If it stands, it will usher in the beginning of a new era in college sports where athletes are compensated more like professionals and schools can compete for talent using direct payments. That means there are several unknown or relatively unproven commodities. And a new coaching staff can mean new uses for players who might not have seen as big of a role in a different system.
Finishing the season a few games over .500 ought to be considered successful, but imagine if one of those wins was against the Alabama Crimson Tide. As has been the case for a while now, every team at every level will play its absolute best when facing Alabama. Getting the chance to take on the historical powerhouse on your home field is a great opportunity to make some memories and win an upset.
Blackburn spent the past 17 years with the Baltimore Ravens, most recently as director of college scouting. Dippre is a big-bodied, athletic and strong option for quarterback Jalen Milroe in intermediate routes. Depending on how DeBoer and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan use him, Dippre could be in line for a big season. Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer answered “there’s no question” when he was asked how big it was bringing left tackle Kadyn Proctor back into the fold. In the post-2023 season cycle, 31 programs hired new coaches, the most since 2012 (31) and 2021 (29) according to FootballScoop.com.
The only schools outside of the Power Five conferences (ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12) in the top two tiers were Boise State, Memphis, Louisiana, Liberty, Utah State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Navy. That’s just eight schools out of 54 total represented in the top two tiers. Deion Sanders brought a lot of excitement and hype to Colorado upon taking over as head coach, but the team’s relative lack of success before his arrival left them down in Tier 3.
Jocelyn Briski entered in relief for Alabama in the bottom of the fifth inning, finishing the game going 1⅓ innings with one hit allowed and one strikeout. Kayla Beaver finished the game giving up three runs on two hits while striking out two across 4⅔ innings pitched. The winner of the Knoxville Super Regional will punch a ticket to the Women’s College World Series. Alabama is looking to make its second-straight trip to the Women’s College World Series and 15th in program history. After Beaver allowed the home run, freshman Jocelyn Briski entered in relief.
The error proved extra costly when Tennessee’s next batter, Laura Mealer, cranked a ball over the centerfield wall to give Tennessee the 3-2 lead. That score would hold as No. 3 Tennessee beat No. 14 Alabama, 3-2 in the Game 1 of super regionals on Friday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. DeBoer joins the Crimson Tide fresh off of a national title appearance in 2023, which followed an impressive conference championship run and a Sugar Bowl win over the newest members of the SEC, the Texas Longhorns.
Some type of federal legislation or antitrust exemption is likely still needed to codify the terms of the settlement, protect the NCAA from future litigation and pre-empt state laws that attempt to neuter the organization’s authority. As it is, the NCAA is still facing lawsuits that challenge its ability to govern itself, including setting rules limiting multiple-time transfers. The settlement is expected to cover two other antitrust cases facing the NCAA and major conferences that challenge athlete compensation rules. Hubbard vs. the NCAA and Carter vs. the NCAA are also currently in front of judges in the Northern District of California. The suit also argued that athletes were entitled to a piece of the billions of dollars the NCAA and 365bet Livescore those conferences earn from media rights agreements with television networks.
Whether Fontenot becomes part of the settlement is unknown and it matters because the NCAA and its conferences don’t want to be on the hook for more damages should they lose in court. In the new compensation model, each school will be permitted but not required to set aside up to $21 million in revenue to share with athletes per year, though as revenues rise so could the cap. Terms were not disclosed, though some details have emerged in the past few weeks.
“We’re definitely showing some signs of figuring things out,” coach Pete Lembo said. There’s still moments when we’re doing things for the first time and we have to slow it down, and really teach what we want.” Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Georgia were next up with eight points, followed by LSU and Michigan at seven and Oregon, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Utah and Iowa at six.
Athletes in all sports would be eligible for payments and schools would be given the freedom to decide how that money is divvied up among sports programs. “The settlement, though undesirable in many respects and promising only temporary stability, is necessary to avoid what would be the bankruptcy of college athletics,” said Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins. “There’s no question about it. It’s a huge quantum leap,” said Tom McMillen, the former Maryland basketball player and congressman who has led an association of collegiate athletic directors the past eight years. Months after saying he did not want to be part of another rebuild, the respected veteran and longtime defensive captain is thrilled with how things are unfolding under new general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn.