It’s been a very big few years for Deion Sanders and Jackson State, the HBCU program he took over just three years ago. In 2021, the program won a team-high 11 games, including the SWAC Championship, before eventually losing in the Celebration Bowl. And with the number 1 recruit of the 2022 class, cornerback Travis Hunter, committing to the school to play for Sanders, many believe the sky is the limit as the HBCU is ready to compete with the mainstays of NCAA Football.
However, Sanders doesn’t want the media to be so quick to crown Jackson State as the new big team. At SWAC Media Day, Sanders noted “we’re not sacrificing our kids for a check” and later went on to add “”You gotta get me another year. I got to get beef up in the front…The difference of Power 5 and HBCUs right now is the big guys in the middle. It’s not the quarterbacks, it’s not the receivers, DBs and skilled positions. It’s those big dogs in the middle.”.
Considering who he is and what his pedigree in football is, we’re inclined to agree with Sanders. While Alabama has never played an HBCU, that could change in coming years, as Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban has suggested more in-state games, which would include Alabama HBCUs such as Alabama A&M.
So, while the match-up that many have asked for since Saban cried foul against Jackson State for their recruiting of Hunter (insinuating they paid him $1 million to come to their school) may occur sometime in the future, NCAAF fans should recognize that it’s not quite on the horizon just yet.
Notre Dame Maintains Independence
Recent reports have indicated that Notre Dame is in talks with NBC for a $75 million per year rights deal, the likes of which would allow them to retain their independent status from the big conferences that currently dominate college football. With a deal of that size, Notre Dame will be able to continue to set their schedule independently without demands being placed on them by the major conferences.
Beyond that, any potential deal made by Notre Dame will also ripple out to the other teams within college football, as the Big 10 and Pac-12 will both be affected by which way Notre Dame goes. If Notre Dame doesn’t retain their independence, the Big 10 will make a play for them, on the heels of USC and UCLA committing to the conference for 2024 onwards. But if Notre Dame stays independent as they are now and achieves their own contract with NBC, the Big 10 will likely look towards other teams from the Pac-12, such as Cal, Stanford, Oregon, and Washington.
Big moves should be expected in the coming weeks, and the college football landscape will likely be significantly changed when all is said and done. But as of now, Notre Dame looks to maintain their status as a lone wolf under their own purview and guidance.