TCU Horned Frogs Archives - womenssportsnow.com https://womenssportsnow.com/tag/tcu-horned-frogs/ womenssportsnow.com Fri, 02 Aug 2024 02:01:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 214932294 The Big 12 needs more money, fast. Is Allstate or private equity investment a good fix? https://womenssportsnow.com/the-big-12-needs-more-money-fast-is-allstate-or-private-equity-investment-a-good-fix/ https://womenssportsnow.com/the-big-12-needs-more-money-fast-is-allstate-or-private-equity-investment-a-good-fix/#respond Fri, 14 Jun 2024 20:56:19 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/the-big-12-needs-more-money-fast-is-allstate-or-private-equity-investment-a-good-fix/

Countless stadiums, arenas, golf tournaments and bowl games have sponsors in their titles. The world’s most prestigious soccer league was named the Barclays Premier League until 2016. Private equity firms currently hold ownership stakes in more than 60 North American sports franchises, according to Pitchbook, as well as many of the top soccer clubs in […]

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Countless stadiums, arenas, golf tournaments and bowl games have sponsors in their titles. The world’s most prestigious soccer league was named the Barclays Premier League until 2016. Private equity firms currently hold ownership stakes in more than 60 North American sports franchises, according to Pitchbook, as well as many of the top soccer clubs in Europe.

But when news broke Thursday that the Big 12 is entertaining both a potential title sponsorship deal with insurance giant Allstate and a $1 billion private equity partnership, you could almost hear the collective reaction: “How dare they?!”

GO DEEPER

Big 12 discussing PE investment, sale of naming rights to Allstate

Kirk Wakefield, a Baylor University marketing professor, had a much different reaction to the possible title sponsorship.

“You wonder why people haven’t done that already,” said Wakefield, who runs a research firm that studies sponsorship impacts for sports leagues and brands. “It’s such an obvious opportunity.”

USC sports business professor David Carter looks at the plight of the Big 12, which lags hundreds of millions a year in revenue behind the Big Ten and SEC, and sees private equity as a matter of Darwinian survival. To win national championships, Big 12 schools need to be able to spend like…

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Thanks to NIL, local car dealers are out of the shadows and landing star college athletes https://womenssportsnow.com/thanks-to-nil-local-car-dealers-are-out-of-the-shadows-and-landing-star-college-athletes/ https://womenssportsnow.com/thanks-to-nil-local-car-dealers-are-out-of-the-shadows-and-landing-star-college-athletes/#respond Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:00:31 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/thanks-to-nil-local-car-dealers-are-out-of-the-shadows-and-landing-star-college-athletes/

On Jan. 19, two days after he became the most coveted football player in the NCAA’s transfer portal, and mere hours after he welcomed Ohio State coaches for a recruiting visit, Caleb Downs announced his change-of-address plans. The freshman safety who’d earned second-team All-America honors at Alabama committed to the Buckeyes. Not long after, Downs […]

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On Jan. 19, two days after he became the most coveted football player in the NCAA’s transfer portal, and mere hours after he welcomed Ohio State coaches for a recruiting visit, Caleb Downs announced his change-of-address plans. The freshman safety who’d earned second-team All-America honors at Alabama committed to the Buckeyes. Not long after, Downs and his father began relocating to Columbus.

Getting there was simple enough. Getting around was another matter.

Some wheels needed to be put in motion.

“I get a call from someone on the coaching staff and they said, ‘Hey, I’m here with Caleb and his dad now. Are you looking to add somebody else to your team?’” says Rick Ricart, the CEO and owner of Ricart Automotive Group in Columbus. “Would you be willing to do a car deal for him?’”

For decades, these were shifty conversations. Local car dealerships had long been conduits for the whispered inducements coaches or boosters promised talented players. When discovered, scandal erupted. Repercussions were often stark. Then came the seismic summer of 2021, when changes to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules allowed college athletes to earn money without fear of NCAA sanctions.

Car dealers nationwide quickly exchanged leases and keys for players boasting about their new…

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Women’s basketball transfer portal rankings: Where will Raegan Beers go? https://womenssportsnow.com/womens-basketball-transfer-portal-rankings-where-will-raegan-beers-go/ https://womenssportsnow.com/womens-basketball-transfer-portal-rankings-where-will-raegan-beers-go/#respond Sun, 28 Apr 2024 05:00:21 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/womens-basketball-transfer-portal-rankings-where-will-raegan-beers-go/

The college basketball season might be over, but transfer portal season is here and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Our first ranking came out three weeks ago, and since then, much has changed in the sport’s landscape. We’ve crowned a national champion. Tara VanDerveer has retired. Tennessee hired Kim Caldwell. On […]

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The college basketball season might be over, but transfer portal season is here and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Our first ranking came out three weeks ago, and since then, much has changed in the sport’s landscape. We’ve crowned a national champion. Tara VanDerveer has retired. Tennessee hired Kim Caldwell. On the players’ front, it’s hard to imagine we won’t see more big names jump into the portal over the next week or so, and because of that, we’ll keep the updates coming. Until then, here’s a look at the top 15 prospects in the portal:

1. Raegan Beers

Oregon State sophomore forward

Key stats: 17.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 66 FG%

With multiple Beavers in the portal, it felt like only a matter of time for Beers to enter, too. As a first-team All-Pac-12 selection and former Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and conference Sixth Player of the Year, she’s going to hear from a lot of programs. She’s an elite offensive talent and an excellent defender who could be a foundational player for almost any program in the country. She shoots 69 percent at the rim, according to Pivot Analysis, and has a Mackenzie Holmes-like game, except Beers is only a sophomore. The loss of the Pac-12 is a loss for every women’s basketball fan. Because she was playing in the Pac-12…

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Hailey Van Lith transferring to TCU after 1 season with LSU: Source https://womenssportsnow.com/hailey-van-lith-transferring-to-tcu-after-1-season-with-lsu-source/ https://womenssportsnow.com/hailey-van-lith-transferring-to-tcu-after-1-season-with-lsu-source/#respond Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:55:02 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/hailey-van-lith-transferring-to-tcu-after-1-season-with-lsu-source/

Star guard Hailey Van Lith will be transferring to TCU for her final year of eligibility, a school source said. Van Lith spent her first three seasons with Louisville before transferring to LSU last spring, where she averaged 11.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game as she made 33 starts. But in the […]

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Star guard Hailey Van Lith will be transferring to TCU for her final year of eligibility, a school source said.

Van Lith spent her first three seasons with Louisville before transferring to LSU last spring, where she averaged 11.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game as she made 33 starts. But in the Tigers’ NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight, those numbers fell to 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Van Lith was a highly sought-after transfer for her success with the Cardinals, as she averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game during her junior season.

TCU is coming off a 21-12 season in its first season under Mark Campbell. The 21 wins were more victories than TCU compiled in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons combined.

Much of the turnaround was due to the arrival of star transfers Madison Conner, Sedona Prince and Agnes Emma-Nnopu. The Horned Frogs opened the year 14-0 but saw their season fall apart due to numerous injuries that forced the team to hold open tryouts and add four walk-ons midseason.

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How TCU student walk-ons are keeping women’s basketball season alive

Along with Van Lith, former Miami and Fresno State star Haley Cavinder announced in November that she was coming out of retirement to join TCU in…

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Women’s basketball transfer portal rankings: Where will Raegan Beers and Kiki Iriafen go? https://womenssportsnow.com/womens-basketball-transfer-portal-rankings-where-will-raegan-beers-and-kiki-iriafen-go/ https://womenssportsnow.com/womens-basketball-transfer-portal-rankings-where-will-raegan-beers-and-kiki-iriafen-go/#respond Thu, 18 Apr 2024 09:00:21 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/womens-basketball-transfer-portal-rankings-where-will-raegan-beers-and-kiki-iriafen-go/

The college basketball season might be over, but transfer portal season is here and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Our first ranking came out three weeks ago, and since then, much has changed in the sport’s landscape. We’ve crowned a national champion. Tara VanDerveer has retired. Tennessee hired Kim Caldwell. On […]

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The college basketball season might be over, but transfer portal season is here and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Our first ranking came out three weeks ago, and since then, much has changed in the sport’s landscape. We’ve crowned a national champion. Tara VanDerveer has retired. Tennessee hired Kim Caldwell. On the players’ front, it’s hard to imagine we won’t see more big names jump into the portal over the next week or so, and because of that, we’ll keep the updates coming. Until then, here’s a look at the top 15 prospects in the portal:

Stanford junior forward

Key stats: 19.4 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 55 FG %

Iriafen is on the move after three seasons on The Farm. She has a “do not contact” tag, which means she likely already knows where she wants to go. Whichever team lands Iriafen — even though it would only get her for a year — will receive an immediate boost in terms of potential next season. Individually, she can elevate any team. The reigning winner of the Katrina McClain Award (an honor for college basketball’s top forward) is one of the best rebounders in the country, and she’s one of the nation’s most efficient scorers. Her passing improved significantly with more playing time this season. Through last season she drew…

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South Carolina tops our 2024-25 women’s college basketball power rankings https://womenssportsnow.com/south-carolina-tops-our-2024-25-womens-college-basketball-power-rankings/ https://womenssportsnow.com/south-carolina-tops-our-2024-25-womens-college-basketball-power-rankings/#respond Mon, 08 Apr 2024 09:00:51 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/south-carolina-tops-our-2024-25-womens-college-basketball-power-rankings/

Congrats to South Carolina, which was the No. 1 team in all but one edition of this season’s rankings. The Gamecocks proved they were the best team in college basketball for all of 2023-24, just like last year, only this time they were able to cap their remarkable regular season with a national championship. South […]

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Congrats to South Carolina, which was the No. 1 team in all but one edition of this season’s rankings. The Gamecocks proved they were the best team in college basketball for all of 2023-24, just like last year, only this time they were able to cap their remarkable regular season with a national championship. South Carolina’s success was the primary validation of these power rankings, though the last poll did feature 15 of the Sweet 16 teams in the top 18 (apologies to Duke).

In case you’re interested in how well my first power rankings of 2023-24 held up, take a gander! Oregon State really came out of nowhere.

As we look ahead to 2024-25, a reminder that this is an indicator of how teams stand right now, though WNBA Draft decisions and transfers — keep an eye on Oregon State and Washington State following the dissolution of the Pac-12 — could substantially change the makeup of rosters. I’ve priced in some player improvement, particularly for younger players with high pedigree, but otherwise tried to assess these squads based on how the players finished this season. Let me know in the comments if you think I’m overlooking anyone.

Almost famous: Kentucky, Michigan State, Vanderbilt


Why South Carolina over UConn?

South Carolina is losing Kamilla Cardoso, but otherwise…

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2024 NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch: Who’s playing waiting game on Selection Sunday? https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bubble-watch-whos-playing-waiting-game-on-selection-sunday/ https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bubble-watch-whos-playing-waiting-game-on-selection-sunday/#respond Sun, 17 Mar 2024 11:30:11 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bubble-watch-whos-playing-waiting-game-on-selection-sunday/

The Athletic has live coverage of Selection Sunday and the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal.  (Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.) Pure. Chaos. Madness came early on Saturday, leaving a trail […]

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The Athletic has live coverage of Selection Sunday and the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal. 

(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)

Pure. Chaos.

Madness came early on Saturday, leaving a trail of stolen bids, burst bubbles and flummoxed bracketologists in its wake. Now? Selection Sunday is here.

We know we have four legit bid thieves: NC State in the ACC, Oregon in the Pac-12 and two more coming Sunday in the A-10 and AAC. Drake’s upset over Indiana State in the MVC title game might end up as a fifth functional bid thief. Wild.

Get your March Madness printable bracket

The bracket reveal is mere hours away. In the meantime, we’ll do our best to calculate the bubble math and take stock of an absolutely wild day of college hoops.

Here’s my best estimation of where things stand entering Sunday:

• There are 32 automatic qualifying bids via conference champions. There are 36 at-large bids. Total of 68.

• At least 21 of those 32 conferences will be one-bid leagues, including the Ivy League championship between Brown and Yale on Sunday. So let’s start with 21.

• Give at least four bids to the ACC: AQ and three at-large locks….

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2024 NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch: Bid thieves on the prowl https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bubble-watch-bid-thieves-on-the-prowl/ https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bubble-watch-bid-thieves-on-the-prowl/#respond Sat, 16 Mar 2024 23:32:11 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bubble-watch-bid-thieves-on-the-prowl/

(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.) Conference tournaments are here and Selection Sunday is nigh, which means Bubble Watch is in full swing. One day before the bracket is revealed, […]

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(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)

Conference tournaments are here and Selection Sunday is nigh, which means Bubble Watch is in full swing.

One day before the bracket is revealed, bid thieves are the big storyline. We know we will already have one in the Atlantic 10 with Dayton out of the mix. Three more are lurking between now and the selection show: North Carolina State in the ACC, Oregon in the Pac-12, and anyone other than Florida Atlantic in the AAC. How those shake out will be critical for a bubble that is nearly at capacity.

NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt suggested on Saturday morning that there were “at least another four or five spots” up for grabs as far as at-large bids. That might be overstating it a tad, and will of course depend on how those possible bid thieves shake out, but there are clearly still decisions to be made.

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2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Watch: North Carolina will be the fourth No. 1 seed https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bracket-watch-north-carolina-will-be-the-fourth-no-1-seed/ https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bracket-watch-north-carolina-will-be-the-fourth-no-1-seed/#respond Sat, 16 Mar 2024 12:30:38 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bracket-watch-north-carolina-will-be-the-fourth-no-1-seed/

(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.) It only took until the day before Selection Sunday, but finally we can say for sure who the top eight seeds will be in […]

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(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)

It only took until the day before Selection Sunday, but finally we can say for sure who the top eight seeds will be in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

With Tennessee and Arizona losing on Saturday and North Carolina advancing to the ACC tournament, the Tar Heels will join Purdue, Houston and UConn on the top line. The only minor intrigue left there is whether Houston passes Purdue for the No. 1 overall seed.

Tennessee and Arizona will be on the No. 2 line, along with Marquette and Iowa State. The Cyclones beat Baylor to reach the Big 12 title game and have more than made up for a lackluster nonconference slate, while Marquette got to the Big East final without All-America point guard Tyler Kolek. Given the Golden Eagles’ impressive resume and insistence that Kolek will be back next week, a No. 2 seed is in order.

Clarity comes at the top, and the bubble continues to come into focus as well. Mississippi State and Texas A&M locked up spots by beating Tennessee and Kentucky, respectively. New Mexico beat Colorado State in the Mountain West semis and should be safely in. Colorado finally gets over…

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2024 NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch: Big day on SEC bubble https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bubble-watch-big-day-on-sec-bubble/ https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bubble-watch-big-day-on-sec-bubble/#respond Sat, 16 Mar 2024 01:28:11 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-ncaa-tournament-bubble-watch-big-day-on-sec-bubble/

(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.) Conference tournaments are here, and Selection Sunday is nigh, which means Bubble Watch is in full swing. I’ll be making regular, daily updates to […]

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(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)

Conference tournaments are here, and Selection Sunday is nigh, which means Bubble Watch is in full swing.

I’ll be making regular, daily updates to Bubble Watch from now until the bracket is revealed, so be sure to bookmark this page and check in all week as conference tourneys heat up and the NCAA Tournament field comes into focus. As soon as relevant games in each conference wrap up, I’ll have fresh thoughts on what it means for those teams and any other bubble watchers impacted by the results.

I’m in Kansas City covering the Big 12 tournament, but I’ll do my best to update things in real-time, and I’ll try to hop into the comments and answer questions as well. Even the mean ones.

An important note: An expanded “Movement” section for each conference will be refreshed as often as necessary, while the corresponding team charts will be updated each morning with accurate records, NET rankings and other metrics.

We’ll keep track of the number of auto-qualifiers as they roll in, whether or not there are any “bid thieves” among them, and how the math is shaping up for the rest…

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