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Going to 76 will bring in additional and much-needed revenue. College athletic departments have two Moneyball sports game inventory to market, football and men's basketball. With basketball a distant second to football. This expansion may hurt the NIT, but would the athletes rather dance in the biggest ballroom? I believe so. Consider the gauntlet Oregon men's and women's CBB teams face in the Big Ten, with the difficulty increased by travel demands. On the men's side, an 11th or 12th-place team in the Big Ten would deserve a spot in the tournament. And in CBB, the PO committee focuses on strength-of-schedule. On the football front, Greg Sankey went to the SEC playing nine conference games because he thought Tony Petitti would fold, and 2026 would see a 16-team PO field. On December 26, 2026, let's see where the SEC sits when the PO field is determined. Miami and perhaps another ACC team, if the Canes do not finally win a conference title, will be in the field. The B12 champ is in. The highest-ranked G6 team is in. The B1G and the SEC champs are in. If Miami comes through, that's seven at-large (AL) spots to fill. The Big Ten will take at least two of the AL spots, with a solid shot at a total of four teams in the field, and possibly more, depending on the outcome of the Ohio State at Texas, Oklahoma at Michigan, and Mississippi State at Minnesota games. Three-loss Bama made the field last year because it's Bama. How many 3-loss SEC teams will knock out two-loss teams from other P4 conferences, especially two-loss teams from the Big Ten? I'm happy to see the CBB field expanding, and I hope enough SEC teams suffer three losses and Sankey's constituents, except ESPN, demand a 24-team CFB PO field. Tony Petitti was smart to support CBB expansion, and when it comes to CFB, Tony will soon be the smartest person in the room.

College football post-spring top 25: Texas on top, Texas Tech tumbles amid Brendan Sorsby absenceA shocking gambling scandal forces a manual override of our analytics model, dropping Texas Tech out of the top 10 as the Longhorns claim the No. 1 spot1. Texas Arch Manning. Cam Coleman. Hollywood Smothers. Texas' offense is loaded with superstars. But will Steve Sarkisian dial up some plays down the field? He seems more open to that these days after the dink-and-dunk era under Quinn Ewers. The defense is loaded, too, and veteran play-caller Will Muschamp's arrival only bolsters hopes that the Longhorns will be a more consistent bunch. Week 2 against Ohio State promises to be electric. 2. Ohio State The Buckeyes will be among the more potent offenses in the country with a load of talent returning, including QB Julian Sayin and all-everything receiver Jeremiah Smith. Questions abound with the defense, which must replace eight starters for the second straight season. Matt Patricia worked wonders in his first season calling defensive plays. Can he do it again? If so, the Buckeyes will win the Big Ten -- and possibly the national championship. 3. Oregon Might Oregon be the most physical team in the country? The Ducks' defense was dominant throughout the spring, ending the session with nine sacks at their annual spring game. Depth is everywhere. Former five-star Dylan Raiola will be a backup to Dante Moore at quarterback. The feeling here is that this might be Dan Lanning's best team yet. 4. Georgia Georgia has everything it needs to win yet another SEC title. But will the Bulldogs' pass rush return to their elite form of two or three years ago? Kirby Smart's defensive line had its worst season yet in getting to the quarterback in 2025. That needs to improve for the Bulldogs to advance beyond the second round of the CFP. Auburn transfer Amaris Williams suffered a knee injury in the spring, dampening hopes of that pass rush improving. 5. Notre Dame We'll talk all summer about Notre Dame's "easy" schedule. Critics will poke holes in the Irish's championship plans, fueled mostly by the PR hit they received for whining about their exclusion from the CFP and opting out of a bowl game in December. But don't let that cloud the true evaluation of the team's talent and a top-5 coaching staff. 6. Indiana Indiana ruled the sport last fall, running through the schedule with blowout after blowout before beating Miami for the school's first national title. Now we see if Curt Cignetti can implement a plug-and-play philosophy with similar results. The "Moneyball" numbers certainly back up the belief that TCU quarterback transfer Josh Hoover is capable of putting up big numbers after Fernando Mendoza's generational run last season. Our big question: Will the new offensive line gel enough for another Big Ten championship run? 7. Miami Duke quarterback transfer Darian Mensah flashed -- as expected -- in the spring and threw three touchdowns in the Hurricanes' spring game. The ACC's best quarterback will be counted on to do more than Carson Beck, who he replaces. It all starts in the trenches for Mario Cristobal, who pieced together an incredible group on both sides of the ball during last season's run to the national championship game. The offensive line needs to be rebuilt, and we'll keep a close eye on developments as pre-season camp begins in August. 8. Texas A&M Texas A&M had a terrific offseason in the NFL Draft, which is good and bad news after an 11-win season and CFP appearance. The Aggies' returning production is near the bottom of the SEC, but a slew of transfers, led by former Alabama receiver Isaiah Horton, has them primed for another run in the top half of the SEC. Quarterback Marcel Reed returns, which is a big boost as they break in new pieces. The best news out of the spring? The defense looked elite. Northwestern transfer Anto Saka led a pass rush that was described as unblockable. Senior linebacker and captain Daymion Sanford, the designated signal man on the field, was injured in the spring game (leg) and is expected to miss at least a portion of the season. 9. LSU Lane Kiffin might be trying to temper fan expectations in Year 1, but we're not. The offensive line has come together quickly, and pass protection appears solid. Keeping defensive coordinator Blake Baker on staff was a huge win, and we're expecting a big jump. When Arizona State quarterback transfer Sam Leavitt returns from injury in August, we'll get a better read on how potent Kiffin's always-explosive offense will really be this fall, but the pieces are clearly already in place with a load of elite transfers, including many from his run at Ole Miss. 10. Oklahoma The dark horse in the SEC. The Sooners seemed primed to make a big jump this fall after getting back into the CFP last season. The offense was a mess when QB John Mateer played most of the season with an injured hand; he didn't get much help from the running backs, either, leading to a No. 12 ranking in scoring in the SEC. A second season with coordinator Ben Arbuckle should result in a noticeable jump in production for the unit, particularly with Mateer correcting his throwing mechanics. The defense should be elite again, too, with a senior like Peyton Bowen returning. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-rankings-2026-top-25-post-spring/

Oregon Ducks Baseball's Latest Win Impacts NCAA Tournament ResumeCoach Mark Wasikowski and the Oregon Ducks baseball team are riding a six-game winning streak. This is the type of win that will stand out on Oregon's NCAA Tournament resume. Gonzaga is leading the West Coast Conference standings by four games at 15-3, 27-15 overall. The Zags have a Rating Percentage Index or RPI at No. 32, while the Ducks are at No. 26. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon Ducks Baseball's Latest Win Impacts NCAA Tournamen...On Tuesday afternoon, April 28, the No. 13 Oregon Ducks put an end to the Gonzaga Bulldogs' 14-game winning streak at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon, 4-3. The Pacif

Oregon basketball secures the commitment from Boston College starting PG Fred PayneThe Ducks have gone into the transfer portal and landed a commitment from a Power 4 starting PG.Payne is ranked by 247Sports as a three-star transfer portal prospect and the No. 187 overall player in the portal rankings. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard gives Oregon a downhill attacker, creator and scoring option at the point guard spot. The Ducks entered the portal cycle needing more ball-handling, more pressure on the rim and another player capable of creating offense off the bounce. Payne checks those boxes after a productive season at Boston College. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/oregon-basketball-secures-the-commitment-from-boston-college-starting-pg-fred-payne-283250097/

I can hear it now. All the whining and complaining about teams ranked 77-80 saying it's not fair. We should have been included! 😅🤣😂

Dan Lanning’s Latest Off Field Move Is Bigger Than FootballIn an effort to raise funds for the Sam Day Foundation, Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning is giving fans the opportunity to hear directly from him, hot off Oregon's spring scrimmage. Oregon Ducks On SIDan Lanning’s Latest Off Field Move Is Bigger Than FootballOregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning has a slew of iconic phrases including "The grass is damn green in Eugene," which announced his loyalty to the Oregon program, or

Number 2 player in the 2027 recruitment. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon’s Chris Hampton Pays Visit to Elite Two-Way RecruitThe Oregon Ducks paid a visit to class of 2027 recruit, athlete Tae Walden Jr. Walden is one of the top prospects in his class. Tae Walden Jr. Player Profile T

Jerry Mixon turning into a leader! Oregon Ducks On SIJerry Mixon Gets Real On Becoming a Leader For Oregon's D...With massive expectations in their first season under new defensive coordinator Chris Hampton, Oregon linebacker Jerry Mixon returns as a veteran leader for a D

2026 college football Top 25: Under-the-radar players for each team https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/48570616/2026-college-football-top-25-radar-players-team

OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2026 BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball Early Runs Back Nine Pitchers in Midweek Win EUGENE, Ore. — Two streaking teams collided Tuesday at PK Park, and in the end Oregon was still standing. The No. 13 Ducks ended Gonzaga’s 14-game win streak in a midweek matinee, relying on nine pitchers to throw an inning each on the way to a 4-3 victory. Oregon extended its own win streak to six entering a weekend road trip to Washington. “We just try to focus a day at a time,” UO center fielder Jack Brooks said. “So tomorrow's gonna be practice; we’re gonna focus on tomorrow. And then when we get to the weekend, we'll focus on Washington. But right now it was Gonzaga, and we did that and we won. So that's kind of our mentality.” Brooks had two hits and scored a run for a UO lineup that scored all four of its runs in the first two innings. Nine pitchers made that enough offense to win, with Shane Johnson (1-0) earning his first win of the season and Devin Bell closing it out for his 10th save. Tanner Bradley got some BIG outs... “That helps us a lot, especially with the upcoming schedule we have,” said Tanner Bradley, who escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning. “UCLA and Washington and USC, these guys are all great teams. Having that depth is going to be good — very, very helpful.” Oregon’s nine pitchers, including Jonah Barkoff in his season debut, combined to allow seven hits and two walks over nine innings, with 10 strikeouts. That came on the heels of a win the week before in which 10 pitchers helped Oregon win at Oregon State. “Every guy that we have on our staff is good,” Brooks said. “They can all go out there and pitch. They can throw every one of their pitches for strikes, and they're really good. So seeing them go out there is just fun to watch.” How It Happened: A triple by the leadoff hitter and a wild pitch put Gonzaga up 1-0 just moments into the game. But Oregon quickly gave its pitching staff the chance to play with the lead. Brooks doubled to lead off the bottom of the first, and advanced on an error that put Brayden Jaksa at second base. Both runners scored on sacrifice flies, and Angel Laya’s 12th homer of the season made it 3-1 as Oregon punched back after Gonzaga landed its early jab. “Just kind of showing the pitchers that we're there for them,” Brooks said. “We got their back, no matter what happens — no matter if that run goes up or doesn’t, we're going to try to score. That's our offense. We're going to come out swinging.” The Ducks made it 4-1 in the second on Maddox Molony’s second sacrifice fly of the day. That scored Tyler Jones, who led off the bottom of the inning with his first hit of the season after Barkoff pitched around a two-out single in the top half. Angel Laya views his hit clear the wall! Gonzaga got a run back in the third inning, and another in the seventh. The Bulldogs threatened to tie it up or take the lead in the eighth, loading the bases with one out. But Bradley struck out the next two hitters on seven combined pitches after allowing a hit and two walks. “That's gonna happen, that's baseball,” Bradley said. “I just kind of kept my composure and had a flat heartbeat, not too pumped up where I can't control anything. And so I just stayed calm and got three outs and got off the field.” The Ducks held on despite stranding runners in scoring position in the seventh and eighth innings, and despite playing without regulars Ryan Cooney and Jax Gimenez, who were unavailable. That broke a streak of 99 consecutive starts for Cooney. On Deck: The Ducks open a series at Washington on Friday (7 p.m., B1G+).

Think about this....the new 76 qualifiers includes women's teams also. Aside from the top 8, and that's stretching it, the field is already too large when it comes to competitive games and possibility of reaching the Women's Final Four.

Yes! And, why stop at four year schools? Invite all the community colleges! Heck, we won’t even need a regular season anymore! October thru March Madness!

Ducks win 4-3 with a ton of late drama. First....Waz used NINE pitchers to win this game, with a ton of newbies that only gave up three runs? Fantastic. Michael Meckna Jonah Barkoff Cooper Markham Shane Johnson Gabe Howard Luke Morgan Toby Twist Tanner Bradley Devin Bell Bradley had runners on the corners with NO outs in the 8th inning, and then bases loaded with one out. Three strikeouts rescued the inning and Our Beloved Ducks. Then Devin Bell showed his mental growth and fortitude putting down the 'Zag batters 1-2-3 for the save. Whew! This puts Oregon at a 75% win percentage at 33-11, going up to take on the Bastard Huskies this weekend.

$$$$$$$

……(sigh)…. Why? Here’s one, how about you just let ‘everyone’ in the playoffs. It’s not a grouping of the best teams anyway.

4-2 Ducks after three innings. Another young-gun pitcher, Cooper Markham, is on the hill and he gave up two hits and a run on a sac-fly. His first run given up at Oregon in seven total innings pitched this year.... Nothing on offense this innings, as Gonzaga brought in a good relief pitcher. My Duck-Buddies....these mid-week games that start in the afternoon are tough, as I have an appointment I have to run to that cannot be missed. I will be back later to fill in as I can...

IMO, if you go to 76, at a minimum, you need to give both the regular season conference winner and the conference tourney winner auto bids. That would add some more non-power teams to the field.

Sources: NCAA basketball tournaments set to move to 76 teams I'll be honest I don't see the need for this, if you can't make it in a tournament that has 68 teams, you simply don't deserve to be there. I would be okay with this if it only involves non-big 4 conference teams, I would much rather watch teams that came in 2nd in their league than the 11th best B1G team or the 9th best Big 12 teams.

4-1 Ducks after two innings. Looks like the newbie strategy by Waz for pitching, as Jonah Barkoff, a RS freshman is making his first Oregon appearance. He redshirted last year, and was the No. 1 pitcher in the state of Oregon the year before. He gave up a hit, but created two groundouts and his first strikeout with a nice curve/drop-ball to end the inning. Tyler Jones is making a debut fielding and hitting, and the 6'3" sophomore from WA got his first hit in Eugene. Jack Brooks hits to shallow RF, while Brayden Jaksa walks. Maddox Molony gets his second scoring sacrifice fly to score Jones from third.

On 11/14, Whit returns to Eugene, driving a B1G Blue machine https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2026/04/28/kyle-whittingham-michigan-football-sherrone-moore-scandal/89818622007/?utm_source=usatoday-sports-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=usatbaseline&utm_term=hero&utm

3-1 Ducks after one inning. Michael Meckna is the Oregon starter, and he gave up a hit that should have been a single, but a fielding error turned it into a triple....that scored on a wild pitch. Two self-inflicted errors gave up the run! Jack Brooks hit deep to LF/CF gap to the warning track for a double. Brayden Jaksa's grounder is overthrown at 1st, so he proceeds to second with Brooks arriving at 3rd base. Maddox Molony hits a sac-fly to score Brooks, and move Jaksa to 3rd. Drew Smith joins the party and hits a sac-fly to score Jaksa! Then Angel Laya scoops a low pitch out with a beautiful swing to put if over the RF wall for a solo homer!

And good to see the pitching staff coming together for the stretch run.

Boy, we did not see this coming! Gonzaga leads the WCC with a 15-3 record in conference and is 27-14 overall, but a couple of disconcerting notes; they are on a 14 game win streak, and recently swept Portland all three games, and beat Washington twice. (We play Washington this weekend in Seattle, and they just won a series over Michigan...who beat us in Ann Arbor.) It's a TRAP! No idea who the starting pitcher is, but I'm hoping that Ryan Featherston is healed or Cal Scolari is healed and ready. Or Waz could run the gamut of young pitchers for an inning each as he did last week? They did well....can they do it again?

The softball landscape has evolved rapidly over the past few years, and at the forefront of this change is the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). If you’ve been following the Ducks or other collegiate teams recently, you’ve likely heard the term "Reserve Pool" associated with graduating seniors. But what exactly is the AUSL, and how does it fit into the world of professional softball? What is the AUSL?Launched in 2025, the AUSL is a professional women's softball league that provides a centralized, high-level stage for the world’s top talent. Under the leadership of Commissioner Kim Ng—formerly of the Miami Marlins—the league was designed to create a sustainable, traditional professional structure for the sport. Unlike the experimental "all-points" tournament format that made the original Athletes Unlimited famous, the AUSL operates with six teams playing a 24-game season in a more traditional team-based format. This provides athletes with a stable environment to compete, represent city-based franchises, and showcase the game at its highest level. The Two Sides of the CoinIt is important to distinguish between the two ways "Athletes Unlimited" interacts with softball: The AUSL (Professional League): This is the core professional league. It uses a traditional format where teams compete for a championship over a full season. Teams play in home cities, fostering local fanbases and rivalries. The AUSL All-Star Cup: This is where the "Athletes Unlimited" legacy lives on. The league utilizes this separate, intense four-week competition that features the innovative points-based scoring system. In this format, teams are redrafted regularly, and players earn points for individual plays (like home runs or strikeouts) and team wins, with the leaderboard deciding the ultimate champion. What is the "Reserve Pool"?You may have seen news about seniors—like Oregon’s Grein, Butler, and Sokolsky—being selected for the "AUSL Reserve Pool." For collegiate athletes, breaking into the professional ranks is a significant step. The Reserve Pool acts as a developmental and depth roster for the professional teams. Provisional Status: Players in the Reserve Pool are selected via a draft or "Golden Ticket" process. They are essentially part of the league’s expanded roster. Ready to Contribute: These athletes are often the next-in-line to be called up to the active roster should an injury or roster shift occur. Development: It allows recent college graduates to remain in the professional ecosystem, training at a high level and staying "game-ready" for when they get their call to the main squad. Why It MattersThe AUSL represents a shift from "tournament-style" play to a "professional-franchise" model. By combining the stability of traditional team sports—where you play for a consistent roster and city—with the cutting-edge, player-centric innovation that Athletes Unlimited pioneered, the league is creating a sustainable future for professional softball players in the United States. For the Oregon Ducks seniors, being named to the Reserve Pool is a testament to their collegiate success and an invitation to continue their careers on the biggest stage the sport has to offer. As the league continues to grow and expand, these players are the building blocks of the next generation of professional softball.