Prompt response to important weekend developments, each on and off the sphere …
1. Washington State’s huge dedication
Though it drew little consideration regionally and 0 response nationally, a remark by WSU athletic director Anne McCoy packed fairly a wallop at Hotline headquarters.
Throughout a wide-ranging interview, McCoy informed the Spokesman-Overview that the Cougars have allotted $4.5 million for the soccer assistant coaches’ wage pool in 2025.
That’s roughly $800,000 greater than WSU paid its coordinators and assistants in 2024, in keeping with USA At present’s faculty soccer wage database.
It’s $200,000 greater than Oregon State paid its employees in 2024.
And it’s $1.6 million greater than Boise State’s assistants, the highest-paid employees within the Mountain West, earned in 2024.
Put one other approach: Assuming an affordable year-over-year enhance for value of dwelling and different issues, WSU might very properly have the biggest wage pool for assistant coaches within the rebuilt Pac-12 when the convention ramps up in 2026.
That constitutes a significant growth given the tenuous monetary scenario in Pullman and the modest compensation settlement with new coach Jimmy Rogers, who reportedly will earn simply $1.57 million yearly (on common).
The Hotline famous final week that Rogers’ deal “should be cause for concern among WSU constituents” as a result of the quantity “would rank sixth among the seven coaches at schools participating in the Pac-12 in 2026.”
However we additionally wrote this: “Let’s wait for Rogers to fill out his coaching staff before drawing initial conclusions on the funding level for WSU football.”
Primarily based on McCoy’s feedback, it seems the Cougars determined to ante up in a vital space.
2. Arizona State’s giant quantity
TV rankings for the Faculty Soccer Playoff quarterfinals have been spectacular contemplating the lopsided nature of the Rose Bowl and the difficult kickoff home windows for the opposite three video games.
The Granddaddy drew 21.1 million viewers, which was down from the 27.6 million who watched final 12 months — Alabama and Michigan performed a thriller within the semifinals — however nonetheless marked the biggest viewers for any sport this season.
Additionally noteworthy: 17.3 million watched Texas outlast Arizona State in extra time. In keeping with SportsMediaWatch, the viewers is “the largest on record for a bowl game that began prior 3 p.m. (Eastern).”
Add the viewership from the Huge 12 championship, and 28 million followers watched ASU’s remaining two video games.
That’s roughly 3 times the mixed viewers for the Solar Devils’ 12 regular-season video games.
In different phrases: Many faculty soccer followers noticed tailback Cam Skattebo play for the primary time in what turned his remaining sport.
Oh, properly. Their loss.
3. Cal’s large alternative
Within the span of 1 week, the Bears sustained a brutal double-whammy at crucial place.
On Dec. 4, quarterback Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele, a four-star recruit from Hawaii who had been dedicated to Cal for 5 months, flipped his allegiance and signed with Oregon.
On Dec. 11, the Bears’ beginning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, introduced he would enter the switch portal.
Identical to that, this system misplaced its current and its future.
(A number of days later, the Bears would lose their bowl sport, too, and end with a 6-7 document.)
However out of nowhere, hope has reappeared.
On Friday, Sagapolutele introduced he would enter the switch portal, explaining to ESPN that “I just felt that I wasn’t a main priority” at Oregon. “Of course there’s going to be competition anywhere I go. But I’m just looking at other QB rooms and the best place for me to go get on the field early.”
Greater than 24 hours later, Sagapolutele’s vacation spot stays a thriller. However Hotline sources imagine Cal is the frontrunner for his companies given the longstanding connection to the employees and the potential to play instantly.
And we imply instantly.
If he lands in Berkeley this month, Sagapolutele very properly might begin the season opener Aug. 30 at Oregon State.
4. Oregon’s epic loss
Three days later, the Hotline remains to be making an attempt to grasp the demolition we witnessed first-hand within the Rose Bowl.
Blowouts occur every year within the Faculty Soccer Playoff, however not like that.
Not when the No. 1 seed — and the nation’s solely undefeated workforce — is obliterated with such ease and pace that the sport is successfully over halfway by the second quarter.
So momentous was the fail that we sought context from 11 years of CFP outcomes.
Right here’s what we discovered:
— Oregon was the seventh No. 1 seed to lose however simply the third to lose earlier than the championship sport, together with Alabama in 2014 and Clemson in 2017. (Clearly, each misplaced within the semifinals.)
— The six earlier losses by No. 1 seeds have been by a median of 12.8 factors. The Geese misplaced by 20.
— Just one No. 1 seed has misplaced by a bigger margin than Oregon: Within the championship sport for the 2018 season, undefeated Alabama misplaced 44-16 to Clemson.
So these inclined might make the case that Oregon’s loss wasn’t the worst by a No. 1 seed in CFP historical past — besides 2018 Alabama at the least received its semifinal sport (by 11 factors over Oklahoma), and its deficit at halftime towards Clemson was 15 factors.
The Geese trailed by 26 at halftime.
Within the 38 playoff video games throughout 11 years, there has by no means been something prefer it.
5. Arizona’s big win
We’ll conclude with a basketball matter of excessive curiosity on the Hotline: The trajectory of Arizona’s season.
Usually, coach Tommy Lloyd’s crew has an NCAA Event berth secured by this level, due to stellar ends in non-conference matchups.
However these Wildcats entered 2025 with a 7-5 document and a surprisingly slim path into the NCAAs.
In the event that they climb into the 68-team discipline, the Wildcats would possibly look again on Jan. 4 because the turning level.
The 72-67 victory at No. 16 Cincinnati, fueled by a stout defensive efficiency, was their first Quadrant I win, their first street win and their first victory over a ranked opponent.
They’ve an opportunity to construct momentum Tuesday night at West Virginia on the second leg of their longest, hardest journey of the season.
Initially Revealed: January 4, 2025 at 10:19 PM PST
