Transcript
Travis White: hey everybody, welcome back to the PacSouth podcast on a slightly longer delay, but we are finally here with our season finale for the 2025 and 2026 athletic season.
Travis White: pat What a great year. This was like the first actual year of us having this pseudo conference and really our first like all together year here on the show.
Pat Q: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Travis White: So that's a really fun milestone for us and also following along this first generation team. um I feel like this was a lot of fun. i loved having our different like sports and teams and obviously some of our own that we followed even more closely this year in a South Carolina, a Providence, a UCF, and even an Oregon State.
Travis White: So pretty fun stuff there. We look forward to doing this again 2026 or 2025. What year it? 26, 27.
Travis White: what year is it twenty six twenty seven
Pat Q: 26, 27. There you go.
Travis White: The one that comes after 25, 26. um Looking forward to that, making it even bigger, more sports, couple more teams. That will be great. But as for now, obviously the saga that has kind of held our show hostage for almost two months now, that is, unfortunately for him, the Brendan Sorsby saga.
Pat Q: yeah
Travis White: I feel like we finally met a conclusion, Pat. more or less i'll let you kind of dive into some of the more recent specifics there
Pat Q: Yeah, yeah. I don't think that um he's probably pretty stoked with this outcome here. i think this was probably like worst possible scenario for him, where obviously since our last recording where we were kind of talking about like, will the NCAA put their foot down?
Pat Q: Won't they? That type of thing. The NCAA did come out against the injunction, rule him ineligible, um And another injunction was not filed on his behalf.
Travis White: Yep. Yeah.
Pat Q: um So it seemed as if he was going to try and enter the NFL supplemental talent draft, which they were talking about having potentially. And then they decided that's not going to happen. And since he wasn't declared for the draft, he couldn't sign anywhere as an undrafted free agent. So now he has to essentially...
Pat Q: Find a trainer. I'm sure he's got a good quarterback coach being a division one athlete, but find somewhere where he can work out with ideally high class athletes, right? Maybe guys who are trying to rehab off injury. um Maybe guys who are,
Pat Q: let's say like not working out at a D1 school and potentially looking to go to like Juco or a small D2 next year. Right. And they're already withdrawing from whatever schools they might be at. I think those are the type of guys that he's going to be working with to keep himself in shape for the 27 draft. um I mean, obviously like he knew what he was doing when he made the bets, but at the same time, you do kind of have to feel for the guy in the sense that he's
Travis White: Yep.
Pat Q: if He had sort of known that all this stuff was going to come out. I'm sure he probably would have just just declared himself for the draft. Even if he doesn't go drafted, he could still be signed during training camp and things like that. um But, you know, he went to Texas Tech to A, try and compete for a national championship. It'd be obviously that nice little NIL paycheck. And it just did not work out at all for Brennan Sorsby.
Travis White: Yeah. And I mean, he not only was he like sports betting, like, you know, whatever, but like, I feel like there's a line to be made of he was betting for his teams and was not, uh, doing anything to like hurt the team's performance.
Pat Q: Right, right.
Travis White: This was solely a, I think, and I want my team to win.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: um There's certainly, certainly a gray area to it all. But it seemed like he was on the better side of that. But obviously, not many people.
Pat Q: He lost a lot too.
Travis White: Yeah.
Pat Q: Like, it's not like he was making money on this.
Travis White: Not many.
Pat Q: um
Travis White: No. No. um But yeah, I i feel for the guy. I raised a question, and we talked about this right before the show started as well. Why not?
Travis White: go to the ufl here i feel like this is the perfect situation for it you're you have a guy who is either in between levels or he needs to stay in shape and that's a great place for him to be in game shape and you can't tell me like there's a couple good quarterbacks in the nfl like jordan taamu has had a great career in the ufl um a guy that definitely would not have made it in the nfl was really good in college and
Pat Q: Yeah. Yeah.
Pat Q: yeah
Travis White: has found a place in that league and has played very well. So it's not to say that there aren't any good quarterbacks, but it's not really a quarterback rich league. I feel like that'd be a great place. A team could bring him in as essentially alone.
Travis White: And I think that that would help them out a lot and help Brandon Soresby really show his draft stock for the NFL and show these teams, hey, I got it. And hey, I'm cleaning up the off the field stuff too.
Travis White: That's just kind of what I think. Maybe maybe that will happen here soon. i mean Obviously, there's been so much information over Sores B the last little bit. i mean As of three weeks ago, he was going to go back to Texas Tech via the injunction.
Travis White: so Still a lot of opportunity for Brendan Sores B.
Pat Q: Yeah, for sure. For sure.
Travis White: Looks like we can hopefully put that to bed and we don't have to carry that over to next season, but maybe there's a chance... ah There is chance we open up next season with a little Brandon Sorky news too.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: So we'll see how that goes. But on to another part of our finale, the college baseball finale in the college world series. And wow, once again, um great baseball, incredible storylines, kind of had to feel that between the Troy and the West Virginia kind of sweethearts there.
Travis White: Something was going to finally end. We did see that. West Virginia played quite convincingly, though, up until they met North Carolina, who was, you know, right there in position one game away from winning the national title this year. So West Virginia, we made a good look there. North Carolina, i have to say, definitely shocked us. I mean, they were the fifth overall seed in the country, but for them to be one game away from the national title,
Travis White: We didn't really see that at any point during this postseason for the most part.
Pat Q: Definitely not.
Travis White: I think the Tar Heels played quite well down the stretch and obviously when it mattered most.
Pat Q: Yeah, I mean, I think they sort of got it going when they needed to at Omaha. um You know, like in both the regionals and the Super Regionals, I thought that they looked fairly beatable. Obviously, USC had a chance to beat them in the Supers. Or sorry.
Pat Q: Yeah, Supers. Yeah. And just couldn't capitalize on that. So, i mean, kudos to North Carolina for figuring it out. Maybe it helps that the potential distraction of their coach theoretically being poached by South Carolina was then gone and out the window at that point, even though I don't really think there was a whole lot of traction to that narrative or traction to that story.
Travis White: I think South Carolina was quite focused on what they were doing.
Pat Q: efficient Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I think South Carolina had their guy in mind, and I think he is currently the head coach. um
Travis White: a
Pat Q: But it's always fun to see those types of fan theories get out there and sort of how they can spread, especially through social media so quickly. But yeah, shout out to North Carolina. Definitely shout out to Oklahoma for the way that they really like the second half of the year played out of their minds. Like they were a hovering around 500 for like a decent portion of the season.
Pat Q: And then they just got crazy hot near the end of the year SEC play.
Travis White: Yeah.
Travis White: Yeah, no, a massive congratulations to the Sooners. I feel like this is very, this team was very on par for the most part with Oklahoma athletics outside of softball and football, where it's, you're quite good team, but somehow you're still always playing around 500.
Pat Q: Mm-hmm.
Travis White: Maybe you get streaky once or twice and have a good year. a la like Trey Young, Oklahoma, obviously this Oklahoma baseball team, like you're always kind of hovering around 500 and then you catch fire at a certain point.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: But like those sports usually are there. This Oklahoma team, as you said, second half of the year just really brought it on. But also we're right there about to get eliminated in Atlanta. They were down multiple runs late. They come back ah in their regional against Georgia Tech and have the massive walk off homer and that I truly believe is what projected them to this national title I said it for their super regional matchup that that home run alone was going to take them to Omaha that momentum just carry them all the way through the regular or excuse me the postseason and uh I mean they're champions and
Travis White: They were toast. They were toast against Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech's really good team.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: Second best team in the country according to the postseason seeding. And Oklahoma knocks them out and wins the national title. So, again, a massive congratulations to Oklahoma.
Travis White: First national title in baseball in school history.
Pat Q: For sure. Yes. Yes.
Travis White: And ah i believe it's seven seven in a row, eight in a row for the SEC. Yeah.
Pat Q: Yeah, the SEC is on quite a heater right now.
Travis White: Yeah.
Pat Q: Obviously, LSU has been kind of like the top dog here recently for the conference.
Travis White: man
Pat Q: But of course, Ole Miss and Mississippi State both had those great runs mixed in there as well.
Travis White: Yeah, I think if you go back over to the last 16 champions, I believe 10 of them are from the SEC. It may even be 11 because I believe it was South Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, Virginia, Vandy, NC State, Vandy.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: So yeah, lots good ball in the SEC.
Pat Q: It's crazy.
Travis White: And it's funny, obviously South Carolina, that's now back 15 years ago. They're now on their third coaching change in that amount of time. Interesting to see if they come back and Vandy in kind of like hot water with Tim Corbin.
Travis White: They're not really playing what we would consider Vanderbilt baseball lately.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Pat Q: Which is kind of shocking um because, you know, you think of Vanderbilt as this SEC powerhouse when it comes to baseball. But it'll be interesting to see where they kind of go forward from here.
Travis White: I mean, it was always Vanderbilt and then everybody else for the most part.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: And it just mattered who got hot in the postseason. But Vanderbilt was always at the top of the conference. um Do you think NIL has negatively affected Vanderbilt baseball?
Pat Q: I feel like potentially. um and I mean, obviously I don't know enough about Vanderbilt baseball and the ins and outs of the program to really like speculate, but i don't know, maybe there is hesitancy on their part to like fully incorporate NIL funds, like on a heavy basis towards baseball. um Because, you know, you they used to get,
Pat Q: phenomenal baseball players, phenomenal athletes over, you know, the Georgias or the Alabamas that are now becoming pretty solid, consistent programs um
Travis White: That is true.
Pat Q: in sort of just power vacuum, right? And I mean, like Auburn's always had a good baseball team, but i think this year they were definitely better than most people would think.
Travis White: I mean, you definitely had the surge of Tennessee in the same state too.
Pat Q: Yeah, exactly, exactly. So um i don't know, maybe with Tennessee regressing a little bit this year, that'll help Vandy kind of reclaim its top dog status in the state.
Travis White: Yeah.
Pat Q: ah But I definitely think like winning an SEC championship or making a deep run in Omaha will help them because it feels like it's been a few years since we've really like talked about Vanderbilt as a serious national title con content contender, excuse me.
Travis White: for sure. And I mean, every single school, you just listed massive pockets for NIL. So maybe it's not a case of Vanderbilt not spending the money. It's just not spending as much as some of these other teams now who, you know, they're like Alabama, they're getting all their money from football, Georgia, same thing, Texas, just money galore, regardless of if they're good sports or not.
Pat Q: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Pat Q: No.
Travis White: And LSU, ah you know, massive athletic programs. I mean, you have all these big teams that, we now look at a past year or two LSU, not last year to be a great example, but everybody else, I mean, all national seats going into regionals.
Pat Q: no
Travis White: ah So, I mean, that just kind of goes to show you how some of that part of the landscape has changed. Interesting to see if Vanderbilt gets back on top and the aforementioned LSU and South Carolina.
Travis White: South Carolina now under a first-year coach who also just missed actually a national seed but went to Omaha not too long ago in the state of South Carolina with a different team.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: Okay. I think that that's our baseball talk.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: um Again, congratulations, Oklahoma. And we will see how things go through. I don't think that Oklahoma repeats next year. I'm just going to say it right now.
Pat Q: Probably not, no. You never know, but I would beg you admit
Travis White: Never know. Never know. But yeah, i can't make that joke. Anyway, all right.
Pat Q: Okay.
Travis White: On to the NCAA rules. Obviously, they have been quite busy with – things this off season.
Travis White: We now have kind of a little bit more guidelines into our post COVID world and NIL world. um They have for sure come out with our eligibility requirements and or timeline.
Travis White: um Your clock starts when you're 18 years old and or when you ah enroll into college. So you have five years from that point, whether it's 18 to 23, or if you go into school at 16 or 17, you have five years from that point too. They are hard and fast on that. That will begin in the 2027 season. So what's what's the kid's name from Alabama? He went early. He would be an example of,
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: your clock starting early. Wide receiver, why am I not?
Pat Q: Ron Williams.
Travis White: Yeah, Brian Williams. I was about to say Jeremiah Love, and like, don't think so.
Pat Q: yeah yeah
Travis White: ah But yeah, so very interesting there. i can't really say I love it, excuse me, because if you're someone who... Let's say you go directly into the workforce, or let's say you are playing a different sport and you never go to college.
Travis White: Well, you finish that sport, you've you do your work, and then you come back to college at a later point, 25, even 30 years old. You're like, hey, I'm going to play sport that I either have never done or a different sport from what I did in what I was doing previously.
Pat Q: Yeah, yeah. Right.
Travis White: I don't think that that should count toward eligibility because, well, you never, you never played it. And i mean, everyone has different circumstances in life for what your timeline is going to be.
Travis White: This cut and dry 18 to 23. I just, to me, it almost makes college an extension of like youth sports. And it's like, okay, it's you 23 now.
Travis White: And then, and then that's it. then you, you go pro or you don't. And, uh,
Pat Q: Right.
Travis White: I don't know. i don't I don't really love it. I mean, even before COVID, ah I mean, you could have a kid go into college at 19 years old, get a red shirt, and then still play four more years from that point. So, I mean, he's a 24-year-old senior, 25-year-old senior. That did happen. Those were the old guys in the locker room.
Travis White: Like, But that did happen. And this this totally changes the game from that. So I can't really say I love it. And I can't say i love the fact of, you know, someone goes to school later and they're like, hey, I want to join the tennis team or hey, I want to join the golf team.
Travis White: and They can't do that anymore. And I think that that's kind of a a miss that maybe they missed or maybe they just don't care enough to address. But that that is a negative for me with this rules change. I agree the COVID needed to be locked down a little bit because if we're going to still treat like old college sports, it can't just be this wide open thing. Otherwise, just make it its own league.
Travis White: I wasn't totally opposed to that if they were just going to blow it all open.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: But that's not what they want to do. i feel that they brought it back a little bit too much. Am i am i just out to lunch on this one, Pat? Or...
Pat Q: I feel like, I don't know. I feel like it makes sense from the perspective of, let's say like a,
Pat Q: Diego Papia situation, right? Where like he starts at a JUCO, then transfers in New Mexico state and then like tries and tries and tries and tries and tries to keep playing, right? Like I get trying to eliminate that aspect of things, right?
Travis White: Yeah.
Pat Q: So you're not having guys who played, I don't know, five seasons of college football and then claiming that they have extra eligibility because of X, Y, Z region.
Pat Q: Like I get that aspect. Um, But yeah, I agree with you. Like, I don't love the fact that um if I go to college and then have to drop out and decide to go back and I'm 26 and I have three years, let's say, of eligibility, technically, um I can't play a sport at all.
Pat Q: Right. Like, who knows, maybe I wasn't even practicing said sport, like at a high level when I had to drop out and I'm just looking to sort of get back into it and regain like normalcy in my life.
Travis White: Yeah.
Pat Q: Like I don't love it from that perspective. Um, I know that they did put in an exception for, I think, like pregnancy and military service as well as religious missions. um So maybe we'll start to see a lot of tweener athletes go on religious missions for a year, right? Bulk up while they're away spreading the good word and then come back ready to contribute at a high level. Who knows?
Travis White: Yeah, we'll see about the certain team pipeline there.
Pat Q: i
Travis White: Could be interesting.
Pat Q: I don't want to call out any ah denominations or programs.
Travis White: ah
Travis White: If Oh, my goodness. Oh, goodness. um
Travis White: And the military academies, of course, course.
Pat Q: Yeah, of course, of course. Yes, yes.
Travis White: Alright, let's move on from this topic as quick as possible before crumble cookies comes at us. Another thing that noted ah change was the transfer portal.
Travis White: um It's a little bit shorter now. The dates are a little bit more like confined.
Travis White: Yeah, it's fine.
Pat Q: fine yeah yeah i mean i don't think it like moves the needle a ton but like i don't think it's a catastrophic decision either so
Travis White: Yeah. Yeah, it's not like a bad move. It's not like an overly great move. It's just kind of a good enough move. Yeah.
Travis White: Okay. Yeah. Same boat there. And last thing, our realignment for conferences looks like it is very much on a fast track now. We are still multiple years away from most of these TV deals for these conferences coming back up again.
Pat Q: Yeah. There's a question.
Travis White: Obviously the Big Ten and SEC both just swapped and made even more money. Yeah. ACC, I believe, is technically the next up, but it does not look like they will make it to that point.
Travis White: um Clemson, Florida State, where are the – I'm blanking on the other ones now. I believe it was Virginia. There was another team, too, that's like they're they're gone.
Travis White: Was it Georgia Tech? It have been Georgia Tech.
Pat Q: Maybe Georgia Tech, yeah. Yeah.
Travis White: Yeah, I mean, that conference is very much on its last legs. I am a little surprised it actually has made it with everyone to 2026.
Pat Q: Mm-hmm.
Pat Q: yeah
Travis White: I thought for sure, mainly Florida State. I thought Florida State would have already jumped ship, maybe not to a conference because it didn't seem like there were really any takers there, at least at a time.
Travis White: Big Ten was already with their dance partners. SEC was more than content with just taking Oklahoma and
Travis White: We could maybe see Florida State go independent for a few years, but, I mean, they've already sued the conference, I think, two times in the last four years.
Pat Q: it.
Travis White: That's just kind of done.
Pat Q: It's not a great relationship.
Travis White: i think
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: I think that if they can just get a good enough running mate in probably a Georgia Tech or a Clemson to, A, go independent with them, or, B, finally squeak in I mean, you never know. Like, I think that if the ACC, you have these teams like Clemson and Florida State,
Travis White: If they even go to the Big 12, that would probably be enough to really like lift that conference up in a full portfolio sense to be just right there with the Big 10 and the SEC.
Pat Q: Yeah. yeah
Travis White: They're still the third best conference of those three, but right now it is Big 10, SEC, and then a large gap, Big 12, SEC.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Pat Q: Yeah. And I mean, at least if they did make that move hypothetically, um you know, UCF is in the big 12 now. So there's a in-state rival let's say um for florida state not too far of a travel restriction for clemson west virginia is also not terribly far for clemson if this became a reality so there's options here um if they decide to continue to consider their options outside of the atlantic coast conference
Travis White: Now let's obviously these are all hypotheticals, but if we get the more than likely of pairing of Clemson and Florida State to leave. Do we see everyone else jump ship?
Travis White: Do we think that any of these like bigger teams stay and just try and be that conference anchor?
Pat Q: I feel like
Travis White: my main My main thing would be Miami.
Pat Q: feel like
Pat Q: Yeah, I feel like Miami would probably look to leave as well. um But I do think the North Carolina schools would probably stay, um particularly because those schools have pretty rich programs in non-revenue sports.
Pat Q: um So it doesn't really make sense for them to join, let's say, like the Big Ten if you're in North Carolina and have your men's soccer team having to fly to Seattle, Washington, right, for a game.
Travis White: Yeah. Especially
Pat Q: um when North Carolina has been a pretty consistent soccer team over the years, both in men's and women's soccer. Duke, obviously, yeah, especially women's.
Travis White: ah you well yeah
Pat Q: Duke, obviously, is a super strong lacrosse school, right? And that's not exactly like a huge sport across the country. um So I could see the North Carolina schools staying and trying to at least like keep it afloat for a few more years if the ACC did hypothetically fall apart in this scenario.
Travis White: Yeah. Agreement.
Pat Q: But I definitely think Miami would jump ship. um And I think if Clemson and Florida State left, you would also see Notre Dame dissolve their
Travis White: agreement
Pat Q: unofficial partnership agreement, whatever you want to call it, with the conference as well, because that's significantly hurting their football strength schedule if they can't guarantee those two huge opponents.
Travis White: know
Travis White: for sure. And my final hypothetical for you with the ACC. There was this conference once upon a time in the football landscape of the Big East, which then split to the American.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: let's Let's say that we have this football exodus of the ACC.
Pat Q: Oh, gosh.
Travis White: Is it too crazy to think that the Big East comes back, maybe not as the Big East, but in partnership with the ACC as a football conference again?
Pat Q: New conference. Yeah, I mean, I could see it. um I think they would have to call it something different because the current iteration of the Big East is already like committed to be like except UConn, um, like basketball only schools, right?
Pat Q: Obviously UConn coming back kind of shifted that, but the now the rumor is out.
Travis White: ACC power, UConn.
Pat Q: Yeah. But now, I mean, now the rumor is out that UConn might be looking to join the big 12 soon. So like, there's a lot of moving parts here. Um, I would not be surprised though to see maybe like a, i don't want to call it a super conference in terms of like talent, but like in terms of size formed where we see like the remnants of the ACC and whatever is the American at that point um joined together and form a newer conference. Right. I don't know. Maybe we resurrect the AAC c name, but tweak it. American Atlantic conference. I don't know. um
Pat Q: but
Travis White: with with Stanford.
Pat Q: But I don't see the the schools that were Big East schools in the past going back to the Big East, right? Like, I don't see Syracuse or Boston College being welcomed back into that conference with open or arms or even Pitt because of kind of the way that everything got so messy at the end.
Travis White: Now, okay, one team that maybe could be okay with this and they would go back. Rutgers, they're on a multiple year deficit in the Big Ten. They're losing money left and right.
Pat Q: Yeah. I don't know why Rutgers is in the Big Ten because clearly, like, they kind of got looped in there because the Big Ten wanted the New York market for television, right?
Travis White: They don't know why they're in the Big Ten. They're just kind of stuck.
Pat Q: But, like, Rutgers football, yeah, Rutgers football is not exactly a draw.
Travis White: They forgot to pay them for it.
Pat Q: And... and don't know. Rutgers hoops is up and down like the racks and awesome place to watch game, but they're super inconsistent over the past 20 years.
Travis White: Yeah.
Pat Q: You never really know what you're going to get.
Travis White: I mean, I think they're 36 million the whole over the last eight years.
Pat Q: Yeah. I mean, I think the Yukon model would make a lot of sense for them. Join the big East and everything except football, go independent for football um and just schedule okay-ish teams.
Pat Q: So you can beat them, make a bowl game.
Travis White: Yeah.
Pat Q: And then, i don't know if you're Jim Mora, get a job that you may or may not be super qualified for. In the big 10.
Travis White: Husky football, baby.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: Yeah, no, I think that i would, for Rutgers, probably be best for everyone, and that would free up a spot for the Big Ten that there may or may not be a certain dance partner ready to slide in.
Pat Q: and a big ten yeah
Pat Q: I was going to say, think I think they would have the program in mind for that. and I think that program...
Travis White: Yeah. Well, the program is certainly having them in mind. We'll see about what the conference actually does.
Pat Q: Yeah. Yeah.
Travis White: That would be a new market for them and it would make sense. However, the Big Ten very much drug their feet on that the first time. We'll have to see. I'm sure probably as we get to bowl season this year, we will start to really hear the rumors coming out.
Pat Q: For sure.
Travis White: And quite possibly next year, we will see some, maybe not all these teams, but a couple of these teams be in their new conferences. It's just going to be really weird because this is all happening outside of actual alignment times.
Travis White: um Oh, who did I just think? There was another team I just thought about that was – oh, yeah, so or not Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, who had 20 games on their schedule until like three weeks ago because of conference realignment.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: um Might see some of those. Would love to see a midweek Wednesday matchup in between conferences.
Pat Q: I don't think the players' health would love to see that, but...
Travis White: That –
Travis White: Hey, who who needs matching when you're getting double conference play in a given week?
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: All right, we'll move on, and that will be an issue for next season now. um We do have our one fond farewell from the Pac-South Conference this year, and that is Florida State.
Travis White: Florida State was one of our temporary teams who, for one reason or another, some teams get renewed if you win – a given sport, you automatically get renewed.
Travis White: um Florida actually came in at the buzzer. We'll talk about them a little bit more in a moment, but they get their renewal. But Florida State, the one team leaving for next year, so a big fond farewell to them.
Travis White: one point away from baseball uh florida just barely etched them out and it's kind of funny that the rival kicks out the rival by one point in baseball that's really the difference between those two florida state pretty fun obviously disappointing in men's basketball and football really did not see football going the way that it did given their start
Pat Q: yeah
Travis White: I thought that they were at least going to be decent. I didn't think that they were going to be playoff good team good, but I mean, eight wins. I thought that eight wins be halfway respectable, but not a good year.
Travis White: Mike Norvell somehow keeps his job.
Pat Q: i was going to say, it's crazy that he's still employed.
Travis White: I
Pat Q: But that contract buyout, I mean, I guess the university doesn't want to pay it, which, understandable. But ah yeah.
Travis White: mean, that was, That was a bad, not not a bad hire, but that was a bad renewal that they gave with him They saw a glimmer of hope and just threw a whole package.
Pat Q: Yes. Yeah. I mean...
Pat Q: I was going to say it at the Travis year obviously was a magical season. You know, I was there for the Florida state Miami game that year. And Doak was rocking, but think it was a little bit rushed to give that extension, especially at the money that they gave him. um And I mean,
Pat Q: we want to go there, we can go there real quick. I feel like South Carolina, if this year doesn't go great, could be in the same conversation with Shane Beamer, right? Like, obviously, last season, but two seasons ago was a great run. and A great ride. And should you have immediately thrown that contract extension out there, right? Like, don't
Travis White: I mean, Beamer's like the 2010 Giants. Even year. He has a good year.
Pat Q: know.
Travis White: So, we're going into an even year.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: It's going interesting to see. I mean, he also lost the bowl games that were in The odd year, so the Gator Bowl against Notre Dame, that was next year.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: They did lose that game. ah Beamer just hates odd numbers. It'd be interesting to see what South Carolina does do with him because I think that if this is a 500 club, yes, they do have a very tough schedule.
Travis White: and next year even tougher looking ahead. It's very tough to say it's time to make a change and go into a rebuild at that point, but just at what point is enough enough?
Pat Q: And I think, I don't know, I know we're off topic at this point, but I think the length of the Beamer contract is also kind of a albatross, I guess you could say, in these considerations, because it is through 2030, right?
Pat Q: right It's not like it's like through 2028, you're just dumping the last two years.
Travis White: Mm-hmm.
Pat Q: Like you're going have to eat a pretty significant portion of that buyout if they decided to fire him after this year and it goes poorly and blah, blah, blah, blah. But back to Florida State, TJ, sorry.
Travis White: No, I mean, that's that's pretty much it. I mean, we're talking about the same thing, wearing a different hat at this point. um Yeah, I mean, both schools could be in very dire strays. i mean, we see some other teams in our conference, and that will be going into next year in a Florida who – like Florida State, like South Carolina la had lots of questions, especially in the middle the season when you realize this year is really not going how we thought it would.
Pat Q: It's
Travis White: And Florida did go with, okay, we're going to get rid of Napier. They go out, they get a guy. I think this is a great hire in John Summerall. I think that he has the opportunity to do a lot of good things in Florida. I think this year is going to be a big...
Pat Q: going be a growing year.
Travis White: Yeah, I mean, because they could be good, but i have to say, like, if you get five wins at Florida, I would still take that as a win. This is going to be a very tough first year for Summerall.
Travis White: Obviously, bowl game is always the expectation, but if I'm a Florida fan with how things have gone as of late and really –
Pat Q: It's an expectation at Florida. Yeah. Yeah.
Travis White: unless I'm forgetting something in there since Will must know Jim McElwain's first year when they made made it to Atlanta uh that was 2014 things have not been the Gators way they've had glimpses like two years ago DJ Ligway but not what Florida fans would come to expect over the last three decades so I think that if you
Pat Q: I mean, Dan Mullen had kind of decent year or two.
Travis White: Yes.
Pat Q: The COVID year, they don't throw a shoe in a guy.
Travis White: Yes. board molin has done
Pat Q: I mean, they could be competing for a national championship.
Travis White: Dan Mullen has gotten more media slander than what he deserved, and it really tarnished his image because it was actually not bad.
Pat Q: It pretty solid. He just had one down year. Yeah.
Travis White: Yeah. um And he's still coaching really good at UNLV. And, I mean, he's fighting off power for schools for recruits.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: So... All right. Yes. Fair point. Fair point.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: Anyway, Summerall, make it to a bowl game. I think that if you have an upset here and there and you don't blow too many games, the thing with Florida is you can win all your games that you're supposed to and lose all the games you're supposed to.
Travis White: And I think it's four wins this year. So
Travis White: tough year for the Gators. We'll see how it goes. It's year one. Try not to lose your mind. Um, Okay, enough about coaches. um We'll do a little bit of our Pac-South recap for our finale right here.
Travis White: so obviously, Duke really, really impressed this year.
Pat Q: I cleaned up. Yeah.
Travis White: They win college football. They win men's basketball. um Good showing in women's basketball, too. South Carolina takes that one. And then, as I mentioned before, Florida beating Florida State by one point to win the baseball championship.
Travis White: really are the baseball championship or series. It's only Florida school. So if you weren't a Florida school, you weren't leading like Oregon state.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: If they were in a conference, they probably would have been little bit higher.
Pat Q: I probably would have won. Yeah.
Travis White: New Mexico made noise, then did it, then made noise again, just too far away. But ucf great year in the big 12 as well definitely didn't end up doing what they thought they were going to but i mean when you're up there with a florida and a florida state and that's you're doing something pretty good i would expect ucf to maintain a top spot in the big 12 next year with that's just duke basketball the women should be good again next year the men we don't really know they're going to reload i'm sure they're going to put something on the court that is
Pat Q: Yeah.
Pat Q: be good. Yeah.
Travis White: representing the Blue Devils quite well. Football, though, is the biggest interesting point for me. i don't see Duke winning it again, obviously, with the Derry-Mensis saga.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: um Who is at quarterback this year for Duke?
Pat Q: It is the San Jose State's transfer. um
Pat Q: Come on, Pat.
Pat Q: San Jose's state transfer. Hold
Travis White: quarterback number 12 from San Jose State.
Pat Q: hold on. me I was just texting with my friend who's our Duke guy about this. Yeah.
Travis White: Yeah, Manny Diaz, I have to say, great job at Duke so far. I mean, he took over Miami in a fireball with getting – essentially him getting Mark Rick fired the way things kind of worked out and also other things.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Pat Q: actually
Travis White: It not working out, him moving on from Miami, landing at Duke finally and just – really instilling a good culture and his uh i mean the worst loss of the year was illinois i mean they score or they got just as many yards as illinois did they turned the ball over like seven times so like there we go there we go i i mean i think that if i'm a duke fan realistically speaking
Pat Q: Walker, you get
Pat Q: it. He's actually pretty good, too.
Travis White: The same win total that I had last year, this upcoming year is a win.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: That's just not going win you the ACC, and that's probably not going to win the Pac South this year based on ah just teams that we expect to progress.
Travis White: I mean, I would not be surprised if Washington continued to grow. I mean, they finished quite well in the Pac South Conference.
Pat Q: Yeah. He
Travis White: They had a really good bowl game win against Boise State. I mean, that was kind of never a game. damon williams is actually coming back a quarterback for them which not just big for our conference but it's just big for the huskies and big 10 play i think they could be a sleeper in the big 10 i i think that they could be now i mean the snooze might be set still but they're still a sleeper
Pat Q: is.
Pat Q: He is. is
Pat Q: For sure.
Pat Q: Really? Really?
Pat Q: I don't know. Like for me, what scares me about Washington is the the road thing. Um, since they've joined the big 10, I think it's been pretty well publicized their road struggles. Um, I know it wasn't as bad last year, but their first year of big 10 play,
Pat Q: um They were it went 500 overall and won all of their home games and lost all their road games, right?
Travis White: and neutral yes yeah because even they had a game against washington state literally three miles from campus at lumen field for the seahawks and they got the brakes beat off them um so yeah that that is a very funny and interesting thing i mean
Pat Q: Yeah. Yeah.
Pat Q: At Lumen. Yeah.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: I guess we could go back and look at dead fish teams in the past. Maybe he's just not very good prepper for away games.
Pat Q: True. True.
Travis White: um But yeah, I feel like they bucked the trend. Also that being said, like they do have a decently favorable schedule as it comes to like having to play the bigger teams.
Travis White: They do have Indiana at home.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: I believe that is actually the last game of the year for those two teams. So really weird timing.
Pat Q: That should be a pretty interesting matchup. Yeah.
Travis White: Yeah, I mean, I think that you could have a potential playoff bubble team in Washington playing a probably top three team at that point, Indiana.
Travis White: I mean, they're almost certainly going to come in at number one this year. I don't see how they get out of the regular season without one loss, maybe two. two loss Indiana is still easily in the playoff for me. I mean, they've been one of the best teams last two years. They won a national title and they go what? 11 and one the year before.
Travis White: I mean, Cignetti's got them rolling. It's impressive.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: ah So, I mean, Washington, i would be on the lookout for, I mean, I think they could really be nine and two going into that Indiana game. And, You get an upset there, you're probably in the playoffs.
Travis White: ah So there's kind of a slight pick for my college football Pac-South team next year. and I need to ask, and since I've been going on about stuff for next year, I'll give it to you here.
Pat Q: So
Travis White: Who impressed and also disappointed you from our Pac-South this year?
Pat Q: is this across the board or football specific?
Travis White: This will be across the board.
Pat Q: Across the board. Okay. Um,
Pat Q: feel like duke is the easy answer for surprise because i don't think either of us saw them as our packs out winners for football um i don't want to do that though feel like that's like a cop out feel like that's a cop out answer um in terms of pleasant surprise maybe i'll just go with um a team that didn't really like blow the doors off of baseball, but was really consistent in basketball and football in New Mexico.
Pat Q: Um, because they definitely overachieved in football with coach coming in to a fairly depleted roster and,
Travis White: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Pat Q: really like coaching his ass off, right? I have sense of me there.
Travis White: yeah
Pat Q: ah And um like getting that team to really just give it their all on that field for him, play fantastic football in a really entertaining Mountain West race last year.
Pat Q: So I'll go with New Mexico for my biggest surprise. And for biggest disappointment, I will go with a team that we are keeping in the conference, but they're on thin ice.
Pat Q: And that is the Charlotte 49ers.
Travis White: I hope you enjoyed it.
Pat Q: I did not expect them to be as bad as they were in football last year. I thought with Tim Albin coming in from Ohio, like I knew he's kind of like a slow build guy, but I did not expect that tough of a first season. i don't think most Charlotte fans and alumni expected that tough of a first season. Um, so they will be my choice for biggest disappointment.
Pat Q: Um, primarily because of that. I also thought that their basketball team underachieved. Um, obviously they have moved on from their basketball coach since, um, and their baseball team is super up and down.
Travis White: Yes, big time.
Pat Q: Um, so they were kind of like fine enough, I guess this year. Um, but didn't really do anything to Um,
Travis White: I mean, even then, in a wide open American conference, like there's really only two teams in there that can play ball and
Pat Q: ire
Travis White: I mean, they didn't show up for either of those weekends and even matchups that you're like, yeah, they probably should win that.
Pat Q: No.
Travis White: They're splitting or they're losing two out of three. The only time I was like, yeah, they're going to get swept here. They proved me wrong. And I was the UAB series.
Pat Q: Yeah, yeah.
Travis White: That was the only real time that Charlotte was like, we're going to play. And it's like, it's the last weekend of the year. um I'm going to try not to just totally agree on the Charlotte pick.
Travis White: but it's going be hard not to. So I'm going to come back. I am going to totally agree on New Mexico though. That was such a fun team to watch this year. ah Football with Jason Eck was just an incredible story. I'm so looking forward to next year in the Mountain West where they are probably going to be playing against North Dakota State for the conference title.
Pat Q: Yeah, that'd be awesome.
Travis White: That's crazy to think.
Pat Q: I'm all in.
Travis White: Yeah, it's crazy to think. I mean, North Dakota State has been a great program for years. We have... the sickos have all been asking for this and we've finally gotten it um i i hate that it's happening as we have this realignment for the pack 12 and new mexico as i've fallen in love with them over the past few years um seeing them have a chance to finally like probably get their roses the road is clear for them and then here come the bison
Pat Q: right
Travis White: So that'll be really fun to watch, but New Mexico football, great story. Basketball was a lot of fun to watch as well, making the Final Four in the NIT.
Pat Q: For sure.
Travis White: You could argue that was underachieving for them. They probably should have been in the main tournament. Obviously would not have had the run that they did in that tournament, likely a round of 32 or maybe a Sweet 16, but still would have been a lot of fun for the Lobos. The women's team, not a bad year. Could have done a little bit better in baseball.
Travis White: started off red hot. They were one of the three undefeated teams remaining with a Texas and a Southern Cal. Two of those teams made it to the Super Regionals.
Travis White: One of those teams did not make a regional. um Unfortunately, very streaky for the Lobos, but still a lot of fun and and made their conference tournament in a conference that does not qualify everyone immediately. You do have to play into those. Um, so, I mean, all around great year for New Mexico athletics. They just did not fully show up on our scoreboard for that.
Travis White: Um,
Travis White: it's disappointment.
Travis White: You raise a point as I not so subtly acknowledge your, none. Um,
Pat Q: What message? I didn't say anything. anything
Travis White: Yeah, Central Michigan, that is a great call out by you. It's just disappointing all the way around for them. I mean, football, you had ah little bit of success, but then also once they got to that point, they just laid an egg.
Travis White: Basketball, was that was one of the worst. Yeah. men's teams in a while, especially for the Chippewas. But just like, I mean, I think that if you put them against, what is it, Delta Valley State, probably would have been a good game.
Pat Q: Tough.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: And Delta Valley State has won like five games at this decade. um So really bad for them. The women's team a little bit better, obviously so still nowhere near a tournament, but at least they were somewhat close to 500. Baseball,
Travis White: ah baseball Not the bottom of our conference because luckily for Central Michigan, we had a lot of bad baseball teams in our conference this year. But you're playing in the MAAC.
Travis White: You shouldn't have to really struggle like that for a series wins. And they did more times than not. So, yeah, Central Michigan and Charlotte in that matter, both big-time disappointments.
Pat Q: Yeah.
Travis White: Charlotte takes the kick, though, I have to i do have to say.
Pat Q: I was going to say, like...
Travis White: I mean, they they finish in the bottom of the barrel, I think every... let me Let me double check this. They finished bottom three in every sport except baseball because they had that late series win.
Pat Q: I was gonna say, they kinda pushed at the end, yeah.
Travis White: they They were able to miss the bottom three by 10 points, but they were, i believe, second to last going into the final couple weeks of the season.
Travis White: So... Bad for Charlotte.
Pat Q: Tough.
Travis White: I mean, it'll be interesting to see. I mean, football has to make a turnaround. Otherwise, I don't know what the answer is there. That'll be a very good one to closely follow.
Travis White: um And then, Pat, we almost definitely answered this. earlier or at least made a prediction in a sport that will not have it but do you have any repeat champs next year we obviously are going to have a couple more sports we'll get into those specifics but of the big four that we covered this year two okay
Pat Q: I'm going to say two. Two repeat champs. Yeah. I will say... South Carolina for women's basketball, pretty confident about that.
Pat Q: i think Duke for men's basketball will repeat.
Travis White: okay yeah
Pat Q: Um, because Duke is always ah really consistent basketball program, um, on the men's side and in recent years, the women's side as well. Um, And I'm just not really sure what the ACC is going to be like at this point um next year. right i mean, like North Carolina will be solid. Like it'll be a good conference, but I think it'll be Duke's conference to kind of boss around a little bit once again next year. So give me those two in hoops to repeat.
Travis White: Okay. I do like South Carolina to repeat. That's my only champion I think will repeat. I think Florida takes a little bit of a step back in baseball. I don't think that they get on top.
Pat Q: Agreed. Yeah. Yeah.
Travis White: Duke, they have to reload. They're always good. It's just I don't – I really don't know for next year. So I can't confidently go with that. I know Duke's football is not going to win it again. If they do, Manny Diaz might find himself in the Southeastern Conference in year's time. um But yeah, I like South Carolina women's basketball a lot. Dawn Staley, you can never count her out.
Travis White: um Yes, they're losing a lot of production from this past year, but Dawn rotates a lot of those girls in and out. I mean, she gets what she needs from the portal and also she works her depth very well. So when it's time for them to take the start, they're ready to go, la a Joyce Edwards this year.
Travis White: um I do say, so since I've talked about college football, I will give a little bit of a throw this out there, cast a little line, men's basketball, Iowa State.
Pat Q: oh okay okay even with uh even with monsilovich leaving
Travis White: Iowa State, the Big 12 Conference, Big 12 Conference lost a lot.
Travis White: All right, hear me out here. this i'm ba So they're already a dark horse going into next year. There's a lot of question marks still, not as many as Duke.
Pat Q: For sure.
Travis White: But as I look around the conference in the Big 12 for basketball, a lot of points on the table for iowa state a lot of good wins possibly i mean houston lost like their entire roster um i mean they're another team that they will probably be able to reload but i think that you can't not look at the big 12 next year and go iowa state's probably still at the top of that conference duke will be too but in what way cyclones
Pat Q: True.
Pat Q: like it.
Pat Q: Fair enough.
Travis White: All right, Pat, I think that will do it as I leave town. in a cyclone um that does it for the 25 26 season of the pack south podcast um this was a ton of fun i'm so looking forward to it we will be off for the next three weeks um we will be then back with our previews our new schools our new teams rules uh
Travis White: Lots of new things, lots of stuff to talk about. Hopefully we can leave all of our other topics from this past year.
Pat Q: I got one last thing I want to say as our ah goodbye thing. Obviously they are not in our conference division two, but I want to give a shout out to my alma mater, Flagler college, our men's tennis team won the national championship this year. So go saints. Um,
Travis White: Beautiful. All right. To Flagler College and everyone that listened this packed South season, thank you all so much. And we will see you all for the 26-27 season.
