College Football

STATE COLLEGE − It was one of the most perplexing questions in a yearly NFL Draft routine full of unexpected evaluations: How many basketballs does it take to fill a school bus? The dozen or so Penn State football players working out during Friday’s Pro Day in Holuba Hall shared stories from their ongoing gauntlet of NFL meet-and-greet interviews. It’s …

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the UConn football program is expected to promote offensive line coach Gordon Sammis to offensive coordinator, following the reported departure of Nick Charlton. Sammis joined the Huskies with head coach Jim Mora two seasons ago and consistently received high praise from players like offensive guard Christian Haynes, who recently participated in the …

Scotts Hill has a new football coach. Harold Hooper has been appointed the Lions’ coach, Henderson County Schools announced Friday in a social media post. Hooper has 17 years of coaching experience, most recently as the offensive coordinator at South Gibson. He also as spent time at Jackson Christian. Hooper replaces Rennard Woodmore, who was let go in February after …

Lincoln Riley’s offense has grabbed the attention of Corey Simms, a talented 6’3″, 195-pound four-star wide receiver from St. Louis. Dennis Simmons, the assistant head coach and outside receivers coach, recently extended an offer to Simms and established a rapport with him before his unofficial campus visit during a local 7 on 7 event in which he represented the California …

The College Football Playoff has approved a new format starting in 2026, and it is not a good one for Clemson and the ACC. The report initially released by ESPN’s Heather Dinich and Pete Thamel reported that the FBS conferences and Notre Dame have agreed to a new 14-team format with guarantees for conference champions. Here are some of the …

It was probably always going to come down to in-state programs for Wellington (Fla.) Palm Beach Central star Tony Williams, so he took a drive up the Florida Turnpike on Friday to settle his recruitment. After getting back to campus for a spring practice, the four-star let Gus Malzahn and his staff know he wanted to commit to UCF. “I’ll …

Michigan football have a quarterback competition for the next few months after J.J. McCarthy led the team to a national championship and seems on his way to becoming a first-round draft pick. But he’s not complete out the door, yet. McCarthy, the most accomplished and decorated college quarterback to ever put on a maize and blue uniform, is expected back …

Marcus Freeman The nine Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame reached an agreement on a six-year deal to continue the College Football Playoff through the 2031 season, a significant step that establishes a revenue-sharing plan and allows the CFP to finalize a media rights agreement. Executive Director Bill Hancock said the agreement doesn’t lock in a format for the CFP …

Every Football Bowl Subdivision conference and Notre Dame have agreed to the new, six-year College Football Playoff contract set to begin in 2026 that paves the way for the format to expand to 14 teams, playoff executive director Bill Hancock said on Friday. The memorandum of understanding ensures the playoff will include at least 12 teams in 2026 and beyond. …

College Football Playoff stakeholders have inked a six-year, $7.8 billion television extension with ESPN, according to multiple reports, a deal that stands to escalate the financial disparities atop intercollegiate athletics. Key details around the championship’s ultimate format, however, remain undecided. The CFP was already set to expand to a 12-team format for this upcoming season, and then potentially grow larger …

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Usually, when a longtime coach at the pro level comes back down to the college ranks, you often hear a lot about how they’re not exactly the most voracious recruiters. The college game is much different in that regard. There’s really no offseason. Coaches have to be on their game, talking to high school prospects, working diligently …

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In 2021 when Michigan football hired Mike Macdonald, the former Baltimore Ravens linebackers coach, to be the Wolverines’ new defensive coordinator, fans had questions about his expertise. Macdonald had never been a coordinator at any level, and that created some consternation among the fan base. However, Macdonald was such a rousing success in just one year that …

In the course of a 10-minute appearance on The Tonight Show Thursday in New York, Colorado football coach Deion Sanders urged Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to run for president,  advised Caitlin Clark to “finish strong” and said the coming football season will be a tough for him emotionally because it will be his last year coaching his sons in college. …

Tennessee football wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope doubled his salary with his new contract. The third-year assistant coach received a raise to $550,000 annually as one of three Tennessee coaches to receive new contracts. UT released the contracts Friday for Pope, defensive line coach Rodney Garner and defensive backs coach Willie Martinez. Garner also received a raise with his new …

GAINESVILLE — The University of Florida’s strong support of Billy Napier’s football program includes a 45% increase in the recruiting budget to $2.89 million, up from $2 million during his first season. The latest increase doubles the Gators’ recruiting investment under Napier since his arrival, according to the Gators’ 2022-2023 NCAA financial report obtained by the Orlando Sentinel through a …