Thunderstruck
From The GIST College Sports (hi@thegistsports.com)
Happy hump day!
With extreme heat raising temps across the country, you know what’s always cool? Sharing The GIST with your fellow sports fans. Forward this newsletter to a friend, especially if their alma mater is featured in today’s Summer School Q&A.
— Kentucky baseball pitcher Cooper Robinson on the Spicy Sunflower Seed Challenge, the other competition going down in Omaha, Nebraska, this week. If ya can’t take the heat, get out of the dugout.
Baseball
⚾ Dancing in the rain
The GIST: Mother Nature disrupted the Men’s College World Series (MCWS) yesterday, meaning fans will be treated to three high-stakes matchups today on ESPN — assuming the weather cooperates (the outlook is…not great). Hey, at least you’ll have extra time to grab some snacks.
The set semifinal: Yesterday, No. 8–seed Florida State outran the rain and the No. 4 UNC Tar Heels 9–5 to reach today’s 2 p.m. ET semifinal against the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols, who are undefeated in the MCWS, have the upper hand: FSU must beat them twice to reach the finals, while Tennessee needs just one win to keep dancing.
- That said, if today’s game is anything like these teams’ heart-stopping, high-scoring Friday matchup, bet on FSU forcing a second showdown tomorrow.
The undecided semi: No. 2 Kentucky and unseeded Florida were supposed to duke it out last night, but instead they’ll meet today at 11 a.m. ET to decide who advances. But there’s no rest for the winner, who will then face No. 3 Texas A&M in the semis at 7 p.m. ET.
- A&M downed both of these squads in their first two MCWS games, but while Saturday’s win over Florida was a one-run thriller, Monday’s 5–1 takedown of Kentucky was never close. Whoever their foe, the well-rested Aggies are just one win away from their first-ever finals.
Summer School Q&A
🏆 All they do is win, win, win
The GIST: You ask, we answer! GISTers pose the most interesting NCAA questions, so if you have one, ask it here. On today’s lesson plan…
Q: What are the best dynasties in college sports?
A: The only thing NCAA fans love more than rooting for their teams is fighting about what counts as a dynasty. Is it overall wins and losses? Or, like UConn women’s basketball alum and WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart says, is it all about the ’ships? (She would know: She won four of ’em.)
- There are tons of historic streaks in NCAA history — here are some of the most widely recognized dynasties in college sports.
🏀 UCLA men’s basketball, 1964–1975: Legendary head coach (HC) John Wooden’s time with the Bruins is one of college sports’ most impressive runs. With NBA legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton on his roster, Wooden won 10 titles in 12 years — including seven in a row.
⚽ UNC’s women’s soccer, 1982–2003: Things that began in 1982: NCAA women’s soccer and the Tar Heels’ stranglehold on the natty. UNC won 17 titles in the sport’s first 23 years, with nine straight from 1986 to 1994. HC Anson Dorrance, who started the program and still helms it, has developed some of the game’s greatest talent, including seven of the legendary USWNT 99ers.
🏀 UConn women’s basketball, 2000–2016: HC Geno Auriemma’s career stats are truly mind-boggling — and he’s still building his resume. But his Huskies’ most dominant stretch, when they won 10 of their NCAA–leading 11 titles, ended with the aforementioned Stewie’s fourth straight ’ship in 2016.
🏈 Alabama football, 2009–2020: Few modern programs can match the Nick Saban–era Crimson Tide’s dominance. Arguably the greatest college football HC ever, Saban hung up his whistle in January, leaving new HC Kalen DeBoer with big shoes — and trophy cases — to fill.
✌️Oklahoma’s double dynasty, 2013–present: Today’s Sooner women are near-unbeatable in two sports: softball and gymnastics. Although this year’s gym team missed out on a three-peat, they were peerless in the regular season, and softball just bagged their historic fourth straight ’ship. Boomer.
⚖️ Ex–LSU football HC Les Miles files lawsuit
On Monday, the Tigers’ football HC from 2005 to 2016 sued LSU, the NCAA, and the College Football Hall of Fame (HOF) in hopes of salvaging his HOF chances. A year ago, the school vacated 37 of his wins because of a booster’s improper payments to a former player (a huge no-no in the pre–NIL era), leaving Miles just short of the minimum career win percentage needed for induction.
🤑 Now loading, NIL contracts to play bowl games
Front Office Sports reported Sunday that the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl’s first-of-its-kind plan to directly compensate players with NIL deals is likely not so revolutionary after all — the practice could become standard before the upcoming NCAA football postseason. Death, taxes, and college football finding new ways to make money.
🎗️ Cancer-free Dickie V will make broadcast return
Beloved ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale announced yesterday that he’s once again cancer-free and cleared to call games during the 2024–25 season. Vitale has now beaten vocal cord cancer, lymphoma, and melanoma, and is still pursuing his passions at 85 years old. Beyond inspiring.
Here’s what has The GIST team currently hyped:
🏀 Who to know
Candice Dupree, the second woman ever hired to be a San Antonio Spurs assistant coach under legendary NBA head coach Gregg Popovich. Now, she’s set her sights on making an impact leading HBCU Tennessee State’s women’s basketball team.
🏳️⚧️ What to check out
The Layshia Clarendon Foundation. Created by the first openly trans and nonbinary WNBA player, Clarendon’s foundation provides access to life-affirming healthcare for the trans community through education, advocacy, and direct financial assistance.
🎬 What to watch
Above the Rim. The 1994 basketball classic featuring Tupac Shakur explores themes in men’s mental health that are still relevant today.
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