back at the Syracuse football team after winning the 1959 National Championship An outdoor football stadium would be crazy (@syracusehistory)"
1,865 likes, 2 comments - barstoolcuse on May 27, 2024: "A look back at the Syracuse football team after winning the 1959 National Championship An outdoor football stadium would be crazy �...".
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Syracuse Football on Instagram: "Remembering and honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. #MemorialDay"
1,518 likes, 2 comments - cusefootball on May 27, 2024: "Remembering and honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. #MemorialDay".
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ACC News
SEC's Sankey would 'welcome' national standard (ESPN; Thamel & Dinich)
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey laid out in general terms on Monday evening what congressional help for college sports could look like, saying they constitute "a national system that deserves national standards."
In his opening remarks at the SEC's annual meetings here, Sankey addressed what college sports could look like in the wake of an agreement by the Power 5 conferences and the NCAA to settle three antitrust cases.
As the terms of the settlement came together in recent weeks, college sports officials cautioned it should not be viewed as a magic bullet to the issues -- both legal and otherwise -- in college sports but rather as just the beginning for forging a new era where schools share revenue with athletes.
"I think Congress has still an opportunity to use the structure of this settlement to enact legislation to strengthen the future of college sports," Sankey said.
Sankey said he already has been to Washington, D.C., at least five times this year. He added that in entering his 10th year as the SEC commissioner, one significant change is the number of members of Congress in his phone. He described the effort evolving from a "curiosity" to "a little bit of interest" and that the education of what's needed would be a "continuing repetition."
"I would welcome action between now and the election," Sankey said. "Most people with whom I converse say that's unlikely, and so your educational process will continue post-election, and it will depend on who's in leadership of each party within the House and Senate, where the majorities lie and who occupies the White House. Those realities guide conversations.
"So, as much as it's been unpredictable, I think it will still be unpredictable."
Any congressional action would likely include components of nationalizing rules and avoiding the current patchwork of state laws. Some, but not all, of that ambiguity is expected to be mitigated by the settlement. But Sankey pointed out that employment remains a vexing issue and that, traditionally, a group needs to have employee status to bargain collectively.
"The breadth of the settlement is intended to give us a path forward, provide a level of clarity about the future that doesn't embed employment automatically," he said.
Sankey said no student has come up to him and said that he or she wants "to be [taxed] like a lawyer."
"There are those who advocate for that reality," he added. "That takes me back to a fundamental statement, which is there's no better time to be a student-athlete than right now in the history of college sports. No better time. And again, they're not calling me saying, 'I want to be an employee.'"
NCAA president Charlie Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts, has been in Washington regularly in attempt to help gather momentum for a bill. There's been nearly a dozen hearings on college sports in recent years and more than a half-dozen bills drafted but little tangible traction.
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How does College Football Playoff work? Rules, dates, more (ESPN; Dinich)
For the first time in a decade, college football has changed the way it determines its champion. In case you've been living off the grid, the field will expand from four to 12 teams in the fall of 2024.
The 13-member selection committee remains in place, and its mission is essentially the same as it's always been, according to the College Football Playoff:
"The selection committee's task will be to select the best teams, rank the teams for inclusion in the playoff and assign the teams to the playoff sites."
Here's everything you need to know about how that will actually work.
Who qualifies for the college football playoff?
The five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams will earn a spot in the 12-team bracket. There is no limit to how many teams from one conference can qualify. The rules also don't guarantee spots for certain conferences. The champions of the Big 12, SEC, ACC and Big Ten will almost certainly routinely qualify, though, along with the highest-ranked champion from the Mountain West, American Athletic Conference, Sun Belt, Mid-American Conference or Conference USA.There is no minimum ranking requirement for the five highest-ranked conference champions. There could be a conference champion ranked No. 23, for example, that's the fifth highest-ranked league winner and earns a spot in the playoff -- at the expense of the committee's No. 12 team.
How does the seeding work?
The four highest-ranked conference champions will earn the top four seeds and receive a first-round bye. The other eight teams will play in the first round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or "at other sites designated by the higher-seeded institution."That means any team that doesn't earn the luxury of a first-round bye will have to win four straight games to win the national championship. If a team lost in its conference championship game and played in four straight playoff games, it would have played an unprecedented total of 17 games.
Be careful not to confuse the seeding with the selection committee's ranking. The 13-member committee will still issue its weekly top 25, which will be used to determine the highest-ranked conference champs. That means, though, that if Georgia wins the SEC and is ranked No. 1 by the selection committee, and Alabama loses that game and is No. 3 in the CFP ranking -- or even No. 2! -- the Tide will be seeded No. 5 behind three other conference champs and Georgia.
(Read that again, please.)
Any independent like Notre Dame cannot earn a first-round bye because it cannot win a conference title. That also applies to Washington State and Oregon State, which have a temporary scheduling arrangement with the Mountain West and can compete for the national championship but aren't eligible to win the MWC and don't constitute a league of their own, per NCAA and CFP rules.
Once the teams are seeded on Selection Day, the seeds are final. There won't be any reseeding.
What about rematches?
There won't be any modifications made to avoid rematches or games between schools from the same conference.How does the bracket work?
First round (all home games)Friday, Dec. 20, and Saturday, Dec. 21
No. 12 seed at No. 5 seed
No. 9 seed at No. 8 seed
No. 11 seed at No. 6 seed
No. 10 seed at No. 7 seed
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Dec. 31, and Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025
No. 4 seed plays the winner of No. 12 vs. No. 5
No. 1 seed plays winner of No. 9 vs. No. 8
No. 3 seed plays winner of No. 11 vs. No. 6
No. 2 seed plays winner No. 10 vs. No. 7
Semifinals
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025: Capital One Orange Bowl (evening)
Friday, Jan. 10, 2025: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (evening)
CFP National Championship
Monday, Jan. 20, 2025: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
What do I need to know about the selection committee?
There are six former coaches and players in the group, six sitting athletic directors representing seven conferences (including one from each Power 4 league) and one former sportswriter:- Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel (committee chair)
- Former Nevada coach Chris Ault
- Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk
- Former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe
- Miami (Ohio) athletic director David Sayler
- Former sportswriter Kelly Whiteside
- Former All-American Nebraska lineman Will Shields
- Former Toledo and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel
- Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades
- Virginia athletic director Carla Williams
- Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek
- Former Oregon State and Nebraska coach Mike Riley
- Former Arizona State All-American guard Randall McDaniel
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Paul Feinbaum says Miami football could inch ahead of Clemson (caneswarning.com; Rubenstein)
SEC Network host Paul Feinbaum told ESPN college football analysts Greg McElroy and Cole Kubelic on their morning how he can see the Miami football program pulling ahead of Clemson. Alex Turi of Clemson Wire transcribed the interview. Miami ended a four-game losing streak to Clemson in 2023.
Clemson won six straight ACC Championships from 2015 through 2020 and captured the title again in 2022. Florida State and Clemson combined to win every ACC football championship in the 2010s. Florida State won the title in 2010 and from 2012 through 2014. Clemson won its first ACC Title under Dabo Swinney in 2011.
Clemson dominated Miami in four games from 2015 through 2022. The Tigers beat the Hurricanes by an average of 44.5 to 7.5 in their four meetings in 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2022. The four Clemson wins over Miami included a 38-3 victory in the 2017 ACC Championship game.
Miami finally ended the streak with a 28-20 overtime win over Clemson in 2023. Another reason Feinbaum considered Miami a potential challenger to Clemson is the Hurricanes' recruiting success and in the transfer portal. Swinney basically refuses to accept the transfer portal as an option to improve his roster.
Clemson is the only school in the ACC and one of four nationally without a transfer added to its 2024 roster. The other three programs that did not add a transfer are the Air Force, Army and Naval Academies. The service academies do not accept transfers. Stanford was the lowest Power Conference team with four new transfers.
Miami has become the best program recruiting in the ACC under Mario Cristobal. The Hurricanes have signed a top 10 class nationally and the best in the ACC in the last two years. Miami signed the fourth-best 2024 class, Clemson 11th and Florida State 12th. In 2023, Miami signed the seventh-best class, Clemson 11th and FSU 19th in 2023.
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Could Utah Leave The Big 12 To Join The ACC? New Report On ACC Expansion | ACC Revenue Hits Record (youtube.com; podcast; Locked on ACC)
Could the ACC actually expand with a new member in the near future? New reports from Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News have linked the Utah Utes to the ACC. Utah is about to join the Big 12 but reportedly could be enticed by the ACC’s ESPN network affiliation. Other rumored candidates for the conference are USF, San Diego State and Oregon State. The ACC just had a record revenue increase this past season, but the gap is still wide behind the SEC and Big Ten.
Utah DENIES ACC to Be Expansion Big 12 School, Will Stay Longterm as Jim Phillips' League COLLAPSES (youtube; podcast; Locked on Big 12)
Panic!
MAJOR Discovery that Could Save the ACC?! | Conference Realignment (youtube; podcast; Couz's Corner)
In this college football podcast, Couz gives three reasons the ACC may survive the likely exits of the Florida State Seminoles amd Clemson Tigers from the conference. He shares articles and Tweets to support the claims.With lawsuits pending between FSU/Clemson and the Atlantic Coast Conference, it seems as though the league may be on thin ice; especially with noise coming out of the North Carolina Tar Heels program in the past few weeks. Questions exist as to whether those three schools land in the SEC or Big Ten. What would happen to other ACC schools like Pitt, Virginia Tech, NC State and Louisville? Would they get absorbed by the Big 12? That is the belief of many college football fans. However, there are scenarios that could lead to the ACC surviving the losses of the Seminoles and Tigers. Maybe UNC stays in the conference? Why is that feasible? Also, could the ACC Network actually help keep the ACC intact?
Miami Hurricanes could get Utah as ACC rival per national report (caneswarning.com; Rubenstein)
Hall of Fame sportswriter Dick Weiss reported on X there is discussion about Utah moving to the ACC despite joining the Big XII with Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado on June 1. Utah was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 1962-1998, the Mountain West from 1999-2010 and Pac 12 since 2010.
Miami and Utah have never met in football for the battle of the U. The Hurricanes lead the all-time series in basketball 2-0 versus the Utes. Miami beat Utah 88-87 in 1966 and 90-66 in 2015. The Hurricanes have not played the Utes in baseball. Miami's women's basketball team has not played Utah.
The addition of Utah would make the ACC the second conference nationally with a team in each of the four time zones in the continental United States. California, SMU and Stanford joining the ACC this summer provide the conference a presence in the Central and Pacific time zones and two major media markets.
The addition of SMU provides the ACC with the fifth largest media market nationally in the Dallas Metroplex and California and Stanford bring the 10th largest media market and two large fan bases in the Bay Area. Salt Lake City is the 27th largest media market nationally and growing.
Oregon State, Utah, San Diego State, USF tied to rumor about ACC expansion candidates (flywareagle.com; Hughes)
Former Saturday Blitz contributor Luke Fletcher tagged Oregon State, Utah, San Diego State, and USF to a post explaining ESPN's criteria when looking for potential expansion candidates in the ACC if/when FSU, Clemson, and UNC (among others) leave the conference in the future.
"Update on ACC/ESPN 'look-in': Being told that future pro rata of expansion candidates will be directly tied to the increase in the TV value they brings to the ESPN-owned ACC Network," Fletcher wrote with tags of those teams.
While it's unclear whether or not Fletcher was implying those teams fit the criteria or not, it is the second time Oregon State and USF have been tied to the ACC. PressBox DC's Jim Williams tabbed Memphis, Tulane, Wazzu, Oregon State, UConn, and USF as members of a potential contingency plan for the conference in the event FSU, Clemson, UNC, and Louisville leave.
ESPN can cancel ACC TV contract if no suitable replacement conference model emerges
Longtime college football radio host Greg Swaim believes there's a real possibility that ESPN avoids Fletcher and Williams' proposed routes and instead decide to cancel the ACC's Grant of Rights agreement.
"Others reporting various legal suits being filed by both current ACC members and the conference itself, but in a nutshell here is what's going on...and what's going to happen," Swaim prefaced before saying, "FSU and Clemson want out for more money, and UNC and soon UVA will jump to a higher paying conference, either the Big Ten or SEC.
"The rest will then try to leave, as at that point ESPN will cancel the contract and those schools remaining that get a Big 12 offer will take it, as the ACC will basically be dead in the water as a P4 at that time. It's just that simple...at least until the Super Conference plan kicks in around 2031."
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Rumors: Utah to the ACC? Maybe another? (RX; HM)
Rumors: Utah to the ACC? Maybe another?
Things could be heating up for the ACC this Summer! From Dick Weiss, award winning columnist for NY Daily News:
"dgrace4cards", a Louisville fan, posted this in the CSNBBS thread ACC Jim Phillips & ESPN “Look-in”:
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Why would Utah want the ACC? (RX; HM)
Why would Utah want the ACC?
Believe it or not, there are schools who don't aspire to join the Big XII...
The question was asked...
Why would Utah want to leave the Big XII to join the ACC?
Here are five reasons I came up with off the top of my head:1. The Utes would play football in California every year.
Sure, they could do that by using a non-conference game to do it, but in the ACC they would almost certainly play both Cal and Stanford every season - likely one at home, the other in California.2. The ACC with Utah would likely pay more than the Big XII with Utah.
We pretty much know what the Big XII with Utah pays, but what would ESPN pay to have Utah in the ACC - that we don't know for certain (yet). It would likely be more than the league makes now, which is approximately $44.8 million per school (including $34+ million for T1 + ACCN, plus another $13 million from the CFP and $7 million for NCAA units and other revenue sources).3. The ACC has better academic peers than the Big XII.
Some of the best academic universities in the country are in the ACC: Stanford, Duke, Notre Dame, Cal, UVA, UNC, Wake Forest, Boston College, and Georgia Tech. Many of them are AAU schools. OTOH, some of the lowest-ranked schools are in the Big XII. It's night and day.4. Joining the ACC would allow Utah to get some separation from BYU.
There's a ferocious level of competition between BYU and Utah, but for awhile one thing Utah could point to was being in the Pac-12. It was viewed as better than the MWC - which is why BYU went independent. If both schools are in the same league, that recruiting advantage goes away.5. In the ACC, the Utes would get an opportunity to host Notre Dame in football.
Don't underestimate the value of the scheduling agreement with Notre Dame. Besides the boost to the TV contract, having the Irish rotate onto the schedule boosts ticket sales and generates a certain amount of excitement among the fans....
Changes to CFB TV Map, 2022-24 (RX; HM)
Changes to CFB TV Map, 2022-24
Just a quick post today, then I'll get back to my normal self tomorrow...
In 2022, we got a guest article from a fellow who called himself "Bill Dooley" calld "Dirty Little Secrets of the Two Wizards" in which he discussed how ESPN and Fox were basically dividing up college football programs between themselves, as shown in this map:
Fast-forward to 2024, and a few things have changed: ESPN still controls all of the schools it controlled in 2022, but they've since added Oklahoma, Texas, SMU, Cal, and Stanford - all former Fox properties. ESPN was an exclusively Eastern and Central Time Zone network, but now has a West-Coast presence, as shown in this new map:
It's not a huge change, but it is an encroachment onto Fox territory... could that explain why FSU is wanting to jump to the Big Ten? Is this a retaliatory strike?
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EASports: Clemson, ND worth more (RX; HM)
EASports: Clemson, ND worth more
Players receive NIL money from EA Sports when their name, image, and likeness is used in College Football 25. You knew that, but did you know that they pay the schools, too? After all, no Clemson player owns the rights to "the paw", and no Seminole all-star can license the garnet and gold jerseys - only the schools can do that.
However, the days of paying every school the same are long gone - and that even applies to video game licensing.
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Other
A rendering shows a proposed 291-unit apartment building on East Fayette Street in Syracuse and how it would appear next to an historic church property. (Passero Associates) Passero Associates
Plans for Syracuse’s first new high-rise apartment building in 50 years scaled down (PS; $; Boyer)
A developer has dramatically shifted plans for what was initially proposed as Syracuse’s first new high-rise apartment building in five decades.
Instead, Chris Geiger’s Syracuse Gateway Apartments project on the city’s Near East Side would have a much bigger footprint if approved by the city. It’s a change driven by the project’s location next to a historic church building.
Geiger, who has developed multiple apartment complexes in the University Hill area, is acquiring several properties to build a 291-unit, seven-story apartment building with first-floor commercial tenants and a parking garage on more than half a city block along East Fayette Street.
Mayor Ben Walsh touted Geiger’s proposal during his State of the City address in January as a sign of the city’s progress and potential in developing much-needed housing. At the time, Geiger planned a 14-story structure with 300 apartments at Almond and East Fayette streets. Walsh said it was likely the city’s first high-rise apartment project in at least 50 years.
But the plan shifted over the past several months from one with considerable height to one with a substantial footprint because Geiger and city officials decided a tower was not a great fit for that area.
Directly adjacent to the original project site on East Fayette Street is the former home of the People’s AME Zion Church. Built in 1911, the church was the congregation’s home until the mid-1970s. The building is the oldest structure built for a Black congregation in Onondaga County.
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Jake Bongiovi (L) and British actress Millie Bobby Brown arrive for the premiere of Netflix's "Enola Holmes 2" at The Paris Theatre in New York City on October 27, 2022. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
‘Stranger Things’ star Millie Bobby Brown marries Syracuse University alumnus (PS; Herbert)
“Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown and Syracuse University alumnus Jake Bongiovi are now married!
Brown, 20, and Bongiovi, the 22-year-old son of rock singer Jon Bon Jovi, secretly tied the knot in a wedding ceremony last weekend, according to People magazine. The newlyweds were spotted wearing matching platinum bands on their wedding ring fingers on Friday, E! confirmed.
The parents of both Brown and Bongiovi were reportedly in attendance for the “very low-key” ceremony. A larger wedding is expected later this year; Brown’s “Stranger Things” co-star Matthew Modine said earlier this year he would be the officiant.
Brown is a British actress, best known for playing Eleven on the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Her credits also include “Damsel,” “Enola Holmes” and “Godzilla vs. Kong.”
Bongiovi briefly attended Syracuse University from 2020-2021, but did not return for a sophomore year. He is now an actor with roles in upcoming films “Sweethearts” (with Kiernan Shipka) and “Rock Bottom” (with fellow SU alumnus Tom Everett Scott of “That Thing You Do!” fame).
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