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#10: The Virginian-Pilot’s David Teel reports from behind the scenes at the ACC HQ during last Sunday’s College Football Playoff bracket reveal and notes that “many from the ACC worked at Bank of America Stadium until 1, 2, even 3 a.m. Less than eight hours later, they were in the state-of-the-art command center, surrounded by banks of massive television screens, unfazed by the Daily Press’ and Virginian-Pilot’s exclusive access to the proceedings.” Their dedication was rewarded at 12:34 PM when SMU’s red pony appeared on the screen and the room broke into applause and Deputy Commissioner Amy Yakola remarked: “It’s just a game until it becomes your livelihood.” After Clemson was also added to the field, an “ecstatic ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips called in to thank everyone and to receive his final briefing” on the league’s full bowl lineup. “In earlier video calls Sunday morning with outside counsel Alex Steinberg, a former NFL attorney with extensive media experience, and Clint Overby of ESPN Events, which runs 17 bowls, [Senior Assoc. Commissioner for Football Michael] Strickland outlined the ACC’s bowl process and how it would be impacted by the number of teams from the conference that reached the playoff.” From there, much of the focus was the full bowl slate. “At 2:15 p.m., nearly two hours after the playoff reveal, and with the digital and creative team back in the command center awaiting his cue to socialize graphics, Strickland convened the ACC’s official selection video call with bowl directors. First up were the Gator’s Greg McGarity, Holiday’s Mark Neville and Pop-Tarts’ Steve Hogan. Just as Strickland projected, Hogan wanted Miami in Orlando to face Iowa State. No arguments. Done deal. Neville in San Diego preferred Syracuse for its No. 21 CFP ranking and considerable Southern California alumni contingent. McGarity asked for Duke in Jacksonville, but only if the SEC assigned Florida to his game, allowing the Gator to promote a matchup of programs once coached by the legendary Steve Spurrier.” More. (link)
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#9: Duke Senior Assoc. AD of the Iron Duke Annual Fund Jack Winters sent a note to men's basketball season ticket holders after the Blue Devils home win over Auburn. It read, in part: “... I’m reaching out to you as a season ticket holder because, in addition to overcoming the Auburn Tigers on the court, our team also had to silence an overly large group of Tiger fans in the stands. The atmosphere we experienced last night is neither typical nor acceptable for Cameron Indoor Stadium. We need the full support of all season ticket holders to ensure this doesn’t occur again. I want to remind everyone that reselling Duke Athletics tickets for profit violates Duke’s policy. … Thank you in advance for your assistance in making sure Cameron Indoor Stadium is always ALL Duke Blue!” (link)
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#8: College Football Playoff Executive Director Richard Clark was “furious” that someone leaked SMU’s inclusion in the CFP to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy and says: “I told all involved, you’ve betrayed the process.” Clark says there will be an investigation to determine how the information got out. “There are only a certain number of people who know. I know one thing, it wasn’t me. There’s the selection committee, ESPN and our staff. Someone in that group [is the leak].” (link)
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#7: Syracuse AD John Wildhack says the department needs “to do a better job” of marketing the Women’s Basketball team, “and we will in terms of marketing this program and introducing this program to the community. We also need the community’s help to lean in a little bit.” His statements come after HC Felisha Legette-Jack’s comment last month, following a game with listed attendance of 2K, about needing more fan support “I’m disappointed in my fanbase here. Nobody f**king cares, man.” (link)
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#6: Former UCF/Nebraska Football HC Scott Frost is back with the Knights, signing a five-year deal through the 2029 season. (link)
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#5: Northern Illinois is considering an offer to join the Mountain West as a football-only member starting in 2026, according to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, who reports a decision from the Huskies is “imminent.” If NIU does join the Mountain West, it’s unknown what conference its other sports programs will join. (link)
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#4: The NCAA sent out a second Q&A related to the House settlement. Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger notes the eight-page document is intended to be a starting document with more information to come at a later date. On when schools must be compliant with new roster limits, the NCAA explains: “Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, for fall sports, schools must be at or below the roster limits prior to the first date of competition that counts for championships selection in the relevant sport. For winter and spring sports, schools must be at or below the roster limits not later than December 1 or the first contest that counts for championships selection in the relevant sport (whichever is earlier).” The document also notes that access to DI championships will not be impacted by a school’s decision to opt into revenue-sharing. Additionally, schools must determine and notify the NCAA by March 1 of each year if they plan to opt in for the following year. Also from the Q&A: “All [NIL] agreements with associated entities and associated individuals with payments occurring after July 1, 2025, will be subject to the fair-market-value assessment contemplated by the settlement. Also, all new agreements with associated entities and associated individuals executed after settlement approval (which could occur any time after April 7, 2025) will be subject to a fair-market-value review. In addition, if there is a challenge to determinations related to fair-market-value, third-party arbitrators approved by the plaintiffs, the defendant conferences and the NCAA will render a decision.” The document also recaps how the initial rev-share pool will be calculated: “The Pool will be set by totaling up eight of the Membership Financial Reporting System Reports (MFRS) revenue categories for each institution from the five defendant conferences and Notre Dame, then dividing the total by the number of institutions from the five defendant conferences plus Notre Dame, then taking 22% of the resulting dollar figure. The defendant conferences’ defendants estimated the 2025-26 cap to be approximately $20.5 MM. The actual cap number will be determined in Q1 of 2025.” (link, link – full document)
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#3: The FBI has arrested & charged Eugene Toriko CEO Maurice Eugene Smith in connection to the failed George Mason Men’s Basketball trip to the Bahamas earlier this year. Per Sportico: “Instead of using the money ($159,756) to secure accommodations and flights for the Patriots, Smith is accused of using at least some of it to fund his own getaways to Mexico and Panama. He is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted of wire fraud.” (link)
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#2: The Mountain West is set to add UC Davis as its newest member, per Yahoo's Ross Dellenger, who adds the move would include all Aggies' sports except football. (link)
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#1: Grant House, Sedona Prince and Nya Harrison – the named plaintiffs in the House case – have sent a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken asking for her to address the need for a players' association, citing "a critical need for structural changes to protect athletes and to prevent the failures of the past." The plaintiffs are calling for Athletes.org to serve as the players' association, writing: "Without independent, formal representation, separate from schools or their affiliates, athletes will inevitably remain in a vulnerable position, perpetuating the cycle of inequity and paving the way for continued litigation. AO provides the infrastructure to offer the collective voice, legal guidance, and resources we need to address these challenges, constructively, ensuring a fair and sustainable future for college athletics." (link); Front Office Sports’ Amanda Christovich notes that it’s unclear how “Wilken could create a players’ organization on her own, besides requiring it as part of the terms of the settlement. It’s also unclear whether this organization could be considered a formal union, given that athletes aren’t currently classified as employees. That’s likely part of the reason the letter doesn’t call for a formal union, opting for the word ‘association’ instead.” (link); Plaintiffs’ attorney Jeffrey Kessler tells ESPN’s Dan Murphy he doesn’t believe the letter will derail the settlement process. He also says the athletes advised him of the letter to Wilken and he did not have an issue with it. "I think the settlement is incredible for college sports, but it does not solve every issue in the world. The fact they might also need a players' association is a valid point. I have no problem with it." Murphy posits Judge Wilken is “unlikely to play any role in forming or blessing a players' association, but the athletes' letter could have an impact on how she views the long-term success of the settlement.” (link)
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