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USA Today reports that the NCAA is estimated to be up against $475 million in revenue losses and $380 million in expenses for its current fiscal year due to the current pandemic.
From USA Today: “The amounts for 2020 would represent a 42% decline in revenue and a 36% decline in expenses from 2019, based on figures that Moody’s Investors Service calls its “adjusted indicators,” which can differ slightly from numbers shown in the association’s financial statements. In dollar amounts, that means the NCAA will have about $654 million in revenue and about $668 million in expenses in fiscal 2020. Both of those amounts have been above $1 billion in each of the past two years, according to the association’s recently released audited financial statement.” The NCAA declined to comment on the situation.
WHAT THE WISE MEN ARE SAYING ABOUT THE LONGHORNS
Austin American-Statesman: The Dotted Line: Austin LBJ star Latrell McCutchin among prospects ranked Nos. 20-16 on Fab 55
USA Today: Coronavirus impact has college football coaches worried about 2020 schedules, athlete conditioning
USA Today: Tom Herman sends message out to Texans
Sports Illustrated: New Texas linebackers coach excited to work with DeMarvion Overshown
247Sports: Despite Olympic delay, Cat Osterman says she’ll be all in at 38
NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE IN LONGHORN LAND AND THE BIG 12
- Texas redshirt senior offensive lineman Denzel Okafor has reportedly thrown his hat into the NCAA transfer portal as a graduate transfer, according to multiple reports. From Burnt Orange Nation’s take yesterday on the developing story: “Throughout his four seasons in Austin, Okafor made 39 career appearances, including five starts. Most recently, the former four-star talent appeared in each of Texas’ 13 games last season, though aside from his lone start against Iowa State, most of that action occurred on special teams. However, it seemed likely that fortunes would shift in his favor in 2020. With starting right tackle Derek Kerstetter expected to slide to center to replace Zach Shackelford, Okafor is far and away the most experienced option to fill Kerstetter’s place on the outside. But now, offensive line coach Herb Hand may be tasked with finding another replacement for at right tackle even before that starting role was solidified. If Okafor does, indeed, remain in the transfer portal and ultimately leaves Austin for another opportunity, he’ll become the second Longhorns offensive lineman to transfer in the recent months, alongside J.P Urquidez.”
Texas offensive lineman Denzel Okafor has entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) March 25, 2020
Former four-star recruit. Started four games in 2017.
- While the rest of Austin (and the world, for that matter) is shut down, construction on Royal-Memorial Stadium continues. From the Austin American-Statesman: “Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said “so far, so good” as workers swing hammers and excavate dirt even after Austin and Travis County’s shelter-in-place orders were put in place Tuesday. ... Area builders are pushing city leaders to keep construction going in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Austin’s order says the city will not issue a violation to operators ‘if they can demonstrate work on the site was undertaken the close down the project as safely and quickly as possible.’ Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt has asked non-essential businesses to cease operations. However, construction industry leaders have said the city’s language is confusing. Other major Texas cities are allowing construction projects to continue. At Texas, the football stadium’s south end zone expansion and new basketball area are two projects worth more than $500 million. The new end zone project is slated to be completed for the 2021 season; the arena is scheduled to open for the 2022-23 season.”
Even in coronavirus pandemic, construction continues at Royal-Memorial Stadium, Moody Center https://t.co/CV5VN0k32V
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) March 26, 2020
- A recent study conducted by Penn Live found that Texas is the nation’s richest college football program. From Penn Live: “And so, we come to the most amazing money machine in college athletics. Texas football has been a virtual bystander on the national scene for over a decade. But that doesn’t affect sales. Nobody has more fans and TV eyes than Texas. The ESPN-managed Longhorn Network has recently kicked in about $15M annually, and it’s all gravy beyond the Big 12 contract. Tom Herman’s 2nd season was pretty good by recent standards – 10-4 with an early upset of Oklahoma in Dallas, then a big one over Georgia in New Orleans. But the 2018-19 profit was a benchmark for any college program – $112.9M, busting UT’s record set in the prior fiscal year. Winning isn’t everything.”
Stadium of the day,
— CFB Hype (@CFB_Hype) March 5, 2020
Austin, Texas
Darrel K. Royal Memorial Stadium
100.1k pic.twitter.com/BJsdzTJi34
- Texas football was ranked No. 15 in USA Today’s last preseason top 25 poll. From USA Today: “Pegging where Tom Herman’s program will land feels like guesswork as much as anything, given how last year’s team flopped amid high expectations. This seems like a safe preseason starting point given the leadership of senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger and the possibility that massive coaching changes lights a fire under a program in need of a spark.”
USA TODAY Sports lists Texas on their latest Top 25 preseason poll https://t.co/ndEH1bJ6Pd
— Longhorns Wire (@LonghornsWire) March 26, 2020