Texas Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte has responded bluntly to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter and his latest rumor. Earlier in the week, Schefter reported that Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian would most likely be receiving interest from numerous NFL franchises at the end of the campaign. However, Del Conte outlined how the timing of that release was completely ridiculous.
The Longhorns are only days away from competing in the College Football Playoff semifinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Should the Longhorns win that game, they will play the winner of the Orange Bowl between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions in the CFP National Championship Game.
Chris Del Conte Responds to Steve Sarkisian Rumors
Schefter made a television appearance and explained his belief that some NFL teams may be interested in Sarkisian.
“I would expect some teams to call and inquire about the Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, who is drawing some interest from the NFL level,” he stated.
ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter just said he expects NFL teams to inquire about Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian.
Needless to say, Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte needs to make sure those calls go to voicemail. pic.twitter.com/cs4AVIYCOQ
— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) January 5, 2025
In response, Del Conte expressed his frustration over the timing of Schefter’s rumor.
“We’ve got a game to play, I’m not going to comment. Somebody’s just creating fodder before our biggest game. That’s stupid,” he said.
Texas Longhorns College Football Playoffs Semifinal Preview
The Longhorns have had a successful playoff run to this point and are now only two wins away from being national champions. In the first round of the tournament, the Longhorns defeated the Clemson Tigers by a score of 38-24. Then, in the CFP quarterfinals, Texas won a 39-31 overtime thriller against the Arizona State Sun Devils to advance to the semifinal game later this week.
The Longhorns will face the Buckeyes in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic game on Jan. 10, 2025. The contest will be played at the legendary AT&T Stadium, home of the Jerry Jones-owned Dallas Cowboys.
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As he stated, Del Conte believes the timing of Schefter’s rumor may create unnecessary drama and distractions for the Longhorns ahead of their most important game of the season so far.
It remains to be seen whether Sarkisian entertains any offers from NFL franchises at the end of the campaign, but it’s clear that Del Conte wants the sole focus to be on the team and not on the future of Texas’ head coach.
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