Blog

  • College Football Playoff committee solves Army-Navy quagmire, mocks expanded 12-team field

    College Football Playoff committee solves Army-Navy quagmire, mocks expanded 12-team field

    IRVING, Texas — The College Football Playoff management committee gained some clarity over details of the upcoming 12-team playoff and positioning of the Army-Navy game during two days of meetings, which concluded Wednesday. However, the group ultimately left without discussing many long-term key priorities, including expansion or auto-bid structure. 

    The board, made up of the 10 FBS conference commissioners and new Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, primarily dealt with recapping the 2023 playoff and organizing logistics of the upcoming 12-team playoff. (One key commissioner was not present due to a family matter.) The discussion was deep in minutia and included everything from ref assignments to family travel budgets for players, which increased from $1.5 million to $7.5 million as the CFP increases from funding three to 11 games. 

    “The four first-round games are arguably the biggest change in FBS football probably since the BCS came,” executive director Bill Hancock said. “Only four schools will host those games, but 40 or so have to plan to host, so there are a lot of details in there.” 

    This was the first meeting with the full board since the SEC and Big Ten strong-armed a much bigger slice of the longterm CFP revenue. Still, multiple sources described the attitude in the room as “collegial.” 

    These meetings marked a period of transition for the CFP as college football enters its next form. Incoming executive director Richard M. Clark attended his first annual meeting as he prepares to take over for Hancock. Clark officially retires from his role as superintendent of the Air Force Academy at the end of May and joins the CFP full time in June. Additionally, incoming AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti joined Mike Aresco, who…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Check out new renderings for the Bears stadium on Chicago’s lakefront

    Check out new renderings for the Bears stadium on Chicago’s lakefront

    Check out new renderings for the Bears stadium on Chicago’s lakefront originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

    Ahead of the Bears’ press conference unveiling their plans for a new stadium on Wednesday, they released photographic renderings of the stadium on the lakefront.

    The renderings include the domed stadium, with the stadium atop the current South Parking lot of Soldier Field. As for Soldier Field, the columns exist, but the stadium is gone.

    Here are all the renderings of the stadium. Click here to check out the renderings released by the team.

    Click here to follow the Under Center Podcast.

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • 3-star in-state product predicted to go to Oklahoma

    3-star in-state product predicted to go to Oklahoma

    Since Brent Venables took over as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners, the staff has prioritized in-state products in recruiting. That has been no different this year, as four of their 13 commits are from Oklahoma. They’re currently the heavy favorite for local talents like C.J. Nickson and Trystan Haynes, two of the top three players in the state.

    In the 2025 recruiting class, the Sooners are also prioritizing the offensive line, hoping to have as star-studded of a class as the defensive line was in 2024. To that end, the Sooners have been pursuing Antoni Ogumoro, a three-star prospect out of Elgin, Okla.

    Since the spring game, the Sooners have kept their momentum with Ogumoro despite his impressive list of growing offers. On3 and SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuistion issued an On3 Prediction favoring the Sooners earlier this week. That was followed up by a crystal ball prediction from 247Sports and Sooners Illustrated’s Collin Kennedy on Tuesday.

    Ogumoro is ranked as the No. 25 interior offensive lineman in the country. He’s the No. 10 player in the state of Oklahoma. He’s got good size at 6-foot-5 and around 315 pounds, according to Ogumoro.

    The Sooners are currently the overwhelming favorites for Ogumoro. According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

    He’s made three tips so far to Norman, including his official visit for the spring game. He has visits scheduled with Kansas State and to Tennessee in May and is planning to commit on May 21. Oklahoma State, Missouri, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Iowa State, NC State, Duke, and TCU are a few of the notable teams that have offered Ogumoro.

    If the Sooners can survive both of those trips, they should be in a good spot to land a commitment.

    Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • 2024 NFL Draft: What teams inside top 10 are saying about picks entering draft week, including Bears, Patriots

    2024 NFL Draft: What teams inside top 10 are saying about picks entering draft week, including Bears, Patriots

    The 2024 NFL Draft is just about here, where talking season ends and team building begins. For the teams that kick off the draft, there is much to consider. Do they draft for position, do they ignore needs and select the best player available or do they trade their pick? Each decision will have major ramifications, so it’s important these front offices make the correct ones.

    What has each team in the top 10 said about their respective situation? Let’s take a look.

    The Bears certainly seem ready to make the first overall selection Thursday night. The football world expect it to be Caleb Williams, but the team isn’t ready to share its intent just yet. “So unfortunately, it’s one of those things I think everyone’s got to tune in on Thursday to watch and figure out,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said with a big smile, via NBC Sports Chicago. “But I feel really good about our process and where we are and where we’re headed. So we know what we’re going to do but everyone is going to have to wait until Thursday.”

    The Commanders have received trade calls on the No. 2 overall pick, but it doesn’t appear they will move down.

    “We feel great about staying at No. 2,” Commanders general manager Adam Peters said, via 7News DC. “I don’t see a whole lot of scenarios where we trade down, to be honest with you. We feel great about sticking there.”

    Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf said last week New England is “open for business” at No. 3 overall, via ESPN, but could stick and pick its quarterback of the future. 

    NFL Media reports the Patriots have received trade calls, but haven’t received the kind of offer that would lead to them moving down. 

    Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said that he’s had talks with multiple teams regarding the No. 4 overall pick, and that they are ready to continue having those conversations when the phone rings.

    The Chargers are widely viewed as a…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Group of Five playoff being pitched by Derek Dooley, financially backed by private equity firms

    Group of Five playoff being pitched by Derek Dooley, financially backed by private equity firms

    Former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley is pitching a Group of Five playoff that would be financially backed by private equity, sources tell CBS Sports. 

    The concept would address — if not be motivated by — disappointment felt by the Group of Five conferences (MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt, American and Conference USA) over revenue distribution shares under the new College Football Playoff media rights agreement. The average program in those conferences will receive $1.8 million per year in CFP revenue beginning in 2026 under the new deal, up from the current $1.5 million payout. 

    The Group of Five splits 9% of the annual $1.3 billion deal with ESPN. While the payout marks an increase in raw numbers, it is a percentage decrease considering the Group of Five received 22% of the pot in the prior deal (2014-23). 

    By comparison, the Big Ten and SEC will each receive 29% of CFP money — millions more than any Group of Five league is paid in media revenue alone during a given year. 

    “You’ve got presidents and chancellors [from the Group of Five] now saying, ‘Why would [we sit] around waiting for the inevitable, which is a total break [by the SEC and Big Ten]?’” one Group of Five administrator familiar with Dooley’s proposal told CBS Sports. “We better start doing some things.”

    Dooley did not immediately return a call requesting comment. 

    Some believe a Big Ten and SEC breakaway has already occurred given the incoming revenue both conferences are set to receive. The Big Ten and SEC demanded a larger share of the CFP pie, in part, because of their playoff success over the last 10 years.

    The leagues have combined to earn 29 of 40 available CFP bids (based on league membership beginning July 2024) and 113 of 184 BCS/CFP slots (62%) since…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • 2024 NFL Draft Order: Complete list of every pick from Round 1 through Round 7

    2024 NFL Draft Order: Complete list of every pick from Round 1 through Round 7

    The 2024 NFL Draft begins this week, on Thursday, April 25, with the Chicago Bears set to make the first overall selection for the first time since 1947. The Bears had the first overall pick last year but traded it away to Carolina, with the Panthers selecting QB Bryce Young. Chicago got Carolina’s 2024 first round pick as part of that trade and will now select first overall this year after the Panthers finished with the worst record in the league last season.

    Seven of the last nine first overall picks have been quarterbacks, and the Bears are expected to take QB Caleb Williams out of USC with the first pick this year. The Bears traded QB Justin Fields to the Steelers in March, signaling the start of a new era in Chicago. Williams highlights a draft class which includes QBs Drake Maye (UNC) and Jayden Daniels (LSU), as well as WRs Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State), Malik Nabers (LSU) and Rome Odunze (Washington).

    This year’s draft is being held around Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit, Michigan. The first round will take place on Thursday, April 25, followed by the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26. The final four rounds will wrap up on Saturday, April 27. Below is the complete draft order for all 257 picks in all seven rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, including compensatory picks (denoted with an asterisk *).

    2024 NFL Draft Order

    Round 1

    1. Chicago Bears (from CAR)
    2. Washington Commanders
    3. New England Patriots
    4. Arizona Cardinals
    5. Los Angeles Chargers
    6. New York Giants
    7. Tennessee Titans
    8. Atlanta Falcons
    9. Chicago Bears
    10. New York Jets
    11. Minnesota Vikings
    12. Denver Broncos
    13. Las Vegas Raiders
    14. New Orleans Saints
    15. Indianapolis Colts
    16. Seattle Seahawks
    17. Jacksonville Jaguars
    18. Cincinnati Bengals
    19. Los Angeles Rams
    20. Pittsburgh Steelers
    21. Miami Dolphins
    22. Philadelphia Eagles
    23. Minnesota Vikings (from CLE through HOU)
    24. Dallas Cowboys
    25. Green Bay Packers
    26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    27. Arizona Cardinals (from HOU)
    28. Buffalo Bills
    29….

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Boom! Rutgers wrestling lands a commitment from Mason Gibson

    Boom! Rutgers wrestling lands a commitment from Mason Gibson

    Scott Goodale built on the momentum of this past season with a recruiting class that is among the best in the nation. And on Monday afternoon, Rutgers wrestling landed a huge piece with the commitment of Mason Gibson.

    Gibson, formerly committed to Penn State, posted on social media that he is committed to Rutgers. He joins the class of 2024 which is shaping up to be a solid group for Rutgers.

    Earlier in his recruitment, Gibson was committed to Cornell. Then in June of 2022, he flipped to Penn State.

    Two weeks ago, he de-committed from Penn State and now is with Rutgers.

    Gibson is No. 13 in the nation at 132 pounds according to Flo Wrestling.

    He is an outstanding addition for Rutgers, having competed at a very high level including the national stage.

     

    Last season was a strong bounce-back for Rutgers wrestling as they finished 12-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten.

    Rutgers placed two All-Americans at the NCAA Tournament as they finished the season No. 14 in the nation.

    Story originally appeared on Rutgers Wire

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • 2024 NFL Draft: Each team’s most ideal pick in Round 1, including Bears adding playmaker for Caleb Williams

    2024 NFL Draft: Each team’s most ideal pick in Round 1, including Bears adding playmaker for Caleb Williams

    The gap between when the NFL begins its new league year in mid-March, and when the draft takes place at the end of April feels like an eternity.

    However, we’ve made it! This is the week the 2024 NFL Draft will finally take place. Since the league’s 32 teams have or are in the process of finalizing their draft boards, let’s take a closer look at who the ideal pick could be for each NFL team. 

    Let’s be clear, this isn’t necessarily a mock draft, which is a projection of what will happen when the first round of the 2024 kicks off Thursday night. This is a breakdown of the top player for all 32 teams if the draft board fell the way they are desperate for it to fall. To maintain a level of realism, a player can only be named two times as an ideal pick. There is in an effort to illustrate somewhat reasonable draft locations for each prospect. 

    Caleb Williams is the Chicago Bears’ latest and greatest savior. Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, stands alone as the only college quarterback since 2000 to throw for 30-plus passing touchdowns and run for 10-plus touchdowns while…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More