NIL
Richard Pitino explains how he’s building Xavier’s roster in the NIL era
Richard Pitino is entering his first season at Xavier with the challenge of leading a roster that doesn’t return a single scholarship player. All 12 are newcomers, and even in an era of constant roster movement, the scope of this reset stands out.
“Year one is hard,” Pitino said on his recent coach’s show on 55KRC. “Now, people think you can flip it quicker because of the transfer portal, and you certainly can get a lot of players in a short amount of time. But I would just caution everybody to understand that we’re trying to build a sustainable program. Normally, when a coach leaves, the players all leave. That’s just everywhere. All my players in New Mexico left. They didn’t return anybody.”
That reality has led Pitino to balance short-term needs with long-term development, and he admits the debate around whether to still invest in high school recruits is constant.
“The decision everybody’s trying to make right now is, do you take any high school kids?” he said. “I was in four different gyms in two days just picking other coaches’ brains. I still think you should recruit high school kids. It’s a matter of the investment you make. Nobody wants to hear it, but it’s like pro sports now. You’ve got to decide how you want to allocate everything. A lot of my best players in New Mexico were high school kids who grew in the program. I still want to do that, with an understanding that we’ve got guys in our program we want to keep and, in the spring, there are valuable players we can add as well.”
The transfer portal has become the driving force for roster-building across the sport. For Pitino, the system is far from perfect, but he recognizes the leverage players now have.
“Until there are buyouts, I don’t think the number of transfers will decline,” he said. “People always make the argument that coaches can leave. I can promise you we can’t leave as much as people think, because when you sign a contract it’s fair to both sides. That’s the way it should be. It should be fair to Xavier, and it should be fair to me. Right now it’s really one-sided, all towards the player. They shouldn’t apologize. The players shouldn’t, because it’s the greatest deal they’ll ever get in their lives. But they’re allowed to move on. So you treat it year to year while you try to build a culture, with hopes you’re building a program guys want to stay and be part of.”
With NIL and the ability to transfer freely every year, some wonder how coaches can still hold players accountable and coach them hard. Pitino said the new financial layer has made it more clear-cut for him when it comes to how he treats his players.
“I’m meaner to them because they make a lot of money,” he joked. “Like, screw you guys, I’m not going to baby you. I’m half kidding, but I’m kind of serious. People ask me all the time, do you find it hard to be hard on them? No, I do not. I find it way easier, because we’re compensating them heavily. I don’t want them to apologize for it, but I want them to appreciate it and also understand the responsibility that goes with it. There are people who give their hard-earned money to support Xavier, and that’s going to those guys. So those guys have a responsibility off the court, in the classroom, in the community, and also on the court as well.”
When he boils it down, Pitino says every roster decision now comes back to financial fit. “The number one thing we look for is, who can we afford? That’s the biggest thing, as crazy as it sounds. You have to figure out what they’re looking for and can you afford them? What’s important to them, and where do you want to invest your money? Guys with a bigger body of work are less of a risk, but you also need young, hungry guys who are willing to get better. You’ve got to put together a team. You try to forecast it.”
Pitino continued about NIL: “It’s everything right now. Once they get here, not a whole lot has changed, but in order to acquire players and retain players, you need a healthy NIL budget. We’re really grateful for the people who work so hard to contribute to that. You always want more. The hard part is finding the truth. You want to be competitive in it, but nobody has to disclose how much they spend. Nobody really knows. You’ve got to fact-find as much as possible because you want to be competitive in your league. For the Big East, not having football, I don’t know if it makes it easier, but it’s in its own way different because you don’t have to share funds with football.”
Every player is different. And while the financial aspect drives a lot of the process, there’s still other visions that Pitino and his staff sell recruits on.
“NIL is very important, but that’s definitely not what we talk about the most,” he said. “You have to have it. You’re not going to get players if you don’t have a competitive NIL. We talk about (a player’s) vision, where he fits in, how we think he will flourish in our style of play. You talk about the tradition of Xavier, winning in the NCAA tournament, being in the Big East, being able to play at Cintas Center in front of an amazing fan base. It’s a feel thing. You get them on campus, and they know, OK, I can become the best version of myself, whether it’s one year, two years, three years.”
NIL
Adam Breneman Highlights Why College Football Will Fail Under Greg Sankey’s Leadership Amid Transfer Portal, NIL Issues
Former Penn State tight end Adam Breneman, on the Will Ventures podcast, revealed his true feelings on the current landscape of college football and the implications of the decisions made by some leaders in the game.
Breneman, on his podcast appearance, highlighted how no one’s actually in charge of college football, whilst also strongly advocating for a college football commissioner.
“No one’s actually in charge of college football. We need a college football commissioner”, Breneman stated on the podcast.
Despite college football not having a designated commissioner, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is one of the most powerful college football figures and is often touted to be in charge of college football as a whole.
Breneman further revealed that Sankey is also in charge of other sports like golf, diving, lacrosse, and men’s & women’s basketball, stating that college football needs a commissioner who will make decisions for the betterment of college football, implying that it’s tough to do that while you have other things on your plate.
“Greg Sankey is also in charge of golf and swimming and diving and men’s basketball and women’s basketball and lacrosse has to make the best decisions for those sports as well. No one’s actually in charge of college football”, Breneman highlighted.
“We need a college football commissioner who actually is in charge of college football and can make decisions for college football because what’s best for college football is not what’s best for men’s basketball”, he further elaborated.
The former ASU tight end coach’s comments come on the backdrop of college football going through a turbulent period as far as player transfers, NIL issues, and the overall backlash the playoff committee is facing as far as the selection of the 2025 playoff teams is concerned.
Greg Sankey Pushes for Expansion to a 16-Team College Football Playoff
Sankey recently appeared on The Rich Eisen Show this December, emphasizing the need to adopt a 16-team playoff format, potentially moving away from the current 12-team format, while also keeping in mind other conferences and their playoff qualification, which was a point of contention amongst analysts and fans alike.
Meanwhile, the college football portal, which is set to officially open in January 2026, has already seen a record number of entries, with the likes of star QBs like DJ Lagway and Dylan Raiola entering, potentially fueled by NIL incentives.
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USC defensive tackle Devan Thompkins, a 6-5, 290-pound veteran who started 12 games in 2025, announced his intention to enter the NCAA transfer portal on December 17.
Thompkins finished the 2025 season with 31 combined tackles (18 solo), three sacks, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble; across three seasons at USC, he compiled 56 total tackles (32 solo), 4.5 sacks, and five pass breakups.
Those figures made him one of the more productive interior linemen on a unit that struggled at times but improved to finish ranked and bowl-eligible.
USC closed the 2025 regular season 9–3 (7–2 Big Ten) and will face TCU in the Valero Alamo Bowl on December 30, a season that left the program ranked inside the top 25 (No. 16) but short of College Football Playoff contention.
The Trojans’ record and bowl bid reflect progress under head coach Lincoln Riley while also exposing lingering gaps across the roster.
Those gaps have since been amplified, as Thompkins’ departure brings USC’s total number of players set to test the transfer market to 15.
The list of known departures is sizable and spread across position groups.
According to 247Sports, the 15 players who have announced portal entries include: WR DJ Jordan, RB Bryan Jackson, CB Braylon Conley, DE Gus Cordova, OL Makai Saina, S Steve Miller, LB Matai Tagoa‘i, DL Carlon Jones, S Anthony Beavers Jr., OL Micah Banuelos, LB Garrison Madden, RB Harry Dalton, WR Prince Strachan, TE Walker Lyons, and Thompkins.
That grouping hits starters across the trenches, secondary, and skill positions — areas that will require immediate replacements via the portal, incoming freshmen, and retained depth.
After a successful five-year run at Oklahoma from 2017 to 2021, Riley took over as USC’s head coach in November 2021 and has delivered steady results built on quarterback development, high-powered offenses, and aggressive recruiting, highlighted by USC securing the No. 1-ranked 2026 recruiting class.
The current exodus provides the latest test for Riley as USC works to build toward a stronger Big Ten finish in 2026.
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Texas Tech Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire spoke to the media ahead of the Orange Bowl against the Oregon Ducks, and McGuire was quite complimentary of Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks program. Much has been made about Texas Tech’s increased spending in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era of college football, and similarities between the Red Raiders and the Ducks have come up ahead of their College Football Playoff matchup.
Powered in part by Nike co-founder and philanthropist Phil Knight, Oregon’s rise in the college football world has been a unique one. On the other hand, Texas Tech’s NIL collective is led by billionaire booster Cody Campbell, whose investment into the Red Raiders program has helped the team climb up the ranks.
What Joey McGuire Said About Oregon and Texas Tech
McGuire was asked to compare Oregon’s rise to Texas Tech’s, and the Red Raiders coach gave a thoughtful answer:
“First, they’ve done a good job of hiring coaches, and Dan (Lanning) was a slam dunk. Second, you know, they made it cool to be an Oregon Duck,” McGuire said. “I mean, they’ve got every uniform known to man, and players love that. So I think we’re really fortunate with Adidas, our partnership with Adidas and Patrick Mahomes, that we’re doing the same thing. We’ve got some some great looks.”
“And then, they have a great booster in Phil Knight that really said, ‘Hey, we’re going to go win at the highest level, and there’s no excuses whenever it comes to finance.’ You know, you turn around, and I think that we’ve shown that we’re doing that, and I think we’re really comparable,” McGuire continued.
“We’ve got guys that have really stepped up and done a great job. I kind of call them the big five whenever you talk about Cody and John and Mike, Dusty, and Gary. I mean, those guys have, along with everybody else in Red Raider Nation, but those guys really led the charge. And so whenever you’re talking, we’re kind of comparable on and off the field in this team. They’ve just done it for a little bit longer and that’s what we’re trying to do,” McGuire continued.
Oregon Ducks’ Sustained Success
As mentioned by McGuire, Oregon has been on the cutting edge of college football uniforms as well as facilities, thanks in part to the program’s relationship with Knight and Nike. In the NIL era, fans often mistake how often Nike is involved in recruiting other than the brand power that Oregon has. Still, Ducks quarterback Dante Moore and wide receiver Dakorien Moore have NIL deals with Nike.
MORE: Oregon Ducks vs. Texas Tech Playoff Betting Odds Make A Clear Statement
MORE: Oregon Loses Two More Players to Transfer Portal Amid College Football Playoff Run
MORE: Dan Lanning’s Frustration Could Ignite Oregon vs. Texas Tech
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Under the leadership of Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Oregon has had success on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal, bringing in top prospects like Moore and Moore. Other contributors on the Ducks’ current roster came through the portal, including safety Dillon Thieneman, defensive lineman Bear Alexander, and offensive linemen Alex Harkey, Emmanuel Pregnon, and Isaiah World.
While financial stability and resources are paramount in the current era of college football, Lanning has also created a culture at Oregon that is seemingly built to last. After the Ducks’ dominant win over James Madison in the first round of the CFP, Lanning and his team were quick to acknowledge that they can play better.
Oregon and Texas Tech will kickoff from Miami, Florida, in the Orange Bowl at 9 a.m. PT on New Year’s Day.
The last of the Power Four college football head coaching openings remains available at Michigan.
The Wolverines decided to part ways with head coach Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10 due to inappropriate relations with a staffer. Michigan had its sights set on Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham and Washington head coach Jedd Fisch.
Though nothing was made official, Fisch was the first to bow out of the race. Alabama’s College Football Playoff victory over Oklahoma eliminated DeBoer from the conversation, and Dillingham inked an extension with Arizona State on Saturday.
With all of those candidates off the board, one who has emerged in the next round is current Wolverines interim Biff Poggi. The interim said he had been interviewed for the job on multiple occasions this offseason.
Biff Poggi says he’s had multiple interviews for Michigan’s HC position. He also has some blunt words about the program’s shortcomings under Sherrone Moore, calling Michigan a “malfunctioning organization.”
“Everything that happens in this building has to be reevaluated.”
— Austin Meek (@byAustinMeek) December 22, 2025
Poggi began his college football coaching career as an assistant with stops at Brown, Temple and the Citadel in the late 1980s. He coached at his high school alma mater, The Gilman School, as an offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from 1988 to 1995. He spent the next 20 seasons as Gilman’s head coach before returning to the college ranks.
The now 65-year-old spent two prior stints with the Wolverines under Jim Harbaugh. He worked as an analyst with the 2016 team and served as Michigan’s associate head coach in 2021 and 2022.
Poggi was hired away from Michigan to succeed Will Healy as Charlotte’s next head coach in the 2023 offseason. The 49ers were 3-9 in Poggi’s first year at the helm, tying for eleventh place in the American Athletic Conference.
After a 3-7 start to the 2024 season, Charlotte decided to part ways with Poggi. The 49ers hired Tim Albin as his replacement for 2025.
This will not be the first time Poggi has served as the Wolverines’ interim head coach. He was the interim for Michigan’s games against Central Michigan and Nebraska.
The Wolverines accepted an invitation to the Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. No. 18 Michigan (9-3, 7-2) will face No. 13 Texas (9-3, 6-2) on Dec. 31 (3 p.m. EST, ABC).
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Bob Chesney was hired at UCLA at the beginning of December, with the official announcement released Dec. 6th.
He spent two whirlwind days — Dec. 8th-10th — in Westwood for his introductory press conference and a few other media moments.
He then spent most of his time back in Harrisonburg, Virginia, preparing his James Madison team to face Oregon in the first round of the College Football Playoffs.
On Saturday, the Dukes lost, valiantly, to Oregon, 51–34. That ended the JMU season and Chesney’s coaching tenure there.
And the Bob Chesney era at UCLA begins.
Of course, the coach was doing UCLA-related things for the past three weeks, but now he’ll be fully focused and engaged as UCLA’s new coach.
What to do, what to do?
One of college football’s greatest rivalry games is set to come to an abrupt end as it was about to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
The annual Notre Dame vs. USC football rivalry game is no more after the schools failed to reach an agreement on future matchups, ending one of college football’s most recognizable traditions, according to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
Representatives from both schools had been involved in negotiations to preserve the rivalry over the last several months, but could not agree on terms going forward, at least temporarily ending a football series that had been ongoing since 1926.
Gone, but not for good?
Yes, there is some hope that we could see USC and Notre Dame on the same field in the future.
Administrators from both schools did reach an agreement to resurrect the series as soon as the 2030 season, according to the report.
Until now, just a world war and a global pandemic had prevented Notre Dame and USC from playing each other every season, but now the pressures of the modern college football season, and its postseason format, appear to have played a role.
Whose fault is this?
Concerns about scheduling and how the game would affect College Football Playoff positioning were the decisive factors in bringing an end to the rivalry, according to the report.
Most of that concern seemed to arise from the USC side of the equation, which felt that certain precedents established by the selection committee in punishing teams for losses put the program in a disadvantageous position.
USC hinted this would come
USC head coach Lincoln Riley signaled as much when speaking on the future of the rivalry last year.
“There [have] been a lot of teams that sacrifice rivalry games,” Riley told reporters at Big Ten Media Days last summer.
“As we get into this playoff structure, and if it changes or not, we get into this new conference, we’re going to learn some about this as we go and what the right and best track is to winning a national championship, that’s going to evolve.”
Still, even amid those comments, reps from USC signaled a desire to keep the Notre Dame rivalry, and Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman was adamant on keeping the matchup, too, reflecting the position of his school.
Instead, Notre Dame is poised to finalize a home-and-home series with BYU over the next two seasons that will take the place of USC on its schedule, according to the Yahoo report.
We saw this coming
A recent Sports Illustrated report indicated that USC was hesitant to pledge itself to a long-term agreement with Notre Dame, citing concerns over the future of the College Football Playoff format and the Trojans’ existing schedule and travel demands.
“I want to play USC every year because I think it’s great for college football, that rivalry, USC-Notre Dame,” Marcus Freeman said.
“Before I even got to Notre Dame, everybody watched that game. Everybody remembers moments from that game that just stick out in their mind.”
Another college football tradition bites the dust
Losing a historic rivalry of this pedigree would be another stark reminder of the very strict conditions that schools have to work in in a new environment where playoff selection, and appeasing the College Football Playoff committee, is king.
Known as the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football, USC and Notre Dame have met almost every year since 1926, with World War II and the Covid pandemic being the only exceptions.
Now, to that list of historical anomalies, the very format of modern college football itself could be the decisive factor that puts this great rivalry on the shelf.
(Yahoo)
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