Kayse Shrum's departure will hurt OSU athletics | Berry Tramel's ScissorTales

At a function in Greater Phoenix, before the OSU-Wisconsin Guaranteed Rate Bowl in December 2022, a variety of players, coaches and administrators were introduced.

OSU president Kayse Shrum received the biggest ovation.

Our student body, our band, went nuts, said an OSU employee, recalling the scene with sadness Wednesday, after news broke that Shrum had resigned amid pressure from the board of regents.

Shrums departure will not play well amid the rank-and-file.

She was immensely popular with students and OSU fans.

She seemed to have solid faculty support, even though the professors can be persnickety.

She is the most-loved president of any institution Ive been at, said a coach who has worked at no fewer than five Division I universities.

Not even close.

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But we start with the ouster of OSUs quite-popular president.

Shrum apparently grew crossways with regents in matters both in and beyond athletics.

She brokered the recent contract adjustment that saved football coach Mike Gundys job, after his 3-9 season and caustic comments about fans.

But the contentiousness goes far beyond football, and regents allege improper transfers of legislatively appropriated funds involving the universitys Innovation Foundation.

I dont claim to know much about the academic side.

But Shrums departure is not good for OSU athletics.

Not good at all.

OSU hired Gundy as football coach in January 2005.

That September, OSU hired Mike Holder as athletic director.

In 2008, OSU hired Burns Hargis as president.

For 13 years, that triumvirate didnt change, and though they often feuded, OSU football thrived, as did much of the athletic department.

Continuity matters.

Consistent leadership is invaluable.

And on July 1, 2021, Kayse Shrum succeeded Hargis and Chad Weiberg replaced Holder, OSU athletics seemed headed for another long run of consistency.

But the Shrum/Weiberg/Gundy team has been broken.

Some believe Weiberg could be in trouble, too.

A coalition of regents clearly are not happy and want change.

Shrum immediately won over Cowboy and Cowgirl fans in July 2021, with her feisty response to arch-rival OU leaving the Big 12.

Shrum and Weiberg guided the department through some uncertain days before the Big 12 found solid ground and a good path forward.

Since then, Shrum a college softball player at Connors State in her undergrad days has become a folk hero.

Shes a rock star, said the veteran coach.

As big-time as it gets.

But now Shrum is out, and OSUs athletic stability could be in danger.

ACC/Notre Dame scheduling will help CFP ESPNs agreement to pick up its option on the ACCs television contract is a good thing for college football, both for conference alignment stability and for playoff ramifications.

Yahoo Sports reported that the extension of the contract to 2036 comes with some ACC concessions for Florida State and Clemson, schools that have been unhappy with the leagues payouts compared to the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference.

Both FSU and Clemson have filed lawsuits against the ACC, seeking to exit the conference and take their media rights with them.

But neither the Big Ten or SEC showed much interest in the Seminoles or the Tigers, should they become untethered, and those schools appear to have pivoted toward a change in ACC distribution.

Yahoo reported that Florida State and Clemson have suggested alternatives to the ACCs revenue distribution model, with more money going to the most successful and highest-platform programs.

Part of such a compromise apparently would be more Notre Dame games against FSU, Clemson and Miami, the ACCs highest-profile schools.

Notre Dame is a member of the ACC in all but football but has a scheduling agreement in which it plays at least five ACC opponents per year.

Under the new settlement, Notre Dame would play at least two games a year against the trio of Florida State, Clemson and Miami.

Thats a win for ESPN, which gets more marquee games; a win for the Seminoles, Tigers and Hurricanes, who would get more television revenue; and a win for the ACC, which in theory would find stability for the next decade after chaotic conference realignment which has led to a 17-team ACC that goes coast to coast after the dissolution of the Pac-12.

And its good for the playoff.

More quality non-conference games absolutely are needed in the 12-team playoff.

The more quality games, the more clarity for the playoff selection committee.

In the 11 years of the Notre Dame/ACC alliance, the Fighting Irish have played Miami only twice, while playing Florida State five times and Clemson four times (not counting an ACC Championship showdown in the pandemic year of 2020).

Thats 11 games in 11 years.

But going forward, through 2037, Notre Dame has seven games scheduled against Miami and five each against Florida State and Clemson.

Thats 17 games against the trio, in 13 years.

More will be needed to satisfy the two-a-year agreement, but thats at least on the path to more good games.

The ACC benefits greatly from Notre Dames alliance.

But Notre Dame-Wake Forest or Notre Dame-Pittsburgh or Notre Dame-Virginia dont impact the league, either from a television perspective or a profile perspective, the way Notre Dame games against Florida State, Clemson and Miami have and will.

To the ACCs credit, it has played the best non-conference schedules among the power conferences.

The ACCs eight-game league schedule allows room for more good non-conference games, and the ACC has taken advantage of that, unlike the SEC.

And Notre Dame showdowns will help even more.

The List: Televised softball The new softball season is here! The new softball season is here! OSU plays Florida State at 10 a.m.

(Oklahoma time) Thursday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and OU plays Cal State-Northridge at 5:30 p.m.

(Oklahoma time) Thursday in San Diego.

The Sooners dont play at home until February 20, the Cowgirls not until March 2.

Until then, your best bet is via television.

OSUs Mexico games this week can be streamed via Flocollege.com , which traditionally has not been high quality.

OUs games in California this week can be streamed, too, with the Northridge game and California Baptist at 3 p.m.

Friday via soonersports.com , the 8 p.m.

Thursday game at San Diego State via goaztecs.com and the final three games via ESPN Plus Cal State-Fullerton at 8 p.m.

Friday, Loyola Marymount at 5 p.m.

Saturday and Long Beach State at 1 p.m.

Sunday.

Soon enough, the games will go more mainstream.

Here are five things to know about televised college softball: 1.

Thirteen OU games will be televised on an ESPN-cable network either ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or SEC Network.

Only Alabama (14) will be televised more.

Texas also is on 13 times.

2.

Eight OSU games will be on an ESPN-cable network.

Thats impressive, considering the Cowgirls dont have the SEC Network parachute.

The Cowgirls have televised games against UCLA, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech, OU, Central Florida and Texas.

Those first three are next week in the prestigious Clearwater Invitational.

3, All three games of OU serieses at Alabama and Florida, plus home against Texas, will be televised.

4.

ESPN will televise a tripleheader of conference championship games on May 10 Big 12, 11 a.m.

in Oklahoma City; ACC, 1:30 p.m.

in Brighton, Massachusetts; and SEC, 4 p.m.

in Athens, Georgia.

Also that day, the American Athletic Conference championship game will be televised on ESPN2 at 11 a.m.

from Tampa.

5.

UCLAs move to the Big Ten figures to hurt the Bruins exposure.

UCLA has just four games scheduled for linear television.

Oklahoma State on ESPN2, Alabama on ESPNU, Washington on Fox Sports1 and Oregon on the Big Ten Network.

Super Bowl pick: Why the Chiefs will win Chiefs-Eagles is a great Super Bowl matchup, and we know that because we saw it just 24 months ago.

Kansas Citys 38-35 victory over Philadelphia in Super Bowl 57 was an epic game, won on Harrison Butkers 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left in the game.

Another thriller is expected Sunday night in New Orleans, and another Kansas City victory should be expected, because Patrick Mahomes is so dang efficient.

In two playoff games this season, the Chiefs have produced six touchdowns and four field goals, in 16 total possessions.

Thats 50 percent efficiency, which is going to win you most ballgames.

Kansas City had the ball eight times in the AFC Championship Game against Buffalo, not counting end-of-half situations when running out the clock is priority A.

And the Chiefs were stopped just three times in those eight possessions.

Harken back to KCs run to its second straight Super Bowl title last February.

Those Chiefs were defensive-oriented; they beat the 49ers 25-22 in overtime, after beating the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship Game.

Kansas City had 23 possessions combined in those games, a robust figure for the National Football League, yet produced just four touchdowns and five field goals.

Thats 28.2 percent efficiency.

Steve Spagnuolos defense saved the Chiefs.

That defense remains solid, but now its getting all kinds of help from Mahomes offense.

Kansas City had 28 first downs two weeks ago against Buffalo, in nine possessions (counting the final drive, which milked the clock).

Thats three first downs per possession.

Thats winning football.

The Eagle defense will be hard-pressed to get off the field Sunday night in a timely manner.

Jalen Hurts offense is going to have to score.

Since he left Lubbock, Ill take Mahomes in most shootouts.

Chiefs 27-24.

Last week: 2-0.

Playoff record: 7-5.

Mailbag: OU-Auburn telecast The OU-Auburn telecast on the SEC Network did not sit well with at least one Sooner fan.

Brad: Sorry to bug you, but did you catch (analyst) Daymeon Fishback lecturing OU about their lack of support for the basketball program? I think that is the most angry that I have been in a while.

I'm probably missing something, but I am a basketball season ticket holder, alumni and other associations.

A paid voice for the conference we are in has no decent reason to lecture me.

Even if his point is valid, it just isn't good form.

The content of the comment likely does not come from Mr.

Fishback.

Sounded like a talking point to me.

I am no fan of this SEC move, so it doesn't take much to light my fuse.

I had a daughter at Ole Miss for four years.

I saw things and heard things that I never once heard or saw traveling the Big Eight and Big 12 venues for decades.

Oklahomans are better than that, they just are.

Sorry to vent to you.

You were just the first to come to mind.

I am packing to go on a lil ski trip and I am stunned that I ended up pissed off.

Berry: I did catch that, and though I wasn't angered by it, I thought it lacked any context.

The support that Fishback talked of was fan support.

Auburn has the nation's top-ranked team.

Of course the building's going to be full.

Lloyd Noble Center is a hopping place when the home team is stout.

Thats true of Billy Tubbs teams, Kelvin Sampson teams and Lon Kruger teams.

It would be true of Porter Moser teams, if he ever produces a big-time squad.

In general, I've thought the SEC television announcers have been somewhat sub-par.

The Big 12 had better.

Heck, I heard OU play-by-play voice Toby Rowland say the same thing on his radio show..

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