Tag: SEC news

Reports: Texas A&M’s Conner Weigman out for season, former LSU quarterback Max Johnson to take over

The injury to Conner Weigman is reportedly more severe than initially thought.

Texas A&M fans received the worst possible news on Monday as quarterback Conner Weigman reportedly suffered a season-ending foot injury in Saturday’s game against Auburn. The news was first reported by Billy Liucci of TexAgs and later backed up by reports from other outlets.

Initial reports after Weigman exited Saturday’s game were positive as an MRI of his ankle was apparently negative and he was deemed day-to-day. However, it seems the injury is more serious than initially thought.

With Weigman’s season likely over, former LSU quarterback [autotag]Max Johnson[/autotag] will finish out the campaign for the Aggies. Johnson played most of Saturday’s game, finishing 7 of 11 for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson, Max emerged as the starter late in the season at LSU as a true freshman in 2020, making six appearances with two starts. He started all 12 games the following season in 2021 before opting to enter the transfer portal following the firing of coach [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag].

Johnson made four appearances last season for the Aggies, starting three games before his season came to an end due to injury.

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Former Auburn defensive coordinator to join the SEC Network

Derek Mason is back in the SEC but is now a member of the media.

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Former Auburn defensive coordinator [autotag]Derek Mason[/autotag] is making his return to the SEC.

Mason, who was part of [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag]’s first staff in 2021, will be an analyst for the SEC Network, ESPN announced Wednesday afternoon. He will work with play-by-play commentator Dave Neal and sideline reporter Taylor Davis on SEC Network afternoon games this season.

After one season in charge of Auburn’s defense, Mason decided to step down and become Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator for the 2022 season. In January he announced that he was taking a “sabbatical” from coaching.

Prior to his time at Auburn, Mason spent seven years as the head coach at Vanderbilt. He finished with a 27-55 record and two bowl appearances.

Under Mason, Auburn’s defense ranked 27th nationally in scoring defense (21.8 points per game) and 21st in rushing yards per attempt (3.5).

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Greg Sankey not rushing to expand SEC again beyond 16 teams

The SEC seems to be sitting tight at 16 teams starting in 2024, at least for now.

In a chaotic few weeks for college football, the SEC has been notoriously quiet.

We’ve witnessed the likely collapse of the Pac-12 with Oregon and Washington heading to the Big Ten and Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah all jumping ship for the Big 12.

The wave of conference realignment that began with the SEC adding Oklahoma and Texas has caused a massive butterfly effect in the sport. And with a lot of programs feeling anxiety, could the SEC look to expand again?

ACC teams in particular have been rumored candidates, with schools like Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina and Virginia all being in the discussion. However, in an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey did not seem particularly keen to expand beyond 16 teams.

“I’m not a recruiter,” Sankey said per On3. “I’ve said that repeatedly. We have a responsibility to look, from an interest standpoint, at what’s happening around us. What we did last week behind the scenes was have different types of daily communication with our campuses to say ‘Here’s what we understand is taking place.’ At the end of the week, we concluded with a video conference of our presidents and chancellors. For me, speaking today on their behalf, really strong alignment with that group.

“Very clear that there’s not something out there that we should be reaching for or engaging in… The focus is on the Southeastern Conference. How we build upon our strength, how we prepare for the year that is ahead. We’re going to be starting soccer here in the matter of days and football in the matter of weeks. And then go look at our future when we grow to 16.”

Only time will tell if the SEC ultimately sits tight at 16 or looks to expand again once the dust settles, but it’s clear that Sankey doesn’t feel like the league needs to move quickly at this time.

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Report: SEC Championship likely staying in Atlanta beyond 2026

The current agreement is set to expire in a few years, but the SEC seems intent on remaining in Atlanta.

Atlanta has served as the home for the SEC Championship Game since 1994, and though the current contract with Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set to expire in 2026, the league reportedly plans to remain in Atlanta beyond that date.

The SEC previously agreed to a 10-year deal with the city in 2015, and that deal allowed the league to extend the deal for two successive five-year periods.

Though no decision has been made on that front, SEC spokesman Herb Vincent told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the league’s intention is to remain in Atlanta for the foreseeable future.

“We’re actively engaged in discussions with Mercedes-Benz Stadium to extend our agreement to keep the SEC Football Championship game in Atlanta,” Vincent said. “Atlanta’s been a tremendous home for SEC football. Mercedes-Benz provides a tremendous atmosphere and we’re excited about our future in Atlanta.”

Other cities have reportedly approached the league about moving the championship game, including Nashville — which is planning to open a new stadium for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans — and Dallas. However, the league seems intent on remaining in Atlanta, with Vincent calling the city “home.”

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Auburn’s SEC Network takeover to take place on Monday, July 3

Cadillac Williams’ first win as Auburn’s interim head coach headlines a full day of coverage dedicated to Auburn athletics

Football season is getting closer, as SEC Media Days are upon us.

Leading up to the preseason event that kicks off July 17 at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Nashville, SEC Network will showcase each SEC program’s best events during the 2022-23 academic season.

Auburn’s turn on the SEC Takeover will take place on July 3.

Several moments that will be featured include Volleyball’s historic NCAA Tournament win over Creighton, Equestrian’s fifth-straight SEC championship, and [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag]’ first win as Auburn’s interim head coach.

Men’s basketball, baseball, and softball will also be represented during the takeover.

Here is a look at Auburn’s SEC Network takeover schedule, so that you will not miss out on re-living your favorite moments from last season.

Twitter reacts to Auburn’s 2024 SEC football schedule

What do you think of the new-look schedule?

The start of a new era of SEC football is here as the conference announced the 2024 football schedule Wednesday night.

The 2024 season is the first that Oklahoma and Texas will compete in the SEC, as a welcome, every current member of the SEC will play one of the Sooners or the Longhorns in 2024. The SEC will also be removing divisions in the 2024 season as the conference expands to 16 seasons.

With divisions a thing of the past, teams will be able to play every member of the conference consistently but the downside is that some rivalries will no longer be played every year.

One such rivalry is Auburn and LSU, which will not be played in 2024 for the first time since 1991. However, the Tigers will get to host Oklahoma for their signature home game of the season.

Auburn fans had plenty to say about the schedule, here are their top reactions.

SEC increases penalties for storming the field,court

The winning school will now directly pay the lsoing school.

The biggest news to come out of the SEC spring meetings is that the conference will have an eight-game conference schedule in 2024 instead of a nine-game schedule but it is not the only significant news.

The conference presidents also voted Thursday to increase the fines for fans storming the field or court and added new policies to help protect the players.

The winning team will now be fined $100,000 for their first offense, $250,000 for a second offense and $500,000 for a third offense and the money will go directly to the losing school. Commissioner Greg Sankey has the option to add additional fines and the count for each school has been reset with the new policies, according to Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated.

The schools were previously fined $50,000 for their first offense, $100,000 for their second offense and $250,000 for their third offense.

In addition to increased fines, each school has to submit a detailed field or court rush management plan to the conference by Aug. 1, as well as a communication plan that discourages fans from entering the playing surface and lays out the penalties for doing so.

The schools will also be required to have uniformed law enforcement and security around each team and officials before, during and after the game to keep fans away from them and in the event of a field storming that will create a safe zone to keep them separated. They will have access to barricades and other equipment to clear a path for them off the field or court.

The fans will be allowed onto the field without penalty once the teams and officials have left the playing area.

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NEW: SEC raises fines for field-storming, adds new security measures

The Tigers were fined $250,000 twice last season for fans storming the field after wins over Ole Miss and Alabama.

The biggest news out of the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Florida, came on Thursday when the league announced it would be eliminating divisions but keeping an eight-game schedule when it expands to 16 teams in 2024.

However, that announcement overshadowed another news item that may be of interest to LSU fans. The league also announced increased fines for field and court-storming.

Schools will now be fined $100,000 for the first offense, which is raised to $250,000 for the second. Any subsequent offenses would then carry a $500,000 fine.

Schools are also now required to have increased security in place to help prevent stormings.

LSU was fined $250,000 twice last season after fans stormed the field at Tiger Stadium following upset wins over Ole Miss and Alabama. The school has now been fined four times in total, but the league said that all prior offenses reset, meaning LSU will only be fined $100,000 if it happens again this season.

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BREAKING: SEC to eliminate divisions, remain at 8 games in 2024

The full schedule will be announced during a primetime special on the SEC Network on June 14, commissioner Greg Sankey said.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said on Wednesday that a resolution to the future scheduling debate could come by the end of the spring meetings in Destin, Florida, and that proved to be the case.

On Thursday, Sankey announced that the league will eliminate divisions when Oklahoma and Texas join the SEC in 2024 but will keep the conference schedule at eight games.

Some parties — potentially including Sankey — wanted to expand the schedule to nine games like some other leagues have. There were detractors, though, and they won out.

According to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, Sankey said the schedule will aim to balance fairness with maintaining historic rivalries.

The 2024 schedule will be announced during a primetime special on the SEC Network on June 14.

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Auburn to host the 2024 SEC Softball Tournament

It is the first time since 2007 and just the second time overall that the Tigers will host the tournament.

For the first time since 2007, and just the second time overall the SEC Softball Tournament will be played on the Plains. The conference announced Thursday that Auburn will be hosting the 2024 SEC Softball Tournament at Jane B. Moore Field.

The event is slated to last from May 7-11 and additional information about the event will be released at a later date.

Auburn did not make the tournament in 2007 as just the top eight teams qualified for the single-elimination tournament.

Jane B. Moore Field has seen plenty of postseason playing, being the site for four NCAA Regionals and three NCAA Super Regionals.

The third-seeded Tigers are set to start their journey in the 2023 tournament Thursday against 11th-seeded Ole Miss. The game is set to start 35 minutes after the conclusion of Florida vs. Kentucky. The Gators and Wildcats are scheduled to start at 10 a.m. CT and both games will be shown on the SEC Network.

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