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Speaker 1: This is Tony Pike, Cincy three sixty about Cincinnati.

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Speaker 2: From Cincinnati.

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Speaker 3: This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

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Speaker 4: All right, here we go.

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Speaker 1: It's our number three on the eve of the eve

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Speaker 1: of Opening Day on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us. Thank you for hanging out

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Speaker 1: with on a big day. We've still got more on

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Speaker 1: the Cincinnati Reds to get to here in our number three.

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Speaker 1: On top of that, a little a little NFL. Did

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Speaker 1: you see what tom Pellisero tweeted out yesterday Austin.

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Speaker 3: What did Tommy p have to say?

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Speaker 1: I like Tommy, but he sent out a tweet and

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Speaker 1: I thought for sure that this was fake. He tweeted

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Speaker 1: Jordan Hudson, we'll have dinner with the Cowboys officials. Per sources, Hudson,

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Speaker 1: the former SMU receiver who is not related to Bill

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Speaker 1: belichick girlfriend, clocked a four four eight forty yard dash

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Speaker 1: to today's workout, caught twenty one touchdown passes over four seasons.

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Speaker 1: Are we at the point where we've got to clear

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Speaker 1: if there's a relation to Bill Belichick's.

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Speaker 3: Girlfriend, Well, they have the exact same name. Okay, so

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Speaker 3: I think that's the big thing that they have the

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Speaker 3: exact same name.

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Speaker 4: I gotcha, So I gotcha.

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Speaker 1: That's fair enough.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, anyway, which a lot of people care about that

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Speaker 3: for some reason.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what's happening across the National Football League. What's

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Speaker 1: happening here in Cincinnati is vastly different. It's a new

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Speaker 1: dawn and a new day here for the UC Bearcatz.

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Speaker 1: Jared Calhoun is the newest coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats.

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Speaker 1: And to help shed some light on that and really

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Speaker 1: how this came together is really Austin, a friend of

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Speaker 1: the show who's been with us for quite a long time. Yes,

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Speaker 1: we don't have a chance to talk to him as

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Speaker 1: much because he's just now on the national stage's Hollywood

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Speaker 1: man instead of just this Cincinnati bubble, but yet kind

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Speaker 1: enough to give us some of his time today. Our

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Speaker 1: good friend Justin Williams is with us. Hello, Justin, how

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Speaker 1: are you guys?

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Speaker 4: Always an honor, never too big time for you, Justin?

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Speaker 1: How are things going for you?

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Speaker 4: I'm doing great.

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Speaker 2: So I was in I was in Philadelphia for the

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Speaker 2: first and second round this past weekend, still sweating out

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Speaker 2: some of the cheese steaks, and then I'm heading to

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Speaker 2: Chicago for.

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Speaker 4: The for the sixteen and Elite eight this weekend. Nice.

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Speaker 1: Now Sandwiched in the middle of all of that is

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Speaker 1: the news here locally at the University of Cincinnati. Jared

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Speaker 1: Calhoun named the next coach of the Bearcats. You had

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Speaker 1: this yesterday, And what I think makes this interesting, you

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Speaker 1: don't really see this as much with coaching searches today.

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Speaker 1: You heard really one name at the forefront all along.

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Speaker 1: It wasn't like people really ventured off the name of

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Speaker 1: Jared Calhoun. You hear the occasional maybe this guy, maybe that,

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Speaker 1: But from the get go, once it wasn't Wes Miller.

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Speaker 1: You got to get Jared Calhoun. How did the Bearcats

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Speaker 1: land Calhoun? And kind of the timing problem sin stuff

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Speaker 1: went into it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, look, sometimes the obvious name is obvious

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Speaker 2: for a reason, right Jared Calhoun. You know, he had

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Speaker 2: the history Cincinnati grad. He was in kind of that

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Speaker 2: position of up and coming, you know, mid major coach,

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Speaker 2: had done a really good job at Utah State for

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Speaker 2: two years. So even outside of the Bob Huggan connection

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Speaker 2: and the history of Cincinnati, like he had earned this

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Speaker 2: opportunity because what he had done at Utah State the

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Speaker 2: past couple of years, and I you know, sometimes again

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Speaker 2: I think it just works out timing wise. I don't

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Speaker 2: really think there was much of a search here, to

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Speaker 2: be honest, I think it was this is a guy

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Speaker 2: who deserves this opportunity based on what he's done, and

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Speaker 2: I think he wanted the job, and so they had

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Speaker 2: to do some of the things with Wes Miller in

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Speaker 2: terms of getting to a contract settlement, and honestly that

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Speaker 2: worked out for Wes Miller.

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Speaker 4: We saw he took the Charlotte.

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Speaker 2: Job, so you know, get some of the timing things

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Speaker 2: figured out, move on from West Miller officially, Wes Miller

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Speaker 2: goes and gets the Charlotte job. Jared Calhoun, you know,

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Speaker 2: he was in the tournament. Utah State won the first

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Speaker 2: round against Villanova. It would be, you know, maybe Cincinnati

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Speaker 2: was kind of rooting against the State a little bit

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Speaker 2: against against Arizona. Might have had to pull out the

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Speaker 2: check book one more time that if they got an

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Speaker 2: upset against the number one scene in that region. But

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Speaker 2: I think as soon as that season kind of ended,

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Speaker 2: it was it was a very quick move to UH

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Speaker 2: to get in Jared Calhoun back home to Cincinnati.

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Speaker 1: You know, I wonder justin when you look at the

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Speaker 1: move and you look at how this transpired history is

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Speaker 1: so important here in Cincinnati, And we said this earlier,

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Speaker 1: we had Joe Danmon on it. It feels like the

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Speaker 1: way people talk about Bob Huggins, he was the coach

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Speaker 1: here last year. I mean, people just are still Huggins era,

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Speaker 1: in the Mick Cronin era. So it's one thing to

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Speaker 1: pluck a coach that understands all of that. If you

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Speaker 1: would remove all of that and the ties to Cincinnati,

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Speaker 1: would Jared Calhoun still be the number one option out there?

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Speaker 1: Just based on his resume alone, he would definitely.

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Speaker 4: Be at the top. But you know, I think there were.

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Speaker 2: Specifically two kind of really high level coaching carousel candidates.

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Speaker 2: Josh Shirts at Saint Louis was one that, you know,

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Speaker 2: any job that opened up or might have opened up,

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Speaker 2: you heard Josh Shirts his name kind of mentioned around.

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Speaker 4: He actually signed an extension with Saint Louis.

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Speaker 2: I think he, you know, could maybe still be in

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Speaker 2: the mix of something crazy happens for another job, but

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Speaker 2: he's made it pretty clear that he's happy there, he

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Speaker 2: wants to stick. And then usually right behind shirts. Jared

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Speaker 2: Calhoun was the next man mentioned for a lot of jobs.

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Speaker 2: You know, he I think Kansas State was interested in Calhoun,

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Speaker 2: and from what I understand Calhoun, you know, whether he

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Speaker 2: you know, turned down any interest or or there was

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Speaker 2: even you know, got much into that situation. I think

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Speaker 2: Calhoun made it clear like that wasn't where he was looking.

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Speaker 2: If he was going to make a move, it was

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Speaker 2: going to beat to Cincinnati. And so I think there

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Speaker 2: were a lot of places that would have come calling

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Speaker 2: for Jared Calhoun, or Cincinnati would have come colin whether

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Speaker 2: he had Cincinnati on his his resume, his alma mater.

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Speaker 2: So definitely, Again, it was just one of those kind

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Speaker 2: of like perfect storms, perfect match, perfect timing, ideal fit,

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Speaker 2: and you know, you give Cincinnati and John Cunningham credit

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Speaker 2: for making it happen, but it was one of those

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Speaker 2: that it was kind of like too obvious to miss.

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Speaker 1: It also felt when the details about the contract came

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Speaker 1: out today, six years, three point seven million in the

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Speaker 1: upcoming season, one hundred thousand dollars escalator each year. But

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Speaker 1: it doesn't feel for a coach that is wanted in

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Speaker 1: the caliber of Calhoun and his trajectory It doesn't feel

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Speaker 1: like they had to get into a bidding war. It

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Speaker 1: doesn't feel like they had to overpay for the services

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Speaker 1: of Jared Calhoun.

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Speaker 2: Here, No, I don't think so. I think Wes Miller

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Speaker 2: was scheduled to make three point two million next season,

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Speaker 2: so kind of in line with that, probably in the

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Speaker 2: bottom half still of Big twelve coaches. But again, I

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Speaker 2: think this is a situation where Jared Calhoun wanted this job.

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Speaker 2: I think he made it pretty clear to whoever needed

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Speaker 2: to know that he wanted this job.

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Speaker 4: And I think Cincinnati wanted to hire Jared Calhoun.

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Speaker 2: And so I'm sure you obviously have to do your negotiations,

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Speaker 2: and you know, you want to get some assurances on

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Speaker 2: both sides and all parties involved. But I don't think

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Speaker 2: that it was one of those things where this was

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Speaker 2: like a knockdown, drag out negotiation. It seems like it all,

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Speaker 2: you know, went pretty fast and went pretty smooth because

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Speaker 2: both parties were really interested details.

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Speaker 1: Now you know, there's a GM in place in Corey

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Speaker 1: Evans that was brought in last year under Wes Miller,

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Speaker 1: who still has a contract. How do things like that

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Speaker 1: now sort themselves out? With Corey Evans and then the

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Speaker 1: type of staff he's going to be putting together, I

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Speaker 1: would assume in the next couple of days.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know the specifics on Evans contract. I

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Speaker 2: don't necessarily, you know, I think for a lot of

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Speaker 2: these assistant coaches or staffers, when the head coach is

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Speaker 2: no longer with the program, whether they're fighter, they're moved on,

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Speaker 2: that you know, don't necessarily have to continue those those contracts.

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Speaker 4: I think that might be the case with Corey Evans.

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Speaker 2: Now, if Jared Calhoun wants them to stay in place,

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Speaker 2: or the administration wants them to stay in place, I'm

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Speaker 2: sure that can happen too, But I don't know that

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Speaker 2: it's necessarily an obligation that Corey Evans will stay in place.

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Speaker 2: So my guess is, like the you know happens with

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Speaker 2: most of these transitions, that Calhoun will get in and

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Speaker 2: he'll have his salary allotment for a staff, and he'll

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Speaker 2: bring in the guys that he wants to and you know,

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Speaker 2: if that means like keeping a Mike Raefelt, you know,

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Speaker 2: who's been with the program for a long time and

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Speaker 2: obviously has ties going back to Mick Cronin or if

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Speaker 2: that means keeping Corey Evans.

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Speaker 4: I think that's something he'll explore.

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Speaker 2: But I also wouldn't be surprised if if you see

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Speaker 2: some you know, complete turnover and new faces in there

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Speaker 2: for him to get his own staff.

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Speaker 1: When you look at the style, and I know you've

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Speaker 1: written about this and have highlighted this on your Twitter

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Speaker 1: as well, what can Bearcat fans expect that's going to

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Speaker 1: look different? Right? That the defense kind of played better

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Speaker 1: last year in the West Miller, but the offense just

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Speaker 1: disappeared at times. That's not going to be the case.

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Speaker 1: What can fans expect with Jared Calhoun now leading this team.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, they've had a really efficient offense at a Utah

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Speaker 2: State for the past two years, thinks have been top

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Speaker 2: thirty and Ken Palm both years. And then defensively, it's

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Speaker 2: not you know, fans might remember the matchup zone that

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Speaker 2: McK cronin played. It's not that exactly, but Calhoun does

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Speaker 2: kind of play a unique one to two zone a lot,

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Speaker 2: and I think you know, you'll probably see him bring

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Speaker 2: that to Cincinnati as well. There's some elements of Cronin

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Speaker 2: and even going back to Bob Huggins in terms of

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Speaker 2: that defensive toughness and mentality that I think fit really

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Speaker 2: well with you know, with the history of Cincinnati in

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Speaker 2: the program and so Ahill. It does bring in some

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Speaker 2: maybe more offensive juice or firepower than west Miller's teams

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Speaker 2: have had the past couple of years. It's not like

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Speaker 2: a complete change or abandonment of that that bear Cat

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Speaker 2: defensive toughness and identity, which again just another thing that

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Speaker 2: feels like it's a perfect fit for this marriage.

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Speaker 3: You wrote that over the last couple of years, it's

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Speaker 3: been close to twenty million dollars that has been spent

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Speaker 3: on the Bearcat's roster. Is there any indication that something

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Speaker 3: like that might change? Is it going to be roughly

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Speaker 3: the same for Jared Calhoun or maybe a little bit different?

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Speaker 3: Is there any indication on that and.

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Speaker 2: That twenty millions over two years, Right, we're not talking

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Speaker 2: to Kentucky twenty two million situations for are one, although

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Speaker 2: I'm sure Calhoun would be he'd be fine, Yeah.

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Speaker 4: As they're offering.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, Cincinnati's been competitive the past couple of years

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Speaker 2: in terms of that nil revenue sharing, you know, roster

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Speaker 2: building budget, whatever you want to call it. You know

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Speaker 2: that they've been competitive for a for a Power Conference team,

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Speaker 2: for a Big twelve team. I don't imagine that will

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Speaker 2: change in anyway. I don't know what the exact number

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Speaker 2: is going to be. I don't think they put an

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Speaker 2: exact number on it, but I think it's fair to

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Speaker 2: assume that they can kind of be close to that

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Speaker 2: ten million type type range again this season. You know,

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Speaker 2: I think the support will be there. I think there's

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Speaker 2: a chance that the support will increase. Tony, you mentioned

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Speaker 2: like Bob Huggins still looms so large over this this program.

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Speaker 2: There are still some donors and supporters out there who are, like,

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Speaker 2: you know, we're big Bob Huggins supporters. Not that they've

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Speaker 2: been on the sidelines this whole time, but I think

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Speaker 2: you might even see like a little bit more increased

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Speaker 2: support from from certain aspects of the donor base who

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Speaker 2: were really wanting to kind of get back to that

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Speaker 2: Bob Huggins tree. And so I think Calhoun's gonna have

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Speaker 2: support certainly more than he had at Utah State. I

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Speaker 2: think he mentioned over the weekend they had a two

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Speaker 2: point four billion dollar budget at Utah State this season,

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Speaker 2: which was a pretty significant increase from where they were

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Speaker 2: the year before and he went to the NCAA tournament

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Speaker 2: and won a game. So for Calhoun is definitely gonna

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Speaker 2: be a big step up in resources. And for Cincinnati,

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Speaker 2: I think it's going to be a continuation of where

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Speaker 2: they've been in recent years.

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Speaker 3: You see, fans have also not been afraid to voice

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Speaker 3: their displeasure with John Cunningham over the last couple of years.

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Speaker 3: I think this is a big hire for him. Do

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Speaker 3: you feel like there's pressure on him not only would

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Speaker 3: this hire, but overall based off the way things have

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Speaker 3: gone the last couple of years.

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Speaker 2: Definitely, Look, athletic directors are judged on their football and

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Speaker 2: men's basketball hires, and maybe in some cases there's another

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Speaker 2: sport at a school, women's basketball or baseball or wrestling

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Speaker 2: or something like that, but it's those two revenue sports.

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Speaker 2: Any athletic director will tell you that that's what they

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Speaker 2: get judged on, and that kind of determines both the

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Speaker 2: support among the fan base and honestly their job security.

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Speaker 2: You know, John Cunningham hired West Miller, didn't workout, he

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Speaker 2: hired Scott Saderfield's you know, improvement. Last year they went

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Speaker 2: to a bowl game, but probably hasn't gotten to where

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Speaker 2: fans want that to be, and so you know, he

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Speaker 2: gets to make another hire. Doesn't always happen for athletic

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Speaker 2: directors to kind of make a third hire or a

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Speaker 2: second hire in a sport. He got to do that

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Speaker 2: here with Calhoun. It was one of those situations. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: you had to buy out West Miller. Yeah, you're gonna

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Speaker 2: have to buy out Jared Calhoun from Utah State. But

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Speaker 2: Calhoun wanted to be there, the fan base wanted him,

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Speaker 2: the you know, the stakeholders wanted him.

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Speaker 4: You got to make that happen.

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Speaker 2: So credit to John Cunningham for going out and making

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Speaker 2: yes and obvious higher. But I think I hire that

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Speaker 2: he needed to make for the program and for himself,

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Speaker 2: and you know, if it works out, then I think

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Speaker 2: you're you're going to see some of that support, you know,

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Speaker 2: flow down to John Cunningham as well.

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Speaker 1: What's the timeline now look like the portal I believed

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Speaker 1: April seventh is the deadline. Obviously there are players maybe

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Speaker 1: at Utah State that would be interested in joining Jared

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Speaker 1: Calhoun here. I'm sure there are players on the current

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Speaker 1: roster that would at least like to maybe explore that

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Speaker 1: or maybe who wants to make a pitch to what

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Speaker 1: does the timeline now look like in today's whirlwind of

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Speaker 1: college sports for him to get in here and try

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Speaker 1: to cultivate these relationships now before the portal.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, portal opens the day after the national championship game.

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Speaker 2: I think you're that's April seventh and just another reason

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Speaker 2: why they they kind of had to speed up the

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Speaker 2: timeline on the West Miller buy out and moving on

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Speaker 2: and kind of getting their new coach in place. Honestly,

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Speaker 2: it probably doesn't look that different than it looks for

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Speaker 2: any coach, whether it's a new coach or returning coach.

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Speaker 2: In college basketball now you're pretty much re recruiting your

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Speaker 2: roster every year. So no, he doesn't have some of

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Speaker 2: those established relationships with guys at Cincinnati. You know, maybe

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Speaker 2: you want to see what's the situation with Mustafa Johm

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Speaker 2: and see some of these other players who you know,

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Speaker 2: whether they were on multi year rev share deals or

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Speaker 2: just have remaining eligibility. I think you want to get

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Speaker 2: in and have some conversation with them, see where their

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Speaker 2: head's at, and.

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Speaker 4: Then see how they might fit into your system.

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Speaker 2: You know, if he does want to keep them if

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Speaker 2: they do want to stay, and then you're right, he's

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Speaker 2: going to have relationships that you tall state.

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Speaker 4: But the way the sport goes now, it's, you.

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Speaker 2: Know, every year you're going to be bringing in multiple players,

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Speaker 2: whether you have relationships you know, PASSI reallyships with them

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Speaker 2: as a coach or not. And so this gives Calhoun,

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Speaker 2: you know, a couple of weeks to get staff together,

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Speaker 2: kind of get his feet under Cincinnati, figure out some

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Speaker 2: of these budget specifics, and then you know, make some assessments,

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Speaker 2: whether it's bringing in new players, bringing players he's familiar with,

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Speaker 2: or bringing in outside guys.

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Speaker 1: Before we let you go justin, I know you updated

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Speaker 1: on x earlier the Chandler Morris lawsuit situation in Virginia,

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Speaker 1: the former quarterback and what he's doing through the NCAA.

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Speaker 1: You also covered back in January the lawsuit within Brendan

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Speaker 1: Soroesby and the University of Cincinnati. I know you you

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Speaker 1: covered that. I know you've you've detailed that. Where does

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Speaker 1: that now stand and are there any updates in that case?

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Speaker 1: But the former quarterback now at Texas Tech, and does

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Speaker 1: he ow or will he owe the University of Cincinnati?

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Speaker 1: How well that or how has that played itself out?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so now we're waiting on you know, I think

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Speaker 2: Sorsby's team has like ninety days to submit a response.

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Speaker 2: I don't remember what the exact data on that is.

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Speaker 2: Sometime in April soarsby team will have a chance to

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Speaker 2: respond in terms of the court case, and you know,

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Speaker 2: then we'll kind of move on from there. But really

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Speaker 2: right now kind of in a holding waiting pattern until

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Speaker 2: his legal team has a chance to respond.

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Speaker 1: Awesome stuff, that is, it's awesome to catch up with

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Speaker 1: you justin. For those that are following along, What is

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Speaker 1: the easiest way to keep up with uh, with everything

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Speaker 1: you had and you got happening?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, on social media at Williams Underscore justin and then

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Speaker 2: you know, subscribe to The Athletic read the Athletic. Got

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Speaker 2: a like I said, going to Chicago this weekend for

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Speaker 2: Sweet sixteen and the Elite eight, and then I'll be

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Speaker 2: in Indianapolis for a Final four in a couple of weeks.

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Speaker 3: What are the odds that the NCAA tournament gets expanded

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Speaker 3: next year?

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Speaker 4: Justin? What do you think?

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Speaker 2: It seems pretty good just based on the way everyone's talking.

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Speaker 2: It also seems like you'd have a hard time finding,

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Speaker 2: you know, a group of five or six people who

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Speaker 2: think that's a good idea, certainly, you know, outside of

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Speaker 2: maybe some of the Power Conference commissioners.

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Speaker 4: So I don't know.

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Speaker 2: It's this happens a lot with the NCAAs of it

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Speaker 2: feels like, oh, this is gonna happen, you know, having

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Speaker 2: with college football playoff expansion too, right, like, oh, yeah,

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Speaker 2: it's coming, It's gonna happen. And then it kind of

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Speaker 2: gets to that point it's like, ah, we actually didn't

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Speaker 2: you know, have a chance to get our act together,

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Speaker 2: and it's gonna push off for another year.

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Speaker 4: Maybe that happens again.

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Speaker 2: It feels like this is the second or third year

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Speaker 2: we've been talking about NCAA tournament expansion. But it just

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Speaker 2: kind of feels like at some point in the near

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Speaker 2: future it'll become an inevitability.

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Speaker 4: I don't like it. No one likes it. And when

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Speaker 4: they put those extra games on Tuesday Wednesday, I'm gonna

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Speaker 4: be watching it just like everyone else. So you know,

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Speaker 4: it is what it is. I guess pretty much.

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Speaker 1: All of his coverage via the Athletic or on social

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Speaker 1: at Williams Underscore justin thank you so much for your

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Speaker 1: time and I hope we can catch up soon.

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Speaker 4: Appreciate you fellas anytime.

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Speaker 1: That is Justin Williams. This is since he three p sixty.

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Speaker 1: It's good to catch up with Justin. Yeah, and just

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Speaker 1: see him.

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Speaker 3: We had him on video. We're gonna be posting the video.

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Speaker 3: We did post the video with uh would Joe Daniman

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Speaker 3: as well? And I think Justin he can't hear us anymore,

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Speaker 3: but I think Justin did his hair for us today

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Speaker 3: because he was a couple of minutes late and then

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Speaker 3: as soon as he popped in it looked like he

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Speaker 3: just got out of the barber's chair. It might be a

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Speaker 3: little product in there that I think he did. Shout

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Speaker 3: out to Justice. I respect that absolutely.

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Speaker 1: Let's talk some Reds Opening Day Eve of the eve

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Speaker 1: of Opening Day next on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

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Speaker 1: From locker room whispers to stadium roars, He's got it all,

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Speaker 1: Moegar Today at three pm on ESPN fifteen point thirty