Kentucky’s Ashely Lowery is recovering after being in a serious car accident this weekend. (ZUMAPRESS.com)

By Zac Ellis

Kentucky football player Ashely Lowery’s condition has been upgraded from stable to satisfactory, according to a statement released by his family. Lowery, a junior safety on the Wildcats, remains hospitalized in Georgia after a serious auto accident on Saturday morning.

“On behalf of the Lowery family, we’d like to thank everyone for their concerns and prayer,” the family said in a statement. “From Georgia to Lexington, we can’t thank everyone enough. You are like family to us.

“The only official comment from the hospital is that his condition has been upgraded from stable to satisfactory and his injuries are no longer life threatening. We expect a full recovery. Again, thank you so much for all the prayers and support.”

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After deciding to transfer from PSU, Steven Bench is considering Mississippi State. (Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

By Zac Ellis

A former Penn State quarterback could be making his way to the SEC. Steven Bench, who announced his decision to transfer from Penn State on April 24, is considering heading to Mississippi State, The Dispatch in Columbus, Miss., reports.

Last week, ESPN reported Bench was looking into a handful of destinations, particularly USF and Mississippi State. But national reports have since focused on the Bulldogs, and Bench told The Dispatch that speculation surrounding his interest in Mississippi State is “very accurate.”

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By Holly Anderson

SEC announces TV deal, cages contingent of millionaires in display of imperial power GIF: twitpic.com/cnultq—
  (@teamcatlab) May 03, 2013

We were there, and if you didn’t get to watch the live stream, this is pretty much all you missed:

The SEC Network: Not short on money, or coaches who wish they’d worn more comfortable pants to this press conference. (AP)

By Holly Anderson

Project X has been unveiled as the SEC Network at last, with a logo and a launch date and everything. We’re sure you have so many questions. We’re here to help.

• What’s all this, then? This is the SEC Network, introduced to the public this morning by a host of ESPN suits and assorted conference coaches, including Messrs. Bielema, Franklin, Freeze, Jones, Malzahn, Miles, Mullen, Muschamp, Pinkel, Richt, Saban, Spurrier, Stoops and Sumlin.

• Did all those football coaches have to perch up on those director’s chairs that whole time? Just long enough to get a good squirm, and for us to confirm that everyone in attendance was wearing socks.

• Did any coach interrupt the show to take a phone call? No, but when the network trailer showed Jadeveon Clowney’s infamous Michigan hit, Spurrier and Saban bent their heads together, presumably to share a chuckle at the Wolverines’ expense.

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Nick Saban expresses his approval of Alabama’s opening week line. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

By Zac Ellis

Betting lines for the first week of college football were released this week by 5dimes Sportsbooks, and it appears Alabama’s streak of dominance extends all the way to Las Vegas. The Crimson Tide opened as 24-point favorites over Virginia Tech for the teams’ Aug. 31 opener in Atlanta, marking the 42nd consecutive game in which Nick Saban’s program will enter as the favorite.

According to AL.com, Alabama has not been an underdog since the 2009 SEC Championship Game, when the Tide went on to beat favored Florida 32-13. Roll Tide, indeed.

Other notable first-week lines, as of Thursday:

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South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier continues to push for payments to players. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

By Zac Ellis

The SEC’s new television network will officially be announced on Thursday, setting the already lucrative league up for even more revenue. Does that mean it’s time for SEC players to begin getting part of that payout? South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier certainly thinks so.

Spurrier told GoGamecocks.com that players should see a share of the revenue they produce, especially with the prospect of significantly more money on the horizon.

“As the commissioner and the presidents and the athletic directors all say, we are going to make a whole lot more money,” Spurrier said. “My question is, ‘When are we going to start giving a little bit of it to the performers?’ Football and basketball players. It won’t do any good probably, but I’m going to still keep yelling for them. They bring in an awful lot of money for all of us.”

This isn’t a new position for Spurrier, who has pushed the issue of player stipends before. It’s also worth noting: When the SEC network and new College Football Playoff take effect, each team in the league could enjoy a potentially $10-14 million increase in payout from 2011-12 in as little as two years, according to a USA Today report.

Start your engines, ladies: Alabama icon AJ McCarron is taking his talents to the Talladega race track. (USA Today)

By Zac Ellis

Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron might have two BCS titles under his belt, but he’s set for a new kind of thrill this weekend. The Crimson Tide quarterback will serve as an honorary pace car driver at Talladega Superspeedway for Sunday’s Aaron’s 499, the track announced Tuesday.

“I have enjoyed races at Talladega before and have always had a passion to get up to speed on the track,” McCarron said in a release. “This is an incredible opportunity, and to be able to do it in front of the most famous drivers in the world, is something I am really looking forward to.”

Alabama coach Nick Saban, who served as the grand marshal of the race in 2009, said he offered McCarron some advice about avoiding temptation behind the wheel.

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An announcement on major renovations to Kyle Field could come as early as Wednesday. (Bob Levey/Getty Images)

By Zac Ellis

Texas A&M’s Kyle Field might soon be among the largest venues in college football. The A&M System Board of Regents is slated to discuss potentially major renovations to Kyle Field at its meeting, and a decision could come as early as Wednesday, according to KBTX in College Station. The school has tentatively scheduled a press conference for 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Reports put the stadium’s capacity at approximately 103,000 under the proposed renovations, which would make Kyle Field the SEC’s largest stadium, surpassing Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium (102,455). The Aggies’ home would rank as the third-largest stadium in the country, behind only Penn State’s Beaver Stadium (106,572) and Michigan’s Michigan Stadium (109,901).

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Charles Barkley may not be current on Auburn news, but he is a prolific horseback rider. (Layne Murdoch/Getty Images)

By Zac Ellis

Ever since the poisoning of the oak trees at Toomer’s Corner, Auburn fans have mourned the gradual loss of their iconic landmarks. The school held a final rolling of the trees after the Tigers’ spring game on April 20, which served as a memorial before the trees were finally taken down.

Evidently, TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley didn’t get the memo. An Auburn fan who played his college basketball with the Tigers, Barkley offered his thoughts on the upcoming football season on the Tim Brando Show. He doesn’t seem to be particularly well-versed on the latest news coming out of the Auburn community.

Charles Barkley on Tim Brando Show: "We've got Gus Malzahn. I'm very confident we're going to be rolling trees at some point this year."—
Chris Vannini (@CoachingBuzz) April 30, 2013

Too soon, Chuck. Too soon.

By Holly Anderson

The new SEC Network announcement has been rescheduled for this Thursday, and as previously mentioned, there’s only one way it ends satisfactorily:

If it's 12:21 pm ET on a fall Saturday, you know what I'm watching, Nielsen. http://t.co/UxLyXkipkI—
Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) April 30, 2013

This post sponsored by the imaginary yet influential Jefferson Pilot Preservation Society.