Colorado reportedly prepared to go head-to-head with Purdue for Butch Jones

By Ben KerchevalDec 3, 2012, 12:28 PM EST

Butch Jones was on Purdue’s campus over the weekend interviewing for the job left open after the university fired Danny Hope late last month. Now, it appears that Colorado, the other school reportedly interested in Jones’ services, is willing to take another step to try to lure the coach from Cincinnati.

Woody Paige of the Denver Post reports that Buffs athletic director Mike Bohn and CU president Bruce Benson are prepared to offer Jones a five-year contract worth more than $13.5 million. For what it’s worth, Jones is scheduled to make $1.6 million at UC in 2013, with a gradual salary increase to $2.05 million in 2017. The university is reportedly trying to renegotiate Jones’ contract, although that hasn’t been confirmed.

But money may not be the only factor involved if Jones decides to take the reported offer. Paige reports that CU will commit to upgrading both the football stadium and its athletic facilities. That’s an area lacking at both Cincinnati and Colorado.

Cincinnati’s had a hard time keeping great hires in recent years because of the lure of bigger jobs. On the surface, Colorado isn’t a bigger, better job than Cincinnati. But if the Buffs are serious about making strides with their football program, they may get a serious look from Jones.

Report: American considering Grant of Rights for new TV deal

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By Zach BarnettDec 10, 2018, 4:19 PM EST

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You ready for the next round of conference realignment rumors? Ready or not, they’re coming.

The American is the first conference to the table to re-up the television deals that blew up the college sports landscape at the early part of this decade, and AAC commissioner Mike Aresco is trying to stave off a raid on his conference roster before it can even start.

According to the Sports Business Journal, the conference is asking its member schools to sign a Grant of Rights agreement before signing its new TV deal(s). For those who did not take a crash course in media law during the Realignment Apocalypse of the 2010s, a Grant of Rights locks in a school’s media rights to that conference, essentially — just for the purse sake of argument — making UCF worthless to the Big 12, since the Knights’ media rights would remain property of the American for the length of the contract.

Such a deal would make the American’s TV much more valuable, since networks bidding on the league would know for a fact they’re getting UCF, Cincinnati and Houston and not — for the pure sake of argument — Florida Atlantic, Bowling Green and UTSA.

It’s no secret that UCF, Cincinnati, Memphis and Houston are the conference’s most valued members, and thus would have the least incentive to commit their media rights to the AAC. So, why then would they do it? The SBJ addresses this:

Part of the negotiations have explored the possibility of top AAC schools making more revenue than others, which is drastically different than the conference’s current deal in terms of revenue distribution. Currently, the conference splits revenue evenly among its members. It’s unclear how a new distribution system that pays more to certain schools would be received by the rest of the conference, but the presence of UCF is expected to lead to a bigger media rights deal for the conference.

So, Aresco will try to convince UCF and the like that the bird in the hand is worth more than a non-existent offer from the Big 12, while telling Tulsa, Temple and the rest that a tilted media deal is still better than what they’d get in a deal without UCF and company. It’s the same strategy Dan Beebe used to keep the Big 12 from complete implosion in the summer of 2010.

The AAC’s current deal is worth an average of $18 million per year — for the entire conference, which is less than half the Big Ten pays each school.

Obviously, the AAC’s new deal won’t approach the Big Ten’s current payouts, but the American’s current contract was put together as the conference was trying to piece together its survival, so the next deal is expected to shoot up significantly. How significant depends on if the conference’s more popular members are willing to commit to the league in the long term.

Ole Miss LT Greg Little declares for NFL draft

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By Zach BarnettDec 10, 2018, 3:07 PM EST

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It’s possible that the first offensive tackle off the board in the 2019 NFL Draft just joined the draft.

Ole Miss left tackle Greg Little announced Monday he will enter the draft early, declaring after his junior season.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to represent the prestigious Ole Miss. However, after several in depth discussions with my family, I have chosen to declare for the 2019 NFL Draft,” Little wrote in a note posted to his Twitter account.

A Blessing in the Battle #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/49RS07veRS

— Gregory Little (@Thegreglittle) December 10, 2018

A consensus 5-star recruit and the No. 1 offensive tackle in the Class of 2016, Little played to his billing from the moment he arrived in Oxford. He was a First Team Freshman All-SEC honoree by the league’s coaches in 2016 after appearing in all 13 games and starting five as a true freshman, a Second Team All-SEC player as a sophomore after starting all 12 games at left tackle as a sophomore, and then a First Team All-SEC player this season.

The Allen, Texas, native was also a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award as the top college football player with Texas ties.

Ole Miss names ex-Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre defensive coordinator

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By Kevin McGuireDec 10, 2018, 2:00 PM EST

Kyler Murray leads AP All-American team; Tagovailoa named to second team

By Kevin McGuireDec 10, 2018, 1:38 PM EST

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Kyler Murray, junior, Oklahoma

Running backs — Jonathan Taylor, sophomore, Wisconsin; Darrell Henderson, junior, Memphis

Tackles — Jonah Williams, junior, Alabama; Mitch Hyatt, senior, Clemson

Guards — Beau Benzschawel, senior, Wisconsin; Bunchy Stallings, senior, Kentucky

Center — Garrett Bradbury, senior, North Carolina State

Tight end — Jace Sternberger, junior, Texas A&M

Wide receivers — Jerry Jeudy, sophomore, Alabama; Marquise Brown, junior, Oklahoma

All-purpose player — Rondale Moore, freshman, Purdue

Kicker — Andre Szmyt, freshman, Syracuse

DEFENSE

Ends — Clelin Ferrell, junior, Clemson; Sutton Smith, junior, Northern Illinois

Tackles — Quinnen Williams, junior, Alabama; Christian Wilkins, senior, Clemson

Linebackers — Josh Allen, senior, Kentucky; Devin White, junior, LSU; Ben Burr-Kirven, senior, Washington

Cornerbacks — Deandre Baker, senior, Georgia; Julian Love, junior, Notre Dame

Safeties — Grant Delpit, sophomore, LSU; Deionte Thompson, junior, Alabama

Punter — Braden Mann, junior, Texas A&M

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Tua Tagovailoa, sophomore, Alabama

Running backs — Travis Etienne, sophomore, Clemson; Trayveon Williams, junior, Texas A&M

Tackles — Dalton Risner, senior, Kansas State; Andrew Thomas, sophomore, Georgia

Guards — Dru Samia, senior, Oklahoma; Michael Dieter, senior, Wisconsin

Center — Ross Pierschbacher, senior, Alabama

Tight end — T.J, Hockenson, sophomore, Iowa

Wide receivers — Tylan Wallace, sophomore, Oklahoma State; Andy Isabella, senior, Massachusetts

All-purpose player — Greg Dortch, sophomore, Wake Forest

Kicker — Cole Tracy, senior, LSU

DEFENSE

Ends — Montez Sweat, senior, Mississippi State; Jachai Polite, junior, Florida

Tackles — Jerry Tillery, senior, Notre Dame; Gerald Willis III, senior, Miami

Linebackers — Devin Bush, junior, Michigan; David Long Jr., junior, West Virginia; Joe Dineen, senior, Kansas

Cornerbacks — Greedy Williams, sophomore, LSU; Byron Murphy, sophomore, Washington

Safeties — Taylor Rapp, junior, Washington; Amani Hooker, junior, Iowa

Punter — Mitch Wishnowsky, senior, Utah

THIRD TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks — Dwayne Haskins, sophomore, Ohio State

Running backs — Benny Snell, junior, Kentucky; Eno Benjamin, sophomore, Arizona State

Tackles — Andre Dillard, senior, Washington State; Cody Ford, junior, Oklahoma

Guards — Terrone Prescod, senior, North Carolina State; Chris Lindstrom, senior, Boston College

Center — Michael Jordan, junior, Ohio State

Tight end — Noah Fant, junior, Iowa

Wide Receivers — A.J. Brown, junior, Mississippi; David Sills V, senior, West Virginia

All-purpose player — J.J. Taylor, sophomore, Arizona

Kicker — Matt Gay, senior, Utah

DEFENSE

Ends — Chase Winovich, senior, Michigan; Jaylon Ferguson, senior, Louisiana Tech

Tackles — Jeffery Simmons, junior, Mississippi State; Ed Oliver, junior, Houston

Linebackers — Paddy Fisher, sophomore, Northwestern; David Woodward, sophomore, Utah State; Te’Von Coney, senior, Notre Dame

Cornerbacks — Hamp Cheevers, junior, Boston College; Lavert Hill, junior, Michigan

Safeties — Andre Cisco, freshman, Syracuse; Jonathan Abram, senior, Mississippi State

Punter — Jason Smith, sophomore, Cincinnati

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