Episode 8 — July 27, 2026

In this episode of the Cory Hogue Sports Show:

Fighting through a gray day when the energy and motivation are not there

Why giving the best effort available still matters

Complete 2026 Southland Conference football predictions

Why Southeastern Louisiana enters the season at No. 1

The impact of Chris Ross leaving SFA for Tarleton

Whether Lamar can make another jump under Pete Rossomando

UTRGV’s challenge after a remarkable inaugural season

The questions facing UIW, McNeese and Nicholls

The rebuilding process at Northwestern State

Benny Rogers announces his retirement from Trinity Valley

Final thoughts from the Tour de France

A reminder not to assume we know what another family is facing

Subscribe at CoryHogueSports.Substack.com for coverage of Texas Non-FBS football and the schools beyond the spotlight.

Episode 7 — July 24, 2026

Prairie View A&M head coach Tremaine Jackson becomes the first guest in Cory Hogue Sports Show history.

Jackson discusses:

Why he believes Prairie View A&M’s football staff was disrespected

Why no Panthers assistant was invited to speak at the THSCA convention

The difference between asking for special treatment and asking for equal respect

Misconceptions surrounding his comments about recruiting high school players

What HBCU programs must do to earn more national respect

Prairie View’s games against Tarleton State, Stephen F. Austin, Baylor and East Texas A&M

Why the Panthers’ nonconference schedule is their national respect schedule

Prairie View’s goal of reaching the SWAC Championship and Celebration Bowl

The importance of staff loyalty, player development and program culture

Cory also reveals his complete 2026 Lone Star Conference football predictions.

Predicted order of finish:

West Texas A&M

Central Washington

Western Oregon

Angelo State

Texas A&M-Kingsville

Eastern New Mexico

UT Permian Basin

Midwestern State

Western New Mexico

Sul Ross State

Additional topics include:

Why West Texas A&M is the LSC favorite

Central Washington’s transition to Scott Power

The uncertainty surrounding UT Permian Basin

Art Briles’ return at Eastern New Mexico

Rich Renner’s testimony during the punishment phase of a former player’s trial

Questions surrounding Midwestern State’s handling of student safety concerns

LeBron James joining Philadelphia

Tadej Pogačar’s dominant Tour de France performance

The July 22 edition of the Cory Hogue Sports Show begins with an honest discussion about consistency, depression, PTSD and the internal fight required to keep moving forward on difficult days.

Cory then predicts the 2026 Southern Athletic Association football order of finish. Berry remains the conference favorite, with Trinity positioned as the biggest challenger entering their Oct. 3 meeting in San Antonio.

The episode also examines Division II’s proposed five-years-to-play-five eligibility model. Cory supports the rule but questions the wisdom of implementing it immediately, especially for athletic departments with limited compliance staffing and financial resources.

Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod explains why she supports the eligibility model and describes the academic, administrative and competitive factors the league considers during expansion discussions.

Additional topics include proposed NCAA baseball rule changes, automated balls-and-strikes challenges, the double first base, Division II men’s volleyball and the latest notable departures from the Tour de France.

Topics

00:00 — Opening and Substack update04:52 — Keeping it honest: consistency, PTSD and difficult days07:31 — 2026 Southern Athletic Association football predictions08:20 — No. 8 Rhodes08:52 — No. 7 Sewanee09:34 — No. 6 Southwestern10:10 — No. 5 Centre11:00 — No. 4 Millsaps12:08 — No. 3 Maryville13:33 — No. 2 Trinity14:40 — No. 1 Berry15:45 — Division II’s proposed five-for-five eligibility model19:13 — Judy MacLeod discusses five years to play five20:07 — Why immediate implementation could create problems23:15 — Proposed Division II men’s volleyball championship25:02 — Proposed NCAA baseball rule changes30:05 — Conference USA expansion remains possible32:15 — What Conference USA seeks in expansion candidates34:12 — Tour de France update35:48 — Friday show preview with Prairie View A&M coach Tremaine Jackson

EARN update: Learning to embrace the mundane work required to reach a goal

Updated schedule for the Cory Hogue Sports Show

March 2 The Pod returns Thursday at 6 p.m.

Upcoming Conference USA and SWJCFC media day coverage

2026 SCAC football format and Gallaudet’s addition

Complete projected SCAC standings

Texas Lutheran picked to win the conference

Hendrix projected to finish second

Austin College’s potential improvement under Tony Joe White

SCAC Championship Weekend predictions

Southwestern’s new on-campus sports complex

UIW athletic department leadership changes

Dax Dathe signs with the Toronto Blue Jays

Austin College announces the Foster Hyde Athletic Center

Texas Southern finalizes its home football locations

World Cup final reaction

Tour de France crash and podium discussion

Concerns about middle-of-the-night drug testing

Josh Kerr’s record-setting mile

Texas teams prepare for the Little League Southwest Regional

An EARN update on consistent success and listening to your body

Why your best effort can change from one day to the next

How EARN supports Nick Saban’s process

Why ultimate success still requires fortune

2026 American Southwest Conference football predictions

Why Mary Hardin-Baylor is my preseason favorite

The playoff question Hardin-Simmons can no longer avoid

McMurry’s chance to challenge the ASC powers

Howard Payne’s progress under Josh Gipson

East Texas Baptist’s need to avoid another losing spiral

Schreiner’s depth concerns entering its first full varsity season

Southland Conference attendance rankings

Tarleton and UTRGV among the national FCS attendance leaders

Why East Texas A&M and UIW need stronger fan support

World Cup semifinal reactions

Argentina over Spain in the World Cup final

Tour de France update

Home Run Derby and MLB All-Star Game thoughts

Rangers streaming frustration after the move from Victory+ to BZZR

What the change could mean for Victory+ and Texas high school football

Mike Tyson’s unforgettable Shohei Ohtani moment at the ESPYs

The EARN philosophy: Effort, Attitude, Response, No excuses and Never quit

Why your best effort is not always your maximum effort

How to define success through smaller, achievable wins

Complete 2026 Sooner Athletic Conference football predictions

Louisiana Christian projected to win the SAC

Texas Wesleyan’s transition to head coach Fran Johnson

OUAZ’s championship ceiling

Wayland Baptist’s continued rise

Questions facing Langston, Nelson, OPSU, Texas College and Arkansas Baptist

World Cup quarterfinal reaction

How FIFA could fix the VAR and second-yellow issue

France-Spain semifinal prediction

England-Argentina semifinal prediction

Why Argentina has not looked like a defending champion

Linda Noskova wins her first Wimbledon title

Jannik Sinner repeats as Wimbledon champion

Alexander Zverev finishes with 45 unforced errors

Why tennis needs a healthy Carlos Alcaraz

Texas players selected in the MLB Draft

Ryan Peterson selected by the Miami Marlins

Brett Lanman drafted by the Boston Red Sox

Luke Pettitte selected by the New York Yankees

Home Run Derby format changes

Jac Caglianone picked to win the Derby

Conor McGregor’s injury against Max Holloway

Dana White’s rant about UFC’s production mistakes

Tadej Pogačar controls the Tour de France

Nine Texas players earn FCS preseason All-America honors

Episode Notes

Why there will be no Friday show and no show next Wednesday

Thank you to everyone watching, reading, and supporting CoryHogueSports

Thoughts on the Big 12’s reported presenting sponsor deal

USMNT falls 4-1 to Belgium in the World Cup knockout stage

Why the U.S. midfield remains a major concern

World Cup quarterfinal thoughts: France-Morocco, Spain-Belgium, Norway-England, Argentina-Switzerland

Wimbledon update: Taylor Fritz eliminated, men’s semifinals set

Why Sinner vs. Djokovic is the most interesting men’s semifinal

Coco Gauff’s chance to win Wimbledon

Tour de France update after the first sprint stage

Why the 2026 Tour route has been more entertaining early

Full 2026 SWJCFC predicted order of finish

Snow College joins the SWJCFC and immediately becomes the team to beat

Tyler, Kilgore, Trinity Valley, Cisco, Navarro, Blinn, and NMMI previewed

Justin Verlander thoughts and his Hall of Fame case

Quick thoughts on the Brendan Sorsby/NCAA situation

Episode Notes

The Cory Hogue Sports Show officially debuted with a simple goal: talk sports, tell the truth, and let the conversation go wherever it needs to go.

Cory opened the first episode by explaining what the show will be: a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday live show at 1 p.m. built around sports conversation, audience interaction, and a willingness to talk about more than one level, one sport, or one corner of the college athletics world.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

The debut of the Cory Hogue Sports Show

How viewers can interact live on Facebook, YouTube, Substack, or through the call-in option

World Cup thoughts ahead of the USMNT’s Round of 16 match against Belgium

The Folarin Balogun red card situation and why the appeals process needs to be more believable

Why Christian Pulisic needs to be a difference-maker for the United States

The drama, money, and attention surrounding FIFA and the World Cup

A look at other World Cup matches, including Argentina-Cape Verde and England-Mexico

Wimbledon updates, including Taylor Fritz, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and more

The return date for March 2 The Pod

Texas Southern’s home football scheduling issue with Shell Energy Stadium

Why Chris Dishman has Texas Southern headed in the right direction

Midwestern State stadium talk and the future of the Corridor at University Town Center project

Why MSU will likely need to fundraise if it wants a football stadium

Sam Houston basketball news involving Kachi Nzeh and Oklahoma State

Why NIL, the transfer portal, and eligibility rules have changed college sports forever

Why coaches and fans need to stop taking player movement personally

How programs outside the Power Four should view themselves in the new college sports landscape

The show returns Wednesday at 1 p.m.

00:00 — Intro

00:30 — Hook: What’s inside this episode

01:30 — In The Trenches: TAMUT fast-track coach search (timeline, LSC fit, resources)

11:05 — Listener support & how to subscribe

12:00 — Gridiron Briefing Room w/ Riley Zayas: HSU–UMHB II, +21 math, UMHB at-large odds, Trinity’s outlook, SCAC title game, TLU’s chances

36:23 — Follow/Contact @CoryHogueSports

37:05 — Weekend War Map: HSU–UMHB; Hendrix–McMurry; OUAZ–TxWes; SLU–Lamar; Blinn–Cisco; WOU–ASU

47:28 — Closing

48:04 — Outro

In the Trenches: A&M–Texarkana’s HC search, RRCU Stadium, Division II jump

Candidate lanes: builder’s blueprint, D-II leadership, recruiting energy

Three start-up rules: borrow success, dominate local recruiting, timeline discipline

Guest: ACU HC Keith Patterson on sustaining standards, Tarleton scouting, and why a sellout matters

War Map (24-hour clock): ETBU–UMHB; Navarro–Tyler; NEO–Trinity Valley; Alabama State–PVAMU; Lamar–UIW; Tarleton–ACU; UTRGV–SFA; Texas Lutheran–McMurry; Angelo State–Central Washington