Tag: SEC news

SEC considering harsher penalties to prevent field-storming

Among the potential punishments the league is considering are increased fines, loss of future home games and even possible bowl bans.

Storming your home field after a major upset win is one of the most memorable possible outcomes in all of college sports. But in the SEC — for which field-storming is already a rarity — we could potentially see schools face harsh penalties if they allow it to happen.

Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated reported that the SEC was considering more severe punishments for schools that allow field-storming, such as the loss of a future home game.

Per SI, league commissioner Greg Sankey said that the league is considering several possible options for dissuading fans from entering the playing field after games. Among these are increased fines, forfeiting games and even potential bowl bans.

“People have said you should flip (the home site). People have said you should forfeit the game. People have said you shouldn’t get to a bowl game,” Sankey said at the College Football Playoff spring meeting in Irving, Texas, per Ross Dellenger.

As things currently stand, schools are fined $50,000 for their first field-storming offense, which doubles for a second offense. For all subsequent offenses, the school is fined $250,000.

“I don’t think just passing a rule can stop it. People have to stop it. Has the fine system changed behavior? Yes,” Sankey said. “Can you stop it? Sure. You can send teams into stands to celebrate with fans. We see that in basketball pretty frequently. You can educate your fans: Stay off the floor, we’re going to come to you and let’s celebrate that way.

“There are positive ways to engage in postgame celebration that don’t involve rushing the field and tearing down goalposts.”

LSU alone was fined twice for field-storming last fall — first after beating Ole Miss on Oct. 22 and again when the Tigers stunned Alabama on Nov. 5. They had to pay $250,000 fines for each occurrence as the school has now been fined a total of four times.

That, alongside Tennessee’s cathartic field-storming after knocking off the Tide, likely expedited the discussions the league is currently having. As far as a decision, Sankey said a vote could happen any time between now and the start of the season.

However, he did reiterate that nothing has yet been developed into a proposal that will be presented to university presidents and athletic directors.

“You have to elevate the responsibility for the safety of the visiting team,” Sankey said. “We talk about the dangers for fans. The dangers of people jumping over walls. Dangers for both teams. Dangers for the officials. That’s the kind of conversation the adults in the room have had. The adults will continue to have the conversation.”

While no decision has yet been made, this is sure to be a hot discussion topic when the league holds its spring meetings in Destin, Florida, at the end of May.

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LSU gymnastics finishes third in SEC championship meet

Despite a strong performance on the floor, LSU came up short of a conference title. The Tigers now await a decision from the NCAA selection committee.

LSU gymnastics concluded SEC play in Atlanta on Saturday night competing in the SEC championship meet at Gas South Arena.

The Tigers finished third, posting a 197.800 score. The title went to the Florida Gators, who successfully defended their championship after winning last year.

“We’re always disappointed when we know we left things on the floor, but the other part of that is they continued to show their fight and their grit,” coach [autotag]Jay Clark[/autotag] said in a release. “I am just proud of their continued fight.”

LSU performed well on the floor. LSU’s 49.625 in the event was tied for the top score on the night. [autotag]Aleah Finnegan[/autotag] and [autotag]Haleigh Bryant[/autotag] posted 9.950’s on the floor.

LSU now awaits the selection committee on Monday. Last year, LSU was sent to Raleigh, North Carolina, where it placed third in the regionals.

Despite the third-place finish, LSU improved its NQS score on Saturday, which should help with placement.

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SEC approves scheduling format for seven sports

Seven more SEC-sponsored sports now have a format once Oklahoma and Texas join the conference.

In just over 470 days, Oklahoma and Texas will join the SEC. To prepare, the conference has worked around the clock to find a scheduling format to accommodate the additions.

On Tuesday, the SEC announced that it had approved scheduling and conference tournament formats for the following sponsored sports:

  • Baseball
  • Gymnastics
  • Indoor Track and Field
  • Swimming and Diving
  • Volleyball

The SEC has already approved the regular season schedule and championship formats for men’s basketball, women’s basketball, soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, and softball, and adding seven more sports means that the conference is that much closer to sealing a scheduling plan for football.

Here’s a look at what schedules for the seven previously mentioned sports will look like beginning in 2024-25:

Could former LSU head coach Will Wade end up at a conference rival?

Wade’s name is popping up in an SEC coaching search.

Former LSU basketball coach [autotag]Will Wade[/autotag] is back in the news with his name surfacing for another SEC job.

According to Jeff Goodman, Wade’s name has gained traction for the newly open Ole Miss job.

Wade was fired from LSU in March of 2022 following the report into LSU’s recruiting violations, but neither he nor LSU’s program have yet to receive any form of sanction.

Along with Wade, Goodman also reports that Chris Beard and Dusty May are candidates.

At LSU, Wade went 105-51 with a 55-33 record in conference. The highlight of his tenure was in 2019 when he led LSU to an SEC title. LSU advanced to the Sweet 16, but Wade was sidelined following the alleged NCAA infractions.

Wade was set to return LSU to the NCAA Tournament again in 2020 before the season was upended by COVID-19. In 2021, Wade’s Tigers won a round of 64 game before falling to Michigan in the round of 32.

Wade was fired before the NCAA Tournament began in 2022. After all that, Wade coached just one NCAA Tournament at LSU.

Ole Miss, which has made the NCAA Tournament just five times this century and been ranked in the final AP Poll just once, is looking for someone to bring its program to relevance. Wade, who has raised the bar everywhere he’s been, could be that guy.

Not coaching this year, Wade has recently begun a podcast with Baton Rouge sports commentator Jordy Culotta.

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Ole Miss fires basketball coach Kermit Davis ahead of Saturday’s game vs. LSU

The Tigers will face a team without a coach when they look to pull off their second-straight win on Saturday.

The Tigers will look to pull off back-to-back wins after ending their 14-game losing streak on Wednesday against Vanderbilt, and they’ll be facing an Ole Miss team without its coach on Saturday.

On Friday, the Rebels fired fifth-year head coach Kermit Davis. The decision is effective immediately, the school announced in a release.

It’s been a disappointing season for Ole Miss, which sits at 10-18 on the season and just 2-13 in conference play. In his five seasons with the Rebels, Davis had a 74-79 record (32-55 SEC). He only finished above .500 twice and made one NCAA Tournament appearance in his first season in 2019, which featured a first-round exit.

LSU hasn’t fared much better in coach Matt McMahon’s first season, but it will look to steal one on the road against a reeling Rebels squad on Saturday.

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Report: Oklahoma and Texas not expected to join SEC in 2024

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, negotiations to leave the Big 12 early have stalled.

The SEC landscape is going to look a lot different in the relatively near future with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma, but the timeline for that move remains murky.

Both schools are under contract with the Big 12 until the 2025-26 academic year, and though it has been heavily rumored that they would try to get out of that deal early, it seems that is not going to happen, after all.

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, attempts to get out of that contract early have been unsuccessful. The current expectation is that no deal will be struck, and they will remain in the Big 12 through the 2024 season.

The Big 12 has added Cincinnati, Houston, UCF and BYU to mitigate the loss of two of its top programs, and the Big 12 will be at 14 teams at least during the 2023 season. Based on Thamel’s report, the league may stay at that size in 2024, as well.

The arrival of the Sooners and Longhorns will almost certainly spell the end of the SEC’s current divisional and scheduling format, but it seems that may not be coming into play until the 2025 season.

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Three Tigers named SEC Players of the Week after big win over Alabama

Jayden Daniels, Harold Perkins and Mason Taylor all received honors from the league office.

With LSU’s emotional 32-31 overtime win over Alabama on Saturday night sending shockwaves throughout the SEC, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise to see several Tigers players among the conference’s players of the week.

For yet another impressive and efficient performance, [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] was named Co-Offensive Player of the Week. Daniels was 22 of 32 passing for 182 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while adding 95 yards and a rushing touchdown in overtime that set up the game-winning two-point conversion.

The player who caught that two-point conversion, tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after totaling three catches for 36 yards and the touchdown that gave LSU a late lead near the end of regulation.

Last — but certainly not least — true freshman linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] had arguably his best performance yet, totaling three quarterback hits, a sack and a pass breakup in addition to eight tackles. For his efforts, he’s been named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

After a statement performance, the Tigers will look to avoid a letdown next weekend as they hit the road to take on Arkansas. With a win in that game and an Alabama victory over Ole Miss, LSU would clinch the SEC West.

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Former Auburn player Vince Dooley passes away

A former Auburn player and coach, Vince Dooley has died at the age of 90.

Former Auburn captain and Georgia football coach [autotag]Vince Dooley[/autotag], passed away Friday night at the age of 90. The University of Georgia announced the news.

The Mobile, Alabama, native played at McGill-Toolen High School before playing quarterback at Auburn from 1951-53. He was a captain in his senior season and graduated with a business management degree.

He returned to Auburn in 1956 and spent eight seasons as an assistant coach, helping the Tigers win their first national championship in 1957. He left Auburn after the 1963 season to take over the Georgia Bulldogs.

He spent 25 years as head coach of the Bulldogs and became their all-time winningest coach with a record of 201-77-10. His teams won the SEC six times and eight bowl games.

His 1980 squad went 12-0 and defeated Notre Dame 17-10 to win the national championship.

He served as Georgia’s athletic director from 1979-2004. He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1978, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1984, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

Former Alabama OC Lane Kiffin comments on Bryan Harsin’s status at Auburn

Former Alabama OC and current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin spoke on Auburn HC Bryan Harsin on the situation he finds himself in.

Former Alabama offensive coordinator and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin knows what it’s like to have the reigns taken away. He was terminated as the head coach at USC. Actually, Trojan’s athletic director Pat Haden fired Kiffin at the Los Angeles International Airport after the loss. Kiffin has coached for eight different teams between the NFL and NCAA.

Now, there has been buzz surrounding the coaching status of Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin. On Monday, Kiffin was asked by the media about his stance towards Harsin and the current situation at Auburn. Here is what Kiffin had to say:

In light of the situation, the Rebels are slated to face Harsin and the Tigers on Saturday. Could the former Alabama assistant cement Auburn’s fate when determining whether Harsin should remain the coach or not? We will have to wait and see.

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SEC West standings after Week 2

Auburn escaped a potential upset, but another SEC West team was not so fortunate:

It was a week filled with upsets in college football.

The Auburn Tigers managed to avoid that fate by pulling away from the San Jose State Spartans, but other SEC teams were not so fortunate. In the west, the then-No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies were felled by Appalachian State, causing them to fall to No. 22 in the AP Poll. They were the only team to lose, in the SEC West this weekend, though, which bodes well for other teams.

To note — the Arkansas Razorbacks maintain sole possession of the SEC West due to being the only team to boast a victory over an SEC opponent. Every team from Alabama down to Ole Miss is technically tied, while LSU and Texas A&M sit together at the bottom of the table as the only two teams with a loss.

With that in mind, here is where things currently stand: