Phantom Island

Rodger Sherman, writer of Sports!, joins Ryan Nanni to talk about whether history supports the idea that US men's soccer will benefit down the line from cohosting the 2026 World Cup, and Ryan flips some Olympic research on Rodger in return. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey talk to people in the college football coaching world. Then he chats with Ryan Nanni on this episode, who asks Steven which candidates will be mentioned as the up and coming trendy picks as jobs open, how the ladder of these jobs has changed, and whether last year's aggressive cycle will mean things are cooler in 2026.

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.

In the same way that all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares, Phantom Island has college football but isn't a college football podcast. That's why we're announcing Numbers & Words, a new public podcast feed coming soon featuring some of our evergreen conversations with smart guests about how we can better understand the living organism that is football. If you're already a subscriber at Phantom Island, you'll have access to those episodes early, and you can listen to Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni explain the idea behind this branch on today's episode.

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.

Sean Highkin, author of The Rose Garden Report, joins Ryan Nanni to discuss the dueling summers of Tom Dundon, owner of both the Carolina Hurricanes and the Portland Trail Blazers. What do the parallels of his early days in Raleigh suggest about how things will go in Portland? Can Dundon's NHL approach work in the NBA, both internally and under a different media spotlight? And will Adam Silver really risk seeing another franchise from the Pacific Northwest ripped from its fanbase? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

To be clear: nobody told Steven Godfrey he had to record almost an entire episode about the Group of Six, taking questions from listeners about programs jumping up or down the college football ladder or coaches that might become hot commodities or what these conferences need to do to improve their own futures. But that's what he did all the same!

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.

ESPN's Bill Connelly wrote about the potential for the College Football Playoff to take lessons from the expanded men's World Cup, so Ryan Nanni brought him on this episode to discuss what it will take for college fans to accept a tournament with teams that probably can't win a title, why international soccer has seen its talent gaps shrink, and whether we should ditch playoff seeding for a great TV opportunity. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey's feeling a soccer-filled future for U.S. sports fans, but he wants to talk about that path with Ryan Nanni first. (Somehow, this leads to a brief discussion of famous NYU graduates.) What are the indicators that would show this World Cup impacted the American audience long-term? What can we observe from the PWHL and NHL after the Winter Games? And are Godfrey and Ryan even the viewers any of these leagues should care about?

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.

Matt Stahl, Alabama beat writer for AL.com, was not present at the SEC's 2010 Media Days when Vanderbilt's coach told the assembled reporters about his days inseminating turkeys, but he's been working to find audio or video of the moment for some time. Steven Godfrey was in the room, and Ryan Nanni's talking to both of them about Media Days as a concept, why the internet really isn't forever, and what we can do to find the entirety of the Turkey Tape...though we did snag part of it. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey opens up the listener mailbag once again to answer questions from Phantom Island subscribers on topics including how to tell if your head coach hates one of his assistants, who might be placed at the top of a theoretical super league, how to approach getting into physical media, and whether Steven Godfrey, Color Commentator might ever come to pass.

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, author of the Sports! newsletter, joins Ryan Nanni on this episode to talk about the continued growth and expansion of almost every professional sport. Can our most popular leagues ever approach oversaturation of their audiences? What do lengthier schedules mean for completionists? And has Ryan found the best way to enjoy college football playoff broadcasts? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.