SBJ College: Southern Cal Seeks Experienced Leader

The legend of ESPN’s “College GameDay” added another chapter Saturday. A few hundred Texas students were already in line when I arrived at the set just after 5:00am. My favorite sign: We Want Maryland. (The Terps upset the Longhorns the last two seasons).

Here’s what's cooking on campus:

SOUTHERN CAL JOB STILL HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE

• Timing forced USC to seek AD Lynn Swann’s resignation yesterday.
  
  
  • The Trojans had hoped to wrap up the search for Swann's replacement by now, sources say. They’ve been in the market for a new AD for weeks, quietly talking to high-level P5 ADs about the job. The intent was to force out Swann and have the next AD ready to be named within a few days. But the longer USC searched with Swann still in the chair, it became a bad look. Time to go ahead and open the position now.
    
    
  • Something else to think about -- the Trojans might be really good in football this season. With each win, it becomes slightly tougher to unload the AD.
    
    
• It is widely expected that the Trojans will hire an actual AD this time, rather than go with another nontraditional hire. USC hasn’t had a professional AD since Mike McGee in the 1990s. The byproduct of so many nontraditional hires, according to sources: 1) Falling behind in facilities; 2) Signing a vastly undervalued shoe/apparel deal with Nike; 3) Agreeing to a revenue-share multimedia rights deal with Fox that is, again, undervalued.
  
  
• The AD position remains a top-10 job, maybe top five. It is one of a small handful of truly elite brands in college sports and with that comes the potential for a quick turnaround. As one source said: After a decade of dominance in football by Oregon and Washington, what have they done to lift the Pac-12? Nothing. The Trojans have the brand strength to lift the entire conference. The Pac-12 needs USC to be elite again.
  
  
• USC alum Keyshawn Johnson did not hold back today on ESPN L.A.: "What people don’t understand about USC – it’s been the same stale, crusty athletic department since I was a kid. I started hanging out at USC at 7-8 years old. That was 40 years ago. Some of those same people still run around the athletic department. It’s crazy."

THE LINCOLN LAWYER JOINS "GAMEDAY"

McConaughey drove a Longhorn-themed Ford up to ESPN's set Saturday morning

• Without some fast thinking by Texas officials, the highlight of last Saturday's "College GameDay" never would have happened. Texas superfan Matthew McConaughey rolled up to the set in a burnt orange Ford coupe ahead of the Longhorns' battle against LSU. ESPN’s cameras captured his arrival as he gave the “Hook ‘em Horns” sign, providing the must-see moment for the show’s return to Austin.
  
  
• The original plan Saturday morning called for McConaughey to drive a different Longhorn-themed car up to the ESPN set -- one made by Cadillac and donated by a big Texas booster. One major problem: McConaughey’s endorsement deal with Lincoln does not permit him to appear in a competitor’s brand, especially a direct rival such as Cadillac. Lincoln is a Ford brand.
  
  
• Once officials recognized the brand conflict, they were able to contact Megan Grigsby, whose burnt orange Ford, with horns poking out of the hood, is well-known around Austin. Grigsby is a Texas booster whose other claim to fame, besides the car, is dressing up her two great danes as Longhorns. She supplied the Longhorn Ford and the show went on as planned, thanks to some nimble moves by the Texas staff. The fans, many of whom began lining up at 5:00am, gave McConaughey a hero’s welcome.

AGGIES GET CREATIVE WITH LEARFIELD IMG COLLEGE

• I wrote about Texas A&M’s unique approach to campuswide marketing in this week’s SBJ. What really came across from my visit to College Station last month was how university president Michael Young has gotten behind the partnership between the Aggies and the Campus+ team from Learfield IMG College.
  
  
• The support from the top down is important because campuswide sponsorships require more buy-in from other departments than traditional athletic sponsorships. When Shane Hinckley, A&M VP/Brand Development, brings forth a sponsorship opportunity with another part of campus, it carries Young’s support. “President Young believes in this model,” Hinckley said.
  
  
• While a handful of schools have closed campuswide sponsorships, the concept remains largely unproven. Most of the deals so far have been with banks, like Wells Fargo at A&M. The challenge for universities and Campus+ is to stretch beyond the low-hanging fruit. Healthcare centers, office supplies, airlines, technology and wireless represent just some of the categories that could attract new sponsors to campus. Learfield IMG College remains bullish that Campus+ can capture those new dollars.

SPEED READS

• Tennessee football has started 0-2 this season against the likes of Georgia State and BYU, but the Knoxville News Sentinel's John Adams offered a silver lining on Paul Finebaum's radio show. "I will say this about Tennessee fans. They just keep coming no matter what happens." UT, which hosts Chattanooga on Saturday, is averaging a crowd of nearly 90,000 at Neyland Stadium this season, good for fifth among FBS schools that have hosted two games already. That may not help second-year coach Jeremy Pruitt however, as Adams in his latest column writes AD Phillip Fulmer "never has been so close to getting his old job back."
  
  
• The governing body for junior colleges is working on esports national championships, plus run-up events, for its two-year schools. Legacy will operate and schedule the championships, while CSMG’s Neil Malvone will head up the commercial side. Per Malvone, look for digital operations like Twitch or Turner's Bleacher Report to kick the tires on media rights. Events could begin as early this fall.
  
  
• The California State Assembly has passed a bill that would allow college athletes to more easily profit off their own name, image and likeness, and CBSSports.com's Matt Norlander had a interesting Twitter thread this afternoon. "California just disregarded Mark Emmert and the NCAA. A fascinating face-off is nearing. ... California has more D-I teams than any other state. Others are currently exploring similar legislation. Presidential candidates are vocalizing support for college athletes’ rights ... The NCAA will change, it just finally feels like sooner is ahead of later."

Enjoying this newsletter? We've got more! Check out SBJ Media with John Ourand on Mondays and Wednesdays for insights into all the latest news around the world of sports media.

Something on the College beat catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to either me (msmith@sportsbusinessjournal.com) or Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessdaily.com) and we'll share the best of it. Also contributing to this newsletter is Thomas Leary (tleary@sportsbusinessdaily.com).