Phantom Island

Somehow, Louisiana Tech's lawsuit against Conference USA leads to a discussion about scheduling irregularities involving the MAC, the Mountain West, and various FCS programs. (Ryan is still not confident he understands what's going on.)

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.

On this edition of Phantom Island's regular mailbag, Steven Godfrey answers listener questions about the anxiety of rooting for TCU, the weariness of pulling for Wisconsin, how oddball coaches function with boosters and players, what Godzilla teaches us about parenting, and Minor League ballpark advice.

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.

Expansion in the Big Ten and SEC gets analyzed through a football-first lens, but what have Oregon, Washington, UCLA, USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Missouri done to raise the fortunes of their conferences in other sports? Ryan Nanni walks Steven Godfrey through the last couple years of gymnastics, soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, and softball to see which conference wins this part of the battle. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

A Phantom Island subscriber asks Ryan Nanni and Steven Godfrey whether labor discussions in sports will change the way we think about the topic in the broader world, and that prompts a much longer conversation between the two about media work as advocacy, sports as an escape from the burdens of politics, and, yes, the Josh Pate interview of Trump.

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.

NIL may feel like a completely unregulated economy, but, formally, it's under the supervision of a relatively new group: the College Sports Commission. And reviewing NIL deals for "fairness" isn't the only piece of their jurisdiction. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss the scope and makeup of the CSC before Ryan interviews David Covucci of FOIAball about the pitch decks he got a hold of which reveal the thinking and architecture behind the CSC's clearinghouse. (You'll be shocked to learn we have some questions and concerns.) Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey takes questions from paid subscribers to Phantom Island on topics including Dabo Swinney's next act, the future at USC if Lincoln Riley flops, who might embrace artificial intelligence in playcalling, a brief rant about Wicked, and an Indiana Football Philosophy of Dating.

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 December 2025, Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni sat down with one simple task: to use the ongoing struggles of the Buffalo Sabres to discuss the frustration of rooting for a team that starts with success before wasting away into mediocrity, usually under bad ownership. But then the Sabres had the gall to completely turn their season around. So you're still getting the original episode, with some healthy "hmmm about that" on either end. Contact Steven today about dismissing your franchise, which will immediatley improve them. With special contributions from Victoria Zeller. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Chances are the 2026 Pro Bowl Games came and went without you even noticing, and the NBA's All-Star Weekend is dredging up the usual arguments about format and motivation and so on. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni look at these two events and their counterparts in Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the WNBA, and Major League Soccer to examine whether All-Star events still serve their original purposes and what can still make them effective entertainment.

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.

Mike Golic Jr., former Notre Dame offensive lineman and current TV/podcast/etc. delight, joins Ryan Nanni to talk about the job of an offensive line coach. What can you watch for that suggests a line is probably well-coached? How do OL coaches work with tight ends?How is the job different in college versus the NFL? And do defensive linemen and offensive linemen really see the world differently? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

On this edition of the Single Wing, host Steven Godfrey takes questions from the Phantom Island audience about topics from his thoughts on the shuttering of the sports desk at the Washington Post, strategies for thriving as a member of the sandwich generation, and his feelings on the current state of pro wrestling.

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.