WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:02.600 College football right out of the gates, though, with our 2 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:06.160 buddy Kyle Vonagura, who covers college football sometimes a little 3 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:07.559 soccer as well for ESPN. 4 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:09.880 Kyle, Happy Monday. It's been a minute. How you been, Bud? 5 00:00:10.599 --> 00:00:11.800 I'm big good? Are you? 6 00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:12.679 I'm good? I'm good. 7 00:00:12.759 --> 00:00:18.000 So some interesting offseason college football storylines. Let's start with 8 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:23.320 the new CFP expansion proposal, the five plus eleven model, 9 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:28.079 which of course has support in some areas and detractors 10 00:00:28.120 --> 00:00:30.600 and others. The Big twelve media or excuse me, the 11 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:33.399 Big twelve kind of summer meetings were held this weekend 12 00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:37.200 in Orlando. Heard a lot from Brett Yormark, But what 13 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:39.399 say you about what's on the table? 14 00:00:39.560 --> 00:00:41.719 Five plus eleven, sixteen? You think that's right? 15 00:00:41.799 --> 00:00:45.159 With the AQ bids four for the Big Ten, four 16 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:47.320 for the SEC, two for the ACC, two for the 17 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:47.759 Big twelve. 18 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:49.600 Do you do you like that model? Do you think 19 00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:50.359 that's where we're headed? 20 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:54.320 Yeah? I think it's where it's headed. Is as far 21 00:00:54.359 --> 00:00:56.920 as I like it. I kind of felt like sixteen 22 00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:00.560 was the right number from the beginning. The buyers or 23 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:04.280 it felt like the NCA always takes small steps right. 24 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:05.840 They're not willing to you know you're willing to go 25 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:08.000 from two to four, from four, then you jumpy. I 26 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:10.040 guess they did jump out eight to twelve, but it's 27 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:12.519 filled for me, like if you're gonna have, if you're 28 00:01:12.519 --> 00:01:17.319 gonna have a real playoff sixteen, it makes it nice 29 00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:20.680 and tidy. Right, There's the problem that you have with 30 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:22.640 twelve there, and there was a lot you know, there's 31 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:27.599 problems with all these different formats. Was that you continue 32 00:01:27.640 --> 00:01:30.599 to devalue the bowls, right and so now, and that's 33 00:01:30.599 --> 00:01:33.319 always going to be the case whenever you cut it off. 34 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:37.200 But I think once you got to twelve, like when 35 00:01:37.239 --> 00:01:40.079 you get the thirteen through twenty five, those bowl games, 36 00:01:40.120 --> 00:01:42.680 like we're essentially meaningless, right, and so you have the 37 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:45.200 trickle down effect on how it impacted Bowls was problematic. 38 00:01:45.239 --> 00:01:47.040 So I thought, you know, might as well just add 39 00:01:47.079 --> 00:01:50.959 more playoff games, make those other teams play meaningful games 40 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:52.319 at the end of the year. I mean, I really 41 00:01:52.359 --> 00:01:54.200 like the FCS model that's even bigger than that of 42 00:01:54.280 --> 00:01:56.439 these twenty four teams. Like for me, that you could 43 00:01:56.480 --> 00:01:59.959 do buys with early round byes and include more teams. 44 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:03.280 It doesn't necessarily add too many games in total for 45 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:06.959 the whole country, right, but you get to have meaningful 46 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:09.039 games at the end of the season. So yeah, like sixteen, 47 00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:10.560 Like I think it's there's more football, and I like 48 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:13.120 having more football that matters, and I think it's the 49 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:15.159 simplest way to look at it. That's why it's a 50 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:15.639 good thing. 51 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:20.319 As far as the multiple automatic qualified spots for the 52 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:24.159 Big Ten and the SEC essentially taking half the spots 53 00:02:24.360 --> 00:02:26.879 and then the Big twelve in the ACC getting two 54 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:29.800 and then leaving one for the Group of five and 55 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:32.360 then you know the at large stuff. Do you think 56 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:34.599 that's where we're going as well? Or do you think 57 00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:38.039 there's enough pushback from people that aren't in the Big 58 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:40.360 ten and the SEC to maybe just make it a 59 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:42.960 straight sixteen sixteen team with eleven plus five. 60 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:44.479 How do you think that plays out? 61 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:47.439 I think it should be eleven plus five. It would 62 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:50.759 be kind of a bully You feel like it would 63 00:02:50.759 --> 00:02:53.159 be bullying the other conferences if they added more automatic 64 00:02:53.800 --> 00:02:56.240 bids for the SEC and the Big Ten, because like 65 00:02:56.240 --> 00:02:58.800 the thing is like they don't need the automatic bids. 66 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:00.599 There's not going to be you can game it out 67 00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:02.280 however you want to do it. Like it's just I 68 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:04.080 don't see a scenario where that would even really come 69 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:06.840 into play, right, maybe you can get to get creative 70 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:10.280 with it, but yeah, like make it. Give it for me. 71 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:12.479 The five is what makes sense one one for outside 72 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:15.960 of the power conferences. Give the champions a bid. But 73 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:18.520 at the same time, also, you know, if you're a 74 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:21.960 champion of one of those conferences, like you don't even 75 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:24.240 need the automatic bid at this point, Like it mattered 76 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:27.719 more at twelve. It certainly mattered at four where they 77 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:31.680 valued conference championships to a degree, but at sixteen, like 78 00:03:31.719 --> 00:03:33.360 if you were in one of those leagues, like you're 79 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:35.120 going to get in. So it's almost kind of a 80 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:38.560 point atition to see how they'll use that to determine 81 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:41.280 you know, seating or hometeil advantage those sorts of things. 82 00:03:41.479 --> 00:03:42.960 Is I think it is where it gets more interesting. 83 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:44.800 But as far as like getting in the field, like, 84 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:47.199 I don't think that is ultimately going to make that 85 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:49.360 much of a difference. However, they decided to structure it. 86 00:03:49.439 --> 00:03:53.039 Yeah, I agree with that, well said, So the sixteen 87 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:56.199 team expanded model will come our way twenty twenty six. 88 00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:00.319 This year, we will have the twelve team format, but 89 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:02.759 it will be straight seeding I don't know why they 90 00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:05.000 didn't do this initially, Kyle. This seems to be one 91 00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:07.439 of those like very common sense type things that should 92 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:10.599 have been done right away. But you know, we've already 93 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:12.680 got your thoughts on the sixteen team thing, but that's 94 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:14.599 in a year. So what do you think about the 95 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:17.319 twelve team format moving just a straight seeding this fall? 96 00:04:18.279 --> 00:04:20.319 Yeah? So, I I mean, I think, like you said it, 97 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:23.079 for me, it was like another obvious move. And as 98 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:25.519 you know, I do like the both productions during during 99 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:29.040 the regular season, and this is something that I identified the 100 00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:31.120 first week. I did it the first week after games 101 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:34.680 are played. Where the impact like I understand like the 102 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:37.199 idea of it, Like they wanted to reward those like 103 00:04:37.240 --> 00:04:40.319 the Big twelve champion and the ACC champion, right, they 104 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:42.959 wanted to give them a reward for winning their conferences. 105 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:45.160 And like in theory, like I can understand the logic, 106 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:47.839 but how it played out, Like it didn't play out 107 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:53.399 that way because it effectively punishes the top seed, Like 108 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:56.240 any playoff format should be designed to give an advantage 109 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:58.639 to the number one seed. That's why you're valuing the 110 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:02.959 regular season, right, Like, that's that's very basic with competitive sports, right, 111 00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:07.040 But by getting buys to you know, the you in 112 00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:09.040 the three and four spot for teams that weren't actually 113 00:05:09.079 --> 00:05:13.000 the third and fourth best teams, he created inequitable matchups 114 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:15.360 in the second in the quarterfinal round, and it ended 115 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:18.040 up punishing you know, Oregon, like Oregon ended up playing 116 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:20.680 Ohio State, a team that would have been seated differently. 117 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:22.600 So it really messed up with how it should have 118 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:24.879 gone and punished the team at the top. So I think, yeah, 119 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:27.279 this is a I wrote. I wrote this almost every 120 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:29.560 week during the season, you know, kept hammering it at 121 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:31.240 the point home because it was just it just it 122 00:05:31.399 --> 00:05:33.560 just never made sense when once you went and kind 123 00:05:33.560 --> 00:05:35.319 of saw how it was going to play out. So 124 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:37.959 I'm unhappy that they were able to act quick and 125 00:05:38.040 --> 00:05:40.120 restore kind of restore order in that respect. 126 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:41.680 Do you still think, you know? 127 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:44.639 Coach Witt was on a podcast a couple of weeks ago, 128 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:49.199 and he continues to talk about, uh, the super league 129 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:52.120 potential possibility that you and I have discussed for years 130 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:56.439 now and college football writers have written about for years now, 131 00:05:56.920 --> 00:05:59.639 And I don't know, man, like it feels like this 132 00:05:59.720 --> 00:06:03.079 is the come more fluid, in my opinion than actually 133 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:06.240 something concrete that I believe is inevitable. At one point 134 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:09.000 I was convinced that we were high speed ahead to 135 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:11.839 something that looks a lot like the NFL with two 136 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:16.759 conferences whatever you call them, big ten SEC grab you know, 137 00:06:17.160 --> 00:06:19.600 number of schools that they want, and then suddenly that's 138 00:06:19.639 --> 00:06:22.360 AFC NFC and we have like a miniature NFL model 139 00:06:22.360 --> 00:06:23.160 in college football. 140 00:06:23.879 --> 00:06:25.639 I don't know how convinced I am that we're headed 141 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:27.079 there now, Kyle? What about you? 142 00:06:28.439 --> 00:06:31.160 So? I think for like, I'm still like pretty confident 143 00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:33.399 eventually it will get there. I think for me, the 144 00:06:33.480 --> 00:06:35.199 question is just like how long is it going to take. 145 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:38.079 It's not going to happen in five years. It might 146 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:41.240 not happen in ten years, but you know eventually, you know, 147 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:43.680 once and I think two is like you have to 148 00:06:43.720 --> 00:06:46.160 kind of get people to cycle out right, the current 149 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:49.519 admitted like the leadership in place across the country, conferences 150 00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:51.560 and schools. You know, you can kind of get a 151 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:53.680 sense of what they want right now, and that's going 152 00:06:53.720 --> 00:06:56.839 to hold court for a while, right, But those people 153 00:06:56.839 --> 00:06:59.399 will only be in those jobs for so long, and 154 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:02.600 then eventually you'll have, you know, an SEC commissioner who 155 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:05.680 doesn't care about Vanderbilt or an Alabama athletic director or 156 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:08.759 a president who pushes for Hey, like why is Vanderbilt 157 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:10.519 still in our Like why are we still on equal 158 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:12.399 plane field with them? Like why are why are we 159 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:17.240 peers with them as opposed to uh creating a larger 160 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:19.920 pie and less less people to pull from or less 161 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:21.920 schools to pull from. So I think like eventually it 162 00:07:21.959 --> 00:07:24.439 still gets there, but it's just a matter of waiting 163 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:26.319 to see how how long that will take. I mean, 164 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:30.279 in hindsight, it's kind of remarkable that this didn't all 165 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:32.920 happen faster, Like it's no seeing how it has all 166 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:35.800 played out so quickly, Like there's just so much money 167 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:39.120 at stake that eventually money will always drive this, you know, 168 00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:42.079 once these once the kids are employees, like that's going 169 00:07:42.120 --> 00:07:45.240 to change things. Like there's eligibility questions that are still 170 00:07:45.319 --> 00:07:46.839 kind of up in the air and kind of fluid. 171 00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:48.600 So there's there's so many things that are going to change. 172 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:50.560 I think eventually there'll just be too much money for 173 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:53.079 the schools at the top not to be, you know, 174 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:55.319 tempted to take a bigger slice. 175 00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:57.600 So we've all been waiting for the House of the 176 00:07:57.720 --> 00:08:00.800 NC double A settlement, and you know, we continue to wait, 177 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:04.480 and it's been kind of wild to watch what has 178 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:09.959 unfolded surrounding this dynamic, with certain states passing laws kind 179 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:12.240 of behind closed doors where it's like, yeah, our schools 180 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:14.680 do not have to adhere to whatever that settlement says, 181 00:08:15.160 --> 00:08:18.040 and then the P four programs are all writing contracts 182 00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:19.639 to say, well, actually you do if you want to 183 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:23.160 hang out with us. And so you have this interesting 184 00:08:23.399 --> 00:08:30.120 juxtaposition in dynamic where Tennessee among others, have literally passed 185 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:33.799 legislation saying that their member institutions will residing their state 186 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:37.200 don't even have to adhere to what House VNCUBA has 187 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:41.480 to say about nil distributions and such. The nc DOUBLEA 188 00:08:41.559 --> 00:08:44.600 has already been told like you're not allowed to essentially 189 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:47.600 put any sort of restriction. You can enforce any of 190 00:08:47.639 --> 00:08:51.000 your rules. Like it all continues to be very fluid. 191 00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:53.000 I think maybe I was a little bit hopeful in 192 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:55.480 Pie in the Sky and maybe naive believing that the 193 00:08:55.879 --> 00:08:59.759 House VNCAA settlement would suddenly give us guardrails and guidelines 194 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:03.360 looking for So, how is this going all play out? 195 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:05.080 And what's you're understanding about where we're at in the 196 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:06.960 process of the House n A. 197 00:09:08.039 --> 00:09:10.039 I mean, that's a great question. I wish I had 198 00:09:10.039 --> 00:09:12.279 a nice, tidy answer for you, because it's I mean, 199 00:09:12.360 --> 00:09:16.000 it's just so messy, and I think, what's difficult. Rights 200 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:18.320 you have you know, fifty states or you know, not 201 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:20.480 that quite not quite that many in the nc double 202 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:22.080 A that are are kind of in play here. But 203 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:24.440 the point is you have all these state governments, you 204 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:27.200 have local governments who have private schools, you have public schools. 205 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:32.720 There's so many different parties that are governed by different entities. 206 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:35.279 To get them all on the same page, it's just 207 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:38.639 so hard to do, and so ultimately it's still unclear 208 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:43.159 who gets final say right. I mean, you've seen every lawsuit. 209 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:46.840 It's anytime the NCUBA has been challenging law or last 210 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:49.480 you pick your time period, like they've lost right, whether 211 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:55.120 it's eligibility, whether that's you know, name anything they've they've 212 00:09:55.159 --> 00:09:58.200 always sided with with with the players, and they're kind 213 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:02.080 of chase to have get more money and more uh 214 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:04.720 you know, more distribution from from the nc double A. 215 00:10:04.840 --> 00:10:07.799 And so it's I just don't see how that's ever 216 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:10.399 gonna like it's gonna change while you're still dealing with 217 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:13.080 student athletes, and I think, like that's for me, like 218 00:10:13.399 --> 00:10:15.440 out in the out in the distance, like it just 219 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:19.240 seems inevitable that eventually they become employees. And once you're 220 00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:21.639 employees and you're not students and you're not kind of 221 00:10:21.639 --> 00:10:24.919 governed by Title nine in the same way, then you 222 00:10:24.919 --> 00:10:27.480 can say, okay, like then salary caps become a little 223 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:29.919 bit more real, right the n C, Like then you 224 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:34.080 operate like a professional league and the government isn't going 225 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:36.720 to be able to step in and and govern in 226 00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:38.840 the way it is, you know, effectively do or not 227 00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:40.960 now with that with the kind of looming house settlement. 228 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:43.360 So yeah, like I don't I don't have a great 229 00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:45.279 answer to you, but it could because there's just so 230 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:49.159 many moving pieces that until you get until you knock 231 00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:51.759 one dominant dominant down, like it's it's really hard to 232 00:10:51.799 --> 00:10:53.399 say what what's gonna happen with the next one? 233 00:10:53.480 --> 00:10:53.639 You know. 234 00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:55.759 One of the walking lines you hear a lot, and 235 00:10:55.799 --> 00:11:00.559 I'm guilty of using it too, is and sometimes maybe 236 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:02.440 if you do what you and I do for a living, 237 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:05.440 this is just like a smoke screen when really what 238 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:07.159 you're saying is I don't understand any of this. 239 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:09.120 So you land on, well. 240 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:12.200 Saturdays in the fall will always still feel like Saturdays 241 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:15.559 in the fall. Well, it doesn't feel that way for 242 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:20.360 Washington State anymore, or Oregon State, and honestly, Kyle, Saturdays 243 00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:23.759 in the fall around here still feel a little bit 244 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:26.960 different based off of the conference affiliation change, where for 245 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:29.639 years it was Oregon and SC and the PAC twelve 246 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:32.799 West Coast brands and Washington and do respect to the 247 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:35.000 Big twelve because it's at least a home for the 248 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:38.320 University of Utah. The brands and teams that rolled through 249 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:39.919 last year, it felt different. 250 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:40.440 It just did. 251 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:44.039 So my question is, well, Saturdays in the fall still 252 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:46.200 always feel like Saturday's in the fall or is it 253 00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:47.440 just for a select few now? 254 00:11:48.519 --> 00:11:51.120 Yeah, I hope. So that's probably the best I can do. 255 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:55.639 I mean, I do think that there is a novelty 256 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:00.679 about the conference realignment that was interesting here. You have 257 00:12:00.759 --> 00:12:03.799 to see new schools and new teams, and and that 258 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:06.600 part had had some lure. But I do think that 259 00:12:06.759 --> 00:12:09.480 aware off, you know, pretty quickly, at least for me, 260 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:13.200 and eventually when you're playing these games that you don't 261 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:16.159 have strong regional or historic ties to it, won't it 262 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:18.399 won't be as fun. I mean you talk benefits because 263 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:20.240 it's you know, in the same conference with by US. 264 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:22.519 I think for a lot of people that like localized 265 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:24.159 it in a way that was like, you know, you 266 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:27.200 gain the rivalry back and it's like in a meaningful way. 267 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:31.080 So there's there's there's given cake to some degree. But 268 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:33.080 but but I do still feel like as long as 269 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:35.679 they're playing these games on campus, as long as the 270 00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:39.039 you know, there's a those ties exist, like attending the 271 00:12:39.080 --> 00:12:42.559 game is still going to feel pretty similar. I mean, 272 00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:45.000 it's the uniforms are going to be the same, cheering 273 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:47.679 for football at the end of the day, like at 274 00:12:47.720 --> 00:12:52.039 its core, like that's that experience. A lot would have 275 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:54.279 to change for it to be, you know, so different 276 00:12:54.279 --> 00:12:56.600 that it wouldn't be worth like participating or paying attention 277 00:12:56.679 --> 00:13:00.440 to anymore. But the evolution is definitely going to keep happening. 278 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:03.639 And in two degree, right, it's that's been college football 279 00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:04.840 for a long time. But if you look over the 280 00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:07.399 one hundred years, like there's been so many different iterations 281 00:13:07.399 --> 00:13:09.240 of what the sport has looked like that you know 282 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:11.840 even you know ten years ago, twenty years ago, you 283 00:13:11.879 --> 00:13:14.240 know that looked very little like it did, you know, 284 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:16.320 thirty years before that, And so I in a way 285 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:18.279 like changes is part of the sport, and I guess 286 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:19.320 that's what it can continue. 287 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:21.919 To expect one more thing in this space, and I 288 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:24.840 apologize if you feel like you've gone on Bloomberg News 289 00:13:24.840 --> 00:13:27.399 on a Monday afternoon, but I do want to ask 290 00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:31.879 you about another storyline. Brett Yormark, among many things he's 291 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:33.840 had to say over the past seventy two hours, is 292 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:37.080 the Big twelve has elected to not accept private equity 293 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:40.960 money for an ownership stake in the conference. And you know, 294 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:44.039 about a year ago, I think it was Mark Lasry, 295 00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:47.440 if I remember correctly, the owner of the Bucks, who 296 00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:50.240 in a public form said he planned on making an 297 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:52.360 offer at Ohio State Football to try to buy like 298 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:54.080 forty nine percent of the Buckeyes. 299 00:13:54.759 --> 00:13:57.039 And there are rumors around here that some of the. 300 00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:59.879 Powerful folk that have deep pockets wanted to get involved 301 00:13:59.919 --> 00:14:02.759 in Utah BYU football and potentially have an ownership stake. 302 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:08.080 And now the momentum is going the other direction. Folks 303 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:10.919 are now saying no to private equity money. I am 304 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:14.279 no finance major, but my gut tells me this must 305 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:19.039 mean that conferences and programs have done their own valuations 306 00:14:19.080 --> 00:14:22.879 on what they can make and understand that they don't 307 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:23.639 need that money. 308 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:25.639 Now, if they needed the money, they would take it. 309 00:14:26.200 --> 00:14:28.639 But it must mean that they don't want to sell 310 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:32.519 any ownership in either conferences or teams because of how 311 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:35.080 dumb the money continues to be with live TV rights. 312 00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:37.639 I mean, that's where my antenna goes when I keep 313 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:40.559 hearing these stories that now go the other way. As 314 00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:43.480 far as people not accepting private equity money, what are 315 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:44.120 your thoughts on that? 316 00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:46.240 So? 317 00:14:46.279 --> 00:14:49.960 I think it's like everything is a negotiation, right. I 318 00:14:49.960 --> 00:14:53.879 think what happened was the Big twelve, you know, realized 319 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:56.480 that they were going to get enough money that they 320 00:14:56.519 --> 00:14:58.840 were there was like the the idea the offer wasn't 321 00:14:58.840 --> 00:15:01.919 big enough, right, Because if you had whatever the number is, 322 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:03.639 are you say say, like, we'll just throw a number 323 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:05.759 that makes no sense, but you would have to accept, 324 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:08.360 right if the number was fifty billion dollars, right, of 325 00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:10.600 course they would have accepted private actview money at that 326 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:13.480 at that number, right, But at a certain point, at 327 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:15.360 a certain point, it's worth it and they would have 328 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:18.080 to say yes. But they just didn't get to that point, 329 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:21.399 and so eventually could that change, Like, I think absolutely 330 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:24.440 it could change, But right now they've made the determination 331 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:27.399 that that that sort of investment isn't in their best interest. 332 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:29.519 And you know, if and when that changes, like I 333 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:32.000 think they'll be open to revisiting it. But for now, yeah, 334 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:33.679 I mean, it hasn't It hasn't happened yet. But just 335 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:36.320 the idea of that so many people are looked into it, 336 00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:39.000 are considering it makes me think that eventually it'll probably happen. 337 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:41.919 It just and it'll just be a question of what 338 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:43.960 the circumstance lookd like for that for that to be 339 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:45.159 the case's. 340 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:48.279 Move over here, you know, Brian Santiago hired as by 341 00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:52.399 u's athletic director, taking over for Tom Holmo. So before 342 00:15:52.440 --> 00:15:54.320 I expand to the second part of the question, let 343 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:56.399 me get your thoughts on that, and and and mostly 344 00:15:56.600 --> 00:15:58.679 I'm quite sure you don't You don't know Brian, but 345 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:02.679 covering too as BYU's athletic director. 346 00:16:03.480 --> 00:16:05.000 I think he did a remarkable job. 347 00:16:05.480 --> 00:16:08.559 Traversing through independence for a decade was a tough ask, 348 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:11.720 but they were able to find a landing spot. Their 349 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:15.200 basketball team is insanely good, and their football team is 350 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:16.960 coming off a really nice year in the Big twelve, 351 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:21.159 So Brian inheriting an athletic department in really good shape 352 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:22.720 as a result of the work that Tom did. So 353 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:25.600 your thoughts on Tom Homo as he goes to spend 354 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:28.879 the rest of his days on a beach somewhere probably, Yeah, No, 355 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:30.039 I mean, as you know. 356 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:31.639 I live here in the Bay Area. So my first 357 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:34.919 kind of experience with Tom Homo as he's the coach 358 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:36.799 of Cal He's a coach or assistant coach of the 359 00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:38.200 forty nine ers before it, So I was kind of 360 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:40.240 like always generally aware of him in this space, and 361 00:16:40.279 --> 00:16:42.039 then you know, I had a chance to get to 362 00:16:42.039 --> 00:16:44.720 know him a little bit this past year with a 363 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:46.799 few stories I was working on about BYU And like, 364 00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:50.159 I think those interactions like with Tom that I had, 365 00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:52.399 I really enjoyed all of them. For me. He was 366 00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:55.480 really good to work with. He was he was candid, 367 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:59.120 he was open, he was a good storyteller. And then 368 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:02.159 you can't argue with with results of where the program 369 00:17:02.279 --> 00:17:04.200 is right now. I mean, I mean, I mean you 370 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:07.000 said it, Basketball football both are in a really good 371 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:10.359 spot position to be good for a long time, you know, 372 00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:12.599 getting into the Big twelve was a big win after 373 00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:15.359 the kind of the obviously of independence for so long, 374 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:18.640 and so he leaves BUYU in a spot where you know, 375 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:21.519 for Brian you can hope to build off that. Obviously, 376 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:23.799 the I think BUYU, you know, more than a lot 377 00:17:23.799 --> 00:17:25.920 of schools has really benefited from the ANL shift. They 378 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:27.799 have a lot of people who are willing to help 379 00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:30.880 out with those programs to help them stay competitive. And 380 00:17:30.920 --> 00:17:34.440 so yeah, I have only nice things to say about 381 00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:37.119 Tom and kind of the way he handled himself in 382 00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:39.480 personal actions with me, and just kind of the big 383 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:42.519 picture accomplishments that he had in his time done in provo. 384 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:47.400 I think the Santiago News became official on May nineteenth, 385 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:50.319 and then on May twenty first, the Salt Lake Tribune 386 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:53.799 reports that Jake retz Laugh is being sued by a 387 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:57.319 woman here in Salt Lake. It is a civil lawsuit 388 00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:58.960 and we've talked about it on the show. These are 389 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:03.160 not criminal charges. So the Tribune reports on it, and 390 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:05.359 then you wrote on it for ESPN. You were actually 391 00:18:05.400 --> 00:18:08.640 able to uncover some new details. I don't know that 392 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:10.359 I have a question, and I don't want to make 393 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:13.880 this a football story because it isn't. He is the 394 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:17.039 starting quarterback for BYU and coming off a really good year. 395 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:20.119 But I wondered throughout the process that you went through 396 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:23.119 to kind of have the discovery for what you wrote 397 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:26.359 on the dot com for ESPN, what you would like 398 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:28.480 to share about this story, and if you have any 399 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:30.079 insight on what the next steps are. 400 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:33.640 Yeah, these are always tough to report, and you get 401 00:18:33.640 --> 00:18:35.319