Sprints Keeps Up With Spring Meetings and the Baseball Regionals // 06.01.12

NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

12 p.m. ET
Tallahassee Regional: Samford vs. Mississippi State, ESPN3

1:35 p.m. ET
College Station Regional: Ole Miss vs. TCU, ESPN3

2 p.m. ET
Raleigh Regional: UNC-Wilmington vs. Vanderbilt
Houston Regional: Sam Houston State vs. Arkansas, ESPN3

4 p.m. ET
Columbia Regional: Manhattan vs. South Carolina, ESPNU
Gary Regional: Kent State vs. Kentucky

7 p.m. ET
Gainesville Regional: Bethune-Cookman vs. Florida, ESPN3

8 p.m. ET
Baton Rouge Regional: La.-Monroe vs. LSU

SEC SPRING MEETINGS

Posturing or collapse
The SEC has become the first league that I can think to categorically say take it or leave it when it comes to the conference's preference on the playoff format -- in this case, the four "best" teams. Which could just be posturing by Florida president Bernie Machen or could be the beginning of very real trouble for the playoff discussions.

"Yes, we've always been there," Machen said. "I think what's happening is that's what the public wants. I think everyone is going to have to come to us on that."

Again, no one wants to lose control of this thing, so a plus-one is still a likely compromise if the thornier issues can't be worked out. But the SEC seems willing to try to push as far as it can to see if it can get what it wants.

Machen, who's SEC president, also said the 6-1-1 schedule is the most likely one to pass and he suggested that the SEC Network is something close to a given. Good news, as far as it goes.

So maybe Lane Kiffin can get a job if the head coaching gig in LA doesn't work out
Why am I not surprised that Clay Travis was involved in this? In any case, James Franklin (VU) suggested -- he now says jokingly -- that he evaluates a coach's recruiting chops based on -- well, I'll let him tell you.

"I've been saying it for a long time, I will not hire an assistant coach until I've seen his wife," Franklin said in the interview. "If she looks the part, and she's a D-1 recruit, then you got a chance to get hired. That's part of the deal."

That sound you hear is the sound of every employment law attorney in the state of Tennessee pulling out their cell phone to see if they can get a copy of this transcript. Which is why Franklin's boss had to step in even after the coach attempt a Twitter apology.

Mostly in an effort to avoid any of those lawsuits
How can you tell? The final sentence.

Clearly his comments do not reflect the values and hiring practices of Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt Athletics or Vanderbilt Football.

Especially coming on the heels of the Jessica Dorrell incident at Arkansas, you don't want to take a chance with that kind of statement.

SEC basketball in Kansas City?
There's talk of the tournament heading to the conference's newest state, at least for a year or two.

SEC donates $100,000 to Pat Summitt's Foundation Fund
Mostly because everybody in the conference is smart enough to do whatever Pat Summitt tells them to do.

OTHER NEWS

Urban Meyer finally got his revenge
Ohio State pulled out of an agreement to play a pair of games with Georgia, one in 2020 and one in 2021. In reality, that dovetails nicely with Greg McGarity's efforts to import the Florida scheduling model to Georgia. But it's still a shame to lose what would have been a great series between two storied programs.

Izauea Lanier out for at least 2012
The eligibility issue -- probably academics -- deprives Tennessee of a starting cornerback and the Vols' strongest candidate for the All-Name team. Rocky Top Talk assesses the damage:

The bottom line, however, is that UT or anybody else for that matter can't go about sacrificing major contributors the way we have in the last week. Hopefully, this will be the only impacting move on the roster due to academics this offseason.

The AP now allows you to use "hopefully" there. Just saying.