With unanimous adoption of the House settlement yesterday, college football essentially died in favor of a semi-professional model. Saban retired this offseason as arguably the greatest coach in college football history. Staff hires and questions about his age factored into his decision, he told Paul Finebaum this month.
Blackburn spent the past 17 years with the Baltimore Ravens, most recently as director of college scouting. Dippre is a big-bodied, athletic and strong option for quarterback Jalen Milroe in intermediate routes. Depending on how DeBoer and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan use him, Dippre could be in line for a big season. Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer answered "there’s no question" when he was asked how big it was bringing left tackle Kadyn Proctor back into the fold. In the post-2023 season cycle, 31 programs hired new coaches, the most since 2012 (31) and 2021 (29) according to FootballScoop.com.
Some type of federal legislation or antitrust exemption is likely still needed to codify the terms of the settlement, protect the NCAA from future litigation and pre-empt state laws that attempt to neuter the organization's authority. As it is, the NCAA is still facing lawsuits that challenge its ability to govern itself, including setting rules limiting multiple-time transfers. The settlement is expected to cover two other antitrust cases facing the NCAA and major conferences that challenge athlete compensation rules. Hubbard vs. the NCAA and Carter vs. the NCAA are also currently in front of judges in the Northern District of California. The suit also argued that athletes were entitled to a piece of the billions of dollars the NCAA and those conferences earn from media rights agreements with television networks.
Now, all that’s left for him to do is reassure Alabama fans that the team will pick up right where it left off under Saban by making the College Football Playoffs and Livescore Asianbookie Nowgoal be in contention to compete for a national championship. "Our clients are the bedrock of the NCAA's multibillion-dollar business and finally can be compensated in an equitable and just manner for their extraordinary athletic talents." Andy Staples of On3 recently revealed his latest college football Top-25 rankings following the conclusion of the spring transfer portal. While there are a lot of drastic changes going on in Tuscaloosa, Staples isn’t convinced that it is going to lead to the program’s downfall. He has DeBoer and Alabama ranked No. 3, behind only No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 1 Ohio State.
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.
Alabama had the chance to respond and tie the game after Tennessee's three-run fifth inning. Bailey Dowling followed it up with a ball crushed off the left field wall, but it bounced so hard that Giles was thrown out at third for the first out of the inning. Lauren Esman followed it up with another single up the middle to put runners on the corners with one out for Alabama's eight and nine-hole hitters.
A dream following a nightmare 4-13 season that was not good for a whole lot of people around the Commanders. It certainly was not Allen's best, following Pro Bowl nods in 2021 and 2022. That should bode well for Dippre, who showed flashes of potential as a receiver with two receptions against Michigan, one against Georgia and receptions of 30, 26 and 45 yards in three other games. More than five players could fit that description, but for the purpose of this exercise, we'll keep it to five. The Alabama football roster has plenty of breakout candidates, considering all the change and new faces on the team.
Finishing the season a few games over .500 ought to be considered successful, but imagine if one of those wins was against the Alabama Crimson Tide. As has been the case for a while now, every team at every level will play its absolute best when facing Alabama. Getting the chance to take on the historical powerhouse on your home field is a great opportunity to make some memories and win an upset.
Both Nick and Terry Saban intend to fund the new program to a degree, according to the former Crimson Tide coach. They are also taking donations for the Saban Center STEM building, which is being set up to help local teachers access new technology. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. As a freshman in 2023, Proctor started all 14 games for the Crimson Tide on his way to being selected to the All-SEC Freshman Team. On Tuesday Coach DeBoer discussed adding Proctor back to the Alabama roster. The Crimson Tide is now one game away from elimination, while the Lady Vols can reach the Women's College World Series with their next win against Alabama.