With the push for massive playoff expansion, one recurring argument that has come up is that it will include worthy G5 teams who otherwise have been unfairly excluded from title consideration. This is considered one of the major merits of playoff expansion. Indeed, it’s considered an essential component of any expansion proposal.

Now, however, with conference expansion and the eventual superconderence(s), there will be no place at the table for G5 programs. However it takes shape, it will be structured so that playoffs include only superconference teams.

It’s just interesting that the powers that be are, on the one hand, pushing for the inclusion of G5 schools in the playoffs, while, on the other hand, laying the groundwork for a system that will intentionally and permanently exclude G5 teams.

F that SOB, may he rot in hell

attempting to poach 8 members of the B12, once UT and Okla leave. ESPN is implicated in this too. It's getting crazy, but whether it's good or bad, college football will have a lot of changes coming in the future.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...-members-with-texas-oklahoma-leaving-for-sec/

FROM PETE THAMEL

Breaking: The Big 12 has sent a "cease and desist" letter to ESPN. The letter demands ESPN end "all actions that may harm the conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference's existing members or any NCAA conference regarding the Big 12 conference's members, possible conference realignment or potential financial incentive or outcomes related to possible conference realignment." More soon on @YahooSports

Went to the Charlotte Welcome Home stop last night and the overwhelming theme that I heard was former players and other coaches around the University telling us that we have the right guy leading our football program now.

I have never seen this kind of camaraderie among our athletics department and hope it translates to on field success and championships.

Definitely got me fired up for this season.

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atmosphere for football period like the SEC, including the NFL. Now, that's saying something.

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This in effect creates a whole new league of CFB. We have all kind of seen the writing on the wall. The NCAA is feckless, short sighted, disorganized and simply poorly run and out dated. If all the big name teams take it upon themselves to create one big league of their own making, it pretty much creates a separate division. The power five conferences lose all of their power teams to the super league and it becomes the SEC as tier one of CFB (/ATHLETICS??) and everyone else is just an after thought- In effect demoted to D2 status! I don’t know if I like it or if we “should” like it or what but we don’t really get a say in the matter so.. At least we are currently on the inside of the conference that appears to be the one this new structure is going to be built around. I assume that means we are in?? This is crazy…

i am simultaneously repelled & attracted
great song
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Is it a go this year? If so, where? Details. Ex pat in Virginia and I missed coming last year in my RV. Our tradition I want to restart this. Please.

Big 12 issues cease and desist letter to ESPN. Wow, bold strategy for currying favor with the biggest TV coverage of college football.

As first reported by Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel, the Big 12 has sent a cease and desist letter to ESPN on Wednesday looking to prevent the television network from communicating with league members regarding conference realignment.

“The letter demands ESPN end ‘all actions that may harm the conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference’s existing members,'” Thamel wrote on Twitter. “‘Or any NCAA conference regarding the Big 12 conference’s members, possible conference realignment or potential financial incentive or outcomes related to possible conference realignment.”

The Big 12 and ESPN agreed to an expanded media rights deal back in 2019, which led to ESPN adding the Big 12 football championship game to the network’s lineup and creating a Big 12 platform on ESPN+. That deal runs through the 2024-25 academic year.

ESPN also owns the Longhorn Network, which pays roughly $10-$15 million per year to the University of Texas.

The league attempted to begin discussions to extend their media rights deals with ESPN and Fox earlier this year but were rebuffed by the media partners. The SEC, which is expected to vote to officially add Oklahoma and Texas as members starting in 2025 later this week, is also closely connected with ESPN, having signed a new 10-year, $3 billion deal that made ESPN the official home of SEC’s prime football package starting later this decade.

https://cyclonefanatic.com/2021/07/report-big-12-sends-cease-desist-letter-to-espn/

see also:

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, the Big 12 Conference sent a cease and desist order to ESPN on Wednesday.

The letter allegedly demands ESPN end "all actions that may harm the conference and its members and that it not communicate with the Big 12 Conference's existing members or any NCAA conference regarding the Big 12 conference's members, possible conference realignment or potential financial incentive or outcomes related to possible conference realignment," according to Thamel.

https://www.si.com/college/westvirginia/big-12/report-big-12-sends-cease-and-desist-letter-to-espn

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RBI Double

Longtime Columbia Gamecock Club Member has 2 Season Football Tickets for Sale to the 2021 Season. The Tickets are located in the West Lower Section, Section 8, Row 21. The total for the two season tickets are $1,250 which includes the tickets and the seating fee. I paid extra for paper copies of the two season tickets so buyer will have the tickets "in-hand" by the end of August. Serious inquiries please and seller can be reached at BeauTiller@msn.com

Go Gamecocks!

Brian Davis

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Texas A&M regents announce they will vote YES to include Texas and OU: "The board concluded that this expansion would enhance the long-term value of the SEC to student athletes and all of the institutions they represent — including Texas A&M."

bring along Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, and Oklahoma State, form one big 20 school conference, lock down pretty much the entire southeastern portion of the country, leave the NCAA entirely, and create the Southern Collegiate Athletic Association and just play sports among ourselves and forget the rest?

Ghost

How many left from 2020 and how many did we add for this season?

What’s the depth chart look like?

How many DB’s are normally on a roster?

This was a big deal when Beamer took the job.

It appears that the leadership of the SEC may be leading the way toward dismantling the NCAA as we currently know it and creating TWO Super Conferences with the best of all 5 current Power 5 conferences in it. This will likely look like an East Super Conference and a West Super Conference. It is the natural progression of the sport to split into two "Leagues" that play each other for the National title, just like the Super Bowl (AFC/NFC) and the World Series (American/National Leagues).

Imagine an East Coast Super Conference with all the current SEC teams, plus OU and TX, plus another 16 teams to fill out the Conference to 32 teams. Then you would have the West Super Conference made up of the PAC 12 plus enough teams to get to 32 teams. Each Conference would have it's own rules within a guideline set by the NCAA. Again, think NFL and MLB.

This is where things are heading. So yes, Clemson is coming in, as is UNC, UVA, NC State, VT, ND, OSU, Michigan, Wisc, Pitt, WV, FSU, OK State, etc. That's 14 teams I just mentioned. They need 16 on the East Super Conference roster, so who are they? I left out Miami, so theres another one. Maybe Georgia Tech? Boston college? Syracuse? Penn State?

So you can see, some big name schools are going to be left with no chair to sit in once the music stops playing. This is why TX and OU are shoe-ins for the SEC,;they want to control their own destiny and be involved in writing the rules as to who the other 16 schools are in the East League.

So who will make up the West League?

Welcome to another edition of Gamecock Central Braves Baseball ⚾️ Chat 💬. I am your host @Pfunk Cock along with a plethora of regular participants in the chat. A total of 3 runs were scores yesterday between two teams . That is 14 innings of the Braves averaging 1 run per 7 and the Mets 1/2 run per 7 and yet we got a split of a doubleheader. Pitching has been outstanding but the bats have somehow not joined the series. I for one am hoping the Mets bats slay in slumber mode and that the Braves exit Mew York with a 52-51 record and trailing by 2 games to help the front office make a decision.
I am on the fence right now because as much as I love the team and enjoy being competitive, there are far too many unanswered questions on this team. What is Ozuna’s status? There seems to be almost Taboo to even inquire any information about him. He has a rather substantial contract so ignoring the elephant will only get you trampled under hooves. 😎. Will Soroka ever pitch again after the freak relapse of his Achilles injury? There is no way to answer this and quite frankly it is unnerving to even contemplate his career ending with a freak injury walking to the ballpark. 🤔🤔.
Will Acuna be sidelined long and will he regain his elite speed during his rehabilitation and how will that affect his timing and his swing? When will Freeman be extended and for how much? Is Dansby the answer at shortstop or should we enter the Trea Turner sweepstakes? I know ⚔️ has a Trevor Story man crush 😻 (don’t tell his wife) 😎 but at what cost and the most asked questions is Who Is In Left Field ? That is the gaping hole and has been since early season, even when Ozuna was there because he was not hitting well at the time of his injury. Are we looking for a rental piece or a prolonged presence? The answer to that question will determine what expenditures we make in reference to Prospect compensation and or money sent or requested in the deal. Yes we have a ton of prospects in the upper level but because the lower levels of the farm system seems to be rather weak will we request prospects to help strengthen that part of the organization. As you can ascertain from my small question and answer examples, the decisions are kot as easy as to just go get a guy as most fans like to express. Running a baseball organization involves futuristic planning and marrying them to the present situation. The object always being stable and competitive for the long haul.

Now to the business at hand. The Braves and Mets resume their hostilities tonight is the battle of East Division Supremacy. The stalemate yesterday only served to reduce the schedule by two games while doing nothing to change the standings. The Braves have the rotation set to challenge the Mets the next 3 games as Morton, Fried and Smyly are scheduled to pitch. Morton takes the bump tonight in search of his 10th victory. He has been pitching very well and will have to establish control early and keep score down as the Braves establish some modicum of offense and score some runs. The Mets are starting Jarod Eikhoff RHP tonight. Pederson has only faced him twice but the rest of the lineup who has faced him have hit him well with Freeman taking him yard 3 times . Seems like the Braves will score tonight and it is a matter of will then team play a complete game? Unfortunately the Mets have not provided their starting lineup at this writing but I will provide the Braves starters.

Starting Lineup Braves
Pederson RF
Albies 2B
Freeman 1B
Riley 3B
Swanson ss
Vogt C
Almonte LF
Heredia CF
Morton RHP

Starting Lineup Mets
Nimmo CF
McNeil 2B
Alonso 1B
Smith LF
Conforto RF
Villar 3B
Nido C
Guillermo ss
Eickhoff RHP


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If Texas and Oklahoma move to the SEC, this will start a domino of Super Conferences. Some teams may get kicked out as other teams are added in all the conferences. It will be interesting to see what exactly happens.

Then I would not put it past Clemson to turn right around and join the SEC right after we left. Would you really want that to happen?