Split Zone Duo

Season previews are back! Richard and Alex go alphabetically through the whole Sun Belt, picking out one rose, one bud, and one thorn for all 14 schools, from Appalachian State to Troy. In this episode:* App State hits the reset button* Coastal Carolina should be feeling some urgency* Georgia Southern extended Clay Helton and kept its roster together, so why aren't we feeling so good about the Eagles?* Georgia State's recruiting growth under Dell McGee is in bloom* JMU has every chance to contend for the G5 playoff spot* Marshall follows a Sun Belt championship with a whole lot of uncertainty, but at least one thing about the Herd should be cool* ODU gets back its star linebacker after a lost season* Arkansas State has one of the G5's best receivers … and a date with the Hogs* Louisiana appears most of the way back, three years after Billy Napier left* ULM has immense challenges but a reason or two for belief* South Alabama loses a star running back and its starting QB but gains a Major League ballplayer, among others* Southern Miss, which went 1-11, is sort of the defending champ* Texas State has the opportunity to put it all together* Troy looks at some regression to the mean, but how much more than that?Then we pick some preseason superlatives to close out the first preview of 2025.Cool stuff from Split Zone Duo's partners:* Use SZD20 for 20% off your first order at Homefield.* Enter your favorite CFB road trip at our Nokian Tyres landing page, and you'll be entered in a drawing to win free tires.Producer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comFor the Fourth of July, we look all the way back to the founding of … college football. Richard and Alex pick and debate the defining teams of each decade of the sport's history, starting with one year of the 1860s and rolling through the 2010s. Remember that “defining team” is usually complimentary, but not always. Without spoiling any of the discussion, this show features: * Rutgers vs. Princeton for the crown of the 1860s * Yale's case against everybody for the later 1800s * Why Michigan's 1900s was even more impressive than you think* Georgia Tech vs. the advent of the forward pass in the 1910s * That classic college football matchup: Alabama vs. Cal, for the ‘20s* Someone likes Pitt for the 1930s, and it's not Alex* Did the 1940s belong to Army and Navy, or did they belong to the school that best manipulated the rules meant to help people from the army and navy? * Why there will never be another program like 1950s Oklahoma, ever* A curveball for the ‘60s, but definitely not for the ‘70s * Penn State vs. SMU for the ‘80s * A brutal Nebraska vs. Florida State vs. Miami vs. Florida race for the ‘90s* In the 2000s, a chance to go off the beaten path instead of just picking Florida or USC: Will we take it? * No need to complicate the 2010s This is a subscriber episode of Split Zone Duo.Everyone can listen to a free preview of this show, and we offer weeklong free trials if you want to try us out. It's a great time of year to do it, and you can get a month free with an annual subscription. Thank you for listening, and we hope you have a great holiday weekend. Producer: Anthony Vito

Around 20 FBS coaches will retire or get fired by the end of this season, but which ones will they be? Alex and Richard pick out 23 names and rank them from least to most likely to be entering their last season on the job. Then we talk about the context, especially in the handful of cases with big differences in our rankings. Plus, everyone gets buyer's remorse at least once.This episode is free for all. For the most part, however, we release our discussions of the coach carousel for our SplitZoneDuo.com subscribers. Now's a great time to sign up for the year and get lots of podcasts during the season:Sports Podcast Festival on August 23, with code SPF25 for a buy one, get one half off deal: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/78691649/the-2nd-annual-sports-podcast-festival-raleigh-the-rialto Cool stuff from Split Zone Duo's partners* Use SZD20 for 20% off your first order at Homefield.* Enter your favorite CFB road trip at our Nokian Tyres landing page, and you'll be entered in a drawing to win free tires.Production: Anthony Vito. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comPart 2 of our conversation with EA Sports College Football principal game designer Ben Haumiller. Ben takes a bunch of subscriber questions on the upcoming CFB game and the state of college sports video gaming in general:* How to actually learn to play a football video game* Incorporating the House settlement and NIL* How a new 'gadget” position” embraces the reality of modern depth charts* Improvements to the coach carousel* The process of putting music in the game* The customization options for conferences and teams (or, in other words, why you cannot destroy the SEC and put all the teams back in the SoCon)* Different uses for Team Builder* The potential for a custom stadium builder, one day* Whether kicking and loud road environments are still impossible* Adding scandals to college sports video gamesAnd more. Thanks for Ben for joining us, and thanks to our subscribers for not just supporting the show but providing the inspiration for this one. Join us on a free trial and get lots more episodes as well as question-asking rights.Producer: Anthony Vito

Part 1: EA Sports College Football principal game designer Ben Haumiller joins Alex and Richard for a discussion of the upcoming CFB video game, with a focus on Dynasty mode and lessons learned from last year's long-awaited return.* What EA learned from the best-selling sports game of all time* The easier and more difficult parts of releasing a second game* How the new game will (and, most importantly, won't) include microtransactions* Real-life coaches and how they'll change the dynasty experience* Addressing to Alex's specific complaints about the coach carousel* Balancing the competing desires of having a realistic game, but also a game in which UMass can eventually sign a bunch of five-stars* Getting the transfer portal and recruiting right* The challenges of keeping up with a sport that is endlessly changing, especially the playoff systemPart 2 of our discussion with Ben, coming later this week, is a listener Q&A just for our SplitZoneDuo.com subscribers. We'd love to have you!Come see us live at the Sports Podcast Festival on August 23 in Raleigh. Use code SPF25 for a buy-one, get-one-half-off deal: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/78691649/the-2nd-annual-sports-podcast-festival-raleigh-the-rialto Cool stuff from Split Zone Duo's partners* Use SZD20 for 20% off your first order at Homefield.* Enter your favorite CFB road trip at our Nokian Tyres landing page, and you'll be entered in a drawing to win free tires.Production: Anthony Vito. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Alex and Richard discuss a handful of offseason stories:* The Pac-12's expansion efforts are coming to a head, and Texas State—not Sacramento State—appears to be the apple of the league's eye. Extra Points publisher Matt Brown joins to talk about why Sac State's extremely public campaign for FBS membership has not paid dividends. Read Matt's report on the Hornets' looming move to FCS independence.* The House settlement is now official, and depending on who you talk to, it's either an ironclad new system to regulate the college football economy or a house of cards just waiting to be toppled. Justin Williams, a college football reporter for The Athletic, explains these competitive views. Read his recent story: “Return of the bag man: NIL clearinghouse could revive paying college athletes under table.” (Of course, also read Godfrey's old classic.)* Playoff expansion might be stalemated, and there's a surprising group of people at the heart of the resistance: SEC head coaches. What?* Cal joins Stanford in putting a famous alum in charge of the whole football program, not as head coach but as general manager. What are the ramifications sport-wide, and what is specific to the Bay Area schools? Refer back to our subscriber episode on Cal's tumultuous offseason.Sports Podcast Festival tickets for 8/23 (use code SPF25 for a buy-one, get-one-half-off deal): https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/78691649/the-2nd-annual-sports-podcast-festival-raleigh-the-rialtoCool stuff from Split Zone Duo's partners* Use SZD20 for 20% off your first order at Homefield.* Enter your favorite CFB road trip at our Nokian Tyres landing page, and you'll be entered in a drawing to win free tires.Production: Anthony Vito. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comRichard and Alex take subscriber questions on: * How to assess if a school's FCS-to-FBS transition is in a good place or not, especially if it takes a little bit to win any games * The big business of college football data distribution * The endless (?) expansion of eligibility for old players * Why the SEC owns the offseason every year and the Big Ten doesn't * The wisdom of Power 2 schools like Mississippi State throwing House settlement dollars into sports other than football * Richard trading a Florida basketball title for football * Do recent moves at Georgia Tech and UVA say anything about the ACC's financial shortfall? * If more programs will have general managers in charge soon, a la Andrew Luck and Ron Rivera at Stanford and CalProducer: Anthony Vito. This is a subscriber episode of Split Zone Duo.Everyone can listen to a free preview, and we offer weeklong free trials if you want to try us out. Help us make the show and get a lot more of it!Producer: Anthony Vito

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comWe believe in an old college football theory: If a coach is going to win at his current job, he's going to have a good second season. The exceptions, like Bill McCartney and Jim Harbaugh, prove the rule. This year, 28 FBS coaches enter their second season in charge of their programs. Who's already banked enough goodwill to withstand a down year? Who's doing fine, with a big year yet to come? And who got off on the wrong foot in 2024 and already needs a major improvement to get his tenure on track? From Curt Cignetti and Jon Sumrall to Sherrone Moore and Sean Lewis, let's check in with our sophomore class.Some episode highlights:* A discussion of exactly where Mike Elko stands relative to expectations after a really nice debut season at Texas A&M* Why Kalen DeBoer doesn't fit neatly into any one category of Year 2 coaches* Sherrone Moore looks very good at Michigan, but we're watching for two things: the QB living up to the hype and the NCAA going away* Yikes, Sean Lewis' start at San Diego State was barren* Same for Brent Brennan at Arizona* At UCLA, is that a flicker of … hope? It might beProducer: Anthony Vito

Fall camp approaches. Let's talk about the most consequential transfer portal moves of the offseason that weren't quarterbacks and, in a lot of cases, didn't even happen in national championship-contending programs. Oklahoma's new running back and receivers! Dabo's dip into the portal! Oregon's new secondary import from Purdue! Notre Dame's acquisition of an actually-good wideout! Indiana's second act under Curt Cignetti! And picking out the most interesting players Texas Tech got in its very expensive portal class.Sports Podcast Festival tickets (use code SPF25 to buy one, get one half off): https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/78691649/the-2nd-annual-sports-podcast-festival-raleigh-the-rialtoCool stuff from SZD's partners* Use SZD20 for 20% off your first order at Homefield.* Enter your favorite CFB road trip at our Nokian Tyres landing page, and you'll be entered in a drawing to win free tires.Production: Anthony Vito. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comCody Alexander of MatchQuarters joins Richard to discuss how the football coach at North Carolina will actually, ya know, coach football (a novel concept, we know). His evolution as a defensive mind shaped the way you watch the game in more ways than you can realize, but can he be the same guy in college football? What's instructive about Steve Belichick's time in Washington? And can a guy who is all about the fundamentals thrive in today's college football? Producer: Anthony Vito. This is a subscriber episode! Everyone can hear a free preview or join on a free trial, however. You can do that by clicking this button: Further listening

A running back from Boise State helped define the 2024 season. Does CFB have an RB waiting in the wings to make a similar imprint in 2025? Probably not exactly, given Jeanty's historic season and the difficulty non-power programs have had retaining star running backs this offseason. But if we're just looking for running backs who can defy difficult circumstances and elevate their offenses to a new level, we can find some candidates to be 2025's Jeanty.SZD audience survey: https://surveys.getwizer.com/s3/d33771e852f9 Tickets to the Sports Podcast Festival on 8/23 in Raleigh (use code SPF25 for half off a second ticket): https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/78691649/the-2nd-annual-sports-podcast-festival-raleigh-the-rialto Cool stuff from SZD's partners* Use SZD20 for 20% off your first order at Homefield.* Enter your favorite CFB road trip at our Nokian Tyres landing page, and you'll be entered in a drawing to win free tires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comIn this week's CFB Lunch Break, Alex and Richard answer live questions from Split Zone Duo subscribers:* What to make of Luke Fickell's mediocre first two years at Wisconsin and a challenging situation in Year 3* Ohio State/Texas scheduling fight* Florida's upside this fall* What Penn State actually needs from Drew Allar* The cloudy landscape of G5 position player talent* What's behind TNT's weird College Football Playoff TV arrangement* Nebraska and Clemson offseason vapors* UCLA: Glass half full?* Notre Dame's reasonable goals* Michigan State hiring Georgia Tech's athletic director* The air raid is dead. Long live the air raidProducer: Anthony VitoHosts: Alex Kirshner, Richard JohnsonReminder: Split Zone Duo LIVE in Raleigh, August 23 Details here. Tickets here.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comFor live show tickets in Raleigh on 8/23: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/78691649/the-2nd-annual-sports-podcast-festival-raleigh-the-rialto Godfrey, Richard, and Alex present the second episode in our “Anatomy of a Coaching Carousel” series. This show covers the new college football head coaches for the 2010 season. This was the year that Florida State finally pushed out Bobby Bowden, Notre Dame fired Charlie Weis, and USC watched Pete Carroll walk out the door to the Seahawks. What happened after that?* A messy “coach-in-waiting” situation in Tallahassee, as Bobby Bowden is finally pushed away and Jimbo Fisher steps up* Notre Dame goes for Brian Kelly after squandering a "decided schematic advantage” and firing Charlie Weis* Charlie Strong gets a new job at Louisville* Vanderbilt lives through one of the stranger mid-offseason changes in a while* Lane Kiffin arrives in Southern California, and Derek Dooley replaces him in Knoxville in a search that sure could have gone differently* A future senator heads to Siberia, err, Lubbock* Butch Jones takes on one of the hardest jobs in college football: living up to a high bar set by a string of his predecessorsThen it's CLASS SUPERLATIVES time, with the boys each naming their pick for the Ellis Johnson/Southern Miss Award, the Coaching Carousel Global Impact Award, and Hire of the Year.Scroll down in your feed to February 18, 2025 for the first episode in this series. Producer: Anthony Vito

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comSplit Zone Duo State is the newest startup FBS program. We've got our coach, but now we need a staff. Blueprint Sports head of analytics Parker Fleming joins the show to help Richard break down who to hire, and the roles that need filling, to build SZD State into a title contender. For additional (free) listening on this topic, see our March 2024 episode: “The NFL-ification of college recruiting.” This is a special episode for Split Zone Duo's paid subscribers. Get started with a free trial.Plus, everyone can hear a free preview.Also this week for SZD subscribers:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comRichard and Alex take live questions from our Split Zone Duo subscribers. Topics covered in this episode include:* The slightly messy ending between Jim Knowles and Ohio State* What we're most excited about in the 2025 season* More developments in Bill Belichick/Jordon Hudson* Rapid scheme turnover, like Washington State will see this year* Playoff expansion's effect on SEC expansion* Lincoln Riley and USC say they want to preserve their Notre Dame rivalry game, but Riley's old words and current actions say different* Duke as an ACC dark horse* How cooked is Virginia Tech?* New athletic director at Michigan State: Why?* Maryland's business-ish approach to filling the AD chair* Likelier to get fired or win their conference? Mike Gundy, Brian Kelly, Lincoln Riley, and Mike NorvellCollege Football Lunch Break is a recurring live call that we have at 12 p.m. ET on many Tuesdays in the Substack app. Subscribers get a recording afterward.Producer: Anthony Vito

College football history is loaded with BS national championship claims, as well as some non-consensus claims that AREN'T ridiculous. How do we tell the difference? What patterns emerge when we look at decades of disputed titles? What is the most ridiculous national title claim of all time? (Spoiler: It's one of Alabama's claims. But why don't the Tide claim other titles that would be a lot less outrageous?) No other sport has a feature quite like this one, and we've got an expert to talk through it with us: Keith Gaddie, TCU professor and author of a new book, “Bragging Rites,” on the history of arguing over national championships. (The book comes out May 24.)More from Split Zone Duo's partners:* Use SZD20 for 20% off your first order at Homefield. There's fresh college sports apparel dropping at Homefield all the time. Find your school's collection. Also: auto racing gear. It's Indy 500 month.* Visit NokianTyres.com/RoadTrips and share your road-tripping plans for the summer, and you'll be entered to win a set of tires. This contest runs through May 30. Enjoy the same tires that get us where we need to go.Producer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Sports Podcast Festival tickets: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/78691649/the-2nd-annual-sports-podcast-festival-raleigh-the-rialto Extra Points publisher Matt Brown joins Alex to break down a handful of big offseason stories in the business of college football.* 1:25: Donald Trump's presidential commission on college sports, co-chaired by Nick Saban: What will it do? How will it interact with the NCAA's efforts to get Congress to write it a bill? Are Ted Cruz and Tommy Tuberville going to fight? And how seriously should you take the whole thing?* 36:10: Negotiations over a potential 16-team playoff format* 39:46: The drip, drip, drip of news about Bill Belichick's relationship: Will UNC ever know a moment of peace as long as he's coaching?* 40:51: Notre Dame and Clemson make a scheduling deal* 44:06: Akron, the first academically ineligible bowl team in a decade* 46:34: Jim Tressel's new career in Ohio* 47:56: Arkansas' state law and a House settlement race to the bottom* 56:03: Brett Yormark's extension as Big 12 commissioner* 59:49: Private equity in college football: Have our views changed at all since this became a big story in early 2024?Read Matt's newsletter at www.extrapointsmb.comMore from SZD's partners* Use SZD20 at www.homefieldapparel.com.* Follow Nokian Tyres on Instagram @NokianTyresNA, and learn more about Nokian's commitment to sustainability at nokiantyres.com/sustainabilityProducer: Antony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comThe Rice Owls have had 36 winning seasons since 1914. They once lost 18 games in a row. They have wandered from conference to conference since the death of the SWC, and despite being in a huge city that loves football, they have precious few fans. They are the only college football program to struggle so much that when JFK used them to justify going to the moon, everyone understood the reference. For decades, this picture has barely changed.Why is football so hard at Rice? To get to the bottom of it, Alex and Richard interview two experts: Matthew Bartlett and Carter Spires of The Roost, the internet's top destination for Rice sports news and commentary. Among other things, the group discusses:* How a Rice game day looks* The program's many downs and occasional ups, like its record-setting 2008 team that won 10 games* JFK's famous speech that doubled as a minor dig at the team* How Rice fits into, or sets itself apart from, the city of Houston* Why a school that figured out baseball has never cracked football* The difficulties of recruiting to a school that cares about school* The school's decision to get a bit more serious about football latey* The best possible case for Rice football in the next 10 years* VERDICT TIME: Stay in the AAC, drop to FCS, or stop playing football?This is the second episode in an SZD series, “Why You're Always Bad." For the first subscriber episode, on Kent State, scroll down in this podcast feed.Everyone can hear a free preview of this episode. To hear the whole thing and get a bunch more subscriber-only episodes, join us on a free trial.Thanks to the crew from The Roost for joining our show.Producer: Anthony Vito

Richard Johnson and Alex Kirshner close out SZD's Offseason Vibe Check series with the Mountain West. How has everything gone for this conference and its teams between the end of the regular season and now? Let's discuss:* The state of the Mountain West's squabbling with the Pac-12* New Mexico's new head coach, Jason Eck, has been an FCS lifer* Utah State's Bronco Mendenhall hire could be one of the best moves any team made all offseason* Fresno State gets Matt Entz, formerly of NDSU, and tries to find talent in unconventional places* Boise State loses Ashton Jeanty but has so much coming back* Colorado State has an intriguing group of freshmen and an ex-Ohio State WR* San Jose State tries to build on an encouraging first year under Ken Niumatalolo but has to move forward without an all-time receiver, Nick Nash* UNLV got Dan Mullen … and then some shaky headlines about its finances* Nevada looks to a familiar face, Chubba Purdy, to turn around a 3-10 team* Air Force is a candidate to be one of the most improved teams in FBS, but it's not clear who will play QB* Wyoming has holes to fill at positions where it's produced elite players recently* San Diego State tries to get back to basics after an ugly first year for Sean Lewis* Hawaii has athletic director turmoil on an epic scaleGet cool stuff from SZD's partners* Use SZD20 at www.homefieldapparel.com.* Follow Nokian Tyres on Instagram @NokianTyresNA, and learn more about Nokian's commitment to sustainability at nokiantyres.com/sustainabilityProducer: Anthony VitoHosts: Alex Kirshner, Ricard Johnson This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comBill Belichick's relationship with Jordon Hudson is the stuff of sports gossip legend, but we are most interested in what it says about Belichick's ability to run an ACC football team. Alex and Richard discuss in this subscriber episode:* How Jordon filled a vacuum in UNC football communications* Why Alex thinks UNC should look for a way out of this marriage* Why Richard thinks that could be a substantial overreaction* What Urban Meyer's Jaguars season tells us about the situation* What UNC is losing already and why The Athletic's report about the program losing “Hard Knocks” is one of the biggest red flags* The idea of Belichick as a coaching hire vs. the reality in his current form* Where Belichick is already, however, providing some value to UNC* Finding common groundFurther listening: Our Belichick “emergency show” when he was hired in MarchProducer: Anthony VitoHosts: Alex Kirshner, Richard Johnson

Part 1 of this week's episode is the continuation of SZD's “Offseason Vibe Checks” series, checking in on the Pac-12 and the FBS independents. You may be thinking, “Nice, but that's probably going to be a really short episode, because there are just two Pac-12 teams and three independents at the moment.” Fear not! Part 2 is an interview with author Victoria Zeller, who joins Alex to discuss her new book One of the Boys and the deep research she did into the state of modern special teams development. #CollegeKickers are getting better despite lacking training at most high schools. How? Well, there's a story there.* In the Pac-12, Washington State had the kind of offseason that Oregon State had last year, and now the Cougars have to pick up the pieces* Among the FBS independents: UConn's doing well, UMass is at least trying something sensible as it prepares to move to the MAC this summer, and Notre Dame has lots of backfilling and an intriguing QB battle on the agenda* Victoria Zeller talks about “One of the Boys,” the privatization of special teams development, and much more.The book comes out May 13 and is available for preorder here: https://victoria.monster/#bookdriveLiked this show? Get bonus episodes at www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribeProducer: Anthony VitoGet cool stuff from SZD's partnersUse SZD20 at www.homefieldapparel.com and get 20% off your first order.Follow Nokian Tyres on Instagram @NokianTyresNA, and learn more about Nokian's commitment to sustainability at nokiantyres.com/sustainability This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comIn this live recording, Alex and Richard answer a handful of subscriber questions and take the time to talk about the factors behind Shedeur Sanders' plummet to the fifth round of the NFL Draft. In this episode:* An announcement: Alex, Richard, and Godfrey will do a live taping at the Sports Podcast Festival in Raleigh on August 23. Tickets out May 9* Off-the-dome dark horses for every conference in 2025* Pac-12 candidates from the American Athletic* The Week 1 games we'd go to if we could* Could the next Phil Knight/Oregon donor relationship be at … Texas Tech? It's not a ridiculous question!* Contract disputes in coach poaching* Coaches getting banned from high schools for recruiting sins* Under Armour fading in college sports* The main event: Discussion of Shedeur Sanders plummeting to the fifth round. (Also, Richard's very excited the Jags got Travis Hunter)* Alex is even less enamored than before with private equity coming to CFBProducer: Anthony Vito

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comSteven Godfrey, Richard Johnson, and Alex Kirshner check in on how things are going three-plus years after a blockbuster few days in the coach carousel. Over a few days in late 2021, USC, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, LSU, Oregon, and Miami played a high-stakes game of musical chairs. Nowadays, only a few of these teams probably feel content, and they aren't the ones we expected. What can we learn, and what does all of this have to do with Southern Miss and Marshall?Producer: Anthony Vito

Alex and Richard break down offseason happenings in the Mid-American Conference, which saw lots of coach carousel turnover. * Ohio: Tim Albin to Charlotte, OC Brian Smith replacing him * Ball State: An off-the-beaten-path coach hire, bringing on a guy who most recently coached non-scholarship football in the Pioneer League * Miami: It's a Return to the MAC for QB Dequan Finn* Buffalo: Pete Lembo tries to follow up a surprisingly good opening act* Bowling Green: Has an offseason loss of a coach ever looked better than the Falcons winding up with Eddie George? * Western Michigan: Major staff turnover as Lance Taylor tries to fix it * Toledo: Jason Candle has a good roster (as usual) and spicy spring game commentary * NIU: Losing basically everything from last year's team that beat Notre Dame, and also preparing for a conference switch * Akron: A portal exodus * EMU: Ditto, but Chris Creighton is a hard man to count out * Central Michigan: Trying something different with Army's Matt Drinkall as head coach. We applaud the spirit of the hire* Kent State: Well, it's really, really badThe MAC also has some realignment coming for this season, with UMass joining back up. They're not officially Midwesterners again until July, though, so we'll discuss the Minutemen when we check in with the independents. (Ed. note! We recorded most of this episode shortly before the spring transfer portal window opened, but we made a few updates before publication on 4/23, mostly to cover the late-spring firing of Kent State's head coach.) Elsewhere in Offseason Vibe Checks* Big Ten* SEC* ACC* Big 12* Sun Belt* Conference USA* AACSubscriber exclusives all offseason longTwo of them just this week! * What on Earth is going on at Cal? * The NFL Draft QB Tiers Special, with Ben Solak and Derrik KlassenAnd much more from SZDPaid subscribers help us make these episodes and get lots more of them. Get a weeklong free trial to see how you like them.Get cool stuff from SZD's partnersSUPPORT OUR PARTNERS AND GET COOL STUFF* Shop Diamond Classics and much more at www.homefieldapparel.com. * Follow Nokian Tyres on Instagram @NokianTyresNA This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comRenewing our annual NFL Draft week tradition, Richard is joined by ESPN's Ben Solak and The Athletic Football Show's Derrik Klassen for a rollicking good time discussing the 2025 QB class. You'll be surprised at a QB the gang surprisingly can tolerate in a class that is a down year overall.Producer: Anthony Vito

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comAlex and Richard take a bunch of questions from Split Zone Duo subscribers, recorded at lunch on April 15. The topics covered here include: * Is this the most wide-open track to the national title that CFB has seen in a long time? And what does it even mean for Ohio State to be “down”? * The Group of 5 schools with the biggest NIL war chests * Could Notre Dame be better than last year? (We're skeptical.) * How does Cal replace an entire portaled running back room? * Would Texas reset the market for Dan Lanning? * UAB has a new wordmark * Is Mike Norvell's hire of Gus Malzahn a last stand? * Why is institutional malpractice in the MAC not a bigger story? * Thoughts on Colorado retiring Shedeur Sanders' number? * City schools' difficulty getting people to care about CFB* Story time: Richard's trip to Augusta National Golf Club * Alex's running gear recommendationProducer: Anthony VitoAlso this week for SZD subscribersOur subscriber episode on Nico Iamaleava leaving Tennessee:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comAlex and Richard react to Nico Iamaleava's split from Tennessee. We're less interested in where he plays next (UNC? UCLA? Elsewhere?) and more interested in talking through his last few months as a Volunteer:* The job done by Tennessee's football staff* The way Iamaleava is doing business* How the state of Tennessee helped bring about this moment* Freedom to move around and live with the consequences* The idea of Iamaleava's representatives driving the boat* How much you can blame “the NCAA” for the state of things* Do star quarterbacks really have so much power?* Why we think Tennessee is likely to come out ahead of its old QBHosts: Alex Kirshner, Richard JohnsonProduction: Anthony Vito

Rodger Sherman returns for our offseason check in with the American Athletic Conference, along with Alex and Richard. The group discusses how things have been going since the end of the 2024 season for each team in the AAC:* UTSA finds reason for optimism* Rice gets a bit creative in the coach carousel* FAU makes a hire that Alex is pretty happy about* Tulsa hires a millennial from the FCS ranks* North Texas attempts to finally play a bit of defense, and also returns to the Cam Ward Quarterback Tree* Temple lands a proper ball coach to try a rebuild* ECU sticks with the interim coach after a solid finish* Charlotte also has a new head coach, but success at Charlotte might not hinge on who the 49ers hire* Tulane 2.0 under Jon Sumrall* UAB tries to patch a major wound with small bandages* Army loses its entire offense* Navy doesn't* USF may actually, finally, at long last, be building a new stadiumSUPPORT OUR PARTNERS AND GET COOL STUFF* Use code SZD20 for 20% off your first order from Homefield, at www.homefieldapparel.com.* Follow Nokian Tyres on Instagram @NokianTyresNAProducer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comMatt Brown, publisher of the Extra Points college sports business newsletter, joins Alex to discuss a handful of big business stories that are all coming to a head around the same time. In this show: * The status of the not-quite-finished House settlement * Do we believe in the NCAA's attempt to make sure that future “NIL” deals are really about the use of a player's name, image, or likeness? * How power conference schools might divide up the $20 million per year that they will share directly with their athletes * Why Group of 5 and FCS payments will not be what they seem * Is the settlement going to provide a big leg up for basketball schools? * Nebraska's AD will have the most interesting job in college sports * How might tariffs and a bad stock market affect athletic departments? * What about federal attacks on higher education? * Sacramento State is trying to move to FBS. It's questionable. Also, here's a cool offer for Split Zone Duo subscribers: 25 percent off a monthly or annual subscription to Extra Points by clicking this link. Matt's newsletter is an essential read for keeping up with the off-field developments that shape college football, and we're excited to have him stopping by. Host: Alex KirshnerGuest: Matt BrownProducer: Anthony Vito

Alex interviews Dowell Loggains, the recently hired Appalachian State head coach who was most recently at South Carolina after a long run as an NFL assistant and coordinator. After Alex and Richard talk a bit about App State's last 20 years, Loggains joins (17:10) to discuss:* Why he moved from the NFL to college football at a time when coaches are getting a lot of attention for doing the opposite* Why he isn't worried about spring games turning into roster poaching showcases for rival schools* The concept of “fit” at a distinct school like App State* Recruiting as a Group of 5 program in a crowded region* Recruiting to a Sun Belt school vs. recruiting in the SEC* The specific type of prospect who comes to Boone* If he's thinking about the House settlement and whether he'll need to fight for resources with other sports* The time management element of becoming a head coach* How much he would delegate to a general manager* Coaching Chris Johnson during his 2,000-yard season and whether that has value in the eyes of 2020s college football playersApp State Flutie Effect study mentioned on the show: https://econ.appstate.edu/RePEc/pdf/wp1905.pdfSUPPORT OUR PARTNERS AND GET COOL STUFF* Use code SZD20 for 20% off your first order from Homefield, at www.homefieldapparel.com* Follow Nokian Tyres on Instagram @NokianTyresNAHosts: Alex Kirshner, Richard JohnsonProducer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comThis episode is for paid subscribers, but everyone can hear a preview. If you're not a paid subscriber, you can get a weeklong free trial.Alex Kirshner and Richard Johnson take a bunch of live questions from Split Zone Duo subscribers and discuss college football offseason news: * Maryland losing a basketball coach to the Big East is a sign of what's coming in college sports' new economy * Is the SEC the next flashpoint for intra-athletic department funding over House settlement revenue share dollars? * How about the blue-blood men's basketball schools like Kentucky and Duke? * How will this new era affect the service academies? * Do we believe that NIL has ruined the NCAA hoops tournaments? * Does Richard believe in Florida's offensive play-calling apparatus? * What is Alex's problem with Wisconsin? * Let's talk about Georgia Tech's defensive line * Frank Reich to Stanford* Pac-12 realignment musical chairs * The Athletics' horrible treatment of Sacramento, and thoughts on torpedo bats Producer: Anthony VitoAlso this week from Split Zone Duo

Rodger Sherman joins Alex and Richard for a checkup on all 18 teams in the beefy Big Ten, as our Offseason Vibe Check series rolls on:* Ohio State won the national championship. That's pretty good! Both the team and coaching staff are about to look a lot different.* Penn State faces its "national championship or go away” season* Washington is very hard to figure out* Michigan might have had the best non-OSU run of any team in the country from Thanksgiving through Signing Day* Purdue welcomes Barry Odom to a difficult gig* Nebraska has a notably quiet offseason as Dana Holgorsen, a late-season hire from 2024, tries to fix the offense* UCLA starts more or less from scratch, again* Iowa makes a portal addition to be very excited about* Wisconsin makes portal additions to be less excited about* Indiana has a chance to avoid a massive decline (?)* Minnesota needs to replace wideout production but has an intriguing QB* Oregon just keeps on chugging on the trail* Maryland is lining up a major recruiting win but needs to keep it together, not just through Signing Day but well beyond* Michigan State's talent acquisition is going in the wrong direction* Rutgers shows encouraging signs* USC faces a truly make-or-break year* Illinois and Bret Bielema are change agents for CFB's rules* Northwestern gets the full Rodger explanationProducer: Anthony VitoHosts: Alex Kirshner, Richard JohnsonGuest: Rodger Sherman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comAndrew Luck fired Stanford coach Troy Taylor after off-field investigations of his conduct came to light. In this episode for SZD subscribers, Alex and Richard discuss the circumstances of Taylor's firing and Stanford's challenges:* An investigation timeline going back more than a year* Stanford's decision to stand by Taylor until there was public heat* How this mirrors Northwestern's firing of Pat Fitzgerald* Andrew Luck's role as the key decision-maker for Stanford* Alex wonders if Stanford is even a good job anymore* Richard is very confident that it is NOT* Stanford's unique challenges in a post-House settlement world* Recruits' fading or nonexistent memories of the days when Stanford was one of the best programs in the country* Why the college sports industry will be watching Luck as GMThis episode is for paid subscribers, but everyone can hear a free preview. You can sign up for a weeklong free trial at https://www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

The NCAA had complete control of college football TV. The association decided which games the public could watch, and where, and when, and how much money every school would earn as a result. Then came a new group called the College Football Association, an outside TV deal, and a lawsuit from two schools, Georgia and Oklahoma. What happened next, at the United States Supreme Court, created the fundamentals of how all of us watch college football today. Jay Willis is the editor-in-chief of Balls and Strikes, an independent outlet that covers the Supreme Court. (He's also a big Cal football fan.) Jay joins host Alex Kirshner to dive deep into NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, the case that destroyed the old world of college football TV and created a huge mess in its place. As we'll learn, that took a while to clean up. Producer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comDan Lanning signed an extension with Oregon that makes it impossible for all but a few teams to hire him away, and most of them aren't college. Steven Godfrey, Richard Johnson, and Alex Kirshner discuss what his contract says about the evolved pecking order in the coach carousel. After losing both Willie Taggart and Mario Cristobal to Florida schools, has Oregon now ascended to be poaching-proof from everyone except the NFL, Ohio State, and Georgia? We run down some hypotheticals about LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, FSU, and Clemson. Hosts: Steven Godfrey, Richard Johnson, Alex KirshnerProducer: Anthony Vito This episode is for SZD subscribersYou can get a free trial of our paid episodes to get lots more shows like this. Meanwhile, everyone can hear a short preview of this show.

Alex Kirshner, Richard Johnson, and Dave Campbell's Texas Football senior writer Mike Craven discuss the state of the offseason in Conference USA, a league that was spicier than most of us expected in 2024:* Jacksonville State loses the braintrust behind a conference championship and will now be completely different* WKU's run as the cradle of coordinators continues* FIU tries an ultra-Floridian approach* Sam Houston restarts with Phil Longo, who has school ties* Kennesaw State is just trying to be in less disarray* Liberty overhauls in the portal as it looks to bounce back* UTEP is quietly building something intriguing under Scotty Walden* Middle Tennessee emerges from a Year Zero* New Mexico State deals with broader athletic department turmoil* Louisiana Tech continues to ride it out* And the league soon adds a couple of new members, Delaware and Missouri State. We'll get to them in season previews. It's not time yet.Meet the Offseason Vibe Check: It's not a 2024 recap, and it's not a 2025 preview. It's a check-in with every team in every FBS conference about what's been happening since Thanksgiving. How was the postseason? How was the coach carousel? How was signing day? How was the transfer portal window? And is anything else going on around your program?Producer: Anthony VitoElsewhere in Offseason Vibe Checks* SEC* Sun Belt* ACC* Big 12 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comAlex and Richard take subscribers' college football questions in this live recording, conducted on the Substack app on Tuesday. We call it CFB Lunch Break, because we're taking CFB questions at lunchtime:* How we feel about player wearing #0 and single-digits* The winner and loser from the ACC's settlement with Clemson and FSU, which keeps the ACC together for at least a bit* What's the real reason that spring games are on the decline?* Talking through Eddie George's move to Bowling Green* Whether George is now in the Ohio State long-term candidates pipeline* San Diego State's stagnancy as it heads to the new Pac-12* Does Dan Lanning warrant “f—ing football coach” status?* Why Lanning's extension with Oregon is the realest extension ever* Fanbases with the MOST REALISTIC expectations* How long Indiana fans will (or won't) tolerate a return to the old days* If we think about college football in the middle of the nightHosts: Alex Kirshner, Richard JohnsonProducer: Anthony Vito

Alex Kirshner, Richard Johnson, and Dave Campbell's Texas Football senior writer Mike Craven discuss how the offseason is going for every team in the Big 12 Conference: * Arizona State keeps a playoff core almost totally intact * Arizona is in the danger zone after Brent Brennan's first year* Baylor is once again ready to contend for the league * Oklahoma State is in uncharted waters * WVU and UCF both do some fan service * Kansas swaps out coordinators and has a QB injury to monitor* Why Houston coach Willie Fritz is nicknamed “novocain”* Iowa State needs to win in the portal at wide receiver * Colorado is still acting very much like Colorado* How much should we buy into the hype of Texas Tech's NIL-driven offseason renaissance? Mike tells us* Kansas State has its best recruit in program history* Cincinnati is relying a lot on Scott Satterfield's evaluations * TCU has the best recruiting class in the Big 12 and could be rising again * Utah's coach-in-waiting situation could get a bit weird, no? * BYU has an offseason of turnover and near-turnover at the top Meet the Offseason Vibe Check: It's not a 2024 recap, and it's not a 2025 preview. It's a check-in with every team in every FBS conference about what's been happening since Thanksgiving. How was the postseason? How was the coach carousel? How was signing day? How was the transfer portal window? And is anything else going on around your program?Elsewhere in Offseason Vibe Checks* SEC* Sun Belt* ACC This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

The Offseason Vibe Check series continues with the ACC, as Rodger Sherman joins Alex and Richard to talk about the state of the league. It's not a 2024 recap, and it's not a 2025 preview. It's a check-in with every team in every FBS conference about what's been happening since Thanksgiving. How was the postseason? How was the coach carousel? How was signing day? How was the transfer portal window? And is anything else going on around your program? * Pitt finished on an 0-6 run but has continuity in some important spots * Florida State makes wholesale changes after going 2-10 with one FBS win over Cal by five points * Jake Dickert takes over at Wake Forest after Dave Clawson stepped away without making it all about him * Virginia Tech's make-or-break year approaches* Cal adds some funny culture fits * Belichick's UNC is talking funny about operating like an NFL program* SMU appears to be building on its playoff season * Duke might be in the best shape of its football life * Syracuse recruits a massive class as Fran Brown tries to build * “We're all on in Georgia Tech, right?” * Clemson steps into the transfer portal at last * NC State's party might be over, but give Dave Doeren a chance* Miami gets itself involved (of course) in a major legal matter * BC and UVA make quarterback swaps * Is Louisville about to have a highly drafted NFL QB to recruit off of? * Palace intrigue at Stanford involving Andrew Luck (!) More from SZD and Rodger We love Rodger's newsletterWe also loved having him on this episode (for subscribers, with a free trial!) about the unbelievably grim history of Kent State football: Elsewhere in Offseason Vibe Checks* SEC* Sun Belt This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comAlex and Richard take live and pre-submitted subscriber questions in this quick episode to start off the new month. Topics include: * Biff Poggi's return to Michigan* The tough job ahead of Pitt's new AD* Brian Kelly's make-or-break year * Colorado State continually being just short of being something* The first 100 days of the Belichick UNC administration * Gary Pinkel's underrated career * Nebraska canceling a Tennessee series and the Big Ten either retreating from tough non-conference games or setting up for more of them * The concept of a Tulane-LSU-Saints football road trip * How many coaching trees can we really name right now? * A quick preview of SZD's offseason plans Random historical show note: Here's Colorado State's pitch to the Big 12 from 2016, which Matt Brown and Alex dug up for SB Nation. Producer: Anthony VitoA bunch of fresh podcasts from SZD In case you missed any of these: * Our special on why Kent State's football program is always bad, and what can be done about it if anything. Featuring Rodger Sherman! * Anatomy of a coaching carousel: 2001. Diving deep into the ramifications of one coach hiring cycle with our co-host emeritus Steven Godfrey * Offseason Vibe Checks: The state of the SEC * Offseason Vibe Checks: The state of the Sun BeltStay tuned for more this week Offseason Vibe Checks will roll on with the Atlantic Coast Conference. Not a subscriber but want to try it out? We love to hear that and are offering a week's free trial. Subscribers: Any thoughts on this format? Let us know. We're eager to hear what you think.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comThe history of the Kent State Golden Flashes is full of missed opportunities, real-life tragedies, and lots of losing—never more than in 2024, when Kent State had one of the worst teams in college football history. Why is the program perennially so bad? To answer that question, Rodger Sherman joins Alex and Richard for a deep dive into the Flashes. * A long history of great, memorable players on bad teams * Separating the challenges that come with being a MAC school from the ones that are specific to this MAC school * A string of tragedies that affected the football program, led by the fallout from the killings of four students by national guardsmen in 1970 * More than one missed chance to hire alum Nick Saban * The program's best case-scenario over the next 10 years * Should Kent State stay the course, drop to FCS, or do something else? Read Rodger's recent newsletter on Kent State's miserable 2024, and join the thousands on his mailing list to get more of his one-of-a-kind writing. This is a premium episode of Split Zone Duo for our paid subscribers. If you're not a subscriber yet, you can try us out on a seven-day free trial. Also, let us know if you liked this episode concept and if there are any other troubled programs you'd like to see us explore in the future.

Split Zone Duo's “Offseason Vibe Check” series rolls on with the Sun Belt. It's not a 2024 recap, and it's not a 2025 preview. It's a check-in with every team in every FBS conference about what's been happening since Thanksgiving. How was the postseason? How was the coach carousel? How was signing day? How was the transfer portal window? And is anything else going on around your program? In this week's Sun Belt episode, Alex Kirshner and Richard Johnson discuss: * Louisiana's sour ending after being the most low-key playoff contender until the final days of the season * Marshall's tumultuous end of the season and coaching change * App State's Dowell Loggains era starts with winning hearts and minds* Coastal Carolina cleans house … except for the head coach * Butch Jones and Arkansas State are in it for the long haul * Charles Huff finds his life raft at a downtrodden Southern Miss* Texas State hangs onto GJ Kinne after it didn't look likely * Georgia Southern gives Clay Helton a contract extension that isn't outrageous but doesn't make a lot of sense * James Madison tries a bespoke approach in the portal, and it should lead to the Dukes being favorites in the league * Georgia State's recruiting blitz under Dell McGee picks up * A snippet from friend of the program Justin Ferguson of the Auburn Observer, talking about the situations at Troy and South Alabama Offseason Vibe Checks so far * The SEC Producer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Welcome to Split Zone Duo's “Offseason Vibe Check” series. It's not a 2024 recap, and it's not a 2025 preview. It's a check-in with every team in every FBS conference about what's been happening since Thanksgiving. How was the postseason? How was the coach carousel? How was signing day? How was the transfer portal window? And is anything else going on around your program? We start with the Southeastern Conference and will work our way from here.* Tennessee has had a quiet few months since Columbus* Vanderbilt will have Diego Pavia back, we think * Alabama's bowl loss was bad enough to make you question some things, but the new offensive coordinator might be great * Did everyone realize that Mike Bobo is still UGA's offensive coordinator? * Impressively, so is Bobby Petrino at Arkansas * Brent Venables stakes his Oklahoma tenure on some newcomers* Ole Miss has reasons to be both concerned and excited * South Carolina aims for a portal sequel * Texas is trying to do it yet again on the defensive line * LSU might be The Definitive Portal Team of 2025* Florida continues to tell a positive story * Kentucky's path back to being prickly is not clear * Mississippi State gets some needed upgrades * A&M overhauls its wide receiver room * Missouri gets the chance to prove it can be durable * Auburn faces a “put up or shut up” kind of seasonStay tuned for more in this recurring series over the coming months. Producer: Anthony VitoSplit Zone Duo paid subscribers got a whole other big episode this weekSZD host emeritus Steven Godfrey joins Alex and Richard to break down one of the most fascinating coaching cycles in recent memory: the one before the 2001 season. Find that episode below or in your podcast feed. If you're not yet an SZD subscriber, try us out with a seven-day free trial. If you like CFB history, we think you will really enjoy the episode. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comThe coaching carousel before the 2001 season transformed college football. Some programs set themselves up for national championship (or even dynastic) runs. Some screwed themselves. Some set the stage for the next several decades of the top tiers of the SEC and Big Ten. In this episode, Alex Kirshner, Richard Johnson, and Steven Godfrey take a fine-toothed comb through the consequential coaching cycle at the end of 2000: * The hires that worked really well (Gary Patterson to TCU, Pete Carroll to USC, Jim Tressel to Ohio State, Rich Rodriguez to WVU, and many more) * The hires that fell flat (hello, UNC and Arizona) * The hires that shaped college football to this day* The what-if scenarios that nearly made it all different * Ohio State and Georgia shopping for upgrades * A reevaluation of Larry Coker? * Class superlatives, including the Ellis Johnson Southern Miss Award for missed opportunities, the Coaching Carousel Global Impact Award for the most profound ripple effects, and Hire of the Year And more. We enjoyed making this episode for our paying subscribers at www.splitzoneduo.com, but everyone can hear a free preview. Join us on a weeklong free trial if you aren't a subscriber and would like to try us out. Producer: Anthony Vito

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comAlex Kirshner, Richard Johnson, and Split Zone Duo subscribers have some questions for an NIL agent about how the business of paying college football players actually works. Justin J. Giangrande is the CEO and founder of NETWORK, a sports marketing agency that handles both collective negotiations and sponsorship agreements for players like. We wanted to know: * How does someone even become an NIL agent? * How sophisticated are collectives and college football front offices in their handling of player negotiations? * Will an NCAA clearinghouse to vet deals be a disaster? * How does the lack of public transparency about dollar amounts affect his job as an agent? Does this favor the players or the schools? * How do deals for name-brand stars differ from the boilerplate contracts you'd imagine for a backup offensive lineman? * What happens when someone wants to break a multi-year contract? * How has the impending but uncertain arrival of revenue-sharing affected negotiations with players of late? * Will revenue-sharing simplify negotiations? * How do agents educate players on their tax obligations? * Why should anyone trust an NIL agent, given that there's no players' union to certify their qualifications like in the NFLPA? * Do we all think there will be a players' union in the near future? Thanks to everyone for your great questions. Paying subscribers get the ability to ask questions of us and certain guests, and they can also listen to this entire episode. Start with a free trial!

In one of Steven Godfrey's favorite early-offseason traditions, the SZD crew glances ahead at the Week 1 schedule many months from now. Not just so there's something to look forward to as the long offseason gets going, but because the story of Week 1 matchups is increasingly the story of how athletic directors are approaching scheduling. Let's dive into: * Why 2025's season-opening schedule will give you more to look forward to than the equivalent slate in 2024* The most obvious Anxiety Bowl in the history of Week 1 * Sonny Dykes' latest season opener against a celebrity head coach* Is USC a canary in the coal mine for the Big Ten's retreat from marquee non-con spots? And if so … * Could an SEC/Big Ten scheduling partnership reverse that tide? * News analysis: Georgia Southern extends Clay Helton, for some reason SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS AND GET COOL STUFF* Use code SZD20 for 20% off your first order from Homefield, at www.homefieldapparel.com. Thanks* Enter your favorite college football road trip from the 2024 season and be automatically entered in a monthly drawing to win tires at www.nokiantyres.com/szdHosts: Richard Johnson, Alex Kirshner, Steven GodfreyProducer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com2024 was a weird (read: bad) year for a lot of college football teams in the state Alabama. Justin Ferguson, publisher of the Auburn Observer and all-purpose ball-knower in the state, joins Alex and Richard to discuss:* How everyone's feeling after the two Iron Bowl teams went a combined 7-9 in the SEC, tied for their worst joint record of the century* Why this will be an offseason of hope for Auburn, and why Hugh Freeze will have to deliver a lot early in the 2025 season* Alabama's pivot away from in-state recruiting and Alex's theory that the revenue-sharing era should be good to the Tide* UAB still has Trent Dilfer, and the Blazers coach is attempting the most blatant '“portal to save his job” maneuver that we've ever seen* South Alabama is at least a little interesting, if not quite “good”* Troy, however, is none of the above at the moment* Scott Cochran's new Division II job makes waves* Jacksonville State nailed its FBS transition, won Conference USA, and has a new coach who can recruitThanks to Ferg, whose work is at www.auburnobserver.comHosts: Richard Johnson, Alex KirshnerGuest: Justin Ferguson

On January 18, SZD and our old friends at the Shutdown Fullcast combined for a live show in Atlanta, presented by Homefield. We now present the recording, featuring a whole bunch of FOOTBALL DISASTERS and a round of CFB family feud featuring friends of the program like Homefield founder Connor Hitchcock, Matt Brown, Jessica Smetana, Amanda Mull, and Joel Anderson. Producer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Alex Kirshner, Richard Johnson, and Steven Godfrey discuss the stories they are most interested to watch unfold between now and September. In this show: * Podcast update: Godfrey is becoming host emeritus and will take a lighter load as he works on other things, but you'll still hear him on SZD regularly. * Richard is tracking a series of potential changes to the postseason and end-of-season schedule, not just (more) playoff expansion but also all the SEC/Big Ten saber-rattling that will accompany it. Plus potential changes to the transfer portal schedule and a resolution of the ACC's drama. * Godfrey will follow the SEC's attempts to keep internal order now that it's ballooned to a huge size, some teams have missed the first 12-team playoff narrowly, and the “eight vs. nine conference games” debate remains open. * Alex has his eye on the House settlement, which most people in college sports believe will get final approval and go into effect this year. For the first time ever, after years of toothless hearings, the federal government will have no choice but to get actively involved in college sports reforms.* Arch Madness prepares to take full hold at Texas* Penn State, preseason No. 1? * USC's crucial summer of getting its house in order For Split Zone Duo subscribers this weekProducer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comGodfrey, Richard, and Alex made a lot of preseason predictions back in August. Some of them worked out well. (Everyone had Ohio State winning the national title.) Some of them worked out terribly. (Florida State and Michigan in the playoff: Nice job, fellas!) Let's see how everyone did, and then let's try to learn some lessons from the ways reality matched and deviated from what we expected. Also, we dig into questions like: * Is the key to good national awards races just to have no elite quarterbacks on the best teams? * Why didn't any young G5 coaches land power conference jobs? * What can the rest of of the sport glean from FSU's collapse? * Did we get Conference USA's parity all wrong? Producer: Anthony Vito

Richard Johnson and Alex Kirshner put a bow on the national championship game, a 34-23 win for Ohio State over Notre Dame: * How the Buckeyes did it * Notre Dame's attempt to stop them, including that late third down * Ryan Day's unique legacy * And more odds and ends from the title gameThanks so much for listening this season, our fifth as a podcast. We'll be back next week with Steven Godfrey to dig up our pre-2024 time capsule and turn our attention toward the offseason. Much more soon! SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS AND GET COOL STUFF* Use code SZD20 for 20% off your first order from Homefield, at www.homefieldapparel.com. Thanks* Enter your favorite college football road trip from the 2024 season and be automatically entered in a monthly drawing to win tires at www.nokiantyres.com/szdHosts: Richard Johnson, Alex KirshnerProducer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe