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Nikki Spetseris previews ‘Full Court Press’ season two

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Telling three unique athletes’ stories

Each of those athletes has quite a different story. Spetseris said Johnson’s is a combination of her playing success, her business success, and her personal background.

“Flau’jae Johnson, the first time I met her in person, she just walked into the room, and there was this air about her. You’re like ‘She is a superstar.’ She just has that energy and that feeling around her. Not only are these three women amazing athletes, and we were able to see that, the discipline and the work they put in every day, but I think with Flau’jae, it’s the story off the court.

“I think her backstory is so inspiring, growing up with a single mom and her dad passed away while her mom was still pregnant with her. And she’s then pursuing his kind of rap career. I think she stands out with her off-the-court story. Also, she has more NIL deals than almost any college basketball player. So that was kind of interesting to follow, just a business mogul, musician, and athlete.”

With Hidalgo, Spetseris said the docuseries shows off a side of her that fans might not expect.

“Hannah Hidalgo, I think people see her on the court and she’s so fiery. Those were some of the the games I looked forward to the most, watching her out there flexing, doing her Incredible Hulk and just getting her team and the crowd amped up.

“I think what was cool to figure out with her, which we talked about in the series, is that off the court, she’s not like that at all. She’s really mellow. She’s really calm. She’s kind of quiet. So I think that makes her very interesting. There’s something that’s stepping out onto the floor and being under the lights and being around the crowd that just flips the switch for her.”

And with Iriafen, Spetseris said the show got a chance to watch her grace under pressure during difficult times.

“Kiki was kind of the player that maybe myself and my whole team knew the least about going into the show, and she just continued to impress us. I think of just grace when I think of her. She’s really poised. They really all were vulnerable and let their personality show, but I think there were some moments with Kiki where there were some growing pains at the beginning of the season, airing out chemistry with her new team and what her role was.”



One moment in particular with Iriafen stood out for Spetseris.

“We had a really interesting moment with her after the Notre Dame-USC game. She had a really tough time, and she opened up to us and she gave a teary interview about the turning point that that game created for her. That took a lot of guts.

“And at first she didn’t want to talk about it. But we kind of stressed the importance of showing the highs and lows; ‘You’re a gorgeous, talented athlete, let young women know that you have struggles too.’ With her, I was just really impressed how she opens up. And she has this grace that maybe we didn’t know at first, that she was so poised that way.”

Another element with Iriafen was her academic work in grad school and how she balanced that with on-court play.

“With Kiki, that was just a little bit more of her story,” Spetseris said. “I mean, graduating Stanford in three years is insane. So certainly that just became a little bit more of her story arc than the other two women.”

Maintaining women’s college basketball’s momentum

Overall, Spetseris said she sees this season of Full Court Press as proof there are still incredible stories to cover in women’s college basketball even after Clark.

“The time and place we’re at, wondering if this was just a moment in time with women’s basketball, I think we were able to help prove that it isn’t, and keep that momentum going.”

Speaking of maintaining momentum, Spetseris said coming into an established series like this actually had some benefits, with her able to build on the work Lappas had done.

“I think as filmmakers, we always want to put our stamp on things. But for me, I just remember when I first got the call and first started talking about the show. I just kept saying like ‘You know, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel.’

“They’d already set so many things in motion that were successful, even kind of like a rough formula for ‘Here’s what we track over the season, and here’s our graphics look.’ And we had a composer. There were so many things that I usually have to worry about that were just already set up that I could really focus on getting to know these women, and their stories, and how do we tell the best stories? So I actually felt really lucky that I could just focus on the fun stuff, if you will: Kristen had already put a lot in motion. So that was great.”

Spetseris and her team did make some changes here and there, though. That included more emphasis on practices and on some different interview settings.

“They didn’t do so many practices last season, and I tend to just love that process of seeing what you work on in practice and then seeing it play out in a game. So I think that was kind of an interesting little added thing.

“And Kristen had these epic interviews that were so gorgeous, where these women were the center of the room, and we loved that. But I feel like just to get to know them, we kind of started, like with this vulnerable interview I was talking about with Kiki, that was just in her bedroom on her bed in the afternoon. And we tried to craft a few intimate moments like that, where maybe they would open up in a different way.”

She said the series’ focus on telling the stories of each athlete on and off the court remains, though.

“You’re always trying to get that right combination as a filmmaker: what will get the best result, what will make people the most comfortable? So we played around with that a little bit, and that served us well. But generally the storytelling, I just feel like it’s really ‘What’s the flow of the story and how do you mix these three characters together?’

“And for me, the mark of success is always, I mean, we hope people watch, but ‘Do you care about these characters and care about these women after you watch the show, and do you want to tune in and and hear more? Do you want to follow their games? Are are they relatable in some way?’ I think Kristen did a great job at that, and I think that I’ve done and my team has done a great job with that this season.”

The logistical hurdles of a multi-athlete series

It’s a lot of work to pull off a docuseries covering three athletes across three different schools over the course of six months, though. Spetseris said her team was critical to making that happen.

“For this project, we’ve been following these women for about six months, obviously their season story arc, but also injuries and birthdays and family events. And you really are embedded. I just want to shout out the women for letting us in and being so vulnerable. But also, I had like a forty-person team, the people in the field and the cameras and editors and assistant editors, and then the three field producers.

“I’m not everywhere, I’m also running four edit rooms while we’re filming, so we have three field producers that were just out there, and they’re the ones that really become like family to the women. Shout out to them and the rest of the crew, because it really is a team effort on this one.”

She said another particular challenge with a project like Full Court Press is that these athletes are all busy, and have frequent short-notice schedule changes.

“The logistics of it are the most difficult part. And I also think that because they’re young women, they have a lot of scheduling changes. We would fly somewhere and we’d have a day planned and then all of a sudden a practice would get scheduled, or a time would change for a practice or a workout or training session, or maybe a NIL commercial shoot would pop up.”

Spetseris said the key from her perspective is being flexible there.

“I think that you just have to be, most people that produce and direct are really type A, and I think you have to let a little of that go when you’re doing documentary work, particularly with college athletes. I got a lot of mid-day or late-night phone calls about, ‘Hey, this isn’t happening anymore, what should we do now,’ and just brainstorming on the fly.”

And that flexibility led to some benefits for the series, including an unexpected chance to connect with Johnson at a key moment.

“After LSU’s Elite Eight loss, we ended up just by chance being on the same flight as Flau’jae going to Atlanta,” Spetseris said. “We saw her at the airport. We just thought, ‘Oh my God, we need to get a shot of her on the plane.’ We filmed her right after the loss. So we have her at the airport, in an airplane.

“And then it was kind of this discussion, basically like midnight that night, ‘Do we just stay in Atlanta and film with her the next day? Because how crazy is that access?’

“There’s a lot of that last-minute decision making in the show. And the games are at night and on the weekends, all the stuff. So we did definitely live and breathe it the last six months, which was really fun. But also, we all need naps now.”

While projects like this do take a massive amount of work, Spetseris is optimistic Full Court Press can pave the way for more docuseries on female athletes.

“I’ve been doing this almost 20 years, and this is one of the first shows I’ve done with female lead athletes. And the majority of my team behind the scenes, shoutout to the guys that were on our team too, but we had a a strong female-led team. And just knowing my own personal energy for it and my team, for us, we feel like, ‘Oh my God, this is such a long time coming. This is just the beginning.’

“Now it’s such a rare thing, there’s still not enough of these docs out there. But I think hopefully really soon they’ll just be good docs and great athletes and all that stuff that they are. I think now it’s so new still that there’s such a focus on these being female-led stories, right? So for me, no, I never worry, because I know how me and all my friends think, and they’re like ‘More of this.’”



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College football program loses 22 players to transfer portal

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The NCAA transfer portal will open for all college football players looking for a new school to play for in the 2026 season.

The transfer portal can be an exciting prospect for successful programs looking to reload their talent pool ahead of the following season. For struggling programs, the idea of roster retention can feel like an uphill battle against potential suitors in the transfer portal.

One program that is fighting the aforementioned uphill battle with roster retention is West Virginia. A multitude of players on the 2025 roster for the Mountaineers have already decided to look for greener grass in the transfer portal.

Khalil Wilkins in West Virginia's game against UCF.

West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Khalil Wilkins (14) | Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

Among the more notable departures for the Mountaineers in the 2026 offseason will be quarterback Khalil Wilkins and running backs Jahiem White and Diore Hubbard.

Wilkins was given snaps as a backup in games against Robert Morris, Kansas, Utah, BYU, UCF and Texas Tech. He tallied 185 passing yards, a touchdown pass and two interceptions while rushing for another 243 yards and two interceptions.

While his 2025 season was far less productive due to injury, White had been given a lot of run with the Mountaineers in his prior two seasons in the program. He accumulated 1,820 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground while catching 27 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons.

Hubbard finished 2025 as West Virginia’s most productive running back. He ran for 335 yards and four touchdowns and caught 16 passes for 156 yards.

Diore Hubbard breaks tackles against Colorado.

West Virginia Mountaineers running back Diore Hubbard (20) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

So far, 247Sports has reported 19 other players will transfer out of West Virginia.

Offensively, running backs Tyler Jacklich, Kannon Katzer and Clay Ash, wide receivers Tyshawn Dues and Oran Singleton Jr, and offensive linemen Robby Martin, Cooper Young, Jude Edwards and Ethan Chill are heading for the portal.

On defense, linemen Adam Tomczyk and Jackson Biser, linebacker Mike Hastie, and defensive backs Zae Jennings, William Davis, Dawayne Galloway Jr., Devonte Golden-Nelson, Kaleb Gray, and Matthias Squire are all exiting. Punter Aidan Stire is also entering the transfer portal.

The Mountaineers rehired Rich Rodriguez to be their head coach after parting with Neal Brown at the conclusion of the 2024 season. Rodriguez coached at West Virginia from 2001-2007 and had held head coaching jobs at Michigan, Arizona and Jacksonville State after leaving.

West Virginia finished 14th in the Big 12 standings with its 4-8 overall record. The Mountaineers’ 2025 wins were against Robert Morris (45-3), Pittsburgh (31-24), Houston (45-35) and Colorado (29-22).



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Miami NIL financial commitment in 2026

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The landscape is evolving fast, and more teams saw the success of Miami, Texas Tech, Oregon, and Indiana in the portal, and will become more
competitive. Texas Tech is doubling down, and we can expect more competition even inside the ACC with Clemson and VaTech. Point here, is what was good and competitive in 2025, wont be enough in 2026. Solid HS recruiting helps, but just look at the impact of our portal class this season. January 2nd through the 10th is going to be crucial, and hope we have our ducks in a row right now. The financial commitment needs to grow to be on par with Texas Tech and Oregon.



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College football: Four key Gophers coming back in unique NIL campaign

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PHOENIX — Four important Gopher football players were part of a unique media campaign on Tuesday.

Offensive linemen Greg Johnson and Nathan Roy, and defensive backs John Nestor and Kerry Brown allowed the Gophers’ NIL collective, Dinkytown Athletes, to share news they will play in the Rate Bowl against New Mexico on Friday, and will return to Minnesota for the 2026 season.

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The social media posts were “presented by Cub Foods,” and those players will be recipients of the grocer’s NIL contribution next year. Dinkytown Athletes serves as a subcontractor.

Athletics Director Mark Coyle called Cub Foods a “foundational partner” of Gopher sports.

“That is how we take the next step, with that type of involvement with NIL side of it,” Coyle told the Pioneer Press. “We are so grateful for their support.”

A few more current Gopher players are expected to join the Cub Foods campaign after the bowl game. But if players on the current roster aren’t included in this specific rollout, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are leaving the U to go into the transfer portal.

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For instance, quarterback Drake Lindsey said, independently, two weeks ago that he would return to Minnesota for his redshirt sophomore season in 2026. Other current players have shared they will be back with the Gophers next year.

Meanwhile, the futures of defensive end Anthony Smith, safety Koi Perich and running back Darius Taylor have yet to be shared. Smith and Taylor said Wednesday they have not yet made decisions on their plans for 2026; both are in line to play in the bowl game at Chase Field.

“I really haven’t thought about that stuff,” Taylor said. “I’m just worried about the game. I will figure all that out after the game.”

Smith said he hasn’t ruled out entering the transfer portal. “I don’t know,” he said.

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Johnson, who started all 12 regular-season games at guard, will return for his senior season next fall. The Prior Lake native played nearly 700 snaps and was Minnesota’s highest-graded starting offensive lineman in 2025 (75.3 overall mark, per Pro Football Focus).

“Being from Minnesota, I personally didn’t have any thoughts of going elsewhere,” Johnson said. “I think Drake really set the tone for the team. This is Drake’s team. He’s our leader and it’s easy to come back and want to play for a guy like that.”

Roy stepped in as the U’s left tackle during his redshirt freshman year with aplomb, playing a team-high 702 snaps with a 69.0 grade from PFF. The Mukwanago, Wis., native will be back for his redshirt sophomore year.

Nestor transferred in from the Iowa Hawkeyes last year, and the Chicago native started 10 of 12 games as Minnesota’s most-reliable corner. He had a team-high five interceptions, adding 47 tackles in 538 total snaps. He will be a senior in 2026.

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Brown continued as a linchpin in Minnesota’s defense for second straight season. The safety and nickel back from Naples, Fla., was fourth on team with 55 tackles and added two interceptions in 579 snaps. He will return for his redshirt junior year.

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Three Mizzou staffers following Kirby Moore to Washington State

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When Kirby Moore got the Washington State head coaching job, Eli Drinkwitz knew a few members of his staff would likely be headed to Pullman soon.

“Moving forward, could lose a couple more people off our staff from analyst roles, as coach Moore finalizes and puts his staff together,” Drinkwitz said on December 16. “It shouldn’t change the dynamic of what we do at all.”

Three of those moves were reported on Wednesday morning by Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz of CBS and 247Sports.

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The first is Tiger tight ends coach Derham Cato. Cato has coached Mizzou’s tight ends for the last three seasons. He spent six years at Washington, including an overlap with Moore when Moore was a graduate assistant for the Huskies. PowerMizzou.com had alerted subscribers to this move being likely a week ago.

The second coach is assistant offensive line coach Jack Abercrombie. Hummer and Zenitz report that Abercrombie will be the full-time offensive line coach for Moore with Washington State. Prior to his time at Mizzou, Abercrombie was on staff at VMI.

The final Mizzou to Washington State move is a front office move. Brad Larrondo, who has served as the CEO of Every True Tiger Brands, which is Missouri’s third-part partner for name, image and likeness deals. In his role, Larrondo helps Mizzou athletes line up NIL deals and also negotiates NIL and revenue sharing contracts for Mizzou football and men’s basketball players. Larrondo came to Missouri as Drinkwitz’s Director of Football External Relations and Recruiting in March of 2023. Prior to that, he had been the Chief of Staff at Auburn. 

Larrondo had spent the previous 28 years in the athletic administration at Boise State, which is just 300 miles from Pullman. He still has family in Boise and sources told PowerMizzou.com the move to Washington State is heavily based in family reasons. 

Larrondo’s position is technically not a University or a football program hire. However, the position works very closely with both and whoever replaces him will do so with influence and blessing from both of those entities. Missouri plays Virginia in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl on Saturday night. Any personnel moves or replacements will almost certainly not come until after that game.



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Missouri Damon Wilson files countersuit against Georgia in NIL case

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Updated Dec. 24, 2025, 11:28 a.m. ET



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College Football Playoff team loses key starter to NCAA transfer portal

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The first round of the College Football Playoff is in the books. Eight teams remain in the hunt to win it all, with Miami and Ohio State kicking off the quarterfinals slate in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl on December 31.

There were quite a few memorable games in the opening round of the playoffs, including Miami’s hard-fought victory against Texas A&M and Alabama’s wild comeback to secure a road win over Oklahoma.

The lone blowout came from Ole Miss over Tulane, winning 41-10 over the Green Wave. Both programs are in transition after their head coaches were hired away by other schools. The Green Wave, in particular, has seen some attrition since concluding its season last week.

Another Tulane Starter Enters Transfer Portal

On Wednesday afternoon, redshirt sophomore cornerback Jahiem Johnson announced his plans to move on after three seasons at Tulane, per On3’s Haye Fawcett.

Johnson developed into a productive defender for the Green Wave in 2025, starting in all 14 games. He totaled 42 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble, 9 pass deflections, and 4 interceptions. Johnson’s 9 pass deflections led the American Conference.

He deflected a pass in 6 different games and recorded a pick in 4 separate outings. In Tulane’s conference championship victory against North Texas, Johnson tied his season-high with 5 tackles, 1 pass deflection, and 1 interception.

The Louisiana native played the most snaps (834 snaps) of any player on Tulane’s defense. He was the third-highest-graded player on the unit (77.1 overall grade), per Pro Football Focus.

Johnson signed with Tulane as a three-star prospect in the 2023 class, joining the program under former head coach Willie Fritz. He redshirted as a true freshman, sticking with the Green Wave when Jon Sumrall took over.

In 2024, appeared in 14 games as a reserve, totaling 4 tackles and 2 pass deflections. Johnson’s rise this past season resulted in him earning honorable mention conference honors.

Johnson is the fifth starter to transfer from Tulane, joining defensive end Santana Hopper, linebacker Harvey Dyson, defensive tackle Tre’Von McAlpine, and running back Javin Gordon in the portal.

Sumrall was hired away from the Green Wave to be the next head coach of the Florida Gators. Considering Johnson’s breakout campaign, he may want to continue playing for a familiar face if that option is on the table.

Read more on College Football HQ

• Coveted dual-threat quarterback entering college football transfer portal

• Former 5-star QB becomes latest college football star to sign new deal for 2026 season

• Johnny Manziel issues apology to ESPN after Texas A&M-Miami game

• College football team set to be without nearly 20 players for upcoming bowl game



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