Everything Sean Lewis said Addressing New Mexico Bowl and State of the Program

Opening statement:

Obviously, exciting day for the Aztecs. Excited about the opportunity that we have to head to New Mexico and to play a really good North Texas team. Obviously, number one total offense, number one passer in the country, and a great matchup of strengths with our defense, their offense, and excited about the opportunity that Albuquerque presents for us to go get our 10th win. Boys are great and excited about the opportunity. It’ll be awesome to get back out on the grass and get back to work. Obviously, we took some time off with the way that the season ended, playing six in a row, the work week that we had leading into that. I thought it was important for our guys to just level set and get away from the game a little bit, as we talked about a week ago. And now it will be great to get back out on the grass and to get back to the business of ball and to do that work together.

Obviously, there was some movement in our staff in the past 24 hours. Very thankful for the work that Rob has done for the past two years and the commitment of him and his family to our program. We’re in a better place because of the work that he did. It was a good opportunity that he felt was best for him and his family. So wish him the best with that as we move forward. Obviously, there’s work to be done and very excited to announce that Demetrius Sumler is going to be our interim defensive coordinator as we go forward and lead us in this bowl opportunity for us to go get our 10th win. And we’ll continue to proceed forward. But again, our program’s in a great place. The connection and brotherhood in that locker room is what drives us and the connection amongst the players. There’s an excitement to go play and to know who this next opponent is.

The guys were excited about Coach Sumler taking the reins and leading, so excited to see the work that he does, excited to see the way that our team responds. But that’s one thing about this club and about the culture that we’ve built. It’s built for moments like this, right? We talked to the guys about moments of adversity, moments of change. Those are things that are going to be constant in their lives and those things that we have felt through this year, and our guys have responded at a really high level and I know that we’ll do that again, and looking forward to, again, getting back out on the grass tomorrow, having the work in front of us to go do that at a really high level and then traveling.

I believe we’ll be traveling on Christmas Eve down to Albuquerque for the opportunity here in 19 days to continue to have this time with these guys and go get our 10th win, which would be the 10th team in SDSU history since we went to the FBS level to have double-digit wins. So, lots to look forward to. Great time to be an Aztec, great time to be on the Mesa, and really proud of where we’re at and where we’re going.

Thoughts on two Group of Fives in the College Football Playoffs:

Yeah, I mean again, like it’s good that there’s a path for everyone. It’ll be interesting to see how the results play out with the matchups and the way that they’re set.

Was there any thought at all asking Rob to see this thing through the bowl game:

No, I mean there was an opportunity there for him, and again, the way that this is moving and the environment that we’re in, they want him there. And as much growth as you continue to have, like you need guys that are all in and fully vested into what you’re doing, and it’s hard when you’ve accepted one position and try and do another. Didn’t think that that was fair to our kids. Didn’t think that was fair to Rob and his family. So we’re going to proceed down different paths and wish him nothing but the best as he goes forward.

Thoughts on Demetrius Sumler for this moment:

Yeah. I mean, his commitment to the program first and foremost, right? He’s a great connector of young men and bringing people together, and that’s important in this time right now to have a leader that does that at an elite level, which he does. He’s a great football mind that obviously has a depth of knowledge of scheme from what he learned with Coach Long and previous coordinators that he’s worked under, and how he has developed his own skill set and his own ideas, and he’s done a great job the past two years as well, right? Like even though one man has the coordinator title, it’s not one guy who puts it all together, right? Like I’ve talked at length since we’ve been in here about how the D staff does a great job coming together and building a plan, and Coach Sumler has an integral role in that. And so now for him to shape and craft the plan with the assistance of his assistants, right, as we go forward, I’m excited to see him do that work. I’m excited to see him lead our guys.

On biggest challenge for someone who’s never actually done it:

Yeah. I mean, probably just feeling the flow of the game, right, and understanding having the plan in place to map it all out. And so again, like been doing it for a long time. There are other guys in the building that have done it as well. So we’ll help him with that and prepare the plan accordingly, and then manage the situation as we get into it on the 27th.

On this being an audition for the permanent job or doing a search:

Yeah, no. I mean, like there’s — this is the best interview that he could possibly have is this opportunity, right? And then again, like as we sat here 12 months ago, there was extreme interest externally outside the building; there’s extreme interest externally right now in the position outside the building because of where the program is at and where the program is going. But obviously, I think we have great people in-house as well. So yeah, we’ll do this. I’m not new to this. Every year I’ve been a head coach, there’s been either two or three assistants that I’ve had to replace because of the success that we’ve had. So, again, like I’ll work our process. I’ll see the landscape of what it is. And Sumler will be very much a part of the conversation.

On how soon would to have a permanent person in place:

We’ll see. Again, like I’ve done it enough to where I’ve learned, and I have the scars from doing it too quick, and it’s more important to get it right than to do it right now. But obviously knowing and understanding the six-week window that we’re in right now and how important that is as we reconstruct the roster and how critical this time of year is for every single college football team to know as you’re hanging on to your signees, right, and the impact that it has on them. And then as we move forward into the portal process as well, those guys are going to want to know who is the leader on the defensive side of the ball and what that looks like for their development and their path. So, understand the urgency that we need to have. But again, it’s about getting the right individual to fit our culture. And that’s what college football is. It always has been, right? It’s a talent acquisition business. And I’m not just talking about the players when I say that, right? It’s the staff, and it’s making sure that you get the right people in the building that are aligned and unified, as I mentioned on my very first day on the job, about how we do it and the direction that we’re going and our brand of ball.

On how much of a factor will talking to the players in terms of filling that position and what effect it might have for them staying or leaving:

It’s a piece of the puzzle, right? Like again, it always has been. Again, without them, like we don’t have jobs, right? Like without a team and without players, like what use as a coach, right? So, you lean on them, you listen to them. It’s a part of the puzzle. It’s a piece of the puzzle, and you weigh all that out as you get the information so that you can make an urgent, smart, right decision for the direction of where we’re going and the trajectory of our program, the trajectory of our university, right? And so we’ll weigh all that out as we go. And again, I have the utmost confidence that we’re going to find the right person, whether that’s in-house or external, for who’s going to lead us into the future on that side of the ball.

On having a good sense talking to players who’s thinking about leaving, who’s already made a decision to stay:

Yeah, I got a good sense of what that is. I got a good pulse of my club. I think that’s one thing that, again, for all my perceived weaknesses or strengths, I think the relationships that I’ve built with the guys, got a pretty good handle on where guys are at. And as we sit here right now, like no one’s talked about opting out of the bowl game. We’re excited to put the ball down and go play and to embrace the opportunity and the challenge that we have to go get our 10th win against a really good opponent.

Surprised were you to get the New Mexico Bowl and go back to Albuquerque?

I mean, nothing shocks me, nothing surprises me at this point in time, right? Like I just want to know who, when, and where. And so we got all that information yesterday, and I felt like I was back in the COVID days a little bit. I had six different calendars that were laid out in front of me of all the possible bowls that it could be, and it was like, “Okay, this one — let’s go activate this plan right now,” right? So ready to go, ready to get after it, and ready to do the work that’s required to go get a 10th win because winning’s hard, as we all know, right? And again, especially against a great opponent. But there’s kind of a cool sense to be able to go back to the quote-unquote “scene of the crime,” right, be able to right a wrong, so to speak. So boys are excited for that, excited for another opportunity to go play, and most important, excited for our continued growth of our program, right? Like it’s what we’re in here for, right? Like some of our cultural core beliefs, right, are the connection, the constant improvement, right, the competitive nature, the work that needs to be done. And this is an opportunity to have more time with our guys to continue to grow our program and develop our club and develop our talent. So, man, that excites me. Like I’m thrilled for the opportunity to go do that. And really excited talking with the bowl representatives down at New Mexico, right? Like one of them is an Aztec alum, and man, he’s fired up to have us, and I know they’re going to do it right and they’ll roll out the red carpet and we’ll figure out how Santa comes and visits all our coaches’ kids there and make that work. So I have to write a letter to the North Pole, but we’ll make sure all the logistics are in order so that everyone can have a great time.

How important are these practices in setting up for next year with the younger players, these extra practices?

Yeah, I mean, like it’s — all we do as coaches is evaluate, right? Like we can’t help ourselves. It doesn’t matter if it’s a winter conditioning mat drill session or on the beach or a spring ball practice. Like you’re constantly evaluating what each individual, each person in the program — what value can they bring for this opportunity to get 10, right? Or what value are they bringing to be able to help us win a Pac-12 championship, right? And so, how are they taking the coaching? What level of urgency are they attacking each day with? How are they getting their fundamentals better, right? Like how are they communicating? How well do they know the systems after a year or two years of being in our program? So, you’re evaluating all of that, and yeah, each and every single moment matters for right now and us earning the right to go win 10, and also then what it looks like as we go forward with it all. So, it’s critically important, and I’m very grateful to have the time with these guys to be able to pour into them and help them develop and continue to grow the program to a championship level.

On that note, seeing another school opt out of a bowl game and not have those practices — does that shock you as a coach?

No. Like again, like in one word, college football is chaos, right? So like you got to be the calm in the chaos. And again, like maybe I’m crazy, right? But at the end of the day, like this game is this game, and the infrastructure of collegiate sports still at its heart has taught me invaluable lessons that I carry with each and every single day. And so, like I talked to the team this morning, like really simply, we had some very simple family rules that were enhanced by great coaches that I had when I grew up. Like my parents always tell me, “Hey, we gave you your name. Don’t mess it up, right? You got that for free. Don’t screw it up,” which meant obviously what it means on a surface level, but then if you’re going to do something, like how you do it truly matters and do it to the best of your ability, whether you’re bringing home a report card or you’re playing sports or whatever it is, right? Like just go do it to the best of your ability and value the name that you’ve been given. And also, if you’re going to start something, you finish it. Like the 2025 season’s not over. The 2025 climb is not over. So, I don’t know what the circumstances are for that. I’m not in that house, right? Like I got my house and I got a room full of guys that are excited to go play and go compete and take the final step and reach the summit of the climb that we’ve set forth in 2025. And I hope amongst all the stuff that’s going on, we don’t lose sight of that. Like you stay until the job’s done.

On offense vs. defense — electric defense, high-octane North Texas offense and bus-ticket bowl game.

Yeah, we’ll see, right? I mean, it’s part of the matchup style, right, and the back and the forth that it could be, right? I mean, shoot, like just getting to know them early on here from the tape, like man, they score points in bunches, they go quick, they go in a hurry, and obviously we’ve done a good job of limiting people to being able to do that against us. So yeah, like good on good, strength on strength. Like let’s go get it on, put the ball down, let’s go play.

On North Texas redshirt freshman QB1 Drew Mestemaker:

Drew Mestemaker is one of the best in the country. I mean, he leads the nation in passing right now. So the numbers speak for themselves. He’s got incredible talent. He’s got an incredible journey, which means he’s a resilient kid. I mean, you’re talking about a guy who didn’t even start a varsity football game as a high school player, but yet persevered and continued to develop and do all the things that he’s done from where his journey started to where he is now, right? Just speaks to the level of character that he has on top of the talent that he has, right? We talked about it last week on signing day about the intangibles of that position. Like again, I don’t know the kid from Adam. I’m excited to shake his hand, right, and compete against him because he’s obviously a more-than-worthy adversary. But there’s some wiring in between his ears, right, that is obviously pretty special. And then the way that he performs and executes his craft, he’s doing it at a really high level.

On what kind of advantage does the previous game at University Stadium give to the SDSU squad

We know where the locker room is and the dimensions of the field.

On what specifically makes North Texas so hard to stop:

They got talent everywhere. They got dudes that stress you out and can change the scoreboard at any moment in time. Their scheme is really, really sound, and you can tell that the quarterback knows where the answers are, right? Like regardless of the problems — and we’re very early on in this prep, guys. I mean, like I haven’t had a chance to deep dive into all of it just yet. But the little bit that I have watched and gleaned, like you can tell he knows where the answers are regardless of the problems that defenses have thrown at him. And it’s a great league, right, with great coaches and great talent that he’s gone through. Like teams have tried to throw every single different problem at him, and man, he’s found the solution at an elite level week in and week out to really stress them out. So yeah, really talented.

On how do to plan on establishing a run and keeping it going:

Going to give the ball to Lucky as many times as it takes to run the ball well.

What kind of goals do you see in their defense?

Again, guys, like really early on in all of it. I don’t want to speak out of turn, but I mean, like, they’ve been sound, they’ve been strong, they’ve been good. It’s going to be a really interesting challenge as we go with it. So we’ll dive deeper into it, and got some runway here to build up to building the plan and how we’re going to exploit different things, but you don’t get to 11 wins, right, by accident. Like they’re a really good team across the board and looking forward to the matchup.

On if the whole tradition — bowl games, the history — but then the new advancements of the football playoff and the transfer portal? Do you think there’s a clash there?

I think we are in a moment of adaptation and growth, right? And there’s just so much unknown in where we’re going that people kind of fear that a little bit, right? But again, at the end of the day, like again, maybe this is overly simplistic, but I’m not a real smart man. So if you started, let’s finish it. Whatever that is, whatever that looks like, but like see it through.

On this transfer portal on January 2nd being different from the others because everybody seems to have money now and maybe the process slows down and there won’t be the massive numbers:

Yeah, I think it’s going to be unique and different in a lot of different ways. One, to your point, I think people have gotten their finances in order, so there probably won’t be as much movement because people are doing a better job of retaining their own. It’s going to be unique and different, and there might be more movement because there’s not a spring portal, right? So some decisions are going to have to be made from both the player and program side of things to reconstruct the roster. And then again, there’s just the unknown of staffing changes and all the things that are still playing out and how that’s going to impact the system as we go. Some teams are adhering to the cap, others aren’t adhering to the cap. Some people will have a massive war chest, some have a little war chest. And at the end of the day, it’s like, okay, how do you innovate? How do you think about it differently? How do you create a new box to solve the problems that we’re all facing? But yet, each and every program has a set of circumstances unique to their own home. And every single program and every single entity is solving these opportunities for the very first time, right? Like there is no one else in the landscape right now that you can pick up the phone and call to solve these issues. Like you got to figure it out with the smart people that you have in your building.

If there any specific position groups that need to focus on reloading in the transfer portal:

We’re always looking to upgrade everywhere. I mean, quite honestly, right? Like the program’s in as good a spot, as healthy a spot as it’s ever been, right? So when it comes to acquiring talent — whether it’s coaches to join, players to join — we’re going to vet out all possible situations, right? All possible options to increase the talent pool to our roster. Whether that’s high school signees, it’s junior college signees, it’s portal signees and acquisitions. So, again, like our guys know that, right? Like again, going back to the culture that we’ve created that’s bigger than me, that was established well before I got here, that we’ve just enhanced and put our own personal touch to, right? Like it’s still the connection and the brotherhood that drives everything that we do, right? It’s the constant improvement and constant competition that we lean into and all that that encompasses and then rolling up our sleeves and doing the hard work, right? So, like our guys know, like when we say, “Hey, be the alpha to improve and compete today,” like have these plus-one moments — like over time there better be a better version of yourself that’s showing up, right? Like we all know that. Like again, in the same way that like hopefully I’m a better coach in year two than I was in year one, because if I was the same coach, like then I’m not living what we’re preaching, and that just doesn’t make sense to me, right? And so in much the same way, like all our guys know that there’s an urgency to get better and that whoever they were in 2025, there better be a better version of them in 2026. And if we can go out and acquire someone else who’s not been a part of our program but can earn the respect of the team through the work that they do and they end up finding a role that commands snaps that helps us win — like, well, then that’s the nature of what we’re doing. And also, again, guys, like that’s life, right? Like if there’s someone that could write or report better than everyone in the room, and your guys’ organizations could afford them, they’d go acquire that talent. So we better learn how to compete. And that’s what this game and this moment of time teaches our guys to do, right? And like know and understand that again there’s not an extension, there’s not a redo. There’s — like we have the year of evaluation. We have these bowl practices that we’ll evaluate. We’ll make decisions based off that and then we’ll live with those decisions, and we’ll grow and we’ll get better, and we’ll continue to ascend and climb higher as we go into the Pac-12.

Is it your opinion that your veteran players owe you a bowl game, that they shouldn’t opt out right now?

My guys don’t owe me anything. My guys don’t owe me anything. I’m not deserving or owing of anything. I hope that we’ve done enough work collectively together that they want to go play again together. This is a special group that for the next 19 days we’ll get to be together, and after that they probably won’t be back together until 2035 when we have the ten-year reunion for this team, and they’re doing that as older men, right? So, like we talked about this last week with the bowl opportunity, and when we break it down for the final time on December 27th, like this team will go their separate ways. But to say that they owe me anything — they don’t owe me anything. They’ve done everything that I’ve asked them to do. And I would like to believe at this point in time, right, like if you’re going to do the work with us because of the work that we’ve done, then let’s go do that. If guys make other choices, like again, like I’m good with that too. I understand what it is. I embrace what it is. Like I know the job that I’ve signed up for, and I love finding the solutions of where we’re at — whether it’s roster construction, it’s staff construction, it’s helping these young men grow. But to say they owe me anything — they don’t owe me a damn thing. They don’t owe me a damn thing.

On what does he think is the number one area to make sure this offense kind of takes the next steps and improves in 2026:

Yeah. I mean, stay healthy, right? Like we were hitting our stride there when — whether Colorado State, Nevada — and everyone got a glimmer of what it looked like. And then when your two top receivers go down, right? Like that gets tough, right? And so having depth of talent and quality of talent helps with that. Those are two fluke deals. Again, like continued development of the quarterback room, because again, like everything is driven through that decision maker. Continued continuity of the core nucleus of the offensive staff so that we are in alignment the way that we are, and yeah, I mean being able to take the strides that we need to in that regard.

On seeing the calendar changed or fixed so that you don’t see as much coaching movement, head coach or assistants, before the season’s over:

Yeah, I think there’s an opportunity to hit reset with all that’s going on, right? Like, and again, the closer that we get to the NFL model, like we should do some things to mimic the NFL calendar, right? I think Joey McGuire spoke on it whether it was last week or the week before, right? Like there’s an opportunity where we could slide the calendar up, we could start the season up, you could still have all the games that you need to have. You could have championship weekend the weekend of Thanksgiving. You could go through December and announce a national champion, and then the portal could open on the second if it’s decided on the field by the first who the national champion is. Like, cool. Great. And away we go, right? Like, I mean, but like, literally the national champion will be announced on January 19th. That game will be played on January 19th, 2026. We start school on January 20th, 2026. So, I’ll have a team meeting for the second year in a row with my 2026 team, and the 2025 national champion won’t even have been named, and we’ll all be doing that, right? So, like, the vast majority of the things that we just talked about are decisions that individuals and humans—because let’s not lose sight of this too, right? Like, they are humans that are making decisions whether it be about their families and career, which I respect. There are players that have their career in a small window of time that are making the best decision that they can as humans, and we’re all imperfect humans working in an imperfect system right now.

But the product of the calendar and the system and the way that it’s all wired right now is forcing some really hard decisions for people to make those decisions. And so we have to grow, we have to adapt, we have to evolve. And I’m excited to get together with all the other head coaches in January and see how we do that when we have our AFCA national convention and be a part of the positive change that we can have. Because again, like, I mean, shoot, this is my seventh year as a head coach, right? Like, and I’m not even 40 yet. Like, I’m still planning on doing this for a really long time, right? But like, there’s some things that we’ve got to do so that everyone can feel just better about where we are in general and not—because like, this game has become America’s game. Like, football is America’s game now, right? And so we all feel a certain type of way, and we feel that way because we’re so passionate about the game. And obviously, like, I want to do all that I can with whatever voice I have in the room to help protect the game so we can be in a great place for it as we go forward.

Seems like there’s a leadership voice. So, should some of that come from the coaches out of the convention? Should it come from conferences, NCAA?

Probably all of the above, right? All of the above. And again, like, everyone’s got to humbly come into those rooms, like no title, no ego. What’s best for the ecosystem of college football, right? Like, no different than every time that we have a staff meeting—wherever a good idea comes from, I don’t care where it comes from. Like, if it’s a GA, I don’t care what your title is. Like, if it helps the Aztecs program progress and it helps us secure more victories and it’s what’s best for our players, I don’t care where the idea comes from, right? So hopefully we can get to a place and a space where the decisions aren’t being made by one entity that’s best for them, but then it’s just at the mercy of everyone else.

So is that possible though? It seems like at the convention there’s a great group of coaches, but it seems like two conferences are driving.

I think it’s possible, right? At one point in time, we built a railroad from one side of this country to the other side of this country. If we can do that, we’ve got people jumping out of the stratosphere. I think we can figure out college football if we all humbly come to the table and say, “Hey, what is best?” Like, again, maybe I’m too short-sighted. Maybe I’m too simplistic, but like, I still believe in all of us if we come to the table saying, “What is best for the kids that we are serving, that I’m so proud and humbled to serve here, and just the greater game?” Let’s start with that end in mind and let’s make decisions driven off of that and away we go.

What do you think about what happened in Notre Dame (dismissing a bowl invitation)?

Yeah. Again, like, I don’t know what’s going on in their house. There’s enough going on in my house. So, like, blinders on and I’m going to take care of the Aztecs. There’s been a lot that’s been going on in my own home in the past 24 hours. Oh, no.

People come to me and say, “What do you think about what the AICS did?” Let me turn a question to you. Did you ever in your wildest dreams think you could go from three and nine to 10 and three with a snap of the fingers? [Laughter]

A snap of the finger. I don’t think it was that easy. There was a lot of hard work that was put into here. But did I believe in our people? Did I believe in our process? Did I believe in the growth and the evolution of our community and our university and their commitment and investment to football in particular? Hell yeah. But to say it was a snap of the finger I think is undermining a lot of the hard work that a lot of people did here. You know what I mean? Like, there’s a lot of hard work. There’s been a lot of adversity. There’s been a lot of great responses to all the change that has taken place in our home, here in our program, in the world of college football. And yeah, like, shoot, we talked about it all the way back in winter conditioning: hey, do you believe in your team? Hell yeah, I believe in the team. Hey, as we went through training camp, like, hey, what do you think? I think we’ve got a chance to be special, right? Like I was asked by someone who’s not here today because they just showed up on us one day—and you guys are all here every single day, right? Like, hey, after Wazzu, like, do you still believe in the team? Like, hell yeah. Like, these are my guys. I’m not reactionary. Like, I don’t get too high, I don’t get too low. I understand what this is. I know the job that we signed up for. I know our strengths as a program. I know our perceived weaknesses as a program. I know the areas that we have to get better.

I’m tirelessly working to get better at them each and every single day. And yeah, I believe in us. I believe in our program. I believe in what we’ve built. I believe in our culture, and I believe in all the really freaking hard work that we have to do as we go forward again over the course of the next six weeks. Because the work that we do over the course of the next six weeks and how we compete as a community, how we compete as a university, how we retain our roster, how we acquire new talent—the next six weeks is going to define who we’re going to be in 2026.

That’s what this has become. That’s the calendar that we’re in right now. So again, we’ve had tremendous success. A year ago we talked about, hey, trust the process and have faith, and I know there’s not a ton of evidence, but there’s glimmers of it. Well, now you can point to, like, okay, when we’re completely healthy on offense and we’re playing complementary football, like, well, what does that look like? Well, look at the moments in time when it was that. When you have to talk about, okay, you’re going to acquire injuries and that’s going to happen and there’s going to be adversity that strikes. Is your scheme adaptable enough to play winning football and complementary football? Yeah, absolutely. Like, I had conversations with previous defensive coordinator candidates: “Well, yeah, you’re an offensive-minded head coach. Do you guys care about playing defense?” Well, yeah, I think we do. It’s like, we can win in a lot of different ways. And at the end of the day, I know there wants to be style points. And again, like, do we light up the scoreboard? Sure. Yeah. But let’s not make a mistake. Like, when we talk about Aztec FAST, it’s a brand of football that’s focused, accountable, smart, and tough. That has the ability offensively to play with multiple tempos, starts with an elite run game, stretches the field vertically, right? That we’re going to be focused, accountable, smart, and tough in our special teams game. That’s going to be focused, accountable, smart, and tough in the way that we play defense.

So, do I believe what we did was possible? Hell yeah. And do I believe that there’s a vision and a trajectory for this program that not even our greatest supporters can see with where we’re going? Yeah. But it’s going to require a hell of a lot of work. And man, I’m excited to go do it. As excited as day one. As excited as day one. It’s the job that I signed up for. It’s the landscape that we’re in. And I think both statements are true: that I could be working towards how we make the ecosystem better in college football, and also, again, let’s roll the sleeves up. Let’s do the work. And let’s go make some great things happen given what it is. Because if we don’t adapt, what’s the alternative, right? So again, got a great quarterback, got a great wife, got a great dog in Jaco Taco, baby. Right? You got those three things, you got a chance. You got a chance.

Next year in the Pac-12, SDSU has one less conference game. On wether that process playing out in terms of looking for an extra non-conference opponent for next year is happening yet:

Yeah, there’s a lot that’s going into that—to potentially have an extra non-conference opponent, potentially playing someone twice. Like, there’s a lot of layers that are going into that as we come together. So, a lot of those decisions will be coming down the pipe here as we go. So, again, a lot of that is above my head, and I can’t wait to see what comes from it. Again, just kind of tell me where we’re putting the ball down. Let’s go play.