Texas
Why UT (Texas, not Tennessee) could be the national championship favorite – and why not
Alabama honors Nick Saban by naming Bryant-Denny field after former coach
Alabama honors Nick Saban by naming Bryant-Denny field after former coach
Did Texas just assemble the best team money can buy? Maybe. Alternatively, it spent big for a playoff-caliber roster that will come up short of the national championship game once again, after two straight years bowing out in the semifinals.
This much we know: The Longhorns spent big. Just how big? Well, the Houston Chronicle recently reported that Texas’ budget for its 2025 squad is expected to be in the $35 to $40 million range.
That’s not entirely unexpected. Ohio State won the national championship last season with a $20 million roster. The Buckeyes’ roster reflected the top end of the market before revenue-sharing, though. Now, a legal settlement to an ongoing court case sits at the 2-yard line. If it crosses the legal end zone, that would unlock revenue sharing for this next fiscal year. Combine new revenue-sharing dollars with an NIL war chest, and you get Texas’ payroll.
On this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams discuss whether that handsomely paid roster makes Texas the national championship frontrunner.
Here’s how they see it:
Is Texas the national championship frontrunner?
Adams: Texas is a playoff contender. A national championship contender, too. But, the national championship frontrunner? I’m not willing to go that far. I seem to recall Texas A&M making headlines by spending more than a few shekels to build its 2022 roster the first season of the NIL era. How’d that go? Unemployed Jimbo Fisher can tell you all about it. I’m not suggesting an Aggies-esque flop for the Longhorns, only that it takes more than money to win a title. Assuming Arch Manning lives up to the name – I think he will – Texas will pack a punch, much more so than those 2022 Aggies. But, I don’t have Texas listed as my SEC frontrunner – see what LSU did in the transfer portal – let alone for the national championship.
Toppmeyer: I’d have no problem with anyone listing Texas as their national championship frontrunner. The Longhorns have a budding star quarterback. They have a well-rounded roster without apparent weakness. They have a good coach. A rich roster doesn’t guarantee success, but it sure helps. A quarterback like Manning and a coach like Sarkisian help, too. The Longhorns have a shot. So do about six to eight other teams.
Later in the episode
∎ Adams lists his eight teams that enjoy at least a 5% chance of winning the national championship. He also sounds off on USA TODAY’s list of the top 25 coaches, pointing to a few SEC bosses who are underrated.
Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered
Apple
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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
Texas
How to Watch Temple vs North Texas: Live Stream NCAA College Football, TV Channel
The North Texas Mean Green (10-1) looks for a program-record 11th win and a spot in the American championship game on Friday afternoon when they host a Temple Owls (5-6) squad still trying to become bowl eligible after three straight losses.
How to Watch Temple vs North Texas
- When: Friday, November 28, 2025
- Time: 3:30 PM ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Live Stream: Fubo (try for free)
North Texas won its fifth straight game on Saturday night, rolling to a 56-24 road victory at Rice after erasing an early 14-0 deficit. Drew Mestemaker threw for 469 yards, finishing 19-of-23 with three touchdowns, and also ran for a score. Caleb Hawkins ran for 97 yards and three TDs on 20 carries, and Ashton Gray also had a rushing touchdown. Wyatt Young had a huge night with eight catches for 295 yards and two scores, and Tre Williams III caught a TD pass.
Temple’s slide continued on Saturday with a 37-13 loss to visiting Tulane. Evan Simon threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns, but the running game was limited to just 20 yards. Colin Chase and Peter Clarke made scoring catches in the loss. Simon absorbed four sacks before he was pulled from the game.
Eric Morris was announced on Tuesday as the new head coach at Oklahoma State and will leave North Texas at the end of the season. The Mean Green haven’t won a conference title since the 2004 Sun Belt championship and have a simple win-and-in scenario to reach the American championship game. They are 2-0 all-time against Temple, including a 24-17 road win on Nov. 30.
This is a great college football matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
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Texas
Guidelines for Texas’ controversial school voucher program released
TEXAS (KTRK) — The State Comptroller’s Office has released guidelines for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts. This program is also referred to as school choice or school vouchers, and has stirred up controversy.
It’s funded through $1B taxpayer dollars, and while proponents say it gives families the choice to pick the best education for their child, critics have said it takes money away from already underfunded and struggling public school systems.
This program is open to students in pre-K through high school. Standard students who wish to attend a state-approved private school can receive approximately $10,800 per child, per year.
Students with disabilities or additional learning needs must have their individual education program, or IEP, on file with the school district to be eligible for up to $30,000 per student, per year
And homeschooled children can get up to $2,000 per child, per year.
SEE ALSO: Private school vouchers are now law in Texas. Here’s how they will work
State law dictates that priority will be given to children who have siblings already in the program and based on income and the federal poverty line. If more students enroll than funding allows, a lottery will be instituted.
Eyewitness News previously reported that the funds would probably fund around 90,000 students, even though the Texas Education Agency estimated in 2024 that over 5 million school-aged children live in Texas.
The first important enrollment date comes for private schools and vendors who want to accept voucher students, and is part of the one billion dollars the state is pouring into it. The State Comptroller’s office says schools and vendors can start signing on through Odyssey on Dec. 9. Odyssey is the company the state selected to run the voucher lottery and operate a platform that allows families to spend the money awarded to them by the state.
The second important date comes for families, which is Feb. 4. That’s when families can start signing up students. The State Comptroller said this gives the state and families ample time to make decisions ahead of the 2026-27 school year
The State Comptroller said schools that wish to apply for the program must have a Texas location and have been accredited for at least two years, but this applies to schools both in and outside of Texas, so in theory, a program accredited outside of Texas could build a campus in the state this year and still be eligible.
SEE ALSO: ABC13 obtains exclusive HISD student enrollment records for 2025-26 school year
The state is also dictating that private schools wishing to be a part of the program will have to administer an assessment to voucher students in grades 3 through 12
The program will be monitored by the State Comptroller’s office, which will partner with a private group to audit the program at least once a year.
State education groups pushed the state to be more transparent about how families were spending money and where, though our partners at the Houston Chronicle note the state rejected those ideas.
For more news updates, follow Lileana Pearson on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Copyright © 2025 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Texas
Pack Closes Maui Invitational with Loss to Texas – NC State University Athletics
The Longhorns hit 16 three-pointers, shooting 50 percent from long-range for the game. The 16 three-pointers tie for the most ever made by an NC State opponent.
The first 12 minutes of the game featured the two teams going back and forth, but with Texas holding a 25-23 the Longhorns went on an extended 20-7 run to take its largest lead of the game, 45-30, with 1:33 to play.
The Pack ended the half on a mini 7-2 run to go into the locker room down 10, 47-37.
NC State opened the second half on a 16-7 run to get within one on a Paul McNeil three-pointer with 15:09 to play.
Texas stayed in front though until Alyn Breed drove past the Longhorn defense to lay it in and give the Pack a 71-70 lead with 7:51 to go.
The lead was short-lived though as Texas immediately responded with a 10-0 spurt to retake the lead and the Pack was never able to get closer than five points the rest of the way.
Quadir Copeland led NC State with a career-high 28 points. He finished the game 10-of-14 from the field and also had a team-high six assists.
Ven-Allen Lubin finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 23 points and nine rebounds while Paul McNeil finished with 20 points.
It’s the first time NC State has had three players all score 20 or more points in the same game in more than 20 years.
NC State ended the game with a 46-20 advantage in points in the paint, but Texas had a 24-7 advantage in fast break points and the Longhorns shot 55.8 percent from the field and made 28 of its 34 free throw attempts.
NC State is back in action next Wednesday when it plays at Auburn as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. Tipoff at Auburn is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on ESPN.
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