The Oklahoma Sooners join the SEC and are given a nice gift in getting to play Alabama at home in their first season with the conference. In 2024, the Sooners flew under the radar, but are going to look to make a splash in their first season with the SEC, as they’ve been overshadowed by Texas, who is also joining the conference and is expected to be a national title contender. I don’t believe fans are immediately counting this as a win, but I haven’t seen too many talk about how dangerous of a game this will be, especially late in the season. "This settlement is also a road map for college sports leaders and Congress to ensure this uniquely American institution can continue to provide unmatched opportunity for millions of students," the joint statement said.
Whether Fontenot becomes part of the settlement is unknown and it matters because the NCAA and its conferences don't want to be on the hook for more damages should they lose in court. In the new compensation model, each school will be permitted but not required to set aside up to $21 million in revenue to share with athletes per year, though as revenues rise so could the cap. Terms were not disclosed, though some details have emerged in the past few weeks.
It’s the one guy that’s touched more people, at least in my generation, in college football. Even though I’ve never worked with him, never coached against him, Coach Saban’s influence and impact has touched all of college football. Coaching turnover is a part of college sports, in general, but it is difficult to forecast whether one college football coach's departure will spark this level of change. By comparison, Michigan began its classes Jan. 10, more than two weeks before the Los Angeles Chargers hired Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh in the same role Jan. 25, and Michigan promoted Sherrone Moore to replace Harbaugh a day later.
If it stands, it will usher in the beginning of a new era in college sports where athletes are compensated more like professionals and schools can compete for talent using direct payments. That means there are several unknown or relatively unproven commodities. And a new coaching staff can mean new uses for players who might not have seen as big of a role in a different system.
A difficult schedule that features challenging games at home and on the road could leave Alabama with either an impressive resumé or an ugly record after November. Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter. He was a starter during the 2023 season after transferring from Maryland, but he wasn't used much in the passing game. Even with the elite receivers that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had at Washington to whom he could throw in 2023, former Washington tight end Jack Westover still managed to catch 46 passes for 433 yards and four touchdowns in DeBoer's offense. "He's been a guy that's been waiting for this opportunity," DeBoer said Tuesday.
UB is Lembo’s fourth job as a head coach and his first since 2015, when he had just completed his fifth season as Ball State’s coach. Lembo retained five coaches from the previous staff, including offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude and running backs coach Ray Pickering, who joined the Bulls at the beginning of January. None of them realized it at the time, but Saban’s retirement after one of the most iconic college football coaching careers started a seismic shift in college football over the next 11 days. The 2024 college football season is rapidly approaching, and fans are eager to watch their favorite teams take the field with a blank record, a clean slate, and a chance to make the College Football Playoffs and compete for a national championship. One team fans from across the country will have their eyes on is the Alabama Crimson Tide. DeBoer has done an exceptional job with roster management, recruiting and the transfer portal in the few months at the program’s helm.
As Tucker mentioned, there were some early-season struggles, but that’s expected when a true freshman is starting on the offensive line in the SEC. After all, he did finish the season on a strong note and relevant internet page was a key contributor to the line. Proctor will return to his role, which is to sure up the offensive line and protect Jalen Milroe, the Tide’s incumbent starting quarterback. "We were in position to offer the job on Friday because we felt that Pete was the number one," Alnutt said. "There was a consensus that he was the number one, to get the deal done on Saturday.
That suggestion, along with many other possibilities, remain under discussion. The upcoming 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide football season is full of unknowns. A new head coach, a new-look SEC and a new College Football Playoff format. How will all of this affect the team as they look to carry on the winning tradition it had for nearly two decades under the new-retired head coach Nick Saban?