Beyond Big Ten

I want to begin by acknowledging that this story will be divisive. As a society—and as sports fans—we are increasingly fractured, our beliefs often entrenched and immovable. Uncomfortable truths tend to provoke emotional responses, and whatever reactions this story generates are part of the responsibility that comes with telling it. As I was finalizing this report and working to verify a few remaining details, I published an initial announcement on Sunday night, January 16. Shortly thereafter, a second individual connected to the program reached out, offering additional information and the possibility of corroboration. Given the gravity of the subject matter, I believed the delay was necessary to ensure accuracy. The information presented below has been corroborated by two separate individuals inside the Penn State football program. Before diving in, however, there is one narrative that must be addressed: the “it doesn’t matter” perspective. For 12 years, the fans and the surrounding c...

College football is out of control. Yes, there’s more parity than ever. More teams. New teams. Real competition at the top. But there’s also more destruction. More fraud. More unethical behavior. And it’s ruining the sport overall. Below are the biggest issues currently plaguing college football, along with clear, common-sense steps that could create fairness and limit the damage being done to the best sport in the country. 1️⃣ Limits on “Poaching” The Matt Campbell hire made me realize just how ridiculous college football has become — in a different way. I’m happy with the hire, but there’s absolutely no way Penn State should have been able to ransack Iowa State for 24 players. Plan: When a coach switches schools, he can offer a maximum of 10 players from his previous program. That’s it. This allows a coach to help build a foundation at the new school while preventing the complete destruction of the old one. 2️⃣ A Real “Contact Process” Players should absolutely have the right to chan...