I returned from vacation today and have compiled a few news and notes with my opinion on each topic from my week off below that.
Nevada football picked last in preseason poll again
In Nevada’s first season in the Mountain West in 2012, the Wolf Pack had a league-high 10 players selected to the all-conference team, and that didn’t include future NFL star Joel Bitonio, who was an honorable mention.
Nevada’s 10 first- and second-team honorees were more than Boise State or Fresno State, who both earned nine apiece. So, you could reasonably argue Nevada had the MW’s most talented roster in its first season in the conference. Six players from that Wolf Pack team appeared in NFL games with several more, including future CFL star Cody Fajardo, spending time in NFL training camps.
Thirteen years later, Nevada has been picked to finish last in the MW in the preseason poll for the second straight season. And while the Wolf Pack’s representatives a media day — quarterback Chubba Purdy, defensive tackle Thomas Witte and head coach Jeff Choate — disagreed with that selection, Nevada has earned the distinction.
Witte said “I don’t agree with their opinion” when asked about the last-place prediction while Choate added “I think it’s an insult to me; that’s how I look at it.” That’s what they should say. But the Wolf Pack has not offered anybody any reason in recent seasons to think any differently about the program given the results. Nevada has finished in last place in the MW in each of the last three years, going 2-21 in conference during that period, including two winless league seasons.
One of those o-fers in league came last year, its first under Choate, when Nevada’s on-field play improved but the team still went 3-10 overall and 0-7 in league, albeit against a strong schedule. The Wolf Pack returns four starters from that roster. So, while I picked Nevada to finish ninth out of 12 teams in my preseason poll, I have no issue with the Wolf Pack’s last-place projection. While acknowledging a preseason poll means nothing, Nevada football has earned skepticism entering the year and must play better to get more respect.
Thirteen years after putting a MW-best 10 players on the all-conference team, Nevada has had just four all-league players in the last three seasons combined (DBs Bentlee Sanders, Emany Johnson and Michael Coats Jr. plus defensive tackle Dom Peterson). It must rebuild to that level of talent before getting the kind of ranking in preseason polls it would like.
Mountain West, Pac-12 mediation ends without resolution
I’m sure I’ll be writing about this a lot this week and in those to come, but the MW and Pac-12 came out of mediation without resolution, which means they will be headed back to court after three of the MW’s departing schools sued the conference over its exit fees while the Pac-12 sued the MW over poaching penalties owed the league. While the contracts seem iron-clad, neither side budged enough to get a finalized deal. The MW is owed around $145 million between exits fees and poaching penalties.
Given how long the mediation lasted (it started May 18), it seemed unlikely that process would solve the situation once we got into July. It was interesting to see reporting last week stating the MW was the conference that initiated the request for mediation. It can’t be easy moving a conference forward while ensnarled in a legal battle. The sooner the MW gets clarity, the better for that conference. The more the Pac-12 can muddy the waters, the better for its league.
A long while back I set the over/under for money collected by the MW at $100 million. Any figure north of that seems like a win for the MW, which can move forward while satisfying its payments owed to its remaining members. Anything south of that figure would be a win for the Pac-12 and its schools, which would have trimmed around one-third of its contractually obligated bill owed the MW. The saga drags on for now.
Four local players picked in MLB draft
Four players with local ties were selected in this year’s MLB draft, including LHP Grayson Grinsell (Reno High/Oregon); RHP Peyton Fosher (Nevada Wolf Pack); RHP Nico Wagner (South Tahoe High/Nevada Wolf Pack/West Valley College); and RHP Easton Marks (Nevada Wolf Pack/Florida International). The lesson here is let your kid pitch, as all four selections were pitchers. That is as long as you’re OK with a potential elbow reconstruction.
Grinsell was an interesting case as a player who dominated at Oregon but whose fastball maxs out around 92 miles per hour while sitting closer to 88-90 mph. That makes it hard to project a big-league future given the gas required by pitchers these days, but Grinsell gets good extension, has an elite changeup and a fastball hitters find hard to square up. That combination added up to being a six-round draft pick and a $297,500 signing bonus from the Detroit Tigers. Not bad for a kid who went to Oregon believing he’d be an outfielder.
Fosher being a 19th-round draft pick by the Miami Marlins could cost Nevada its Friday starter for the second straight draft after Jason Doktorczyk was selected in the ninth round in 2024 and bypassed his senior season with the Wolf Pack. Wagner (16th round Braves) and Marks (19th round to Rockies) were both former Nevada players who transferred before the 2025 season. Wagner played for South Tahoe High with Nevada’s coaches believing he had first-day potential when signing him under the radar. He appeared in only 12 games at Nevada in 2024, posting a 9.61 ERA, before a breakout junior-college season this year led to him being drafted. Marks made the all-league team at FIU and is committed to Miami in 2026 if he doesn’t turn pro.
It was another strong drafted class for Northern Nevada, which continues to punch above its weight in producing next-level players on the diamond.
Is Ryan Gerard the last Barracuda Championship winner?
The answer to the question above is “Yes.” Ryan Gerard is the last Barracuda Championship winner with the Barracuda Networks not extending its title sponsorship past this year. But whether he’s the last winner in tournament history is unknown. The Barracuda will need to get a title sponsor to remain on the PGA Tour’s 2025-26 calendar with its regular date already given away to another tournament.
The tournament could move to a June spot if it lands a new title sponsor with the Tour typically announcing its schedule in late August. While a title sponsor will not necessarily need to be found by then, there’s not much time left to find that sponsor, which typically comes with a seven-figure price tag.
If this is the end for the tournament formerly known as the Reno-Tahoe Open, it will have lasted longer than the forecast when debuting in 1999. If this is not the end, that will show the PGA Tour really likes its annual tour stop in Northern Nevada/Northern California and worked hard to get a title sponsor to ensure this vacation-style tournament remains an option for its players.
You also could see this tournament become a Kory Ferry, Champions Tour or LGPA event if the funding is not there to keep it at the PGA Tour level, but that’s not the preferred route. Now that a 2025 champion has been crowned, those involved with the tournament can turn their full focus toward finding a title sponsor to keep it on golf’s biggest stage, the PGA Tour.
Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.
