There is an important meeting this week about the future of college football. Sorry, there are actually two meetings this week. The one you may be thinking of is the highly publicized one that is scheduled for Friday at the White House. The far more important one was a secret. It happened in Dallas with powerful people from college football in attendance. This meeting was with Smash Sports, an extension of the investment group Smash Capital. It focused on the pitch to consolidate all of college football's media rights. Ross Dellenger reports what is going on behind the scenes with this meeting. Andy Staples and Steven Godfrey join the conversation to discuss the impact of this meeting, the impact of consolidation and what the chances are something like that could happen. 

Then, Andy, Ross and Godfrey continue the conversation discussing how a situation like this would play out and who else would need to be involved for it to work. They talk about what kind of impact Paramount buying Warner Brothers could have on this type of deal, and the college football world in general, and the share how they think a resolution will ultimately be determined.

Later, the guys discuss Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel coming out in support of a 24-team playoff. This is in direct contrast to the model that the SEC is supporting. The guys discuss the impact of a coach in the SEC taking this stance and how the playoff discussion will continue to evolve. All of this and more on today's College Football Enquirer.

0:00:00 - College football's secret meeting in Dallas

9:53 - The other meeting at the White House

11:39 - Impact of private equity's involvement in CFB media rights

21:54 - Impact of consolidating media rights

28:43 - Could Paramount buying Warner Brothers affect college football?

34:45 - Which side will win the media rights battle?

42:33 - Josh Heupel supports 24-team CFP

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The NFL Combine isn't the only thing happening in Indianapolis this week. Ross Dellenger has been there for the NCAA meetings that have also been going on and he reports some notable changes coming out of Indy. Ross shares the latest rule changes in college football. The first change is in regard to targeting. The NCAA is eliminating a targeting ejection being carried over into s player's subsequent game. The second rule change concerns the transfer portal. The plan is to impose heavy penalties on any school that signs an athlete outside of the transfer portal window. Ross and Andy Staples discuss these rule changes and their potential effect. They also discuss Cincinnati suing former quarterback Brendan Sorsby for his $1 million buyout that he has not yet paid. 

Then, Ross gets into some more news from the NCAA meetings. This news is regarding potential schedule changes to the college football calendar. Ross and Andy discuss the transfer portal window, a potential change to spring ball practices and teams being able to move their first game up to Week 0 in 2027. They also chat about what other changes could happen in the near future.

Later, Steven Godfrey joins the show. In a recent episode, Godfrey was tasked with making a minor league type model for college football. Godfrey ended up taking a page out of the European soccer book as he discusses the methods of sending players to various teams. He and Andy discuss this model and how, or if, it could work in college football.

All of this and more on today's College Football Enquirer. 

0:00:00 - Rule changes in college football

1:46 - Changes to targeting

3:52 - New transfer rules and punishment

12:17 - Cincinnati sues former QB Brendan Sorsby

20:34 - Changes to the college football calendar

21:13 - Transfer portal dates

21:47 - Changes to Spring Ball

22:34 - 2027 schedule changes for Week 0

29:44 - Other changes the committee wants

37:18 - Creating a college football minor league

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The Tennessee Volunteers will have a new quarterback for the 2026 season. Joey Aguilar lost his case for another year of eligibility, so now the focus shifts to the highly touted recruits. The battle will be between redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and incoming freshman Faizon Brandon. Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger and Steven Godfrey discuss what the quarterback position may look like for the Vols in 2026. They also dive into the evolution of quarterback development in college football. What was once a recruit and develop process has seemingly shifted into just grabbing a quarterback from the transfer portal, but how long can that trend be successful? Are teams starting to shift back to focusing on recruiting young talent?

Then, the guys dive into some news that has the potential to cause a big shift in the college football calendar. Army head coach Jeff Monken has said they could be open to moving the Army-Navy game to Thanksgiving weekend. This is a big piece of the puzzle that people have tried to navigate when looking at how the college football calendar could be rearranged. Andy, Ross and Godfrey discuss the impact of this suggestion, how it could work and what it would do for college football.

Later, the crew discusses how a recent college football awards banquet turned into a comedy club. Mario Cristobal and Kirby Smart took the stage at the Steve Spurrier Awards dinner the other night. A dinner that honors various coaches and players turned into something more like a roast when Kirby Smart and Mario Cristobal started poking fun at each other while on stage. This led to a debate among Andy, Ross and Godfrey about who the funniest coaches are in college football. 

All of this and more on College Football Enquirer.

0:00:00 - Who will be Tennessee's new QB?

11:46 - The evolution of development for college quarterbacks

23:59 - NCAA tampering

28:01 - Army-Navy game open to moving date

45:57 - Mario Cristobal vs. Kirby Smart roast

55:50 - Who are the funniest coaches in college football?

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The NCAA has issued a threat to schools among the recent rise of court cases arguing for additional eligibility. The threat is to impose the Rule of Restitution. This was created in 1975 to allow the NCAA to punish a school or athlete if the preliminary injunction, which that athlete competed under, was overturned. Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger and Steven Godfrey discuss the NCAA issuing this threat and what may be the fallout. They also dive into the discussion that the SEC had about the conferences self-governing rather than the NCAA being the governing body. Is the NCAA's power dwindling enough for it to not be necessary anymore?

Then, after the recent discussion about former Nebraska AD, Bill Moos, saying he wanted to move Nebraska back to the Big 12, Andy got to thinking about who were the winners and losers from all of the realignment in the 2010s. This led to him ranking what teams made the best move during that era of realignment. The crew discusses the list and what were some of the issues and casualties that came with it.

Later, the guys revisit a conversation from the beginning of the show. When discussing court cases, Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar, and his case was discussed. This led to the point that many Tennessee fans want one of the two five-star quarterbacks on the roster to be the Vols' QB this year instead. The guys discuss how Tennessee should go about deciding this and what the future of player development looks like. Is there a way that a "minor league" could be created out of schools in the Group of Six?

All of this and more on today's College Football Enquirer.

0:00:00 - NCAA threatens the Rule of Restitution

14:44 - Is the NCAA needed in college sports anymore?

31:38 - Ranking conference realignment of the 2010s

52:51 - Should Tennessee move on from Joey Aguilar?

58:47 - Creating a "minor leagues" in college football

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The college football landscape never stops moving, shifting and changing. The latest change is yet another drastic move of conference realignment. Sacramento State is leaving the FCS to join the FBS as they will now become a part of the MAC. Yes, the team in California is joining the Mid-American Conference. Ross Dellenger explains why Sac State is making this move and what other avenues they pursued. Andy Staples and Steven Godfrey join the conversation and react to this decision. The conversation evolves to the broader landscape of conference realignment. The guys discuss why so many of these drastic shifts are being made and what type of change to the college football landscape they see coming in the future.

Then, the guys dive into a couple of notable eligibility court cases. Trinidad Chambliss will be a Rebel for one more season after a judge in the Mississippi state court granted an injunction to give Chambliss one more season of eligibility. The guys compare the Chambliss situation to other court cases of the past and they contrast it with the Joey Aguilar case in Tennessee. At the time of this recording, we have yet to get a ruling on Aguilar. Plus, the crew shares some of the very unique events that happened at the courthouse during the Chambliss ruling.

Later, Andy, Ross and Godfrey revisit a topic from the previous episode. Recently, a fan of Mr. Beast proposed the idea of Mr. Beast donating $100 million to East Carolina University to try to win them a National Championship. Andy was convinced that wouldn't do much, but Godfrey said he does not feel the same way. The crew discusses the feasibility of this, how small schools could make a big jump with a large cash infusion and what additional power ECU would have by having Mr. Beast behind them.

All of this and more on today's College Football Enquirer.

0:00:00 - Sac State to the MAC

14:31 - Where does conference realignment go from here?

24:44 - Trinidad Chambliss & Joey Aguilar eligibility cases

42:32 - Would a $100 million from Mr. Beast get ECU to the CFP?

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Former Nebraska AD, Bill Moos, has released a 697 page memoir titled Crab Creek Chronicles: From the Wheat Fields to the Ball Fields and Beyond. In it are some very interesting takeaways about his time at Nebraska. Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger and Steven Godfrey discuss some of the more notable stories he shares. The most notable, and surprising, story is about Moos' regret of Nebraska joining the Big Ten conference and his interest in leaving the Big Ten to return to the Big 12. That, of course, did not end up happening. Moos also shares how he was forced into hiring Scott Frost even though he did not think he was right for the job. The guys share their opinions and takeaways from these, and other, stories from the book.

Then, Andy, Ross and Godfrey go from looking at the past to looking into the future. The Pac-12 Conference is back and they have released their 2026 schedule. The most notable part is the unique approach to their Week 13 games. The conference currently only has eight football teams. That means there are only seven games to be held during an eight-game conference schedule. The Pac-12's unique approach for the eighth game, in Week 13, is the creation of a flex week. There are currently four games scheduled, with home teams being already designated, but the conference is reserving the right to swap opponents up to six days before the matchup. They are saying they will choose the matchups based off of what is best for the conference. Presumably this means creating the most advantageous schedule for a potential CFP bid. The guys discuss the impact of this and what the ripple effects could be. What would this look like in other conferences, and could this potentially change the landscape of college football scheduling?

Later, Ross shares the latest update in the world of revenue sharing. He discusses his most recent article about how programs are far exceeding the revenue share cap and what the "real" rev-share cap is for the top programs. Andy and Godfrey join in as they react to the new world of revenue sharing, that may be far more expensive than people realize, and they all discuss how this is going to continue to evolve going forward.

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0:00:00 - Former Nebraska AD tells all

28:29 - Pac-12's unique flex-week schedule

42:48 - How schools are far exceeding the rev-share cap

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There will be a new face in the FBS for the 2026 season as FCS powerhouse North Dakota State is making the leap. The 10-time FCS National Champions will be joining the Mountain West Conference. Andy Staples and Steven Godfrey discuss if they think this is the right move for the Bison. The guys chat about what exactly the team is giving up to make this move, what they have to gain, and if they think North Dakota State can be successful. Plus, they also discuss the latest in the Charles Bediako case. He is no longer eligible to play for Alabama after a judge denied his most recent injunction request. Andy and Godfrey discuss what this means going forward.

Then, the guys take a quick look at the NFL in comparison to college football. Sam Darnold culminated his redemption story with a Super Bowl ring this season. Once the third pick in the NFL Draft for the New York Jets, Darnold struggled for much of his career. After being a back-up in San Francisco, he found success as a starter for the Minnesota Vikings and now is a Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks. Andy and Godfrey look at the college landscape and discuss if there are any transfer quarterbacks that may have a similar redemption story in 2026. 

Later, the guys continue to look at the transfer quarterbacks, but through a different lens. Last episode, Godfrey compared Fernando Mendoza to a certified, pre-owned Honda. This was meant as a compliment. Now, they look at the transfer quarterbacks for 2026 and compare seven QBs to used cars. Find out what the comparisons are for Rocco Becht, Kenny Minchey, Drew Mestemaker, Austin Simmons, DJ Lagway, Darian Mensah and Byrum Brown.

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0:00:00 - North Dakota State heads to the FBS

26:12 - Charles Bediako no longer eligible

34:17 - What transfer QB can have a Darnold-like redemption season

49:30 - Comparing transfer QBs to used cars

49:45 - Rocco Becht comparison

52:24 - Kenny Minchey comparison

54:10 - Drew Mestemaker comparison

55:43 - Austin Simmons comparison

56:51 - DJ Lagway comparison

58:58 - Darian Mensah comparison

1:00:06 - Byrum Brown comparison

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In the new world of college football there may be just as much action in the courtroom as there is on the field. The latest trend is if you want another season in college, after your eligibility is up, take it to the courtroom! The two most recent cases of that are Trinidad Chambliss and Joey Aguilar. Both of whom are waiting to see if they get an injunction that will allow them to play in the 2026 season. Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger and Steven Godfrey explain both of these cases and update everyone with where the cases are in the process. They also take a look at the schools these quarterbacks are looking to go back to. Both schools have 5-star QBs waiting in the wings, which leads to the question: in the transfer portal era, are 5-star QBs better off going to a smaller school to play right away and transferring later?

Then, the guys get into some more College Football Playoff conversation. The CFP released the 2026 & 2027 schedule for the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game. In 2026, the playoff spans over 39 days. Andy, Ross and Godfrey discuss the ludicrous schedule. They also talk about a potential savior being the NFL. With the NFL now owning a stake in ESPN, will they help out college football's scheduling to make it a better product?

Later, Andy shares the results of his homework assignment. Last episode, the guys discussed how weak Week 1 is to start the 2026 season. Andy shares his plan of how to move Oklahoma and Michigan to Week 1 to inject some energy into the opening weekend slate of games. The guys also close the show by discussing the Washington Post shutting down their sports division.

All of this and more on College Football Enquirer.

0:00:00 - SEC QB's suing for eligibility

6:18 - Trinidad Chambliss' case update

8:32 - Joey Aguilar case update

16:08 - What does the future of 5-star QB's in college look like?

28:24 - CFP releases 2026 schedule

40:22 - Andy tries to improve Week 1's schedule

51:55 - Reflecting on The Washington Post news

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32 head coaches will be coaching new teams in 2026. Who among them will be the most successful? Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger and Steven Godfrey breakdown who among the hires will be the most successful immediately. They discuss the youth movement in college football and how teams may be shifting priorities of what they look for in a head coach. Plus, there were not many coordinators hired in this most recent coaching cycle. Will that trend change in the future, and does that depend on the success of the coordinators who did land head coaching roles this year?

Whether your team has a new head coach or not, hope springs eternal in the offseason for everyone. When Week 1 roles around, the sports world is excited and ready to roll. Unfortunately for Week 1 of the 2026 season, there are not many marquee matchups for fans to look forward to. Godfrey compares the Week 1 schedules of 2025 and 2026 and the guys explain why conference expansion has caused this upcoming season's kick-off weekend to be so boring. They also throw out some ideas of how to fix this schedule in the future.

Later, Ross' Congressional Minute returns as he gives us the latest college sports news coming from Congress. It appears the SCORE Act is being tweaked to try to drum up some more support. A couple of key pieces of the Act are being changed and the guys discuss the feasibility of the Act passing going forward. Plus, somehow the crew gets into a discussion about college football movies.

You won't want to miss all of this and more on College Football Enquirer.

0:00:00 - Who will be the most successful new head coach in 2026?

23:14 - How conference expansion is ruining Week 1

44:44 - Ross' Congressional Minute

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Did Miami find a loophole in NIL? We have had many discussions on Darian Mensah's journey from Duke to Miami in the last couple of weeks, but not much of the talk has been focused on the Hurricanes. Steven Godfrey returns to join Andy Staples and Ross Dellenger as they discuss how Miami may have found a way around player buyouts in college football. Are we closer to getting clear buyouts written in player contracts? Plus, do schools in states with no income tax have an advantage in NIL? The guys discuss.

Then, they shift from players to coaches. The college football schedule is always a topic of debate, but the group most negatively affected by the current nonsensical schedule is the coaches. Many people may not feel bad for the head coaches making millions, but it's all of the other coaches who really take on the biggest burden of the schedule. The dichotomy between the quality of life of college coaches versus coaches in the NFL has many coaches jumping ship to take a chance in the National Football League. Andy, Ross and Godfrey discuss how tough this schedule can be, and why the NFL model is more manageable for coaches. Plus, they discuss ways that the college football schedule can improve and also be more prevalent throughout the calendar year.

Later, they guys discuss the biggest news in the football world. Bill Belichick was not named a first ballot Hall of Famer. Many people have expressed shock and outrage by this omission. Andy poses a question to the group. Did Belichick's struggles at North Carolina have a negative effect on his Hall of Fame candidacy? The guys discuss the situation.

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0:00:00 - Miami finds NIL loophole w/ Mensah buyout

16:17 - Will buyouts be standard in player contracts?

28:40 - NFL vs. college coaches quality of life

46:11 - How to improve the college football schedule

52:31 - Did Belichick's UNC struggle affect his HOF candidacy?

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