Latest news with #Pac-12
Los Angeles Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Three years after USC and UCLA led mass defections, Pac-12 adds Texas State as 8th member
Three years after USC and UCLA triggered a mass exodus by bolting for the Big Ten, the Pac-12 has extended an invitation to Texas State to give the conference eight football-playing members. Texas State, currently part of the Sun Belt Conference, is expected to accept the offer Monday, according to several media outlets. The school would join the Pac-12 in July 2026. USC and UCLA transformed the college sports landscape by leaving the Pac-12 on June 30, 2022, citing the Big Ten's $8 billion media-rights deal as the primary motivation. Ten Pac-12 teams eventually departed, leaving only Washington State and Oregon State as members. The Pac-12 contemplated folding, but instead added five state schools from the Mountain West Conference and Gonzaga, a private, non-football playing school from the West Coast Conference. When it accepts the invitation, Texas State will be the next addition. The school made its first bowl appearance in the program's 121-year history in 2023, defeating Rice in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. The Bobcats won the same bowl in 2024, this time against North Texas. Texas State will give the Pac-12 eight football-playing teams, the minimum number of members to continue as an NCAA conference. Although long in the shadow of Texas, SMU, TCU, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech, Texas State is a growing university located in San Marcos, a booming suburb located on Interstate 35 about halfway between Austin and San Antonio. The Bobcats also bring a reasonably strong portfolio of non-revenue sports, having won an award as the top-performing school in the Sun Belt across all sports in three of the last four years. The Pac-12 had courted Memphis as the eighth football-playing school, but Memphis athletic director Ed Scott told the Memphis Commercial Appeal a week ago that the school was working to join a Power 4 conference — a non-official term for the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC, four conferences that operate with relative autonomy. 'I know [Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould is] worried about finding her eighth full member,' Scott said. 'I'm worried about trying to get us into a Power 4 conference. That is our first goal, unequivocally. That's always been our goal.' The Pac-12 has long lagged in media exposure, especially on television, but on Monday announced a multi-media deal with CBS as the anchor partner from 2026 to 2031. Texas State was encouraged by the TV deal, and the Pac-12 was under pressure to add the Bobcats before July 1, when their exit fee from the Sun Belt would double from $5 million to $10 million. Under the deal, CBS will broadcast a minimum of four football and men's basketball games per season on its main network and provide a cable and streaming presence. All Washington State and Oregon State games will be broadcast on The CW, CBS or ESPN this fall. The new deal with CBS and other media partners would begin in 2026 when Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State and Gonzaga join the Pac 12 along with Texas State. Texas State's move would trigger a domino effect, with the Sun Belt looking toward Conference USA for a replacement. Louisiana Tech, Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee have been mentioned as possibilities. The new Pac-12 is expected to be strongest in men's basketball because of the inclusion of Gonzaga and San Diego State, but the conference could be solid in football as well. Boise State made the College Football Playoff last season, one of five schools joining the Pac-12 that played in a bowl.
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Trio of talented WRs to commit July 1 at WR Retreat in Florida
Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry discuss the media deal for the new Pac-12, breaking down what's next for the conference and how it can carve out a spot within the modern landscape of college football. The wide receiver position, by perception and certainly dollar amount at the highest level, has become the next premium position in football at every level. Specialization comes nearly 12 months a year and the NCAA dead period into the month of July is no different. At the H.D. Performance WR Retreat, it will not only feature several days of work with wideouts from the prep level to college and beyond, but a trio of prospects will come off the board with live verbal commitments as well. Class of 2026 standouts Larry Miles, Brian Williams Jr. and Barrett Schulz -- each from the Orlando area -- will go public with their picks the evening of July 1 as part of the event's festivities. Miles, out of Orlando (Fla.) Jones, is a top-10 slot receiver recruit nationally who broke out in 2024 as Jones reached the state title game. This offseason, his crisp route-running and overall polish has expanded his offer list beyond 40 programs. He just wrapped up a busy official visit stretch, too, checking out Pitt, Nebraska and Kentucky in the month of June. Several other programs also remain in communication as the month winds down. Williams is another spring riser from a recruiting standpoint, collecting national offers as more programs saw the massive target in action this offseason. Now at Orlando (Fla.) The First Academy after his days at Lake Mary High School, Williams is entering decision-making mode after official visits to Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame and Penn State. Michigan also offered in recent weeks as more and more programs covet the 6-foot-4 playmaker. The biggest pass-catcher set to come off the board to kick off the month was Williams' teammate for a brief stretch at Lake Mary in Schulz. Officially a shade under 6-foot-6, he offers a massive catch radius and his recruitment also took another step this spring after some strong camp showings. Schulz will likely pledge to an FBS program after his own busy official visit stretch, spending time at FIU and elsewhere in June. A potential flex tight end in college, this recruitment and commitment may potentially open more doors going into the 2025 season. In addition to the wide receiver recruits set to commit, other stars in the class of 2026 and beyond will get work at the WR Retreat beginning on June 30. That list currently includes five-star Jamier Brown, committed to Ohio State, four-stars Messiah Hampton (Oregon) and Zion Legree (Wisconsin), three-star Kenyon Alston (Illinois) and many others. The event runs through July 3.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tyler Shough confident he can handle starting as a rookie: 'You're not going to faze me if we start off 0-2 or I f***ing suck'
Tyler Shough graduated high school in 2018, ranked as a top-10 prospect in the same class as Trevor Lawrence. Then he backed up Justin Herbert at Oregon before getting a crack at the starting gig in 2020. Come postseason, Oregon entertained a quarterback rotation that sidelined Shough for parts of the Pac-12 championship and a large chunk of the Fiesta Bowl. He transferred to Texas Tech, where he suffered serious injuries in three consecutive seasons, the last being a fractured fibula that required him to be carted off the field. Advertisement His next and final stop of his seven-year college marathon was Louisville. There, he finally played a complete, 12-game regular season and established himself as a rather unorthodox NFL prospect. Shough went through the good, the bad and the ugly in college, and not necessarily in that order. So, as he prepares to compete for the QB1 role in New Orleans, the 25-year-old second-round pick feels ready to handle the unforgiving pressures that come with being a rookie starting quarterback in the NFL. "I think for me and what I've been through: I've been carted off the field, I've been booed, I've been an MVP, I've been a starter, I've been a backup to Herbert — I'm like, throw some s*** at me, you're not going to faze me if we start off 0-2 or I f***ing suck," Shough calmly yet confidently said Wednesday on the "St. Brown Podcast." Advertisement Shough continued: "It's going to be fine. That's why I was excited about that opportunity, or any opportunity. "And I think, going into it, I've got to continue to get to know the guys. I'm still a rookie. I may be older, but I got to earn the respect of everybody and do my job." Shough has a clear path to starting for the rebuilding Saints, who are now coached by former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. That path suddenly appeared when veteran Derek Carr surprisingly retired on May 10 due to a surgery-requiring shoulder injury. Carr, a four-time Pro Bowler, was approaching his third season with the Saints after nine seasons with the Raiders. Without his presence, New Orleans' quarterback room consists of an unproven foursome, headlined by a rookie in Shough, a second-year signal-caller in Spencer Rattler and a third-year signal-caller in Jake Haener. Advertisement Shough told Amon-Ra and Equanimeous St. Brown that learning from Carr "would have been great." But Shough, who will turn 26 in September, knows the kind of opportunity that's in front of him now. It's an opportunity that arrives after a journey that's been far from seamless. "You look back, and it's like, what are you willing to sacrifice to get to that position?" Shough said, via "The St. Brown Podcast." "If you would have told me as a 20-year-old, you're going to get drafted, but you are going to have to wait four or five years and you're going to break your bones three times and you're going to think about not playing football again and you're going to be depressed and you're gonna have all these emotions, but if you just stay at it, then I would have done it, and I did. At that time, you're thinking, 'Why is this happening? What is going on? There's a lot of unknowns.' But that's literally the NFL, that's the game of football." There are more unknowns on the way for Shough, especially if wins the starting job. He believes he's ready to handle it all.
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Saints' Tyler Shough: My Unique College Experience Makes NFL Unable to 'Faze Me'
New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough is in his own boat. Shough will turn 26 in September, played for three different programs in his college career, suffered multiple devastating injuries and was still the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In Shough's mind, though, his college experiences mentally equip him for the next level. "I think for me and what I've been through: I've been carted off the field' I've been booed; I've been an MVP; I've been a starter' I've been a backup to [Justin] Herbert — I'm like, throw some s--- at me, you're not going to faze me if we start off 0-2 or I f------ suck," Shough said on the latest edition of the "St. Brown Podcast." "It's going to be fine. That's what I was excited about, that opportunity, or any opportunity, and I think, going into it, I've got to continue to get to know the guys. Like I said earlier, I'm still a rookie. I may be older, but I have to earn the respect of everybody and do my job." Injuries played a pivotal role in Shough playing six seasons of college football. As Shough mentioned in the "St. Brown Podcast," he was a backup behind Herbert at Oregon from 2018-19 before becoming the starter in 2020. In the truncated 2020 season (the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of the Pac-12 season by roughly two months), Shough led the Pac-12 with both a 160.4 passer rating and 9.3 yards gained per pass attempt in seven games; he also rushed for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Shough transferred to Texas Tech in 2021, but he had his season cut short after four games due to a broken collarbone, which he injured again in 2022, limiting him to seven games. Then, four games into the 2023 season, Shough suffered a broken fibula and transferred to Louisville after the season — which is when he put together the most complete season of his collegiate career. Last season, Shough totaled 3,195 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and a 148.1 passer rating, while completing 62.7% of his passes. The Cardinals went 8-4 with Shough under center. While the 6-foot-5 Shough figures to be the Saints' Week 1 quarterback in the wake of Derek Carr's retirement, he has to beat out the second-year Spencer Rattler, who started six games for New Orleans last season, and Jake Haener. New Orleans is coming off a 5-12 season and has a new head coach in former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Football League New Orleans Saints Tyler Shough recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Rivals Five-Star: Breaking down the running backs
Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry discuss the media deal for the new Pac-12, breaking down what's next for the conference and how it can carve out a spot within the modern landscape of college football. FIVE-STAR: @JohnGarcia_Jr and @samspiegs recap who won MVP, who impressed and MORE👀🏆 — Rivals (@Rivals) June 24, 2025 INDIANAPOLIS – The stars came out for the 2025 Rivals Five-Star event at the Indianapolis Colts' facility this week. Here we break down the top running backs from the event. MORE FROM INDY: Highlights and analysis | Teams that should be pleased | Gorney Awards | Biggest surprises | Flip watch | QB analysis RECRUITING INTEL: Mid-South | Florida | West | Southeast | Midwest RIVALS FIVE-STAR MEDIA DAY: All the news, notes and interviews | The All-Lobby Team | How solid are the commitments? | Roster RIVALS FIVE-STAR INTERVIEWS: Jaden O'Neal | Trae Taylor | Chase Calicut | Samu Moala | Jake Kreul | Felix Ojo | Peyton Houston | CJ Sadler | Richard Wesley | JaReylan McCoy | Carter Scruggs | Nolan Wilson | Carson Sneed | Derrek Cooper | Devin Carter | Jayden Wade | Joel Wyatt | Kaden Henderson | Nick Abrams Cooper came away with positional MVP honors in Indianapolis. The five-star shined in the 1-on-1 portion of Tuesday's camp, then took it to a different level as the most productive pass-catcher out of the backfield in 7-on-7 play. Miami is working toward inking the No. 1 class in the country and intends to keep Cooper in South Florida. Georgia and Ohio State are working feverishly to buck the Canes' momentum on the recruiting trail. Osborne will be playing a lot of football inside the state of Indiana over the next few years. The Texas-based blue-chipper pledged to Notre Dame last month and showcased his three-down skill-set this week at the Rivals Five-Star. Osborne was fantastic as a pass-catcher, an area of his game less utilized on Friday nights. The Irish verbal is a three-down back that can bash between the tackles and be a workhorse on early downs and also contribute in the passing game. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NOTRE DAME FANS AT Cowley stood out as one of the backs with the best top-end speed in Indianapolis. The 2027 four-star out of Alabama was smooth in and out of breaks, had soft hands and fantastic wiggle and acceleration with the ball in his hands between various positional drills, 1-on-1 competition and in the 7-on-7 setting. Auburn is trending up with the in-state blue-chipper, who returned to The Plains earlier this month. Hugh Freeze has been superb keeping top-end talent such as Cowley in-state since arriving at Auburn and has a strong chance to repeat in this one, too. Robinson is another blue-chip running back in the 2027 class. The bruiser from Mississippi is a force in the running game – able to eat up chunk yardage and run downhill at a high clip. During the week in Indy, Robinson also showcased another aspect of his game – his pass-catching skills and ability to separate in coverage. We love the three-down skill-set for Robinson and so does Tennessee. The Vols are setting the pace in the 2027 four-star back's recruitment ahead of Oklahoma State and Mississippi State.
