If it just means more, it just pays more.

Words of wisdom from Florida’s AD, regarding the post-Alston world the SEC finds itself inhabiting now ($$):

“What the Supreme Court ruling did is it really highlighted the fact that college athletics is a free market. This is a league that seems to understand free markets pretty well if you look at some of our coaching contracts,” Stricklin said.

I’m looking forward to the day when Jimmy Sexton becomes a player’s agent.

Chasing YPP

When last we left Josh Hancher’s take on returning offensive production and how it impacts teams’ playoff chances, I asked a question as my conclusion.

So, if you assume, as most do, that Georgia’s defense will retreat somewhat from the level of last season’s production, how much does offensive YPP need to increase from last season’s amount to offset that and keep the net figure over 2.5? Will Monken’s offense need to set a program best mark to accomplish that? Hard to say, but it wouldn’t hurt.

Josh has helpfully drafted a bookend post about defensive production.  Here’s a chart that may shed some light on what I asked.

As you can see from his side commentary, Georgia’s defense producing a YPP under 4.7 is not an unreasonable projection.  But let’s say for the sake of argument when the dust settles that this season’s defensive YPP is in fact 4.7, which would be a half-yard higher than last season’s.  To stay north of that 2.5 net YPP number I used as a benchmark for national championship success, that would mean Georgia’s offensive YPP this season needs to reach somewhere around 7.2.  (Remember, 7.21 would set a program record.)

Doable?  I’d like to think so, based on the returning talent.  What do y’all think?

Workin’ for the man

You know, all that highfalutin talk we heard about serving the nobility of amateurism and the purity of the college experience as the NCAA and its member schools fought (and lost) in antitrust court?  Nah, that wasn’t it.

This was.

No surprise here. In our NIL deep dive, most big Power 5 collectives are aiming for a minimum of $5 million in NIL player salary pool and up to $20 million.

The elite programs will raise this year a combined $500 million in NIL salary https://t.co/ZNDEGOigNp https://t.co/9Uk6B1HN9v

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) June 2, 2022

It’s not that they couldn’t raise the money.  It’s that they didn’t want to risk the possibility that some of that money won’t be coming their way now.  Purity, my ass.

Another SEC tradition

You’ll be shocked, shocked to read this.

Three days into its spring meetings, the SEC remains split on a future scheduling format for a variety of reasons.

One of those is money.

At the center of the league’s debate between division-less eight or nine-game scheduling models is television revenue. Conference members currently play eight conference games. Increasing to nine games would not produce any additional revenue from the league’s new media rights deal with ESPN—another wrinkle in a months-old debate that has left the conference mostly split along revenue-generating lines.  [Emphasis added.]

What is it with SEC commissioners and their inability to negotiate broadcast contracts competently?

I would presume the deal can be revisited once Oklahoma and Texas join, which would explain why Oklahoma and Texas are joining.  Better luck next go ’round, Greg.

Why doesn’t Georgia’s offense get more credit for last season’s performance?

Thought this might be fun to share for your thoughts:

The short answer to the question is “Stetson Bennett”.

Bud Elliott is somewhat stretching things with his argument about good defenses shutting down Georgia’s offense. Georgia’s offense was held under 5 yards per play only once last season, in the opener against Clemson (with, it turned out in the aftermath, a banged up JT Daniels).  But Tennessee and Kentucky as examples?  C’mon, man.

“But we have to get past the (format) step first.”

I’d love to be a fly on the wall for this meeting.

Executives of the College Football Playoff plan to give guidance soon to the CFP commissioners in an effort to restart negotiations over playoff expansion a year ahead of a deadline of sorts.

Mark Keenum, the chair of the CFP Board of Managers, says his “hope” is that the group can agree on a playoff format by next summer.

Keenum is the president of Mississippi State.  I imagine he’s none too pleased with the three conference commissioners who derailed last year’s expansion plan, costing the schools an extra $460 million a year in 2024 and 2025.

The CFP Board is taking a more authoritative role in guiding the next round of expansion discussions, Keenum says. CFP Committee members could not agree on a new playoff format during months of negotiations last year. They needed unanimity for the proposal to pass, but three of the 11 Board members—from the ACC, Pac-12 and Big Ten—voted against a 12-team model that was at first proposed last summer.

The new playoff model would have been implemented in the last two years of the current contract—2024 and 2025—and would have provided an additional $460 million in revenue and 16 extra playoff spots.

“It was frustrating,” Keenum says. “The same people who wanted expansion originally voted against (the proposal).”

Is there a polite way to say “Hey, Curly, Moe and Larry — get your collective heads out of your fucking asses and go collect our money!”?

Morehead to the rescue

From Mike Griffith’s slobbering interview with UGA’s president about the NIL “mess” (Morehead’s term, not mine):

School was back in session when the 65-year-old law professor was chased down by media members in a hotel hallway Wednesday to answer the question as to how the NCAA could govern NIL with the threat of antitrust lawsuits.

“You’re making an assumption that whatever guard rails created are ones that wouldn’t survive a litigation review,” Morehead said. “I’m also a lawyer, and I think we can devise rules that have the potential of surviving scrutiny…

Well, shit, Jere.  That’s all you had to say!  It’s a shame the NCAA blew through millions on attorney’s fees fighting O’Bannon and Alston instead of consulting with you from the get-go.

“There’s nothing like SEC football.”

After years of watching Greg McGarity’s submission act when it came to conference scheduling (if the SEC winds up adopting the 1+7 format in the end, I’d like to see Josh Brooks trade his consent in return for Auburn playing two straight games in Athens), I gotta say I am both jealous and impressed with this kind of attitude:

Texas A&M doesn’t know what year it will renew its celebrated football rivalry with Texas. No later than 2025 but perhaps 2024. The Aggies know exactly where the game will be, however.

“I can’t imagine the atmosphere when that game is played,” A&M athletic director Ross Bjork told the Chronicle on Thursday during the SEC spring meetings. “And it will be played at Kyle Field.”

… As a league newbie along with the Sooners, the Longhorns don’t really have a say in the league’s early scheduling anyway, Bjork added.

“They realize they’re going to be very, very happy to be in the SEC, and that’s why they made the move,” Bjork said. “They’ll take whatever (they can get) … and they don’t have a vote in the process. It’s only current membership.”

“Fuck you, Texas, you don’t have a vote and you’ll take what we give you”?  Total baller move.

Welcome to the SEC, ‘Horns.