Blake Hamilton

Texas Tech '16. Dallas Sports Fan. Breckenridge & Lubbock.

[Zac Hill @zdch]

The whole 82-0 phenomenon reinforces that whole bit about how the only thing a bunch of dudes need in order to have a good time is to sit around announcing the names of a bunch of old athletes.

[Tone Digs @ToneDigz]

Rich Rod absolutely loving what Joey McGuire is doing

[Cody Campbell @CodyC64]

@On3 @adamgorney Schedule us then! We’ve been talking about it for years and we are more than willing!! @CoachSark @_delconte

[Dalton Trigg @dalton_trigg]

🐐 🐐 🐐

[Jo @MavsStan41]

“We need you, you’re gonna carry us home”- Jason Terry’s 2011 nba finals closeout game 6 halftime speech to Dirk Nowitzki

[Texas Tech Softball @TexasTechSB]

History through our lens

[CFB Kings @CFBKings]

Texas Tech draft picks:

2) EDGE David Bailey, Jets
43) LB Jacob Rodriguez, Dolphins
49) DT Lee Hunter, Panthers
70) EDGE Romello Height, 49ers
75) WR Caleb Douglas, Dolphins
143) WR Reggie Virgil, Cardinals
205) DT Skyler Gill-Howard, Lions
234) QB Behren Morton, Patriots
244) DB Cole Wisniewski, Eagles

[The Broadway Shuffle Podcast @broadwayshuff]

Texas Tech is the only school in the 25-26 athletic year to go wire to wire in the AP Poll in both Football and Men's Basketball

Incredible accomplishment for both programs, and each of them are just getting started 👀

[Texas Tech Basketball @TexasTechMBB]

From start to finish 🔥

We've been ranked in the AP Top 25 all season for the first time in program history.

[Awful Announcing @awfulannouncing]

Throwback to 2023 NCAA Tournament coverage...

Charles Barkley said he used to shower in his uniform, leaving Clark Kellogg in hysterics. And the late, great Greg Gumbel couldn't believe it.

Chuck: "But it's easier to do it that way." 🏀🤣#MarchMadness

[The Field of 68 @TheFieldOf68]

Grant McCasland gets emotional discussing JT Toppin's injury:

"He said, 'I just wanna play with our team. I don't know how we're gonna rebound.' That's what I love about him. He's so genuine... The joy comes in the mourning. And there's a lot of mourning."

(🎥: @NathanGiese)

[Joe Pompliano @JoePompliano]

Curt Cignetti will soon sign a new contract with Indiana that pays him at least $12.5 million per year.

But after digging into the numbers, Cignetti might still be the most undervalued coach in college football (and not for the reason you might think).

We all know what Cignetti has done at IU is remarkable — he turned a perennial cellar-dweller into the national championship favorite just two years after his arrival.

This has transformed IU's athletic department:

• Before the 2025 season even kicked off, ticket revenue for IU's football team had surpassed $13 million.

• Indiana announced a $50 million stadium naming rights deal with Merchants Bank.

• Fundraising has hit a record high, with billionaire IU alum Mark Cuban donating to the athletic department for the first time ever.

But that's the obvious stuff; Cignetti's real impact comes in the admissions office.

IU's football team is essentially a marketing vehicle for the university — 24 million people watched them win the Rose Bowl, 18 million watched them win the Big Ten Championship, and when College Gameday visited Indiana's campus last year, more than 2 million people watched a 3-hour commercial about the school.

This publicity is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is having a real impact on Indiana's finances.

In 2025 alone, Indiana University set school records for total enrollment (48,626 students), freshman class size (10,127 students), first-year out-of-state students (4,697), and application volume (73,400).

Indiana University Applicants
• 2019-20: 44,178
• 2020-21: 46,623
• 2021-22: 50,159
• 2022-23: 54,345
• 2023-24: 67,731
• 2024-25: 73,400

But since IU can only admit so many students each year, they leverage the additional demand to 1) rotate the composition of their student body toward out-of-state students, and 2) become more selective academically.

Out-of-state students now account for about 50% of IU's total enrollment, with the school admitting a total of 4,697 new out-of-state students in 2025 — roughly 500 more out-of-state students than IU's previous record.

This is an important distinction because out-of-state students pay $30,000 more in annual tuition – $12,000 for Indiana residents versus $42,000 for non-residents.

500 new out-of-state students
x $30,000 tuition difference
–––––––––
= $15 million annually

If you multiply that by a four-year degree, these out-of-state students are worth $60 million more to IU than their in-state counterparts.

And since football success attracts more applicants, IU's admissions office can be more selective.

Indiana's Fall 2025 class had a median high school GPA of 3.94 — the highest in IU admissions history.

This creates a virtuous cycle.

Better sports → more applicants → better students → higher rankings. Higher rankings then lead to even more applicants, and, eventually, higher tuition revenues.

This is exactly what happened at Alabama with Nick Saban, and it's a big reason why Indiana is completely comfortable giving Cignetti new contracts every year.

P.S. If you enjoyed this breakdown, join 135,000 others who learn about the business and money behind sports by reading my 3x weekly newsletter: https://t.co/OgN8EYGDHY

[Lauren Matter @LaurenMatter]

OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: Six former @TexasTechFB players say they made a pact - get matching Double T tattoos if the team wins the Big 12 Championship game.

And this week they made good on that pact.

I just love this because there's a first time for everything...even at 74!

[Cody Campbell @CodyC64]

Hate to see it end this way, but this was a special and historic season for @TexasTechFB. Love this special group of seniors, and appreciate everything they have done for our university and for our community. Thank you!

This season is just the beginning!! We will continue to build. Continue to develop. We will double down on resources, commitment, and resolve.

Long Live the Matadors!!

[Mavs Film Room 🐴🎥 @MavsFilmRoom]

12/15/24: Luka’s last 40 point game as a Maverick

12/15/25: Coop’s first 40 point game as a Maverick

(H/t @mjk2341)

[Ben Rogers @BenRogers]

Yes, I would still trade AD for younger assets & picks more tailored for the future as opposed to the present.

AD’s age and contract make him a bad fit for the Mavs, imo.

Additionally, if he’s healthy, he’s too good for your team to tank this season — and this is the only year that the Mavericks have their draft pick until 2031.

I don’t think they should tank in the sense that they should purposefully try to lose every single game. I just think they would be better served by having the best possible draft pick this year. If AD is healthy, you are more likely to have the pick in the 15-18 range. If you trade him, I think you’re far more likely to have a top 7-8 pick.

There are people who would tell you that I’m crazy to think that way.

But back to the right now…

This current team is primarily built around Kai and AD. Their two salaries alone make up almost half of the payroll.

Regardless of what the Mavericks gave up to be in this predicament — there’s no doubt they were absolutely fleeced by the Lakers — they’re now most certainly painted into a corner from a payroll/team-building standpoint. Parting ways with AD’s contract would be wise.

Year/End of Seas Age/Salary

AD
================
25-26 — 33 — $54.1
27-27 — 34 — $58.5
27-28 — 35 — $62.8

Kai
================
25-26 — 34 — $36.6
26-27 — 35 — $39.5
27-28 — 36 — $42.4

I’m no capologist — and reading about the NBA’s second apron/luxury tax stuff gives me a brain bleed — but suffice to say, the league makes it very difficult for teams to stack multiple highly paid superstars. It can be very punitive financially, but it can also be very restrictive from a team-building standpoint.

At the same time, there’s not a single trade rumor that I’ve heard with regard to AD that sounds appetizing in the least. For as good as he is, it is near impossible for any team to plan on him being available. He’s simply injured far too often to plan around.

I’m not dying to trade him for a crap return either. And honestly, it feels like that’s all that’s out there.

And so, here we are.

Probably too good to tank if AD is playing. Probably not good enough to win it all this year with AD’s health concerns and Kai coming back from a catastrophic injury at some point. Not in a great position to build for the future due to cap problems. As perhaps most importantly — they’re strapped with a massive contract for an often injured player who will cost $62.8 million in his age 35 season.

Meanwhile, Luka is doing Luka things on our timelines and televisions almost every night.

But regardless of everything, I’ve very much enjoyed watching Mavs games this season. Cooper Flagg is a certified beast and is about to take us all on a glorious adventure. I don’t watch these games rooting for losses, but I also don’t mind if they lose as it potentially helps our draft night experience.

If you’re able to compartmentalize all your Luka feelings and focus on the gift of Cooper Flagg, it’s a much more enjoyable experience.

They have their fair share problems, obviously, but I remain incredibly excited about the future of the Dallas Mavericks.

[Blake Hamilton @BlakeHamilton23]

@KevinGraySports Hurt

[Playteaux @Playteaux1]

When you have cool neighbors…

[Texas Tech Football @TexasTechFB]

A new standard 🏟️

• Undefeated at home (7-0)
• Matched our most home wins in a season
• Sold out all 7 games
• New record for average attendance

[Texas Tech Red Raiders @TechAthletics]

Red Raider Nation heading into work today like