Crib Sheet: Another Summer Another Realignment Saga

Only this time it’s smaller.  Presidential hopeful Rick Perry open his mouth and pulled a Jay Nixon by saying that there are talks between Texas A&M and the SEC for a big move.  Next thing you know, the whole damn college football world is on fire.  Red fire!  I’ve chosen to stay out of this one over the weekend.  If I learned anything last year, it’s that nowadays rumors are 95% of the ‘reports’ out there and the other 5% has a shred of truth to it.  So as of right now, the SEC is staying chill, The Texas A&M president has power to explore realignment as well as take his time, the NCAA may get involved, and Rick Perry now says he doesn’t expect Texas A&M to leave.  If you’re asking me what will happen, I’m saying that A&M is out at the end of the BCS contract (2014).  Why?  The Big 12 will blow up after the restructure of the BCS and somehow, sadly, Texas finds the vacated ‘Notre Dame Automatic Bid’ and dumps the conference.  The rest of the teams fill out the Mountain West, Big 10, and SEC.

  • So Texas’ Christian Scott was nabbed with an assault charge when a woman tried to repossess his car.  That’s why he’s suspended.  I always imagined Emilio Estevez as a repo man and not a woman.  Man, Hollywood warped my mind.
  • Kansas is all about speed this season.  They’ve added track stars to the team.  I seem to remember a rival in the state going for the same strategy and ending up with the Ron Prince Stomp.  Just a word of warning, fellow Kansans.
  • Boise State canned their athletic director after being served a cold dish of NCAA infractions.  They wanted to play like the big dogs and now the will be burned like them.  Funny thing is, it may actually cement them in their place than beat them down.
  • Missouri fans have to be happy about Sheldon Richardson practicing.  After two years, he’s finally cleared to play for the Tigers.  Tom Petty said it best: The waiting is the hardest part.
  • Yeah, well, Kansas State has NFL All-Pro Junior Seau’s nephew! Take that!  Well, let’s wait and see how the frosh does first.  Being a relative of a hall of famer doesn’t make you instant talent.  Just look at Nick Montana.
  • Mack Brown is sweating under his collar.  Not because of his job security, but because of opening up his program to the Longhorns Network.  Most coaches don’t like the all access look, but that’s the penance you pay for making mega bucks with ESPN.
  • The NCAA board of directors voted real quick to up the APR rate from 900 to 930.  That means that kids have to be just a little bit smarter now.  Or the people that cheats for them.
  • A group of indian students at North Dakota sued to ban the school nickname, Fighting Sioux.  It was bound to happen.  It’s a small group and a New York attorney taking the case.  Their only hope is to drag it out into their move to the Big Sky Conference. Okay, well maybe not.  North Dakota’s Board of Higher Education decided to retire the name Monday.  Next up, they need to get rid of the Fighting Irish as well.
  • The Playoff PAC is on the hunt again and they are piling on the Fiesta Bowl.  It seems the bowl gets some sweet money from the Arizona visitors bureau in exchange for the bowl to push the teams and fans to stay in Scottsdale.  They are also filing complaints against teams who recently played in the bowl, including Big 12’s Oklahoma and Texas.  Is it a kickback or volume deal for lower rated rooms?  I don’t know.  But leave it up to a PAC with an obvious agenda to try and root out the answer.  They make me feel dirty.
  • Real quick tip, because I care, if you are going to do a contract job for the head coach of a college football team, don’t stroll on in there wearing the coach’s rival’s jersey.  This guy found out the hard way by doing just that to Mike Gundy.  Gundy promptly canned him and now the guy is suing Gundy for lost money.
  • Looks like the Missouri will be going full steam on the Missouri Digital Network.  That’s right, they are in the planning stage to brining their very own network but in a low-cost, internet only variety.
  • Too bad Kansas State beat them to it.  Yup, on August 30th, you can subscribe and be privy to the Wildcats opening game against Eastern Kentucky.  Hey, it’s not going to be on regular TV anyway.  Think of it this way, with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video, the future is online streaming and Kansas State is pushing ahead.
  • At least Missouri on the field is doing okay, well except for senior offensive tackle Elvis Fisher had a serious knee injury that might put him out for awhile.  Elvis left the building but he need two trainers and a cart to do it.  Just like the old, fat Elvis.
  • Conference USA has settled the lawsuit brought against to them by ESPN for signing with Fox for television rights from 2011 to 2015.  Apparently they forgot that they gave ESPN first negotiation rights.  Welp, now they will live on ESPN for the next 5 yesrs now.
  • While the hullabaloo with Texas A&M is going on, Big East Commissioner John Marinatto wants to get Big 12 honcho Dan Beebe and ACC honcho John Swafford together to talk conference realignment.  It sounds like the small boys of the BCS want to band together against the cream of the crop that is the Pac 12, Big 10, and SEC.
  • The U, Miami to the rest of you, may have a bunch more NCAA violations on their hand.  The dude who was convicted of a Ponzi scheme, Nevin Shapiro, let slip that the money he made off the backs of others went to some Miami football players.  Bad timing for the school as they are starting to rebuild with a new coach.
  • Boy wonder Bubba Starling took the cash from the Kansas City Royals instead of playing football for Nebraska.  He’ll be raking in a $7.5 million rookie bonus over the next three years.  Good job, Bubba, good job.