Landmark sports day
Bobby Bonilla Day — July 1 — was also the day that college sports departments could officially start revenue sharing with its athletes.
TFP sports ace David Paschall breaks it down for UT and UTC right here. https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2025/jul/01/revenue-sharing-era-arrives-for-the-vols-and-mocs/
His reporting is stellar, with a couple of clear takeaways for me.
First, UTC AD Mark Wharton told Paschall that the Mocs will look to give more to hoops than football.
That makes a lot of sense, especially with coaching whiz Dan Earl signed long-term, the lingering positivity from the NIT title run and the chance to be a March darling on the biggest stage.
Next was the sentence that schools do not have to pay every athlete. Hmmm. Hello, locker room tension.
The other monster issue out there is what does this mean for the outside NIL collectives, especially at the biggest programs in terms of the non-football-and-basketball sports.
The expectation is that of the $20.5 million kitty that the most profitable schools can share with their athletes, $1.54 million is going to be divided by all other sports not named football and men’s and women’s basketball.
Heck, there’s a chance UT’s NIL baseball spending over the last couple of years was closer to $15.4 million than $1.54 million.
July 1 was just the start, of course, and it may be ultimately meaningless since there will be more lawsuits to come.
Think Dawn Staley or Kim Mulkey are going to be happy with men’s basketball getting three times more than what their title-contending programs get?
Title IX attorney on line 2, Coach.
SEC scheduling
So, there are several extremely critical people who determine college football success these days. Especially in a conference as loaded and competitive as the SEC.
In some semblance of order — Head coach. GM (or whoever handles the NIL these days). Lead recruiter. QB1. And so many more.
But as the conference expanded and the decision to do away with divisions, the SEC schedule maker has become the biggest difference maker for teams.
Think unbalanced schedules in a 16-team league (for now) with an eight-game conference schedule and trying to protect traditional rivalries.
But outcomes will shape seasons and quite possibly end careers.
With that, here’s a look at all 16 team’s schedules in terms of toughness. The number in parentheses is the average-projected win total for each 2025 opponent, according to LSU Wire. (I was told there would be no math.)
› Texas (6.22) — Man, this number is even lower across the slate when you consider THE Ohio State and Georgia are on the Horns’ docket.
› Tennessee (6.43) — Unrest at QB1 after Nico’s late spring free agency is made easier by a doable schedule with MSU, UK, Arkansas and Vandy. All four of those teams are projected to finish in the bottom half of the league, and Oklahoma and Georgia go to Knoxville.
› Missouri (6.53) — Arguably the easiest in terms of logistics. The first six games are in Columbia, Missouri, and the Tigers get a bye before playing Alabama. Missouri’s first road game is at Auburn in week 8, a week after Auburn plays Georgia.
› Ole Miss (6.64) — Consecutive road trips to Athens and Norman in late October will determine the Rebels’ fate. The next trio of toughest dates — LSU, Florida and South Carolina — are at home.
› Auburn (6.87) — Not sure one coach has more at stake in a season opener than Hugh Freeze has in late August when the Tigers go to an improving Baylor bunch.
› LSU (7.20) — Monster opening test at Clemson with a rebuilt O-line. But no Georgia and Texas is a good thing.
› Texas A&M (7.24) — Three straight SEC homes to start the conference slate provides a nice springboard.
› South Carolina (7.30) — A trio of tough road tests — at LSU, A&M, and Ole Miss — will be difficult.
› Georgia (7.39) — The number is middle of the pack, but the three hardest dates — Bama, Texas and Ole Miss — are in Athens. Plus, a sneaky tougher test against Georgia Tech will be in Mercedes-Benz in Atlanta, and it will be 75% (at least) red and black.
› Florida (7.58) — The Gators had a brutal schedule last year. This is a bit easier, but still has some hurdles, including a trip to Miami.
› Alabama (7.62) — Alabama gets a week off before facing Georgia and LSU and gets Tennessee at home. Plus, no Texas helps too.
› Arkansas (7.82) — This schedule is harder than the number when logistics are factored in, with back-to-back road trips to Red Stick and Austin and road games at Oxford and Knoxville.
› Kentucky (7.90) — True or false on a Wednesday: This is Mark Stoops’ last ride in Lexington.
› Mississippi State (7.97) — No team has a more difficult conference run in its four home SEC home games with Jeff Lebby’s team hosting Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and Ole Miss.
› Vandy (8.01) — Good news, Diego Pavia is back for his 15th college season. Bad news is Alabama, LSU and Texas are on the schedule.
› Oklahoma (8.44) — Arguably the hottest seat in the league has the toughest schedule by the numbers.
More July 1 news
Maybe it was part of the legal issues and Title IX complications with the revenue-sharing piece, but Penn announced it will no longer allow transgender athletes to compete in female sports.
Penn’s announcement, including an apology, also included a statement that it will strip transgender competitors from their historic ranks.
That means Lia Thomas — arguably the most famous transgender athlete, who became the central figure in this debate by winning the national championship in the 2021-22 season — will have three program records wiped off the books.
Penn agreed to send a personalized apology letter to every female swimmer who, according to a release from Penn President J. Larry Jameson’s office, “experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time.”
Here’s more from The Athletic, and it really feels like common sense prevailed, in my opinion.
This and that
› Paul Finebaum committed commentator malpractice Tuesday when he said Arch Manning is the best college QB we have seen since Tim Tebow entered the scene in 2006. Hey, Paul, please recall that Cam Newton, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels were SEC players in the last 15 years.
› Prayers up for Red Panda, the legendary halftime performer who fell during her show during the Commissioner’s Cup final Tuesday night. In the game Caitlin Clark did not play. The Fever upset Minnesota.
› So one of Michael Jordan’s old mansions in Chicago is available for an Airbnb. It’s called Champions Point, a seven-bedroom, 17.5-bath estate on 7.39 acres that can accommodate 12 guests and requires a seven-night minimum stay. And it ain’t cheap. To book over Labor Day weekend would cost $120,920. Oh, my.
› Fun story here from TFP business boss David Floyd, who caught up with Chattanooga native Ace Bailey’s tailor, which crafted a show-stopping suit for Bailey, who was the No. 5 pick in last week’s draft.
› NBA free agency is throwing big bucks around, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting a four-year, supermax deal worth $285 million.
› Braves played. Braves got shut out. By the Angels. C’mon guys, what are we doing here?
— Baylor School QB1 Briggs Cherry showed out at Elite 11 camp this summer. Here’s a 247sports story.
Today’s questions
Which Way Wednesday starts here:
› Which SEC team has the toughest schedule? Which SEC school has the easiest?
› Which word would you describe UTC’s decision to give men’s hoops more than football?
› Which word(s) would you offer to describe Penn’s announcement about transgender athletes?
As for today, July 2, let’s review:
Larry David is 78. Lindsay Lohan is 39. Richard Petty is 88.
Rushmore of sports figures named Richard.
(Keep it clean, Spy.)