The rules in men’s college basketball are far from perfect.

The block/charge call, seemingly endless monitor reviews, and late-game fouling issues are just a few of the areas where tweaks could be made to enhance the overall product. The rules we have in place are what make the sport so entertaining and fun to watch, but we’d be lying to ourselves if we said there isn’t a need for improvement.

One potential change that’s recently become a topic of discussion is the movement to switch men’s college basketball from halves to quarters. For one, it would bring sport-wide consistency, as MBB is the only visible version of basketball still utilizing halves. But it would also reset team fouls after each quarter, reduce the number of commercials with fewer media timeouts, and eliminate the one-and-one free throws.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope has already talked several times about wanting to extend the regular season to 40 games. But that’s more of a landscape-changing idea rather than a clean-and-cut rule modification. However, he’s into the idea of swapping out halves for quarters.

“I don’t know if I have a really intelligent answer on that. I do like consolidating it,” Pope recently said on The Sideline with Andy Katz. “(Men’s college basketball is) the only — not even the women — we’re the only remaining basketball entity that has halves.”

But if you ask Pope what rule change he’d like to see the most, his answer might surprise you. It’s one that makes plenty of sense, though.

“The change that I would really like to make, that I’d be super excited about? I’d like to be able to advance the ball out of timeouts,” Pope said. “I know it slows down the game, but it makes the game so much more interesting when, with 2.5 seconds or 1.5 seconds left, if you don’t have to go fullcourt, but you can advance it, you have a chance to get elite-level shots and decision-making.

“It extends the game to where you have two or three or four possessions, where in college you can only really squeeze in one because you can’t advance the ball.”

This is a rule already in place in the NBA and one that is widely loved. As a personal aside, I love the ability to advance the ball in the NBA after timeouts in late-game situations for the exact reasons Pope outlined. It creates additional drama and gives teams more opportunities to produce highlight plays and buzzer-beating outcomes. It’s much easier to craft a play with one second on the clock when the ball is at halfcourt compared to underneath the opposite basket.

Let’s make it happen, Pope.

Continuing with our plan this offseason to share some content that a couple members of our community have been creating for close to a year now!

I am happy to be able to announce that TFB supports The Champion Standard Podcast!

Our guys @soonerbrad and @Birddawg have been pumping out some high-quality podcasts that talk about Xs and Os, hot topics, and OU football talk in general. This podcast represents the views and opinions of Rob and Brad and TFB is not part of their operation, but we do endorse it wholeheartedly!

Each time a new podcast drops I will post it here for the community. Give the guys a listen, sub to their YouTube channel, and include their pods on your mobile devices!

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Chomp Talk with Mossis Madu

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As the Oklahoma Sooners step into the ring for round two in the SEC, few voices can balance nostalgia, realism, and insight like former Sooner running back Moses Madu. In his recent return to the Champion Standard podcast’s “Chomp Talk” segment, Madu joined hosts Rob and Brad to talk about everything from the Sooners’ running back room to the future of college football, NIL chaos, and why expectations in Norman might need tempering.

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First Impressions of Jaydn Ott

“He Can Go”

The spotlight early in the conversation landed on Jaydn Ott, the highly-touted transfer from Cal who joins OU’s backfield this season. Madu admitted he didn’t know much about Ott when the news first broke. But after watching film, combing through social media clips, and digging into stats, his view changed dramatically.

“I was like, this kid can go,” Madu said. “He’s the closest thing to a home-run threat we’ve had in a minute—probably since Eric Gray.”

Ott, who led multiple statistical categories, brings speed, shiftiness, and breakaway potential. Madu noted that adding a player of Ott’s caliber deepens a running back room that already includes Xavier Robinson (whom both hosts are high on) and Taylor Tatum, despite the latter’s ball security struggles last season.

But Madu emphasized something else: contrast. Ott provides a different style from the power and burst of guys like Robinson. That contrast, he says, is vital if Oklahoma hopes to compete week in and week out in the brutal SEC.

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NIL, the Portal, and the Semi-Pro Future

Madu, now a coach and full-time dad balancing softball games and recruiting trips, didn’t hold back on his views of how the college landscape has changed—and what it means for programs like Oklahoma.

“I really think the college game’s going pro. You’re going to see scouting departments just like the NFL. They’ll have guys watching film 24/7. The portal and NIL changed everything.”

That’s where Jim Nagy’s hiring as a behind-the-scenes football administrator stood out to Madu. The former Senior Bowl director and longtime NFL scout brings the kind of experience OU needs to navigate this new frontier. According to Madu, bringing in someone who’s negotiated with agents and evaluated talent at the pro level is more critical now than ever.

“In today’s game, a guy like Nagy is just as important as your strength coach or OC. Maybe more.”

But while Madu embraces the professionalization of college football, he also lamented what’s been lost—especially for players from his era.

“Back when I played, we had $150 a month after rent. I joke that my booster was my girlfriend’s mom,” he said, laughing. “Now these kids are getting life-changing money—and I’m not mad at it.”

Still, he sees the chaos. Players quitting mid-season, promises not being met, the portal spinning nonstop. He floated ideas like multi-year contracts and transfer windows—mechanisms that could inject structure into the madness.

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OU’s 2025 Outlook: Brutal Realism

Perhaps the most sobering moment came when Rob asked Madu for his early prediction for the 2025 season.

“I don’t think we have to be on suicide watch like last year,” Madu joked. “But it’s gonna be tough. I’d be happy with seven wins.”

Seven wins? For a program of OU’s pedigree, that sounds low—but Madu laid it out clearly: it’s about the trenches.

“Skill guys? We’re fine. But we’re not there yet in the trenches. It’s different in the SEC, man. You feel it.”

While Rob and Brad were floating 8-9 wins, Madu’s view was grounded in recent history. Last year’s 6-7 finish exposed glaring holes on both lines, and despite a strong offensive line class and elite interior DL prospects like David Stone, Jaden Jackson, and Da’Jon Terry, Madu believes it’ll take time for the units to raise the bar. 

“That’s always the difference—Big 12 vs SEC. It’s the big boys up front.”

Brad countered that OU isn’t that far off—maybe one or two years from being ready—but Madu was firm: three to four years, especially with how everything reset after coaching changes and transfers.

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The NIL Tug-of-War: Loyalty vs. Survival

Madu also touched on the deeper ethical tension NIL has introduced—what happens when tradition collides with cold, hard cash.

For kids from disadvantaged backgrounds, NIL is a golden ticket—not just for them, but for their families. But Madu still worries about what’s lost in the process: team loyalty, fan connection, and recruiting for the right reasons.

“We’ve got to find a way to keep the tradition of college football alive. Otherwise it just becomes another league.”

He floated ideas like player contracts, loyalty clauses, and caps—not to hinder players, but to protect the sport’s soul.

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The Thunder Surge & J-Dub’s Bounceback

After the deep dive into football, the show shifted gears to basketball, with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s playoff run in full swing. Rob and Brad praised the team’s resilience, especially in their Game 7 win against the Nuggets.

“They went on a 50–25 run to end the half—crazy,” Brad said.

Jalen Williams (J-Dub) finally had a breakout game with 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) did what stars do, pouring in 35 effortlessly.

But the hosts were just as hyped about role players like Alex Caruso (+40) and Cason Wallace (+38)—guys whose defensive energy transformed the series.

“Caruso was like a human gnat on Joker,” Rob said.

They previewed the upcoming matchup against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, predicting a bruising, physical series. Still, both hosts believed the Thunder were built for this—fast, deep, and tenacious.

“I called it months ago,” Rob reminded Brad. “This team will win the whole thing.”

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Final Word: A Real One Returns

Moses Madu doesn’t sugarcoat it. His blend of affection for the program and realistic assessment is exactly what OU fans need right now. With the transition to the SEC, a brutal 2025 schedule, and uncertainty up front, OU is facing a prove-it year.

But that doesn’t mean it’s doom and gloom.

If Ott delivers, if the trenches develop, and if young pieces gel fast, Oklahoma could surprise some people. And with the sport evolving faster than ever, Madu’s perspective—that of a player, coach, and now Fan—might be the Sooners’ best reality check.

“I’m always rooting for ‘em,” he said. “But you’ve got to keep it real.”

GAINESVILLE, Fla.– Despite making five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo’s top eight, the Florida Gators were considered by many to be on the outside looking in. After his official visit in Gainesville, Ojo considers Florida very much in the running.

“They sit very high on my list, and they most definitely have a chance in my recruiting process,” he said after leaving his visit. “If anyone thought they didn’t, they most definitely do now.”

The No. 1 offensive tackle recruit in the country, Ojo plays a position with high NIL demand, as seen by five-star Jackson Cantwell’s commitment to Miami. For Ojo, however, NIL won’t be the largest factor when making his decision, which he hopes to have sometime near the end of the summer.

“NIL is definitely a factor. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t, but I’ll say, I’m going to college for relationship building more than NIL,” he said, also citing development and potential NFL earnings as more important than “college money.”

Ojo did note that Florida is competitive in that field.

Outside of that, Florida’s investment into developing offensive linemen stands out to Ojo as well under two position coaches in Rob Sale and Jon Decoster, who has primarily recruited Ojo. The two’s experience as position coaches in the NFL play into Ojo’s desires to be properly developed at the collegiate level.

“It was nice, especially with all the NFL experience,” Ojo said. “Just talking ball with them and talking how they run their offense and just seeing how their offense correlates to my skill sets.”

While Florida took a significant step forward in their chances for Ojo, this recruitment is still far from over with the five-star set to visit Ohio State on May 30, Michigan on June 6, Texas on June 13 and Oklahoma on June 20.

Texas is considered the leaders by multiple outlets, but Ojo is still considering all options in front of him. He explained that what current players on each team will also play a big role in his decision.

“Spending time with the players is the main part because the players don’t lie to you,” he said. “Really building a connection with them because that’s who I’m going to be playing with and building a brotherhood with.”

As it stands, Florida has no offensive line commits in its 2026 class, which grew to two pledges on Sunday after a pledge from three-star defensive lineman Jamir Perez. Florida Gators on SI is tracking all of the Gators’ recruiting moves in our 2026 Recruiting Tracker.

LUBBOCK, Texas – The No. 12-seeded Red Raiders (48-12) advanced to their first ever NCAA Super Regional after defeating Mississippi State (39-19) 9-6 on Sunday night at Rocky Johnson Field in front of a record crowd.
 
Texas Tech used 14 hits and eight RBI and needed all it to get past the Bulldogs, who did not quit despite going down 5-0 early in the third inning.
 
Hailey Toney went 3-for-4 with two home runs out of the nine hole and Mihyia Davis also went 3-for-4 from the lead off spot. Toney and Davis combined to score five of the Red Raider’s nine runs and set the tone for the offense.
 
NiJaree Canady got her 28^th win of the season going 5.0 innings, striking out four batters and allowing six runs, three of which were earned. Chloe Riassetto picked up her team-leading third save of the season after throwing a phenomenal 2.0 innings that featured a crucial double play ball to get Tech out of sixth inning jam.
 
Lauren Allred led the team with eight RBI on the weekend including three in this game thanks to a two-RBI single in the second inning and an RBI double in the sixth inning which gave Tech some insurance.
 
How it happened:
Tech was the designated visiting team in the game and got a run in the opening after a Davis single and Allred walk got runners at first and second. Bailey Lindemuth came up to bat and after a few early strikes made the adjustment and lined a ball down the left field line to bring home Davis.
 
The Red Raiders added three more runs in the second inning with an RBI from Alexa Langeliers after Demi Elder, Logan Halleman and Toney loaded the bases on three straight singles which featured some great small ball action by Halleman and Toney. Allred cashed in two more runs with a long single into right center field to give Tech a 4-0 lead.
 
Canady retired the first six batters she faced as the Red Raiders were in firm control heading into the third inning.
 
Tech added another run in the third inning after Lindemuth doubled again and came around to score on a Bulldog error.
 
A pair of errors by Tech allowed Mississippi State to get back in the ball game in the third as they added three runs, all unearned, on three hits but also left two stranded. Toney responded quickly to lead off the next inning as she launched her fifth homer of the season over the left field wall on the first pitch.
 
Alana Johnson got things started for Tech in the fifth inning after the Bulldogs scoreless fourth. Johnson drew a 17-pitch walk which got the crowd and the team hyped up and she would later score off a sacrifice fly from Elder to make it 7-3, Tech.
 
The Bulldogs added three more runs in the fifth inning thanks to two doubles and a single and made things interesting heading into the sixth inning with the score at 7-6.
 
Toney again got Tech back on track as she led off the inning with a solo shot to left followed by an RBI double from Allred to score Davis from first and give Tech some more insurance with a 9-6 lead.
 
Riassetto came in for the final two innings and was masterful as she got one of the best hitters in the SEC to ground into a double play and allowed just one base runner in the final two innings via a hit by pitch. Tech got the final out on a fly out to right field as the nearly 2,200 fans in attendance cheered on the team’s historic accomplishment.
 
UP NEXT: Tech will travel to Tallahassee, Florida to take on the No. 5-seeded Florida State Seminoles.

In a dramatic twist to the ongoing College Athlete NIL Litigation, Duke University tennis player Samuel Landau, an NCAA Division I Athlete, has filed a limited objection to the proposed House settlement, accusing the school of luring him with false promises of NIL payments and retaliating when he spoke out.

$45K NIL Deal, Potential False Rumors, and Anti-Semitic Accusations Surface in Filing

The objection, which was filed on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland division, claims that Duke Men’s Tennis Head Coach Ramsey Smith promised Landau $45,000 in NIL compensation in addition to his scholarship to secure his transfer to Duke in late 2023.

According to the objection, Coach Smith assured Landau and his family multiple times, including in an April 2024 text message to Landau’s mother, that the player would be “well taken care of.” However, once Landau joined the program, he alleges that the NIL money never came through.

The objection, filed by Landau’s attorney, Rodger Landau, paints a troubling picture of alleged misconduct within Duke’s athletic department. It accuses the university of retaliating after Landau raised concerns about the NIL payments. According to the filing,

Coach Smith allegedly spread false rumors that Landau had a drug problem, citing a false statement from University of Texas coach Bruce Berque, which has since been denied in writing by the Texas program.

The filing alleges that Duke officials wrongly suspected Landau, who is Jewish, of running a social media account that was critical of his own team members, invoking what the family describes as an anti-Semitic trope. Landau argues that the current language in the proposed settlement is too broad and could allow Power 5 schools to escape liability for NIL misconduct, including false inducements and broken promises.

He is urging the court to revise the settlement to include expanded audit rights and establish an arbitration process for student-athletes to seek compensation for unpaid NIL deals. He proposes allowing arbitrators to impose penalties of up to $5 million per athlete for proven fraud or retaliation.

If such revisions aren’t made, Landau is calling for Duke University to be excluded from the House Settlement altogether. He argues that Duke, with its $12 billion endowment, has demonstrated an unwillingness to honor NIL commitments and has weaponized its institutional power to suppress dissent.

The NIL era has meant that college athletes can now earn money from their name, image, and likeness through endorsements and sponsorships. Earlier, college athletes were not paid and did not gain monetary benefits from the revenue generated by prestigious college sports programs.

The Ohio State football program has had to navigate a lot of changes in recent years to the game. From having a new College Football Playoff format, to NIL, to the transfer portal, the Buckeyes have done their best to navigate uncharted waters.

Figuring out the transfer portal has been a multi-year process. It has changed every single year since players were allowed to transfer as many times as they want. Now, the Ohio State Buckeyes have to recruit their own players to stay at the end of every season.

That’s something that Day and his coaching staff have been able to do very well over the years. That was on display during the Spring transfer portal window when Ohio State didn’t lose a single scholarship player. That shows that they have mastered the transfer portal.

Ryan Day and the Ohio State football team have mastered the use of the transfer portal

The other good thing about what Day has done is that he hasn’t tried to build an entire roster with just transfer portal players. He has supplemented his normal recruiting with transfer guys. Kids out of high school will always be the priority under Day, which is how it should be.

Day has done a very good job of landing elite players and depth pieces in the portal. Getting guys like Caleb Downs, Will Howard, and Quinshon Judkins is always great, but now he has gotten guys like Phillip Daniels and CJ Donaldson, who will help the depth of the current starters.

The Buckeyes have done one of the best jobs of anyone in the country when it comes to figuring out how to recruit kids from the portal. Day deserves credit for a lot of things, but that’s certainly something that he needs more credit for moving forward.