On tonight’s episode of Show Pony Live, presented by AR’s Hot Honey, Northern Illinois Athletic Director Sean Frazier joins me for one of the most insightful conversations you’ll hear about where college sports are headed.

Northern Illinois is entering its first football season in the Mountain West Conference, a move that represents far more than a change in opponents. It’s a strategic decision in an era where athletic directors must think as CEOs, balancing finances, competitive success, media exposure, student-athlete experience, and long-term sustainability.

We dive into:

• Why NIU made the move to the Mountain West.

• How the Huskies are preparing for their first season in a brand-new league.

• The realities of conference realignment.

• Managing NIL and the transfer portal.

• What life is like for a Group of Five athletic director in today’s rapidly changing landscape.

• Whether college sports are finally settling into a new normal—or if even bigger changes are still coming.

Sean has earned a reputation as one of the most respected administrators in college athletics because he’s willing to think differently. As schools across the country wrestle with unprecedented challenges, Northern Illinois has embraced a long-term strategy centered on increasing revenue, strengthening its brand, and positioning itself for the future.

If you’re interested in where college athletics is headed—not just this season, but over the next decade—you’ll want to hear this conversation.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe to Show Pony Media so you never miss an episode.

Presented by AR’s Hot Honey. Use promo code SHOWPONY15 to save 15% on your order.

Twenty-four days.

That’s all that separates us from the return of college football.

Fittingly, the season won’t begin in Tuscaloosa, Columbus or Austin. It’ll begin more than 3,500 miles away.

TCU and North Carolina will kick off the 2026 season at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, continuing what has quietly become one of the sport’s most fascinating traditions.

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic has become college football’s annual opening act overseas. The modern series has featured some intriguing matchups, including games between Nebraska and Northwestern, followed by Notre Dame-Navy, Georgia Tech-Florida State and Iowa State-Kansas State in recent years. It’s the product of years of work by Irish tourism officials, Aer Lingus and Irish American Events, who have made Dublin an annual destination for college football while showcasing Ireland to millions of American viewers.

It’s no longer viewed as a novelty.

It’s part of the calendar.

And it got me thinking.

We’ve spent decades talking about college football expanding conferences, television contracts and the College Football Playoff. Maybe we’ve been looking in the wrong direction.

Maybe the biggest expansion isn’t happening inside the United States.

Maybe it’s happening outside of it.

The NFL has been laying the foundation for international growth for years.

The International Series began in London in 2007. Today, regular-season games are played across London, Germany, Brazil, Spain and soon Australia. Roger Goodell has made global expansion one of the league’s defining priorities, with the NFL openly discussing a future where every franchise plays internationally on a rotating basis.

But the NFL isn’t just exporting games.

It’s exporting the sport itself.

Read more

Daley is not some fringe roster player, either. He led Indiana with 17 tackles for loss last season. His return is a major development for the Hoosiers, but the ruling also opens the door to a much larger conversation about eligibility, roster management and just how chaotic college sports has become.

We get into what this decision could mean across the country, because Indiana will not be the only school trying to take advantage of it.

We also discuss the fallout at Boston College after the school fired longtime basketball broadcasters Kevin Collins and Josh Maurer. Broadcasters are not disposable. They are the connection between a program and its fans, and too often the people making these decisions have no appreciation for the craft, history or human beings involved.

Finally, we look at college sports’ growing obsession with hiring executives from professional sports. Every school suddenly wants someone from the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball to come in and “modernize” the operation.

But is that really what college athletics needs?

College sports keeps trying to become professional sports while forgetting the traditions, communities and relationships that made it special in the first place.

All of that and more on today’s edition of Show Pony Live.

Presented by AR’s Hot Honey. Use promo code SHOWPONY15 for 15% off at ARsHotHoney.com.

I am furious about this.

According to a report from Awful Announcing, Boston College has fired longtime men’s basketball broadcasters Kevin Collins and Josh Maurer because new head coach Luke Murray reportedly did not want anyone associated with the previous regime remaining around the program.

What an absolute disgrace.

Collins and Maurer had worked together calling Boston College basketball for nine seasons. Collins had been part of the broadcasts for 13 years, surviving three head coaches and five athletic directors. They were not assistant coaches. They were not responsible for recruiting. They were not designing the offense, managing the roster or deciding who played.

They were broadcasters.

Yet, according to the report, Murray wanted a “fresh coat of paint” and no remnants of the past around the program. The broadcasters were reportedly treated as part of the previous program’s “losing mentality,” even though Murray had never bothered to meet either man.

Give me a break. What a complete clown!

Imagine being so self-important that you walk into your first head-coaching job and apparently decide the voices who have faithfully served the school must be purged because they remind you of the past.

Does Luke Murray need to sage the radio booth, too?

Should Boston College repaint every hallway Collins and Maurer walked through? Should it remove every fan who attended games during the previous coaching staff? What about the ushers? The equipment managers? The people selling concessions?

This is ridiculous.

More importantly, it is cruel.

These are human beings with careers, families, responsibilities and bills. Full-season broadcasting jobs are incredibly difficult to find, especially this late in the calendar. Collins and Maurer were reportedly informed only days before August 1, leaving them almost no opportunity to secure comparable work for the upcoming season.

That matters.

This is the part people in power too often forget. They make a decision in an office, call it a “new direction” and move along with their lives. Meanwhile, the people on the other end have just lost income, security, identity and a job they may have spent their entire careers pursuing.

(Yes, that is a direct shot at radio programmers who say this to hosts all the time)

Broadcasting is not some interchangeable service performed by whoever happens to be holding the microphone.

It is an art form.

It requires preparation, storytelling, timing, chemistry, knowledge and trust. Great broadcasters become the connection between the fan and the team. They are there for the long bus rides, the ugly losses, the rebuilding seasons and the games nobody else wants to watch.

They give those games meaning.

Kevin Collins grew up a Boston College fan and described calling the Eagles as something close to a childhood dream. He reportedly handled engineering, play-by-play and color responsibilities, sometimes working road games alone, while providing the value of multiple positions on a limited budget.

His reward?

He was discarded by a coach who apparently would not even give him 15 minutes.

Collins and Maurer repeatedly tried to introduce themselves to Murray. Collins reportedly even offered to provide a catered lunch for the staff in exchange for a brief meeting. They never got one. Collins later offered to remain only as an engineer, without an on-air role, and was still rejected.

That detail tells you everything.

This was apparently not a decision based on performance. Murray did not listen, evaluate, meet with them or attempt to establish a working relationship. Based on the account given to Awful Announcing, he simply wanted anybody but them.

That is not leadership.

That is arrogance.

Real leaders do not walk into a new organization and immediately treat every person who came before them as contaminated. Real leaders evaluate people individually. They listen. They ask questions. They respect institutional knowledge.

They understand that human beings are not old furniture to be thrown onto the curb during a renovation.

Boston College’s athletic administration is just as responsible.

A first-time head coach should never possess the unchecked power to remove longtime broadcasters who do not report to him and have no control over the team’s performance. An athletic director’s job is not simply to surrender every time a new coach makes an unreasonable demand.

Someone needed to say no.

Someone needed to say, “These men have served Boston College professionally for more than a decade. You will meet them, work with them and evaluate them fairly before we consider replacing them.”

Instead, the school apparently allowed Murray to have his way.

Boston College has not even announced a replacement team. According to Awful Announcing, the school is conducting an open search without specific successors already in place.

So what urgent problem was being solved?

There wasn’t one.

Two experienced broadcasters lost their jobs so a new coach could feel as though every trace of the previous era had been erased.

Boston College should hire Kevin Collins and Josh Maurer back immediately.

If the athletic director and administration are unwilling to stand up for employees who faithfully served the university, they should seriously reconsider whether they are qualified to lead it. Their responsibility extends beyond satisfying the latest coach occupying an office.

As for Luke Murray, he should reflect on what leadership actually means.

It is easy to preach culture when you hold all the power. It is much harder to demonstrate character when dealing with people who cannot do anything for you.

Murray had an opportunity to meet two broadcasters who loved Boston College, learn about their work and decide for himself whether they could help promote his program.

Instead, according to this report, he had their livelihoods taken away without ever sitting across from them.

I hope Collins and Maurer land somewhere that appreciates their talent and loyalty. Broadcast jobs like these do not grow on trees, and neither do broadcasters willing to devote years of their lives to one program.

Boston College took them for granted.

The school should be ashamed.

One of the most interesting takeaways? Ryan believes something felt...different.

For years, SEC Media Days felt like the center of the college football universe. This year, he says some of the league’s swagger seemed to be missing. Is it simply the changing landscape of college athletics? Is the conference no longer carrying itself with the same confidence? We dive into why the vibe felt different and what it could mean moving forward.

We also tackle one of the biggest stories hanging over the sport: the Protect College Sports Act. Is meaningful federal legislation actually getting closer, or are we still a long way from any real stability? We discuss the latest momentum and what it could mean for the future of college athletics.

Of course, no conversation about Alabama is complete without talking football.

We break down the Crimson Tide quarterback competition, who has the inside track to win the job, and what Kalen DeBoer needs from the position this fall. We also debate whether Alabama has done enough to fix the rushing attack after last season’s struggles. If the Tide can’t consistently run the football, can they realistically compete for an SEC Championship or College Football Playoff berth?

Finally, we put Alabama under the microscope. Is this truly a playoff-caliber team? Are expectations being set too high—or are people sleeping on the Tide entering 2026?

It’s a loaded conversation covering Alabama, the SEC, and the biggest issues shaping the future of college football.

On today’s episode:

• Ryan Fowler’s biggest takeaway from SEC Media Days

• Has the SEC lost some of its swagger?

• The latest on the Protect College Sports Act

• Alabama’s quarterback battle

• Can the Tide finally fix the rushing attack?

• Is Alabama a legitimate College Football Playoff contender?

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Presented by AR’s Hot Honey

Before we get started, I have to share a discovery.

This morning on Full Ride, I put AR’s Hot Honey on my chicken biscuits.

Folks...I may have found breakfast perfection.

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Here goes again. An all too often recurring bitch fest about the direction of college sports from yours truly.

The Big East has hired Tim Brosnan, a longtime Major League Baseball executive, as its next commissioner.

My first reaction?

Damn It? Not another one!

Seriously...why are we so convinced that professional sports executives are the answer to fixing college athletics?

This isn’t just the Big East either.

The Big Ten hired Tony Petitti from Major League Baseball.

The Big 12 hired Brett Yormark from the professional sports world.

Now the Big East follows the same blueprint.

Apparently the hottest qualification for running a college conference is...not having spent your career in college sports. If you view sports as purely a way to make money, it looks like you are now qualified to run things.

And maybe that’s because the old college sports establishment completely blew it.

Let’s be honest.

For decades they sat on billions of dollars while refusing to modernize the system. Television money exploded. Coaches started making eight, ten, even thirteen million dollars a year. Athletic departments built palaces. Administrators kept telling everyone the athletes were “amateurs.”

Meanwhile, the people actually creating the product couldn’t even monetize their own name.

I’ve screamed about this for years.

College sports should have always been run as a nonprofit enterprise. The goal should have been creating educational opportunities for young people, not becoming another professional league. If there were billions to spend, those resources should have gone back into scholarships, athlete support, academic services, health care, and the people generating the revenue.

Instead, everyone else got rich. Like usual. People suck. Especially, people with power. I will believe as long as live that people who want power, should never have it and the people who don’t want it should be put in charge by hook or crook.

Then came the Alston decision.

Everything changed.

Now we have NIL, the transfer portal, revenue sharing, collectives, and a sport that looks more like free agency than college football.

So I understand why conferences looked outside the traditional college world. I don’t like it and I am flat out against it but based on how things have evolved against my will, I understand it.

But here’s where I get stuck.

Why Major League Baseball?

Have you looked at Major League Baseball lately?

The league has become the poster child for competitive imbalance.

The Dodgers seem capable of signing anyone they want. Every offseason another superstar ends up in Los Angeles. This week they added Tarik Skubal to a roster that already looked like an All-Star team. Whether you’re a Dodgers fan or not, it’s fair to ask whether the economic system is producing enough competitive balance.

Even beyond the Dodgers, MLB and the Players Association continue to face major labor tensions, with many observers already warning about the possibility of another work stoppage when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.

So let me get this straight.

College athletics—which is desperately trying to figure out governance, competitive balance, athlete compensation, and long-term stability—is looking to executives from a league wrestling with many of those same issues?

That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

Now, to be fair, this isn’t really about Tim Brosnan.

By all accounts, he’s respected. He’s smart. He has decades of executive experience. He may wind up being an outstanding commissioner.

This is about the philosophy.

Why have we decided that the future of college athletics should look more and more like professional sports? Can’t we hit the stop button!

Every hire seems to move us another step in that direction. Every conversation turns to private equity. Investment firms. Commercialization. Media rights. Revenue optimization.

Somewhere along the way we’ve stopped talking about campuses, students, traditions, marching bands, rivalries, and what made college sports different in the first place.

That’s the part that bothers me.

Because here’s my dilemma.

The old college administrators got us into this mess. They ignored reality for too long. They refused to evolve. They fought every change until the courts forced them to change.

But now the replacement seems to be executives whose entire professional lives have been spent maximizing revenue in professional sports. Neither option feels right.

It’s like choosing between two quarterbacks you don’t trust on fourth-and-goal. One drove the car into the ditch.

The other wants to replace it with a race car.

And maybe that’s why I’ve become such a UEFA guy.

I know, I know. It sounds ridiculous. No governing body is perfect. But lately, they’re about the only major sports organization that seems willing to say, “Maybe not every decision should be about squeezing out another dollar.”

When FIFA President Gianni Infantino pushed the idea of selling off commercial rights to the World Cup through outside investment, UEFA was one of the biggest forces pushing back. More recently, UEFA announced ticket pricing plans for Euro 2028 that are designed to keep a significant number of seats affordable for actual supporters instead of turning every marquee event into a luxury experience.

Imagine that.

Protecting fans.

Protecting the sport.

Protecting the idea that not everything has to be monetized to the absolute limit.

Maybe I’m becoming a European soccer romantic, but I respect the hell out of that philosophy. If preserving the integrity of the game makes me a UEFA fanboy, so be it. I’ll dedicate my life to their cause. (Okay...maybe not my life. But you get the point.)

That’s what I keep searching for in college sports—a governing philosophy that remembers the sport exists because people love it, not because private equity firms or television executives see another revenue stream.

And I’m not convinced either gets us where college sports should be.

Maybe this is just nostalgia talking.

Maybe I’m chasing something that can never exist again.

But I miss the feeling college football used to have.

Take me back to 1995.

Northwestern is making its improbable run to the Rose Bowl. Saturdays felt magical. Rivalries mattered more than television inventory. Sure, there were under-the-table payments. Sure, there were stories like Eric Dickerson and the gold Trans Am. The sport was never completely clean.

But it still felt like college.

Today, it often feels like a professional league wearing school colors.

And every time another conference hires another executive from professional sports...

I can’t help but wonder if we’re moving even farther away from what made college athletics worth loving in the first place.

How do you feel about the hiring of pro sports guys as leaders in college sports? Let me know in the comments!

In this episode, we break down the biggest headlines from Big Ten Media Days, with a special focus on Indiana football and Michigan football following their appearances on the final day. We also discuss the most notable comments from Pat Fitzgerald, Matt Campbell, Bret Bielema, and Dan Lanning, and what their remarks could mean heading into the 2026 college football season.

From quarterback storylines and conference contenders to the biggest takeaways from coaches and players, we separate the coachspeak from the news that actually matters. Even though I wasn’t on-site in Chicago, this episode brings together the key moments, reactions, and analysis from all three days of Big Ten Media Days.

Whether you’re a fan of Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Indiana, Oregon, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, or any other Big Ten program, this episode will get you caught up on the conference’s biggest preseason storylines.

Presented by AR’s Hot Honey. Use promo code SHOWPONY15 at checkout to save on your order.

Today featured one of the dumbest mistakes I’ve made in a long time.

And it was completely my fault.

I’m down on 30A with my family, and for those of you who don’t know, 30A is on Central Time. Apparently, I forgot that little detail.

This morning we went to the beach, played in the ocean, had an absolute blast. The whole time I was thinking, “I’ve got plenty of time. Mad Dog starts at 3.”

Except... it starts at 3 p.m. Eastern.

That means it starts at 2 p.m. here.

Our rule at SiriusXM is to connect about 30 minutes before airtime. Meanwhile, I’m standing in the Gulf completely oblivious while everyone back in New York is wondering where the heck I am.

Apparently there were multiple missed calls.

Finally I looked at my phone and saw a text from Colin telling me to connect immediately. I remember thinking, “Why are they wanting me so early?”

I was unsure, but I joined the Zoom as he asked. I connected at about 1:57 local time, and suddenly I was live three minutes later. Needless to say, I was sweating through that entire first segment. Full-on panic mode was happening inside. I was so confused!

I was embarrassed. Mad at myself. And honestly still trying to figure out what day and what time zone I was in.

Sometimes life humbles you.

Thankfully, the show settled in after that.

One of the highlights was catching up with my longtime partner, Rick Neuheisel. Since Full Ride has been preempted this week for conference media days coverage, it was fun getting to talk football together again.

Rick is at the Big Ten Media Days, and one thing immediately stood out.

He said the atmosphere couldn’t have been more different from what we heard coming out of SEC Media Days last week.

The SEC felt... frustrated.

There were conversations about congressional help, the future of college sports, playoff politics, and even whether the conference could someday split away from the NCAA. It felt tense.

The Big Ten?

Rick described it as a celebration.

Commissioner Tony Petitti made another strong push for a 24-team College Football Playoff, and the entire league seems to be walking around with tremendous confidence.

Honestly, why wouldn’t they?

The biggest story in college athletics right now isn’t coaching.

It isn’t recruiting.

It isn’t X’s and O’s.

It’s money.

Indiana has gone from being one of the sport’s underdogs to a legitimate power because resources have exploded. Curt Cignetti has become one of the hottest names in coaching.

Michigan State suddenly has significant NIL backing.

Illinois has wealthy alumni stepping up in major ways.

In today’s pay-for-play era, the schools with billionaire and millionaire support have enormous advantages.

Right now, the Big Ten feels like the conference of the “haves.”

Until meaningful rules exist around NIL and revenue sharing, that’s probably not changing.

Rick also ran into Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel.

Considering everything that’s happened—from the $12 million investigation into Michigan athletics to the announcement that he’ll be leaving his position—it had to be an awkward week.

Rick told Warde he respected him for showing up despite everything surrounding the situation.

Warde’s response was simple.

“I did my job. I have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Whether everyone agrees with that is another conversation entirely.

It was certainly one of the more interesting moments Rick shared from Chicago.

As for me?

I’ll be setting multiple alarms before every show the rest of this trip.

Trust me.

I’m not making that mistake twice.

Presented by AR’s Hot Honey 🍯🔥

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Thanks to AR’s Hot Honey for supporting Show Pony Media—and thank you for reading.

Sunderland Till I Die?

As most of you know by now, I love soccer.

Not just a little. It’s my biggest sporting passion.

Why? The people.

You all saw it during the World Cup. That’s why I love this sport. The singing. The dancing. The chanting. The scarves held high. Entire cities living and dying with ninety minutes every weekend. I’m completely obsessed.

And no country does it better than England.

I’ve been an English football fan for years. Every Saturday morning you’ll find me on the couch with an energy drink in hand, watching Premier League matches before most people in America are even awake. I love all of it.

But for the last several years, my heart has belonged to a little club called Chesterfield.

They’re currently in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. I actually became a supporter because the club was in serious financial trouble years ago. They needed supporters. I bought shares in the club to do my tiny part to help, and somewhere along the way, I fell completely in love.

They’re not a giant.

They’re proud.

I’ve even been featured in a book about Chesterfield because the author wanted to know how some random guy from Tennessee became emotionally invested in a football club in Derbyshire. I’ve sponsored players’ jerseys (Go, Jeff King). I’ve celebrated promotions. I’ve suffered relegations. It makes absolutely no sense...and perfect sense at the same time.

Maybe that’s because Chesterfield fits who I am.

I don’t naturally gravitate toward the glamour clubs. I like grit. I like people fighting against the odds. I like heartbreak because that’s life. Most of us aren’t born into championships and luxury. We struggle. We work. We hope.

My SiriusXM co-host Rick Neuheisel? He’s Manchester City. Arsenal. Liverpool. Maybe even Real Madrid. He’s polished. Successful. Country club. Golf guy. Won Rose Bowl championships. Everything seems to work out.

Me?

Give me the club that has been knocked down five times and keeps getting back up.

That’s why, as much as I’ve always enjoyed watching Arsenal, they never quite felt like mine.

My wife and I went to the Emirates a couple of years ago to watch Arsenal play Everton. It was magical. I cheered my heart out. I celebrated when they won the Premier League this past season.

But it still didn’t feel like the Chicago Bears.

Or even Chesterfield.

Maybe that’s because I grew up in Chicago instead of North London.

Or maybe it’s because fandom isn’t just about success. It’s about belonging. Which brings me to Sunderland.

Ever since the World Cup ended, I’ve been dealing with the same withdrawal every soccer fan has experienced.

Thankfully, the Premier League scheduled a preseason match in Nashville between Liverpool and Sunderland.

Usually, when I cover sporting events, I’m there because of SiriusXM. This time was different. For the first time, I applied for media credentials representing my own company, Show Pony Media.

That was a cool feeling.

When I applied, I casually mentioned to the event’s media director, Callum, that I’d be hosting for Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on Mad Dog Unleashed Thursday and Friday. I told him it would be a great opportunity to introduce Sunderland to an American audience.

They immediately jumped on it.

Not only that, they asked if I knew anyone else in American media who might be interested.

Absolutely.

The club had just unveiled one of the coolest jerseys I’ve ever seen—its Elvis-inspired away kit. Pink with black shoulders, inspired by Elvis’ iconic jumpsuits. It was created because “Can’t Help Falling in Love” has become Sunderland’s anthem, sung by tens of thousands before every home match at the Stadium of Light. It’s one of the most emotional traditions in English football.

I wanted people here to hear that story.

So I started making calls.

We arranged interviews on SiriusXM FC.

The Highway.

Storme Warren on TuneIn’s Big 615.

104.5 The Zone in Nashville.

Even SiriusXM’s Elvis channel.

Ian Taylor, Sunderland’s communications director, opened the door. I just tried to help however I could. That’s who I am. If I believe in something, I’ll pour everything I have into it.

The club couldn’t have been more appreciative.

They invited my wife and daughter to the match as their guests. My daughter has fallen in love with soccer recently, so that meant the world to us.

When CEO Tom Burwell came into our SiriusXM studios, they surprised me with a jersey signed by club legends Kevin Phillips and Kevin Ball. That wasn’t necessary. But it meant a lot.

Tom joined me live in Nashville, and I asked him a simple question.

“Why Sunderland?” Because that’s what Americans keep asking me. Who should I support?

Tom didn’t sell trophies.

He sold identity.

Sunderland isn’t London.

It isn’t glamorous.

It’s a proud working-class city in England’s northeast built on coal mining, shipbuilding, and industry. Generations of families worked incredibly hard, and through good times and bad, Sunderland AFC became the heartbeat of the community.

Football isn’t entertainment there.

It’s identity.

Founded in 1879, Sunderland became one of England’s great historic clubs, winning six English league championships and two FA Cups. They were once among the country’s giants.

Then came decades of decline. Relegation. Financial struggles. Ownership changes.

Heartbreak.

Millions of people around the world got to witness that pain through the Netflix documentary Sunderland ‘Til I Die, one of the best sports documentaries ever made. Instead of hiding from failure, Sunderland let cameras capture every painful moment.

Fans kept showing up. Forty thousand people.

In League One.

The third division.

Think about that. Most clubs would disappear. Sunderland didn’t.

Eventually, after years of frustration, they clawed their way back. Promotion to the Championship. Then promotion back to the Premier League.

They earned it.

Nothing was handed to them. As I listened to Tom tell that story, something clicked. This felt familiar.

Blue-collar.

Loyal.

Hopeful.

Heartbroken.

Determined.

It sounded a lot like college football.

It sounded a lot like the Chicago Bears.

Honestly...

It sounded a lot like me.

Then something unexpected happened. The Premier League announced supporter watch parties across America for opening weekend.

Each club would have its own city.

Sunderland’s?

Nashville.

I offered to host it.

And they said yes.

So here I am.

The guy who randomly bought shares in Chesterfield years ago because he wanted to help a struggling football club.

Now helping another proud English club tell its story in America.

Life is funny like that.

Will Sunderland ever replace Chesterfield?

No.

But could Sunderland become my Premier League club?

It sure looks like it.

Maybe this is how these things happen. Not because you pick a team. Because somehow... The team picks you.

Maybe, just maybe...

I’m Sunderland ‘Til I Die.

Today's article is presented by AR's Hot Honey. If you haven't tried it yet, you're missing out. It's the best hot honey I've ever had, and it's become a staple in my kitchen. Visit ARsHotHoney.com and use promo code SHOWPONY15 to save 15% on your order.

We also discussed Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel’s reported $7 million buyout, another reminder of just how much money is now flowing through college athletics. Athletic directors, coaches, television networks, conferences—everything continues to get bigger financially, and the stakes have never been higher.

With Big Ten Media Days getting underway in Chicago this week, we previewed the biggest storylines to watch. Which teams are legitimate national title contenders? Which coaches are under the most pressure? And what questions need answering before Week 1 arrives? The Big Ten enters another season carrying enormous expectations, and we’ll be following every development.

One of my favorite segments today centered around Lane Kiffin. I played several of his comments from SEC Media Days and reacted to them live. Kiffin remains one of the most unique personalities in college football. Whether you agree with him or not, he has a way of saying exactly what he thinks while keeping everyone listening. He’s entertaining, insightful, and unlike almost anyone else in the sport.

We also examined the growing movement involving Stanford football players, who are reportedly attempting to organize around collective bargaining. It’s another sign that the conversation surrounding player rights, employment, and the future structure of college athletics isn’t slowing down anytime soon. The legal and financial landscape of college sports continues to evolve, and this story could have implications well beyond Palo Alto.

As always, thank you for supporting Show Pony Media. If you’re enjoying the podcast, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a rating and review, and share the show with another college football fan. Every subscription helps us continue growing this community.

Today’s episode is presented by AR’s Hot Honey. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out. It’s the best hot honey I’ve ever had, and it’s become a staple in my kitchen. Visit ARsHotHoney.com and use promo code SHOWPONY15 to save 15% on your order.

Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next time on Show Pony Live.

SEC Media Days wraps up tomorrow in Tampa, and while I’m not there this year, I’ve probably consumed as much coverage as anyone.

I’ve spent hours listening to SiriusXM College Sports Radio all week. Olivia, Maz and the entire crew have been outstanding, bringing listeners every interview and behind-the-scenes conversation. They’ve made me feel like I never left Media Days.

Earlier this week, the biggest story wasn’t even supposed to happen.

Greg Sankey never planned to make SEC expansion or a potential split from the NCAA the headline. But when someone finally asked whether the conversations were real, he answered honestly. Suddenly, that became the story of Media Days.

Sometimes the biggest news comes from the question nobody expected.

Today, though, it was about the coaches.

Alex Golesh Impressed

If there was one coach who genuinely impressed me, it was Auburn’s Alex Golesh.

The guy just has it.

He was thoughtful. Detailed. Confident without sounding arrogant. Every answer had substance. You can tell he has a plan and understands exactly what he’s building.

Is Auburn finally stable?

Maybe—just maybe—Auburn has finally found some stability.

Lord knows that program has needed it.

Between coaching changes, expectations, boosters and constant drama, Auburn has spent years chasing itself.

Maybe having Tommy Tuberville sitting in the governor’s office is the strange football karma they needed.

I actually feel optimistic about Auburn for the first time in a while.

Now they have to prove it on Saturdays.

Alabama has one enormous question

Kalen DeBoer was exactly who Kalen DeBoer always is.

Calm. Professional. Measured. Impressive. But here’s the problem.

I still can’t erase what I watched last season.

Yes, Alabama made the College Football Playoff.

But that rushing attack? Good grief. It felt like every handoff ended with the running back reaching the line of scrimmage...and immediately falling over.

There was zero balance offensively. I actually think it hurt Ty Simpson’s NFL evaluation because Alabama simply couldn’t threaten defenses consistently on the ground. Can they fix that?

Does freshman phenom Keelon Russell eventually have to beat out Austin Mack simply because of what his mobility could add?

Then there’s Ryan Williams.

Now Ryan Cole Williams.

Will he become the superstar we expected again?

He looked like a future first-round pick early last season before seemingly disappearing. The drops piled up. The explosiveness faded.

Maybe the new name comes with a fresh start.

Georgia feels good with Gunner Stockton

Kirby Smart said Gunner Stockton is far more comfortable in the pocket than he was a year ago. He better be.

Last year, Rick Neuheisel and I admittedly weren’t sold.

Honestly, when we met him at Media Days, we joked he looked more like someone from Duck Dynasty than Georgia’s next quarterback.

The pickup trucks. The hunting. The fishing. We wondered if he was really ready. Then he went out and proved us wrong.

Now comes the next step.

They won national championships with Stetson Bennett because he played confidently within himself while an outstanding running game carried much of the load.

That’s the formula again. Georgia’s backfield is loaded. Stockton simply has to become comfortable being Georgia’s quarterback.

Florida’s culture has to change

One of my favorite interviews today came from Jon Sumrall. He talked about toughness. Not fake toughness. Not screaming toughness. Real toughness.

The kind that teaches players to become comfortable being uncomfortable.

That’s leadership.

Somewhere along the way, Florida football lost that identity. Personally, I still think the decline started when the Gators moved on from Dan Mullen. Now they begin another chapter.

Rick Neuheisel believes Sumrall has a legitimate chance to become Florida’s version of Curt Cignetti—a proven winner capable of changing the culture quickly. Florida desperately needs that. Because the last several years simply haven’t been good enough.

Texas A&M has to finish

Mike Elko sounded like a coach who believes his team is close. He should. The Aggies looked like contenders before fading badly late last season. Now the spotlight shifts to Marcel Reed.

Who is he? Is he a quarterback who wins the biggest games? Or does he still have another level to reach?

Right now, he hasn’t consistently gotten Texas A&M over the hump when it matters most. Year two should tell us a lot.

Ole Miss enters a new era

Lane Kiffin is gone. Now it’s Pete Golding’s program. Oxford believes it made the right decision to keep the momentum going internally.The roster still has talent.

The quarterback is a stud. The offense should still score a ton of points.

But now Golding has to prove he can be more than an outstanding coordinator. He has to become the face of the program.

Being “the guy” is different. We’ll start finding out this fall.

One more day

Tomorrow wraps up SEC Media Days.

The Big Ten is next.

Then the talking stops. Depth charts start taking shape.

And before long, we’ll finally get answers to all the questions we’ve spent this week debating.

I can’t wait.

Day 4 of SEC Media Days is here!

Tonight on Show Pony Live, we discuss the 3rd day in Tampa as Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M take center stage. What are the biggest storylines? Which coaches and players have the most to prove? We’ll get you ready for the final day of one of college football’s biggest events.

We’ll also look back at Wednesday’s media sessions, including what Kirby Smart and Alex Golesh had to say about their programs and what their comments could mean heading into the 2026 season.

Presented by AR’s Hot Honey. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out. As I said on today’s radio show, I had one of the mainstream hot honeys at a restaurant today, and it wasn’t even close. The flavor and quality of AR’s Hot Honey stand out immediately. Save 15% with promo code SHOWPONY15.

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SEC Media Days are in full swing, and while I wasn’t in Tampa this year, we still had boots on the ground.

George Somerville of The College Chaps and The Touchdown joined me live from SEC Media Days to break down everything we’ve seen through the first two days. We discussed Commissioner Greg Sankey’s State of the Conference address, including his comments on the future of college sports and the SEC’s growing frustrations with the current landscape. Sankey acknowledged that discussions about the SEC potentially separating from the NCAA are real, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the sport’s future.

We also went team-by-team through the biggest storylines from the opening two days, highlighting which coaches and players made the strongest impressions, what stood out from Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt, and what it all could mean heading into the 2026 season.

If you love college football, this is your daily SEC Media Days catch-up.

Listen now on Substack, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and be sure to subscribe to Show Pony Media so you never miss an episode.

One unexpected perk of Full Ride being preempted this week for SiriusXM’s SEC Media Days coverage? It gives us a chance to spend some time together.

Tonight at 8:00 PM Eastern, I’ll be hosting an exclusive live premium subscriber chat right here on ShowPonyMedia.com, and I hope you’ll join me.

We’ll cover plenty of what’s happening in college sports, including:

• Michigan AD Warde Manuel announcing he’ll step down at the end of the academic year.

• My biggest takeaways from the first two days of SEC Media Days.

• The latest news and storylines shaping college athletics.

• And, because it’s just us, I’ll share some behind-the-scenes stories from Full Ride and what it’s been like covering Media Days from the SiriusXM side this week.

One of my favorite parts of this community is getting to have real conversations that we don’t always have time for on the radio. Bring your questions, your opinions, and anything else you’d like to discuss. Whether it’s college football, media, broadcasting, soccer, or whatever’s on your mind, let’s have some fun.

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If you’re not a subscriber yet, today’s a great day to join. You’ll get access to tonight’s live chat, premium articles, podcasts, and our growing community of passionate college sports fans.

See you tonight!

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I wasn’t in Tampa for SEC Media Days this year.

That’s okay. SiriusXM can’t send everyone to every event, and I’ve been fortunate enough to cover more than my share over the years. But as I watched Greg Sankey open SEC Media Days from home, I found myself wishing I had been in that room.

Because I have questions. Lots of them.

For years, Sankey has projected confidence. He’s never been flashy, but he has always seemed measured, deliberate and in complete command of the moment.

Monday felt different.

There was a heaviness to him.

Part of that is understandable. College sports has become less about football and more about lawsuits, congressional hearings, federal legislation and governance. A significant portion of Sankey’s opening remarks focused not on touchdowns or championships, but on the Protect College Sports Act and why the SEC believes Congress needs to step in and create a workable national framework. That’s the world college athletics now lives in.

Then came the question.

Are the reports about the SEC discussing breaking away from the NCAA real?

Sankey’s answer was simple.

Yes.

“They’re real.”

He went on to explain that those conversations are born out of frustration, not leverage. He said conference leaders have genuinely discussed whether they need to look at “something significantly different” because the current system isn’t functioning the way they believe it should. He also emphasized that he still sees value in having a national governing structure—provided it actually works.

I believe him.

I believe those conversations are happening.

I also think it would be one of the biggest mistakes college athletics has ever made.

Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should

The SEC has power. The Big Ten has power. They have the television money. They have the biggest brands. They have enormous influence in Washington. Nobody disputes that.

But somewhere along the way, we’ve started confusing having power with being right. College football wasn’t created to maximize quarterly television revenue. It wasn’t designed to create billion-dollar media companies or make commissioners into CEOs of multinational corporations.

It exists because universities believed athletics could help educate young people. That mission has gotten buried beneath television contracts, streaming deals and an endless chase for the next dollar.

We Didn’t Have to End Up Here

People love to act like today’s chaos was inevitable. It wasn’t. Athletes absolutely deserved more. As television money exploded, scholarship benefits should have expanded with it. Cost-of-attendance.

Health care. Lifetime educational opportunities. Revenue sharing. All of this could have been avoided. The power leagues would likely blame the smaller leagues for voting against it, because they can't afford it.

That in itself brings up a whole different discussion about membership structure and voting rights.

However, there were countless opportunities for the NCAA membership to modernize before the Supreme Court’s Alston decision exposed just how broken the old amateurism model had become. Instead, the people running college athletics dug in.

University presidents failed. Conference commissioners failed. The NCAA failed. The system refused to evolve until the courts forced it to.

That’s how we got here.

Read more

SEC Media Days are officially underway, and while I’m not in Tampa, I followed every major development closely.

On today’s episode of Show Pony Live, presented by AR’s Hot Honey, I react to Commissioner Greg Sankey’s opening remarks, including his comments about the possibility of the SEC eventually splitting away from the NCAA and what that could mean for the future of college athletics.

I also break down the biggest storylines from the four programs that met with the media on Day 1: Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Which comments actually mattered? Who made the strongest impression? And what should fans take away as the 2026 season approaches?

Show Pony Live is presented by AR’s Hot Honey. Visit ARsHotHoney.com and use promo code SHOWPONY15 for 15% off.

Subscribe for free at ShowPonyMedia.com and follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

ACC Media Days continued in Charlotte, and while I wasn’t on site this year, there was still plenty to unpack from home.

Today’s show starts with Pat Narduzzi’s revealing comments to SiriusXM College Sports Radio. The Pitt head coach said quarterback Mason Heintschel was tampered with near the end of the transfer portal window and even claimed he warned Manny Diaz that schools were coming after Darian Mensah. Diaz ultimately lost his quarterback anyway. What do Narduzzi’s comments tell us about where college football is today?

Plus, we dive into:

• James Franklin’s response to the viral “we won the offseason” quote.

• Virginia Tech’s outlook coming out of ACC Media Days.

• Bill Belichick explaining why he hired Bobby Petrino to run North Carolina’s offense.

• My biggest takeaways from another busy day of ACC Media Days.

Subscribe FREE at ShowPonyMedia.com for daily columns, podcasts, videos, and exclusive college football commentary. You can also listen to Show Pony Live on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The first two days of ACC Media Days are complete, and we’ll break down everything you need to know.

Topics include:

• Miami and the spotlight on Darian Mensah

• Takeaways from Virginia, Georgia Tech and Florida State

• The ACC’s new championship game tiebreaker format and how it could impact the race this fall

• The biggest winners, questions and storylines from Charlotte

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Jim Phillips finally fixed a problem he helped create

Congratulations.

Seriously.

The ACC finally adopted the only tiebreaker that ever made sense. The best team gets into the championship game. It really wasn’t that difficult.

Conference championship games aren’t what they once were. During the four-team playoff era, simply reaching one was often your ticket into the postseason. Today, with a 12-team field, they’re largely another data point for the selection committee. Important? Sure. But no longer the gatekeeper they once were.

Last year’s tiebreaker created absolute chaos.

Instead of simply selecting the better team, the ACC’s convoluted system sent Duke into the title game over Miami. Duke then beat Virginia to win the conference championship, creating a Selection Sunday mess that never should have existed.

The biggest victim?

Notre Dame.

The Irish believed they were unfairly jumped by Miami, and there’s a strong argument that chain reaction only happened because Duke was placed in the championship game to begin with.

What should have been a routine scheduling partnership between the ACC and Notre Dame suddenly became a political headache for commissioner Jim Phillips.

All because of a bad tiebreaker.

Sometimes common sense deserves applause.

This week, common sense finally won.

Mario Cristobal’s explanation requires a leap of faith

Mario Cristobal continues to insist Miami recruited Darian Mensah exactly like every other transfer portal player. Once Mensah entered the portal, Miami pursued him. That’s the story.

OK.

And I have some oceanfront property in Arizona I’d love to sell you.

Read more

College football has turned media days into a month-long parade.

The Big 12 had its week. Now the ACC takes center stage in Charlotte. The SEC follows. Then the Big Ten. For four straight weeks, commissioners, coaches and players will stand behind podiums and tell us how bright the future is.

The problem?

The future isn’t nearly as stable as they’ll make it sound.

Last week was a reminder of that.

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark had an opportunity to show leadership during his opening remarks. Instead, the conference’s biggest story largely went unaddressed. Texas Tech — arguably the league’s most powerful football program in the NIL era — is at the center of the Brandon Sorsby legal saga, with the conference itself involved in litigation. The issue hangs over the league whether anyone likes it or not.

Then came the awkward exchange with a reporter, whom Yormark asked to stand up before asking a question. It became one of the defining viral moments of the event for all the wrong reasons.

Rather than confronting the uncertainty surrounding his conference, Yormark leaned into expansion, branding and sponsorships, including the league’s new partnership with Monster Energy.

There’s nothing wrong with celebrating new revenue.

But when the room is waiting for answers about the health of your conference, talking about jersey patches feels like discussing the paint color while the foundation is shifting beneath the house.

The uncomfortable truth nobody wants to admit

Here’s the reality every commissioner knows, even if few will say it publicly:

Read more