Own the group chat with The Weekender, highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors, and a glance at what’s next.
TEXAS PICKED TO WIN SEC BY CONFERENCE MEDIA
Led by quarterback Arch Manning and coming off a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance, the Longhorns have garnered plenty of attention heading into the 2025 campaign.
Receiving 96 of the 204 votes cast by SEC media members during SEC Media Days this week, Texas has emerged as the favorite to claim the conference crown come December.
Aside from Texas, Georgia (44), Alabama (29), LSU (20) and South Carolina (5), rounded out the top five vote-getters from SEC Media members.
THE 2025 SEC FOOTBALL MEDIA POLL
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) July 18, 2025
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/bq4bxITRyp
Texas opens the season at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 31 at noon, with a Cotton Bowl rematch set between the Longhorns and defending national champions Ohio State. The game will be televised on FOX.
LOUISIANA TECH’S SUN BELT REUNION
A member of the Conference USA since 2013, Louisiana Tech will, once again, be on the move to a new conference — this time an old friend.
Louisiana Tech is set to return to the Sun Belt sometime before July 1, 2027, as a replacement for the departing Texas State, which is primed to join the Pac-12 in 2026. A member of the Sun Belt from 1991-2001, Louisiana Tech has also spent time as a member of the Western Athletic Conference and C-USA.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, several schools in the Sun Belt West pushed hard for Louisiana Tech’s return, due to natural geographic rivalries with the Bulldogs. Those schools included Louisiana, UL-Monroe, Southern Mississippi and South Alabama.
Despite some pushback from Sun Belt East schools, Louisiana Tech still maintained the number of votes needed to approve the invitation to the conference.
MEMPHIS FACES DISCIPLINE FROM NCAA FOR ACADEMIC VIOLATIONS
The Memphis Tigers, once again, found themselves within the scope of the NCAA’s disciplinary committee.
Memphis received a $30,000 fine and two years of probation from the NCAA after it was found that a former academic counselor paid two Memphis softball players $550 to provide test and homework answers to an unspecified basketball player during the 2024 academic year.
Both parties mutually agreed upon this punishment, and Memphis was additionally fined 1 percent of the combined budget for both the softball and men’s basketball programs. All three players involved in the academic mishap competed in 20 combined games while deemed ineligible.
ICYMI
THE FIVE BEST BUCKEYE WINS OF THE LAST 25 YEARS
Eleven Warriors looks back at the top five Ohio State victories since 2000, in the final installment of a five-part series exploring the top 25 wins since the turn of the century.
Ohio State quarterbacks Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz are focused on continued development while the duo battles for the starting job.
OHIO JUDGE DISMISSES TERRELLE PRYOR’S LAWSUIT AGAINST OHIO STATE, BIG TEN AND NCAA
An Ohio judge dismissed Terrelle Pryor’s lawsuit against Ohio State, the Big Ten and the NCAA over denied compensation for name, image and likeness during his college career.
WHAT'S NEXT
- 41 Days: Ohio State football season-opener vs. Texas
- 104 Days: Jim Knowles returns to Columbus
- 132 Days: The Game
