Man in the Hat media

News is leaking out that the ACC may be facing looming changes. You can't blame the front office to change after last weeks drubbing at the hands of rival conference, the Southeastern Conference. Last week, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest all were soundly beaten by South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Vanderbilt, respectively. But the rumors are unsettling for fans of the Tigers and Seminoles. With Maryland leaving for the Big 10, a new team had to be added. But now it is rumored (and likely) that Virginia may also leave for the Big 10. So, who is the league in talks with? Louisville, Connecticut and....Navy? Yes, the Midshipmen. No disrespect to the academy, but if the ACC goes after Navy, then the league needs to fold and quit. Navy is not an athletic first school. They are in the business of academics and preparing its students for the service. Athletics is not even secondary there. Now, I highly doubt Navy is invited, and to be honest, Lou

Change is never easy. If it was everyone would embrace it and the world would be more chaotic than it already is. But change can be a good thing: it breeds new opportunities, new challenges and the chance to grow as a person. And after next week (Oct. 8-12) I will be leaving behind a sense of normalcy and facing a change head-on. For a little over the past year I've been working at The Journal in Seneca covering high school sports. And while this was just a part-time gig, it was time-consuming with nearly something to do every day and cultivating relationships with sources. But after this week I will no longer be an employee there. Instead, I'm trading in my box scores and polo shirts for budget reports and neckties, as I begin a new chapter of my life, being a news reporter for the Hartwell Sun in Hart County, Georgia. While nervous, I'm excited the challenges this new beat will bring. But I won't forget what I've learned the past 15 months working at

High school football is less than a week away from starting its official "Week 0" contest. And while the South Carolina High School League, with its sometimes baffling decision, hasn't yet released a playoff format for the newly aligned Class 3A division, they have made ruling on where 3A, along with both classes of division 4A, will have its state championship game. According to renowned reporter Jason Gilmer, the weekend of champions is relocating back to the Capital City. Here is his report . South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium As he said, last year's state championships for 3A and 4A were held at Clemson University's Memorial Stadium on the border of Pickens and Oconee counties. The SCHSL has, for once, made a smart decision. This is not a slight against Clemson: There stadium is similar in size to South Carolina's Williams-Brice. The problem, as I touched on in a column when it was announced Clemson was hosting the games, is logi

We are back sports nuts. I've been neck-deep covering high school sports for the past year, and it is high time I get back to the blog. You thought it was over, but college football expansion is still the hot topic . The Big 12 is set to add TCU and West Virginia; The ACC is adding Pittsburgh and Syracuse (great moves for basketball); Conference USA is adding five schools ; and  the SEC is adding Texas A&M and Missouri. But a new rumor is spreading that the Big 12 is looking to get back to its namesake and field 12 schools. It seems the big name is Florida State, with the other school ranging anywhere from Clemson, Cincinnati and Louisville. Believe what you will with this, but I think this has a strong possibility . Geography doesn't matter, with West Virginia joining, and how knows, maybe the Big 12 wants to set up in the Sunbelt of the United States, and adding FSU and, let's say, Clemson would expand the conference's TV revenue. Of course, if tha