Pac-12 and Indy Vibe Checks + The State of Special Teams Development

Part 1 of this week’s episode is the continuation of SZD’s “Offseason Vibe Checks” series, checking in on the Pac-12 and the FBS independents. You may be thinking, “Nice, but that’s probably going to be a really short episode, because there are just two Pac-12 teams and three independents at the moment.” Fear not! Part 2 is an interview with author Victoria Zeller, who joins Alex to discuss her new book One of the Boys and the deep research she did into the state of modern special teams development. #CollegeKickers are getting better despite lacking training at most high schools. How? Well, there’s a story there.* In the Pac-12, Washington State had the kind of offseason that Oregon State had last year, and now the Cougars have to pick up the pieces* Among the FBS independents: UConn’s doing well, UMass is at least trying something sensible as it prepares to move to the MAC this summer, and Notre Dame has lots of backfilling and an intriguing QB battle on the agenda* Victoria Zeller talks about “One of the Boys,” the privatization of special teams development, and much more.The book comes out May 13 and is available for preorder here: https://victoria.monster/#bookdriveLiked this show? Get bonus episodes at www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribeProducer: Anthony VitoGet cool stuff from SZD’s partnersUse SZD20 at www.homefieldapparel.com and get 20% off your first order.Follow Nokian Tyres on Instagram @NokianTyresNA, and learn more about Nokian’s commitment to sustainability at nokiantyres.com/sustainability This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comIn this live recording, Alex and Richard answer a handful of subscriber questions and take the time to talk about the factors behind Shedeur Sanders’ plummet to the fifth round of the NFL Draft. In this episode:* An announcement: Alex, Richard, and Godfrey will do a live taping at the Sports Podcast Festival in Raleigh on August 23. Tickets out May 9* Off-the-dome dark horses for every conference in 2025* Pac-12 candidates from the American Athletic* The Week 1 games we’d go to if we could* Could the next Phil Knight/Oregon donor relationship be at … Texas Tech? It’s not a ridiculous question!* Contract disputes in coach poaching* Coaches getting banned from high schools for recruiting sins* Under Armour fading in college sports* The main event: Discussion of Shedeur Sanders plummeting to the fifth round. (Also, Richard’s very excited the Jags got Travis Hunter)* Alex is even less enamored than before with private equity coming to CFBProducer: Anthony Vito

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comSteven Godfrey, Richard Johnson, and Alex Kirshner check in on how things are going three-plus years after a blockbuster few days in the coach carousel. Over a few days in late 2021, USC, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, LSU, Oregon, and Miami played a high-stakes game of musical chairs. Nowadays, only a few of these teams probably feel content, and they aren’t the ones we expected. What can we learn, and what does all of this have to do with Southern Miss and Marshall?Producer: Anthony Vito

Alex and Richard break down offseason happenings in the Mid-American Conference, which saw lots of coach carousel turnover. * Ohio: Tim Albin to Charlotte, OC Brian Smith replacing him * Ball State: An off-the-beaten-path coach hire, bringing on a guy who most recently coached non-scholarship football in the Pioneer League * Miami: It’s a Return to the MAC for QB Dequan Finn* Buffalo: Pete Lembo tries to follow up a surprisingly good opening act* Bowling Green: Has an offseason loss of a coach ever looked better than the Falcons winding up with Eddie George? * Western Michigan: Major staff turnover as Lance Taylor tries to fix it * Toledo: Jason Candle has a good roster (as usual) and spicy spring game commentary * NIU: Losing basically everything from last year’s team that beat Notre Dame, and also preparing for a conference switch * Akron: A portal exodus * EMU: Ditto, but Chris Creighton is a hard man to count out * Central Michigan: Trying something different with Army’s Matt Drinkall as head coach. We applaud the spirit of the hire* Kent State: Well, it’s really, really badThe MAC also has some realignment coming for this season, with UMass joining back up. They’re not officially Midwesterners again until July, though, so we’ll discuss the Minutemen when we check in with the independents. (Ed. note! We recorded most of this episode shortly before the spring transfer portal window opened, but we made a few updates before publication on 4/23, mostly to cover the late-spring firing of Kent State’s head coach.) Elsewhere in Offseason Vibe Checks* Big Ten* SEC* ACC* Big 12* Sun Belt* Conference USA* AACSubscriber exclusives all offseason longTwo of them just this week! * What on Earth is going on at Cal? * The NFL Draft QB Tiers Special, with Ben Solak and Derrik KlassenAnd much more from SZDPaid subscribers help us make these episodes and get lots more of them. Get a weeklong free trial to see how you like them.Get cool stuff from SZD’s partnersSUPPORT OUR PARTNERS AND GET COOL STUFF* Shop Diamond Classics and much more at www.homefieldapparel.com. * Follow Nokian Tyres on Instagram @NokianTyresNA This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comRenewing our annual NFL Draft week tradition, Richard is joined by ESPN’s Ben Solak and The Athletic Football Show’s Derrik Klassen for a rollicking good time discussing the 2025 QB class. You'll be surprised at a QB the gang surprisingly can tolerate in a class that is a down year overall.Producer: Anthony Vito

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comAlex and Richard take a bunch of questions from Split Zone Duo subscribers, recorded at lunch on April 15. The topics covered here include: * Is this the most wide-open track to the national title that CFB has seen in a long time? And what does it even mean for Ohio State to be “down”? * The Group of 5 schools with the biggest NIL war chests * Could Notre Dame be better than last year? (We’re skeptical.) * How does Cal replace an entire portaled running back room? * Would Texas reset the market for Dan Lanning? * UAB has a new wordmark * Is Mike Norvell’s hire of Gus Malzahn a last stand? * Why is institutional malpractice in the MAC not a bigger story? * Thoughts on Colorado retiring Shedeur Sanders’ number? * City schools’ difficulty getting people to care about CFB* Story time: Richard’s trip to Augusta National Golf Club * Alex’s running gear recommendationProducer: Anthony VitoAlso this week for SZD subscribersOur subscriber episode on Nico Iamaleava leaving Tennessee:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comAlex and Richard react to Nico Iamaleava’s split from Tennessee. We’re less interested in where he plays next (UNC? UCLA? Elsewhere?) and more interested in talking through his last few months as a Volunteer:* The job done by Tennessee’s football staff* The way Iamaleava is doing business* How the state of Tennessee helped bring about this moment* Freedom to move around and live with the consequences* The idea of Iamaleava’s representatives driving the boat* How much you can blame “the NCAA” for the state of things* Do star quarterbacks really have so much power?* Why we think Tennessee is likely to come out ahead of its old QBHosts: Alex Kirshner, Richard JohnsonProduction: Anthony Vito

Rodger Sherman returns for our offseason check in with the American Athletic Conference, along with Alex and Richard. The group discusses how things have been going since the end of the 2024 season for each team in the AAC:* UTSA finds reason for optimism* Rice gets a bit creative in the coach carousel* FAU makes a hire that Alex is pretty happy about* Tulsa hires a millennial from the FCS ranks* North Texas attempts to finally play a bit of defense, and also returns to the Cam Ward Quarterback Tree* Temple lands a proper ball coach to try a rebuild* ECU sticks with the interim coach after a solid finish* Charlotte also has a new head coach, but success at Charlotte might not hinge on who the 49ers hire* Tulane 2.0 under Jon Sumrall* UAB tries to patch a major wound with small bandages* Army loses its entire offense* Navy doesn’t* USF may actually, finally, at long last, be building a new stadiumSUPPORT OUR PARTNERS AND GET COOL STUFF* Use code SZD20 for 20% off your first order from Homefield, at www.homefieldapparel.com.* Follow Nokian Tyres on Instagram @NokianTyresNAProducer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comMatt Brown, publisher of the Extra Points college sports business newsletter, joins Alex to discuss a handful of big business stories that are all coming to a head around the same time. In this show: * The status of the not-quite-finished House settlement * Do we believe in the NCAA’s attempt to make sure that future “NIL” deals are really about the use of a player’s name, image, or likeness? * How power conference schools might divide up the $20 million per year that they will share directly with their athletes * Why Group of 5 and FCS payments will not be what they seem * Is the settlement going to provide a big leg up for basketball schools? * Nebraska’s AD will have the most interesting job in college sports * How might tariffs and a bad stock market affect athletic departments? * What about federal attacks on higher education? * Sacramento State is trying to move to FBS. It’s questionable. Also, here’s a cool offer for Split Zone Duo subscribers: 25 percent off a monthly or annual subscription to Extra Points by clicking this link. Matt’s newsletter is an essential read for keeping up with the off-field developments that shape college football, and we’re excited to have him stopping by. Host: Alex KirshnerGuest: Matt BrownProducer: Anthony Vito

Alex interviews Dowell Loggains, the recently hired Appalachian State head coach who was most recently at South Carolina after a long run as an NFL assistant and coordinator. After Alex and Richard talk a bit about App State’s last 20 years, Loggains joins (17:10) to discuss:* Why he moved from the NFL to college football at a time when coaches are getting a lot of attention for doing the opposite* Why he isn’t worried about spring games turning into roster poaching showcases for rival schools* The concept of “fit” at a distinct school like App State* Recruiting as a Group of 5 program in a crowded region* Recruiting to a Sun Belt school vs. recruiting in the SEC* The specific type of prospect who comes to Boone* If he’s thinking about the House settlement and whether he’ll need to fight for resources with other sports* The time management element of becoming a head coach* How much he would delegate to a general manager* Coaching Chris Johnson during his 2,000-yard season and whether that has value in the eyes of 2020s college football playersApp State Flutie Effect study mentioned on the show: https://econ.appstate.edu/RePEc/pdf/wp1905.pdfSUPPORT OUR PARTNERS AND GET COOL STUFF* Use code SZD20 for 20% off your first order from Homefield, at www.homefieldapparel.com* Follow Nokian Tyres on Instagram @NokianTyresNAHosts: Alex Kirshner, Richard JohnsonProducer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe