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Mailbag: Utah's post-Whittingham plan, USC's valuation, BYU's win total and more
Jon Wilner, Bay Area News Group | Posted May 3 - 11:21 p.m. | Save Story
Settlement could cost NCAA nearly $3 billion; plan to pay athletes would need federal protection
Ralph D. Russo, Associated Press | Posted May 3 - 5:21 p.m. | Save Story
The NCAA and major college conferences are considering a possible settlement of an antitrust lawsuit that could cost them billions in damages and force schools to share athletics-related revenue with their athletes. But even if college sports leaders create a new, more professional model for collegiate athletics they likely would need help from Congress if athletes are not classified as employees. Two people familiar with settlement discussions related to House vs. the NCAA told AP the association could pay out $2.9 billion in damages over 10 years to resolve the class-action case.
Who's coming, going in Utah college basketball through the transfer portal?
KSL.com Sports | Updated May 3 - 5:06 p.m. | Save Story
Jon Rothstein sleeps in May, but the NCAA transfer portal is just getting started.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark talks CFP expansion and cash, March Madness
Jon Wilner, Bay Area News Group | Posted May 3 - 12:27 p.m. | Save Story
"We didn't perform probably as well as we would have liked" in CFP era.
Mike Riley, former coach at Oregon State and Nebraska, will take over for Pat Chun on CFP committee
The Associated Press | Posted May 3 - 10:06 a.m. | Save Story
Former Oregon State and Nebraska coach Mike Riley has been named to the College Football Playoff selection committee. Riley will replace Pat Chun, who stepped down when he became athletic director at Washington in March. Riley coached 48 years at the college and pro levels. He was head coach at Oregon State (1997-98 and 2003-14) and Nebraska (2015-17). He also has coached in five different pro leagues, including in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers (1999-2001). Most recently he was coach of the USFL's New Jersey Generals (2022-23).
Washington adds four assistant coaches including Tony Bland, who was part of 2017 FBI probe
The Associated Press | Posted May 2 - 9:36 p.m. | Save Story
Washington basketball coach Danny Sprinkle has announced the hiring of four assistants, including former Southern California assistant Tony Bland. Bland was a key figure in the 2017 FBI probe designed to clean up college basketball. He was most recently the head coach at St. Bernard High School in Los Angeles. Prior to that, he served as the associate head coach at USC from 2013-17 under Andy Enfield, when he became part of the FBI investigation. The FBI probe was aimed at rooting out an entrenched system of off-the-books payments to players and their families that, at the time, was against NCAA rules.
Group of Five conference football tournament that interferes with playoff would be hard to sell
Ralph D. Russo, Associated Press | Updated May 2 - 6:56 p.m. | Save Story
A postseason football tournament involving only schools from outside the Power Four conferences could only work if it doesn't interfere with the 12-team College Football Playoff. Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez says she has seen the presentation that has been making the rounds among Group of Five administrators about a G5 playoff of sorts that would be funded by private equity. She said the Mountain West was satisfied with the access to the expanded playoff and the conference is committed to the CFP even if the revenue distribution in the new deal was disappointing.
Georgia's Kirby Smart becomes the nation's highest-paid college football coach at $13m annually
The Associated Press | Updated May 2 - 4:37 p.m. | Save Story
Georgia's Kirby Smart has agreed to a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid coach in college football with an annual salary of $13 million. Smart surpasses Clemson's Dabo Swinney, who is set to make $11 million in 2024. Smart gets a bump in salary of $1.75 million annually as part of the deal, which ties him to the Bulldogs through 2033. He could also receive up to $1.55 million per year in bonuses based on the new 12-team playoff structure, an increase from $1.3 million under the previous terms. Athletic director Josh Brooks got an extension that raises his salary to $1.275 million annually.
Paying college football players could reverse trend of bowl game opt-outs, boost non-CFP postseason
Ralph D. Russo, Associated Press | Posted May 2 - 4:23 p.m. | Save Story
With the expanded College Football Playoff locked in through 2031, questions still remain about what the rest of the postseason will look like. One thing is certain, there will still be bowls. Nick Carparelli, the executive director of the organization that represents bowls games, a more professionalized version of college football could quell players opting-out of bowls by tying compensation to postseason participation. He also said giving bowl organizers more freedom to make matchups could help create more compelling games.
Who's coming, going in Utah college football through the transfer portal?
KSL.com Sports | Updated May 2 - 3:21 p.m. | Save Story
The opening of college football's transfer portal Tuesday promises to be the most intriguing of the mechanism's entry in college sports.
Nebraska forward Rienk Mast will have knee surgery and miss the 2024-25 basketball season
The Associated Press | Updated May 2 - 2:39 p.m. | Save Story
Nebraska forward Rienk Mast will have surgery on his left knee and miss the 2024-25 season. Mast averaged 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds this past season. He said he plans to take a medical redshirt and return in 2025-26. Mast said he played through pain last season. Mast's six double-doubles were the most by a Nebraska player since 2007-08. He scored at least 10 points in 20 games, including a career-high 34 against Ohio State.
Patrick Kinahan: Decision to leave Utah goes beyond basketball for Burgess
Patrick Kinahan for KSL.com | Posted May 2 - 11:26 a.m. | Save Story
Chris Burgess has heard all the jokes, dating back to the infamous incident during his senior year of high school nearly 30 years ago.
Wisconsin tries to regain supremacy in the trenches under its 4th O-line coach in as many years
Steve Megargee, Associated Press | Posted May 2 - 10:26 a.m. | Save Story
Wisconsin's offensive linemen understand what's expected at a program that prides itself on dominating the trenches. The Badgers haven't quite met that standard lately. Right tackle Riley Mahlman says that "in the past few years, I think we've been a good o-line. I don't think we've been necessarily great." An issue is a lack of stability. A.J. Blazek is Wisconsin's fourth offensive line coach in as many years. Wisconsin concluded spring practice Thursday realizing the importance of re-establishing its superiority at the line of scrimmage.
Say hello (again) to EA Sports College Football. The beloved video-game behemoth is back
Ryan Kryska, Associated Press | Updated May 2 - 9:29 a.m. | Save Story
sports franchises that have had the advantage of time to evolve.
From last to first: Utah baseball defying odds en route to record season, Pac-12 title hopes
Josh Furlong, KSL.com | Posted May 2 - 9:03 a.m. | Save Story
There were few believers in the Utah baseball program when the preseason poll was released in February — and for good reason.
Deion Sanders, son respond to social media criticisms over how coach handled transfers at Colorado
The Associated Press | Updated May 1 - 9:44 p.m. | Save Story
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders and his quarterback son, Shedeur, have taken to social media in response to a transfer being critical of how players were treated at the school. Former Colorado defensive back Xavier Smith said in a recent article published in the Athletic that Deion Sanders "never even tried to get to know me," and that he "was destroying guys' confidence and belief in themselves." Shedeur Sanders responded on X by saying he didn't remember Smith. Smith was hampered by injuries for the Buffaloes. He earned freshman All-America honors at FCS Austin Peay in 2023 and has since followed coach Scotty Walden to UTEP.
Different kind of homecoming: Chris Burgess returning to BYU as assistant coach
Sean Walker, KSL.com | Posted May 1 - 5:21 p.m. | Save Story
Burgess, 44, returns to BYU after two years on Craig Smith's staff at Utah after spending time on former BYU coach Mark Pope's staff at both BYU and Utah Valley.
Canzano: How cold-blooded do you like your college football?
John Canzano | Posted May 1 - 4:43 p.m. | Save Story
Spanning the globe of the college football world.
New Big 12 out to prove bigger bank accounts don't always mean better football teams in 12-team CFP
Ralph D. Russo, Associated Press | Posted May 1 - 4:30 p.m. | Save Story
The Big 12 is about to play its first season without Oklahoma and Texas. The new 16-team conference lacks traditional super powers. And the expanded College Football Playoff's new revenue structure has created a perception the Big 12 is no longer a peer of the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference on the field. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark's job is to push back against the narrative bigger bank accounts automatically make better football teams. He says he was not happy with the new CFP revenue model, but he's betting on the Big 12's performance in the 12-team playoff to overcome perception.
