Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni have some fun exploring the cost of World Cup group stage tickets before Ryan is joined by Rachel Bachman, Senior Sports Reporter at the Wall Street Journal, who's written about the individual struggles of fans trying to get into the games of the 2026 tournament. How (and why) has FIFA changed its pricing structure for this World Cup? What was the whole deal with seat locations changing? Or the crypto path to tickets? And is this the way every organization will run its ticketing going forward? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

At the end of a week that began with Brendan Sorsby winning a temporary injunction against the NCAA and seemingly preserving his chance to play most of the 2026 season, Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni sat down to talk about what that injunction actually did and why many headlines don't describe the issues with sufficient precision. We also consider the philosophy behind the cardinal sin of sports - betting on your own team.

This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Ryan Nanni is joined by Jake Kring-Schreifels to discuss Jake's recent piece on a phenomenon popping up all over MLB stadiums: loud, omnipresent music and sound effects throughout baseball games. Why are stadiums cranking up the volume? How do fans feel about the change to the traditional baseball experience? And will this become the new normal for America's pastime? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey sits down with Ryan Nanni to discuss the untimely demise of Kyle Busch and examine how we react when athletes suffer unpredictable harm, why the circumstances of Busch's death affect us in a somewhat personal manner, and whether there are any lessons to learn from this tragedy.

This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Rodger Sherman, writer of the Sports! newsletter, joins Ryan Nanni for a discussion of the long and tortured history of the New York Knicks under James Dolan, the historic run the team has gone on to get to the NBA Finals, and why Knicks fans may have a multibillion dollar concert venue in the Las Vegas desert to thank. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

We're also letting you know about what's going on with a previous Phantom Island guest, D.J. Byrnes, who was arrested and charged with harassment this week, seemingly by political figures who want to punish him for doing the job of a journalist. If you'd like to support D.J., you can subscribing to his independent outlet The Rooster, or contribute to his Venmo (https://account.venmo.com/u/warrengharding) or PayPal (https://paypal.com/paypalme/ohiorooster).

Steven Godfrey is joined by ESPN's Bill Connelly for an early 2026 snapshot of where things stand in the MAC, what possible upheaval of the pecking order looks like in Conference USA, and who you should keep an eye on in the Sun Belt.

This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Justin Ferguson of The Auburn Observer joins Ryan Nanni to discuss an incredibly tumultous year for Auburn's men's basketball team that ended with a championship victory in the NIT. What did the national perspective miss about Steven Pearl getting his dad's old job? How did a seemingly fine Auburn season fall to pieces? Will Bruce Pearl, Talking Head be good, bad, or both for the Tigers? And why does Ryan think the football calendar impacted how this basketball season was perceived? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

On this bonus episode, Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni examine Bear Bryant's 1970 loss to Sam Cunningham and an integrated USC team, a game mythologized as a watershed moment in the racial politics of college football in the South. Was this truly an unprecedented loss for Alabama? What efforts at integrating had Bryant and the Crimson Tide attempted before this? And did this game overshadow other trailblazers in the conference? Plus: find out about the next longform series we're making! Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Ryan Nanni sits down with Steven Godfrey to review a classic of offseason sportswriting: the coach profile. Examining the work Godfrey did interviewing coaches from James Franklin to Tom Herman to Geoff Collins, this episode explores how these pieces come together, what agendas they serve for both sides, whether you can get actual journalism from these stories, and why Godfrey eventually decided to abandon the format. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey accidentally starts a book club on Phantom Island, and entry one is American Men by Jordan Ritter Conn. Steven and Jordan discuss the economics that pop up across the four stories that make up the book, the role sports play in this examination of modern masculinity, and the closeness Jordan achieves in bringing readers to the four men of his book. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.