First Down Kentucky: It's Time to Upgrade the SEC Spring Meetings

by:Nick Roush•05/27/24•

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Spring Meetings among conference officials have become an important part of the sports calendar. Once just a blip in the middle of an otherwise busy schedule, the BBN got its annual reminder that it was happening when Darrell Bird published exclusive stories from one-on-ones with Mitch Barnhart at the event. Spring Meetings have taken on new life in an era of turbulence for college athletics.

The addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC was the first domino for conference realignment. That made for a week of schedule talk at the 2023 spring meetings. This year the House settlement will dominate the conversation, even though schedule talk hasn’t completely gone away.

There’s real substance to Spring Meetings, yet the week of meetings between administrators and coaches at the Sandestin Resort on the Florida panhandle doesn’t have the same pomp and circumstance as other conference-wide events. This year the Big Ten was in Ranchos Palos Verdes, CA. The Big 12 convened in Scottsdale. These locations could inject more life into the SEC Spring Meetings.

Charleston, SC
It’s already the primo summer destination for wealthy Southerners. Do you know who goes to SEC Spring Meetings? Exactly. These two would go together like peas and carrots.

Key West, FL
There is absolutely nothing about Key West that sounds inviting to administrators, but this could be an outstanding way to honor Mike Leach’s legacy. Besides, the spirit of the Keys invites all. Maybe the relaxed atmosphere could lend itself to more compromise among conference officials.

30A, FL

All of the coaches already own homes here. In this setup, each would take turns hosting the meeting. The best host gets an extra vote on whatever trivial matter is up for debate.

The Great Smoky Mountains, TN
Destin isn’t the greatest tourist trap in the SEC footprint. That belongs to our friends in East Tennessee who will happily greet these coaches with milder temperatures, airbrushed t-shirts, and unlimited amounts of fudge and taffy. Hosted by Dolly Parton, the meetings will take place over a dinner show. Who needs to negotiate when you can do it the old-fashioned way? A little jousting never hurt anybody.

A New No. 1 in Kentucky?

Just a few days after Martels Carter committed to Kentucky, there is a new contender for the top high school player in the Commonwealth. On3 and 247 Sports have updated their rankings and each has Western Hills DL Javeon Campbell as the No. 1 player in Kentucky. He’s the No. 135 overall player according to On3 and the No. 109 overall according to 247 Sports.

Campbell is still second in the state in the weighted On3 Industry Ranking, but that may not last forever. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound athlete is a late bloomer who is continually improving. By the time his recruitment ends, he may be the first top 100 prospect from the state in a few years. Campbell officially visits Kentucky in June. The Wildcats are the favorites in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM), but Campbell will also OV at Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, and Ohio State.

One Game-Changing Week

We knew Dru Phillips turned heads at the Senior Bowl. Today we learned how much it actually changed his future. In a conversation with Cynthia Freland for NFL+, Giants GM Joe Schoen talked about what went into his decision to take the former Kentucky Wildcat in the third round of the NFL Draft.

“The Senior Bowl really did help him. I actually went to the Kentucky-Alabama game and he missed it because he had a hamstring injury, so I didn’t get to see him move around. I only got to see the film. Watching him at the Senior Bowl, the quickness, the vertical really showed out in terms of his movement skills and transition. He did a really good job in one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl and had a really good week.”

Fade Mizzou

What’s the opposite of a friend? That’s exactly what I made last week when I told Missouri fans that they’re going to be let down in 2024. They refuse to believe me, so I’m doubling down. The schedule is a cakewalk, but I’m still fading Drink’s new defensive coordinator hire and relying on history to predict the Tigers will not repeat their 11-win success from 2023.