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New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
CFB's new best Group of 5 conference, plus why Wisconsin-Miami suit matters
Until Saturday Newsletter 🏈 | This is The Athletic's college football newsletter. Sign up here to receive Until Saturday directly in your inbox. Today in college football news, 'The Phoenician Scheme' ranks as Wes Anderson's third-weirdest movie behind 'Asteroid City' and 'The French Dispatch.' My top three remain 'The Fantastic Mr. Fox,' 'Asteroid City' and … hmm … 'Rushmore.' (On that note, here's the New York Times' new list of the 100 best movies of the 21st century, where two Wes movies I did not mention are in the top 25.) Let's be straightforward: Here come 700 words about the Sun Belt Conference. They're part of Until Saturday's haphazardly formatted 2025 conference preview series. (Those words will be followed by some actual CFB news, some lil jokes from your fellow Until Saturdayers and some free Stewart Mandel.) 1. ICYMI, the Sun Belt is good at football now. Three times in the 2010s, it was the worst conference in FBS, according to Sports Reference's SRS rating (and the human eyeball). That has flipped, and quickly. For the past two seasons, it's been the best Group of 5 league, based on those same metrics (or at least the SRS one). No longer The Southern Version Of The MAC, it now compares to the American and the current Mountain West — and maybe even the future Pac-12. One of the main reasons? Drawing high-quality upgrades straight from FCS. The winningest three-year FBS debuts since 1978, when Division I split into two levels, with current Sun Belt teams bolded: Sure, Marshall only left Conference USA for the SBC in 2022, but even that furthers the point. The SBC used to be at the bottom of the food chain. Now teams in CUSA aspire toward the SBC. (More on that below!) 2. As the latest hot starter, JMU is also uniquely fascinating. Public interest trailed off a bit after the Dukes' 'College GameDay' era in 2023, but they still dumped 70 on poor Mack Brown last year and won the program's first bowl. They're again right in the mix among this year's SBC favorites (more on that below), and with no particular end in sight. On that latter part, I turned to The Athletic's Justin Williams — author of a great explainer on JMU's whole deal — with a longer-term question on the 23,000-student school's football program: Which sounds likelier, a decade from now: JMU appearing in rumors about joining whatever the ACC might be? Or JMU having a decent cruising altitude in pre-Christmas bowl games, a la App State? 'Long term, it's hard to see JMU being content with pretty good. This is a school that was very deliberate about how and when it made the jump from FCS to FBS, because it was determined to avoid any setbacks from that transition. Outsiders fixate on the advantages of JMU's institutional support, but the fact that it has largely translated to growth and success is validating. Who knows what FBS football will look like 10 years from now — I suspect the power conferences could get smaller, not bigger, and that's a tough hierarchy for the Dukes to climb. But I also expect JMU will continue to be ambitious.' 3. Circling back to reigning Sun Belt champ Marshall, things are not as good as they were in 1999. But enough about Pizza Hut buffets. To me, the Sun Belt's second-most fascinating team this year is the one that had to skip its bowl game seven months ago because half the university had just departed for Southern Miss (which I guess thus ranks as the Sun Belt's third-most fascinating team). What will Marshall look like in year one under former NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, with almost literally the entire two-deep overhauled? This week, I asked around about that. Everyone shrugged at me. Journalism. ✅ Moving on. 4. Overall, the Sun Belt might have this season's most competitive race of any FBS conference. Hell yeah, man. Now you're ready for some October weeknight football. 🤔 Well, you're pretty much guaranteed to click this one: What's the worst program Nick Saban could've led to a national title? Matt Baker nerded way the hell out on this one, and there's also a survey of 17 The Athletic staffers, which reveals at least one of us views almost every Power 4 team as a theoretical Saban champ. 🐝 Sacramento State has relatively big money and undeniably big names (Shaq!), but an NCAA committee just shot down the Hornets' FBS bid. Christopher Kamrani and Stewart with a great explainer on Sac State's whole deal. 🏹 What's it like to raise a kid all but guaranteed to be one of the most hyped CFB prospects ever? Bruce Feldman asked Arch Manning's parents. 📰 Elsewhere in college sports: 'The Trump administration announced Wednesday that the California Department of Education must forbid schools from allowing transgender girls to compete in girls' sports … or 'risk imminent enforcement action.'' The Pac-12 is indeed adding Texas State, Chris Vannini confirms. Chris adds, 'To fill the Bobcats' spot, the Sun Belt is expected to move quickly and is focused on Louisiana Tech or Western Kentucky from CUSA.' (See?) Meanwhile, earlier this week, Until Saturday readers responded to a call for other non-Western candidates the Pac-12 should consider, now that geography no longer matters, thanks to the conferences that tried to kill the Pac-12. Advertisement You had some great ideas. Peter recommended Pennsylvania Western University (in California, Pennsylvania). Hailey went with East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, East Tennessee State, etc. Dan brought us 'the University of Maine at Machias, THE most eastern team in the country.' All approved. Most importantly, Nathaniel broke out a comprehensive case for the Pac-12 ensuring all of its football members continue to have 'State' in their names: 'The obvious next choice for Pac-12 expansion is Florida State. '1. Adds the Florida footprint to the premier West Coast conference. '2. A built-in rivalry with Fresno State. Who's the REAL FSU?? '3. In their filing against the ACC, Florida State said they would have preferred adding Oregon State instead of Cal and Stanford. Now's your chance, Noles. 'The answer is too obvious for it to ever happen, but as we have seen, the simplest solution is always the most elusive in college football.' Tallahassee is very near the west coast of a coastal state, after all. With respect to the lawsuit by Wisconsin against Miami, what should fans really be thinking about this? Fans of Wisconsin? Fans of Miami? Fans of other power schools? Etc. — Brian H., Madison, Wis. Every fan of every school, not just Wisconsin and Miami, should be paying close attention to this fascinating suit, because it could have major ramifications for the future of the sport. Obviously, the House era in college athletics is brand new, and it appears Wisconsin is eager to set legal precedent affirming that a school-issued NIL contract binds a player to his or her school in a way outside collective deals could not. If Wisconsin succeeds, it could become a far more effective deterrent to schools poaching other teams' players than the NCAA's tampering rule, which is rarely enforced and only a minor penalty if it is. But there's an interesting subplot at play here. While transferring cornerback Xavier Lucas' deal is not public, I have previously obtained several other schools' rev-share contracts, including from one Big Ten school that uses the same template language as others. It has language specifying that it's not an employment agreement and not to be construed as pay-for-play. Which would seem to stand in direct conflict with Wisconsin's assertion that the deal bound Lucas to its team. Either Lucas' contract has different wording that says it is dependent on his participation in the program or the school is saying it would not have tendered the contract if not for Lucas' word that he would continue playing there. Obviously, not all lawsuits make it to trial, but I hope this one at least makes it to discovery, so we can peel back the curtain on how the portal and (alleged) tampering work. More Mandel mailbag here. Have a good weekend, y'all. I read and appreciate all emails to untilsaturday@ Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texas State Expecting Offer From PAC-12 This Week as Conference Expansion Talks Intensify
Texas State Expecting Offer From PAC-12 This Week as Conference Expansion Talks Intensify originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After months of speculation, it looks like Texas State will soon become the ninth member of the Pac-12 conference. Texas State informed its current conference, the Sun Belt, it is expecting an offer from the Pac-12 'in the near future', according to reporting from Pete Thamel of ESPN. Advertisement Thamel also reports a formal offer from the Pac-12 has yet to be delivered, but that conference officials have alerted the Sun Belt of their talks with Texas State. It's been nearly nine months since the Pac-12 reached an agreement to expand the conference, adding Gonzaga to a group that included returners Oregon State and Washington State and five newcomers from the Mountain West: San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State, and Fresno State. The Pac-12 currently has eight total members but only seven who sponsor football, and the conference is required to have eight full, football-playing members to become an FBS conference. The Bobcats have long been considered the likeliest candidate to become that eighth full member, especially when talks with UNLV and Air Force in the Mountain West and Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, and other AAC programs broke down due to hefty exit fees. Advertisement The timing here makes perfect sense, as the buyout for Texas State to leave the Sun Belt doubles from $5 million to $10 million on July 1, giving both sides the motivation to knock this out in the next five days. Texas State gives the Pac-12 a footprint in Texas, a hotbed of recruiting in both football and men's basketball. The university is located in beautiful San Marcos, between Austin and San Antonio, and is considered a potential sleeping giant due to significant resources and a passionate and extensive alumni base. It's unclear at this time what percentage of the Pac-12's media rights deal the Bobcats will receive. For Gonzaga, the addition of Texas State doesn't move the needle much. The Bobcats have been D1 since 1984 but have only made the NCAA Tournament twice, as a 15 seed in 1994 and a 16 seed in 1997, losing in the first round both times. Advertisement The program won the Sun Belt regular season in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, but lost in the conference championship in 2021 and in the semifinals in 2022. KenPom has Texas State ranked No. 215 among all D1 programs dating back to 1997. The lowest ranked WCC team in that timeframe, Portland, comes in at No. 187, while SeattleU (196) and Eastern Washington (205) clear that mark as well. It's fair to assume Mark Few and Gonzaga won't be thrilled about lengthy road trips halfway across the country to play a team that has virtually no history of success on the hardwood, but it is always possible an influx of cash reinvigorates the Bobcats and the level of play improves over time. Related: Gonzaga Basketball 2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule Tracker This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tioga Capital Appoints Taylor Moister as Managing Director
Veteran investor brings 17 years of experience in U.S. real estate debt and equity ATLANTA, June 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tioga Capital, an Atlanta-based, multi-strategy real estate investment firm, announced today that Taylor Moister has joined the firm as Managing Director. In this role, Moister will lead key initiatives across Tioga's real estate investment platform with a particular focus on debt and equity opportunities across the Sun Belt. Mr. Moister brings 17 years of institutional investment experience to his new role, most recently working for Lone Star Funds in New York, where he was responsible for sourcing, underwriting and managing U.S. real estate investments across both debt and equity strategies. During his tenure, he played a central role in the deployment of multiple real estate-focused funds and helped build a diversified portfolio across asset classes and geographies. "Taylor's deep expertise in real estate credit and equity markets makes him a strong addition to our leadership team," said Paxton Griffin, Managing Partner at Tioga Capital. "We're excited to welcome him as we continue to scale our platform and pursue compelling opportunities across the capital stack." "I'm thrilled to join Tioga at such an exciting time in the market," said Mr. Moister. "The firm's entrepreneurial culture, opportunistic approach and disciplined investment philosophy align perfectly with my experience and values. I look forward to helping drive the next phase of growth." Moister holds a BBA from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He will be based in Tioga's Atlanta office. About Tioga Capital Tioga Capital, LLC is a privately held real estate investment firm based in Atlanta, GA that invests across multiple real estate asset types and capital structures primarily in the Sun Belt region. Tioga currently has more than $260 million in capital commitments between its active funds. Investors include family offices, charitable foundations and registered investment advisors. For more information, please visit View source version on Contacts Jeremy MilnerGregory FCA(401) 862-9422jmilner@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
US home resales stay sluggish on affordability constraints
[WASHINGTON] US previously owned home sales rose slightly in May to a still-sluggish pace that continues to show a housing market constrained by poor affordability. Contract closings increased 0.8 per cent to an annualised rate of 4.03 million last month, just the second advance this year, according to data released on Monday (Jun 23) by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). That compared with the 3.95 million median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists. It was the weakest May sales pace since 2009. The resale market, which historically makes up about 90 per cent of total home sales, looks set to languish for the foreseeable future without some letup in financing costs or downturn in prices. Compared with a year ago, existing-home sales were down 4 per cent on an unadjusted basis. 'The relatively subdued sales are largely due to persistently high mortgage rates,' NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement. Mortgage rates remain stuck near 7 per cent and are seen staying above 6 per cent at least through next year, the Mortgage Bankers Association forecasts, and home prices have remained stubbornly high despite some weakening in Sun Belt states. NAR's report showed the median selling price in the South declined 0.7 per cent from a year ago. In May, inventory increased 6.2 per cent to 1.54 million houses, the most in nearly five years. Still, the growing number of homes on the market hasn't jump-started home sales, evidenced by the weakest start to the spring season in five years. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up 'We can no longer blame it on the supply,' Yun said on a call with reporters about the tepid sales pace. 'Supply is showing up, so we can blame it on affordability.' Selling price Meantime, the higher supply has failed to bring down prices. The median sales price last month increased 1.3 per cent from a year ago to US$422,800, the highest for any May on record, NAR data show. Prices are up 51 per cent from the start of the pandemic five years ago. Yun noted that the upper end of the market – houses selling for at least US$1 million – is no longer outperforming sales of lower-priced houses. In May, 60 per cent of homes were on the market for less than a month, the same as a month earlier. Some 28 per cent of homes sold for above list price, down from 30 per cent in May of last year. By region, previously owned home sales in the South, the country's biggest home-selling region, increased 1.7 per cent to an annualised 1.84 million homes. Sales also rose in the Northeast and Midwest. Contract signings dropped 5.4 per cent in the West to a 700,000 pace, the weakest since the end of 2023. Yun said Realtors are asking if hedge funds, which make up big share of buyers in Sun Belt states, have been dumping homes on the market lately, causing recent price fluctuations. Individual investors or second-home buyers purchased 17 per cent of houses last month, compared with 15 per cent in April, and all-cash transactions accounted for 27 per cent of sales, the NAR said. First-time buyers made up 30 per cent of closings in May, showing they 'are struggling to get into the market,' Yun said. On Wednesday, the government will release new-home sales figures for May. The data, measured by contract signings, offer a more timely snapshot of housing demand than the existing-home sales figures that are calculated when a contract closes. BLOOMBERG
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Housing market map: Zillow just released its updated home price forecast for 400-plus housing markets
Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert's ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. Housing market map: Zillow just released its updated home price forecast for 400-plus housing markets Perplexity's new AI features are a game changer. Here's how to make the most of them What's behind the rise in interim CEOs Heading into the year, Zillow economists forecasted that U.S. home prices were likely to rise 2.6% in 2025. However, this year, the housing market—in particular in the Sun Belt—was softer than expected and Zillow has made several downgrades to its forecast for national home prices. This week, newly released data from Zillow shows that U.S. home prices have decelerated to a year-over-year increase of just 0.4%. Zillow economists now expect U.S. home prices to decline by 0.7% between May 2025 and May 2026. 'With inventory up nearly 20% over the previous year, buyers had more options in May than at any time since July 2020. Despite higher sales, sellers still outnumber buyers,' wrote Zillow economists. 'This gives buyers more time to decide and more power in negotiations. Zillow's market heat index shows a balanced market nationwide, one that's a lot more buyer-friendly than in recent years. Competition among buyers declined to the lowest level seen in May in Zillow records, reaching back through 2018.' Not only do Zillow economists predict soft national home price growth this year, but they're also predicting that the housing market will only see 4.1 million U.S. existing home sales in 2025. That would mark the third-straight year of suppressed existing home sales. For comparison, in pre-pandemic 2019, there were 5.3 million existing home sales in the U.S. Zillow economists added: 'Home values have fallen in 22 of the 50 largest metro areas over the past year, and sellers cut prices on almost 26% of listings nationwide—another May high in Zillow records. Homes that sell typically do so in 17 days, about four more than last year and only two days fewer than pre-pandemic averages.' This embedded content is not available in your region. Among the 300 largest U.S. housing markets, Zillow expects the strongest home price appreciation between May 2025 and May 2026 to occur in these 10 areas: Atlantic City, New Jersey → 3.4% Kingston, New York → 2.7% Knoxville, Tennessee → 2.6% Pottsville, Pennsylvania → 2.5% Torrington, Connecticut → 2.4% Rochester, New York → 2.2% Syracuse, New York → 2.1% Fayetteville, Arkansas → 2.1% Rockford, Illinois → 2.1% Yuma, Arizona → 2.0% Among the 300 largest U.S. housing markets, Zillow expects the weakest home price appreciation between May 2025 and May 2026 to occur in these 10 areas: Houma, Louisiana → -9.4% Lake Charles, Louisiana → -8.9% New Orleans → -7.2% Alexandria, Louisiana → -6.7% Lafayette, Louisiana → -6.6% Shreveport, Louisiana → -6.4% Beaumont, Texas → -6.2% San Francisco → -5.5% Midland, Texas → -5.3% Odessa, Texas → -5.3% While Zillow expects home prices across most of Florida to be flat over the coming year, ResiClub remains skeptical. After all, Florida has experienced a significant increase in active inventory and months of supply over the past year, which could signal potential pricing weakness. Indeed, prices of single-family homes and condos are currently declining in most Florida housing markets. This post originally appeared at to get the Fast Company newsletter: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
