June Jones, a longtime football coach who made an impact at the college level, died at the age of 73 on Thursday.

Jones was placed in hospice care two weeks ago, as he’s dealt with health issues earlier this year, per the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

The University of Hawai’i, where Jones served as head coach from 1999-2007 after playing quarterback for the Rainbow Warriors, confirmed his death.

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Timmy Chang, Hawai’i’s current head coach, became the NCAA’s all-time passing yards leader under the tutelage of Jones. He said "words can’t express the sorrow" he feels learning of his old coach’s passing.

"Coach Jones was a father figure, a mentor, and a visionary who revolutionized the game," Chang said in a statement, per ESPN. "He believed in a young kid from Hawai’i and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to run his offense. And his impact didn’t stop when my playing days ended. He guided me every step of the way as I transitioned into coaching, always making time to share his wisdom and support me when I took over this program.

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"He put Hawai'i football on the map and showed us all what was possible. We lost a true legend today, but I will spend the rest of my career trying to honor his legacy, his passion for this university and the Aloha he shared with everyone he touched. My deepest condolences go out to his 'ohana and all those who he impacted."

After playing college ball at Hawai’i, Portland State and Oregon, Jones signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons, whom he spent four seasons with, backing up quarterback Steve Bartkowski. He started five games in his NFL career, winning just one.

Jones’ coaching career began right after his playing days were over. He eventually worked his way to become the Falcons’ head coach from 1994-96, and he would be named the interim head coach of the San Diego Chargers in 1998.

He had an opportunity to remain in place, but he decided to head back to Hawai’i to become its head coach. Jones led the Rainbow Warriors to conference titles in 1999 and 2007, the latter season being a historic one.

Hawai’i began the season 12-0 and made the school’s first-ever BCS bowl game (Sugar Bowl).

"The 2007 season and making the Sugar Bowl, that went over what anybody ever thought was possible," Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, a former Rainbow Warriors player and assistant coach, said in a statement. "I was on the field for the game [against] the University of Washington. We were down 21 points, not once but twice, and still came back to win against a very formidable opponent. That kind of coaching and who he was was very, very special. He leaves an incredible legacy here. June was very special, we will miss him, but his legacy will live on."

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Jones’ career took him to SMU next, where he was head coach from 2008-14. He also coached in the USFL and CFL.

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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis is recovering after going through a medical emergency, his father announced.

Lewis suffered the emergency while in the Buffaloes’ facility on Wednesday and was quickly transported to a hospital.

It’s unknown what exactly Lewis is dealing with, but his father wrote a statement on X explaining the situation.

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"He is recovering and thankful to his medical team, teammates, and Colorado fans for their prayers and support," T. Carlton Lewis wrote. "Please respect Julian and the Lewis family’s privacy. We will have no further comment at this time."

The Buffaloes responded to OutKick’s request for comment.

"Colorado Athletics extends our full support to JuJu and his family through this medical emergency. He remains in the thoughts of every CU player, coach, and staff member and we will continue to assist in any way we can in his full recovery. His health and well-being remain our top priority during this time," the statement said.

Lewis, a 19-year-old sophomore with the Buffaloes, began the season as the team’s starting quarterback. However, head coach Deion Sanders made the decision to bench him after four games.

His last appearance came on Sept. 26, a loss to the Baylor Bears, before the ball was turned over to junior Isaac Wilson.

It hasn’t been much better for Wilson, though, as the Buffaloes are 0-3 since he took over on offense. The Buffaloes are now 2-5 on the year and dead last in the Big 12 with an 0-4 conference record.

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The day before Lewis suffered his medical emergency, Sanders was asked by the media if he’d turn back to his sophomore signal caller because of the skid for his team.

"That’s on him," Sanders responded, via BuffsTV. "I don’t think you could find a player in this program — or you may could find some bitter players that have left and didn’t want to leave, but life is what it is — but I don’t treat people unfairly. I don’t play games with young men and their careers and hate on folks.

"If I’m anything, I’m too forgiving and very, very kind. …You’ve got to always understand that we may know a little more than you do, because we’re inside the locker room. We’re there. We understand what happens."

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This season, Lewis has thrown for 733 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions across his four starts.

'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday-Friday on OutKick.com.

Over the hump and safely onto the other side of the week. Is this the biggest weekend of the year to date?

I think it might be.

We've got football all weekend long, obviously. Duh. More importantly, we also have Halloween, which lands on a Saturday. I did some big J digging, and it's the last time that'll happen until 2037. True story. Eleven years! Lord knows what this place will look like in 11 years, but I assume if this column is somehow still alive, it'll be run by a robot. That's almost a guarantee.

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Beyond all of that, we also get an extra hour of Halloween this weekend! That's right. The dreaded "fall back" weekend is upon us. I loved this time of year in college, but that was, admittedly, a long time ago. Nothing hit better than being at a party and seeing the iPhone 4 clock switch back to 1 a.m.

It was the best.

But I have kids now, and they do not care what the clock says. So, come Sunday morning when it says 5:30, they'll be up and ready to roll.

"Just put them to bed later!"

Doesn't work for a 2-year-old, folks. They don't care. Hard hats on, parents. We're all in this together.

On that note, welcome to a Thursday Nightcaps — the one where Lane Kiffin, somehow, finds something else to complain about. College football fans ain't having it.

Nor should they.

What else? I've got Paige Spiranac teasing her Halloween costume ahead of the big day, another subdued baseball celebration last night, and where did this MLB postseason rank for you?

I gotta be honest ... it wasn't great. And now we're going into a lockout.

The vibes aren't the best right now! But we'll get into it.

OLIVIA DUNNE POURS BEERS LIKE A PATRIOT WHILE HER LSU TIGERS RUN UP THE SCORE, GATOR BAIT & LANE'S SUBTLE SHOT

Grab you a tiny violin for Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers, and settle in for a Thursday 'Cap!

LSU-'Bama takes an afternoon seat

Let's get this ball rolling, because the rain has finally stopped here in Florida for the first time since Sunday and I've got a pumpkin patch to get to before it starts back up.

Big weekend of college football, as I said earlier. Now, I hate to jump ahead a week, but Lane Kiffin has left me no choice.

For about six months now, fans have had Nov. 7 circled on their calendars. It's shaping up to be, arguably, the greatest weekend of college football ever.

• BYU-Utah
• Kentucky-Tennessee
• Ole Miss-Georgia
• Miami-Notre Dame

And, of course, Alabama-LSU. That's the big one, right?

... Right?

...... RIGHT?!

Fans aren't buying it this time

"If someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what’s been going on, they must have just been on Mars the last four months. So I guess when I look at it that way, I’m not surprised."

So, Lane Kiffin sent shots at the SEC for next weekend's big game not being in primetime, which is hilarious for a couple different reasons.

1. The SEC doesn't make those decisions, ESPN does. Sure, I'd imagine the SEC has plenty of input, but it's still an ESPN call to make.
2. LSU has already played more home games under the lights than any other SEC teams this season. The Tigers have had four night games. Texas has had three. Everyone else has no more than two.
3. Miami-Notre Dame on NBC will be a juggernaut. ESPN putting its best game in a standalone(ish) time makes sense. Some will say they're scared to go up against that game. Perhaps. But there was no reason to fight that battle when 3:30 on ABC is a perfectly fine time.
4. Totally unrelated, of course, but here's Lane Kiffin on LSU ... just two short years ago:

So, when Lane was at Ole Miss, everyone was out to get him. Now, he's at LSU and ... everyone's out to get him?

See a pattern? It's silly. I used to love Lane Kiffin, by the way. He was a content machine. He was fun, and likable, and somewhat relatable.

Now? I think he just whines a lot.

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I'm not alone:

Wrapping up the World Series & Paige's Halloween tease!

For what it's worth, LSU is 1-7 since 2012 against Alabama in night games in Baton Rouge. Perhaps Lane should be thanking ESPN/SEC for this one?

OK, let's rapid-fire this Thursday class into a big night of FOOTBALL!

PS: I know there's an NFL game on tonight, but don't forget about college. Did you know there's a game on ESPN tonight with an OVER/UNDER set at 76.5?!

That's right. North Texas and FAU. A biggie. Does anyone here have the stones to take the over when it's at that number? I think I'll dabble.

Speaking of stones ... how about the Milwaukee Brewers just quietly completing one of the most dominant postseason runs of all time? Think about it.

They manhandles the Padres, swept the Dodgers, and then pretty much had their way with Tampa ...

And then treated winning it all like they'd just polished off a three-game sweep of the Marlins in June:

Thoughts? I've honestly thought all the celebrations this postseason have been pretty t(l)ame. There's certainly something to be said about "acting like you've been there before."

I get that ...

Except this was Milwaukee's first ever World Series title! And that's what we got? I don't know. Just seemed a bit off.

Frankly, this whole postseason did:

I love baseball. I watch every Red Sox game all year long. I'm a 162-er. I'm not trying to knock it here ... but yeah, it was a bad postseason. Sometimes it just happens, right?

The best part was watching the Dodgers lose. I think we can all agree on that, right? But otherwise, there really weren't any moments. I guess you could point to Milwaukee's walk-off against Mason Miller a month ago as a pivotal moment. That was fun.

But you just never really felt it, right? Again, sometimes that's just the way it goes. You're not gonna bat a thousand every year.

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Regardless, we're gonna be BEGGING for one of these games in about six months when all we're talking about is salary caps and floors.

Sadly, winter is here — and I fear it's gonna be a long one.

OK, that's it for today. I'll be damned if I end it on a sour note, so here's Paige Spiranac's Halloween tease on the way out.

Zoinks!

The Week 10 SEC football schedule will feature a mid-afternoon kickoff when Alabama visits LSU. Both conference rivals are on a bye this week, having entered the break ranked in the top 25.

The 3:30 p.m. kickoff was apparently less than ideal for LSU head coach Lane Kiffin. "I never even considered that it wouldn't be at night," Kiffin said when asked Wednesday about next week's game.

Alabama-LSU has become a nighttime staple in recent years. The rivalry game has been played at night in each of the past six seasons, while the last non-night meeting in Baton Rouge came in 2010.

"I didn't even think to think about the time," Kiffin said. "I just assumed, especially since the last 16 years, this game has been at night here all the time. I guess that's probably naive of me."

DEION SANDERS CRUSHED OVER ALLEGATIONS OF PAYING OFF MEDIA CRITIC

Ole Miss, where Kiffin coached for six seasons, is scheduled to play Georgia in a Primetime game on November 7. Against the backdrop of legal disputes involving Kiffin, LSU and the SEC, the LSU coach suggested the league office may have viewed the scheduling decision as an opportunity to punish him.

"I was joking to [LSU SID Michael Bonnette] earlier, saying obviously the SEC wanted to change it from how it's been to give LSU less of an advantage because of how well LSU plays at night and how intimidating it is to play here," Kiffin said. "I was like, 'If someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what's been going on, they must've just been on Mars the last four months.'"

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"I guess when I look at it that way, I'm not surprised."

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LSU is 1-6 in its last seven home games against Alabama under the lights at Tiger Stadium, also known as Death Valley. Many of those losses have come by wide margins.

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Since narrowly losing to Kentucky on Oct. 10, Kiffin has guided LSU to consecutive victories over SEC opponents. LSU and Alabama will enter next week’s game with identical 6-2 records.

On the field, the UCF Knights had one of the biggest and most surprising wins of the season this past weekend in Orlando. A series of absurd, classic college football plays in the fourth quarter led to overtime, and the eventual program-changing win for UCF.

It was shocking, both for how the game played out, and the ultimate result. There was a blocked field goal, a goalline stop, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty all in the lead up to overtime. Then we had two overtimes filled with more drama. And the obligatory field storming. Then there's BYU, coming off a massive win over Notre Dame in Provo that rearranged the College Football Playoff picture and put the Cougars in the top 2, losing as a clear favorite.

But the other shocking part of the game came before it started.

UCF KNIGHTS PULL OFF STUNNING UPSET OVER UNDEFEATED BYU IN MIND-BOGGLING OVERTIME THRILLER

Video from inside Acrisure Bounce House showed a number of UCF fans chanting "f--- the Mormons," a reference to BYU's religious background. There's always room for good-natured college football fan ribbing, chanting, rivalries, and even some good old-fashioned hate. But insulting the other school's religion is, well, a bit too far.

Some fans were removed by security, but the Big 12 Conference had a lot more to say about it in a new statement on Wednesday afternoon.

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"While the Conference recognizes the pregame protocols followed by UCF and immediate actions taken during the game, including removal of some individuals responsible for the conduct, discriminatory behavior has no place in the Big 12," it reads.

"The Conference has issued UCF a $100,000 fine, which will be directed toward student education initiatives. In conjunction with this action, the Big 12 is implementing an updated Conference-wide policy establishing escalating consequences for discriminatory conduct at athletic events effective immediately."

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The new punishments include an "automatic minimum $100,000 fine" for the first incident such as this, along with a "formal warning" to the institution while allowing them to "immediately address the behavior and prevent further incidents."

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Money is bad enough, but more misbehavior in the same game will now result in a penalty. A second "confirmed incident" will now be a "competitive penalty, e.g., a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty in football or an unsportsmanlike two-shot technical foul in basketball."

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Anyone ejected for similar conduct will be "prohibited from attending all athletic events for the remainder of the academic year and are subject to applicable University fan/student conduct policies."

That's the right way to handle this particular situation, though, of course, it's possible this gets overused if the conference starts cracking down on typical college student behavior and chanting. Not just when it goes too far, like it did during UCF-BYU.

The Knights' home crowd will have an opportunity to redeem themselves on Friday night when they host Baylor, while BYU hosts Arizona State on Halloween in Provo. They likely won't need to worry about too much misbehavior there.

The ongoing legal battle between the LSU Tigers and the Southeastern Conference took another turn on Wednesday afternoon inside the same courthouse that has drawn plenty of attention over the past two months.

Former St. John's basketball player RJ Luis has been fighting to play this season for Will Wade and the Tigers, but SEC rules prohibit him from taking the court for LSU due to him signing an NBA contract or having professional experience.

At first, Luis was granted the ability to participate in the upcoming season thanks to an order granted by a Louisiana judge based off a lawsuit filed against the NCAA over its eligibility rules pertaining to the members of the 2022 class who felt as though they should have been enjoined with new guidelines established.

MAHJONG IS THE NEW TAILGATE GAME TAKING OVER COLLEGE FOOTBALL FOR WOMEN — AND EVEN AT HOME WITH HEAD COACHES

Now, thanks to an injunction granted by a Louisiana judge, RJ Luis has provided LSU with protection to roster him this season if they have the fortitude to continue battling the SEC. The latest injunction granted allows Luis to practice and play with LSU until a Nov. 13 hearing in Baton Rouge, allowing LSU the legal power needed for the Tigers to roster RJ Luis without facing penalties from the SEC.

But, will LSU follow the court's ruling?

Remember those athletes Lane Kiffin thought about rostering at LSU?

During the time between the order being granted and Wednesday, there has been another case that saw both the SEC and LSU added to a lawsuit that pertained to the eligibility of athletes.

As OutKick previously reported, a judge in the 19th Judicial District Court of Baton Rouge granted an injunction for former athletes that had NFL 'experience' in Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris.

It was at the injunction hearing for those two athletes where SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was called to the witness stand, testifying for over three hours on the Thursday before LSU opened the season against Clemson.

INSIDE A LOUISIANA COURTROOM: SEC-LSU LEGAL CIRCUS PLAYED OUT LIKE A JOHN GRISHAM NOVEL IN STUNNING SHOWDOWN

Thanks to a ruling by Judge William Jorden in the favor of the athletes, both players were eligible to be rostered by Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers without punishment from the SEC.

But, the threat of recourse by the conference, along with a federal lawsuit filed by the SEC that very same week, saw the LSU athletic department make the decision to keep them off the team.

LSU HOLDS OFF ON ADDING PLAYERS WITH NFL TIES AS SEC LAWSUIT LOOMS OVER PROGRAM, LANE KIFFIN

Now, nearly two months later, LSU basketball coach Will Wade technically has the same decision to make.

Will LSU roster RJ Luis? Attorney compares Greg Sankey to Kim Jong Un in latest shot

After Will Wade noted that he would be following SEC guidelines pertaining to former professional athletes not being added to the official roster, he now faces another decision that should not be that difficult to make, unless he's worried about being sued.

Attorney Tony Clayton, who is also part of the legal team for Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, told reporters outside the Baton Rouge courthouse on Wednesday that since he added both the conference and LSU to the amended complaint, it provides his client with a path to play this season despite what the SEC guidelines say.

"My client, Mr. Luis, felt that it was in his best interest to file this claim against LSU and the SEC because of the commissioner's actions and the commissioner's threat," attorney Tony Clayton told NOLA.com,

"LSU may be intimidated by ‘Kim Jong’ Sankey, but we're not."

Okay, that's not going to sit well with the conference, as they continue fighting LSU in federal court, in a separate case.

Does RJ Luis actually think he will be rostered by Will Wade this season? Well, attorney Tony Clayton pointed out why in his legal filing he brought LSU into this fight, and why he thinks this provides the Tigers with cover from conference rules.

"The reason why we brought LSU into the suit is because LSU is being threatened by Mr. Sankey," Clayton told NOLA.com. "LSU is a great institution. Coach Wade is a good guy, a good coach, but both of them need to be forced to allow RJ to play basketball since he's obviously qualified. And not have the threat of the SEC, which is threatening LSU. In effect, stopping coach Will Wade from letting this kid exercise his fundamental right to play basketball."

But, if you've been paying close attention to what has taken place over the past two months, this might actually come down to monetary damages, and not RJ Luis playing basketball for LSU this season.

According to multiple sources, attorneys for the two former football players could end up bringing a civil suit against the SEC over the coming weeks that seeks damages for them not being rostered by Lane Kiffin and LSU.

In their eyes, it's the SEC's threat of action against LSU if they were to roster these athletes that prevented them from playing this season.

So, could the injunction granted to RJ Luis on Wednesday, which remains in effect until a Nov. 13 hearing, be the next step in the former St. John's basketball star's lawsuit against the SEC as he seeks monetary damages?

Or, maybe a settlement with all athletes somehow tied to LSU in these cases.

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Nothing should surprise you any longer when it comes to matters involving both LSU and the SEC with former professional athletes.

Not even a long game that plays out inside courtrooms from Alabama to Baton Rouge.