Thoughts of the Day: August 8, 2026

A few thoughts to jump start your Saturday:

The NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, has chosen to die on the 5-for-5 rule hill that prohibits the fourth-year seniors who graduated high school in 2022 from a fifth year of eligibility while granting a fifth year to all years since. The ruling by a Federal District judge in Colorado imposed a nationwide inunction that reinstates the eligibility for high school class of 2022 athletes but the NCAA has promised an appeal, stating it seeks “to protect participation opportunities for countless student-athletes who chose where to attend school based on the understanding that the rules adopted by the NCAA’s member institutions would be applied as written.” The NCAA further hung its defense on the Protect College Sports Act, which isn’t going to see the light of day in the Senate until a brief session in September prior to another recess before the mid-term elections.

What a load.

You can bet the ranch that the NCAA is going to have the same success appealing this ruling as it had fighting NIL (9-0 Supreme Court decision against the NCAA) or as it is currently having fighting lawsuits all over the country by last year’s fourth-year athletes seeking a fifth year. Odds are the NCAA would have a better chance surviving a date with Old Sparky up in Raiford than it will winning in the courts.

But, leave it to the NCAA to run up legal bills that have to be somewhere close to $100 million rather than compromise. The more the NCAA fights, the more powerful attorney Darren Heitner becomes as he strings together one win after another that restores eligibility.

Yesterday, Texas offensive guard Cole Hutson rejoined the team. With 48 games and 23 starts under his belt, Hutson’s addition makes the Longhorns’ offensive line as formidable a unit as there is in the country. National champ Indiana has welcomed back defensive linemen Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt.  Earlier in the week, power forward RJ Godfrey, once of Georgia but most recently of Clemson, got his eligibility back. He signed instantly with Arizona. Those four all won in court against the NCAA and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Leadership is about making the right decisions. The NCAA needs some serious leadership from President Charlie Baker, but instead of right decisions he vows to continue the fight. Louisiana Senator John Kennedy labels people like that “a special kind of stupid.” If they formed their own club, Charlie Baker would be a card-carrying member and would stand a good chance to be elected supreme leader.

FOOTBALL BRIEFS FROM AROUND THE SEC

Alabama: Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb says resurrecting Alabama’s running game is a priority. Looking like he will be the starter at running back is freshman EJ Crowell, a 5-star who dominated the Alabama high school ranks.

Arkansas: Maurice Gleaton Jr., a sprinter on the Georgia track team who ran a 9.92 100 meters in high school, has transferred to Arkansas where he will play wide receiver on the football team while still running the sprints for the track team.

Auburn: O-line transfer Jacob Strand completed the 46 hours for his degree at Oregon State so he’s eligible. The 6-5, 310-pounder is listed as the No. 1 right tackle although he could be switched to left tackle once full contact begins.

Georgia: Lawson Luckie, who caught 15 passes last year, is an early standout at Georgia’s practices. He is expected to earn the starting job at tight end now that Oscar Delp has graduated and moved on to the NFL.

Kentucky: Sophomore wide receiver Hardley Gilmore IV, who caught 28 passes for 313 yards last season, has been dismissed from the program according to the Lexington Herald-Journal.

LSU: Transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt, who was injured and missed Arizona State’s final five games last year, had such a good Wednesday that Lane Kiffin said, “If you went out today I don’t think you’d think there was an injury. I think he’s all the way back from that. Now it’s just getting the timing of everything.”

Mississippi State: Defensive end Will Whitson, who suffered a knee injury in game two last year, is wearing a knee brace and practicing, which is good news for the Bulldogs. In the two games he played last year he registered two sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss.

Missouri: The United States Senate voted with unanimous consent Thursday to recognize Missouri’s 1960 team as the national champion. The Tigers officially finished 11-0 but actually lost to Kansas 23-7 during the regular season. Kansas played an ineligible player so the game was forfeited. Something called the Poling System gave Mizzou the national championship. The Associated Press gave the title to Minnesota while the Football Writers Association of America awarded it to Ole Miss.

Oklahoma: Photos of quarterback John Mateer from day one of Oklahoma’s practice reveal the most physically imposing quarterback since the days of Tim Tebow at Florida. Mateer is coming back from a season marred by injuries. Prior to the injuries he was considered a Heisman Trophy frontrunner.

Ole Miss: On day one of fall practice, the first team offensive line is RT Tommy Kinsler (6-6, 350), RG Patrick Kutas (6-6, 315), C Brycean Sanders (6-5, 315), LG Delano Townsend (6-4, 330) and LT Terez Davis (6-4, 300).

South Carolina: Jayden Sellers, who caught 22 passes for 337 yards as a freshman last year, is expected to have a breakout season as the slot receiver. Sellers is the younger brother of quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

Tennessee: HBC Josh Heupel called out the NCAA for suspending linebacker Arion Carter two games for accepting a $427 flight from an agent while he was trying to decide whether to go pro or come back to Tennessee for one more year. “The ruling that came out from the NCAA, the 2-game suspension, I believe it’s bullshit,” Heupel said. “You look at the landscape of college football, the rules, NIL and everything, I think the ruling is completely outdated.”

Texas: Arch Manning throws a great deep ball as evidenced by throws of 50 or more yards to Auburn transfer Cam Coleman and last year’s leading receiver Ryan Wingo, but he still misfires on the short to medium routes.

Texas A&M: Rueben Owens III says he would have run for more than 1,000 yards “last year if I didn’t fall so many times.” Owens, who led the Aggies with 639 rushing yards, has been working to improve balance after contact in the offseason.

Vanderbilt: Whit Muschamp, son of former Florida head coach and now Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, is in the battle for the backup quarterback job. True freshman Jared Curtis is the odds-on favorite to be the starter.

NINE SEC TEAMS IN TOP 25 OF COACHES PRESEASON POLL

The AFCA Coaches preseason top 25 is out with Ohio State taking the No. 1 spot. Georgia, at No. 3, is the highest ranked of nine SEC teams in the top 25.

The top 25 (SEC teams bold face): 1. Ohio State; 2. Oregon; 3. Georgia; 4. Texas; 5. Notre Dame; 6. Indiana; 7. Miami; 8. Texas A&M; 9. Oklahoma; 10. Ole Miss; 11. Alabama; 12. Texas Tech; 13. LSU; 14. Southern Cal; 15. BYU; 16. Michigan; 17. Penn State; 18. Tennessee; 19. Washington; 20. SMU; 21. Utah; 22. Iowa; 23. Clemson; 24. Houston; 25. Missouri

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Enes Kanter Freedom, who has been exiled from the NBA for the last few years in all likelihood due to his outspoken views on the NBA and its alliance with China, has declared himself eligible for the next WNBA Draft. He is 6-10, 250 pounds with NBA career averages of 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He is not transgender but is basing his eligibility on the loosely worded and very uncertain definition of a woman.

Within hours of Enes Kanter Freedom declaring for the WNBA Draft, Royce White, who played at 6-7 and 260 pounds during his collegiate, mostly (what is now) G-League and Canadian professional league career, declared for the draft.

Explaining his decision, Enes Kanter Freedom said, “If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA. My team and I have carefully examined the WNBA eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion.”

White said, “I’m transgender. I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purposes of playing professional basketball.”

All this came about after reports that Julie Tetart, a transgender playing women’s professional basketball in France, is considering a bid to play in the WNBA next year. Tetart, who once played pro basketball in a men’s league in France, is a ripped 6-3, 225-pound center for Monaco in France’s Ligue 2. Last season Tetart averaged 21.2 points and 20 rebounds per game while winning player of the year and defensive player of the year awards.

As if this isn’t enough of a publicity dilemma for the WNBA, which is dealing with reverse racism against Caitlyn Clark and Sophie Cunningham supporting a ban on former males now transgender women in locker rooms, Clay Travis issued a $10 million challenge to the league. The founder/editor of Outkick and a syndicated national radio host, Travis has proposed a game that pits a highly-ranked high school boys team against the best of the WNBA with the winner taking home $10 million and the pay-per-view profits donated to charity.

It’s easy to write off Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White’s declarations as nothing more than political publicity stunts, but it does raise an interesting question. Since the WNBA has struggled with the definition of exactly what a woman is while supporting transgender women in sports, how could the league ban the two from playing? Their DNA says they are biological males, but transgender women are also biological males. Julie Tetart may have breast implants, long hair and expensive nails but cannot change chromosomes. And, if allowed to play in the WNBA Tetart’s strength advantages will likely dominate.

The Travis challenge is actually the most difficult for the WNBA. The best WNBA team getting smoked by a bunch of high school boys might be a 13-inch stiletto to the solar plexus of the league. A high school team such as the one Kevin Boyle assembled at Montverde Academy in 2024 (four 2025 first round NBA Draft choices including Cooper Flagg) would beat the best and brightest from the WNBA by 50 or more points. The 2026 Miami Columbus team won a fifth straight Class 7A state championship in Florida back in March, led by the Gaskin brothers (6-8 and 6-9) and Felipe Quinones (6-5). The other two starters were 6-4 and 6-6. Columbus had a 7-1 sophomore on the bench.

Match them against a WNBA team and it would be brutal.

The WNBA gets record crowds and TV ratings any game that Caitlyn Clark plays. Its lack of support for Clark is indefensible, particularly since her arrival in the league salaries have elevated by 50 percent or more. Take her out of the league and it almost falls off the radar. The recent incident involving Cunningham and co-owner of the Seattle WNBA team has drawn overwhelming negative attention. Refusal to take a stance on biological males playing in the league could wind up being a death sentence.