FSU legend Bowden diagnosed with ‘terminal’ condition
Hall of Fame college football coach Bobby Bowden announced Wednesday he has been diagnosed with a terminal medical condition.
“I’ve always tried to serve God’s purpose for my life, on and off the field, and I am prepared for what is to come,” Bowden said in a statement released to news outlets, including The Associated Press. “My wife Ann and our family have been life’s greatest blessing. I am at peace.”
The 91-year-old Bowden was hospitalized last October after he tested positive for COVID-19. The positive test came a few days after returning to his Tallahassee home from a lengthy hospital stay for an infection in his leg. He did not disclose his condition in his statement.
During his 34 years coaching Florida State,
Bowden amassed a 31598-4 record and built the Seminoles into a national power, winning 12 Atlantic Coast Conference championships and national titles in 1993 and 1999. He won 357 games during his 40 years in college coaching and was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
“Coach Bowden built a football dynasty and raised the national profile of Florida State University, and he did it with dignity, class and a sense of humor,” Florida State president John Thrasher said in a statement. “Although his accomplishments on the field are unmatched, his legacy will go far beyond football. His faith and family have always come first, and he is an incredible role model for his players and fans alike. He is beloved by the FSU family.”
Bowden retired following the 2009 season with a Gator Bowl win over West Virginia in Florida State’s 28th straight postseason appearance.
Bowden had wanted to coach another season to continue this pursuit of
400 wins, but Florida State officials did not renew his contract. He was replaced by then-offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher.
“Bobby Bowden has meant everything to Florida State athletics and so much to college football in general,” Florid State athletic director David Coburn said in a statement. “He is a part of the heart and soul of FSU, but it goes beyond even that — he is a big part of the history of the game.
COULD TEXAS, OKLAHOMA JOIN SEC?
The Houston Chronicle reported Wednesday, citing a source it did not identify, that Big 12 powers Texas and Oklahoma have reached out to the SEC about potentially joining the league.
The newspaper cited a “high-ranking official with knowledge of the situation” and said an announcement could come in the next couple of weeks. Adding two members would give the powerhouse SEC 16 teams, the largest in major college football.
Questions about the report were greeted by a series of no comments from the primary parties involved, but no denials.
Any move to leave the Big 12 would be complicated by an agreement its schools made after the last round of realignment to hand their media rights over to league through their current television deals.
The grant of rights lines up with the Big 12’s contracts with Fox and ESPN and runs through the 2024-25 school year.
Life without Texas and Oklahoma would be uncertain — at best — for the other schools in the Big 12.
Even an unconfirmed report, prompted an assertive response from Oklahoma State on Wednesday.
“If true, we would be gravely disappointed,” the Cowboys’ statement said. “While we place a premium on history, loyalty and trust, be assured, we will aggressively defend and advance what is best for Oklahoma State and our strong athletic program, which continues to excel in the Big 12 and nationally.”
Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork was adamant about not wanting the Longhorns to join the SEC.
“We want to be the only SEC program in the state of Texas,” Bjork told reporters in Hoover. “There’s a reason why Texas A&M left the Big 12, to be standalone, to have our own identity. And that’s our feeling.”
SEC bylaws require at least three-fourths (12) of the members to vote in favor of extending an invitation to join.
The SEC recently signed a new television deal with ESPN that gives the cable TV sports giant all of its rights. It is unclear if adding Texas and Oklahoma would create an opportunity for the SEC to increase the value of those contracts for all its members and not just provide enough to cover additions at the current rate.