Eye On College Basketball Podcast — Weekend Preview

Episode: “College 🏀 is having its best non-con schedule ever and this weekend’s LOADED slate is the latest evidence why”
Date: December 5, 2025
Hosts: Gary Parrish (GP) & Matt Norlander

Main Theme & Purpose

The episode recaps and previews a historic non-conference schedule in college basketball, highlighting why this season marks the sport’s best slate ever for ranked-vs-ranked matchups. Gary and Matt offer big-picture analysis on scheduling trends, the impact of NIL and transfers, the decline of mid-major upsets, and break down top games of the coming weekend. Lively discussion, signature banter, and stat-driven insights set listeners up for a blockbuster few days on the college basketball calendar.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Best Non-Con Ever: Scheduling Boom

• Norlander’s research: This season’s non-conference segment is shattering records for ranked-on-ranked games, with more high-level matchups than in any previous year.
  • Last season: 31 such games pre-tournament
  • This year already: 36 before this weekend, with projections up to 50 pre-league slate and possibly 120+ when including conference play
  • “It’s been a tremendous, tremendous start. We really might have more this season than any other before.” (Norlander, 04:04)
• Factors: Expanded MTEs (multi-team events), aggressive high-major coaches (Nate Oats, Dan Hurley), “Player Era” changes, and TV-driven events like ACC/SEC challenge have incentivized better scheduling.
• Paradigm shift: Newer, younger coaches at bluebloods (Tommy Lloyd, John Shire) willing to take losses early to play marquee games.
  • "If you're a legitimately good program, you can afford to take a loss in November or December and live to see another day." (GP, 07:13)
• Hope for the future: Making these high-quality schedules “the standard, not the exception.”

2. What’s Driving the Matchups?

• Expanded scheduling window: Early starts (Nov 3, not Nov 11) give more opportunities for big games.
• Evolved mentalities: More high-majors aim for “six” quality non-con games (targeting quad 1/2 wins).
• Benefits: Raises the sport’s TV profile and generates bracket relevance—results now will echo into March.

3. TV Ratings & Football Overlap

• Massive TV numbers:
  • Duke vs. Arkansas on Thanksgiving: Nearly 7 million viewers; most watched regular-season CBB game since 1993 (Indiana-Purdue)
  • Context: Still dwarfed by NFL (Cowboys-Chiefs drew 50M)
  • “It did put Cameron Boozer in front of roughly 6 million people… That's better than what we would get in a different year.” (GP, 14:15)
  • CBB’s goal: Create familiarity early, not to dominate November sports convo.

4. The Mid-Major Squeeze: Fewer Upsets

• Data from Jeff Eisenberg (Yahoo Sports):
  • In November: Power programs vs. “non-Gonzaga” mid & low-majors: 378 games, with non-powers winning only 22 (just 5.82%—lowest in over a decade).
  • “Three Novembers ago, it was around 16%. … everything is connected. … Now, the power conference programs have the best high school recruits and the best mid-major players from the previous year. That is a rough combination to try to overcome.” (GP, 17:00)
• Transfer portal/NIL effect: Elite mid-major players routinely poached; power programs “buy” depth from smaller leagues.
• Scheduling wall: Top mid-majors find it harder than ever to schedule games vs. high-majors.
  • “It has never been more difficult to try to run one of those programs.” (GP, 25:47)

5. NIL, Compliance, and Financial Gap

• NIL front-loading: Power conference programs spent unprecedented sums ahead of possible future restrictions (House settlement), widening the gap further.
• Compliance skepticism: Schools already signaling reluctance to follow coming caps on NIL spending.
  • “They’re not even pretending like they’re going to follow the rules.” (GP, 21:38)
  • “People keep saying what people can’t do … you do whatever you want now and…they’ll challenge it and challenge it.” (GP, 25:04)
• Future outlook: Parity gap here to stay if the current climate persists.

Notable Quotes & Moments

Coaches’ New Scheduling Mentality

“We’re not afraid to play these games—and we’re also not afraid to lose them. … I wish more coaches had that mindset.”
— GP referencing Tommy Lloyd (07:46)

Decline of Mid-Major Upsets

“The Cinderella of last season's Sweet 16 was John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks. That's where we are.”
— GP (16:36)

NIL and Enforcement

“The impression they're leaving their fan base with is: 'We’re gonna operate at a level above...the way the standards are supposedly written.' ... We are going to make NIL promises, get signatures, and then...if you don’t validate them, we’ll see you in court.”
— GP (23:38)

The Scheduling Message to Coaches

“Don’t stop doing this. … This should be the standard. The more great matchups we can have, the better.”
— Norlander (05:36)

Major Weekend Games Previewed

Final Four + 1 Picks Segment (42:36 – 68:17)

Game 1: Friday 7:00pm ET – Gonzaga vs Kentucky (in Nashville)

• Line: Gonzaga -4.5
• Background: Both off losses, pressure on Kentucky's high-priced roster which still has zero wins over power-conference teams.
• Unusual stat: Gonzaga favored over a ranked team after a 40-point loss—likely the first ever.
• Picks: Both hosts lean Kentucky +4.5 (close game, pro-Kentucky crowd)

Game 2: Saturday noon ET – Iowa State at Purdue (#10 at #1, CBS)

• Line: Purdue -5
• Iowa State (with star Josh Jefferson, possibly Lipsey returning) plays elite ‘paint’ defense; Purdue boasts huge home streak.
• Picks: Norlander likes ISU to cover, Purdue to win; GP takes Purdue

Game 3: Saturday noon ET – Duke at Michigan State (#4 at #7, Fox)

• Line: MSU -1
• Two undefeateds, first return matchup since delayed Champions Classic in 2020.
• Boozer speculation: NBA exec says he dominates weaker teams—hosts dismiss this as “nitpicky.”
• Picks: Both trust Michigan State’s homecourt edge

Game 4: Saturday 2:00pm ET – Louisville vs Indiana (in Indianapolis, CBS)

• Line: Louisville -4
• Both teams looking to bounce back (Louisville: off poor 3pt shooting at Arkansas; Indiana: first loss to Minnesota).
• Picks: Both like Louisville (-4) to shoot better and cover.

And-1: Saturday 8:00pm ET – Illinois vs Tennessee (in Nashville, ESPN)

• Line: Tennessee -2 (KenPom projection)
• Two teams with two-game losing streaks meet on a semi-neutral floor.
• Picks: Both lean Tennessee, narrowly.

Rapid Game Rundown

Norlander speeds through a packed schedule of other high-stakes games (69:00 – 72:14):

• Xavier vs Cincinnati (Crosstown Shootout)
• Auburn at Arizona
• Marquette at Wisconsin (“Egg Bowl Bedlam”)
• Baylor at Memphis (“Penny’s Last Stand?”); etc. “It’s a joke how many good games there are this weekend.” — Norlander (71:56)

Notable Quotes & Banter

• On overrated chants:

  “Can we get coaches on the microphone to continually shame the idiot fans that want to call every team that has a ranking next to its name overrated? This has been dumb forever. Stop it, Calipari. I hope you start a movement here. Get rid of this stuff.”
  — Norlander (30:59)

• On TV coverage and college basketball’s place:

  “We turn on Get Up...and they're just constantly talking about the NFL. If you want to know why...that's why. But [Duke-Arkansas] did put Cameron Boozer in front of roughly 6 million people. That's better than we’d get in a different year.”
  — GP (14:08)

• On scheduling future:

  “Let’s not have three, four years from now, ‘Remember the 25-26 season? Why can’t we get back to that?’...Let’s make great non-con matchups the standard.”
  — Norlander (05:36)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:47 – Show open, Norlander’s historic non-conference stats
• 02:49 – Weather/banter, breaking down 2025’s ranked-vs-ranked explosion
• 06:49 – Coaches’ approach to scheduling
• 10:09 – Younger coach influence, quad 1 game targeting explained
• 12:05 – TV coverage, actual vs. college football/ratings context
• 16:00 – The mid-major context, Eisenberg’s research on upsets
• 21:15 – NIL front-loading, compliance skepticism
• 28:24 – Arkansas/Louisville recap (“overrated” chant discourse)
• 41:03 – Final 4+1 picks segment starts (Gonzaga-Kentucky, etc.)
• 54:39 – Back-to-back noon ET blockbusters: Iowa State-Purdue, Duke-Michigan St.
• 68:00 – And-1: Illinois-Tennessee; rapid-fire on remaining high-profile games
• 69:00+ – Weekends games rundown/what’s at stake

Tone & Style Highlights

• Lively, fast-moving, heavy on stats and direct interaction with inside and outside college basketball narratives.
• Banter and humor are signature (with playful digs about reading time, game watching, and infamous chants).
• Tone is candid and “inside the sport,” with the hosts sometimes referencing their own reporting (e.g., Norlander’s court report; GP’s top-25 rankings) and direct quotes from coaches.

For Newcomers

This episode not only previews the best college basketball weekend in years—it explains how and why the sport has engineered this. Listeners get essential context on scheduling dynamics, transfer/NIL realities, and which storylines matter most going into the weekend. The hosts combine expertise with accessibility, making the landscape’s changes clear, and the stakes of each game apparent.

In Summary:

The college hoops non-conference schedule has never been better or richer in big games—by-the-numbers or by the eye test. This weekend is why. Enjoy the feast.