Roster budgets continue to grow. Where does the SEC sit in that race? “I don't think there's a team in our conference that doesn't pay, at minimum, $30 million for their roster,” Steve Sarkisian said Thursday. “I think there are some that are close to $50 million.” nyti.ms/4dEp2PY

worst fucking time to be Spursy

* A reset year for JMU. And ODU's offense. * Can La Tech make an immediate title push? * Louisiana's portal avoidance * Is it BUTCH JONES TIME?? * Hey there, Max Johnson! * Whew, this conference got picked apart a little, didn't it? 2026 #FUNBELT PREVIEW: www.espn.com/college-foot...

New Kentucky coach Will Stein is off to an impressive start, signing a top-10 transfer portal class and is building a strong 2027 recruiting class in his first offseason in Lexington. “If you don’t swing big, you’re never going to catch anything big.” My Q&A with Stein (free link): nyti.ms/4uTt12l

Stanford general manager Andrew Luck is not a typical CFB GM. In addition to recruiting and personnel involvement, he ran a coaching search, he fundraises and participates in practice drills with the team. “I’m averaging 40 interceptions a day,” he joked. My Q&A with Luck: nyti.ms/48LUnP6

NFL Consensus Big Board is updated and with a new and improved design! It's a cool interactive with positional rankings and the ability to see multiple analysts' boards at the same time. Jeremiyah Love, a running back, is your top prospect in the class. www.nytimes.com/athletic/int...

I want Barcelona and Atlético Madrid to play once a week in perpetuity until I tell them to stop. Most ridiculously fun matchup in soccer for more than a year now.

SPORTS!!!

High Point made the NCAA Tournament last year. Their coach left to be an assistant at Creighton, and their best players transferred to Ole Miss and Baylor. And yet!

More of us than them…P5s have pulled up the ladder behind them, hoarded the $$$ and want to shove mediocre schools into the tourney diluting what makes March madness special. Every coach should be saying the same thing

One of the best postgame on-court interviews in recent memory. “High-majors need to play mid-majors during the season. They said we ain’t played nobody—we played somebody now. Nobody would play us. just like nobody would play Miami Ohio. But they gotta play us in this tournament.”

The 2026 NWSL season is here! @tamerra-griffin.bsky.social @melanieanzidei.bsky.social @theolloydhughes.bsky.social @aslipelit.bsky.social @jilliansakovits.bsky.social Lia Griffin and Claire Weltz have put in WORK. Here's what you can expect from @theathletic.com www.nytimes.com/athletic/711...

Can’t even be mad about Spurs no more. Shit is so bad it’s comical

How big of a roster budget does a team need to be competitive in its conference? Is it possible to acquire priority transfers without tampering? We asked that and more of CFB front office staffers in part 2 of our Transfer Portal Confidential. Free link to read @theathletic.com: nyti.ms/3MNR6Hw

Who had the best transfer portal classes? Which teams underwhelmed? What transfer quarterbacks did teams like the best? We asked more than a dozen CFB front office staffers for their thoughts in @theathletic.com's Transfer Portal Confidential. Free link to read: nyti.ms/4r4GEcr

With no spring transfer portal window, some have predicted a wave of transfer movement with players unenrolling and showing up elsewhere, without using the portal. The latest NCAA proposal aims to prevent that with major penalties, including head coach suspensions. Details: nyti.ms/3OCs7au

The NFL Combine is this week and Texas A&M has 13 players there — a school-record and most of any school this draft cycle. I caught up with Aggies GM Derek Miller to discuss that, A&M’s roster retention, portal strategy and more. Gift link @theathletic.com: nyti.ms/46oNGkZ

College football had 34 head coaching changes. Here are 10 lessons from a bizarre carousel. Good analysis here from @chrisvannini.com and @davidubben.bsky.social on the most recent coaching cycle @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/706...

Kentucky and Will Stein made waves with their transfer class, per @skhanjr.bsky.social 🎧📺 Full episode: linktr.ee/bunchformation

🎙 New Bunch Formation Winners, losers and gossip from the transfer portal with @skhanjr.bsky.social Indiana isn't backing down, OK State knew the assignment, Kentucky surprised people, Lane closed hard, UCF found a QB + a lot more. 🎧📺 Listen/Watch: linktr.ee/bunchformation

NEWS: The College Sports Commission has opened an investigation into LSU over potential unreported NIL deal(s). The Tigers are the first known program under an inquiry from the new enforcement body. www.nytimes.com/athletic/701...

SOURCE: Duke QB Darian Mensah and Duke WR Cooper Barkate both have committed to Miami after visiting UM today.

In an hourlong address, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney goes scorched earth, accuses Ole Miss and coach Pete Golding of tampering and laments the state of CFB. Context and details from Swinney's timeline of the Luke Ferrelli saga @theathletic.com: nyti.ms/49XDlgN

I'd like to think Shannon Dawson was listening when I suggested this 😁

CALEB WILLIAMS YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!!!

!!!!!

hook and ladder in the NFL Playoffs. turn me up!

what a DIME by Bo Nix 😮‍💨

Indiana has crashed the party with a roster build that's unlike any of a modern national champion. Is it replicable? I took a deep dive into how the Hoosiers constructed their current roster in an attempt to find out: nyti.ms/4jQSpl4

Darian Mensah’s 11th-hour portal move is the latest example of college football’s broken structure. But he's just following the example set for him by college sports leaders, who follow the $, look out for themselves and cry for rules only to break 'em. My column @theathletic.com: nyti.ms/4qnivyj

Dante Moore returning to Oregon in 2026 instead of declaring for the NFL Draft. Ducks signed Dylan Raiola in the transfer portal earlier this week. Pretty well-stocked QB room in Eugene. And Ty Simpson's decision to declare is looking even better now with Moore off the board.

Alabama QB Ty Simpson rebuffed mid-seven figure transfer offers that “quickly looked like we could maybe even approach eight figures,” according to his agent. Simpson is set on going to the NFL and didn't want to play college ball elsewhere. Story @theathletic.com 👉 nyti.ms/45b524g

Each member of our college football staff @theathletic.com picked their favorite games of the 2025 CFB season: www.nytimes.com/athletic/696... To me, there was only one choice 👇

Lane Kiffin finally has his QB for 2026. Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt, the top uncommitted QB in the transfer portal, is expected to sign with LSU, a source confirmed to @brucefeldmancfb.bsky.social Story at @theathletic.com: nyti.ms/4sTLcov

Nebraska transfer QB Dylan Raiola is headed to Oregon. One of the top uncommitted QBs remaining in the portal is now off the board. Story at @theathletic.com: nyti.ms/45aitBn

First Cam Coleman, now Hollywood Smothers. Texas flips Smothers — previously committed to Alabama — to load up at RB and pair with Raleek Brown. What a day for the Longhorns in the portal. nyti.ms/3NgyY8X

Ex-Auburn QB Deuce Knight commits to Ole Miss: What it means for the Rebels. Reporting with @skhanjr.bsky.social on Pete Golding's program landing one of the most gifted quarterbacks in the portal: www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...

Cam Coleman headed to Texas. Huge win for the Longhorns to nab the Auburn WR transfer, who some regarded as the best player in the portal. Story on the Longhorns landing Coleman, what it means for them and the others who were in pursuit: nyti.ms/3NgyY8X

Could DJ Lagway be a 3,000-yard passer at Baylor in 2026? Since 2011, every Power 4 QB who has started at least 11 games in a season with Jake Spavital as their OC and/or QB coach has thrown for at least 3,000 yards and 28+ TDs. Wrote more about Lagway-Baylor @theathletic.com: nyti.ms/3LspMxJ

Malachi Toney is not human

Florida QB transfer DJ Lagway is expected to transfer to Baylor, a source confirmed to @theathletic.com. Big win for Dave Aranda and Jake Spavital. The Bears needed a QB with Sawyer Robertson gone. Lagway returns to his home state of Texas and the school where his dad played.

Missouri transfer QB Beau Pribula is visiting Washington today, according to @brucefeldmancfb.bsky.social. The Huskies are sorting out transfer QB options in the midst of the Demond Williams situation. More @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/695...

Alabama QB Ty Simpson will declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, a source confirmed to @theathletic.com. Simpson threw for 3,567 yards and 28 TDs with 5 INT for the Crimson Tide this season.

What an incredible game. The cojones it takes to drop a dime like Justin Lamson just did — on fourth down, for the national championship — oooh weee. Hat tip to Montana State (Also, Illinois State should've gone for the fourth-and-1 in regulation)

Big step in improving the Alabama ground game: NC State RB Hollywood Smothers has committed to the Crimson Tide. Smothers was a first-team All-ACC selection and was one of the top players available in the transfer portal. Ran for 939 yards and 6 TD in 11 games in 2025. Details: nyti.ms/3Lscilz

The money range that top transfers are getting, per @skhanjr.bsky.social: - QBs: $1-4million+ - Edge rushers: $500,000 to $2 million - OTs: $600,000 to $1.3 million More: www.nytimes.com/athletic/693...

North Carolina starting QB Gio Lopez intends to enter the transfer portal, a source confirmed to @theathletic.com The move comes a day after the Tar Heels took a commitment from Wisconsin QB transfer Billy Edwards Jr. Lopez is the third UNC QB to hit the portal since it opened. nyti.ms/3LlbUoW

Cincinnati transfer QB Brendan Sorsby has committed to Texas Tech, two sources confirmed to @theathletic.com . Sorsby was the No. 1 player in our transfer QB rankings. Was the Red Raiders' primary target at the position from the start. Tech got their guy. nyti.ms/4pHon4B

Big day for No. 1 Indiana. The Hoosiers landed six transfers so far, led by QB Josh Hoover (TCU), WR Nick Marsh (Michigan State), edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi (Kansas State) and RB Turbo Richard (Boston College). Curt Cignetti and Co. are here to stay. nyti.ms/4jvPOwM

Michigan State WR transfer Nick Marsh announced his commitment to Indiana. Huge win for the Hoosiers. Marsh was one of the best receivers in the transfer portal.