A Texas man died while hiking the Grand Canyon’s River Trail on Saturday, National Park Service officials said.

Park officials received a report of a semiconscious hiker on the River Trail halfway between Silver Bridge and Black Bridge near Phantom Ranch around 7 p.m. Saturday. The hiker, identified as 69-year-old Scott Sims from Austin, Texas, became unresponsive shortly after.

Bystanders attempted CPR before three park service paramedics from Phantom Ranch responded to the scene and took over. CPR attempts were unsuccessful.

Sims was hiking to Phantom Ranch for an overnight stay, park officials said.

The Coconino County Medical Examiner and the National Park Service were investigating the incident.

Monday, July 1, 2024, is going to end up being a day to remember in Big 12 history. It is the day that Texas and Oklahoma are officially out of the Big 12 and into the SEC. Is it the biggest day in Big 12 history? Only time will tell.

While Monday is a huge day for everyone involved, I can’t help but go back to Big 12 media days three years ago. Former Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby cracked a joke about being glad he didn’t have to answer realignment questions and said that everything was fine within the conference.

Less than two weeks after that statement, the news heard around the world broke. Texas and Oklahoma were heading to the SEC after the 2024 season. Of course, we all knew that they would get out earlier, and they did. Instead of having to wait another four years, they got out in three after forking up millions of dollars.

I may not be a true Big 12 historian, but I am not stupid enough to realize what these two schools have done for the conference. Like it or not, Oklahoma and Texas have combined for 18 Big 12 titles in the last 25 years. Fourteen of those titles have come from the Sooners, while the Longhorns have had four. They have brought name recognition to the conference along with a pair of national titles and countless title game appearances.

The success they have had here (especially Oklahoma) has been off the charts. The Sooners had a run of six Big 12 titles in a row before the streak ended in 2021. And as someone who has covered the conference since 2016, I have seen plenty of championships won by Oklahoma. In fact, I have covered just two conference championship games that haven’t featured either Oklahoma or Texas since the game was brought back in 2017.

Both schools have had their fair share of superstars over the years. Jason White, Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray all won Heisman trophies while playing in the Big 12, while Texas has had a few close calls between Vince Young and Colt McCoy. I could go on and on about all the greats that have suited up for these two since the conference came together in 1996, but that would take up too much time here.

Whether or not you will be shedding a tear or jumping for joy is up to you, but there is no doubt in my mind that the conference will not be the same without these two schools. The SEC is saying that it’s a new era, and you know what? It’s also a new era in the Big 12, too.

We are bringing in four new schools and have brought in a total of eight new schools in the last couple of years. Without Texas or Oklahoma leaving, I am not sure if that would have happened, but I am glad it did. Am I going to miss that first Saturday in October at the Cotton Bowl? Sure, but I am also excited to see what the future holds in the Big 12 because it is going to be the most exciting football conference in America from top to bottom. So goodbye, Texas and Oklahoma.

Maybe we will meet again, but until then, enjoy the SEC. Sometimes, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Herriman, Utah (June 30, 2024) – North Texas SC (8-1-5, 33 points) obtained its fifth road win of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season after defeating Real Monarchs (4-9-1, 14 points) 2-1 from Zions Bank Stadium. Second half goals from Enes Sali and Isaiah Parker sealed the comeback win for North Texas.

FIRST WIN IN THE GARBINI ERA
Interim head coach Michel Garbini earned his first win since being appointed interim head coach on June 11. Garbini made his North Texas SC interim head coach debut on June 22 in North Texas’ 3-3 draw versus Austin FC II.

NORTH TEXAS HEAT
With tonight’s 2-1 win over Real Monarchs on the road, North Texas SC is on a six-game unbeaten streak (5-0-1). The team has scored 16 goals and conceded only six in the last six matches since starting the unbeaten run.

THREE IN A ROW
Forward Enes Sali scored his fifth goal of the season in the 63rd minute of the match via a penalty kick. Sali is the first North Texas SC player to score in three consecutive matches this season. Two of the three goals scored were away from home.

PARKER FLYING DOWN THE WING
FC Dallas 2022 SuperDraft Pick Isaiah Parker netted his first goal of the 2024 season. Parker’s last goal for North Texas was on September 3, 2022, against MNUFC2 in a 2-1 win. He became the eighth different goal scorer for North Texas SC this season.

JUNE RECORD
North Texas SC finished the month of June unbeaten with a 3-0-1 record. The three wins came on the road and the draw at home. North Texas holds an all-time record of 11-5-4 when playing in June since 2019.

UP NEXT: KICKING JULY OFF BY HOSTING THE TWOSIES
North Texas SC hosts MNUFC2 on Wednesday, July 3, at Choctaw Stadium. The match kicks off at 7:45PM CT and will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.