Own the group chat with The Weekender, highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors, and a glance at what's next.
Big 12 reportedly wants 1 to 3 more teams after adding Colorado
Colorado officially started the next wave of college football realignment on Thursday after it officially announced it will depart the Pac-12 for the Big 12 starting in the 2024 season. But that's likely not the last domino to occur this realignment cycle. Per Action Network, the Big 12 reportedly wants between one to three more teams going forward.
The priority, according to the report, is other Pac-12 schools, including Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Oregon and Washington, with Arizona being the most likely school to make the move. If no further Pac-12 schools join, the Big 12 would likely target a Group of Five school.
Miami athletics booster John Ruiz could face federal civil and criminal investigations
Things aren't going too well for one of Miami's biggest athletic boosters, John Ruiz, at the moment. Per the Miami Herald, Ruiz and his health insurance company LifeWallet are facing several federal civil and criminal investigations and are targets of investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Ruiz and LifeWallet are being hit with lawsuits claiming that they owe millions of dollars to the sellers of businesses they acquired.
Ruiz has been referred to by various outlets as Miami's NIL king, signing various Miami athletes to lucrative deals, including Nijel Pack to a two-year, $800,000 deal that included a car after his transfer from Kansas State.
Tagovailoa turned down big payday to remain at Maryland
Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is one of the more highly-touted returning quarterbacks around the country for the 2023 college football season. So much so, that apparently, he turned down a $1.5 million offer to transfer to an unnamed SEC school, per The Athletic.
Tagovailoa called the offer "crazy money," but eventually decided to return to Maryland for another season.
“It can be eye-opening, but I think for my situation — if I was in a different situation where maybe I didn’t have a brother in the NFL or maybe my parents, it’d be a different situation,” Tagovailoa told the Athletic.
ICYMI
Ryan Day “Really Impressed” With Freshman Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz: “He's Jumped Right In”
While he's not going to start Week 1 for Ohio State, Lincoln Kienholz has started his college career ahead of schedule according to Ryan Day
Ryan Day Believes Playing Ohio State-Michigan Game Earlier in Season is “Worth A Long Discussion”
In what was surely Day's most controversial opinion from Big Ten Media Days, the Ohio State head coach said it may be worth considering moving up Michigan week to avoid having the rivalry games in consecutive weeks due to the new Big Ten scheduling rules.
“It's Impossible”: Opposing Big Ten Coaches, Players Chime in on What It's Like to Compete Against Marvin Harrison Jr.
What's it like to play against Marvin Harrison Jr.? We asked several Big Ten coaches and players at Big Ten Media Days in an attempt to find out.
What's Next?
- 4 Days: Until Ohio State opens preseason camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center
- 34 Days: Until the Buckeyes officially kick off the 2023 season against Indiana
- 118 days: Until Ohio State takes care of business against its arch rival in Ann Arbor
