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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian recently torched the Ole Miss Rebels for their academic standards.
Sarkisian told Matt Hayes of USA Today in a story published May 12 that taking “basket weaving” can help you obtain a degree at Ole Miss. The coach apologized for that comment at SEC spring meetings in Miramar Beach, Florida, on Tuesday.
Steve Sarkisian apologizes for Ole Miss comments
Sarkisian told the media that some of his comments were “taken out of context” as he was discussing academic inequities and the challenges they pose for Texas in the transfer portal. But he admitted it was a “poor choice of words.”
“We have a rule at the University of Texas, we can only take 50 percent towards your degree, no matter how many hours you have completed,” the coach said. “Other schools can take all of the hours you take. To me, that’s an inequity in our sport. Those are some of the things we have to work through.
“I could have used macroeconomics. I could have used engineering. It wouldn’t have mattered. The class was irrelevant, and that was a poor choice of words on my part.”
Sarkisian’s choice of words angered Ole Miss, which is now reportedly looking into whether the SEC could fine Sarkisian and LSU Tigers HC Lane Kiffin for their swipes at the school. Kiffin told Vanity Fair reporter Chris Smith in a story published May 11 that he often struggled to recruit at Ole Miss because of its association with Confederate symbols, contributing to his decision to leave last season. He later apologized for that remark.
“Ole Miss officials want to know if current SEC Bylaws 10.2.3 or 10.5.2 were violated,” wrote On3’s Pete Nakos for a story published Monday. “Bylaw 10.2.3 states: ‘Coaches and staff are required to advocate for the positive attributes of their own university and must avoid making derogatory statements about another institution’s program, facilities or education opportunities.'”
Asked if the SEC has sanctioned him, Sarkisian said, “No.”
Most college football fans may soon forget Sarkisian’s comments … except Ole Miss supporters who travel to Austin when the Longhorns host the Rebels on Oct. 24. The coach may have apologized, but that doesn’t mean they’ve accepted it.
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