sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 25,772
- Like
- 112,082
Welcome to National Ice Cream Cake Day!
Ice cream cake is a common treat at birthday parties, weddings, and on the Fourth of July—or on any other summer occasion, such as today, National Ice Cream Cake Day! An ice cream cake may combine cake and ice cream, or not have any cake in it at all. When consisting largely of ice cream, any number of flavors can be shaped into a cake and be layered with many ingredients, like caramel, cookie crumbs, sponge cake, fudge, and fruit. Ice cream cake can also be made by adding ice cream to a cake that has been baked in the normal way and then frozen, and ice cream can also be used as a filling for a Swiss roll. Ice cream cake is decorated with frosting—oftentimes whipped cream—and icing. The cake is kept frozen until shortly before being eaten when it is thawed just enough so it can easily be sliced through.
Most popular in North America and Australia, ice cream cake can be homemade but is available for purchase at bakeries, grocery stores, and restaurants. Carvel, Dairy Queen, Baskin-Robbins, Ben & Jerry's, and Cold Stone Creamery are known for their ice cream cake.
SU News
Pair of South Carolina football targets announce college choices on Tuesday night (garnetandcocky.com; Miller)
Tuesday night was not ideal for South Carolina football recruiting efforts.
4-star class of 2026 quarterback commitment Landon Duckworth backed off from his pledge to the program, leaving the Gamecocks without a player at the position in the '26 cycle.
The Gamecocks also missed out on two targets who made their college announcements as 4-star cornerback/athlete Brandon Finney and 3-star defensive tackle Eric "EJ" Thomas both announced their commitments, but neither picked the South Carolina football program.
Finney, a DMV-area kid who visited Columbia earlier in June, picked the Oregon Ducks. The Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions were two of the other major players in his recruitment.
Thomas, a big interior lineman from Florida, had cut his list to South Carolina and Syracuse but opted to pull the trigger on a Syracuse commitment even after visiting Columbia recently.
Losing out on Finney and Thomas doesn't leave the cupboards bare for the Gamecocks' 2025 recruiting class, however.
The Gamecocks have 4-star cornerback Shamari Earls committed in the class (though, some recruiting heavy hitters are pushing hard for him to decommit), and defensive backs Damarcus Leach (4-star safety) and Chris Hatfield (3-star cornerback/safety) are also in the boat. 3-star athlete Jaquel Holman also could play safety at the next level if he doesn't play linebacker. At defensive tackle, athletic lineman Caleb Williams (listed as a 4-star defensive lineman) is the only commitment at the position in the class so far, but Carolina is involved with more players on the defensive front.
A long list of South Carolina football recruiting targets have decision announcements scheduled for this summer. By the time the season begins, the majority of the high school class might be in place as the Gamecocks could have over 20 total commitments in the class by the time Old Dominion rolls into Columbia for the season opener on August 31st.
...
(youtube; podcast; WakeUpCallDT)
Wake Up Call with Dan Tortora welcomes Joe Tesori, Le Moyne College M/W Golf Head Coach, on bringing in Golf Simulator, Year 1 in D1, & More, followed by Alban Brown, Syracuse Orange LB alum & father of legacy student-athlete Caden Brown...
How Syracuse Football NOT Facing Clemson & FSU is GOOD and BAD | Syracuse Football Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse)
Syracuse Football is fortunate in its ACC schedule that it doesn't have to face Clemson and Florida St. However, that could work against Fran Brown's squad if they're in College Football Playoff conversation. The Cuse's toughest conference games will likely come against NC State and Miami, but both are winnable. Georgia Tech in week two will set the tone for the rest of the season.
Jackson Holzer examines Syracuse Football's ACC schedule on this edition of the Locked On Syracuse Podcast.
Syracuse Football's First Test of 2024 Comes Against Georgia Tech in Week 2 (youtube; podcast; Locked on Syracuse; premieres at 10 AM EST)
Syracuse Football's first ACC challenge is in Week 2 against Georgia Tech. Brent Key's made a bowl game for the first time since 2018 last season, and are led by quarterback Haynes King.
Jackson Holzer tells you why Syracuse's first challenge comes against Georgia Tech.
Re-grading Syracuse football's Class of 2023: The transfer portal trumps recruiting (youtube; podcast; Axe)
On the latest episode of Syracuse Sports, Brent Axe and Emily Leiker re-grade the Syracuse Football Class of 2023.
Who was overvalued, undervalued, met expectations or just plain fell off the map this year? Who was the top-rated prospect in this class who ended up leaving Syracuse? 2023 is also when the transfer portal really starts to kick into gear and take on greater value for SU football. Players evaluated in this class include Rashard Perry, Ike Daniels, J'One Reed, Darrell Gill Jr., Jayden Bellamy, Jaeden Gould and Braylen Ingraham.
Brent and Emily also give their big takeaways from evaluating SU's classes from 2020-2023 and how new SU head coach Fran Brown is approaching recruiting and the transfer portal so far.
Steve Cofield "The 315" 6-26-24 (soundcloud.com; radio; the 315)
Steve Cofield, UNLV football color analyst and ESPN Las Vegas radio host, joins Brian Higgins to preview Syracuse football's matchup with the Rebels in Vegas.
Syracuse football: a summer check-in on Kyle McCord (PS; Ostrowski)
We're 66 days and counting from the 2024 Syracuse Orange season opener, and the excitement over SU football is still sky high. We had a chance to hear from many new members of the program during spring camp, including Quarterback Kyle McCord.
#6 recently spoke again about his transition to Syracuse and overall experience so far, this time with Newhouse grad student and personal friend of mine Griffin Della Penna.
I highly recommend you watch the full interview, which will be linked below, but I’d also like to focus on a few specific quotes from Kyle.
- On the team’s trip to Los Angeles this spring: "It was about 20 guys on the team... We'd have class for about two or three hours in the morning, then in the afternoon, we either did a site visit - we went to FOX Sports, we went to SONY, we went to the ADIDAS headquarters - or we'd have a guest speaker come in. And I was surprised with how many SU alums live out there. I think they said 8,000 people, which is nuts."
- Highlighting teammates who stand out: "I think Fadil Diggs and LeQuint (Allen) are two guys who no matter what they do, they're competing. Whether they're running, lifting, playing video games, they're always going at it."
- What joining the Orange was like: "When I made the transition from Ohio State to SU, the pedigree is the same type of way with Coach Fran... he came from one of those blue-blood programs where they expect to win every game, and he's had that same mindset."
- Current fan support: "All the people I've been talking to are like: 'We've never talked about Syracuse football this much in the offseason.'"
- Reaction to being featured in the trailer for EA College Football 25: "I think that's just another level that we're creating here. There's a lot of excitement and now seeing stuff like that is even more motivating."
It's never too early to start talking about bowl projections for Syracuse football in the upcoming 2024 season, right?
I say this somewhat in jest, as these sorts of forecasts are super early, and I take them with the proverbial grain of salt.
In any event, per an article from On3's Nick Kosko, Athlon Sports has unveiled its 2024 bowl-game predictions, as well as the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, and the Orange is projected to play in the post-season for the third straight term.
Per Athlon Sports, Syracuse football, under first-year head coach and ace recruiter Fran Brown, is slotted to face East Carolina out of the American Athletic Conference at the 2024 Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md.
While I'd rather see the 'Cuse earn a spot in the CFP, if it does land in the Military Bowl, selfishly, that would be kind of cool, since I live not far from Annapolis in the Baltimore area.
This year's Military Bowl, by the way, will take place on Saturday, Dec. 28, beginning at 5:45 pm and with television coverage on ESPN.
Syracuse football is poised to go bowling again in the upcoming campaign.
East Carolina, a university based in Greenville, N.C., was not good in the most recent season. During the 2023 campaign, the Pirates went 2-10 overall and 1-7 in conference competition.
Per winsipedia.com, the Orange is 7-3 in its all-time series with East Carolina. Most recently, in late September of 2001, the 'Cuse defeated the Pirates, at home, by a final count of 44-30.
In the 12-team CFP for the 2024 season, Athlon Sports has Atlantic Coast Conference member Florida State as a No. 3 seed, while Notre Dame, an ACC school for most sports but an independent in football, is a No. 11 seed.
...
Get to Know Your Orange Man: #40, DB Tommy Porter (TNIAAM; Tomaiuolo)
It’s time to start preparing for the 2024 Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get to know a lot of new faces to kick off the Fran Brown Era.
Next up is...
Name: Tommy Porter
Position: Defensive Back
Year: Redshirt Junior
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 202 lbs
Hometown: Pasadena, California
High School/Previous College: Flintridge Prep
2023 stats: Recorded no stats, but played in four games as a reserve defensive back and on special teams.
2024 projections: Porter will most likely remain on the scout team or in a defensive back reserve role again this season.
How’d he get here?: Chose to walk-on for the Orange.
What’d recruiting sites say?: No rankings
Social Media Info:
Instagram: @tommyyporter
Twitter: @Tommyporter21
Interesting nugget o’interest: Porter also played soccer, track and basketball in high school.
...
Syracuse finishes 44th in Director’s Cup standings, best result for athletics since 2016-17 (PS; $; Carlson)
Syracuse University finished 44th in this year’s Learfield Director’s Cup standings, the best result for the school since the 2016-17 season.
The Director’s Cup is a competition that aims to rank the country’s best all-around athletic departments. While most of the country fixates on sports like football and basketball, the Director’s Cup competition awards points for each postseason result in an NCAA sport. It treats each sport equally.
Syracuse’s performance fell within the school’s traditional range of results historically. It was one spot higher than Syracuse finished last year but matched the best ranking for the school in seven years. Syracuse also finished 44th in 2016-17.
Syracuse’s year was highlighted by its women’s lacrosse team, which advanced to the national semifinals before losing to eventual champion Boston College. That result earned the Orange 83 points in the competition. The national champion in each sport earns 100 points.
Syracuse’s men’s cross-country team also fared well, finishing ninth in the country and earning 69 points.
Syracuse finished with 538 points overall points. That ranked 8th among the ACC’s 15 teams. Virginia was the conference’s top performer in fifth-place, with North Carolina placing seventh.
Texas ranked No. 1 in the competition, earning 1,377 points. That included national titles in women’s rowing and women’s volleyball. Stanford, a traditional powerhouse in the competition, placed second.
...
Day 2 practice with Syracuse football team
www.youtube.com
Day 2 practice with Syracuse football team
ACC News
ACC recruiting thoughts: 17 thoughts on 17 teams following June official visits (the athletic.com; $; Raynor)
After another hectic month of June official visits, college football’s recruiting dead period kicked off on Monday. It will run until July 24, meaning now is the time for recruiting departments across the country to finally take a breather before the season starts.
In the meantime, several of the nation’s top prospects are expected to issue commitments in the coming days and weeks, looking to end their recruitment before their senior season of high school football begins.
Let’s check in on each program in the ACC.
Note: All rankings are from the 247Sports Composite.
Boston College
Boston College went to work this month, picking up 13 of its 19 commitments in the class since June 3. Most importantly, the Eagles landed their quarterback, three-star Oklahoma native Shaker Reisig. Reisig was previously committed to Utah but took an official visit to Boston College on June 14 and decommitted from the Utes on June 17. One day later, he announced his pledge to coach Bill O’Brien and the Eagles. Reisig is ranked No. 834 overall and the No. 45 quarterback in the class, and he has plenty of experience at the Class 6A-I level of high school football in Tulsa, Okla. As a sophomore, he threw for 2,656 yards with 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions. As a junior, he threw for 2,366 yards with 25 touchdowns against six picks. Is O’Brien onto something here?Cal
Cal lost its quarterback in this class when three-star Robert McDaniel decommitted last month and committed to Arizona shortly thereafter. But the Golden Bears hosted their newest target on an official visit over the weekend, and he just might be the most intriguing under-the-radar prospect in this class. Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele is a three-star out of Hawaii, ranked No. 716 overall and the No. 39 quarterback. But the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder dazzled last week at the Elite 11 Finals with his arm strength, physical tools and confidence. And he loved his visit to Cal. “That was truly a blessing,” he said. “The coaching staff is great. Amazing. And everything — they just really checked off a lot of my boxes. I was just so happy that I got to do that.”Clemson
Clemson has had a quiet month thus far, picking up just two commitments, but the Tigers recently threw their name into the mix with another blue-chip wide receiver who is one of the top players in Alabama. Four-star Dillon Alfred committed to Ole Miss in April but backed off that pledge on Monday. Also on Monday, Clemson offered Alfred after hosting him for a camp earlier in the month. The Tigers have just one wide receiver in this class in three-star Carleton Preston out of Woodbridge, Va. Landing a receiver of Alfred’s caliber would be a two-fold victory for coach Dabo Swinney: The Tigers would pick up a talented player to beef up the position and it would come at the expense of him playing in the SEC.Duke
The Blue Devils are up to 21 commits in Manny Diaz’s first class, with 11 coming this month. But Diaz’s most critical task between now and December could be hanging onto a commitment he received in February. Four-star linebacker Cameron Smith, out of St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia, is ranked No. 257 nationally and is the Blue Devils’ only blue-chipper in this class. If he signs, and if his ranking holds, Smith would be Duke’s first top-300 recruit since defensive lineman Vincent Anthony in the 2022 class. Syracuse is making a run at Smith, and he visited the Orange officially this month. It will go down as a massive recruiting victory if Diaz can hold onto him.Florida State
Florida State has just six commitments in the 2025 class. No other ACC school has fewer than 10. But give the Seminoles credit: All six are blue-chippers, and four rank among the top 200 players in the nation, including both of FSU’s commits last week. Defensive lineman Kevin Wynn, out of Greensboro, Ga., picked the Noles after taking official visits to Georgia, South Carolina, Texas and, most recently, Florida State. Wide receiver CJ Wiley, out of Alpharetta, Ga., picked the Seminoles over Georgia and LSU )where his father, Chuck, played) after visiting both schools earlier this month. Wynn’s hometown is about 45 minutes from Athens, Ga. Wiley is an hour and a half away. These were two massive pickups for coach Mike Norvell.Georgia Tech
How about the Yellow Jackets? Georgia Tech picked up 16 commits in June after entering the month with just three players in its class. Nothing was more impressive, though, than securing a commitment from four-star prospect Dalen Penson, ranked No. 148 nationally and the No. 18 cornerback, out of Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Ga. Penson joins interior offensive lineman Justin Hasenhuetl as the two blue-chippers in the Jackets’ 2025 class. And both are in-state prospects.Louisville
Louisville picked up five commits this month, but the Cardinals have yet to have their breakthrough with this class. Only one of their 10 total commitments is ranked in the top 700 and none are blue-chippers. Coach Jeff Brohm has had plenty of success in the transfer portal and has proven he can develop talent, so it might not be time to panic. But it’s hard to reconcile that the same team that played for an ACC championship just six months ago has the league’s third-lowest average player rating at the moment. The Cardinals are ahead of only Cal and Boston College.Miami
Mario Cristobal is one of the elite recruiters in college football, but it feels like the Hurricanes are still waiting to make their big splash with this class. Miami landed five prospects this month, but only one (four-star cornerback Amari Wallace) is a blue-chipper. Whereas FSU has two of the top five in-state prospects committed, Miami has just one of the top 20. We can expect Cristobal to make some big moves late in the cycle, but it feels like the Hurricanes could have made more headway in the ever-important month of June. It will be fascinating to see if more commitments are coming this summer or if top prospects are in wait-and-see mode to see how Miami fares on the field first.North Carolina
It has been a quiet month for North Carolina. The Tar Heels’ most recent commitments occurred in April, from four-star edge Austin Alexander, three-star safety Javion Butts, three-star edge Anthony Kruah and three-star defensive lineman Devin Ancrum. Interestingly, the Tar Heels have more commits from Georgia (five) than North Carolina (two). It’s smart to make inroads in the talent-rich Peach State, but the Tar Heels’ pitch has revolved around keeping top in-state talent home. So far, UNC has just one top-10 in-state player committed, four-star quarterback Bryce Baker.NC State
The Wolfpack have 11 total prospects in their 2025 class, and none are ranked in the top 600. That’s a problem, in terms of optics and momentum. But Dave Doeren and his staff are in the mix for four-star cornerback Jontae Gilbert, who would add instant credibility to this class should he pick the Wolfpack. Gilbert, an Atlanta native, is the nation’s No. 124 prospect and No. 14 cornerback. He visited NC State officially over the weekend and has the Wolfpack in his top five alongside Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisville and UCF. He is scheduled to announce in August.Pittsburgh
Recruiting has changed more than ever in the world of name, image and likeness, but relationships still matter. Pitt experienced that first-hand on Wednesday morning when the Panthers landed a commitment from four-star cornerback Mason Alexander, now the headliner of their class. Pitt was the first program to offer Alexander in April of last year, and he committed this week as the nation’s No. 298 prospect and No. 29 cornerback. That said, the Panthers need more of this if they’re going to build back up after winning just three games a season ago. Alexander is the only blue-chipper in the 15-member class.Syracuse
Seven months into his new job, Fran Brown has to be getting close to putting the finishing touches on his first full recruiting class. The Orange already have 25 commits, the second-most nationally behind Rutgers’ 28. Of those 25 pledges, eight are from New York, four are from Pennsylvania and two are from Connecticut as Brown looks to make Syracuse a premier destination for talent in the Northeast. But only one is a blue-chipper, four-star edge Sharlandiin Strange. Brown comes from Georgia, where he learned under Kirby Smart. This is a good start, but it stands to reason he won’t be satisfied until landing blue-chippers is a rite of passage and not a pleasant surprise....
ACC Predictions: Cam Ward, Miami Historic Year | DJU Resurgence At FSU | Clemson's ELITE Defense (youtube; podcast; On3)
ACC Predictions: Cam Ward, Miami Historic Year | DJU Resurgence At FSU | Clemson's ELITE Defense
Florida State, Clemson LEAVING the ACC will be after 2025 season l College Football Podcast (youtube; podcast; Locked on College Football)
Florida State's lawsuit against the ACC (and their counter lawsuit) is going to drag on beyond 2024. 'Locked On ACC' host Kenton Gibbs joins the show to break down why they will be in the ACC through the 2025 season, perhaps even longer.On today's episode of Locked On College Football, Spencer McLaughlin is also joined by Locked On recruiting insider Brian Smith. After a visit to Colorado, could 2025 5-star QB (and, still, USC commit) consider Deion Sanders and the Buffs as an option? 15:00
Two Virginia Tech wide receivers have pro scouts buzzing ahead of 2025 Draft (fightinggobbler.com; Roche)
It's been nearly two decades since the Virginia Tech football team had a wide receiver drafted in the first four rounds of the annual NFL Draft. The last one? Eddie Royal in 2008 when the Denver Broncos selected him 42nd overall in the second round. Since then, there has been a dry spell in Blacksburg, but that spell appears to be coming to a close as soon as next April in Green Bay.
Two wide receivers on Virginia Tech's 2024 roster have an opportunity to be selected in the first four rounds in 10 months. In fact, both players were rated as potential picks in the first three rounds.
Jaylin Lane and Da'Quan Felton are two players who have draft scouts buzzing for 2025
Jaylin Lane, who transferred from Norfolk State and Da'Quan Felton, who transferred in from Middle Tennesse State ahead of the 2023 season, are two players that have pro scouts buzzing for the 2025 Draft ahead of the upcoming season, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Last season for the Hokies, Lane had 41 receptions for 538 yards and six touchdowns while Felton had 38 receptions for 667 yards and eight touchdowns. Both players are excellent run-after-catch receivers and are big returning targets for quarterback Kyron Drones. They should see many balls thrown their way this season as they are two of four receivers who announced last December that they are returning for this season along with Stephen Gosnell and Ali Jennings."Jaylin Lane is one of my favorite guys coming back. They've got him in the 4.3s (in the 40-yard dash) and I think sometimes you can definitely see that on tape. I think he's a starting slot (in the NFL). He's a tough kid, but the speed, you can't really replicate that to me. I really like him. I'm a fan of his.
But I like Felton as well. Probably has more upside when you're talking about (the size), looks pretty, runs well, gets behind defenses. He's still raw. Obviously he was at Norfolk State two years ago, so glad he came back. He was thinking about coming out, but those are two guys I'm high on. I probably like Lane more, but Felton's got the higher upside."
Virginia Tech's NFL talent on their 2024 roster doesn't stop with Lane and Felton. Drones, defensive edge Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Duke transfer, defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles, Mansoor Delane and Dorian Strong in the secondary will also be on NFL scout's radars during the 2024 campaign.
...
What life looked like the last time Duke football won a conference championship (balldurham.com; Conner)
There once was a time when winning conference football titles was fairly common at Duke. However, those days are gone as life in the ACC has proven to be rather challenging for the program.
Still, Duke can boast 17 conference crowns to its credit. Of course, the majority of those (10 to be exact) came in the Southern Conference.
That league was founded in 1921. At the time that Duke won its final Southern Conference title in 1952, the league also featured such programs as Clemson, Davidson, George Washington, Maryland, UNC, NC State, Richmond, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia, and William and Mary.
In the ACC, the Blue Devils have won seven conference crowns (1953-55, 1960-62, and 1989). However, it has been three and a half decades since the program last captured a conference title. So let's look at what life was like when the Blue Devils last reigned over the ACC.
Steve Spurrier led Duke to a magical season in 1989
In 1989, head coach Steve Spurrier was still an up-and-coming name in the sport rather than the legend that he would soon become. It was his third season at Duke and he would lead the team to an 8-4 mark. That included a 6-1-0 record in conference play to share the league crown with Virginia.
The biggest win of the year was a 21-17 upset of No. 7 Clemson in Durham. Duke also claimed victories over Northwestern, Army, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, UNC, and NC State. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils' losses came against South Carolina, No. 17 Tennessee, Virginia, and No. 24 Texas Tech in the All-American Bowl.
After that season, Suprrier would land the head coaching job at Florida where he would remain until 2001. And since then, the Blue Devils have been thirsting for another taste of a conference title.
What life was like in 1989
In 1989, you could see a movie for $3.99. Some of the flicks you could have enjoyed that year include Batman, Do the Right Thing, When Harry Met Sally, Driving Miss Daisy, The Little Mermaid, Say Anything, and Roger & Me.
...
What’s up with the ACC and July 12? It’s summer, so it’s time to speculate, is what (augustafreepress.com; Graham)
I got hit with a question from Rod Mullins at the end of our weekly auto-racing podcast about what I knew about the ACC and July 12.
The honest answer: huh?
A quick Google search led me to the musings of one Greg Swaim, a syndicated sports-radio guy, who seems to think that a July 12 hearing in a county court in South Carolina could be the beginning of the end of the ACC as we know it.
The backstory there is that Clemson, per a report from an outlet that goes by the name Clemson Insider, is seeking a summary judgment in its case alleging that the ACC’s grant of media rights is an unnecessary burden on the member schools, who, for their part, willingly entered into the agreement in 2016, and you would have to think had their lawyers review the contract language before they did so, and thus knew what they were signing.
I say that to then say, no, Clemson isn’t, and Florida State, which has filed a separate suit against the ACC, isn’t, either, getting out of the 2016 agreement without having to fork over ungodly sums of money.
The exit fees and media rights will come to a total in the $500 million range for schools looking to get out, which is a lot off the top, before you then factor in, where does a school that leaves the ACC end up?
Don’t think it’s automatic that the SEC or Big 10 is sitting there waiting for the ACC to break up.
Both have TV deals in place, and unless there’s language in the contracts that bumps up the overall TV money if new members are added that we don’t know about, there’s no incentive for either to take on more mouths to feed without having more money to spread around.
Nor is there, in the specific case of the SEC, whose TV rights are now in the hands of ESPN, any obvious opening to exploit to even be able to grow at the expense of the ACC, given that ESPN also owns the TV rights to the ACC.
We’re apparently supposed to think that ESPN would want to break up its ACC TV property to benefit its SEC TV property, for which it is paying significantly more per school than it is paying its ACC schools.
ESPN is making good money off the deal it signed with the ACC in 2016, and runs through 2036; the folks in Connecticut would be absolute fools to assent to that deal being broken.
And that’s what it would take here.
The contract isn’t just a deal between the member schools and the ACC; it’s also a deal between the ACC and ESPN, which isn’t going to sit idly by while the fate of its investment is being discussed.
Now, back to July 12: maybe something is afoot with either or both of Clemson and Florida State in terms of one or both of them thinking they’re going to make some sort of announcement about their future.
...
2024 Toughest Places to Play (RX; HM)
2024 Toughest Places to Play
EA Sports caused quite a stir when they posted their "toughest places to play" list...
From their website:
The part in bold italics just invalidates everything else.
There are really just two objective ways to calculate toughest place to play: home win percentage, and RPI home field advantage.
Home Win Percentage
From BoydsBets website, here are college football home field advantage numbers:| Rank | HOME TEAM | W% |
| 1 | Ohio State | 0.851 |
| 2 | Florida State | 0.813 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 0.795 |
| 4 | Florida | 0.788 |
| 5 | Clemson | 0.765 |
| 6 | Alabama | 0.759 |
| 7 | Oregon | 0.739 |
| 8 | Michigan | 0.737 |
| 9 | Miami (FL) | 0.736 |
| 10 | Texas | 0.726 |
| 11 | Nebraska | 0.718 |
| 12 | Georgia | 0.716 |
| 13 | UCF | 0.705 |
| 14 | Penn State | 0.700 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 0.700 |
| 16 | USC | 0.696 |
| 17 | Kansas State | 0.656 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 0.654 |
| 19 | LSU | 0.652 |
| 20 | Louisville | 0.649 |
| 21 | Utah | 0.644 |
| 22 | Gerogia Tech | 0.636 |
| 23 | TCU | 0.636 |
| 24 | Virginia | 0.634 |
| 25 | Texas A&M | 0.633 |
Home Win% ATS
Brace yourself... this may be a little shocking! From ActionNetwork, here are the Home Field Advantage numbers against the spread:| Rk | Team | Home ATS Since 2013 |
| 1 | Baylor | 58.30% |
| 2 | Kansas State | 57.40% |
| 3 | Washington St | 57.40% |
| 4 | Virginia | 56.90% |
| 5 | Utah | 56.70% |
| 6 | Duke | 56.50% |
| 7 | LSU | 56.50% |
| 8 | Michigan | 56.10% |
| 9 | Mississippi St | 56.10% |
| 10 | Penn State | 56.10% |
| 11 | Texas Tech | 56.10% |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 55.70% |
| 13 | Wake Forest | 55.70% |
| 14 | Alabama | 55.20% |
| 15 | Missouri | 54.40% |
| 16 | Iowa State | 54.00% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 53.90% |
| 18 | Auburn | 53.60% |
| 19 | Arkansas | 53.30% |
| 20 | Notre Dame | 53.20% |
| 21 | USC | 53.20% |
| 22 | Arizona State | 52.50% |
| 23 | Boston College | 52.50% |
| 24 | Oklahoma St | 52.50% |
| 25 | Syracuse | 52.40% |
EXPANSION: ACC Fighting FSU, Clemson Jump to Big Ten (youtube; podcast; Locked on Big 10)
Here is the latest college football expansion and realignment chatter: Florida State and Clemson continue with their lawsuits vs the ACC with an eye toward jumping to a more lucrative conference like the Big Ten. We believe a settlement is the only way out of this college football mess. However, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is not going to sit by passively and watch his most prestigious college football teams jump ship to the Big Ten without a fight.
Josh Pate Exposes Why ACC Powerhouse Will Not Win 2024 College Football Playoff (starlocalmedia.com; Spor)
It was a historic season for head coach Mike Norvell at Florida State. The Seminoles finished the season 13-1 and won the ACC championship, marking their first undefeated regular season since 2014.
Despite an undefeated regular season, the Seminoles were snubbed from the College Football Playoff after losing star quarterback Jordan Travis to an injury. However, with the expanded playoff, Florida State will not have to worry about being snubbed if the Seminoles were to win the conference, as all Power Four conference champions receive automatic bids.
Now that Travis has moved on to the NFL, the Seminoles will be led by D.J. Uiagalelei, a former quarterback for the Clemson Tigers and Oregon State Beavers. Uiagalelei played a crucial role in leading the Beavers to an 8-5 season last year, passing for 2,638 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Uiagalelei signed with Clemson with a lot of hype out of high school as he was the No. 2 overall player in the 2020 class, but he hasn't lived up to the expectations yet. Josh Pate revealed on Late Kick that Uiagalelei's performance could prevent any championship aspirations for Florida State in 2024.
"I think they can contend for the ACC," Pate said. "I think they can contend for making a playoff spot. I don't think the level he's played at is good enough to win a championship."
Pate questions whether Florida State can bring out of him the same qualities that made Uiagalelei a highly sought-after recruit. Pate believes it's even more critical for the staff to find a way to do that because the Seminoles don't have many returning players from last year's team.
Entering last season, Florida State was ranked No. 3 in returning production at 79% after retaining almost all its key players. However, this year, the Seminoles are faced with replacing the production of 10 NFL draft picks. As a result, the Seminoles are now ranked No. 89 at 56%, according to ESPN's Bill Connelly.
ACC Fires Back At FSU's Request To Supreme Court | Mario Cristobal Breaking Through? | NCAA Vote (youtube; podcast; Locked on ACC)
Back in May, Florida State University asked the North Carolina supreme court to overrule Judge Bledsoe’s decision from the State Business Court. FSU wants the case only to be heard in Florida. The ACC issued a response late last week and explained why, in their view, the case must proceed in North Carolina. The current battle is being fought over venue and jurisdiction. Neither case in Florida or NC has reached discovery or gotten to a point where we have a better idea as to whether the ACC’s Grant of Rights is enforceable.
Hosts Alex Donno and Kenton Gibbs discuss the latest details on the ACC’s response. Meanwhile, Mike Farrell Sports has named Mario Cristobla among five college coaches ready to “break through.” Will Cristobal’s roster construction make up for some of his questionable decisions on the sideline? Which other ACC football coaches are ready to break through? The guys discuss a proposal to allow college football analysts to provide on-field instruction. This would basically make coaching staffs unlimited. Good idea or bad idea?
FSU argues that its case against the ACC should move forward (wmnf.org; Saunders)
Florida State University late Tuesday urged an appeals court to reject a request by the Atlantic Coast Conference to at least temporarily put on hold a lawsuit that could lead to the school leaving the conference.
FSU attorneys filed a 17-page document at the 1st District Court of Appeal that was the latest move in a tangled legal battle that spans two states and has drawn national attention amid major realignments in college athletics.
The FSU filing stemmed from an attempt by the conference to get a stay of a lawsuit that FSU filed in December in Leon County circuit court. The ACC contends that a lawsuit it filed in North Carolina against the school should have priority — a lawsuit that was filed a day before FSU’s lawsuit was filed in Leon County.
Both lawsuits involve media rights for sports events and financial penalties that FSU would have to pay if it leaves the North Carolina-based conference. FSU essentially contends the conference has shortchanged its members through television contracts.
Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper refused to grant a stay in FSU’s lawsuit and has continued moving forward with the case. That included a decision last week denying the conference’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
The ACC on June 5 filed what is known as a petition for writ of certiorari at the 1st District Court of Appeal that argued Cooper erred when he denied the conference’s request to stay the case. The conference followed up on June 13 by filing a motion at the appeals court seeking a stay of the case while the petition for writ of certiorari is decided.
FSU’s filing Tuesday night responded to the June 13 motion, but it also reflected the underlying debate about whether the Leon County lawsuit should be put on hold. That debate centers on whether the North Carolina case should be allowed to go forward first — and whether a legal “principle of priority” should apply.
The school’s attorneys argued Tuesday that Cooper correctly ruled the North Carolina case should not have priority. FSU echoed Cooper’s conclusion that the conference’s lawsuit in North Carolina was an “anticipatory” filing to effectively get to court before Florida State did.
...
Other
This map shows the project layout of Micron Technology’s four fabrication plants the company plans to build in the town of Clay, superimposed over wetlands. The purple section is the construction staging area. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.)
See Micron’s latest timeline for building all four fabs in Clay (PS; $; Coin)
Micron Technology has released an updated schedule for when it plans to open four chipmaking plants in the town of Clay.
Micron says it plans to start construction on the first fabrication plant, or fab, next year. The chipmaker says it will start producing chips in Central New York just two years later, faster than originally projected.
In recent filings with government agencies, Micron laid out the following schedule for the when the plants would be completed and start producing memory chips:
Fab 1: 2028
Fab 2: 2029
Fab 3: 2035
Fab 4: 2041
While Micron has included plans for all four fabs in its filings, the company is formally asking for permission and tax breaks for just the first two fabs.
So far, Micron has been promised nearly $20 billion in taxpayer subsidies to build those two fabs. The company estimates that construction will cost $48 billion, meaning taxpayers are subsidizing 40% of the bill.
To qualify for the biggest chunk of that public money, an $11.3 billion federal tax credit, Micron must start building by the end of 2026.
Micron said early last year that construction would start in June 2024 and the first two fabs would be operating by 2032. The company is now a year behind that original construction start but now says it will move more quickly and open the first two fabs by 2029, three years ahead of the original schedule.
Micron can’t start any work at the site, at the corner of Caughdenoy Road and Route 31, until it completes extensive environmental impact reports for New York state and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Those reports are expected to be released later this year, and both will undergo months of public review.
The company will need a variety of environmental and other approvals from federal, state and local agencies before building can start.
Micron’s schedule could also be dictated by the presence of two endangered bat species found on the site last year.
...
Governor Hochul Announces $38 Million in Funding to Support Critical Infrastructure Improvements at New York Colleges and Universities (ny.gov)
Grants Will Help To Modernize Facilities, Enhance Student Experience and Spur Economic Development at 33 Private, Not-for-Profit Colleges and Universities
See Full List of Awards
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $38 million in capital grants at 33 colleges and universities across New York State through the Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program (HECap). These awards support projects that provide construction and renovation of new laboratory and research spaces, the purchase of new instructional technologies and equipment, and many other significant investments.
“New York’s colleges and universities are second to none, offering students unparalleled opportunities to learn, explore, and prepare to launch their careers,” Governor Hochul said. “With this funding, my administration is reaffirming our commitment to providing our students – including those at our private, not-for-profit institutions – with a top-tier, New York education with the best possible resources and facilities that will help them succeed inside and outside of the classroom.”
Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, the Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program has enabled campuses across the state to make critical investments in their infrastructure and equipment while creating construction jobs.
Campuses that receive grants are required to invest at least $3 of their own funds for every $1 of state funds they receive. When combined with the college’s matching funds into these projects, this round of funding will result in $152 million being invested in New York’s higher educational communities.
Selected award amounts include:
- Long Island University (New York City): Construction of an Engineering Fabrication Laboratory, $1.3 million.
- St. John’s University (New York City): Construction of a Basketball Practice Facility, $3 million.
- Fordham University (New York City): Creation of the Fordham Road Community Center, $3 million.
- Hamilton College (Clinton): Construction of the Hamilton Innovation Center, $3 million.
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy): Renovation and Technology Upgrades to the Microelectronics Facilities, $1.9 million.
- Syracuse University (Syracuse): Creation of the Quantum Technology Center, $3 million.
- Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester): Renovation of Electrical Infrastructure, $1.5 million.
- Canisius University (Buffalo): Construction of a Student Success Center, $1 million.
...
38th annual Jazz Fest Kicks off in Syracuse's Clinton Square (wrvo.org; podcast; Abbott)
The sounds of jazz music is wafting through downtown Syracuse this week. The 2024 National Grid Syracuse International Jazz Fest will be the 38th of an event that started in the early 80s.
Frank Malfitano has been at the helm for every Jazz Fest from the start. And the thing he’s most proud of all these years, that, with the help of sponsors, it has been able to remain free for anyone to attend.
"If you come out to Jazz Fest, you're going to see an audience that represents the entire community," Malfitano said. "And I think, you know, if we cut off access to the music because of high ticket prices to the majority of people, families, kids, they're never going to be exposed to this music. And, you know, we're going to lose our audience over time."
Malfitano said the 2024 version of Jazz Fest is one of the best ever, with headliners The Mavericks, Kenny G., and the O’Jays. He believes that’s going to bring out the crowds.
"I try to present artists that Syracuse audiences want to hear and visitors who come to town want to hear," Malfitano said. "And so, you know, I expect maybe 30,000 people, maybe more, at Clinton Square total attendance for Thursday, Friday, Saturday."
The 2024 Jazz Fest started with local artists playing in 20 small venues across the city Wednesday, and ends with a Sunday Gospel jazz service at Syracuse University’s Hendrick’s Chapel.
