Category: College sports

College Sports Roundup: LSU outlasts Wake Forest, NBA Draft, LSU placed on probation, and more

LSU outlasts Wake Forest in thrilling elimination game, the NBA Draft had a few surprising picks and LSU football and basketball has been put on probabiton.

Thursday was a packed day of sports news from around the college sports world, leaving plenty of things to go over in today’s college sports roundup.

Starting with the College World Series will be an all-SEC College World Series Championship Series.

On Thursday night, the No. 5 LSU Tigers thanks to a two-run home run by Tommy “Tanks” White defeated the No. 1 Wake Forest Demon Deacons in one of the best pitching duels you’ll ever see in college baseball. LSU’s Paul Skenes and Wake Forest’s Rhett Lowder went pitch-for-pitch through seven innings on Thursday night as the two showed why they’ll both likely be high first-round picks in next month’s MLB Draft.

Lowder was great, pitching seven innings and allowing just three hits and a pair of walks while striking out six. Skenes, however, was even better. Over in today’s age, an unheard of 120 pitches, Skenes allowed just two hits and one walk over eight innings pitched while striking out nine.

It would take 11 innings to ultimately find a winner. After Demon Deacons’ reliever, Michael Massey allowed a base runner in the bottom of the 11th inning, the Demon Deacons turned to closer Camden Minacci to face Tommy White.

On Minacci’s first pitch to White, White clobbered a hanging offspeed pitch in the middle of the zone to give LSU the 2-0 victory and advance the Tigers to the Championship Series to take on the Florida Gators. Surprisingly, this will be the first time that LSU has played Florida all season. The two did not meet in the regular season or SEC Tournament.

Beyond the thrilling LSU vs Wake Forest game, there was also plenty of other news including more coming out of Baton Rouge. The NBA draft took place in Brooklyn with some surprising picks, the LSU Football and Basketball programs were placed on probation, and more.

College Sports Roundup: College World Series, Hancock to step down, and more

Another eventful day around the college football world on Wednesday.

It was another eventful day in college athletics on Wednesday as the College World Series is set for a decisive game between Florida and Wake Forest on Thursday, College Football Playoffs executive director Bill Hancock preparing to step down, Penny Hardaway was suspended, Joey McGuire climbing cranes for fun and more.

Starting with the College World Series, the LSU Tigers defeated Wake Forest on Wednesday 5-2 to force a decisive second game between the two on Thursday. The winner of the matchup will advance to the College World Series final set for this weekend and will face off against the Florida Gators who took down TCU to get to the College World Series Final.

The Gators will have a nice rest advantage heading into the finals as they will have been off since Tuesday.

Check out LSU Wire and Gators Wire for more on the College World Series.

Beyond the College World Series, College Sports Wire takes a look at several other major news stories from Wednesday including College Football Playoffs executive director Bill Hancock preparing to step down in 2025, Joey McGuire climbing a construction crane, and more.

College Sports Roundup: College World Series rolls on, Zak Herbstreit, and more

All the latest news from Tuesday found in one spot in the latest College Sports Roundup

The college sports world continues to turn and Tuesday while an overall quiet day still had its’ fair share of news stories.

The College World Series continued on as we saw the elimination of a pair of programs on Monday, meaning there are only four teams left as we saw the departures of Tennessee and Oral Roberts, joining Stanford and Virginia in that regard.

That being said, both Florida and LSU remain in the hunt for a national championship as do TCU and Wake Forest. The tournament will continue on Wednesday as No. 2 Florida takes on TCU and No. 1 Wake Forest will battle No. 5 LSU.

Check out LSU Wire and Gators Wire for more on the College World Series.

College Sports Wire checks in on the top stories from Tuesday including an Ohio State player being hospitalized, the Mountain West rejecting San Diego State Universities’s request for a withdrawal extension, and more.

College Sports Roundup: NBA mock, MLB mock, and West Virginia

Check out today’s top stories with the College Sports Roundup.

Despite being in a bit of a slow period in college sports, there is no shortage of headlines.

The College World Series is currently in full swing with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons awaiting the winner of the LSU-Tennessee rematch. In the other bracket, the Florida Gators will face the winner of Oral Roberts-TCU. Those matchups will take place on Jun. 20.

Check out LSU Wire, Gators Wire, and Vols Wire for more on the College World Series. 

College Sports Wire checks in on the top stories over the weekend, including Bob Huggins abruptly resigning from his post in Morgantown. We also look at who are the top projected picks for the upcoming MLB and NBA drafts.

Which schools had the most athletic revenue in 2022?

Which universities saw the most revenue from their athletic departments this past year?

Earlier this week, USA TODAY Sports released its annual NCAA Finances: Revenue and Expenses by School database.

The database shows the revenue and expenses of 230+ public schools at the Division I level. Every public school at the Division I level has the obligation to release the data while private schools and those under state exemptions are not.

This year, five schools totaled revenue of over $200 million and 49 totaled over $100 million in revenue.

Power Five programs take up each of the first 51 spots in the rankings with UCF being the first non-Power Five program to make the list at No. 51. The Knights totaled $89 million in revenue this past year.

Power Five programs below Central Florida include Washington State and Oregon State at No. 53 and No. 54 respectively.

Beyond that there are not too many surprises when it comes to what athletic departments brought in the most revenue.

The Big Ten and SEC dominate the top 12 with 10 of the 12 universities being in one of the two conferences. The other two universities in the top-12 that are not members of either conference will be in the near future.

If anything the figures show very much what we have long thought of the college sports landscape. The Big Ten and SEC are miles ahead of the other conferences. The ACC is in a distant third while the Pac-12 and Big-12 will be in quite a bit of trouble once schools such as Oklahoma, Texas, UCLA, and USC leave their respective conferences.

Notably, neither UCLA nor USC’s revenue and expenses numbers are released. UCLA is exempted from doing so while USC is a private university.

This is just the beginning with ‘suspicious wagering activity’

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

When reports surfaced that the Ohio Casino Control Commission was looking into suspicious wagering activity, many wondered if this was a one-time event or just the tip of the iceberg. It appears that it is the latter.

The probe into the suspicious wagering activity ended with the firing of Alabama baseball head coach, Brad Bohannon.

“Alabama director of athletics Greg Byrne announced he has initiated the termination process for head baseball coach Brad Bohannon for, among other things, violating the standards, duties, and responsibilities expected of University employees,” said Alabama in a press release. “Bohannon has been relieved of all duties and Jason Jackson will serve as the interim head coach. There will be no further comment at this time pending an ongoing review.”

It wouldn’t be long before we saw more reports surface about teams being investigated. On Monday, two more schools were reportedly dealing with investigations stemming from wagers being made. In the state of Iowa, both Power Five schools were reporting violations.

The Iowa Hawkeyes provided information on their potential violations through a press release.

The University of Iowa and the Department of Athletics are aware of the sports wagering investigation and are fully cooperating. We have alerted the NCAA of the potential violations and we have hired outside counsel to assist in the investigative process.

The athletics department provides education on NCAA rules regarding the the prohibition of sports wagering as well as the potential consequences.

According to the release, the university received information on 111 individuals. That number included 26 student-athletes across baseball, football, men’s basketball, men’s track and field, and men’s wresting. One individual is a full-time employee of the UI Department of Athletics.

Iowa State released a statement on Monday afternoon as well.

“Iowa State University and its Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is aware of online sports wagering allegations involving approximately 15 of our active student-athletes from the sports of football, wrestling and track & field in violation of NCA rules. The university has notified the NCAA and will take the appropriate actions to resolve these issues.”

NCAA rules prohibit athletes, coaches and staff from betting on amateur, collegiate and professional sports in which the NCAA conducts a championship.

What remains to be seen is how the NCAA will handle any punishments for all parties involved. One thing you can be sure of, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Ohio State, Stanford find themselves at the top of updated Directors’ Cup Standings

Ohio State is leading the way in the latest Learfield Cup standings while Stanford is not too far behind as the Cardinals chase for their 26th title.

With winter sports officially behind us, the latest Learfield Directors’ Cup Division I standings were released on Thursday with the winter sports included in the update.

Ohio State and Stanford lead the pack through the fall and winter seasons with the Buckeyes holding a comfortable 109-point lead heading into the heart of spring sports.

The Learfield Directors’ Cup more commonly referred to as the Directors’ Cup is an award given out annually to the most successful college athletics program in the country at each level. Throughout the 28-year history of the NCAA Division I Directors’ Cup, there have only ever been three winners. Stanford leads the charge with 25 overall wins and 28 top-ten finishes.

After winning each cup from 1994-1995 through 2018-2019, the Cardinals have finished second in each of the last two years as the Texas Longhorns won their first cup in 2020-2021 and followed it up with a repeat title last year. North Carolina is the only other school to ever win the Directors’ Cup at the Division I level, doing so in the very first year in 1993-1994.

Ohio State has come close to winning the cup before, finishing second in 2010-2011,  2015-2016, and 2016-2017. Overall, they’ve finished within the top 10, 14 times including last year when they finished fourth. The most top-10 finishes without a national championship belong to Florida, which has finished top-10 in each year the cup has been awarded. As of the latest update, the Gators are currently sitting 25th in the country 133 points behind Wisconsin which is currently in the No.10 spot.

Below, we go over the top 10 athletic departments in the recent updates as well as the two programs sitting just outside the top 10.

Rutgers upsets No. 1: Five keys from Thursday’s historic win

The Rutgers men’s basketball team beat Purdue on a buzzer-beater Thursday night to earn their first win over a No. 1-ranked team.

Coming off of a bad loss a week ago against Illinois, Rutgers faced the challenge of facing the newly crowned No.1 Purdue Boilermakers. To make matters worse, they would once again be without one of their leaders, senior guard Geo Baker.

There were a few things in Rutgers’ favor, though. First, things can’t be as bad as that Illinois game … right? Second, the Scarlet Knights returned home to a raucous crowd at Jersey Mike’s Arena that was sold out for the 15th consecutive game. Lastly, despite never having beaten the top-ranked team in the country, Rutgers had Purdue’s number as of late. Coming into the contest, the Scarlet Knights had won three in a row against the Boilermakers.

Many fans wondered if unranked Rutgers could compete with Purdue. Well, the Scarlet Knights did more than just compete, they earned a hard-fought 70-68 victory.

Let’s take a look at five key takeaways from the thrilling upset in Piscataway.

Final USA TODAY 1-130 re-rank: Where did Rutgers settle?

Paul Myerberg released his weekly re-rank of all 130 FBS schools on Monday. Let’s take a look at how the Scarlet Knights lined up with the rest of the conference.

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Rutgers football team dropped their final game of the season to Maryland at home, 40-16. As a result, the Scarlet Knights fell to 5-7 on the season, one win short of qualifying for a bowl game. All fans can do is look back on the season in various ways: to celebrate those upperclassmen who are moving on beyond RU, to look at stats and project for next season, or even try and see where the team matches up after the season to start preparing for next season.

Paul Myerberg released his weekly re-rank of all 130 FBS schools on Monday, and after the unpredictable college football season, there was of course still plenty of movement across the landscape of NCAA football. Before taking a look at where Rutgers stands compared to the Big Ten or the entire FBS, remember they fell short of their postseason dreams this year. With 80 teams now playing in bowl games. That may be a predictor for you when thinking about where they might land.

Rutgers reached No. 56 in the re-rank after week 4, their first loss in a tough-fought contest against now No. 3 Maryland. This week, Rutgers came in at No. 85, their lowest ranking of the season. The team’s outlook going into next season should be optimistic as a result of the bright spots they had. They had a lot of experts’ attention and continue to build a strong recruiting class.

Minnesota had the biggest rise, while Wisconsin had the steepest drop in the Big Ten. Let’s take a look at how the Scarlet Knights lined up with the rest of the conference.

Last Week’s rank Teams This Week’s rank
4 Ohio State 8
5 Michigan 3
11 Iowa 11
15 Michigan State 13
24 Wisconsin 37
32 Penn State 32
36 Purdue 34
42 Minnesota 33
74 Nebraska 84
77 Maryland 75
80 Rutgers 85
92 Illinois 90
100 Northwestern 105
107 Indiana 109

 

Rutgers slight underdog in season finale

both the Scarlet Knights and their opponents, the Maryland Terrapins, both come into the game with a 5-6 record. A win for either team results in them going bowling. 

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The last week of the regular season for the Big Ten is upon us. For Rutgers, they enter the week with qualifying for a bowl game on the line. In fact, both the Scarlet Knights and their opponents, the Maryland Terrapins, both come into the game with a 5-6 record. A win for either team results in them going bowling.

Rutgers is at home in the contest, but the Terps come to town as a 1.5-point favorite according to Tipico Sportsbook. Maryland has had a similar season to Rutgers. They started the season 4-0 (Rutgers started 3-0) before dropping three straight. They rebounded to win another game before dropping all three games in a gauntlet stretch versus Penn State, Michigan State, and Michigan. Both teams only Big Ten victories this season came against Illinois and Indiana.

Looking at the USA TODAY 1-130 re-rank, both teams had similar up-and-down movement all season. The Terrapins currently sit at No. 77, whereas the Scarlet Knights came in at No. 80. The final regular season game will determine Big Ten results, 1-130 standing, and obviously their bowl game eligibility as well.

In the latest update from the analytical arm of ESPN, the ESPN FPI gives Rutgers a 66.7% chance of walking away from Piscataway with a victory – their largest number this season. The OU total was set at 53 – also the highest total for any Rutgers game this season.

When looking at records against the spread, it heavily favors the Scarlet Knights. They are 6-5 ATS for the season. The Terrapins are 3-8 ATS on the season and have lost the last seven. Straight up, Maryland has fallen apart as well losing six of the last seven. Their one win was an unimpressive three-point escape against Indiana. With that being said, the fact that Maryland enters the game as a road favorite is not a good sign for Rutgers fans.

The point total has almost been a gimme when betting on the Scarlet Knights given their low offensive point total. Five of the last six games for Rutgers has gone under. In five of those games, Rutgers has scored 20 points or less. On the other side, Maryland has seen six games go over this season. Even with that being the case, taking the over in a Rutgers game does not seem like the smart move.

All Betting Lines are Courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook

  • Money line: Maryland -125 (bet $125 to win $100) Rutgers +102 (bet $100 to win $102)
  • Against the spread (ATS):  Maryland -1.5 (-115) Rutgers +1.5 (-107)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 53.5 (O: -110 U: -110)

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