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As Florida State president Richard McCullough began his remarks to his board of trustees during a virtual meeting on Wednesday, more than 2,000 people were tuned into the livestream on YouTube.

Among those were officials both in the ACC office and schools across the league. Shortly after McCullough told the board that Florida State would “very seriously” consider leaving the ACC unless there is a radical change to the conference’s revenue distribution model, the backlash from those inside the league followed.

While Florida State has made it clear it has been unhappy before, this was the first time McCullough said so publicly — the strongest sign yet that Florida State would consider leaving the league.

One ACC administrator thought it was an attempt to “strong arm” presidents to change their minds on revenue distribution. Another questioned whether trustee members even realized Florida State willingly signed the grant of rights in 2016, giving the ACC control over its media rights through the end of its television contract in 2036.

“Was this a leverage play?” one administrator asked. “It seems like there would’ve been a lot better ways of handling it.”

Based on interviews with administrators and league officials over the past several days, the league has seemingly taken an “us versus Florida State” mentality — with both public and private comments intimating as much. But the saga might be far from over as conference realignment continues in the Big Ten and Big 12. If the Big Ten decided to expand to 20 schools after adding Oregon and Washington on Friday, would it come looking at the ACC and Florida State? And how would that even work with the grant of rights question continuing to muddy the waters?

There is an Aug. 15 deadline for any conference member to give notice if it plans to leave the ACC in a year. With that date looming, there remain incredulous administrators wondering what the play is for Florida State.

“One could argue they’re just trying to create chaos and that they thought the only way to make it work would be to break the league up,” one source said. “Part of the theory here is they bang the drum real loud and eventually everybody else would panic.”

In some ways, what happened Wednesday in the board meeting was not surprising. Florida State athletic director Michael Alford has been vocal both publicly and in meetings with ADs, ACC administrators and officials that the school is not happy with both the speed and progress in addressing what is estimated to be a $30 million annual revenue gap with the SEC and Big Ten — a gap Florida State described as “insurmountable.”

In February, after feeling there was no urgency to address changing ACC revenue distribution to help close that gap, Alford sounded the first alarm, telling his board, “Something has to change because we cannot compete nationally being $30 million behind every year. It’s not one year. We’re talking about $30 million compounded year after year.”

Within three months, the ACC had a framework to address at least part of the gap: Success initiatives, which would reward teams that have on-field success in football and basketball with a larger portion of the revenue that comes with CFP and NCAA tournament appearances.

Beyond the success initiatives, Florida State has been pushing for another component to the revenue distribution: rewarding teams that generate higher television ratings and viewership with a larger share of the television money distribution. But that has gotten zero traction from ADs and presidents, frustrating Florida State further.

A number of administrators from other ACC schools questioned why Florida State felt it deserved a larger revenue share, considering its football program has not won an ACC championship or been in the College Football Playoff since 2014. Florida State has presented numbers that show they bring 15% of the value to the TV deal but get 7% of the revenue. Currently, each ACC school shares that equally.

“I would love all my colleagues in the ACC to love me in every way,” McCullough told ESPN before the board meeting. “But I have a fiduciary responsibility to Florida State, so I have to push and there are some schools that just don’t agree with my point of view.

League commissioner Jim Phillips declined comment but several athletic directors did not after Alford’s remarks Wednesday. After the board meeting, a group of ACC ADs discussed how to best address the remarks and decided North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham would speak first publicly on their behalf. Cunningham told a local radio station Thursday it did the ACC no good for Florida State to be “barking like that.”

In comments to ESPN on Friday, Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich echoed what Cunningham said. “Florida State is doing what Florida State feels like it needs to do,” Radakovich said. “Each of our schools have to make their own decisions. But on top of all of it, we need to continue to try to make the ACC as strong as we can make it. We’ve got our grant of rights, we have all those other pieces that are associated with keeping ourselves together. Right now, we feel really strongly that our best course of action is to keep the ACC together and try to make it as strong as it can be.”

As one ACC administrator noted, the ACC is already losing the PR battle, with the Big 12 — a league with fewer signature programs, a lower TV valuation and no standalone network — being viewed as growing and stable, while the ACC looks to be teetering. Florida State’s public criticism of the league’s financial picture only exacerbates that problem.

At ACC media days just last month, Phillips addressed the idea that the ACC would no longer be able to compete at such a revenue disadvantage.

“We’ve had multiple TV consultants,” Phillips said. “Third is a good position but we want to gain traction financially in order to close the gap with the SEC and Big Ten.

“I think one of the presidents said it best: ‘Are we chasing a dollar amount or are we chasing success?'” Phillips continued. “I think there’s a difference there. If you’re chasing a number it takes you down a different path. If you’re chasing success competitively, every institution has an idea of what they need. So again, I feel really strongly about this league and I think people are missing it when they’re not paying attention to the results of how well the conference has done.'”

League officials and ADs thought they’d found enough common ground after contentious spring meetings in May, when it became publicly known that Clemson, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia and Virginia Tech had discussed the grant of rights and future of the ACC among themselves — which led to a clearing of the air among the entire league. On the heels of that meeting, ACC presidents agreed to change the revenue distribution model to include the success initiatives.

With that progress made, the league has continued to look at ways to address the revenue gap — something atop Phillips’ agenda on a daily basis. While the SEC and Big Ten will be far ahead from a revenue standpoint, the ACC remains No. 3 in revenue distribution, distributing an average of nearly $40 million per school in 2021-22.

Radakovich said the payouts from the league’s TV deal have exceeded initial projections. The problem is the SEC and Big Ten negotiated new deals in a far different climate that provided them with more money.

“It’s hypersensitive, now, given all the different changes that have continued to come within intercollegiate athletics,” Radakovich said. “Needing more resources is high on the list.”

Florida State is not alone in wanting those resources, of course. That is why what happened Wednesday remained perplexing for many within the league. Multiple sources questioned where Florida State would go if it decided to leave given the current situations in the SEC (not looking to expand) and the Big Ten (adding Oregon and Washington).

Panic is a concern, another league source told ESPN, noting “everyone’s head has to be on a swivel” right now, but that making hasty decisions could create far worse long-term outcomes.

Another school official did not think making loud statements would change any decision a president makes about unevenly distributing television revenue based on ratings. “Why would my president take money out of our pocket and give it to Florida State when it would only hurt us? We need to run an athletic department, too,” one source said.

If FSU is planning to leave anyway, an athletic director said, there’s little reason to give them more money now. Instead, ACC schools could simply wait for FSU to be the one to cut a sizable check on its way out the door.

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What are torpedo bats? Are they legal? What to know about MLB’s hottest trend

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What are torpedo bats? Are they legal? What to know about MLB's hottest trend

The opening weekend of the 2025 MLB season was taken over by a surprise star — torpedo bats.

The bowling pin-shaped bats became the talk of the sport after the Yankees’ home run onslaught on the first Saturday of the season put it in the spotlight and the buzz hasn’t slowed since.

What exactly is a torpedo bat? How does it help hitters? And how is it legal? Let’s dig in.

Read: An MIT-educated professor, the Yankees and the bat that could be changing baseball


What is a torpedo bat and why is it different from a traditional MLB bat?

The idea of the torpedo bat is to take a size format — say, 34 inches and 32 ounces — and distribute the wood in a different geometric shape than the traditional form to ensure the fattest part of the bat is located where the player makes the most contact. Standard bats taper toward an end cap that is as thick diametrically as the sweet spot of the barrel. The torpedo bat moves some of the mass on the end of the bat about 6 to 7 inches lower, giving it a bowling-pin shape, with a much thinner end.


How does it help hitters?

The benefits for those who like swinging with it — and not everyone who has swung it likes it — are two-fold. Both are rooted in logic and physics. The first is that distributing more mass to the area of most frequent contact aligns with players’ swing patterns and provides greater impact when bat strikes ball. Players are perpetually seeking ways to barrel more balls, and while swings that connect on the end of the bat and toward the handle probably will have worse performance than with a traditional bat, that’s a tradeoff they’re willing to make for the additional slug. And as hitters know, slug is what pays.

The second benefit, in theory, is increased bat speed. Imagine a sledgehammer and a broomstick that both weigh 32 ounces. The sledgehammer’s weight is almost all at the end, whereas the broomstick’s is distributed evenly. Which is easier to swing fast? The broomstick, of course, because shape of the sledgehammer takes more strength and effort to move. By shedding some of the weight off the end of the torpedo bat and moving it toward the middle, hitters have found it swings very similarly to a traditional model but with slightly faster bat velocity.


Why did it become such a big story so early in the 2025 MLB season?

Because the New York Yankees hit nine home runs in a game Saturday and Michael Kay, their play-by-play announcer, pointed out that some of them came from hitters using a new bat shape. The fascination was immediate. While baseball, as an industry, has implemented forward-thinking rules in recent seasons, the modification to something so fundamental and known as the shape of a bat registered as bizarre. The initial response from many who saw it: How is this legal?


OK. How is this legal?

Major League Baseball’s bat regulations are relatively permissive. Currently, the rules allow for a maximum barrel diameter of 2.61 inches, a maximum length of 42 inches and a smooth and round shape. The lack of restrictions allows MLB’s authorized bat manufacturers to toy with bat geometry and for the results to still fall within the regulations.


Who came up with the idea of using them?

The notion of a bowling-pin-style bat has kicked around baseball for years. Some bat manufacturers made smaller versions as training tools. But the version that’s now infiltrating baseball goes back two years when a then-Yankees coach named Aaron Leanhardt started asking hitters how they should counteract the giant leaps in recent years made by pitchers.

When Yankees players responded that bigger barrels would help, Leanhardt — an MIT-educated former Michigan physics professor who left academia to work in the sports industry — recognized that as long as bats stayed within MLB parameters, he could change their geometry to make them a reality. Leanhardt, who left the Yankees to serve as major league field coordinator for the Miami Marlins over the winter, worked with bat manufacturers throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons to make that a reality.


When did it first appear in MLB games?

It’s unclear specifically when. But Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton used a torpedo bat last year and went on a home run-hitting rampage in October that helped send the Yankees to the World Series. New York Mets star Francisco Lindor also used a torpedo-style bat last year and went on to finish second in National League MVP voting.


Who are some of the other notable early users of torpedo bats?

In addition to Stanton and Lindor, Yankees hitters Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt have used torpedoes to great success. Others who have used them in games include Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers and Toronto’s Davis Schneider. And that’s just the beginning. Hundreds more players are expected to test out torpedoes — and perhaps use them in games — in the coming weeks.


How is this different from a corked bat?

Corking bats involves drilling a hole at the end of the bat, filling it in and capping it. The use of altered bats allows players to swing faster because the material with which they replace the wood — whether it’s cork, superballs or another material — is lighter. Any sort of bat adulteration is illegal and, if found, results in suspension.


Could a rule be changed to ban them?

Could it happen? Sure. Leagues and governing bodies have put restrictions on equipment they believe fundamentally altered fairness. Stick curvature is limited in hockey. Full-body swimsuits made of polyurethane and neoprene are banned by World Aquatics. But officials at MLB have acknowledged that the game’s pendulum has swung significantly toward pitching in recent years, and if an offensive revolution comes about because of torpedo bats — and that is far from a guarantee — it could bring about more balance to the game. If that pendulum swings too far, MLB could alter its bat regulations, something it has done multiple times already this century.


So the torpedo bat is here to stay?

Absolutely. Bat manufacturers are cranking them out and shipping them to interested players with great urgency. Just how widely the torpedo bat is adopted is the question that will play out over the rest of the season. But it has piqued the curiosity of nearly every hitter in the big leagues, and just as pitchers toy with new pitches to see if they can marginally improve themselves, hitters will do the same with bats.

Comfort is paramount with a bat, so hitters will test them during batting practice and in cage sessions before unleashing them during the game. As time goes on, players will find specific shapes that are most comfortable to them and best suit their swing during bat-fitting sessions — similar to how golfers seek custom clubs. But make no mistake: This is an almost-overnight alteration of the game, and “traditional or torpedo” is a question every big leaguer going forward will ask himself.

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St. Pete to spend $22.5M to fix Tropicana Field

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St. Pete to spend .5M to fix Tropicana Field

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The once and possibly future home of the Tampa Bay Rays will get a new roof to replace the one shredded by Hurricane Milton with the goal of having the ballpark ready for the 2026 season, city officials decided in a vote Thursday.

The St. Petersburg City Council voted 7-1 to approve $22.5 million to begin the repairs at Tropicana Field, which will start with a membrane roof that must be in place before other work can continue. Although the Rays pulled out of a planned $1.3 billion new stadium deal, the city is still contractually obligated to fix the Trop.

“We are legally bound by an agreement. The agreement requires us to fix the stadium,” said council member Lissett Hanewicz, who is an attorney. “We need to go forward with the roof repair so we can do the other repairs.”

The hurricane damage forced the Rays to play home games this season at Steinbrenner Field across the bay in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The Rays went 4-2 on their first homestand ever at an open-air ballpark, which seats around 11,000 fans.

Under the current agreement with the city, the Rays owe three more seasons at the Trop once it’s ready again for baseball, through 2028. It’s unclear if the Rays will maintain a long-term commitment to the city or look to Tampa or someplace else for a new stadium. Major League Baseball has said keeping the team in the Tampa Bay region is a priority. The Rays have played at the Trop since their inception in 1998.

The team said it would have a statement on the vote later Thursday.

The overall cost of Tropicana Field repairs is estimated at $56 million, said city architect Raul Quintana. After the roof, the work includes fixing the playing surface, ensuring audio and visual electronics are working, installing flooring and drywall, getting concession stands running and other issues.

“This is a very complex project. We feel like we’re in a good place,” Quintana said at the council meeting Thursday.

Under the proposed timeline, the roof installation will take about 10 months. The unique membrane system is fabricated in Germany and assembled in China, Quintana said, adding that officials are examining how President Donald Trump’s new tariffs might affect the cost.

The new roof, he added, will be able to withstand hurricane winds as high as 165 mph. Hurricane Milton, one of the strongest hurricanes ever in the Atlantic basin at one point, blasted ashore Oct. 9 south of Tampa Bay with Category 3 winds of about 125 mph.

Citing mounting costs, the Rays last month pulled out of a deal with the city and Pinellas County for a new $1.3 billion ballpark to be built near the Trop site. That was part of a broader $6.5 billion project known as the Historic Gas Plant district to bring housing, retail and restaurants, arts and a Black history museum to a once-thriving Black neighborhood razed for the original stadium.

The city council plans to vote on additional Trop repair costs over the next few months.

“This is our contractual obligation. I don’t like it more than anybody else. I’d much rather be spending that money on hurricane recovery and helping residents in the most affected neighborhoods,” council member Brandi Gabbard said. “These are the cards that we’re dealt.”

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Sources: Ohio St. lands No. 34 prospect Caldwell

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Sources: Ohio St. lands No. 34 prospect Caldwell

Ohio State landed the commitment of four-star defender Simeon Caldwell on Wednesday, multiple sources told ESPN, securing coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes a pledge from the nation’s No. 34 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle.

Caldwell, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound recruit from Jacksonville, Florida, is ESPN’s No. 4 outside linebacker. He picked Ohio State over Miami, Notre Dame and USC following an unofficial visit with the Buckeyes this past weekend. Caldwell’s decision marks Ohio State’s second top-35 commitment of the week after the program earned a pledge from four-star safety Blaine Bradford (No. 32 in the ESPN Junior 300) on Monday.

Caldwell is the son of 10-year NFL veteran and former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and a nephew of Buckeyes secondary coach Tim Walton.

The younger Caldwell has emerged as a versatile defender across multiple varsity seasons at The Bolles School in Jacksonville and projects to play linebacker or safety when he arrives at Ohio State. Beyond his relation to Walton, Caldwell was recruited heavily by the Buckeyes’ coaching staff; first-year defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and defensive assistants Matt Guerrieri and James Laurinaitis were all integral to Caldwell’s decision to commit before the summer.

Initially scheduled for a slate of late-spring trips to Miami, USC and Notre Dame, Caldwell will now make a June 20 trip to Ohio State his lone official visit following his pledge Wednesday.

With Caldwell and Bradford — two of ESPN’s top 10 defenders in the cycle — the Buckeyes now have the backbone to a growing defensive class in 2026. Four-star cornerback Jakob Weatherspoon (No. 165 overall) represents a third top 300 defender already committed to Ohio State in the cycle. Five-star cornerback Elbert Hill, out of Akron, Ohio, is ESPN’s No. 13 overall prospect in the 2026 class and represents another top target who could further bolster the Buckeyes’ secondary class between now and the early signing period in December.

Ohio State’s 2026 class is led by five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., ESPN’s No. 1 overall prospect in the cycle. Pledges from in-state offensive tackles Maxwell Riley (No. 96 overall) and Sam Greer (No. 249) marked a pair of key additions for the program in March. Four-star tight end Corbyn Fordham (No. 224), one of Caldwell’s high school teammates, rounds out the program’s group of six ESPN 300 pledges in the 2026 class.

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