When he was still roaming the Alabama sidelines, Nick Saban was an ardent defender of college football bowl games, and as such, openly rejected the further expansion of the College Football Playoff.

But as the CFP committee weighs further proposals to expand the Playoff from 12 to 16 teams beginning in 2026, the former Crimson Tide head coach appears to have changed his tune.

“Back in the (day), I was never for expanding the Playoff, because I thought bowl games were really important to the history and tradition of college football,” Saban said Tuesday morning ahead of his annual Nick’s Kids charity golf tournament in Birmingham. “But now that we have expanded the Playoff and bowl games have taken a less significant role. So I think expanding the Playoff and having as many teams involved as we can without playing too many games for the players, that’s a little bit of concern, is probably a good thing.”

For Saban, expanding the College Football Playoff is ultimately about providing more teams the opportunity to participate in meaningful postseason games, especially as non-Playoff bowl games lose more and more significance.

Power conference commissioners met this weekend to once again weigh the future of the Playoff, according to Yahoo! Sports insider Ross Dellenger, with discussion reportedly centering around a potential “compromise” for the Big 12 and ACC regarding a new 16-team model.

Saturday’s meeting is the second time the commissioners gathered to talk about potential CFP expansion in the last 10 days. ESPN’s Pete Thamel noted Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti appeared virtually since he’s in California for the conference’s upcoming spring meetings.

The proposed 16-team bracket would include four automatic bids for each of the SEC and Big Ten, according to Dellenger. The ACC and Big 12 would get two spots each, while the Group of 6 would get one. There would also be three at-large spots.

In addition, as Dellenger previously reported, “inner-league play-in games” could also be in the cards at the end of the year. That would put the third-place team in a conference against the sixth-place team, as well as the fourth-place team against fifth-place.

ACC coaches emphatic that SEC, Big Ten automatic qualifier proposal makes ‘zero sense’

These renewed discussions have come after those within the ACC and Big 12 rejected the “4-4-2-2-1” format proposal from the Big Ten and SEC which gives those leagues favored status with more AQ bids.

“No one likes it,” an anonymous non-Big Ten and SEC athletic director told Dellenger.

Miami head football coach Mario Cristobal was among several ACC coaches to sound off on the Big Ten-SEC proposal. Cristobal called out the entire idea that Power Four conferences are effectively gifted multiple automatic bids to the Playoff.

“Granting spots, that makes zero sense,” Cristobal told Dellenger. “Football has never been about gifting. It’s about earning.”

Softball pitcher/utility player Emma Tansky ’25 (Collegeville, Pa./Episcopal School) and men’s hockey defenseman James Philpott ’25 (Calgary, Alberta/Centennial HS) were honored as Hamilton College’s top athletes from the Class of 2025 at the Jack B. Riffle Celebration for senior varsity athletes on Tuesday, May 20.
 
The Riffle Awards have been presented annually since 1987 to the top male and female athlete in Hamilton’s senior class. Riffle graduated from Hamilton in 1950 and passed away on Dec. 13, 1986. A group of Riffle’s friends and associates established a memorial fund in his name because of his deep interest in Hamilton athletics.
 
Tansky is the first Riffle winner from the softball team since Olivia Gozdz ’16 in 2016. Tansky was a four-time all-region selection and earned all-NESCAC honors twice, including a first team nod this spring. She holds program records for most stolen bases in a season and career, and ranks second all-time in hits and runs scored. Tansky ended her career with an impressive .408 batting average and played a key role in leading Hamilton to a NESCAC postseason appearance in 2024.
 
Philpott is the first Riffle winner from the men’s hockey team since Evan Buitenhuis ’18 in 2018. A two-time all-American and one of just three players in program history with multiple all-America honors, he was named to the first team in 2025. Philpott was a three-time all-NESCAC selection, including first team honors in 2024 and 2025. In his final season, he helped lead the Continentals to a program-record 21 wins, their first NESCAC title, an NCAA championship appearance, and a No. 8 national ranking. Philpott totaled 70 points on 13 goals and 57 assists in 99 career games, as Hamilton went 62-35-5 and won at least one postseason game in three of his four seasons.

Sylvie Najarian ’25 (Woodcliff Lake, N.J./Pascack Hills HS) and Connor Griff ’25 (Purchase, N.Y./Harrison HS) received the Jean-Marius Gelas Memorial Awards. The Gelas Awards are presented annually to a male and female senior student-athlete who has displayed outstanding development in sportsmanship, leadership, character and athletic ability during their college years.

 

Najarian is the first women’s cross country and track and field athlete to receive the Gelas Award. A two-time NCAA championship qualifier in cross country, she earned all-region honors in both 2023 and 2024. Najarian served as team captain for both the women’s cross country and track and field teams during her senior year and was named to the 2025 NESCAC Spring All-Sportsmanship Team. She was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was an Adirondack Adventure leader for two years. Najarian was recognized twice by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as an NCAA Division III All-Academic honoree for cross country.

 

Griff is the first men’s tennis athlete to receive the Gelas Award. A two-year team captain, he helped lead the Continentals to one of their best seasons in team history in 2024–25 with a 16-5 overall record that included a 6-4 mark in NESCAC play, their first conference championship quarterfinal appearance, and a No. 21 national ranking. He earned 2025 all-America honors by winning a first-round doubles match at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Cup and also competed in the (ITA) singles tournament. Griff reached the finals in both singles and doubles at the 2024 ITA Northeast Regional Championships in September and entered the spring ranked 15th in singles and 13th in doubles. A two-time all-NESCAC first team selection for singles, he also played in the singles draw of the 2023 NCAA championships. He tied the team record for most career singles wins and set the record for career doubles victories, and was named a 2024 ITA Division III Scholar-Athlete.

 

“He has achieved these accomplishments while being plagued with chronic knee injuries that created considerable obstacles for him over his four years,” Head Coach Peter Arsenault said. “Despite pain and frustrations with his knees, he has been the heart and soul of this team, both on the court and off. Our team has been inspired by his willingness to fight through adversity and pain. Whether he won or lost, his efforts to compete for the team provided inspiration to his teammates. His teammates respect his attitude and work ethic immensely, and many of our recruits have come, in part, to play alongside him.”

 

Katt Withers ’25 (Arlington, Va./Richwoods HS [Ill.]) and Hank Morgan ’25 (Caldwell, N.J./Berkshire School [Mass.]) received the Milton H. Jannone Awards. The Jannone Awards have been presented annually since 2009 to a male and female senior athlete who exhibit outstanding athleticism, leadership and academic accomplishment.

 

Withers is the first women’s swimming and diving athlete to receive the Jannone Award. A consistent contributor at the NESCAC championships, she scored in both individual and relay events throughout her collegiate career and is on Hamilton’s all-time top 10 list in the 50-yard butterfly. Withers was a three-time NESCAC winter all-academic team honoree and was selected for the 2022 NESCAC Winter All-Sportsmanship Team. Beyond the pool, she served as the softball team manager and will continue her involvement in swimming as a graduate assistant coach at Smith College in the fall.

 

Morgan is the first men’s basketball athlete to receive the Jannone Award. A two-time team captain, he was named a 2025 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) first team all-American and D3hoops.com second team all-American. Morgan was voted the NABC District 1, D3hoops.com Region 1 and NESCAC Player of the Year, and he was selected to play in the NABC College All-Star Game. He was a two-time all-NESCAC first team selection and made the D3hoops.com all-region team twice, including the first team in his final season. Morgan was one of 10 national finalists for the Jostens Trophy, which recognizes excellence in basketball, academics, and community service. Off the court, he was a three-time NESCAC winter all-academic team honoree, earned a spot on the 2023–24 NABC Honors Court, and was named to the 2022–23 Academic All-District Team by the College Sports Communicators. Morgan finished his career ranked ninth in team history in scoring and sixth in three-pointers made, and he helped lead the Continentals to two 20-win seasons, two NCAA tournament appearances, and the 2023 NESCAC title.

 

Nick Saban’s trophy case was full already. However, the man who won six national championships as head coach for Alabama football will have to find room for one more piece of hardware.

Saban was awarded a Sports Emmy for outstanding personality/ emerging on-air talent on Tuesday, the Emmys announced. The former coach had been asked about his Emmy nomination early on Tuesday, at his Nick’s Kids charity golf tournament, and cracked a joke.

“Must have been not a good year for people in the Emmys,” Saban said, adding that it was an honor.

The other nominees for the award included Prime Video’s Ryan Fitzpatrick and Richard Sherman, ESPN’s Jason Kelce and CBS’ Jay Wright. Saban joined ESPN for the 2024 season, after retiring as the Crimson Tide’s head coach.

He contributed to, among other things, the network’s College Gameday pregame show. Saban earned positive reviews for his performance on the show, though three viewers filed official complaints with the FCC about his swearing (the FCC took no action as ESPN is a cable channel). 

“A lot of people helped contribute to learning how to do it,” Saban said. “I certainly appreciate them and thank them for that. We had a really good team of people who has lots of experience, I think, helped me fit in the program.”

Saban is set to return to the College Gameday desk this season. However, the show will be losing one of its most beloved personalities, as Lee Corso is set to retire following the first broadcast of the 2025 season.

Ahead of the 2024 season, Saban spoke to reporters at SEC media days in Dallas, explaining his approach to broadcasting.

“I’m still a coach at heart,” Saban said. “I want to ask the coaches questions so that they can actually talk about things they want to talk about and maybe things they want to be able to get out there. So I’m not trying to put anybody on the defensive. I’m trying to help them express what they’d like to express about their team or about a particular player or about a position on their team that may be an issue or may be a strength. Or the quarterback or whatever. I still view this from a coach’s perspective. I just happen not to have a team.”

Brayden Bates has been a rising star in gymnastics since he began competing at the age of 8. Skipping the traditional recreational class program altogether, Brayden joined a competitive team almost immediately—and he’s been making waves ever since.

At just 10 years old, he competed as a Level 5 gymnast and dominated the state championships, finishing first on the pommel horse, high bar, and parallel bars. His all-around victory at that meet earned him a spot at the 2017 USA Gymnastics Men’s Regional Championship, signaling the beginning of a promising athletic career.

By age 12, Brayden was competing in the 2019 USA Gymnastics Men’s Region 8 Championships in Alachua, where he claimed first place on both the parallel bars and rings. Although he fell just short of winning state and regional titles that year, his high placement qualified him for the 2019 Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships, representing Gymnastics USA of Winter Garden.

For nearly a decade, this talented gymnast has refined his skills and stayed committed to his sport. Fast forward to 2024: the junior at Lake Minneola High School, once again demonstrated his athletic excellence. His first-place finishes on the high bar and pommel horse earned him a spot on the 2024 USA Gymnastics Men’s Region 8 Team. At the National Championships held in Daytona Beach, he helped lead Region 8 to a team victory.

This year, Brayden Bates continued his remarkable rise in the world of gymnastics, finishing 3rd All-Around and capturing first place on parallel bars at Nationals.

His athleticism, endurance, competitive drive, teamwork, and perseverance seem to run in the family—his mother was an All-American gymnast at the University of Alabama.

Reflecting on his recent competition, Brayden shared, “This was the last time for me to compete for my club, Gymnastics USA, and Coach Nick, so it was a little emotional. God has truly blessed me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

Brayden recently signed to continue his gymnastics career at the prestigious College of William & Mary. Looking ahead, he remarked, “As I continue this competitive journey at William & Mary, I want to adapt to NCAA gymnastics and help our team succeed. I’ll be pushing for more strength and difficulty. My athletic goals over the next few years are to help strengthen the team and push us to become more competitive with top-ranked programs. Personally, I’d love to achieve an NCAA championship or podium finish in the next two to three years.”

When asked about his future beyond athletics, Brayden said, “My academic goals include earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering or biosciences, then pursuing a master’s in that field. I’ve been passionate about science and how things work since I was young, and I want to continue that journey through higher education.”

William & Mary is an ideal match for Brayden’s ambitions. Known for its exceptional academics and athletic programs, the university—founded in 1693 and often called a “Public Ivy”—has a storied legacy. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, it boasts a distinguished list of alumni, including three U.S. Presidents, the first President of the Continental Congress, the first U.S. Attorney General, and Chief Justice John Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Brayden Bates is a shining example of what passion, discipline, and hard work can achieve. As he begins this exciting new chapter at William & Mary, his family, friends, and community proudly stand behind him, eager to see what he’ll accomplish next.

Wishing Brayden continued success as his gymnastics journey unfolds!

General | 5/21/2025 10:58:32 AM

Empire 8 newcomer SUNY Geneseo used a strong spring semester to maintain its year-long lead and win the 2024-25 Empire 8 Commissioner’s Cup, announced by the league on Wednesday, May 21. The Knights finished with a 0.856 composite percentage to claim their first E8 Commissioner’s Cup title in their first full season as a league member.
 
SUNY Geneseo won 11 league championships during the 2024-25 season, while runner-up St. John Fisher University won five Empire 8 Championships. Overall, seven full-time Empire 8 member institutions won at least one league championship this season. For the complete E8 Commissioner’s Cup standings, please see below.
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The Knights earned 43.75 out of a possible 50 points from their spring sports teams, with E8 Championships in men’s and women’s outdoor track and field. In the fall, Geneseo won the Empire 8 men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey and women’s soccer championships and annexed men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and women’s basketball titles during the winter season. Geneseo finished in the top half of the standings in 18 of the 20 sports they competed in during the year.
 
St. John Fisher, who won the previous four E8 Commissioner’s Cup titles, made a strong rally during the spring season to leap from fourth after the winter season to finish second overall with a 0.762 composite percentage. The Cardinals recorded 65 out of a possible 75 points (0.867) during the spring, on the strength of Empire 8 titles in men’s and women’s lacrosse and men’s golf, in addition to runner-up finishes in softball and men’s volleyball. St. John Fisher also won Empire 8 men’s soccer and women’s volleyball championships during the fall.
 
Just 0.16 percentage points, separated the E8’s second through fourth place finishers. Nazareth finished third overall, recording a percentage total of 0.75, with men’s volleyball earning an E8 title, women’s golf taking the E8 Invitational, and men’s tennis finishing as the top scorer among full-time member institutions. In addition, the Golden Flyers earned runner-up honors in men’s lacrosse, men’s golf, women’s indoor track and field, women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball.
 
SUNY Brockport finished fourth overall with a percentage total of 0.746 on the strength of a dominant baseball championship program, runner-up finishes in women’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s indoor and outdoor track and field, and women’s outdoor track and field in addition to regular season titles in men’s and women’s basketball and women’s soccer.
 
Utica University finished fifth in the E8 standings with a composite score of 0.529. The Pioneers won the Empire 8 men’s basketball championship for the second straight season and won the regular season crown in men’s ice hockey. Houghton University placed sixth in the E8 standings with a composite score of 0.481, while Alfred won the 2025 Empire 8 softball title and was the highest E8 finisher in football to place seventh overall with a percentage total of 0.467.
 
Hartwick College, Russell Sage College, Elmira College, SUNY Poly and Keuka College rounded out the final 2024-25 Empire 8 Commissioner’s Cup standings. Hartwick won the 2024 Empire 8 women’s tennis championship, while Russell Sage appeared in the baseball championship series, SUNY Poly advanced to the Empire 8 Championship game in men’s basketball and Elmira played in the men’s soccer title game.

Commissioner’s Cup points are awarded based on each team’s finish in the Empire 8 conference standings at the completion of the regular season and post-season. Points are awarded on a scale dependent upon the number of schools that sponsor the sport (affiliate members are not calculated into the point scale). A team’s regular season finish will be added to its post-season finish and divided by two for the final total for that sport.

Teams tied for a position in the regular season standings are ranked based on tiebreaker scenarios. The actual number of points earned is then divided by the number of possible points for each school based on conference-sponsored sports to determine their overall percentage.

 

2024-25 Empire 8 Final Commissioner’s Cup Standings

 

 
 
2024-25 Empire 8 Champions

Fall

Men’s Cross Country: SUNY Geneseo

Women’s Cross Country: SUNY Geneseo

Field Hockey: SUNY Geneseo

Football: SUNY Cortland (Alfred top full-member E8 finisher)

Women’s Golf (Invitational): Nazareth

Men’s Soccer: St. John Fisher

Women’s Soccer: SUNY Geneseo

Women’s Volleyball: St. John Fisher

Women’s Tennis: Hartwick

 

Winter

Men’s Basketball: Utica

Women’s Basketball: SUNY Geneseo

Men’s Ice Hockey: Utica

Men’s Swimming and Diving: SUNY Geneseo

Women’s Swimming and Diving: SUNY Geneseo

Men’s Indoor Track & Field: SUNY Geneseo

Women’s Indoor Track & Field: SUNY Geneseo

 

Spring

Baseball: SUNY Brockport

Men’s Golf: St. John Fisher

Men’s Lacrosse: St. John Fisher

Women’s Lacrosse: St. John Fisher

Softball: Alfred

Men’s Tennis: SUNY Oswego (Nazareth top full-member E8 finisher)

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field: SUNY Geneseo

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field: SUNY Geneseo

Men’s Volleyball: Nazareth

 

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE

The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.

 

EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA

YouTube – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

 

The collegiate Gothic high school building with a 150-foot-tall stone tower has stood on a hill in Northeast Baltimore for nearly a century.

Now the historic building that houses one of the city’s selective high schools is slated for a face-lift that would wrap a back corner of the building in an austere modern facade.

That design for Baltimore City College is undergoing its final review for the public on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the school and online.

One view of the renovation design is now available on the school’s website. Additional renderings by the Fairfax, Virginia-based architecture firm Samaha Associates show a pair of tennis courts will be replaced with a black-and-tan addition that connects the main building to the student parking lot. A staircase that runs alongside the addition leads to a grassy seating area and glass pavilion.

The renovations are expected to begin this summer and be completed in three years. City College students will move to the University of Baltimore campus during the renovations.

The City College renovations are among a series of updates to four Baltimore City public high schools over the next several years.

The renovations to Frederick Douglass High School have already begun, with secrets discovered inside a safe in the school during the construction process.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.