Thoughts of the Day: June 22, 2026

(Photo by Chris Spears)

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning:

Early in the season when Jac Caglianone was struggling at the plate there was plenty of talk that the Kansas City Royals had brought him along too fast, that he needed to go back down to Triple A for some more seasoning. That was before June.

In the 18 games he’s played in since June 1, the former Gator All-American is hitting .378 with seven home runs and 17 RBI. He has homered in three straight games including Sunday when he went deep twice, a pair of moon shots that traveled a combined 870 feet, against the St. Louis Cardinals. There have been no cheapies in this latest demonstration of power. All seven of Caglianone’s home runs in the month of June traveled at least 402 feet.

Caglianone’s hot month of June has raised his batting average to .275 with 12 home runs and 28 RBI. He is now the team leader in home runs.

Former Gator Wyatt Langford, who missed more than a month with a severe forearm injury,  has come alive in the last seven days, hitting .416 with three home runs and eight RBI. In his 35 games this season, Langford is hitting .271 with six home runs and 16 RBI. Sunday in a win against San Diego, Langford blasted a 3-run home run, capping a three-game series in which he went 7-13 with two home runs and seven RBI.

COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: JUNE 22, 2026

It is never too early to identify coaches who would be very smart to avoid big real estate transactions in their current locales. We’re in the final days of June which means a number of coaches have 68 days maximum before they will need constant hydration to compensate for their sweat glands redlining around the clock.

Extinct Species List

Nobody so far, but it’s only June.

On Life Support

Dave Aranda, Baylor: Since that 12-2 season in 2021, the Bears are only 22-28. The Bears are predicted to finish barely above the catfish in the Big 12. They need Florida transfer DJ Lagway to play like he did as a freshman for the Gators to be a contender. If he is still throwing into double coverage, they can forget a winning season.

Mike Locksley, Maryland: Consecutive 4-8 seasons (1-8 both years in the Big Ten) have erased the good will earned by three straight bowl seasons (23-16 record) from 2021-23. The Turtles are predicted to finish 15^th in the 18-team Big Ten but the schedule is relatively easy. Anything less than seven wins and Locksley is a goner.

Mike Norvell, Florida State: Oh how they would love for Mike Norvell to ride off into the sunset but why should he? He’s got a $51 million buyout which is a nice cushion to fall back on should cash-strapped FSU hold enough bake sales and raffles to raise the necessary cash. Things are so bad at FSU that the QB for next season will be Ashton Daniels, a bust last year at Auburn.

Luke Fickell, Wisconsin: Success at Cincinnati (57-18) hasn’t translated into success at Wisconsin where they are asking themselves what the hell were we thinking when we fired Paul Chryst back in 2022. Chryst went 67-26 at Wisconsin. Fickell is 17-21 since taking over with consecutive losing seasons on his resume. He needs seven or eight wins this season to survive.

Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee: He got a third year after posting a second straight 3-9 record in 2025. Why? Most likely because MTSU couldn’t afford the buyout money. The Blue Raiders are predicted to bring up the rear in Conference USA, the weakest league in Division I. A winning record in 2026 would be a miracle of healing the ten lepers proportions.

Dell McGee, Georgia State: He’s 4-20 at a school that proved it is capable of winning under Shawn Elliott, who went to four bowl games in seven years. It will take an act of God for the Panthers to post a winning season this year.

Endangered Species List

Shane Beamer, South Carolina: He fired Mike Shula as his offensive coordinator and hired Kendal Briles to resuscitate last year’s stuck in the mud attack. If the offensive line can protect LaNorris Sellers, then the Gamecocks could be respectable. If not it will be a long, long year. South Carolina has four winnable games (Kent State, Towson, Mississippi State and Kentucky) at home in the first five. After that wins will be hard to come by.

Kalen DeBoer, Alabama: Poster child for the never follow a legend concept. He has posted consecutive 4-loss seasons at Alabama. Alabama lost only eight games combined in Nick Saban’s last five years and after a 7-6 2007, Nick had only one 3-loss season (2010). Another season with four losses and all bets are off regarding DeBoer’s future.

Lincoln Riley, Southern California: The luster has worn off. Southern Cal is 35-18 in Riley’s five seasons on the job. Much more is expected of a coach who’s paid more than $11 million a year. If he doesn’t make the College Football Playoff this year he might not be fired, but certainly will be encouraged to take his dog and pony show elsewhere.

Bill O’Brien, Boston College: BC went 2-10 last season and predicted to bottom feed in the 17-team ACC this year. Neither the school nor the ACC is flush with cash, so an improvement to five wins probably buys another year.

Jeff Choat, Nevada: The former Florida assistant (linebackers, 2013) is 6-19 in two seasons at Nevada. If the Wolfpack lose to 2025 D1AA national champ Montana State in game two and former D1AA dynasty now Mountain West member North Dakota State on October 17, about the only thing that will save Choat’s job will be getting to a bowl game with six or more wins.

Jay Sawvel, Wyoming: The Cowboys improved from 3-9 in 2024 to 4-8 last year. The Mountain West schedule is weaker so expectations are at least six wins in 2026. Anything less and Sawvel will be a goner.

Scotty Walden, UTEP: This is a dead end job where winning seasons are as rare as sightings of Haley’s Comet. The Mexican food in El Paso is off the charts good and the steaks at the Great American Land and Cattle Company up on the mountain overlooking the Rio Grande valley are as good as you’ll find anywhere. Food in El Paso, great. Football in El Paso not so great, but Walden will survive if he gets three or more wins.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Florida’s athletic budget will increase by $30.4 million to $235.7 million this year per the reporting of Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel. Fueling the increase is money from revenue sharing as part of the NCAA/House of Representatives settlement that all schools in Division I are supposed to receive. It is a lot of money but even with the influx of cash Florida will rank in the bottom half of the SEC when it comes to athletic spending.

Nobody compares with Texas, whose 2024-25 budget was a massive $375.9 million, but even among the mere mortal programs, Florida isn’t anywhere near the top. Per the Daily Texan, here are the SEC schools and their 2024-25 budgets: 1. Texas $375.9 million; 2. Tennessee $288.1 million; 3. Oklahoma 249.4 million; 4. Georgia $240.1 million; 5. Alabama $234.7 million; 6. Texas A&M 228.3 million; 7. LSU $219.6 million; 8. Auburn $203.8 million; 9. South Carolina $203.25 million; 10. FLORIDA $200.99 million; 11. Missouri $191 million; 12. Kentucky $188.5 million; 13. Arkansas $184.09 million; 14. Ole Miss $183.7 million; 15. Mississippi State $164.48 million; 16. Vanderbilt $150.28 million.

When it comes to the estimated value of athletic departments nationally, here are the SEC schools, their national ranking and value per the Knight Commission: 2. Texas $1.28 billion; 3. Texas A&M 1.26 billion; 5. Alabama $978 million; 7. Georgia $950 million; 9. Tennessee $940 million; 10. Oklahoma $928 million; 13. LSU $916 million; 14. FLORIDA $865 million; 18. Arkansas $776 million; 19. Kentucky $775 million; 20. Auburn $772 million; 29. Ole Miss $651 million; 30. South Carolina $650 million; 35. Missouri $590 million; 38. Vanderbilt $551 million; 43. Mississippi State $523 million.

With a state population of 32.1 million, huge alumni bases and so many multi-millionaire boosters who earned their money in the oil business, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Texas and Texas A&M are so highly valued. They have cash, facilities and so many programs that compete at the highest levels. Texas A&M has an alumni base of 640,000 while Texas has 585,000 living alums.

Florida is the third largest state (population 23.5 million), which is more than double that of Georgia, eighth nationally and the third most populous state among the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee (15^th) and Missouri (19^th) are the only other states in the SEC footprint that rank top 20 in population.

Even with the inconsistent nature of the football program it is curious that Florida should rank bottom half of the SEC in terms of athletic spending and at the halfway point among SEC schools when it comes to value of the athletic programs. With the population and alumni base (450,000 living alums) advantages coupled with the success of its teams it would seem that Florida would rank much higher in terms of budget and overall valuation.  

The Florida athletic department has typically run a tight ship when it comes to fiscal matters but spending on facilities has gone through the roof (Condron Family Ballpark, Heavener Center, O-Dome renovation) and there are plans to spend more than $1.45 billion to renovate Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Scholarship limitations have risen by nearly 200 athletes across the 21 sports UF sponsors.

So where is the money coming from to fund all these ventures? Booster money is expected to increase to $46.3 million next year and the SEC money from bowl games, NCAA tournaments and broadcast rights will continue to rise. Football is expected to start winning again, but there are no guarantees. And what happens if the athletic programs endure another year like 2025-26 in which the Gators didn't win a single national championship and will barely squeak into the top ten of the Learfield Director’s Cup? If the Gators are winning at a high level revenues should increase, but what is Plan B if expectations aren’t met?

These are legitimate questions and something that should make every Gator go hmmm.