Ben Portnoy

The SEC dominates offseason headlines like no other conference in America. How do they do it? Look no further than Digital Drive — formerly and colloquially known as “Radio Row.” "Here, you eat what you kill. You’re not guaranteed anything.” sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/…

ACC Commish Jim Phillips tells @SBJ he's in favor of a 5+11 CFP format, but staying at 12 is possible. "I hope we can get there, but if we don’t, I’m fine with where we’re at right now, and we can just watch this for a few years, and then reconvene.” sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/…

The Rose Bowl is set to tab Elevate as its exclusive premium sales partner through a multi-year agreement, sources tell @SBJ. The stadium is currently undergoing an $80 million renovation that includes new premium seating ahead of the 2028 Olympics.

Appears I will have to go to Morgantown this year for the sake of very important journalism

Bret Bielema summing up college sports in probably the best possible way

Petitti on whether the SEC and Big Ten can agree on a future playoff model: "We're obviously not in the same place on these discussions. I think the goal would be to bring people back together. ... Every time the two leagues have come together good things have happened."

Rhett Lashlee doing some indirect defending of the perceived strength of the ACC: “The SEC has had the same six schools win the championship since 1964. Not a single one has been different since 1964. “That’s top-heavy to me. That's not depth.”

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee: “The committee let us in last year, I’m thankful for that.” Adds, “We shouldn’t be politicking to get in.” Advocates 16 team CFP with four auto bids for SEC/B1G/ACC+ND and three for Big 12.

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee talking about NIL Go and the early returns on the Deloitte clearinghouse: “It's like disciplining your kids. If you tell them not to do something, or I'll do this, and they do it, and you discipline them, guess what? They don't do it anymore. “But…

Asked Mario Cristobal if Miami has had any deals flagged by the Deloitte clearinghouse/CSC on the first few weeks of its existence: “Not that I know of. Not that I'm aware of. Taking it day-by-day, brother.”

Miami’s Mario Cristobal asked his preference on CFP format: “No automatic qualifiers … The 5+11 plus model is what makes sense to me, personally, because football is cyclical. It comes and goes in cycles. … You don't want to make football a pageant. You win, you're in.”

Phillips asked how receptive the ACC coaches were to the new injury reporting policy. He grinned, noting: "Coaches are hard to change, but when we told them we were doing it, no one said anything on the call. So I don't know what that meant, other than they were accepting it."

Jim Phillips talking about CSC, its current guidance and its roll out in recent weeks: "People know what the rules are relative to $20.5 [million], they know what legitimate NIL is. You can play in that gray area if you want, but all that does is undermine the new structure."

Phillips asked his stance on athlete employment: "One of the major facets that we're looking at in the SCORE Act is this reaffirmation that these are student athletes, that these aren't employees, along with a national standard & legal protection from the onslaught of lawsuits."

Jim Phillips on football: "If the SEC ends up going to nine (conference games), maybe we end up going to nine."

Phillips asked about NCAA tournament expansion and if it's a "bargaining chip" with other conferences related to CFP and other conversations. Said the league's men's basketball coaches are more open to expansion, the women's coaches are less supportive.

Jim Phillips asked more directly about the CFP and his stance: "I've always believed in rewarding conference champions. ... Conference championships matter and that's been consistent in my five years. "...We have a really good playoff right now. I'm open to 5+9 and 5+11."

Phillips announces that "ACC Huddle" is now going to travel to the "marquee ACC game each week." Those efforts will begin with No. 6 LSU at No. 3 Clemson Week 1.

Phillips announces the ACC is instituting availability reports in football, MBB, WBB and baseball. The change is "directly connected to our ongoing commitment to best protect our student athletes and our multifaceted approach to addressing the effects of sports wagering."

Jim Phillips discussing the CFP, the change to the 12-team format and what comes next in that discussion: "Conversations regarding the CFP structure beyond the upcoming year are ongoing, and I sincerely appreciate the collaborative spirit in which we are moving forward."