Hello, hello!
Forget the holidays — it’s playoff season for a few fall college sports: women’s volleyball and football. On this episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz first preview tonight’s national volleyball tournament semifinals, where all four No. 1 seeds will be duking it out for a spot in Sunday’s championship. And volleyball is just getting started in the U.S., with major news about the Pro Volleyball Federation and League One Volleyball dropping this week.

Then in part two, it’s all about the College Football Playoff, which begins on Friday night. The gals dig through the revamped 12-team format before shouting out the top players to watch on the gridiron. Hut, hut.

A big thank you to Aflac for partnering with us on today’s episode! Add Aflac to your team to close the insurance gap today. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.

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It’s hoopin’ time!

Today’s episode of The GIST of It is all about the hardwood. First, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz preview today’s NBA Cup final between the in-season tournament’s two No. 1 seeds: The Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Trust us — you won’t want to miss this star-powered showdown featuring a pair of perennial MVP candidates in Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

And all that glitters is green in part two, where the gals discuss Unrivaled’s latest money moves. The brand-new 3v3 women’s league will tip off its inaugural season in January and just signed a serious ledger of high-profile investors, allowing Unrivaled to pay all of its players six-figure salaries. Cha-ching.

A big thank you to Aflac for partnering with us on today’s episode! Add Aflac to your team to close the insurance gap today. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.

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Hey there!

End-of-year awards season chatter is growing by the minute, and the football world is no exception. The fun begins on Saturday, when the Heisman Trophy, aka, the MVP award of college football, will be handed out. Before the winner is named, today’s episode of The GIST of It begins with an explainer on one of the most important trophies in college sports and the four players in contention for the coveted prize.

And the fun doesn’t stop there. With just four weeks left in the NFL regular season, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz share their way-too-early picks for some end-of-season NFL awards, along with their thoughts as to how the playoff picture might shape up.

And last but not least, the new Women’s Lacrosse League announced their inaugural four-team names yesterday, so the gals are taking a deep dive into one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.

A big thank you to Aflac for partnering with us on today’s episode! Add Aflac to your team to close the insurance gap today. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.

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Hi there!

Turns out there’s no hibernating in baseball — especially when it’s Winter Meetings season. On the heels of heavy hitter Juan Soto’s historic NY Mets contract, The GIST of It co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz dive into what the most expensive deal in sports history means for the Mets and their opponents. Batter up.

Then in part two, the gals look back at the 2024 F1 season following Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, recapping the final race on this year’s circuit while looking ahead to the Australian Grand Prix in March. Can’t come soon enough.

A big thank you to Aflac for partnering with us on today’s episode! Add Aflac to your team to close the insurance gap today. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.

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Ep #415: Detailing the Canada Soccer culture probe, plus F1 expands to 11 teams

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Hello!

It may be the WNBA offseason, but the W is still dominating headlines. The Golden State Valkyries, the W’s 13th team, will take part in an expansion draft tomorrow ahead of their 2025 debut, so on today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are breaking down how player selection works, the draft rules, and more. 

Then in part two, it’s time to hut hut hop over to the gridiron, where the gals dig into the latest College Football Playoff rankings before previewing a few must-see conference championship games this weekend in anticipation of Sunday’s final 12-team rankings drop.

A big thank you to Aflac for partnering with us on today’s episode! Add Aflac to your team to close the insurance gap today. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.

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Hey there.

Today’s episode of The GIST of It digs into a disturbing and unfortunately unrelenting issue in football: head trauma and the unmitigated risks of playing American’s favorite sport. 

Two examples rocked the NCAA and NFL worlds recently: The tragic death of Alabama A&M linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. and the late hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence that resulted in a concussion. Co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz chat through these incidents, plus the differences in how the NCAA and NFL implement protection for their players. 

A big thank you to Aflac for partnering with us on today’s episode! Add Aflac to your team to close the insurance gap today. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.

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Ep #398: Record-breaking WNBA updates & the latest on Tua Tagovailoa

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Ready the Zamboni!

The PWHL’s sophomore season is just days away, so today’s episode is all about previewing the action before the puck drops on Season 2 on Saturday. From standout rookies to women’s hockey vets, the PWHL is dripping with talent, and co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz have everything you need to know. 

Speaking of massive talent, stick around for part two, where El chats with the Minnesota Frost’s Taylor Heise, the first pick in the inaugural 2023 PWHL draft. Heise already has one league championship to her name and is itching to add to her trophy collection — in between featuring in EA Sports NHL 25, of course. Puck yeah. 

A big thank you to Aflac for partnering with us on today’s episode! Add Aflac to your team to close the insurance gap today. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.
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Buckle up!

Today’s episode of The GIST of It is a classic two-part breakdown. First, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz dig into the Globe and Mail’s Canada Soccer culture probe, which came as a result of the drone scandal that rocked the Paris Olympics and exposed a longstanding culture of spying in the federation. 

Then in part two, the gals hit the track to discuss the latest groundbreaking Formula 1 updates: General Motors will become F1’s 11th team beginning in the 2026 season, making them the first new team since 2017 to join the highest echelon of racing. Vroom vroom. 

A big thank you to Aflac for partnering with us on today’s episode! Add Aflac to your team to close the insurance gap today. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.

Show notes:
Globe and Mail Investigation into Canada Soccer

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Let’s go for a drive!

Today’s episode of The GIST of It is another three-parter featuring a very special guest. First, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz preview the Las Vegas Grand Prix happening in Sin City this weekend. This marks the second year the Las Vegas Strip will play host to the F1 circuit, and El and Steph have you covered with the drivers and teams to watch this weekend.
 
Then, the gals shift gears to preview this Saturday’s NWSL Championship between the No. 1 seed Orlando Pride and No. 2 seed Washington Spirit. Both clubs have been on a spectacular rise to the top thanks to all-star investments, and Saturday’s match is anyone’s for the taking.
 
Finally, today’s pod wraps with a candid interview featuring NJ/NY Gotham forward and USWNT star Midge Purce who chats all things women’s soccer, the reality-style show she co-created called The Offseason, and much more.
 
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Hoop, there it is!

Today’s episode of The GIST of It is a hoop-tastic basketball three-parter, co-hosted by Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz. First, it’s all eyes on the WNBA, with the Seattle Storm investigating its coaching staff for alleged player mistreatment and the 2025 Draft order finally set. 

Then, it’s the Unrivaled explainer you’ve been waiting for, as the brand-new women’s hoops league prepares to draft its 36 inaugural players into teams, plus a couple updates from Athletes Unlimited Basketball, who are making roster moves themselves. 

And finally, there’s so much to discuss from the NBA, from LA Laker LeBron James’ continued dominance to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ historic season start. All hoops, all the time.   

A big thank you to Aflac for partnering with us on today’s episode! Add Aflac to your team to close the insurance gap today. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.

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