Some people covered the recruiting business. Mike Farrell helped build it.
Long before NIL collectives, transfer portal chaos, and year-round commitment drama, Mike became one of the most recognizable and influential voices in college football recruiting through his work at Rivals.com.
This week on Show Pony University, Mike joined me for a revealing, funny, and brutally honest conversation about the industry he helped shape — and the one that eventually treated him poorly.
We talked about:
How recruiting coverage exploded into a year-round obsession
Building Rivals into a powerhouse brand
Why rankings create so much emotion and controversy
How NIL and the portal changed player evaluation forever
What fans misunderstand about recruiting analysts
Why Mike became the lovable grump we all know today
Mike also remains a weekly Thursday staple with me and Rick Neuheisel on Full Ride on SiriusXM College Sports Radio Channel 84.
If you care about college football, recruiting, media, or how the sport truly operates behind the curtain, this episode delivers.
🎧 Listen Now
You’ll laugh. You’ll learn. You may even agree with Mike for once.
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