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During a recent talk with the Austin American-Statesman’s On Second Thought podcast, Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman insisted there will be a football season. “There will be football played,” Herman said. The only problem: It’s unclear whether it’ll be this year.
WHAT THE WISE MEN ARE SAYING ABOUT THE LONGHORNS
Austin American-Statesman: The Dotted Line: COVID-19 pandemic hits close to home for Texas enrollee Troy Omeire
Austin American-Statesman: Bohls, Golden: Sizing up Texas’ new staff, issues for 2020
Sports Illustrated: Herman expects young O-linemen to compete for playing time
247Sports: Mike at Night: Odds and ends from Texas recruiting
247Sports: Texas eyeing linebacker help in uncertain grad transfer market
NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE IN LONGHORN LAND AND THE BIG 12
- Katie Benzan, the all-time record holder for three-pointers in the Ivy League, has decided to take her talents to the Maryland Terrapins, and not the Longhorns, the Austin American-Statesman reports. From the Statesman: “Benzan, who would have been the only senior on UT’s roster next season, signed with Texas when Karen Aston was the program’s head coach. Aston was replaced by former Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer earlier this month. Schaefer inherited seven returning players and five incoming recruits from Aston. Thus far, Benzan has been the only defector.”
Welcome to Maryland, !
— Maryland Women’s Basketball (@umdwbb) April 15, 2020
Welcome to the #TerpFamily! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/RviV1BwH3k
- Herman was ready to hire an old associate, former Kansas coach David Beaty, for an analyst gig earlier this year. In fact, Texas as a program was on the verge of it. But then Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte reached out to Kansas athletic director Jeff Long, the Kansas City Star reports. “Jeff stated at that point … ‘I wouldn’t do that if I was you. His behavior is egregious,’” Beaty testified, according to court filings. “‘It was definitely Level I.’ And that … I think it made Mr. Del Conte take pause.” Beaty wasn’t hired in the end.
Report: Kansas AD cautioned Texas about hiring former football coach David Beatyhttps://t.co/60MHHXLYJz
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) April 15, 2020
- A recent report in the Dallas Morning News spells out bad news for whether or not there will be football later this year. From the Morning News: “Some of the most powerful people in college football indicated that games won’t be back until students return to campus and in class in the aftermath of the coronavirus. That was one of the takeaways from a 30-minute teleconference Wednesday between Vice President Mike Pence and the College Football Playoff management committee, which includes the 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick. ‘I think all of us understand that participants on our football teams and cross country teams and volleyball teams, this is a student-based program,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a phone interview. “So if our students aren’t going to class, I don’t think you can have a sports program.’” That means fans in the stands.
The commissioners of the major college football conferences have told Vice President Mike Pence that college sports cannot return from the coronavirus shutdown until campuses have re-opened.
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) April 15, 2020
by @ralphDrussoAPhttps://t.co/F9KOxMZUyf
- Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s COVID-19 fundraiser hit the $100,000 mark.
Sam Ehlinger has raised nearly $140,000. The Herman family is supporting six different charities. Story on how tragedies in life shaped their giving. Herman: “I wish every day that we could’ve saved my Dad. Hopefully, we’ll help save someone else’s Dad.” https://t.co/aZ5uxyq8Gq pic.twitter.com/5MiMzsMH46
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 10, 2020
- Texas legend Ricky Williams, a former Heisman Trophy winner and longtime medical and recreational advocate, is opening up about the NFL’s new usage policy, which raises the limit from 35 to 150 nanograms of THC allowed during only the first two weeks of camp.
NFL and #cannabis - hear Ricky Williams' reaction to the new CBA's relaxed marijuana policy. #cannabislaw #cannabissports #progress #legalizeit https://t.co/Xo9nla9r1v via @CLonghornmaven
— Berger Greer LLP (@BergerGreerLaw) April 16, 2020
- ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum doesn’t think playing the college football season in the spring is “viable at all.” ... “The bigger issue is, even if we have college football this year, will fans show up? On our program, fans can’t wait to watch football. They can’t wait to see it,” Finebaum said. “But there’s a difference between wanting to see it and going to a stadium with 103,000 people. Based on word of mouth and talking to people, I think there’s going to be a great reluctance. Will there be people? Sure. But I don’t think you’ll see full stadiums, at least not in September or October.”
Paul Finebaum is not a fan of this idea, playing football without fans. Here's more of what the Mouth of the South had to say #wps (FREE): https://t.co/PIzKHz4nnm pic.twitter.com/Ofht4y2Ev5
— Arkansas on 247Sports (@ArkansasOn247) April 16, 2020