Jon Joseph

ESPN updates House and other antitrust litigation settlement discussions. A Multi-Billion dollar industry without proactive leadership; no wonder college sports are under attack. The NFL has antitrust protection from Congress because the players have a union. I do not see Congress stepping in unless college sports and the athletes can collectively bargain. The idea as discussed in the article that athletes would have the opportunity to 'appeal' the settlement every year is senseless. A plaintiff's lawyer trying to pave the way for a $2.7B settlement. This would yield a very nice payday for the plaintiff's lawyers. What a possible multibillion-dollar NCAA antitrust settlement means for college sports - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM The NCAA and its schools are considering a deal to settle its antitrust cases. What would this mean for paying players, NIL collectives and non-power schools? This is not 'fun stuff' to ponder. But the future of big-time CFB is dependent on the B1G/SEC getting a deal done in the absence of any leadership from the NCAA. Make no mistake, it is the two big-boy conferences and their media partners, leading the way. The B1G/SEC are not doing this with 'charity' in mind. A new look CFB will be molded by the Power 2.

A few spring practice takes. It's nice to see Dillon G's photo with the Heisman discussion. The top storylines coming out of 2024 spring football practices WWW.YARDBARKER.COM College football spring practices and games have passed, but there is plenty to discuss. Here are some notable happenings from 2024's spring action. Statistics in parenthesis are from 2023...

From MLB on down if you win every series you will win titles. Thanks again for the updates.😁

Refs from, TA-DA, the Big Ten. I lose sleep when I think of Gene Chizak with a Natty. Although Geno did a heck of a job, winning the 'NIL battle' for the services of $cam. And it was Chip and Oregon sanctioned for recruiting violations? Diogenes, where are you?

In the NFL, will the AFL eat and destroy the NFL or vice versa? How about "NO!" BTW, Show Me the Money! It may not be kind to the Cyclones of the CFB world but the marketplace will decide which ACC and B12 teams make the final cut. Proposing an 80-team playoff is the last gasp from the folks left behind.

How about 'Stumble?' His climb to the top has resembled that of Sisyphus. What exactly is there to swagger about? The bowl loss to Rutgers? This from the guy who received the largest one-year coaching compensation in the history of CFB. Someone call a Time Out! And Thank You Canes' boosters; boosters who must have missed the Stony Brook broadcast. Or perhaps, the Fiesta Bowl laydown vs. Iowa State? It's ALL Good.

Be kind to your fine feathered friends, 'cause a Duck could be somebody's Mother.

DM, a very reasonable comment; however, with NIL and a wide-open transfer portal, I think there are more than two or three teams that could win a CFB championship. If FSU had not been given a stiff arm by the committee, the SEC would likely have been left out of the playoff with the SEC champ game eliminating UGA and Bama's loss to B12 champ Texas benching the Tide. 13-0 FSU, with a healthy starting QB, UW, Texas, and Michigan would have been the Final 4. In particular, FSU would not have gone 13-0 without bringing in top players from the portal, including RB Trey Benson from Oregon. Players were incented to relocate to Tallahassee, in part, by NIL. I'm reasonably certain that the 2024-25 playoff games will set many viewing records. I hope that in 2026 we will see more on-campus games. These games will bring a level of excitement and interest that is not often seen in bowl games. I expect the twelve-team field and seeding will come down to the wire in the P4 and the G5.

USC in the B1G? https://athlonsports.com/college-football/usc-trojans-ranked-as-a-top-five-team-in-new-look-big-ten-conference

"Beneficial?" Rematch with Boise? Liberty with its schedule has a good shot of going 13-0. I don't think that the Boise loss to Oregon will be its only loss of the season. Boise has a terrific RB but will the QB who could not get on the field at SC be all that for Boise? Regardless, if Oregon does not win the B1G the 5th seed is as good as it gets. The Ducks will defeat the G5 representative, Clemson in Atlanta. Georgia in Miami, Ohio State in Atlanta. How is this "beneficial?" This is one of many takes on the 2024 playoff that does not consider where the games will be played. And Utah beating Texas? I don't see it. Even if Rising is still standing he and the Utah O are not Penix and the 2023-24 UW O. Texas would have as many or more fans in the Fiesta Bowl as Utah. And a far better roster. I believe that Oregon could go 2-0 in Dixie vs. Clemson and Georgia but the win against UGA in the Orange Bowl? That's a bold call. Clemson to Atlanta is a 2-hour drive from the Clemson campus. This would be a home game for Clemson, a university located in the small town of Clemson that sells out an 80,000-seat stadium for every home game. For Oregon to finish with the 5-seed and Ohio State with the 2nd seed, Oregon would likely have to split with the Buckeyes. Win in Autzen and drop the conference champ game in Indianapolis and finish 12-1 with Ohio State also finishing 12-1 but winning the conference title. 12-1 with the 2024 Oregon schedule is a B1G ask. Game sites will matter. And the game sites favor teams from Dixie. BTW, Columbus, Ohio is closer to Atlanta than Eugene, Oregon.

Love to see this and let's see more of this! Ohio State Loses Out On A Major Star To One Of Their New Big Ten Rivals WWW.YARDBARKER.COM The 2024 college football season will be here before you know it, and Ohio State is ready to take on the college football world. The Buckeyes are supposed

It's all ESecPN - 😒

Grand Canyon is an apt addition. After the purloined funds run out, the Pac-2 will have a most deep financial hole to crawl out of. No doubt that GC's mascot, Thunder the Antelope, will bring in a HOLE lot of fans.

LOL; the GIF is Spot On!😂

We are on the cusp of something new in College Football (CFB), a Real Playoff. Yes, the format is screwed up for the next two seasons but expanding the playoff from four to twelve teams will not devalue the regular season. With seven at-large spots plus four spots for the Power 4 champs and the G5 with a playoff reservation, the participants in and the seeding of the Delighted Dozen will make the entire season matter through the conference champ games. Unlike last season's East Division Michigan championship team's boring beat down of West Division champ Iowa in the B1G champ game, which nevertheless drew 10.2 million viewers, what would the divisionless Oregon versus Ohio State rematch in the B1G champ game draw? Without divisions in the SEC, will we witness a rematch of Georgia versus Alabama, a game that drew 17.2 million viewers? Or will Ole Miss defeat Georgia in Oxford and Texas defeat Georgia in Austin so that these two play for the title in Atlanta? And with the winners of the ACC, B1G, B12, and SEC champ games being seeded in the playoff top four with a first-round bye, conference champ games will be more impactful than before the playoff expansion to twelve teams. Get your popcorn and craft brews ready, it will be a fistfight from the opening games through the conference championship games. College Football News agrees that the regular season will not be diminished by the playoff being 3x B1Gger. ore teams in the playoff mix will draw more CFB Fanatics and viewership numbers will increase to record-setting numbers. https://collegefootballnews.com/news/conference-championships-with-no-divisions-one-big-new-thing-for-2024

The right idea but with little chance of being passed. Congressmen propose bill that would legally protect NCAA - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM Two Republican Congressmen introduced a bill that would provide the NCAA, college conferences and member schools federal protection from legal challenges that stand in the way of their...

Oregon State and Washington State, like Notre Dame and UConn, are Independents. Both Pac-2 schools are eligible for the playoff but they cannot play for a conference championship in the G5. OSU can go 12-0 and not come close to taking the place of a P4 team from the B1G or the SEC that finishes 9-3. The two made a long-term fools' bargain with the Pac-10 fools that settled with them; settled a lawsuit where the plaintiffs were not seeking damages but ended up with a $300M+ windfall. The two will steal what they can before joining a G5 conference and will probably continue to receive Pac-12 playoff revenue until it runs out. I don't see the Pac-12 idiots who cratered once going after playoff revenue in the future.

Hammerin’ the B1G: 4 QB questions to monitor coming out of the spring SATURDAYTRADITION.COM The B1G has a quartet of QB questions that will go a long way in impacting the conference picture.

Ranking the B1G by big portal losses. Big Ten teams ranked by transfer portal departures: New staffs see huge turnover, Nebraska stays intact - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM Head coaching changes spurred transfer portal activity in the Big Ten, while Nebraska

No. 1 Boise State, 3-0 vs the Ducks, is coming to town in Week 2 with one of the best RBs in the nation and a 5* QB recruit. Looking at the comparative schedules a 10-3 Boise State should be ranked higher than a 13-0 Liberty. For the second season in a row, Liberty does not have a P4 opponent on its schedule and CUSA is the weakest conference in the G5. But. CUSA is adding Missouri State. Group of Five post-spring power rankings: Boise State edges Liberty for No. 1 with CFP access at stake - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM Here's an early look at the 2024 Group of Five hierarchy after spring practices

How the expanded playoff will affect how the Ohio State football team prepares SCARLETANDGAME.COM This is the first year of the 12-team playoff. How will the new format affect the Ohio State football program's preparation throughout the season? Interesting article on how the Buckeyes are preparing for the 12-team playoff.

A Michigan look at UCLA CBB. Big Ten hoops additions: What to expect from UCLA WWW.MAIZENBREW.COM The Bruins picked up an unexpectedly strong transfer portal class.

Michigan is a B1G favorite over USC and UW but a home under-wolverine to Texas, and OREGON, and on the road at Ohio State. I think 9-3 is a good call on Michigan in 2024. It could be worse if one of the QBs on the roster, no QB transfers in, does not step up. Michigan Football Favored in 2 Marquee Matchups; Underdogs at Ohio State WWW.MAIZENBREW.COM The Wolverines will have to defy the odds in pursuit of a repeat national championship.

Thanks, NJ. You don't need a weatherman to know which way Bo goes. (Sorry, Bob.)

Thanks, NJ. This is not all that will change if the House case is settled under the terms discussed on CFB sites. College rosters could fall below the number in the article once players become employees. One reason why? Football scholarships count in 'Title IX scholarships' being equitable with men's scholarships. Division 1 NCAA members are required to sponsor a minimum of 16 teams. This could also change. Jon Sousa posted a terrific comment. But walk-ons in all sports could be eliminated. A walk-on subject to the training rigors as a scholarship player will elect not to be paid. This, from a plaintiff's POV, would be a slippery slope. Direct payment to athletes, via revenue sharing and otherwise, will not limit NIL. The NFL has a salary cap negotiated with the players' union but no limit on what a player may earn from his NIL. G5 programs are D1 members. Not all will be able to come up with $20M, or more, per annum to pay athletes on the swim team? House was a swimmer at Arizona State. Settling House and attendant litigation makes sense but without some protection from Congress, relief from state legislatures, regulators, and lawyers will not go away.