Recent Developments Provide Opportunity, Make It Difficult to Know Who's Real

Realignment gives coaches chance to show they truly care about athletes, also opens door to pool wool over their eyes, leaves Pittman, Arkansas with big decision

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – There are a few keys to success in the world of business.
1. Don't do the same thing your competitors are doing.
2. Relate to your clientele and let them know you care about them and their needs.
3. Provide a great product and back it up with confidence.

Those are three keys the SEC is following to its fullest lately. While all the other conferences are falling all over themselves to to expand from coast to coast, the SEC is patiently keeping it close to the vest while waiting for the right school that fits the footprint. There's a ton of inventory to be had that not only fits the culture, it fits the region.

It's an important move because not only does it separate the league from the other three remaining major conferences, it offers a prime opportunity to tackle key No. 2. The second athletes from schools leaving the Pac-12 began talking about being disappointed because they chose their school with family in mind and started talking about the mental impact of sleep exhaustion and stress from zipping across the country on 12-hour round trip plane rides, SEC coaches began going out of their way to echo those thoughts.

Several softball players who compete for schools that are leaving the Pac-12 have spoken out against the latest round of conference realignment.

They cited mental health and further distances for their families to travel for road games. pic.twitter.com/jeURfGGqjC

— Andy Wittry (@AndyWittry) August 5, 2023

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz took the first step in showing empathy to a group of athletes who are caught up in something over which they have no control. When asked for his thoughts on apparent demise of the Pac-12, he paused for a second as if he didn't want to answer and even threw in a long sigh, creating a rather dramatic effect. After allowing his body language to present the idea that he was foregoing advice to not speak on it but that it troubled him too much not to, Drinkwitz spoke.

"Alright. I'm gonna say it," Drinkwitz said. "I thought the transfer portal was closed. Um, oh, that's just for the student-athletes. The adults in the room get to do whatever they want, apparently."

Then he went to bat for the softball players like the ones who included their comments in the now viral tweet and their male counterparts. 

"We're talking about a football decision, they based off football, but what about baseball and football who have to travel cross country? Did we ask about the cost to them? Do we know what the number one indicator of symptom or cause of mental health is? It's lack of rest and sleep."

Anyone who has worked with teenagers knows he's right. There's not a more dangerous cocktail when it comes to their mental health than lack of sleep and social media. Hopefully, he's actually sincere about this and not simply setting up a company line. It's hard to 100% give the benefit of the doubt when the SEC holds the leverage as the only major conference that can speak on this without being immediately labeled a hypocrite. And, yes, that includes the ACC. They also could have benefited as the conference that has the best interest of the athletes in mind until its members decided to have a sit-down to discuss whether it's a good idea to fly from Miami to San Francisco.

The Hurricanes would have to take a 6,035 mile round trip. It's a 44 hour drive, which makes it an 88 hour round trip. That's essentially four days of driving. 

Obviously, the teams will most likely fly. So, put that to the test. An American Airlines flight left Miami at 8:15 p.m. Monday night and arrived in San Francisco at 11:27 p.m. Not bad huh? Only three hours, right? Nope. That 8:15 p.m. is Eastern time and the 11:27 p.m. is Pacific time. The plane left at 5:15 p.m. PST, so the flight was 61/4 hours. That means if the ACC goes through with it, they're asking the basketball team to leave Tuesday morning, play a basketball game that ends at 9:30 p.m. PST, wrap up media obligations and then get to the airport to fly back. 

Best case scenario, the plane takes off at 11:30, but it's most likely midnight or later. That puts the players back on the ground in Miami after 6 a.m. There's nothing physically or mentally healthy about that.

Not missing an opportunity, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin hopped onto Twitter to also recite the points the softball players were making while putting forth an image of SEC coaching solidarity behind the affected athletes. Again, a good move if it's genuine.

It’s all just really sad!! So much tradition and rivalries all gone. How are fans and players families in ALL of the sports going to get to these games?? This is good for these student athletes and their mental health?? Anyone ask them?? I hear you Drink https://t.co/VOJN9i98cv

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) August 7, 2023

The message is clear. In the SEC, it just means more. And in this case, the message is that "it" is players' well-being. 

The way this is playing out, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman will have to make a choice. If this is something he truly believes, but it's being pushed as a company line, it might hurt him to fall in line with something that would come off as disingenuous. He's always better in voicing himself in one-on-one settings as opposed to making big, grand gestures. When it comes to key No. 2, people can tell when someone is trying to get over on them to gain a benefit. It's one thing that can send a company crashing down. No one likes it when someone is being fake, so he can't risk it no matter which side he comes down on the issue.

So, if Pittman doesn't come out with a giant billboard declaring his love for all the athletes caught up in the fallout of schools chasing money to the other side of the country, it's not a definitive statement as to whether he cares. It's just proof of how complicated this matter truly is. 

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