College sports is broken. And it isn’t the kids asking to be paid who broke it.

Texas A&M is going to pay Jimbo Fisher more than $77 million to go away after firing him Sunday. Throw in the money owed for bonuses he’s already earned, the payoffs for his assistants and the contract for the new coach, and the total price tag likely will be north of $100 million.

But sure. The greatest threat to college sports is athletes being allowed to profit off their name, image and likeness and the possibility courts or federal officials could deem them employees, which would require schools to pay them.

No one forced Texas A&M to give Fisher such a ludicrous contract, just as no one forced schools to upend traditional rivalries and geographical common sense with the recent realignments. This sordid mess that threatens the entire ecosystem is no one’s fault but the fine leaders of these colleges and universities, who lost both their sense of fiscal responsibility and grasp on reality long ago.

The arms race that paved the way both for Fisher’s obscene deal and the conference realignments stems from the fact schools get free labor from their athletes. You know, the people actually responsible for the product that drives the massive TV contracts and entices deep-pocketed boosters and alums to write those seven- and eight-figure checks.

Because they didn’t have to actually pay their athletes, schools realized they could plow all that excess cash into other things that would bring them more athletes, more attention and, thus, even more money. Like the football facility at Clemson that includes a golf simulator and a sand volleyball court. Or the locker room at Washington, which looks more like a club than an athletic facility with its purple LED lighting.

Then there are the ridiculous contracts that have made a head football or men’s basketball coach the highest-paid public employee in almost every state and often include even more outlandish buyout clauses. In the same week jaws were dropping over Fisher’s buyout, Kansas announced a new deal that will pay men’s basketball coach Bill Self a whopping $9.44 million this season.

It’s gotten to be like Monopoly money. And the more the schools spend, the more they need.

‘Let me be very clear in this next part: Texas A&M athletics and the 12th Man Foundation will be the sole sources of the necessary funds covering these transition costs,’ athletic director Ross Bjork said Sunday night. ‘We will use unrestricted contributions within the 12th Man Foundation for the first one-time payments, and the athletic department will fund the remaining payments for the remaining portion by growing our revenues and adjusting our annual operating budget accordingly.’

The operative words in that word jumble being, ‘the athletic department will fund the remaining payments for the remaining portion’ of Fisher’s buyout. Which means the athletic department will be on the hook for some $50 million of Fisher’s golden parachute.

Can’t pay those players, though!

Somewhere along the way, athletes realized the unfairness of these economics and began demanding a share of the largesse. Rather than find a workable solution, schools have fought them every step of the way. When that didn’t work, they went crying to Congress, asking politicians to save them from themselves.

‘During (recruiting) visits, discussions now emerge regarding how much a student-athlete can expect from NIL,’ Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said in his written testimony for the House Committee on Small Business’ hearing on NIL earlier this fall.

Oh, the horror.

University administrators – and this isn’t only on the folks in the athletic department, mind you – have been spending with reckless abandon for more than a decade. Now that the financial reckoning is upon them, they want the rules changed to protect them from the consequences.

Their defense is schools simply don’t have the money to pay their athletes after they’ve splashed out on everything else. Because if the football and basketball players get paid, the golfers and gymnasts have to get paid, too. Yes, and the point is?

The money is there. Clearly. It’s not the fault of the athletes that the supposed adults in the room let the spending get out of control and have shown no interest whatsoever in trying to rein themselves in.

There is little question reform is needed in college athletics. But rather than going after athletes who are trying to get some of what is rightfully theirs, start with the people who spend as if money is no object and the bills are never going to come due.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

In particular, an AFC North battle saw the Baltimore Ravens − again − self-implode and blow a big lead, sustaining what has become a concerning pattern with this team. And, in the process, the rival Cleveland Browns stole a crucial divisional victory.

Elsewhere in the AFC, the Houston Texans had to fend off a late surge from the red-hot Cincinnati Bengals to notch a signature victory for rookie coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.

In the NFC, there’s no other way to say it: the Derek Carr move just isn’t working right now for the New Orleans Saints.

Here are the winners and losers from Sunday in Week 10.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

WINNERS

Steelers win … but this is unsustainable

Pittsburgh is 6-3 after eking out a 23-19 win against the Green Bay Packers. The team is a half-game out of first place in the AFC North. The Steelers, however, cannot sustain this level with their current offensive production. The key culprits are coordinator Matt Canada and quarterback Kenny Pickett, who has thrown for 359 yards and a single touchdown in the last three games.

The Steelers are the only team in NFL history to be outgained in total offense in each of their first nine games but still have a winning record. Pittsburgh has been outgained on the season by 865 yards. It has a -26 point differential. The Steelers have recorded 36 fewer first downs than opponents this season and they’ve run 75 fewer offensive plays. Frankly, it’s remarkable Pittsburgh is three games above .500. But it also means that a steep regression could be looming.

Incomplete Cardinals show some life with Kyler

Making his first start after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament last year, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was a bit rusty against the Atlanta Falcons. That’s normal. But with his rushing, his ability to extend plays, pocket presence and arm, the incomplete Cardinals (2-8) are far more competitive with him under center. Murray completed 19-of-32 for 249 yards with no touchdowns against one interception in the Cardinals’ 25-23 win. But he picked up a rushing touchdown and 33 yards on the ground on six carries. None was bigger than a winding 13-yard scramble on a third-and-10 with 1:50 in the fourth that set up the game-winning field goal.

Murray has his limitations and is a rather polarizing quarterback. He persistently faces questions about his future in Arizona; with the Cardinals projected to be in the running for a top-10 draft pick, those likely won’t diminish, either. But Murray has a vital stretch in these final eight games to build trust with this front office and coaching staff. This was a great start.

Ben Johnson

The offensive coordinator of the Lions (7-2) has Detroit’s outfit absolutely humming. Granted, the Lions have a tremendous offensive line and speed at the skill positions, but Johnson has shown time and time again this season that he has impeccable feel for calling a game and exploiting another team’s weakness.

In Sunday’s 41-38 win against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Lions ran for 200 yards and threw for another 333. The running back tandem of David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs set the tone, combining for 193 rushing yards and three scores. It was that barrage that helped set up what was a masterful call in the middle of the fourth: with the game tied on a third-and-1, Johnson called for the Lions to line up in a heavy formation and dialed up a play-action that both quarterback Jared Goff and Montgomery sold, allowing tight end Brock Wright to leak past the coverage in the seam for a 25-yard score. It won’t be long before Johnson becomes a head coach.

The Texans are here

It became a little tenuous late, but this goes down as a solid, signature victory for the young Houston Texans. They went into Cincinnati to face a Bengals team that was on fire and winners of four in a row. The two-time defending AFC North champs battled back from a 13-point deficit to eventually tie the Texans late in the fourth, but it shows a great deal that the Texans (5-4), behind Stroud, overcame that adversity.

Houston has now won five of its last seven. Ryans has transformed the culture and Stroud is not only a virtual lock for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, he very well may play his way into MVP consideration. The offensive weapons are not household names yet, but they are winning with effort and discipline, two indicators of good teams. It’s easy to forget that Houston won just three games last season.

LOSERS

The Jaguars are nice – they’re also not quite ready

First, a caveat. The San Francisco 49ers, when healthy, are a legitimate NFC contender. Over the bye week, they got healthier. So the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss, in many ways, was predictable. But in the 34-3 romp, it was the way the Jaguars offense failed to generate anything against a San Francisco secondary that had shown itself to be vulnerable in previous weeks that proved how much this team still needs to grow to establish itself as a contender. A lot of this is on Trevor Lawrence, who simply has to be better.

In the previous two games, San Francisco had allowed a combined 607 passing yards and five passing touchdowns. Lawrence and Jacksonville (6-3) could muster only 162 passing yards and failed to get in the end zone. The Jaguars committed four turnovers and now are tied for 27th this year with 17 giveaways. Jacksonville has some solid young pieces, and the future is undoubtedly bright. The Jaguars may even win the AFC South again. A deep run in the postseason, though, still seems a ways off.

This is precisely why the Ravens can’t shed front-runners label

At this point, this is a trend. With the Browns erasing a 15-point second-half deficit for a 33-31 win, the Ravens again dropped a game in which they held a significant lead, collapsing late because of turnovers, lazy offensive execution, a lack of urgency and going away from strengths and players who had productive first halves.

Running back Keaton Mitchell starred last week and opened the first quarter against the Browns with a 39-yard touchdown run on his very first touch of the day. He posted a 32-yard reception on his second touch, also in the first. Mitchell would touch the ball just two more times the rest of the game. Quarterback Lamar Jackson recorded his first multi-interception game of the season, with his second turnover coming late in the game and being returned for a touchdown, cutting Baltimore’s lead to 1 point. There were so many other reasons for this loss: drops, a blocked field goal, ineptitude on third downs — all the things keeping the Ravens (7-3) from being truly elite.

The Jets’ season is disintegrating before our eyes

This is what happens when a team has a win-now roster but ignores a clear deficiency – multiple deficiencies, if we’re being honest. It started with the offensive line, which was partly responsible for the constant pressure Aaron Rodgers faced in the opener, when he tore his Achilles. Since, New York has doubled (and tripled) down on Zach Wilson as the backup option.

Wilson is not alone in bearing the blame for the Jets (4-5) dropping two in a row with a 16-12 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. But look at what the Minnesota Vikings did, trading for Joshua Dobbs when Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles. Minnesota (6-4) has won two games with Dobbs at the helm and is on a five-game win streak. The Jets have been stubborn, waiting for Wilson to blossom, or at least string together consistent play. Wilson’s red zone interception with 1:22 left to play cratered the team’s chance to beat the Raiders. So now, New York hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown since the first quarter of Week 8, an active streak of 11 quarters.

The Saints have no viable quarterback

It’s not just that Carr’s numbers have been bad. It’s that New Orleans’ whole offense sputters when he’s behind center. When Carr was knocked out of Sunday’s 27-19 loss against the Vikings in the third quarter, the Saints had scored just three points.

Benching Carr, who was the team’s choice this offseason when they gave him a contract with $100 million in guarantees, signals a failure by the front office. The problem is that Jameis Winston is a contradiction; he’ll fire a pinpoint touchdown in the far corner of the end zone on his third throw of the day and then heave two reckless interceptions late in the game. Coach Dennis Allen confirmed Carr will remain the starter when healthy, but a barometer of how far he has to go in this offense is the lack of production from the team’s top receiver, Chris Olave, who caught five of his six passes (for 79 of his 94 yards and a touchdown) from Winston.

Even though there’s been something of an air of inevitability with the way the college football season has unfolded, there’s still been plenty to overreact to all year. So why stop now?

Once again if you’re new to this feature, the headings you see are not our takes. They are observations expressed by commentators, amateur or professional, regarding what just transpired on the field. Our aim is to put these views into proper perspective.

We’ll begin our breakdown of the top overreactions after Week 11 in college football with a quick look ahead to one of those seemingly inevitable events, examine the prospects for the sport’s most prestigious individual honor, and as usual try to sort out the big picture as the season winds down.

The Big Ten will get two playoff spots

Now that Michigan and Ohio State are all but assured of being 11-0 at the time of their meeting for a second consecutive season, it’s become an article of faith among numerous analysts that both will make the four-team playoff as they did last year regardless of outcome.

That might indeed be the case, but there are more scenarios in play this time around that could lead to the loser getting left out. First and foremost, there might be three other power conference champs that finish without a loss. There might not be, of course. Washington has a tough finishing stretch in the Pac-12 (more on that below), and Florida State has survived its share of close calls already in ACC play.

But if there are four undefeated teams in the mix once conference champs are crowned in December, all the one-loss candidates will be closed out. Then even if there isn’t a full quartet that makes it to 13-0, either the Buckeyes or Wolverines at 11-1 wouldn’t necessarily get the nod over other members of the one-loss club with conference championships due to the Big Ten’s overall lack of depth. Ohio State might have a stronger argument due to its more challenging non-conference resume, but neither the Buckeyes nor the Wolverines want to be in that position.

Jayden Daniels is this year’s Caleb Williams

There have been some exceptions, but for the most part the Heisman Trophy has gone to a player on a title contender in the sport’s playoff era. One of those exceptions was last year, however, as Caleb Williams simply put up numbers that were too strong to ignore despite his USC Trojans falling short in the Pac-12 finale. Jayden Daniels has a similar argument this year. LSU can’t win the SEC, but the Tigers’ dual-threat QB leads the nation in total offense with 4,082 yards, including 918 rushing. His magnum opus came Saturday night when he torched Florida for 606 total yards and five touchdowns, and the Tigers needed most of them in a 52-35 victory.

Unfortunately for Daniels, that might have been his last real chance to make an impression. Other candidates like Washington’s Michael Penix, Oregon’s Bo Nix, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and fast closing Jalen Milroe are going to have more opportunities in the spotlight in the season’s final weeks. But it does seem likely that Daniels earned himself at least a trip to New York, even if he doesn’t come home with a statue.

RE-RANK: Michigan holds off Georgia at top of NCAA 1-133

HIGHS AND LOWS: Week 11 college football winners and losers

They can breathe easy at SEC headquarters – the league champ is in

Some less than favorable September results threw the SEC’s accustomed position of superiority in the sport into doubt. But now that the league’s flagship programs are guaranteed to meet in Atlanta, there’s no way the SEC will be left out of the final foursome, right?

Probably not, but a couple teensy-weensy pieces of business must be handled first. Georgia has a final road trip to Tennessee before dealing with in-state foe Georgia Tech, and strange things occasionally happen to Alabama when Auburn hosts the Iron Bowl as will be the case in a couple of weeks. But assuming the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs reach Atlanta with still just the one loss between them, it’s conceivable but highly unlikely that the winner would be omitted. Georgia at 13-0 would be a lock, of course, and the résumé of a 12-1 Alabama that would necessarily include a win against the Bulldogs would figure to stack up favorably against most other one-loss candidates.

Ah, but what if one of those candidates is Texas? Does head-to-head trump all? There’s a case to be made that a result from Week 2 isn’t indicative of how the teams are playing in Week 14. This is the same kind of conundrum that often comes up in the committee room during basketball season as November results are weighed against February and March performances. Suffice it to say that however the committee resolves this potential issue should it arise, somebody’s extremely vocal fan base is not going to be happy.

Oregon State – last agent of chaos?

Say this for the soon-to-be-erstwhile Pac-12. It has given us one heck of a last ride. Washington and Oregon have the inside track to a rematch, with the winner likely to earn strong playoff consideration if not an outright guarantee. But one of the teams left behind in the realignment derby might have a last laugh.

Oregon State gets a crack at both league leaders in the final two weeks of the regular season. The Beavers are fresh off hanging 62 on Stanford, not exactly welcome news for Washington’s struggling defense as it prepares to visit Corvallis next week. The Beavers then head to Eugene looking to upend the Ducks for a second consecutive season. Oregon State fans would love nothing better than to spoil the Pac-12’s last party. It probably won’t happen, but we’ll certainly enjoy the show.

Every school needs a Tyler from Spartanburg

A couple of weeks ago, Clemson was sitting at 4-4 following a lackluster loss to North Carolina State. But since coach Dabo Swinney infamously went off on a disgruntled fan who called into his radio show, the Tigers have suddenly started to look like Clemson again, following up an upset of Notre Dame with a dominant performance against an improved Georgia Tech squad. Coincidence? Probably, but sometimes the smallest of sparks goes a long way toward firing up a team.

On the other hand, encouraging entitled fans to pop off, either on air or on the internet, isn’t always going to produce desired results. College football programs need their supporters, of course, but when those relationships get frayed, things often go badly for all involved. So Tyler from Spartanburg said his piece and might have gotten a positive response from his favorite team, but don’t expect that to work for everyone.

The NHL trade deadline is March 8 and already a few moves and other transactions are trickling in.

The latest was the Minnesota Wild moving out one defenseman to bring in a different style of blue-liner in a separate trade.

General managers will be guided by another year of a tight salary cap, but it’s expected to rise next season, possibly by $4 million. Last summer, a lot of players signed low-cost, one-year deals, increasing the pool of potential unrestricted free agents who could be moved out for draft picks or prospects.

Follow along this season for news and analysis on deals, major transactions and other announcements that have happened in the months leading up the trade deadline:

Nov. 12: Edmonton Oilers fire coach Jay Woodcroft

The Edmonton Oilers fired coach Jay Woodcroft on Sunday after a 3-9-1 start and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch, the Hartford Wolf Pack coach and Connor McDavid’s former junior hockey coach. That’s the third recent move with a connection to three-time MVP McDavid. His agent, Jeff Jackson, was hired earlier as CEO of hockey operations and the team also signed his former junior hockey linemate Connor Brown.

McDavid said Monday he was surprised by the move and said Woodcroft ‘never lost the room.’

The Oilers were a trendy pick to go far in the playoffs, but have disappointed this season. Last season’s No. 1-ranked offense is 26th this season, with McDavid possibly slowed by an injury that cost him two games. Their goaltending issues have been worse. Jack Campbell was sent to the American Hockey League in the second year of his five-year contract. Stuart Skinner, a rookie of the year finalist last season, ranks last in the league in goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck.

Knoblauch – and newly hired Oilers legend Paul Coffey coaching the defense – will be tasked with getting the Oilers back to a playoff spot. There’s precedent: Woodcroft went 26-9-3 down the stretch in 2021-22 as a midseason replacement and led the team to the Western Conference final. 

Also: The Colorado Avalanche announced that goalie Pavel Francouz (lower body) will miss the rest of the season. He has yet to play in 2023-24 and will return to the Czech Republic to be with his family. The team also signed forward Joel Kiviranta to a one-year deal.

Nov. 10: Pittsburgh Penguins to retire Jaromir Jagr’s number

Jaromir Jagr, drafted fifth overall in 1990, won Stanley Cup titles in his first two seasons and ranks fourth in franchise history with 1,079 points in 806 games. He played 11 seasons with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Washington Capitals. He ranks second all-time in NHL history in points and fourth in goals. His No. 68 will be retired on Feb. 18.

Nov. 8: Minnesota Wild trade Calen Addison to San Jose Sharks, acquire Zach Bogosian from Tampa Bay Lightning

Addison was sent to the San Jose Sharks for forward Adam Raska and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick. The defenseman is a power play specialist, but he is unreliable in his own zone. That led to him being a healthy scratch often down the stretch last season. With the Wild getting Jared Spurgeon back soon from injury (he was activated from long-term injured reserve on Friday), the power play opportunities will dwindle. Addison will be more valuable to the Sharks, who dealt Erik Karlsson last summer. He will be a restricted free agent at season’s end.

Bogosian lacks Addison’s offense, but the veteran takes care of his end of the ice. He’s a right-handed shot, like Addison.

“He’s a big guy,’ Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin told reporters. ‘He still skates well. He brings heaviness. He brings some grit and we need that.”

The trade buys the Lightning a little bit of salary cap breathing room. Bogosian, in the final season of a three-year contract, has a $850,000 cap hit.

Nov. 7: Edmonton Oilers place goalie Jack Campbell on waivers

Campbell, who signed a five-year, $25 million free agent deal in 2022, hasn’t played well since arriving. Stuart Skinner surpassed him last season and was a rookie of the year finalist. This season, Campbell was chased in the season opener and has gone 1-4 with a 4.50 goals-against average and .873 save percentage. He cleared waivers and will work on his game in the American Hockey League as the struggling Oilers try to get into a playoff spot. Edmonton recalled Calvin Pickard from Bakersfield (California) to back up Skinner.

Oct. 13: Colorado Avalanche sign defenseman Devon Toews to seven-year extension

He’ll average $7.25 million in the deal, which begins next season. Heading into the season, Toews led the league with a +120 plus-minus rating since he was acquired from the New York Islanders in 2020. He’s right behind defenseman Cale Makar in average ice time during that time.

Oct. 10: Carolina Hurricanes acquire forward Callahan Burke from the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Caleb Jones

The Hurricanes loaded up on defense this offseason and Jones was the odd man out. Both players will play for the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles.

The beginning of November means it’s time for the NCAA women’s soccer tournament, and 64 teams will attempt to make it to Cary, North Carolina, and win the 2023 College Cup.

Leading the tournament is No. 1 Florida State, which finished the season unbeaten with a 16-0-1 record and a fourth consecutive ACC title, as the Seminoles look to win their second national championship in three seasons. First round action has concluded, with the biggest surprise coming in Los Angeles, as UC Irvine knocked off defending champion UCLA.

The bracket is broken down into four quadrants, with seeds 1-8 in each quadrant hosting first-round games. Second- and third-round games will be played at eight campus sites of the highest seed remaining, and quarterfinals played at the highest seeded team’s home stadium before the final four teams reach the College Cup.

Here is what to know about the bracket for the 2023 NCAA women’s soccer tournament:

Who are the NCAA women’s soccer No. 1 seeds?

Florida StateUCLAClemsonBrigham Young

2023 NCAA women’s soccer tournament schedule

First round: Nov. 10, 11 or 12Second round: Nov. 16 or 17Third round: Nov. 19Quarterfinals: Nov. 24 or 25College Cup: Dec. 1National championship: Dec. 4

2023 NCAA women’s soccer tournament bracket

All game times are in ET.

No. 1 seed Florida State

Second round

1. Florida State vs. 8. Texas A&M – Nov. 17, 5:30 p.m.

4. Wisconsin vs. 5. Texas – Nov. 17, 2 p.m.

3. Notre Dame vs. 6. Memphis – Nov. 17, 4 p.m.

2. Arkansas vs. 7. Pittsburgh – Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m.

First round

1. Florida State 5, Morehead State 0

8. Texas A&M 1, Colorado 0

5. Texas 2, Lamar 0

4. Wisconsin 2, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 0

3. Notre Dame 2, Valparaiso 0

6. Memphis 2, LSU 1

7. Pittsburgh 6, Ohio State 0

2. Arkansas 5, Grambling State 0

No. 1 seed Clemson

Second round

1. Clemson vs. 8. Columbia – Nov. 17, 5:30 p.m.

4. Georgia vs. 5. Iowa – Nov. 17, 2 p.m.

3. Georgetown vs. 6. Saint Louis – Nov. 17, 3 p.m.

2. Penn State vs. 7. Santa Clara – Nov. 17, 6 p.m.

First round

1. Clemson 2, Radford 0

8. Columbia 2, Rutgers 1

5. Iowa 2, Bucknell 0

4. Georgia 2, Liberty 1

3. Georgetown 2, Old Dominion 1

6. Saint Louis 2, Indiana 0

7. Santa Clara 3, Arizona State 0

2. Penn State 7, Central Connecticut State 0

No. 1 seed BYU

Second round

1. BYU 2 vs. 8. Southern California – Nov. 16, 9 p.m.

4. Harvard vs. 5. Michigan State – Nov. 16, 6 p.m.

3. North Carolina vs. 6. Alabama – Nov. 17, 3:30 p.m.

2. Texas Tech vs. 7. Princeton – Nov. 17, 7 p.m.

First round

1. BYU 2, Utah State 0

8. Southern California 1, Grand Canyon 0

5. Michigan State 3, Ohio 0

4. Harvard 3, Maine 0

3. North Carolina 3, Towson 1

6. Alabama 2, Western Carolina 0

7. Princeton 1, Michigan 0

2. Texas Tech 1, Florida Gulf Coast 0

No. 1 seed UCLA

Second round

UC Irvine vs. 8. Gonzaga – Nov. 17, 4:30 p.m.

5. Nebraska vs. Tennessee – Nov. 17, 8 p.m.

3. Brown vs. 6. Mississippi State – Nov. 17, 6:30 p.m.

2. Stanford vs. 7. South Carolina- Nov. 17, 9 p.m.

First round

UC Irvine 1, 1. UCLA 0

8. Gonzaga 1, Idaho 0

5. Nebraska 5, South Dakota State 2

Tennessee 1, 4. Xavier 0

3. Brown 3, Quinnipiac 0

6. Mississippi State 1, Providence -0

7. South Carolina 2, James Madison 0

2. Stanford 3, Pepperdine 0

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State football fired football coach Zach Arnett on Monday.

Arnett was in his first full season as coach leading the Bulldogs to a 4-6 record and 1-6 in the SEC. He finishes with a 5-6 record.

Senior offensive analyst Greg Knox will serve as interim head coach for the final two games of the season.

‘As part of my thorough and continued evaluation, I have determined that a change in leadership is necessary to move our football program forward and position it for the highest level of success,’ athletic director Zac Selmon said in a school release. ‘I have the utmost respect for Zach Arnett and am incredibly appreciative of the effort he put forth in leading our football program. However, the progress and on-field results have not been of the standard required for Mississippi State to achieve the level of success we need and expect.’

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Arnett was promoted from defensive coordinator in December after the death of Mike Leach. Arnett, who was the lowest-paid coach in the SEC this year, led Mississippi State to a ReliaQuest Bowl win against Illinois shortly after Leach’s death before revamping the staff ahead of this season.

 ‘Zach took on an unprecedented and challenging situation last December,’ Selmon said. ‘He provided the football program much needed leadership and stability during a tragic time. There is no question that he has made a positive impact on the lives of our student-athletes during his time here. We are grateful for his contributions to Mississippi State and wish him the very best both personally and professionally.’

Arnett’s buyout requires Mississippi State to pay 50% of the remaining $9 million on his contract, according to documents the Clarion Ledger acquired through a public records request.

However, if he gets another coaching job, his salary at the next stop would erase from the buyout. For example, if he earns an annual salary of $1.5 million at his next job, Mississippi State wouldn’t have to pay him.

‘When Zac Selmon was hired after Coach Leach’s passing, one of the attributes he reflected was the ability to effectively identify and recruit talent,’ school president Mark Keenum said. ‘I have every confidence that Zac will move quickly to identify a new leader for our football program who will energize our team, our students and our loyal and enthusiastic fan base.’

MSU opened its season with back-to-back wins against Southeastern Louisiana and Arizona. Since then, Mississippi State has lost five of seven − with the lone wins coming against Western Michigan and Arkansas. The Bulldogs’ latest loss came Saturday in a blowout at Texas A&M.

Arnett, a New Mexico native, played linebacker from 2005-08 while staying in-state to play for the University of New Mexico. He joined San Diego State’s staff in 2011 as a graduate assistant where he was eventually promoted to defensive coordinator. In 2020, he was hired as Syracuse’s defensive coordinator. However, he left to join Leach’s staff at MSU within two weeks.

Arnett’s promotion to head coach came a month before Selmon was hired as athletics director.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

Arizona State fans have been lobbying for Ray Anderson’s resignation for two years. They finally got what they wanted as the athletics director stepped down Monday with three years left on his contract.

Anderson has headed the school’s athletics department since 2014 and has been under fire since the hiring of football coach Herm Edwards went terribly wrong. The two had a long association with Anderson having served as Edwards’ agent during his NFL playing days.

The school issued a statement confirming Anderson’s resignation effective immediately, adding that he will remain as a professor of practice and senior adviser for the sports law and business program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. 

‘It has been a privilege to serve as ASU’s athletic director for nearly a decade,’ Anderson said in the statement. ‘We have entered an unprecedented era where the number and magnitude of changes in the college sports landscape are astounding. As I approach my seventh decade of life, these are not matters that my leadership would be able to corral during my tenure. Continuity of leadership will be needed, and I am choosing to step aside to let the university find that leader.’

Jim Rund, ASU senior vice president for educational outreach and student services, will serve as interim athletics director. Rund was the interim athletics director in 2013 following the departure of Steve Patterson to the University of Texas, the statement said.

Anderson’s resignation precedes Arizona State making the transition from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 conference next year.

‘I want to sincerely thank the many ASU student-athletes as well as our dedicated coaches and staff for the pleasure of leading them as their athletic director,’ Anderson said. ‘They have all been wonderful partners and teammates.’

The departure comes as the football program is working to recover from problems left behind by Edwards, who was hired in December 2017 as head coach.

He parted ways with the program three games into the 2022 season and left with a cloud of an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations hanging over the program. Rather than fire Edwards for cause, the school gave him a $4.4 million buyout, which rubbed school supporters the wrong way, given the NCAA issue.

The school also announced a self-imposed bowl ban four days before the season opener against Southern Utah, a move that blindsided current head coach Kenny Dillingham and put this year’s team at a disadvantage before it had even kicked off. The school could have done that last season but chose not to so opting for that course of action this year penalizes a coaching staff and roster made up of mostly newcomers that had nothing to do with the past regime.

The call for Anderson to step down has only intensified. For the first three home games, mobile billboards have circulated the campus advocating for his removal.

Despite the recent criticisms, the athletic department had some major accomplishments under his watch, most notably a $268 million renovation to Mountain America Stadium, with the school also generating money for the naming rights of the venue formerly known as Sun Devil Stadium.

Among the other success was the addition of Mullett Arena, which serves as home to the school’s men’s ice hockey program as well as the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes. ASU’s gymnastics and volleyball teams also use the facility, which has been a revenue maker due largely to the rent paid by the Coyotes.

Anderson also negotiated an eight-year, $38 million apparel agreement with Adidas and has added four varsity sports since he took over – men’s hockey, women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis and triathlon.

We’ve seen electric vehicle competition heat up on land. Could we be seeing the beginning of another one on water?

Electric boats probably won’t be filling up U.S. waters anytime soon, but boat builders, sports stars and students are pushing the boats’ limits and driving this $3.3-billion-a-year business into the mainstream.

The most ostentatious signs of electric boats’ future are the speeds that two groups have achieved in recent weeks. In August, Canadian boatbuilder Vision Marine hit 116 mph, and in recent days, Princeton University’s electric speedboating team topped 117.5 mph.

Those speed milestones serve as a fitting prelude to the new electric boat racing series that starts early next year with investors such as former NFL great Tom Brady and Rafael Nadal, holder of 22 Grand Slam tennis titles.

How the fastest electric boats compare with traditional boats

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Princeton’s record, certified by the American Power Boat Association, officially stands at 114.2 mph after averaging two runs of 111 and 117.5 mph. That easily surpassed the previous APBA record for electric boats of 88.6 mph set in 2018.

Andrew Robbins, CEO of the Princeton team, said he knew from his first 83 mph run this past spring that team members had something special underneath their refurbished hydroplane hull, which is older than any of the 40-some students in the club.

‘It’s an interesting feeling. As you go faster, you start to feel you’re no longer touching the water – you’re floating,’ Robbins said. He went for a second run and the boat unofficially bettered the standing record by almost 3 mph.

How do students get a boat up 117 mph on a lake?

‘We’ve been able to curate a very, very good group of team partners,’ Robbins said. ‘We knew if we were going go this fast, we had to work with the best in each field.’

That group has included Black Sheep Racing and Flux Marine, a start-up that builds electric outboard motors. Two of Flux Marine’s founders, Ben Sorkin and Jonathan Lord, are 2018 Princeton mechanical and aerospace engineering graduates.

The team also counted on Black Sheep Racings’ John Peeters, holder of 61 speed boat racing records, to pilot the 14-foot carbon-fiber boat. Below, Peeters reaches 117.5 mph during his second run Oct. 26 on Lake Townsend in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Electric boat acceleration much like an EV’s

Don’t expect the Princeton club to start mass-producing their boats anytime soon – unlike Vision Marine, which has used the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout to showcase the power of their electric motors. They raised their top speed from 109 in 2022 to 116 this year.

Much like the quick acceleration electric car drivers experience, boats with electric motors can rapidly reach their top speeds.

‘Oh, the torque. That’s how we can hit 116 miles an hour on a three-quarter-mile track,’ said Bruce Nurse, investor relations representative of Vision Marine. ‘It’s the torque and how fast it gets up to plane.’

The trade-off, as with electric cars, is the faster you move, the faster you deplete your battery. But Nurse points out that the recreational boaters who buy boats with their engines aren’t looking to set new speed records on the lakes, rivers or coastal waterways.

How is an electric motor set up in a boat?

High-voltage electricity, water and people aren’t generally a good combination, so builders take extra care with the manufacturing and installation of the motors.

‘We started out with a typical EV battery that you put on a chassis. It long, it’s wide, it just doesn’t fit in a hull,’ Nurse said. Since then, Vision Marine worked with Octillian and Neogy to design and develop their own marine-certified outboard electric motor. For now, Vision Marine provides motors only for new boats.

Princeton’s boat is half the size of Vision Marine’s. It also has only one motor versus two. So cutting weight became key, including four modest lithium batteries.

‘The trouble was building in an electric powertrain that could suit the hull well. So mostly it’s keeping our weight down and our our power up,’ Robbins said. ‘Making a powertrain that was specifically curated for that hull was probably the trickiest.’

A vision for less pollution in waterways

About 7 in 10 Americans (72%) say they would consider purchasing an electric car because of the environmental benefits and to save money on gas (70%), according to the Pew Research Center.

On the water, the environmental benefits go beyond reducing emissions from gas-powered engines. The Ocean Conservancy estimates U.S. boaters annually spill, throw away or dump 30 times the oil that escaped into Alaskan waters from the Exxon Valdez in 1989. A portion of that oil can be attributed to recreational boaters’ fueling miscues.

‘We understand you’re not going to get rid of gas and diesel engines,’ Nurse said. ‘We know the consumer out there is becoming environmentally conscious. That’s why you’re seeing the EVs taking off.’

Tom Brady and the electric boat racing series

The UIM E1 World Championship offers to bring together more environmentally friendly racing with a fleet of electric boats called RaceBirds, boats from which you might expect Luke Skywalker to emerge after watching them skim across the water.

‘I think the E1 Series is a really cool competition,’ Robbins said. ‘The style of boats has never been raced before – whether they’re gas or electric.’

The series, which begins Feb. 2 in Saudi Arabia, is made up of seven teams led primarily by global sports stars, including Brady, Nadal, cricket player Virat Kohli, former soccer player Didier Drogba and motorsports racing driver Sergio Perez.

‘The boats look amazing,’ Brady said shortly after taking his E1 series ownership role in July. ‘They’re sleek and cool and modern – exactly what you’d think for an electric racing boat.’