Texas, Sarkisian look forward to early test against Alabama, Saban

By Laken Litman
FOX Sports activities Faculty Soccer Author

ARLINGTON, Texas — One of many marquee matchups this upcoming season might be when Alabama travels to Austin to play Texas on Sept. 10 (midday ET on FOX and the FOX Sports activities app). 

The Week 2 recreation would be the first time Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian will face Nick Saban, his former boss and mentor, since leaving the Crimson Tide in 2021. 

Sarkisian has taken plenty of what he realized engaged on Saban’s employees at two completely different factors in his profession and carried out these issues at Texas. For instance, he employed Gary Patterson to be a particular assistant when Patterson resigned from TCU after 22 years as its head coach. 

Saban is well-known for reviving teaching careers, together with Sarkisian’s. 

After Sarkisian was fired by USC in 2015 as a consequence of off-field points involving alcohol, Saban gave him a second probability and employed him as an offensive analyst in 2016. He was promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2017 nationwide title recreation after Lane Kiffin abruptly left the group early to grow to be the pinnacle coach at Florida Atlantic. 

Then after two seasons in the identical position with the Atlanta Falcons, Sarkisian returned to Alabama and received the Broyles Award because the nation’s high assistant. 

“With out Nick Saban, I would not be sitting right here at the moment in entrance of y’all,” Sarkisian mentioned Thursday at Huge 12 media days outdoors Dallas. “I owe a fantastic deal to him. I owe a lot to him, and I’ll by no means, ever overlook that he and Ms. Terry have been large in my life and my spouse’s life and what they’ve accomplished for us on and off the sphere. 

“With that being mentioned, I can not wait to play them as a result of I do know what he places into it. I do know the work ethic, I do know the self-discipline that he has personally. I do know what he instills into his group, into that group. I feel in the end that is what you attempt to take once you depart Alabama, as a result of you’ll be able to’t attempt to be Nick Saban; there’s just one. 

“You need to be Steve Sarkisian. However the self-discipline and dedication that he has instilled into his group and into his personal group is one thing that you simply attempt to emulate. I cherished my time there with him. I liked my time there with him and am trying ahead to enjoying him in Week 2.” 

Later, Sarkisian was requested what it will likely be like shaking fingers with Saban at midfield earlier than kickoff. What’s going to they speak about? 

“I am certain there might be some pleasantries about Ms. Terry or [Sarkisian’s wife] Ms. Loreal. After which he’ll most likely level out our new south finish zone as a result of that wasn’t right here for the reason that final time he most likely checked out our stadium,” he mentioned.

“After which in the long run, it’ll be that awkward handshake of like, we’re wishing one another luck, however we’re not, after which we’ll go play the sport, and we’ll see what occurs.”

Listed below are another takeaways from Huge 12 media days this week:

“The fireplace hose is absolutely inserted in my mouth right here” 

Brent Venables gave his first media day press convention as Oklahoma’s head coach. That is Venables second stint in Norman, beforehand serving as this system’s defensive coordinator from 1999-2011 earlier than going to Clemson in the identical position. 

That is his first head teaching gig, regardless of having been one of many hottest names in teaching carousels for years. 

“I really feel very ready for this second,” Venables mentioned Thursday, whereas later including that the final seven months have “been similar to you’ll count on, the fireplace hose is absolutely inserted in my mouth right here, and we have been blowing and going.” 

Venables defined he’s training persistence in constructing this program given how a lot manufacturing OU misplaced on each side of the ball. This Oklahoma group misplaced near 400 profession begins from final 12 months’s group, and Venables mentioned 40 p.c of the roster has by no means placed on a Sooners jersey. 

That features new beginning quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who transferred from UCF. 

“Dillon Gabriel is a winner,” Venables mentioned. “You’ll be able to’t say it any higher than that. He is thrown for 8,000 yards, accomplished over 60 p.c of his passes, unimaginable touchdown-to-interception ratio, only a nice chief. He is our quarterback. 

“Definitely something can occur as we transfer ahead by way of fall camp. It is all the time about every day competitors. However I really feel nice. I can lay my head down at evening realizing not simply what he has accomplished on the soccer area however the high quality of the individual he’s.”

“We have solely simply begun”

Should you’ve by no means heard a Karen Carpenter reference at a university soccer media occasion, properly, there is a first time for all the things. 

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy mentioned he heard the 1970 hit tune “We have solely simply begun” the opposite day and “the very first thing I thought of was convention realignment.” 

As one does. 

Gundy bought just a few laughs with that remark earlier than going into extra of his ideas on realignment. 

He was requested about the way forward for Bedlam and if he envisioned a state of affairs by which Oklahoma State and Oklahoma would proceed enjoying their annual rivalry recreation even after OU strikes to the SEC by 2025. 

“The way forward for Bedlam is there is a 12 months or two left,” Gundy mentioned. “I imply, that is the way forward for Bedlam, primarily based on any person else’s determination.” 

He later mentioned that persevering with the sequence most likely is not logistically possible given how far upfront packages should schedule opponents, regardless of how a lot followers would like to see the sport performed. 

And it would not have been media days in 2022 if Gundy did not have a jab for Oklahoma and Texas. He jokingly mentioned that if he had been the convention’s commissioner, he would not allow them to into any Huge 12 conferences. 

“We go to convention conferences, and OU and Texas are in there,” Gundy mentioned. “They’re nonetheless within the convention. However I am guessing after they depart, they’re scratching down issues that may assist them after they’re within the SEC. So, it’s an uncommon state of affairs.”

The Huge 12 is “open for enterprise”

Brett Yormark made his first public feedback since his new job as Huge 12 commissioner was introduced two weeks in the past. 

The 55-year-old was most lately the chief working officer for Roc Nation, an leisure company based by hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, and he beforehand served in govt roles with the Brooklyn Nets and NASCAR. 

Starting Aug. 1, he would be the Huge 12 commissioner. 

Whereas Yormark enters school sports activities at a singular time, his hiring infuses recent perspective and elegance to a convention with an unsettled future amidst the sprawling and mighty SEC and Huge Ten. 

Yormark all the time envisioned working in school athletics — although he assumed it may be as an athletic director — and has a ardour for it. 

Now he has accepted the problem of main a Huge 12 that’s about to lose bluebloods Texas and Oklahoma. 

“There isn’t a doubt the Huge 12 is open for enterprise,” Yormark mentioned in his opening remarks. “We’ll depart no stone unturned to drive worth for the convention. We might be daring and humble, aggressive and considerate, and progressive and inventive, all in an effort to place the convention in a method that not solely grows the Huge 12 model and enterprise, however makes us a bit extra up to date. 

“One factor is crystal clear: There isn’t a increased precedence than to finest place the Huge 12 for its upcoming multimedia rights negotiations. The whole lot we do should create momentum for these negotiations.” 

Yormark understands he wants to enhance the marketability of his convention and mentioned a number of occasions he needs to place the Huge 12 to be “youthful, hipper and cooler.” What which means, we do not know but, however the phrases got here from a man who labored with Jay-Z. 

He additionally understands there might be a real-time studying curve, however firmly believes his background is fitted to the position. This, after all, consists of potential realignment, and Yormark mentioned he’s “actively engaged” in these discussions, although any potential enlargement in convention membership must be an “additive and never a dilutive.” 

“I feel it is truthful to say I’ve obtained plenty of cellphone calls, plenty of curiosity,” Yormark mentioned. “Individuals perceive the path of the Huge 12, and we’re exploring ranges of curiosity. Nothing is imminent, however we’re working laborious to ensure that we place the Huge 12 in the absolute best method on a go-forward foundation.” 

What occurs subsequent — within the Huge 12 and in school soccer as a complete — will undoubtedly have Yormark’s mark on it. 

Laken Litman covers school soccer, school basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand coated school soccer, school basketball, the U.S. Ladies’s Nationwide Soccer Crew and the Olympics at Sports activities Illustrated, USA Immediately and The Indianapolis Star. Her first guide, written in partnership with Rizzoli and Sports activities Illustrated and titled “Robust Like a Girl,” was printed in spring 2022 marking the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX.