Talking season is in full swing as SEC personnel are set to descend upon Atlanta this week for 2025 SEC Media Days. From July 14 to July 17, the league’s coaches will either get through their allotted time slot as quickly as possible, or they will take their chance to hype their respective teams just over a month before the season gets into full swing. 

Though there are no new schools, or even new coaches, entering the league in 2025, there’s still plenty to look forward to. Few names will demand as much attention as Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who will travel with coach Steve Sarkisian to represent the Longhorns in Atlanta. 

Manning, a former No. 1 overall recruit and scion of one of the most notable football families to ever grace the game, is entering his much-anticipated first season as Texas’ starter. He is also one of 11 expected starting quarterbacks that will be present at SEC Media Days. 

Texas is one of several SEC teams that are expected to be in the mix for a 12-team College Football Playoff, though the conference will be hunting for its first national title since 2022. It will be fascinating to see if Alabama improves from its somewhat disappointing nine-win campaign in its first year under new coach Kalen DeBoer, or how Tennessee — which lost starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to the transfer portal late in the spring — follows up its first playoff appearance in program history. 

Here’s a look at where to watch 2025 SEC Media Days, and a breakdown of the full appearance schedule ahead of the anticipated event. 

Where to watch 2025 SEC Media Days 

Dates: July 14-17 
Location: Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park | Atlanta, Georgia
TV: SEC Network | Live stream: ESPN+

2025 SEC Media Days schedule 

All times below Eastern

Monday, July 14 

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey (9:05 a.m.)

LSU — Brian Kelly (10:25 a.m.) | WR Chris Hilton JR., QB Garrett Nussmeier, LB Whit Weeks 

South Carolina — Shane Beamer (11:45 a.m.) | QB LaNorris Sellers, DB DQ Smith, DT Nick Barrett 

Ole Miss — Lane Kiffin (1:30 p.m.) | LB TJ Dottery, WR Cayden Lee, QB Austin Simmons 

Vanderbilt — Clark Lea (3:20 p.m.) | ATH Randon Fontenette, DB Martel Hight, QB Diego Pavia 

Tuesday, July 15 

Georgia — Kirby Smart (10:25 a.m.) | LB CJ Allen, DB Daylen Everette, QB Gunner Stockton 

Auburn — Hugh Freeze (12:15 p.m.) | QB Jackson Arnold, DL Keldric Faulk, OL Connor Lew 

Tennessee — Josh Heupel (1:30 p.m.) | LB Arion Carter, TE Miles Kitselman, DT Bryson Eason 

Texas — Steve Sarkisian (3:15 p.m.) | LB Anthony Hill Jr., QB Arch Manning, DB Michael Taaffe 

Wednesday, July 16 

Alabama — Kalen DeBoer (9:05 a.m.) | DL Tim Keenan III, LB Deontae Lawson, OL Kadyn Proctor 

Mississippi State — Jeff Lebby (10:50 a.m.) | QB Blake Shapen, DB Isaac Smith, WR Brenen Thompson 

Florida — Billy Napier (1 p.m.) | DL Caleb Banks, OL Jake Slaughter, QB DJ Lagway 

Oklahoma — Brent Venables (2:45 p.m.) | QB John Mateer, DB Robert Spears-Jennings, DL R Mason Thomas 

Thursday, July 17 

Missouri — Eli Drinkwitz (9:05 a.m.) | DB Daylan Carnell, OL Connor Tollison, DL Zion Young 

Kentucky — Mark Stoops (10:50 a.m.) | LB Alex Afari Jr., DB Jordan Lovett, TE Josh Kattus 

Arkansas — Sam Pittman (1 p.m.) | DL Cam Ball, QB Taylen Green, LB Xavian Sorey Jr. 

Texas A&M — Mike Elko (2:45 p.m.) | DB Will Lee III, OL Ar’maj Reed-Adams, LB Taurean York

The arrival of revenue-sharing hasn’t settled much at all in college football.

The House v. NCAA court deal that took effect July 1 was supposed to do a little taming of the Wild West chaos (via booster collectives) that has prevailed since players got the right to profit off their name, image and likeness four years ago.

Starting this month, schools now directly are sharing revenue with their athletes (not just football players) up to a pre-set cap — $20.5 million per school this year. (Football players will get about three-quarters of that total.)

Meanwhile, the athletes are supposed to remain able to sign third-party NIL deals — most of which are set up by collectives of boosters — although any such deals worth more than $600 now have to be approved by the new NIL Go clearinghouse.

The clearinghouse, which is run by the Deloitte accounting firm, aims to ensure deals have a “valid business purpose” and are within a “fair market value.”

Athletic Director Josh Brooks is looking to elevate the UGA brand on a national scale. (Mike Griffith/DawgNation) (Mike Griffith/Dawgnation)

In other words, NIL Go is there to ensure the deals are legitimate and not just a way for boosters to funnel money to athletes outside the approved revenue-sharing structure.

The newly established College Sports Commission is tasked with overseeing the clearinghouse and handling any disputes or violations.

However, amid frequent reports of billionaires recruiting the best players money can buy for schools such as Texas Tech and Michigan, the future of the new college football setup appears murky at best.

As The Athletic reported, guidance issued Thursday by the College Sports Commission said that “an entity with a business purpose of providing payments or benefits to student-athletes or institutions, rather than providing goods or services to the general public for profit, does not satisfy the valid business purpose requirement set forth in NCAA Rule 22.1.3.”

That means the money athletes receive from collectives should be for legitimate endorsement deals and not just a pay-for-play inducement to sign with a particular school.

Naturally, an association of collectives blasted the College Sports Commission’s position, claiming it is “misguided” and “ignores both legal precedent and economic reality.”

So, yeah, this likely will wind up in court, too. That’s why many college sports observers are skeptical that the House settlement is really going to settle anything.

As The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel wrote: “I don’t pretend to know what the athlete payment model will look like even six months from now, but I continue to believe House will not hold up. The state of Tennessee recently became the first to pass legislation that’s in direct contradiction to the settlement, allowing its schools to provide unlimited NIL compensation unless a federal law overrides it. Similar bills are being considered in Michigan and New Jersey. You know more will follow. This is exactly how NIL became a thing in the first place.”

Meanwhile, the UGA Athletic Association has launched an NIL partnership with Learfield, which previously handled licensing and marketing deals for them, to “unlock new revenue-generating opportunities for UGA student-athletes amid the evolving landscape of college athletics.”

The UGAAA said “this cutting-edge collaboration” will function independently from the university as a comprehensive marketing and NIL agency “to provide student-athletes with unprecedented tools to build their personal brands, connect with sponsors and earn income beyond traditional revenue-sharing models.”It will replace the independent Classic City Collective.

“Our student-athletes are already among the most competitive in the country,” UGA Athletic Director Josh Brooks said. “Now, they’ll have the infrastructure and support to maximize their NIL potential while strengthening their connection with the Bulldog Nation and beyond.”

While the UGAAA described its Learfield deal as “a fully integrated, athlete-first NIL ecosystem with brand partners that empowers student-athletes while elevating the Georgia brand on a national scale,” it more importantly is an attempt to keep those collective deals that its athletes sign from straying into forbidden territory and incurring the wrath of the new College Sports Commission.

Here’s hoping they succeed, although I think Mandel is right and this latest attempt to stabilize college athletics is unlikely to last. As I’ve said before, I think the only way all of this is going to work in the long run is to make college athletes contracted employees of the universities for whom they compete.

UGA is launching a new concert series at Sanford Stadium. (University of Georgia) (University of Georgia/Dawgnation)

QUICK KICKS

I wrote here a few weeks back about UGA’s interest in holding concerts at Sanford Stadium to raise more revenue, and now the athletic association has signed an exclusive partnership with Does Entertainment to bring concert events back to Dooley Field, beginning spring of 2026. The shows will be called Live Between the Hedges, and April 25, 2026, is the target date for the first show. Headline performers and other details will be announced at a later date. To express an interest in buying tickets to the Live Between the Hedges shows, click here.

The Dawgs have rebranded their YouTube channel. (Jason Getz/AJC) (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com/Dawgnation)

UGA athletics has rebranded its YouTube channel. Formerly known as Georgia Bulldogs All-Access, the channel now is named Georgia Bulldogs Athletics.

Former swimming and diving coach Jack Bauerle is seen with UGA’s Allison Schmitt, who won 10 medals at the Olympics. (Steven Colquitt/Hargrett Library) (Steven Colquitt/Dawgnation)

‘SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE’

Here’s more on this year’s fall athletics history exhibit at UGA’s Hargrett Library in Athens, which will focus on the swimming and diving program.

Jason Hasty, Hargrett’s UGA athletics history specialist, said that the exhibit, dubbed “Sustained Excellence: A History of UGA Swim & Dive,” will “highlight some of our most accomplished swimmers (and divers) as well as the overall athletic and academic accomplishments of the program. Jack Bauerle [retired coach of the swimming and diving program] is co-curating this with me, so this exhibit will very much be a story he is telling.

“We’ll have artifacts from Jack and some of the athletes who’ve competed for him through the years.”

Jason added that “as usual, I’ll be giving free tours of the exhibit at 3 p.m. on Fridays before home football games.”

He’s hopeful that Bauerle will be able to join him for at least some of those tours.

A new children’s book looks at a football game day in Athens. (Bill King/Junkyard Blawg) (Bill King/Dawgnation)

A GAMEDAY IN ATHENS

A new book is aimed at kids in Bulldog Nation. “A Gameday in Athens” by Kaitlyn Brown and Riley Humes, with illustrations by Sydney Shores, is available for $32 from stateoftheA.com.

This new volume tells in rhyming fashion about a game day in Athens for Dawgs fans and players.

Deciding to get a kid’s reaction to this book, which is billed as “a bedtime story,” I decided to read it to my 4-year-old granddaughter, Nora. However, at my son’s suggestion I skipped the actual text — since it looked a bit wordy for her age group — and instead told the “story” in my own words as we flipped through the pages — hoping the pictures would appeal to her.

Frankly, the colorful illustrations in the early portion of the 36-page book — covering tailgating and other pre-game festivities — didn’t really interest her much at all. She was much more into the book once we got to illustrations of Hairy Dawg, Uga XI and the football players.

UGA football players as portrayed in “A Gameday in Athens.” (Bill King/Junkyard Blawg) (Bill King/Dawgnation)

Also, a two-page spread showing cheerleaders holding up signs spelling out GEORGIA was a chance for her to help me spell it out.

As for the text that we mostly skipped, sample lines are: “The frat boys were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of touchdowns danced in their heads. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter! It was a large group of girls with a Chick-fil-A platter.”

My granddaughter hasn’t learned to read yet, but I somehow doubt even children two or three years older than her are going to want to wade through the text, which is lengthier than your average children’s picture book. And that text uses phrases such as “cornhole and flip cup” and references to the downtown bar scene, which are not really suited for the prime audience of a bedtime picture book.

At the end of the story, I tried to explain the page about ringing the chapel bell after a win, but by that time my granddaughter was ready to move on to a book about a pair of nuts named Hazel and Wally who roll down a muddy hill.

I got the impression, really, that “A Gameday in Athens” is aimed more at the parents or grandparents doing the reading than the kids who are listening.

Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts have played UGA many times over the decades. (Doug Clark’s Hot Nuts) (Handout/Dawgnation)

SPEAKING OF NUTS …

A couple of Blawg readers have asked whether my book about Southern music, “LARGE TIME: On the Southern Music Beat, 1976-1986,” has any UGA stories amid its tales of the Allman Brothers, James Brown, Johnny Cash, Amy Grant, Jimmy Buffett and other stars.

Yes, it does. Athens plays a prominent role in the book, with chapters devoted to the B-52s, R.E.M. and Randall Bramblett, as well as a tale of the first concert at the Georgia Theatre, but there also is a UGA-specific chapter.

In January 1981, I did something I never had done in my four years at UGA in the early 1970s; I attended a fraternity party.

And not just any party, either. This one featured a band that was legendary on Southern campuses — Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts.

I’d first heard of the band when a junior high classmate kept singing the refrain “Nuts, hot nuts, get ’em anyway you can.”

Later, when I was in high school, my Uncle Larry, just 11 years older than me, had told me about the band’s adults-only comedy routines.

Here’s a brief excerpt from that chapter of the book:

The brown van and trailer full of musicians and gear backed up slowly as the driver negotiated his way past a lamppost and up to the rear entrance of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house.

The driver, a middle-aged Black man from Chapel Hill, N.C., named Doug Clark, hopped out and joined his older brother John and the other band members as they unloaded instruments and amplifiers.

All the while, a handful of young white fraternity brothers bombarded the group members with good-natured taunts:

“I thought you said we were gonna have a good band tonight. Hey, John! You know who’s No. 1 in the whole damn country? How ’bout them Dawgs!”

John Clark grinned. “Go Tar Heels!” he replied.

Another fraternity brother, wearing a Bulldogs cap, came out of the house and reminded Clark of a previous encounter he’d with the Pikes at an Atlanta nightclub before the football season. “You said we’d be 6-5. You said if Georgia went 12-0, you’d play for free, didn’t you?”

Clark, hauling an amp over the doorsill, stopped and patted the young man on the shoulder. “That was probably the other guy,” he said. “You know, y’all say we all look alike.”

You’ll find the full story of the Hot Nuts and the Pikes in my book, plus chats with the likes of Dolly Parton, Isaac Hayes, B.B. King, the Oak Ridge Boys, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, Roy Orbison, Barbara Mandrell, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie and Charlie Daniels.

“LARGE TIME: On the Southern Music Beat, 1976-1986” is available on Amazon, and if you’re interested in getting a signed, numbered copy not available there, just email me at junkyardblawg@gmail.com for details.

FOLLOW THE BLAWG

To keep up with the latest UGA athletics developments, as well as other stuff going on in the Junkyard, be sure to go to Bill King’s Junkyard Blawg page on Facebook and click “like” to follow it!

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood was the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2025 class. As a result, there is a lot of hype around him to be the next big star in college football. Since he is such a well-known recruit, Underwood has received several deals, which have resulted in him earning an NIL value of $3 million, according to On3.

One of the latest deals the Michigan QB signed is with the car giant, Chevrolet. On Saturday, Underwood posted a video on his Instagram story from a video shoot at a Chevrolet lot. In the video, Underwood makes reference to being the No. 1-ranked recruit in the nation.

“It’s fun being number one,” Bryce Underwood said.

Bryce Underwood committed to the Michigan Wolverines last season after a controversial recruiting period. He initially committed to join head coach Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers. However, reports started to come out in the fall that Underwood was considering Michigan.

It was then confirmed in November that the 17-year-old had flipped his commitment and would join the Wolverines to start his college career.

While it is not unheard of for a No. 1-ranked recruit to flip his recruitment, it was certainly a big deal. As a result, Underwood will be under an even bigger microscope in his freshman season.

Bryce Underwood Promises a Big Change for Michigan Football

Part of the reason Bryce Underwood has been able to get so many NIL deals is because of his performances on the football field. However, brands are also attracted to him because of his outspoken personality and confidence.

In an interview with Sam Webb of the Michigan Insider in June, Underwood spoke about his confidence heading into next season and ability to bring a big change to Michigan football.

“Honestly, it’s going to be a big difference, a big change from what everybody has seen from Michigan football… ever… come August 30th,” Underwood said.

Underwood also spoke about the growth process and how spring training helped him get comfortable with college football.

“I’d say the speed of my game and also my (comfort),” Underwood said. “I went in a little nervous, of course, because it’s my first step ever being in college. But then it was just like, ‘hold on, this is just football. Relax. Calm down. You’ve been doing this for 10, going on 11 years now.”

The Wolverines will start their season on Aug. 30 against New Mexico.

College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!

Link

College basketball has undergone significant changes in recent years with the introduction of NIL. With NIL in the mix, players have been more inclined to flip from school to school in search of the best possible deal. This has led to some frustration in the college basketball fan base.

However, following the NCAA house settlement deal, there has been a lot of talk about an NIL cap. This led to a discussion on Reddit, as one fan asked if the cap on NIL could reignite under-the-table recruiting and payments.

With there being a cap on NIL now, do you think that most schools will go back to paying players under the table again?
byu/Coolsun13 inCollegeBasketball

Many other college basketball fans chimed in with their opinions.

“100% it’s going back to cheating,” one fan wrote.

“No, there’s no cap on NIL, but all NIL deals must go through an NIL clearing house to get approved. Will teams still pay under the table? Probably. There will be people who will always cheat to gain an advantage. Human nature,” one fan commented.

“What is this “under the table money” you speak of?” one fan added.

Fans continued to react in the comments.

“The cap is only on how much colleges can spend on teams. There’s no limit for a player’s earning potential. Arch Manning can still make over the 17.6M cap that the House settlement put into place. Just the NIL deals have to go through the other org,” one fan wrote.

“It’ll be called lobbying players now. It’s as American as Apple Pie,” one fan commented.

“It’s going to be back to normal. Paying recruits under the table. Duke, Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, Michigan were the biggest,” one fan added.

There Is No Cap on NIL Wages for College Basketball Players

One thing some fans do not understand about the NIL cap is that it does not cap wages for college basketball players. As a result of the house settlement, each team will have a set amount of money it can pay players each season.

This will be similar to a salary cap in professional sports leagues like the NBA, NFL and NHL. However, it does not limit the player’s earning potential.

Players are still able to sign NIL deals with brands outside of what they receive from their school. This cap is simply put in place to encourage players to pay players fairly and to stop top teams from poaching top players from other programs.

College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!

Link

College basketball has undergone significant changes in recent years with the introduction of NIL. With NIL in the mix, players have been more inclined to flip from school to school in search of the best possible deal. This has led to some frustration in the college basketball fan base.

However, following the NCAA house settlement deal, there has been a lot of talk about an NIL cap. This led to a discussion on Reddit, as one fan asked if the cap on NIL could reignite under-the-table recruiting and payments.

With there being a cap on NIL now, do you think that most schools will go back to paying players under the table again?
byu/Coolsun13 inCollegeBasketball

Many other college basketball fans chimed in with their opinions.

“100% it’s going back to cheating,” one fan wrote.

“No, there’s no cap on NIL, but all NIL deals must go through an NIL clearing house to get approved. Will teams still pay under the table? Probably. There will be people who will always cheat to gain an advantage. Human nature,” one fan commented.

“What is this “under the table money” you speak of?” one fan added.

Fans continued to react in the comments.

“The cap is only on how much colleges can spend on teams. There’s no limit for a player’s earning potential. Arch Manning can still make over the 17.6M cap that the House settlement put into place. Just the NIL deals have to go through the other org,” one fan wrote.

“It’ll be called lobbying players now. It’s as American as Apple Pie,” one fan commented.

“It’s going to be back to normal. Paying recruits under the table. Duke, Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, Michigan were the biggest,” one fan added.

There Is No Cap on NIL Wages for College Basketball Players

One thing some fans do not understand about the NIL cap is that it does not cap wages for college basketball players. As a result of the house settlement, each team will have a set amount of money it can pay players each season.

This will be similar to a salary cap in professional sports leagues like the NBA, NFL and NHL. However, it does not limit the player’s earning potential.

Players are still able to sign NIL deals with brands outside of what they receive from their school. This cap is simply put in place to encourage players to pay players fairly and to stop top teams from poaching top players from other programs.

College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!

Link