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The College Football Playoffs have been rumored to expand, adding postseason spots for the Big Ten and SEC as early as 2026.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is not a fan of the proposition, believing it furthers the gap between his conference and the juggernauts.
"I didn't like it," Yormark said Wednesday on the Triple Option podcast. "Obviously, that model's been out there for almost a year now. I didn't like it because I just felt like it created a huge divide between us and [SEC and the Big Ten]. As you guys know, I have good self-awareness. I know where we reside in the world of college football. But I just felt that it put a line in the sand that didn't need to be there."
"I didn't like it. I felt like it created a huge divide between us & [the Big Ten & SEC]."@Big12Conference Commissioner Brett Yormark shares his thoughts on the rumored College Football Playoff format, which gives the Big Ten & SEC a combined eight teams in the Playoff.… pic.twitter.com/hE9HXvER69
— The Triple Option (@3xOptionShow) June 11, 2025
The CFP was expanded to 12 teams in 2024, and this new proposal would expand it to 14 or 16 teams. With this expanded format, the Big 12 has been projected by many to make serious noise across the conference en route to the national title. Arizona State has gained the most hype, but Kansas State, BYU, and Texas Tech have staked their claims as well.
The Wildcats finished last season at 9-4, losing three of their last four regular-season games but picking up a Rate Bowl victory to end on a high note. The program is confident in quarterback Avery Johnson progressing, as well as the veteran receiving corps providing weapons outside of star Jayce Brown.
They open up the season against Iowa State on Aug. 23.
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LSU predicted to go to court over Brian Kelly's buyout
Despite LSU firing Brian Kelly on Sunday, the program has not yet finalized a plan for the former head coach's buyout, estimated at $53 million. It's unclear how many greenbacks the Tigers will pay. Kelly left Notre Dame in November 2021 to sign a 10-year, $95 million deal with the Tigers. He went 34-14 with LSU before he could finish his fourth season, which equates to approximately $2.97 million per win for Kelly. Per Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry suggested during a news conference on Wednesday that state taxpayers could foot part of the bill for Kelly's buyout. That would be atypical, as most programs fund buyouts via donations. LSU could go to court over Brian Kelly's contract LSU is set to continue paying Kelly in monthly installments of $800,000. However, a long-term solution between Kelly and the program has not been reached, and a case could end up in court. According to Yahoo Sports, LSU noted in its announcement that buyout details would be announced at a later date — quite possibly at the governor's behest, who seems opposed to paying the full fare, even if it means resorting to the legal system. “We may end up in a Louisiana courtroom,” predicted one person, per Yahoo Sports. Landry expressed concern about the contract now-former athletic director Scott Woodward gave Kelly, stating that the next head coach would not receive such a contract. (Woodward has since been fired.) "We're gonna make sure that he's compensated properly, and we're gonna put metrics on it because I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill," said Landry. The situation is bad optics for the state of Louisiana and LSU. Any prospective candidate for the Tigers has to wonder whether the program or the state is willing to live up to its word. While college football coaching contracts are spiraling out of control, it's up to the school (and in LSU's case, as a public institution, the state) to make sure those contracts aren't signed in the first place if they cannot honor the details of the agreement.
Blue Jays' Trey Yesavage is already making the rest of MLB look foolish for passing on him
The Toronto Blue Jays and their fans witnessed something special on Wednesday night. It doesn’t get much better than a convincing 6-1 Game 5 win to take a 3-2 lead over the superteam Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Heading back home with the chance to win a championship at the Rogers Centre was what truly mattered for the Blue Jays; however, the way it all played out in such a pivotal game at Dodger Stadium will go down in history. Starting pitcher Trey Yesavage was untouchable, throwing seven dominant innings where he allowed just one run on three hits while striking out 12. Those 12 punchouts set the rookie record for the most ever in a World Series game. Seven of them came against the heart of the order in Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. His one-of-a-kind splitter had them fooled from start to finish. Yesavage’s ridiculous rise from starting the year in Class-A Dunedin to carving up the best lineups in baseball in the postseason is unheard of. It makes you wonder how he fell all the way to the Blue Jays at pick No. 20 in the 2024 MLB Draft to begin with. Trey Yesavage has 18 teams regretting their decision While it’s still extremely early to be looking back on his draft class, what Yesavage has done these last few months can’t be replicated. A 22-year-old jumping onto a moving train with just three career MLB starts under his belt goes on to start five playoff games, posting a 3-1 record with a 3.46 ERA and a whopping 39 strikeouts. Those are the kinds of numbers you expect to see from Tarik Skubal or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, not a rookie with almost no big league experience. Nineteen different organizations let Yesavage slide down the draft board last July. At this point, the Athletics are the only ones who should feel alright about their decision, given that first baseman Nick Kurtz already looks like one of the best hitters in baseball. The 18 others look silly. While some of these prospects will certainly turn out to be good players, it’s safe to say that none of them will make this type of impact on the world’s biggest stage. If the Blue Jays can pull this off and win their third World Series title in franchise history, Yesavage will never have to buy another meal in Toronto again. Quite frankly, he’s been so good that he may not have to even if they don’t find a way to finish the job. No matter how this all ends, Yesavage has not only turned himself into a Toronto sports legend, but a Canadian sports legend. The city and country can't wait to see what else he has in store because if this postseason was any indication, then they are in for many more historic performances in the years to come.
Latest Matt Rhule news should end Penn State rumors
The Penn State Nittany Lions can likely scratch another candidate off their coaching wish list. On Thursday, ESPN "College GameDay" insider Pete Thamel reported Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule has signed a two-year contract extension with the program, which will run through the 2032 season. It includes a $15M buyout this season, which should prevent another school from poaching him. Why Matt Rhule was considered a strong candidate to replace recently fired Penn State HC James Franklin After Penn State fired Franklin on Oct. 12, Rhule was immediately linked to the job. As a teenager, the New York native moved to State College, where he became a walk-on linebacker for the Nittany Lions from 1994-97. He clearly still loves his alma mater. "I love Penn State, met my wife there, my alma mater," Rhule told the media shortly after Franklin was fired. "Fan since I was born, I think probably had a Penn State shirt when I was born. I really love [athletic director] Pat Kraft, and I'm sad to see coach Franklin go." While the AD for the Temple Owls, Kraft gave Rhule his first head-coaching job in 2013. Now that he has signed the extension, he can't turn to his old friend again and must explore other options. Where does Penn State go from here? The list of candidates in Penn State's head-coaching search is shrinking. The Indiana Hoosiers signed HC Curt Cignetti, another potential target, to an eight-year, $11.6M contract on Oct. 16. The Nittany Lions could attempt to court Ole Miss Rebels HC Lane Kiffin, who has his team in the thick of the national championship hunt after a 7-1 start. However, if he does leave Oxford, expect him to stay in the SEC rather than flocking to the Big Ten. Some believe Kiffin may be the next HC of the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators. And for any optimistic Penn State fans thinking they can lure ESPN analyst Nick Saban out of retirement, dream on. The former Alabama Crimson Tide HC has said there's "no way" he's returning to coaching. Don't bank on Penn State (3-4) promoting interim HC Terry Smith, especially after losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes, 25-24, in his first game. Instead, it may target HCs Mike Elko (Texas A M Aggies), Clark Lea (Vanderbilt Commodores) and Jeff Brohm (Louisville Cardinals). Penn State alumni may have welcomed a homecoming for Rhule. Now, it no longer looks like a possibility.
Mariners Can Afford To Cut Ties With 5-Year Veteran
The Seattle Mariners, unfortunately, are on the outside looking in right now with the World Series still in full swing. The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers are still duking it out for the trophy, as of writing, and the Mariners are among the 28 other teams in Major League Baseball having to start to think about the 2026 season. Seattle was so close to making it to its first World Series in franchise history. As close as you can get without making it, being Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. Now, the Mariners have to try to flush all of that away and find a way to get even better in 2026. Those decisions will come. There will be free agent additions, maybe some trades, and other things of that nature. But, with the offseason here, teams have to also take care of some tasks right away, including the Nov. 21st deadline for player to decide whether to give contracts to arbitration-eligible players. It will be some of the first big decisions of the offseason. MLB.com Mariners insider Daniel Kramer did a primer for the offseason and one player they suggested could be non-tendered is veteran reliever Tayler Saucedo. "Who might be a non-tender candidate, and when does the club have to make that decision? Teams have until Nov. 21 to decide whether to tender a contract to each of their arbitration-eligible players," Kramer said. "Those not tendered a contract will become free agents. It would make sense to move on from Tayler Saucedo "Among those criteria, reliever Tayler Saucedo is the clearest candidate, given that this is his second year of eligibility, that he’d earn at least the $937,500 figure from last year and that he spent most of 2025 with Triple-A Tacoma, where the lefty also missed two months with a left lat strain." In an offseason that will have plenty of decisions, this is a suggestion that makes a lot of sense. Saucedo made only 10 appearances for the Mariners in 2025 and had a 7.43 ERA to show for it. He was steady for Seattle the two previous seasons in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, he had a 3.59 ERA in 52 outings. He followed up with a 3.49 ERA in 53 appearances in 2024. Seattle had one of the better bullpens in baseball in 2025. The Mariners finished the regular season with the ninth-ranked bullpen ERA at 3.72 and that was with Saucedo only pitching in 10 games. If the Mariners are looking for some potential ways to save some cash, this would be a good way, but not to save a lot. More MLB: Josh Naylor Raises Eyebrows With Comment On Cal Raleigh's Instagram
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