SEC media days are here and they are bigger than ever. Yes, football is back, as Dennis Dodd writes for CBSSports.com. Brace yourself for plenty of quotes from some of the country’s most quotable coaches and prepare for plenty of attention given to the new conference members, Missouri and Texas A&M. Yes, this year should be one of the biggest SEC media days in conference history.
A total of 1,100 media credentials were issued for SEC media days. Want another example of just how big this is? Radio row has 33 broadcast tables set-up. Here is a look at the SEC’s 2012 media guide cover.
This week is Big 12 Preview Week on Crystal Ball Run. We started things off with a look back through the history of the Big 12 and their current members and asked five big questions for the Big 12. For the latest updates and coverage, be sure to follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
More links after the jump…
Crystal Ball Run co-managing editor Allen Kenney talked to John Infante (Bylaw Blog) about Penn State and the future following the Freeh Report in the latest Crystal Ball Run Podcast. Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.
The Big East and Syracuse agreed on exit terms for the Orange. The deal will allow Syracuse to join the ACC in 2013 at a cost of $7.5 million. Syracuse’s exit to the ACC will save them $13.5 million compared to West Virginia’s early exit to join the Big 12. Next up will be settling on terms with Pittsburgh, who already took legal action to ensure the Panthers can move to the ACC in 2013. Expect the Panther to pay a similar buyout, if not identical. Perhaps if they had held off on taking legal action they would have been a part of this deal. Syracuse never took legal action against the Big East.
As the SEC takes center stage today with the opening of their media day sessions, the Sun Belt Conference held their media day on Monday. At Florida International the tale of Mario Cristobal continues to develop. Dennis Dodd checks in again with a look at how Cristobal’s coaching profile has risen during his tenure at FIU. The coaches of the Sun Belt Conference voted Florida International to be the preseason favorite, as reported by The Miami Herald.
Butch Davis says he would like to coach again. The former Miami and North Carolina head coach was never specifically targeted by the NCAA when investigations were ongoing in Chapel Hill, but enough damage was done to force Davis out the door prior to the 2011 season. In an interview with the Associated Press, via ACC Sports Journal, Davis says he wanted UNC to be his final stop but he does not want to go out the way he did.
The Rose Bowl and ESPN reached a new deal in which ESPN will pay $80 million per year to broadcast the granddaddy according to Sports Business Daily. ESPN.com’s Kristi Dosh says this is a sign that the five major conferences will continue to dominate financially under the new playoff format.
UNLV introduced a new helmet. Front, back.
Along those same lines, it looks like San Diego State will have new uniforms this fall as well.
Penn State students have changed the name of Paternoville to Nittanyville. The reaction by a number of Penn State fans (students) has been unflattering to say the least on Facebook.
Dan Mullen showed off some new bling on Facebook, Mississippi State’s Music City Bowl ring.
Oregon head coach Chip Kelly ran with the bulls. He then went for two.
Tweet of the Day
As a dedicated Big Ten voice on the Internet, this must have been somewhat painful to tweet.
As much as B1G fans like to play league foes, Option A is a much better path to making a college football playoff. Makes sense to follow SEC
— Rittenberg/Bennett (@ESPN_BigTen) July 16, 2012
The tweet is in reference to potential nine-game conference scheduling in the Big Ten, and how an eight-game conference schedule would probably be the better option.
Video of the Day
OK, one last thing about SEC media days…
