SEC teams rush to schedule the Kansas Jayhawks

By Brent SobleskiAug 26, 2014, 6:04 PM EDT

Kansas Jayhawks football is growing in popularity, albeit for all the wrong reasons.

As conferences attempt to improve their non-conference schedules in order to be more attractive options for the College Football Playoff, the Jayhawks are one of the few teams which play in a Power Five conference that are still classified as a potential “cupcake” on the schedule.

SEC teams, in particular, have been quite interested in scheduling the Jayhawks in recent weeks.

Heard this today: The week the SEC announced mandated non-con games against BCS (or big five) teams, KU received "about seven calls."

— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) August 26, 2014

Kansas’ reputation precedes itself. The program can’t escape the fact its 9-39 the past four seasons. And the Jayhawks are expected to finish last in the Big 12 Conference again this season. The program is essentially seen as a loophole in the SEC’s mandate.

The Jayhawks aren’t eager to regularly play against teams from the best conference in college football. And it may be the first time the program can actually turn down requests from other programs.

But don't expect KU to have any home-and-homes with SEC teams, KU official says. Non-conference slate is pretty full through the decade.

— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) August 26, 2014

Schedules are generally created years in advance. The Jayhawks have a full non-conference slate through 2017, and they’re not exactly playing against powerhouse programs. The one team that’s been highly successful the Jayhawks face during that period is the Duke Blue Devils this season.

Kansas does currently have one opening in its non-conference schedule in 2018. And the program has two openings for the 2019 and 2020 season. SEC teams may have to fight over those opportunities to actually play Kansas in the future. At that point, Kansas may be able to leverage a home-and-home series with an SEC program.

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.