Kiffin: Latest conference realignment movement 'not good for college athletes'
Aug. 7—OXFORD — Count Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin among those not convinced the recent seismic shift in conference realignment is for the better.
Last week, Pac-12 stalwarts Oregon and Washington were announced as the two newest members of the Big Ten. In the ensuing days, it was announced that fellow Pac-12 members Arizona, Arizona State and Utah were joining the Big 12. Colorado also recently announced that it is leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12.
With last year's announcement of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, that leaves just four schools left in the Pac-12 come the 2024 season — Washington State, Oregon State, Stanford and Cal.
Realignment has been a major talking point in college sports since Texas and Oklahoma announced their departure from the Big 12 for the SEC back in 2021.
The seemingly inevitable dissolution of the Pac-12, which has been around in some capacity since 1915, has put the sports world at-large on notice. Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz made his thoughts on realignment known a few days ago, openly wondering the impact extended travel will have on the mental health of student-athletes, according to the Kansas City Star.
Kiffin — who previously served as an assistant and as the head coach at USC — was asked Monday following the Rebels' latest practice for his thoughts on the ever-changing landscape of college sports and whether he believes such realignment is good for the sport and the student-athletes.
"It is not good for college athletes. I think it's really sad for fans that want to travel to games. And we're just talking about football here, let's talk about all the sports that now, you have to fly around the country, they play on weekdays, they back at 4 in the morning, they have to go to school. Parents aren't going to be able to see near as many games, families," Kiffin said. "You guys know I just call it what it is, it's obviously about money. So, anybody that says these decisions, 'Well, they weren't about money' or 'Money was just a small factor,' no. You don't do that to all your student-athletes. That's not in the betterment of the student-athlete at all."
" ... Again, I hope nobody gets on these 17, 18-year-olds that make decisions based off NIL money when all these universities are doing it. And, it's just the tradition part. You're talking about 100 years of tradition just washed up for some more money."
Ayden Williams continues to impress
Freshman wide receiver Ayden Williams has been one of the stars in preseason camp, making acrobatic plays as well as the routine ones. A four-star recruit in the 2023 class from Ridgeland, Williams has stood out in individual drills and in live-scrimmaging.
"Ayden is a dog. Ayden will be good for a very long time. I'm very happy to have him on the team," senior wide receiver Jalen Knox said.
Rebels ranked
Ole Miss is ranked No. 22 in the preseason AFCA Coaches Poll, which was released Monday. The Rebels are one of six SEC teams ranked in the poll. Ole Miss has five games against preseason ranked opponents on its 2023 schedule: Georgia (No. 1), Alabama (No. 3), LSU (No. 5) and Tulane (No. 23) and Texas A&M (No. 25).
Practice notes
— Among the players who saw action with the first grouping of offensive lineman Monday were sophomores Jayden Williams and Micah Pettus at the tackle spots, junior Eli Acker and senior Jeremy James at guard and senior Reece McIntyre at center (senior Caleb Warren has been in a non-contact jersey through the first few practices). Senior Victor Curne, a transfer from Washington, also saw action at guard.
— Among the first receivers were seniors Jordan Watkins, Dayton Wade, Tre Harris and Knox.
— As is always the case, there were a number of players rotating through on defense. Among those with the first grouping were senior defensive ends Jared Ivey and Cedric Johnson, senior defensive tackles J.J. Pegues and Joshua Harris, senior edge rusher Isaac Ukuwu, senior linebackers Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, Monty Montgomery and Khari Coleman and senior nickelback John Saunders, senior cornerback Zamari Walton, senior cornerback Deshawn Gaddie, senior safety Daijahn Anthony, junior safety Ladarius Tennison and junior safety Trey Washington.
