Is Kyle Field really “The House That Johnny Built,” or “The House the SEC Built?”

By Kevin McGuireMay 12, 2014, 8:11 PM EDT

Texas A&M’s entrance to the SEC and the birth of Johnny Football hysteria happened to meet at an intersection at the best possible time in 2012. As the Aggies ditched the Big 12 in search of an escape from the shadows of a controlling program in Austin and a more lucrative opportunity to receive a bigger slice of conference revenue, Johnny Manziel gave te football program a new energy that could not have come at a better time. Manziel helped lead Texas A&M through a successful debut season in the SEC, knocking off top-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa, winning a Heisman Trophy and leading the Aggies to a Cotton Bowl victory over former Big 12 foe Oklahoma.

For everything Manziel has done for the Texas A&M football program, recognition for years to come in College Station is warranted. One Texas A&M regent wants Kyle Field, the home of the Texas A&M Aggies football team, to now be referred to as The House That Johnny Built in an official capacity. He’s actually serious about this.

There is no denying the impact Manziel had in putting Texas A&M on the map, but the biggest reason Kyle Field is being expanded is because of the move the school made to the SEC and the larger paychecks that come with the move.

Texas A&M announced the comprehensive stadium renovation plans for Kyle Field in May 2013, the spring after Manziel’s Heisman season. The plans are well underway, leading to the cancellation of the spring game and should be completed in full in time for the start of the 2015 season. Stadium expansion likely would have come in time whether Manziel was in College Station or not, because the support for the school is plentiful and a move to the SEC came with plenty of support and enthusiasm.

So is the renovated Kyle Field a result of Manziel mania? Or is the future SEC money coming in more of a factor? Given that few knew who Manziel was when the school announced a move to the SEC to thunderous applause, Manziel’s impact may be slightly exaggerated when it comes to this issue.

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Utah State player upgraded to fair condition after collapse

Associated PressMar 25, 2023, 1:50 AM EDT

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Utah State redshirt freshman wide receiver Josh Davis is in fair condition on Friday, one day after collapsing at spring football practice following sudden cardiac arrest, the university announced.

Davis, initially was listed in critical condition, was breathing on his own. He is in the intensive-care unit at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

Davis’ parents arrived in Utah on Thursday evening.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Davis, who is from Carlsbad, California, collapsed at Merlin Olsen Field and was immediately treated by the training staff, the university said. He was taken to Logan Regional Hospital.

The university said Davis was stabilized in the Logan hospital before being moved to Ogden.

Alabama suspends freshman defensive back after drug arrest

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 10:32 PM EDT

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell has been suspended from the team following his arrest on a drug charge.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Monday after the first practice of spring that Mitchell was suspended from the team “and all team activities until we gather more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is.”

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mitchell and another man, Christophere Lewis, last week on a charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Lewis also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.

“Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions,” Saban said. “There’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’ve gotta be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around and what you do, who you associate yourself with and the situations that you put yourself in. It is what it is, but there is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a five-star prospect rated the 34th-best player and No. 3 safety in the 247Composite rankings.

Mitchell was driving the vehicle during a traffic stop. After deputies smelled marijuana, Mitchell picked up a baggie of marijuana from the passenger floorboard, according to the department’s Facebook post.

Sheriff’s deputies found “an additional significant amount of marijuana, a set of scales, a loaded handgun between the passenger seat and center console, and a large amount of cash,” according to the department’s Facebook post.