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#10: 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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#9: New South Carolina AD Jeremiah Donati to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Mac Engle: “The reason I am leaving has nothing to do with TCU. This decision is not about TCU. This is about an opportunity. It’s about a brand. A location. About a league. It’s a challenge I am ready for. It’s in a good place and I like the trajectory it’s on. This one just felt right. I have had other opportunities that were easy no’s. This wasn’t. [...] If I could do this all over again, I would in a heart beat. It’s not lost on me that TCU took a flier on me. I was a younger AD with no experience as an AD when they gave me the job. If I could have signed a lifetime contract that would guarantee my happiness at TCU, I would have done it. But that’s not the way it works.” More as Engle says Donati also “talked extensively” with USC about its open AD chair last year. (link)
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#8: SBJ has released its list of the Most Influential People in Sports in 2024 and those with a direct association with college athletics include NCAA President Charlie Baker, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, Winston & Strawn Executive Co-Chairman Jeffrey Kessler and U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken. Full list. (link)
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#7: Insider TCU offers some new names as “in discussion” for TCU’s AD opening: UConn boss David Benedict, West Virginia AD Wren Baker, USF leader Michael Kelly and Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard, but says Boise State AD Jeramiah Dickey is “still a favorite.” (link, link) The D1.dossier for the opening in Fort Worth is available. (link)
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#6: Well. The Pop-Tarts Bowl keeps being awesome. This year’s trophy is topped with a fully functioning football-shaped toaster perfect for popping tarts. Watch Miami (FL) AD Dan Radakovich and Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan take it for a spin. (link)
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#5: USC offers a sneak peak of what a new Dedeaux Field will look like, home of the Trojans’ baseball team. (link)
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#4: Vermont captured the men’s soccer national championship in dramatic fashion, scoring a golden goal in OT to earn the Catamounts’ first national title. Watch. (link)
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#3: The College Football Playoff has unveiled its jersey patches for the first-round games. Have a look. (link)
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#2: The Ivy League will begin participating in the FCS Playoffs starting next season. Executive Director Robin Harris: “The Ivy League prides itself on a storied tradition of impact, influence and competitive success throughout the history of college football. We now look ahead to a new chapter of success and to further enhancing the student-athlete experience with our participation in the NCAA FCS playoffs. I want to commend the students on our SAAC for their thoughtful and thorough proposal as well as their commitment to the league’s legislative process.” Yale football student-athlete Mason Shipp, who serves as the Ivy League SAAC chair and penned the proposal: “It’s a monumental day in the Ivy League and a special day to be an Ivy League student-athlete. Thank you to the Presidents for listening and responding to the voices of your students. For the future generations that are fortunate enough to represent the Ivy League in the FCS playoffs, go win us some hardware!” ESPN's Pete Thamel reported the news first. (link, link)
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#1: Vanderbilt Football student-athlete Diego Pavia's motion regarding limitations on the NCAA's eligibility rules has been granted a preliminary injunction that will allow him to compete in 2025. U.S. District Court Judge William Campbell writing, in part: "The Court is not persuaded that restricting the NCAA Division I eligibility of former junior college athletes to three or four years is relevant to the 'differentiated athletic product' of Division I football. The NCAA eligibility rules allow other forms of post-secondary education and athletic competition without "counting" against eligibility. [...] Given the different treatment of other student athletes, with comparable or more post-secondary experience, the NCAA's assertion that the eligibility rules are necessary to prevent age and experience, disparities and preserve the quality of experience for student athletes falls flat." (link)
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