Developed a Hi Chew addiction at the Big East tournament last year so my wife filled my stocking with them. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Really enjoyed this from @greenwell.bsky.social, including but not limited to how sports fit into a small college's fight to survive the enrollment cliff: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Truly nail on the head stuff here from Jesse. If you're arguing against G5s in the playoff, you don't have anyone in your life who went to a G5.

A newsletter about why G5 teams should obviously have access to the College Football Playoff, which devolved into me furiously typing about why you should care about how my in-laws take in college football. collegesportsmoney.substack.com/p/the-g5-cas...

A newsletter about why G5 teams should obviously have access to the College Football Playoff, which devolved into me furiously typing about why you should care about how my in-laws take in college football. collegesportsmoney.substack.com/p/the-g5-cas...

bc i like an expanded link wapo.st/4arwcY7

really loved this recap of the scene in Oxford yesterday and all I can say is @jessedougherty.bsky.social’s attention to detail is impressive wapo.st/4arwcY7

Forgot the link to the story. Here is the link to the story: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Forgot the link to the story. Here is the link to the story: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Great work by @jessedougherty.bsky.social in Oxford: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

OXFORD, Mississippi — A man in a Santa outfit smoked a cigar. Next to him, a "Geux to Hell, Heaux" sign hung on the side of his tent. It was a day of subtext, Lane Kiffin-themed. And the home team won big in the end.

Tackling is one of football's basic crafts. Few players in NFL history have mastered it like Bobby Wagner. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Here's a business/money tidbit for every College Football Playoff team, a breakdown designed to help you sound informed at the office water cooler or in your many group chats: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Here's a business/money tidbit for every College Football Playoff team, a breakdown designed to help you sound informed at the office water cooler or in your many group chats: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

I adore, adore, adore this from @emilygiam.bsky.social, @katiperry.bsky.social + @arturgalocha.bsky.social Just so fun and creative, from Emily's data to the presentation and interactive graphics. Are you a fan of a P4 football team? Are you happy? Sad? Check out our happiness rankings below 👇

How happy (or miserable) should you be about your favorite college football team? We came up with a foolproof formula (of course you'll all agree with it). Georgia fans should be ecstatic. Stanford fans? Well, you went to an excellent academic school.

cool idea ESPN! I wonder if anything might have inspired you?

Great to see so much interest in our original game, Athletic Director Simulator 4000. To celebrate, I'm turning the paywall OFF for the rest of the year. Now everybody can play ADS4000! Enjoy! ads4000beta.netlify.app

I loved this conversation b/w @stevengodfrey.bsky.social + @corywoodroof.bsky.social about where all the sports movies have gone. And since listening to it on Friday, I've watched Eephus, High Flying Bird and F1. All good in their own way. Long live sports movies. open.spotify.com/episode/4qfV...

Imagine seeing that video of James Madison celebrating and thinking: We need to fix this system so Notre Dame is never this upset again.

Last December, I wrote about how ND's independent status meant it was really, REALLY raking it in with CFP payouts. A year later, that status means it will make $0 on those payouts, since it's not in a conference that is splitting the spoils among teams. www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...

And finally, in non-Commanders reads: Great stuff from @emilygiam.bsky.social and @jessedougherty.bsky.social, illustrating how wrong the preseason college football polls were: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Who was Cal planning to bring in if JKS didn’t return? That’s who I am throwing a bag at to my team’s quarterback next year.

The preseason college football rankings were really, really wrong See how each team over or underperformed the average regular season winning percentage for teams that have earned the same preseason ranking. story w/ @jessedougherty.bsky.social: wapo.st/3XCOM7U

Got to say, a little biased, but I love this chart so, so much.

The preseason AP poll was really, really wrong this year, which was even more notable because the preseason AP poll is often pretty predictive. Story with @emilygiam.bsky.social, who dug up a lot of fun data on this: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

I don't use my newsletter for news updates, but since I wrote Tues. that a vote on the SCORE Act was scheduled for Wed. — and that that likely signaled Rs knew they had the numbers by a slim margin — here's a news update. Spoiler: Vote didn't happen. collegesportsmoney.substack.com/p/the-score-...

The preseason AP poll was really, really wrong this year, which was even more notable because the preseason AP poll is often pretty predictive. Story with @emilygiam.bsky.social, who dug up a lot of fun data on this: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

With the SCORE Act stalling before a House floor vote again, I'll recirculate this paragraph I wrote back in September, the first time it stalled. Whoever decided to go for everything in one bill gave way, way, WAY too many ins for the opposition:

Aaaaaaaand the SCORE Act vote, initially expected Wednesday, has been postponed. And on and on we go.

A SCORE Act update tonight: Dem leadership in the House is officially whipping a no vote, meaning it is strongly suggesting D reps to vote to not pass SCORE through the House tomorrow.

Whenever there's a major story in college sports, I think: I wonder which politician will wield this as a talking point. And how. And why. Yes, my brain is broken. So I wrote about Congress, Chip Roy and Lane Kiffin (with some general SCORE Act thoughts, too). Linked below:

Now updated to include endorsements from the White House and USOPC. Have had a few Dem aides tell me that Donald Trump's stamp could tamp down the number of D votes. But if enough Republicans are on board, this could pass the House without them, as we've been saying all along.

Whenever there's a major story in college sports, I think: I wonder which politician will wield this as a talking point. And how. And why. Yes, my brain is broken. So I wrote about Congress, Chip Roy and Lane Kiffin (with some general SCORE Act thoughts, too). Linked below:

I’m not much of a takester with college football, but anyone suggesting Lane Kiffin should be able to leave Ole Miss AND THEN STILL coach them through whatever kind of run they make isn’t a serious person, right? Right? ( … right?)

Today, @washingtonpost.com is hosting a Global Women’s Summit. Meanwhile, the @postguild.bsky.social is protesting and raising awareness about the fact that the Washington Post illegally fired me, its only Black woman opinion columnist, for doing my job. Salute to the Guild. Shame on the Post.

New: How Kawhi’s "Uncle Dennis" helped spark the sports scandal of the year. ▶️ Steve Ballmer, Jerry West depositions ▶️ Private texts, Magic voicemails ▶️ An equity fight involving a Knicks star ▶️ Kawhi's private airport Investigation w/ @samaha.bsky.social: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

I profiled Azzi Fudd. After all the injuries and doubt, and dealing with that as her life became more and more public, here's a story of getting back to once was — mentally, physically — then becoming even better: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

I’d never tell Jesse this but even for him this is quite an exceptional read

I profiled Azzi Fudd. After all the injuries and doubt, and dealing with that as her life became more and more public, here's a story of getting back to once was — mentally, physically — then becoming even better: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

College ads, a staple of sports TV, are changing in response to Trump's attacks on higher ed. Unis are replacing rah-rah spots w/ specific stories about how research improves life in their communities. W/ @jessedougherty.bsky.social & @jorgeribas.bsky.social: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

You know those university ads? The ones with shots of the leafy quad + students looking into a microscope? A lot of them look different this football season, focusing more on specific research initiatives. And one reason why is the reason for a lot of things in this country. An example:

On James Franklin, Virginia Tech and some of the money involved, including a confirmation of reports that he and Penn State settled for $9 million (and why he'd do that when $9 million is a much smaller number than $49 million): www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

On James Franklin, Virginia Tech and some of the money involved, including a confirmation of reports that he and Penn State settled for $9 million (and why he'd do that when $9 million is a much smaller number than $49 million): www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

I'm biased but this made me cry like ... Well, like a baby: joanniesen.substack.com/p/pregnancy-...

Really enjoyed @jessedougherty.bsky.social's reflections on sportswriters also being fans. I find it annoying when journalists ham up rooting for "their" team. I also find it annoying when journalists are joyless about sports they cover. What's the happy medium? open.substack.com/pub/colleges...

Wrote a bit about rediscovering (some) fandom after moving farther from home: collegesportsmoney.substack.com/p/sports-fan...

Wrote a bit about rediscovering (some) fandom after moving farther from home: collegesportsmoney.substack.com/p/sports-fan...

When you think of college football, you think of Saturday, right? Then there are teams like ECU, which played four of its first seven games on Thursday night. "You don’t need a map and a compass to find our games on TV." (w/ @emilygiam.bsky.social) www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

The teams with the most non-Saturday games since 2000? The Toledos and Boise States of the world. The teams with the fewest non-Saturday games? The Michigans and Georgias of the world.