Mankilling Mastodons

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola turns heads with new NIL deal – Athlon Sports
Dylan Raiola inks major NIL Deal with Adidas, signaling new era for Nebraska Football

Report: Four Nebraska football players enter transfer portal
Four Husker football players have entered the transfer portal, On3’s Pete Nakos reported Tuesday.

Nebraska’s Gabe Swansen Delivers a Clutch Double to Walk-Off Kansas State
The Huskers needed a late rally and got just enough to push past the Wildcats Tuesday at Haymarket Park.

Other News From the Sporting World

John Elway’s longtime agent on life support after golf cart accident involving quarterback – Yahoo Sports
John Elway’s longtime agent is on life support after a tragic golf cart accident last weekend.

Capitals to meet Canadiens in Game 5, look to advance in NHL playoffs – The Washington Post
Washington can advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a win over Montreal on Wednesday night.

This Version of Jamal Murray Could Swing the NBA Playoffs – The Ringer
With the best performance of this postseason so far, Murray reminded us of how just how dangerous he—and the Denver Nuggets—can be when he’s firing on all cylinders

PWHL selects Seattle for 2nd expansion franchise. Plans to add another 2 by 2026-27, AP source says | AP News
The PWHL will expand to eight teams next season by adding Seattle as its second expansion franchise alongside Vancouver.

Boise State coach Spencer Danielson gets huge contract raise | Idaho Statesman
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson signed a contract extension through 2029 with a salary increase, seemingly solidifying his future with the football program.

Pac-12 announces 2025 TV deal, including new Apple Cup home
The Pac-12 announced a deal for the 2025 football season that will put all WSU Cougars and Oregon State Beavers home games on national TV.

Marshall University, Athletics Director part ways
Marshall University will not renew Athletic Director Christian Spears’ contract, officials announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Mandel’s Mailbag: The NFL rejected the Sanders firestorm. Is that the difference between CFB and NFL? – The Athletic
Plus: What does the 2023 quarterback class’s mass transfers say about the sport?

An Attack on Bee One Gee is an Attack on All: A Call for Collective Defense Across the Big Ten Map – Off Tackle Empire
Less than five weeks ago, the Rutgers University Senate passed a resolution calling for all of their Big Ten brethren to defend as a collective against the potential incursion or retaliation from…

Yellow Journalism

Australia’s dingoes are becoming a distinct species
Many will still be culled under false pretences | Science & technology

Your ‘Righteous Gemstones’ Final-Season Divine-Power Rankings, Week 8: Baby Billy is Jokic, a Smoking Monkey, and Dudes Rock Type Deaths | GQ
Who’s up, who’s down, who’s closest to God? As ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ winds up its run, we’ve got a full scouting report on TV’s top Christ-following family.

Podcast Schmodcast

Auditory Enlightenment

Todd Bowles speaks.

So electric returner/receiver Tez Johnson, the Bucs’ seventh-round draft pick, isn’t getting much of a pay raise this season to play for Tampa Bay.

He’ll pull in about $865,000. That’s in the ballpark of earnings for a stud receiver at the University of Oregon, which Johnson was.

Yes, times have changed. That’s why fans aren’t treated to as many wildly emotional draft-night scenes. So many players already hit the lottery in college and have more of a professional mindset.

Asked about how life-changing earnings for college athletes, NIL money, has affected evaluation of college prospects this week on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Todd Bowles had a thoughtful answer.

“I don’t think it hurts when you’re evaluating a player. I think it hurts when you’re evaluating the person,” Bowles said.

“When you’re evaluating why they’re taking the money or how they’re taking the money or if they keep transferring from schools, you try to find out the ‘why’ in that category. The player is gonna be the player.

“I think we’re all still trying to figure how the NIL is working and how that affects everybody in the league. And everybody’s still scrambling in college as well as in the NFL. But the player itself, the tape and the practice habits will tell you a lot about the person.

“The character tells you a lot about the person. We try to pick high character guys and understand that some people need the money and may use it as a motivation. Some people play for the love of the game; some people play to take care of their families. It’s up to us, it’s up to the scouts. It’s up for everybody to decipher what kind of person we’re bringing in the building and we try to make sure we bring in the right person. Obviously, money talks in a lot of cases and these guys aren’t desperate to get the league money now that they can get the college money. I mean, they’re handing out like hotcakes over there.

“But there’s still a lot of guys where the NFL is the pinnacle and they work at it and they find their craft, and they want to be the best in the league. And those are the guys you try to take.”

The Bucs certainly seem to have found the right formula.

Ira Kaufman Recaps Day 3 Of The Draft, Grades The Bucs’ Haul, Talks Shilo Sanders, Deeper Meaning And Debates The Top-3 Most Critical Bucs, And More

This is the fourth time in program history that Tech has reached 40 wins, and the first time since 2012. Tech will also finish with an 18-2 (.900) record at Rocky Johnson Field making it the winningest home season in program history.

How it happened:

Chloe Riassetto improved to 7-2 on the season after throwing 3.0 innings and allowing just two hits. Samantha Lincoln came in relief for the final 2.0 innings, allowing just one hit.

Tech’s offense got going in the second inning with RBI singles from Alana Johnson and Bailey Lindemuth to give the Red Raiders an early 2-0 lead.

The Red Raiders added five more runs in the third inning highlighted by NiJaree Canady’s seventh home run of the season. Johnson and Victoria Valdez also added RBI with a single and double, respectively, while Mihyia Davis scored after tagging up to go to third and then crossing home thanks to an errant throw.

Davis scored again in the fourth inning with her base running after Demi Elder stole second, Davis then sprinted home on the throw to score the eighth run of the game. Lauren Allred capped of a 3-for-3 day with an RBI double to complete the scoring for Tech.

UP NEXT: Tech will close out the regular season on the road in Provo for a three-game series with BYU.

 

For too long, the Southeastern Conference has played an eight-game conference schedule.

That was even before the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma’s additions brought the league’s total members up to 16 total. And yet, the eight-game conference schedule—at times, with decent arguments to remain so—has stayed.

However, it seems as though change could be on the horizon.

… thanks to the College Football Playoff.

From CBS Sports:

“Following the historic meeting between the two conferences in Nashville back in October, Big Ten and SEC athletic directors and conference leadership met in New Orleans Wednesday to discuss a variety of topics, including changes to the College Football Playoff — and, in the SEC’s case, whether to expand its own conference schedule.

While Wednesday’s outcome didn’t lead to any direct changes, it’s clear the Big Ten and SEC are continuing to make their case for a CFP takeover. …”

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LONGHORNS

Austin American-Statesman: Texas had the most players drafted over the past two years. Here’s how.

Dallas Morning News: Is Texas QB Arch Manning the next No. 1 pick in NFL draft? Experts make their predictions

247Sports: Four Downs: Quinn Ewers made the right decision, Texas football’s NFL approach, Ryan Watts and more

Inside Texas: Video Reheat: Texas strengthens RBU legacy and CFB’s wildest offseason storylines

Inside Texas: Steve Sarkisian urges fans to be patiently supportive of Arch Manning as he lives out a lifelong dream

ICYMI IN BURNT ORANGE NATION

Steve Sarkisian: Texas football’s class of 2023 has ‘winning in their DNA’

Don’t underestimate former Texas QB Quinn Ewers’ future role with Miami Dolphins

Former Texas WR Johntay Cook seems likely to land at Syracuse

Former Texas RB Savion Red hits the transfer portal once again, lands at Sacramento State

RECRUITING ROUNDUP

247Sports: Texas makes top six for EDGE target Dre Quinn

247Sports: Top-10 overall 2027 prospect Joshua Dobson feels like Texas could be his home

Inside Texas: K’Adrian Redmond talks Texas visit, Kenny Baker connection, and top schools in 2027 recruitment

Inside Texas: The point guard recruit that could define Sean Miller’s first season at Texas

SEC SHOWDOWN

Austin American-Statesman: How high is Texas softball ranked after losing to Oklahoma?

Rock M Nation: Mizzou baseball falls to KU in Lawrence

Rocky Top Talk: Transfer Portal: Former Louisiana Tech guard Amaree Abram commits to Tennessee

A Sea Of Blue: Kentucky to visit 5-star guard Jordan Smith

WHAT WE’RE READING

SB Nation: Full results, updates for the road to the Stanley Cup

SB Nation: The Browns’ reaction to the Shedeur Sanders pick was subdued, like their other selections

SB Nation: Could Travis Hunter win both Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors?

NEWS ACROSS LONGHORN NATION AND BEYOND

• Apparently Quinn Ewers never took a dime from Texas Athletics.

FRISCO – Two East Texas A&M University softball players have earned all-Southland Conference recognition as both Tatum Wright and Maddie Cason were named to the all-Southland teams on Wednesday morning.
 
Wright (Frisco – Centennial) was named to second team all-Southland as a first baseman, while Cason (Honey Grove) was named to second team all-Southland outfield.
 
Leading the conference in home runs during conference play, Wright batted .338 with nine home runs and 26 RBIs in the 25 conference games that she appeared in. Her 26 RBIs put her in fifth and her slugging percentage is also second in the SLC. On the season, she batted .307 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs as the Lions led the Southland with 35 team home runs. Wright was also the Southland’s Hitter of the Week last week.
 
Cason was the Lions’ batting average leader, hitting .329 on the season and scored 24 runs, while recording seven RBIs, four triples, and went 11 for 13 in stolen base attempts. She also had a .983 fielding percentage in the outfield, which put her in 17^th in the conference. Cason was also top 25 in the conference in batting average and top 20 in stolen bases.
 

The two Lions on the 2025 Southland Softball All-Conference honors are the most in a single season since moving up to NCAA Division I and joining the conference for the program. East Texas A&M has now had three all-conference honorees in the SLC era.
 
The Lions clinched their postseason berth in the Division I era and begin the 2025 Southland Conference Tournament on Thursday at top-seed McNeese at 3 p.m.
 
2025 SOFTBALL ALL-SOUTHLAND TEAMS
Player of the Year — Victoria Altamirano, UIW
Hitter of the Year — Victoria Altamirano, UIW
Pitcher of the Year — Maddie Taylor, McNeese
Freshman of the Year — Kassidy Chance, McNeese
Newcomer of the Year — Macie LaRue, Southeastern
Coach of the Year — James Landreneau, McNeese

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

 

-ETAMU-

Now that the Texas Tech softball team has secured the first Big 12 Conference title in program history, the Red Raiders can focus on padding their résumé in hopes of hosting an NCAA regional next month.