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Texas A&M, the only team to beat No. 1 Alabama in 2021, suddenly ended its season on Wednesday by backing out of the Gator Bowl, citing injuries and a Covid-19 outbreak. The Aggies had been set to play Wake Forest a week from Friday at the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville before making the unexpected announcement..... ...“It is unfortunate, but we just don’t have enough scholarship players available to field a team,” A&M Coach Jimbo Fisher said. Aggies Athletic Director Ross Bjork called the decision "heartbreaking" for everyone associated with the famed 12th Man program....

Jacksonville, FL — After 70 years the Gator Bowl - as we've known it - is no more. The new name of the game removes "gator" entirely, and it will no longer be played on New Years Day, two big changes that we learned Thursday morning from the President of Gator Bowl Sports. The game will now be known as the TaxSlayer Bowl and played on Jan. 2nd. Dropping "gator" from the name is part of a six-year agreement reached between TaxSlayer.com and the Gator Bowl. "TaxSlayer.com recognizes the history of the Bowl's rich 70 year tradition. It is a...

Michigan has fired football coach Rich Rodriguez after his third season ended with a school-record 38-point loss in the Gator Bowl, Fox 2 TV in Detroit is reporting. The report comes after Rodriguez met with athletic director Dave Brandon earlier Tuesday. Members of the football team are scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, according to another report out of Ann Arbor. Michigan's Gator Bowl loss to Mississippi State knocked Rodriguez's overall record to 15-22 with college football's winningest program. Michigan will owe the coach $2.5 million to buy out the final three years of his contract.

Michigan has fired football coach Rich Rodriguez after his third season ended with a school-record 38-point loss in the Gator Bowl, Fox 2 TV and the Detroit Free Press are reporting. The report comes as Rodriguez is meeting with athletic director Dave Brandon on Tuesday. Members of the football team are scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Rodriguez traditionally holds the meeting the night before classes resume each semester. Rodriguez's wife, Rita, left the building shortly before 5 p.m. and told reporters she had been told nothing about her husband's job. Michigan's Gator Bowl loss to Mississippi...

A man who has mentored Marcus Vick since childhood says he knows the ousted Virginia Tech quarterback feels bad about events of the last few weeks - charges of speeding ticket and driving on a suspended license, stomping on a Louisville player in the Gator Bowl and the charges of brandishing a gun at a Suffolk McDonald's. James “Poo” Johnson said, "I'm not condoning what he did, but I know the man. I know that Marcus wishes he could go back and undo a lot of things.” He added,"I know marcus, I know his heart and I know his soul...

By HANK KURZ Jr., AP Sports Writer January 7, 2006 BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- Marcus Vick decided to turn pro Saturday, one day after he was kicked off the team at Virginia Tech for transgressions on and off the field. "I have decided to enter the NFL draft," the junior quarterback said in a three-paragraph statement released through his lawyers. "I am very excited about this opportunity and look forward to proving my athletic ability at the professional level. I believe I am ready for this challenge and the next chapter of my life." Vick said he appreciated all the...

Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick has been permanently dismissed from the Hokie football program due to a cumulative effect of legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play. Virginia Tech had suspended Vick in 2004. The university provided one last opportunity for Vick to become a citizen of the university and re-admitted him in January 2005, with the proviso that any future problems would result in automatic dismissal from the team. Head Football Coach Frank Beamer met with Vick and his mother this afternoon and informed the quarterback and his family of the University's decision. His recent actions are unfortunate and we wish...

Notre Dame Football Player Arrested In Jacksonville POSTED: 7:01 p.m. EST December 27, 2002 UPDATED: 7:04 p.m. EST December 27, 2002 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A Notre Dame football player was arrested in Jacksonville, Fla. Thursday night for trespassing at a local bar. Jacksonville Beach police arrested Chad Debolt, a reserve defensive back for special teams and charged him with trespassing after he refused to leave the Ocean Club bar at the manager's request. However, what happened after Debolt's arrest is a mystery. Police say there was no fight or disturbance of the peace, yet Debolt looks as if he...