Yardbarker

Jeff Mezydlo

A Chicago native, Jeff Mezydlo has professionally written about sports, entertainment and pop culture for parts of four decades. He was an integral member of award-winning sports sections at The Times of Northwest Indiana (Munster, Ind.) and Champaign (Ill.) News-Gazette, where he covered the NFL, PGA, LPGA, NCAA basketball, football and golf, Olympics and high school athletics. Jeff most recently spent 12 years in the editorial department at STATSPerform, where he also oversaw coverage of the English Premier League. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Jeff's work has also appeared on such sites at Yahoo!, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated and NBA.com. However, if Jeff could do it again, he'd attend Degrassi Junior High, Ampipe High School and Grand Lakes University

EXPERTISE:

NCAA football, NCAA basketball, PGA/LPGA, international soccer, sports history, rock music, film history

The 25 best arenas in college basketball

There might not be a better experience for a sports fan than catching a college basketball game at a campus arena. Regardless of the team, the atmosphere has the potential to be electric, especially if the matchup is right.

The top seniors in college basketball

In the era of the "One-and-Dones" and fab freshmen, it's refreshing to see a college basketball player fulfill a commitment to his school. The four-year player, particularly at one school, is a bit of a rarity.

Sports & Politics Intersect: Oakland sues over pending Raiders departure

“Before a team is ripped from the fabric of a community, there needs to be a valid reason other than simply money. The City of Oakland deserved better

Bowl records for each team in every 2018 bowl game

The college football bowl season is just about to begin. It features 78 teams over 39 bowls, leading up to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan.

The 'Duke Blue Devils in the NBA' quiz

As of December 2018, the Duke Blue Devils have 23 former players currently playing somewhere in the NBA. How many of the 23 can you name in five minutes?

10 early-season developments in college basketball

One month in, and the college basketball season has been quite entertaining. We've already seen three different teams sit atop The Associated Press Top 25, and we've had our fair share of close games and exciting finishes — and that was just at the Maui Invitational.

Sports & Politics Intersect: NBA in the cold as hockey returns to Seattle

A little more than a century after the Seattle Metropolitans became the first U.S.-based franchise to win the Stanley Cup, hockey is headed back to the Emerald City.

2018 Yardbarker college football All-American Team

Trying to select the best of the best is never easy, especially when figuring out the best college football players in the land at each position. It can be argued that the three best players in all of the game are quarterbacks, while there are some defensive playmakers who are just as worthy of consideration.

2018 college football bowl preview

Let's have a look at all 39 bowl games featuring FBS schools and leading up to the National Championship Game on Jan. 7.

10 college assistants who could be head coaches in 2019

Coaches get fired; new ones get hired. It's a timeless tradition but one that's fun to keep an eye on. Already we've seen some huge hires — yes, we're talking Les Miles at Kansas. And there will be plenty more news by the time a national champion is crowned on Jan. 7.

Ranking all 39 bowl games

It's that time of year again — no, not just the holiday season. Bowl season. A college football junkie's dream, when it's OK to sit on the couch for hours watching heavily sponsored games — at mostly at half-filled stadiums.

Sports & Politics Intersect: Fans call foul over MLB political donations

Usually these actions draw little attention from the public and have become as much a part of the MLB machine as Opening Day and the Home Run Derby. But then there are times like last week when a $5,000 donation to a U.S. Senate candidate from Mississippi created an uproar — partially in the wake of a Twitter post from famed television writer Michael Schur. 

College football Week 14 preview

Week 14 of the college football season means "Championship Week." All 10 FBS leagues will hold their title games this weekend, with most eyes focused heavily on the Big 12 and SEC.

Under-the-radar player from each Top 25 team

There are plenty of stars in college basketball. But what about those players who don't normally grab the headlines?  The grinders, the kings of the floor burns; guys who just want to clean the glass, dish the rock or play that lock-down defense that's needed to earn a victory.

Sports & Politics Intersect: Former MSU president facing felony charges, USAG fights USOC as Nassar scandal continues

“... If you really want to stop this sort of abuse, you’ve got to send people the message that, ‘You’re going to go to jail.’"  - John Manly, attorney

The 'College football rivalry trophies' quiz

How many of the trophies associated with each of these college football rivalries can you name in five minutes?

College football Week 13 preview

It's the final full weekend of the regular season in college football. That means it is rivalry week.  The Egg Bowl, Apple Cup and Iron Bowl are all on tap — not to mention plenty of conference races will be decided, and the complexion of College Football Playoff could change when the dust settles this weekend.

2018-19 women's college basketball primer

The 2018-19 women's college basketball season has already tipped off, and for the first time in what seems like forever, Connecticut is not the favorite to win it all.

The 2018 NASCAR year in review

Another season of NASCAR is in the books, with the fourth first-time winner in five years having just been crowned over the weekend in Miami. While the finish was exciting, the season wasn't all that rosy for some big-name drivers, racing teams and the organization itself.

Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson: What you need to know

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are finally getting around to a one-on-one match that is probably 10 years too late. Still, it's happening, and golf fans will pay to watch it.

Five MLB teams that need to blow it all up and five that should not

It's less than a month since the World Series ended, but already baseball fans and certainly major league organizations find themselves looking ahead to 2019.