Raise a glass for the reserve fund.

If you’re looking for another tell regarding beer sales at Sanford Stadium, check out this coy answer from Greg McGarity.

Will Georgia raise a glass for the sale of chardonnay or local craft-beer like Terrapin or Creature Comforts while fans cheer on the Bulldogs?

Not right now, but athletic director Greg McGarity didn’t rule out what could happen in say five or ten years.

“Who knows?” he said. “There’s a risk and reward in all of that. It’s just something that has not been an issue for us right now. We have not gone down that route. Who knows what will happen as far as revenue opportunities?”  [Emphasis added.]

Actually, we all know what happens as far as revenue opportunities go, Greg.  You’re just waiting for the right amount of cover against the inevitable clucking.  Sooner or later, I know you’ll find the right moment.

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“As a youngster, I remember the circus coming to town…”

It’s the quiet period, right?  Schools can’t talk directly with recruits now, right?  Even Jim Harbaugh can’t talk to recruits at IMG, right?

The thing is, Harbaugh doesn’t really need to talk to recruits right now.  He’s letting Michigan’s spring practice trip speak for itself.  And the message is coming through loud and clear:

K.K. Hahn, a receiver at IMG who will be going to Ann Arbor as a preferred walk-on in the fall, said the energy around Michigan is palpable.

“It definitely feels like something is happening right now,” said Hahn, who is from Bethesda, Maryland.

Joshua Uche, a linebacker from Miami and a Michigan signee, made the three-hour trip north with his high school coach to watch the Wolverines and spend some time with his future teammates.

“[Harbaugh] finding that loophole and doing something different, being outside the box, is pretty cool to me,” he said.

This is what’s really freaking out Greg Sankey’s coaches.  And getting the NCAA to shut trips like this down isn’t going to change that as long as Harbaugh has the initiative.  Much like Nick Saban has done, Harbaugh will simple find another way to push the envelope and will gain attention in doing so.

In the meantime, he’ll be at another satellite camp this summer.  In Alabama.

There’s no time like the present.

Dysfunctional, thy name is Illinois football.

In his first official day on the job, Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman made a stunning move Saturday by announcing the firing of football coach Bill Cubit…

Cubit was named the interim head coach on Aug. 28 after former athletic director Mike Thomas fired Tim Beckman following an investigation into claims of player mistreatment. Cubit led Illinois to a 5-7 overall record and 2-6 mark in the Big Ten.

He was awarded with a two-year contract extension.

Amusingly, Whitman did this in the name of “providing stability”.  I’m sure that will provide a good deal of solace to whatever recruits signed NLIs with the program a month ago.  As for the rest of the team, they’ll have to wait a while to get started, as Whitman went on to say that spring football practice, originally scheduled to start on March 11, would be delayed until a new coach is named.  Awkward timing on both ends, to say the least, but the man is obviously ready to plow ahead.

Unfortunately, Whitman left one thing off his to-do list.  He neglected to schedule a meeting with the players about the firing.

Love finding out about this through Twitter. https://t.co/vl1TD6qVVq

— Mikey Dudek (@MDFlash_7) March 5, 2016

That’s one helluva first day, if you ask me.

Is it really that hard to find reasonably competent human beings to run athletic departments these days?  You’d think with the money they’re paying…

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UPDATE:  More player appreciation.

“I’m refreshing my Twitter feed for updates on my own football team,” quarterback Chayce Crouch tweeted Saturday morning. “This is crazy.”