Alabama News

South Carolina narrowly missed the College Football Playoff a year ago, so perhaps Shane Beamer is biased.

Whatever the reason, Beamer said Monday that he’s in favor of further expanding the playoff beyond its current 12-team format. The CFP was at four teams from 2014-13, then went to 12 teams last year, though there remains constant chatter it could be expanded to 14 or even 16 teams in 2026 and beyond.

“I’m all for more teams getting opportunities,” Beamer said Monday during his appearance at SEC Media Days in Atlanta. “I want to make sure we have the greatest regular season in any sport in college athletics, in my opinion, because every regular season game means something. So you want to make sure that the regular season doesn’t lose meaning and confident that it won’t if we expand. It’ll still make a lot more games meaningful in the month of November in my mind, and then gives more teams opportunities to go compete for a championship, which is what anybody wants.”

South Carolina went 9-4 last season, including a victory over eventual ACC champion Clemson on the final weekend of the regular season. However, when the final CFP rankings were released in early December, the Gamecocks were No. 15, left out along with the likes of Miami and Ole Miss.

There has also been talk of expanding the SEC’s schedule from eight games to nine for 2026. Beamer said that with South Carolina’s annual rivalry game with Clemson, the Gamecocks in effect already play nine “conference-level” games per year.

As Beamer noted, only South Carolina, Florida (with Florida State), Kentucky (Louisville) and Georgia (Georgia Tech) among SEC schools play the same non-conference rival each season. Beamer said that if the SEC went to a nine-game schedule, it would have to be made equitable across the board.

“Competition is a core value of our program, so I’m never gonna shy away from competition,” Beamer said. “… We have a schedule that we get to play, but we also get to play Clemson every season as well, and that’s a nonconference rival that we have that not every school in this league has. … I know everyone is going to play a power (conference) team in the regular season typically, but in my mind, we’re already playing nine conference games. Then if we go to nine, we’re now playing 10 conference games. And then we’ve also got future schedules with Miami on it, Virginia Tech this year, North Carolina, North Carolina State.

“So I’m all for competition, but I want to make sure that the other teams in this league aren’t playing nine SEC games and then playing three … games that they should win, because that’s not very smart as the head coach of South Carolina to be doing that if that’s what the other teams in this league aren’t doing it.”

University of Alabama signee Ma’Kale Holden was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday in the final round of the Major League Baseball Draft. The Brewers used the 605th pick in the 20th round of the draft to select Holden as a pitcher.

Holden, who starred at Thompson High School at pitcher and third base, was a first-team Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State selection as a utility player. He was ranked as the top right-handed pitcher and the No. 5 overall player in Alabama by Perfect Game USA, which clocked his fastball at 97 mph on June 22, 2024.

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Prep Baseball Report ranked the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder as the No. 2 right-hander and the No. 5 overall prospect in the state.

As a senior, the 18-year-old Holden struck out 55 batters in 40 innings and finished with a 2.45 earned run average for Frankie Perez’ Warriors. In 2024, Holden’s grand-slam home run on a 3-2 count in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Thompson past Spain Park 13-12 in the opening round of the AHSAA state playoffs.

Atlanta picked UAB outfielder Logan Braunschweig – another former Thompson player – in the ninth round of the draft on Monday.

The 2025 college football season is right around the corner, and Auburn’s campaign will start earlier than normal this year.

The Tigers will once again start the season in August, with the season opener against Baylor scheduled for Aug. 29. It puts the game on a Friday, starting before the majority of college football takes the field that Saturday.

With the early start, Auburn will begin fall camp before the month of August begins. Hugh Freeze told reporters at an AMBUSH event in Atlanta that the Tigers will begin camp on July 29, exactly one month before Auburn travels to Waco to face Baylor.

Freeze added that he likes what he’s seen from the team during summer workouts, complimenting the approach from both the players and staff.

“I couldn’t be more pleased. I really couldn’t,” Freeze said. “I love the chemistry I see between the quarterbacks and receivers right now. They believe in each other, it’s obvious and hopefully that is shown when we start playing games.”

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

A pair of Alabama State Hornets were selected in the 2025 MLB draft on Monday.

Both selected in the 20th round, first baseman Juan Cruz was selected by the Washington Nationals with pick No. 591 and outfielder Kameron Douglas went to the Detroit Tigers at No. 609.

Cruz was named SWAC Hitter of the Year after a standout season with the Hornets that saw him bat .420 with 14 home runs, 23 doubles and 73 RBIs. He posted a .481 on-base percentage with stole six bases.

His 105 hits led all Division I athletes last season while his batting average ranked No. 8 among all qualified players.

The 6-foot-5 first baseman also claimed first-team all-SWAC honors and was named SWAC Freshman of the Year in 2024 with the Hornets. Following the season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal and announced his commitment to Georgia.

A fellow first-team all-SWAC pick, Douglas batted .335 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs for Alabama State in his lone season with the Hornets, posting a .419 on-base percentage and a .639 slugging percentage.

His 79 hits ranked fourth among all SWAC players, while his home run mark ranked No. 3.

He also had three multi-home run games last season with Alabama State with a season-high five RBIs against Bethune-Cookman on May 2.

The Hornets went 31-29 last season and 21-9 in SWAC play, falling to eventual champion Bethune-Cookman in the SWAC Baseball Tournament at Rickwood Field in Birmingham.

The Boston Red Sox made Cade Fisher the fifth pitcher picked from Auburn’s 2025 team in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft when the American League club selected the left-hander at No. 538 on Monday.

Fisher is coming off his first season with the Tigers.

In 2025, he appeared in 14 games, with 10 starts. Fisher posted a 1-3 record and a 4.68 earned-run average. In 42.1 innings, he struck out 54 and yielded 38 hits and 23 walks.

Fisher came to the Plains from SEC rival Florida. In two seasons with the Gators, Fisher had a 10-3 record, although his ERA ballooned to 7.13 in 2024 after he went 7-0 with a 3.10 ERA as a freshman.

Fisher followed Dylan Watts, Cam Tilly, Samuel Dutton and Hayden Murphy into the draft on Monday.

The Toronto Blue Jays chose Watts at No. 202, the New York Mets took Tilly at No. 223, the Athletics selected Dutton at No. 290 and the Seattle Mariners picked Murphy at No. 453.

The five pitchers picked on Monday joined two other draft picks from the 2025 Auburn team so far. The Baltimore Orioles chose catcher/outfielder Ike Irish at No. 19 on Sunday and the Toronto Blue Jays selected infielder Eric Snow at No. 172 on Monday.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

For all their differences, Paul Finebaum and Lane Kiffin have at least on thing in common: A former SEC coaching legend won’t talk to either of them.

That coach was revealed Monday when the Ole Miss coach made an unscheduled appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show.”

The topic came up while the two were explaining their on-again, off-again bromance.

“Since you are a former NFL coach, I think you coached six or seven games with the Raiders,” Finebaum jabbed before he was interrupted.

“I screwed up because I was trying to get the Tennessee job,” Kiffin replied. “You didn’t know that.

“I think you reported one time I actually (former Tennessee coach) Phillip Fulmer fired.”

Finebaum acknowledged he did report that because he said it was “100 percent true.”

“The most beloved coach since (General Robert)) Neyland and here comes Lane Kiffin,” Finebaum joked.

That’s why, Kiffin said, Fulmer won’t talk to him.

“Phil Fulmer never spoke to me because of that,” he said. “You reporting that. I tried to reach out, go over and meet him. He wouldn’t talk to me because he was convinced Paul Finebaum said that I got him fired.

“I was in Oakland, losing games and kicking 76-yard field goals.”

Finebaum admitted the same.

“Phil Fulmer doesn’t talk to me either. Don’t worry about it.”

Fulmer, the second-winningest coach in Tennessee football history, compiled a 152-52 career record in 17 seasons.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

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Learn more about our gaming editorial staff.

If you or a loved one has questions or needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net for more information.

Mountain Brook High star Caleb Barnett has been selected in the 2025 MLB Draft, picked by the Chicago Cubs with pick No. 571 overall in the 19th round.

A two-way player for the Spartans last season, he is the second player from an Alabama high school to be drafted; Hewitt-Trussville star Steele Hall was selected with the No. 9 overall pick by the Reds.

Despite being drafted on Monday, Barnett confirmed to AL.com that it his is intention to play for the University of Alabama; he committed to the Crimson Tide in June of 2022.

Last season with Mountain Brook, he batted .355 with five home runs, nine doubles, 28 RBIs and 40 runs scored to lead the Spartans to a Class 6A quarterfinal appearance.

On the mound, he posted a 5-2 record with a 1.61 ERA, striking out 85 batters across 56.2 innings. He was a first team all-state pick at designated hitter in Class 6A and selected to the Birmingham News 2025 Terrific 22 Baseball Team.

The Cubs selected three players with Alabama ties, including Crimson Tide pitcher Kade Snell and Troy pitcher Noah Edders.

Lane Kiffin doubled down Monday on comments he made earlier Monday at SEC Media Days, suggesting he wasn’t trolling Auburn coach Hugh Freeze earlier this summer.

Kiffin was explaining to Finebaum how the SEC Network analyst always seems to put him on the hot seat.

“I had you for half a second going to Auburn,” Finebaum said, adding to the hilarious exchange. “By the way, I don’t feel bad about what I said about you based on what you said about Hugh Freeze recently.”

Last week, Kiffin posted on X and directed those post to Freeze.

“First of all, I haven’t said one bad thing about High Freeze,” Kiffin countered. “I said something about he’s doing great in golf. His handicap is way down. That’s awesome, man.”

He then explained what he says was taken out of context.

“I’m a Hugh Freeze fan, then people say I posted a fishing picture at Hugh Freeze. They think I’m talking about golf. No, I’m not. It’s because if you know the history … he posted a picture of a 2-pound bass and was flexing at me. I was like, ‘Wait a second here.’ I sent a pic of a 50-pound fish in saltwater.”

Kiffin’s comment echoed what he told the gathered media Monday at SEC Media Days in Atlanta.

Freeze’s golfing earned criticism during June after Auburn’s 2026 recruiting class suffered a handful of decommitments. From June 1 to June 24, a period in which Auburn saw three players decommit, Freeze logged 10 rounds of golf, according to the USGA’s GHIN database.

He addressed that criticism on David Pollack’s “See Ball Get Ball” podcast last week, downplaying the effect it has had on recruiting.

Meanwhile, the Ole Miss coach’s unscheduled appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show” didn’t disappoint as he and Finebaum broke down their at-times dysfunctional friendship.

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Best bet: Oneil Cruz to win the Home Run Derby and Spurs -4

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If you or a loved one has questions or needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net for more information.