Category: TEAMS

Auburn equestrian wins fifth-straight SEC Championship

The Tigers have now won six SEC Championships overall.

The Auburn equestrian team continued its dominance over the SEC on Saturday, winning its fifth-straight SEC title. The No. 1 Tigers beat No. 2 Texas A&M, 13-6, at One Wood Farm in Blythewood, South Carolina.

“This team is unbelievable,” head coach Greg Williams said. “They brought the energy today and it was just another special championship for our team. To win five straight is remarkable and I’m so proud of all the hard work and effort that went in to win today.”

The Tigers have won six SEC titles (2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) since the league began sponsoring the sport in 2013.

“It means the world to win another championship with this team,” Olivia Tordoff said. “I wholeheartedly believe the SEC is the hardest conference and to win in this conference truly means more. Seeing this group come together the way we did today is something really special. This win is for those who paved the way before us and for the next group to be a part of this team.”

Tordoff was named to the SEC All-Championship team after going 2-0-0 in Horsemanship. The Tigers had three Most Outstanding Performer honors for the championship meet. Ema Kurtz won Fences, Ellie Ferrigno won Flat, and Madison Parduhn won Horsemanship.

“I really feel like I thrive under pressure and live for big moments like those this weekend,” Kurtz said. “I’m so grateful for the amazing horses I was able to ride. In this sport, dominant performances are just as dependent on the horse as they are on the rider and I’m thankful I got to put up big numbers for my team.”

Auburn’s Jumping Seat corps led the way by going 8-1-1 between Fences and Flat. Auburn also won Horsemanship, beating the Aggies 3-2.

Up next for Auburn is the 2023 NCEA Championship in Ocala, Florida. The meet will be held April 13-15 at the World Equestrian Center with Auburn hosting.

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4 takeaways from Giants QB Daniels Jones’ contract extension press conference

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones signed a four-year, $160 million contract. Here are four takeaways from his presser announcing the deal.

The New York Giants inked former 2019 first-round quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract March 7.

The Giants and Jones were flirting with the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline. Otherwise Jones would have been the Giants’ franchise tag player.

“I was in the building,” Jones said. “I think it was 3:53 or 3:54, something like that. It was right up next to the deadline.”

Jones compiled a 9-6-1 record for the Giants last season as part of their 9-7-1 campaign. The former Duke product led New York to its first playoff win since 2011 with a 31-24 win over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC wild-card.

Here are four takeaways from Jones’ presser.

Hall of Fame guard Alan Faneca opens up about epilepsy and the Steelers under Mike Tomlin

Hall of Fame guard Alan Faneca spent a Q-&-A to raise epilepsy awareness with STEPS Toward Zero, and shared thoughts on Mike Tomlin.

If you need to clear a path, ask Alan Faneca.

The Hall of Fame guard opened up numerous running lanes for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1998-2007 and later for the New York Jets (2008-09) and Arizona Cardinals (2010).

Faneca, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, is partnering with SK Life Science to open up the lanes of awareness about epilepsy with the STEPS (Seize the Truth about Epilepsy Perceptions Survey) Toward Zero campaign.

The six-time All-Pro sat down with Touchdown Wire to answer questions about his experience with epilepsy and also shared insights on the Pittsburgh Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin.

‘They’ll be here through the duration’: Big 12 commissioner on timing of OU-Texas SEC exit

Speaking with the media at Big 12 basketball media days, Brett Yormark discussed Oklahoma and Texas are committed to the Big 12 through the current media grant of rights agreement.

The Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns will one day make the move to the SEC. Since the landmark announcement in the Summer of 2021, the lingering question has been, when?

The current grant of rights agreement between the Big 12 and their television partners runs through the 2024-2025 school calendar. However, it’s been assumed that Oklahoma and Texas would negotiate a buy-out of their contracts to make an early exit for their new athletic home.

Speaking to the media at Big 12 basketball media days, Brett Yormark described that the two schools are committed to staying through the end of the current grand of rights agreement.

“They’ve committed themselves in advance of me getting here and they’ve reiterated that commitment,” Yormark said at Big 12 basketball media days. “So, they’ll be here through the duration.”

That seems about as clear as it could be that the Sooners and the Longhorns have two more seasons after this one in the Big 12.

Next year, the conference will welcome four new members as BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF take the conference from 10 to 14 schools. Yormark said in his media session that the conference will not implement divisions. Instead, each team will play all 14 members over a two-year period.

While the SEC move may not come as early as some would like, at least there’s a chance we’ll have this to look forward to in 2023 or 2024.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Auburn Morning Rush: Volleyball drops match to LSU, Gymnast among top NIL earners

Catch up on the latest headlines from Volleyball, Soccer, Gymnastics, and Basketball on Thursday’s Auburn Morning Rush.

Good morning, Tiger fans. It is time to dig into the latest news surrounding Auburn athletics.

Today’s rush is dominated heavily by Women’s sports. We begin by recapping Auburn Volleyball’s tough five-set loss to LSU Wednesday, which ends their perfect season. We also preview Auburn Soccer’s road trip to Kentucky on Thursday night, as they look to earn their first SEC win.

Our third news headline involving women’s sports is all about NIL. Which Auburn athlete is among the nation’s most valuable?

Finally, the 2022 SEC Tipoff is set to take place in Birmingham later this month, we reveal Auburn’s representatives for the Basketball media event.

Get your day started by catching up on the latest headlines surrounding Auburn athletics with Thursday’s Auburn Morning Rush:

Patty Gasso’s extension, Selmon Brothers statue highlights Oklahoma Sooners news and notes

Patty Gasso gets an extension, and the Selmon Brothers will get a new statue capping off an incredible week of news from Oklahoma.

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in part two of their home-and-home series, the University of Oklahoma provided some highlights off of the gridiron this week.

OU Softball released its schedule, handed their living legend a contract extension, and earned a commitment from the No. 2 player in the 2024 class.

The athletic department also announced kickoff time for their matchup with Kansas State and that they’ll be honoring the legendary Selmon Brothers as part of the weekend’s festivities.

Check out some of the top Sooners’ stories from the week.

Nike USC Trojans Air Zoom Pegasus 39, here’s how to buy

This Limited Edition USC Trojans Air Pegasus 39 sneakers are the perfect way to represent your Trojans, get yours now!

It’s that time of the year again when Nike releases their ‘Special Edition‘ NCAA team sneakers. and your USC Trojans have once again made the list, you can check out and purchase the sneakers through the links below.

Yet again, Nike has chosen the ‘Air Pegasus 39’ which is a popular shoe amongst runners, and what better way to support your USC Trojans than with this uber-popular Pegasus sneaker?

We’re told that this year that Trojans stock is lower than in previous years, so it will sell out quickly and we wouldn’t want you to miss out on these USC Trojans Nike Air Pegasus 39 sneakers.

These Nike Air Pegasus sneakers are unisex and you can see a size chart for both men and women here. These are available this morning at 10 a.m. ET and are only $129.99.

We recommend interesting sports products. If you purchase a product by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Nike Michigan Wolverines Air Zoom Pegasus 39, here’s how to buy

This Limited Edition Michigan Wolverines Air Pegasus 39 sneakers are the perfect way to represent your Wolverines, get yours now!

It’s that time of the year again when Nike releases their ‘Special Edition‘ NCAA team sneakers, and your Michigan Wolverines have once again made the list, you can check out and purchase the sneakers through the links below.

Yet again, Nike has chosen the ‘Air Pegasus 39’ which is a popular shoe amongst runners, and what better way to support your Michigan Wolverines than with this uber-popular Pegasus sneaker?

We’re told that this year that Wolverines stock is lower than in previous years, so it will sell out quickly and we wouldn’t want you to miss out on these Michigan Wolverines Nike Air Pegasus 39 sneakers.

These Nike Air Pegasus sneakers are unisex and you can see a size chart for both men and women here. These are available this morning at 10 a.m. ET and are only $129.99.

We recommend interesting sports products. If you purchase a product by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Nike Oklahoma Sooners Air Zoom Pegasus 39, here’s how to buy

This Limited Edition Oklahoma Sooners Air Pegasus 39 sneakers are the perfect way to represent your Sooners, get yours now!

It’s that time of the year again when Nike releases their ‘Special Edition‘ NCAA team sneakers, and your Oklahoma Sooners have once again made the list, you can check out and purchase the sneakers through the links below.

Yet again, Nike has chosen the ‘Air Pegasus 39’ which is a popular shoe amongst runners, and what better way to support your Oklahoma Sooners than with this uber-popular Pegasus sneaker?

We’re told that this year that Sooners stock is lower than in previous years, so it will sell out quickly and we wouldn’t want you to miss out on these Oklahoma Sooners Nike Air Pegasus 39 sneakers.

These Nike Air Pegasus sneakers are unisex and you can see a size chart for both men and women here. These are available this morning at 10 a.m. ET and are only $129.99.

We recommend interesting sports products. If you purchase a product by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Oklahoma Athletics set new records for fundraising in 2021-2022 fiscal year

After a fantastic spring for Oklahoma Athletics, the Sooners set several fundraising records in the 2022 fiscal year.

There’s been a huge buy-in from the Oklahoma Sooners fan base since Brent Venables came on board as OU’s head coach in the wake of Lincoln Riley’s departure. Venables’ vision and enthusiasm to take the program good to great, along with his understanding of how to see OU compete alongside the SEC when they join their new conference in the next couple of seasons, has created a sense of urgency for Oklahoma to improve their facilities and resources before making the jump.

The spring game displayed the renewed enthusiasm to an Oklahoma program that had been good under Riley but never able to take the next step into greatness. Fans set an OU spring game record with more than 75,000 fans in attendance to witness a Venables-coached team for the first time. But football isn’t the only sport that saw a tremendous amount of success over the last year.

OU Football recorded a win in the Alamo Bowl. Women’s gymnastics won another national title, while the men finished second in the nation. In her first year, Jennie Baranczyk led the women’s basketball team to the second round of the NCAA tournament. OU Softball won its sixth national title, and baseball went on a historic run to the College World Series before falling short to Ole Miss in the championship series.

OU Athletics’ $109 million raised during the 2022 fiscal year ending June 30 is the first time in program history that they raised more than $100 million and nearly doubles the previous record set in 2021 at $58 million.

According to the official release on SoonerSports.com, “An OU-record 53% of all members invested in key initiatives above and beyond any seating donation requirements. Notable FY22 pledges for facility projects and initiatives included:”

  • $25.2 million towards the Women of Championship Excellence Fund and facility projects for female student-athletes
  • Nearly $25 million for football and special initiatives
  • $19.2 million for Love’s Field (OU Softball).
  • $10.6 million for the Inspiring Champions Fund
  • $3.2 million for L. Dale Mitchell Park and Baseball Performance Center
  • $1.4 million for the Wadley Indoor Tennis Pavilion at the Headington Family Tennis Center
  • $1.25 million for McCasland Field House
  • $1 million for G.R.I.T. (Growing Resilient, Innovative Thinkers)
  • $900,000 for the Viersen Gymnastics Center

“Providing world-class resources for our student-athletes, coaches and staff is our top priority, and we simply cannot pursue and accomplish this standard of excellence without support from our stakeholders, donors and fans,” said OU Vice President and Athletics Director Castiglione in the University’s release. “OU Athletics and our generous and passionate stakeholders have worked year after year in lockstep to endow scholarships, increase services and resources for student-athletes, as well as help fund state-of-the-art facilities. We’re grateful to receive this record-setting support. This inspires us even more in our ongoing pursuit that only continues to evolve in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.”

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.