By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning:
SEC REVENUE DISTRIBUTION: EACH TEAM GETS $54.6 MILLION
The Southeastern Conference announced Thursday that its revenue (from television contracts, postseason games, the SEC Championship Game in football, SEC Basketball Tournament, NCAA championship tournaments) increased by $120.1 million during the 2020-21 fiscal year to $777.8 million. The 14 schools in the league will each receive a little more than $54.6 million and this is BEFORE the new contract with ESPN kicks in after the 2023 football season and BEFORE Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12 to join the SEC.
The new 10-year contract with ESPN will provide each SEC school with an additional $17 million and that doesn’t include bowl revenue or championship events. It is also expected that when Texas and Oklahoma join the league – could be soon but possibly not until 2025 – ESPN will tear up the old contract and the new one should result in every SEC school receiving in excess of $80 million per year for its media contract.
This should set off alarm bells at every other Power Five conference including the Big Ten. While SEC revenue was up substantially, documents obtained by USA Today Network in New Jersey show the Big Ten distributed $157 million less for 2021. The Big Ten’s media rights contracts expire in 2023. The Big 12 hasn’t released new numbers but for 2020 the league distributed $37.7 million, a figure that will drop like a rock when Texas and Oklahoma leave the league. The Big 12 is hoping to broker a new deal with ESPN in exchange for allowing Texas and Oklahoma to leave soon but it won’t be anything close to what it’s making now. The ACC distributed $33.2 million and it’s locked into a media contract with ESPN that won’t expire until 2036. The Pac-12, which distributed $33.6 million, is already projecting a big cut in revenue. It’s media contract expires in 2024 and nobody is beating a door to George Kliavkoff’s door to make a new deal.
With lawsuits that figure to change the entire landscape of college sports by making athletes employees, the commissioners of the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC ought to be taking the first flight to Birmingham to beg Greg Sankey’s forgiveness for standing in the way of College Football Playoff expansion. With or without expansion, the SEC is going to have the most money by a wide margin. Expansion won’t put the other four power conferences in the SEC’s league when it comes to money, but they’ll find it tough to survive if they don’t have the added millions each league will get from a 12-team playoff.
NO. 19 UF WOMEN IMPROVE TO 18-6, 8-3 IN THE SEC
Florida’s dynamic guard duo of Zippy Broughton and Kiki Smith proved too much for Mississippi State Thursday night as they led the Gators to an 73-64 win over the Bulldogs in Starkville. Broughton led the Gators with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Smith chipped in with 12 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and a steal.
The Gators trailed 36-33 at the half, but outscored Mississippi State (14-8, 5-5 SEC) 40-28 in the final two quarters to register their first win in Starkville since 2013. The win also marked the first time since the 2015-16 season that the Gators have won eight SEC games.
The win was the third straight for the Gators, their eighth in the last nine games and kept Florida tied with LSU for third in the SEC. Coach Kelly Rae Finley and the Gators will travel to Auburn for a Monday night encounter (7 p.m., SEC Network).
SEC Basketball
Thursday’s games: No. 19 FLORIDA (18-6, 8-3 SEC) 73, Mississippi State (14-8, 5-5 SEC) 64; No. 1 South Carolina (22-1, 10-1 SEC) 59, Kentucky (9-11, 2-8 SEC) 50; No. 13 Tennessee (20-4, 9-2 SEC) 76, Missouri (16-8, 5-6 SEC) 62; Texas A&M (14-9, 4-7 SEC) 76, Vanderbilt (12-13, 3-8 SEC) 58; Arkansas (15-8, 5-5 SEC) 68, Auburn (9-12, 1-9 SEC) 66; No. 14 LSU (20-4, 8-3 SEC) 73, No. 17 Georgia (17-6, 6-5 SEC) 67
Sunday’s games: No. 1 South Carolina (22-1, 10-1 SEC) at No. 17 Georgia (17-6, 6-5 SEC); Vanderbilt (12-13, 3-8 SEC) at No. 13 Tennessee (20-4, 9-2 SEC); Kentucky (9-11, 2-8 SEC) at Alabama (12-10, 3-8 SEC); No. 14 LSU (20-4, 8-3 SEC) at Texas A&M (14-9, 4-7 SEC); Arkansas (15-8, 5-5 SEC) at Missouri (16-8, 5-6 SEC); Ole Miss (18-5, 6-4 SEC) at Mississippi State (14-8, 5-5 SEC)
Monday’s game: No. 19 FLORIDA (18-6, 8-3 SEC) at Auburn (9-12, 1-9 SEC)
CAN THE GATORS KNOCK OFF KENTUCKY AT RUPP?
To beat the 5th-ranked Wildcats (20-4, 9-2 SEC) at Rupp Arena is a tall order, particularly since Florida lacks depth on the inside with backup center Jason Jitoboh out for the rest of the season after eye surgery. For Florida (16-8, 6-5 SEC) to do what seems to be next to impossible Saturday afternoon (4 p.m., ESPN), they’ll have to keep Colin Castleton (15.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.8 blocked shots) out of foul trouble in his head-to-head battle with 6-9, 260-pound Oscar Tshiebwe (15.9 points, 15.1 rebounds), the nation’s leading rebounder and a prime candidate for national player of the year.
Castleton has had two very good games since coming back from an injury-induced 6-game absence. He had 13 points, nine rebounds, four blocked shots and a steal in the Gators’ win over Ole Miss Wednesday night. When he’s in the game, the Gators have a rim protector. When he’s out of the game, Florida doesn’t have a physical presence capable of handling Tshiebwe.
The Gators got a 7-11 shooting night from the 3-point line by Myreon Jones in the win over Ole Miss. Jones and freshman Kowacie Reeves were 9-15 on 3-balls while the rest of the team was a miserable 3-20. The Gators can expect the Wildcats to focus their defense on Castleton in the middle and making sure Jones doesn’t get it going from the perimeter. They’ll take their chances that nobody else can heat it up from the outside like Jones.
SEC Basketball
Saturday’s games: FLORIDA (16-8, 6-5 SEC) at No. 5 Kentucky (20-4, 9-2 SEC); Texas A&M (15-9, 4-7 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (22-2, 10-1 SEC); Arkansas (19-5, 8-3 SEC) at Alabama (15-9, 5-6 SEC); South Carolina (13-10, 4-7 SEC) at Georgia (6-18, 1-10); Vanderbilt (13-10, 5-6 SEC) at No. 19 Tennessee (17-6, 8-3 SEC); Mississippi State (14-9, 5-5 SEC) at LSU (17-7, 5-6 SEC); Ole Miss (12-12, 3-8 SEC) at Missouri (9-14, 3-7 SEC)
NO. 4 GATOR GYMNASTS HOST NO. 5 LSU
This is the biggest meet in the country this weekend when the 4th-ranked Gators (7-0) host 5th-ranked LSU at the O-Dome (5:45 p.m., SEC Network). The Gators have posted the second highest score in the nation so far (198.250) and average 197.535. LSU’s highest score is 197.975 with an average of 197.258.
Florida has five perfect 10s in its rotation: three by Trinity Thomas (floor, beam and vault) and one each by Leanne Wong (uneven bars) and Nya Reed (floor). Thomas leads the nation in average beam score (9.975) and is second in floor (9.975) and ninth in vault (9.910). Reed ranks third in average floor score (9.962).
SOFTBALL GATORS OPEN THE SEASON IN TAMPA
Tim Walton gets a first look at his 2022 Gators today when they face Illinois State at 5:30 in the USF-Rawlings Tournament on the University of South Florida campus in Tampa. The Gators will play Kansas City Saturday morning (10:30) and 16th-ranked Michigan Saturday at 1 p.m., concluding the tournament Sunday with a noon game against host USF.
The Gators return All-Americans Charla Echols, Hannah Adams and Elizabeth Hightower from a team that went 45-11 last season. They’ll be joined in the lineup by some fresh new faces who are expected to provide a serious jolt to an offense that was stagnant at times last year. Newbies expected in the lineup are outfielder Kendra Falbey, shortstop Reagan Walsh, first baseman and Alabama transfer Skylar Wallace and catcher Samantha Roe. The infield should be as good as there is in the country with Echols at third, Adams at second, Walsh at shortstop and Wallace at first base.
Hightower (17-6, 1.61 ERA) and Natalie Lugo (17-3, 1.74 ERA) are a strong 1-2 pitching punch but they’ll be joined in the rotation by freshman Lexie Delbrey, one of the hardest throwing pitchers that Walton has brought to Florida.
The Gators will face Jacksonville on the road Tuesday before opening the home portion of their schedule with the same JU Dolphins Wednesday.
SEC FOOTBALL
Alabama: Former Georgia and LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger has joined the Alabama staff as an analyst. Mettenberger spent the last two years coaching high school football in Tennessee. He threw for 5,783 yards and 35 TDs at LSU … Eleven Alabama players, led by expected first round OT Evan Neal, have been invited to the NFL Combine.
Arkansas: Five Razorbacks were invited to the NFL Combine.
Auburn: The Bryan Harsin watch continues without resolution although it is being reported that Harsin met with Auburn officials investigating the problems within the football program Thursday in a meeting held at Southeastern Conference headquarters in Birmingham ... Three Auburn players were invited to the NFL Combine.
FLORIDA: Four Gators were invited to the NFL Combine – corner Kaiir Elam, defensive tackle Zachary Carter, running back Dameon Pierce and linebacker Jeremiah Moon.
Georgia: Fourteen Bulldogs were invited to the NFL Combine, most in the country. Among those invited were expected first round DT Jordan Davis and first round LB Nakobe Dean.
Kentucky: Seven Kentucky players were invited to the NFL Combine, second most in school history, led by offensive lineman Darrian Kinnard and wide receiver WanDale Robinson.
LSU: Nine LSU players, headed by corner Daryl Stingley Jr., were invited to the NFL Combine.
Mississippi State: Three Bulldogs were invited to the NFL Combine.
Missouri: Two Mizzou players including running back Tyler Badie were invited to the NFL Combine.
Ole Miss: Less than a month after leaving the Cleveland Browns to become the defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator for brother Lane at Ole Miss, Chris Kiffin has returned to the NFL, citing having more family time in the pro game than in college. Expectations are that Lane Kiffin will turn to old buddy and former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron to take over as the D-line coach ... Eight Ole Miss players, led by quarterback Matt Corral, were invited to the NFL Combine.
South Carolina: Three Gamecocks were invited to the NFL Combine.
Tennessee: Four Vols were invited to the NFL Combine.
Texas A&M: Nine Aggies, led by All-American defensive tackle DeMarvin Leal, were invited to the NFL Combine.
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Revenue distribution is only one indicator that the Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey has insight while the other four power conference commissioners are wearing bifocals. The other big indicator is invitations to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, clear evidence that the most talented football players in the country play in the SEC.
The NFL invited 324 players to the Combine, 82 or 25.3 percent from the SEC. The Big Ten had 54 while the Pac-12 had 36, the Big 12 35 and the ACC 34. Take a moment and absorb those numbers – the SEC had only eight fewer players invited than the Big Ten and Pac-12 COMBINED. The SEC had more players invited than any combination of two of the Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC.
There is not going to be a fundamental shift in either revenue or recruiting for years to come. If anything, the gap between the SEC and all the other leagues is going to grow wider. The kids are going to go where the three Cs are most prevalent – Coaching, Competition and Cash. That is the Southeastern Conference, but a wide margin.
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