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Hour 1 – Sweet Sixteen Is Set, JSN Gets Paid

The Dan Patrick Show

Mon Mar 23 2026

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 1: Sweet Sixteen Is Set, JSN Gets Paid

Date: March 23, 2026
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network
Summary Prepared By: [Your Name]

Episode Overview

The first hour of this Monday's "The Dan Patrick Show" is a deep dive into the NCAA basketball tournament as the Sweet Sixteen field is finalized. Dan and the crew discuss which teams remain, how the changing landscape of college sports—particularly NIL and transfer rules—is impacting Cinderella stories and traditional powerhouses, and the intense rivalries both on the court and between states. The episode also features spirited conversations about coaching adaptability, legendary March moments, and concludes with breaking NFL news about a record-setting contract for wide receiver Jackson Smith-Njigba (JSN).

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. March Madness: Sweet Sixteen Analysis

Cinderella Stories Are Vanishing
- Dan refutes Texas being labeled a Cinderella as an 11 seed, noting big spending and conference strength.
  - “Please don’t tell me Texas is a Cinderella story as an 11 seed…they’re playing in a big boy conference there.” (Dan Patrick, 06:21)
- Highlights the disappearance of true Cinderella teams, with all Sweet Sixteen teams from major conferences.
Team Spending and the NIL Era
- Dan shares insider figures on roster spending for prominent programs (e.g., Kentucky rumored at $20–22 million, Arkansas over $10 million, Duke, Indiana, etc.).
- Later, detailed Sweet Sixteen team-by-team spending is shared, illustrating how major programs invest millions to maintain competitiveness.
  - “Nebraska and Iowa spend the same amount at $7.2 million.” (Dan Patrick, 23:06; see timestamp for full list)
Iconic Game Recaps
- St. John’s vs. Kansas:
  - Dramatic game-winning layup by Dylan Darling (“Bells”); play call audio and Rick Pitino’s postgame thoughts featured.
    - “He hasn’t scored a bucket and he wants to run a play for himself. But he’s Bells.” (Rick Pitino, 07:26)
- Iowa vs. Florida:
  - Critical discussion of endgame defense: Dan passionately analyzes defensive breakdowns and credits Iowa’s clutch shot.
    - “All you have to do is beat the press, then it’s a three-on-two…you got what you deserved, and give Iowa credit.” (Dan Patrick, 15:09)

2. Coaching Adaptability and Legends

Intelligent breakdown of Rick Pitino and John Calipari’s career adaptability—how their willingness to change and learn has kept them relevant across decades and programs.
- “Different programs, different decades, same outcome, because neither coach stayed the same…And that's what coaching is nowadays.” (Dan Patrick, 07:59)
Tom Izzo discussed as a leader whose tournament prowess and energy set him apart.
- "It’s no accident [Izzo’s] teams get better in the tournament…but maybe he’s better in the tournament than your coach." (Dan Patrick, 10:30)
Hard realities for coaches unwilling to embrace the constant change of recruiting, NIL, and transfer portal (e.g., Jay Wright, Tony Bennett).

3. Classic Sports Rivalries and State 'Hate'

Animated debate about which states have the fiercest sports-driven animosity (Ohio-Michigan, Oklahoma-Texas, Iowa-Nebraska, etc.).
- “Texans are proud, we’re not afraid to hate on anyone…got a problem with Connecticut.” (Lucas from Texas, 47:29)
Lighthearted polling and caller contributions on other rivalry candidates (e.g., Kansas-Missouri, Boston-New York).

4. Impact of NIL/Transfer Rules on Mid-Majors and Tournaments

Dan addresses the squeezed-out mid-majors:
- Strategic challenges—they serve as feeders to power programs, raising questions about the future of Cinderella runs.
- Suggests "transfer/transition fees" as a way for mid-majors to get compensated when star players move to bigger schools.
  - “Can I get a finder’s fee for you taking my guy? … Can there be a buyout for players?” (Dan Patrick, 31:05)

5. Listener Calls and Best/Worst of the Weekend

Notable moments:
- Callers praise LeBron James’ longevity (passing Robert Parish’s games-played record), debate Mark Few possibly leaving Gonzaga, and reflect on the energy of March sporting events.
- Emphasis on the passion fans and even non-basketball fans bring to the tournament this time of year.
  - “You hear that rim, it’s more annoying than aluminum bats in the College World Series.” (Dan Patrick, 36:07)

6. NFL News: JSN Signs Record Deal

Breaking Story: Jackson Smith-Njigba signs a 4-year, $168M deal with Seattle, becoming the highest-paid WR in NFL history ($42.15M/year average, $120M+ guaranteed).
- “You can let your running back go, but you can’t let the best receiver…go.” (Dan Patrick, 43:31)
- Conversation on Seattle’s cap space, spending strategy, and roster construction.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On coaches who adapt:
- “They could take their players and beat you. They could take your players and beat you. That’s how good a coach they are.” (Dan Patrick, 10:30)
On NIL's effect on coaching:
- "You're a CEO, not an X and O, and that's the difference here." (Dan Patrick, 11:26)
Rick Pitino's audacious player:
- "He hasn't scored a bucket and he wants to run a play for himself...But he's Bells!" (Rick Pitino, 07:26)
On the drama of March:
- “Your wife, your kids… may not watch any college basketball the entire year, but all of a sudden they're investing in a story.” (Dan Patrick, 36:35)

Timestamps of Key Segments

03:09 – Show begins: Bracket talk, “best and worst of the weekend” call-in invitation
05:58 – St. John’s buzzer-beater audio, first Sweet Sixteen recap
07:26 – Rick Pitino postgame story on Dylan Darling (Bells)
10:30 – Coaching adaptability: Pitino, Calipari, Izzo; discussion of “taking your players and beating you”
11:26 – Realities for coaches in the NIL/transfer portal era
13:04 – Poll question: Biggest tournament losers (Florida, Kentucky, Kansas, lower seeds)
15:07 – Audio and analysis of Iowa’s clutch three vs. Florida; Dan’s coaching frustrations
23:06 – Detailed Sweet Sixteen spending figures by program
25:18 – Iowa–Nebraska rivalry banter and “stat of the day”
26:04 – Poll: Which states dislike each other the most?
30:47 – Can mid-majors compete? Proposes player “buyout/transfer” fees
32:05 – Callers weigh in: Longevity of Mark Few at Gonzaga, LeBron breaking the “all-time games” record; NIL’s threat to smaller programs
37:26 – Funding basketball vs. football at schools like Nebraska, Purdue, UConn
43:31 – Play of the Day: Iowa’s clutch shot vs. Florida; historical Sweet Sixteen note
43:59 – NFL news: JSN’s mega contract; implications for Seahawks and NFL WR market

Tone and Style

The hour is energetic, analytical, and informal—equal parts sharp sports commentary, coach-speak, and locker-room banter. Dan leverages decades of experience and insider sources but keeps the tone light, engaging the crew and audience with humor and relatable asides (“I wouldn’t be a coach now,” “drives me crazy” about rim noise, etc.). The callers add to the show’s communal energy.

Conclusion

This episode sets up an action-packed week of March Madness discussion, exploring how NIL and transfer dynamics shape tournament narratives and coaching legacies. Dan seamlessly blends tournament excitement with sober analysis of the changing sports ecosystem—and somehow still finds time to break NFL contract news.

Next Hour Preview:

Charles Barkley interview
More listener calls: best and worst of the weekend
Deeper discussion of tournament coaching and expansion

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Transcript

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Dan Patrick (0:52)

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Dan Patrick (3:09)

Hope you had a great weekend. Everybody, gang's all here, ready to go. How are your brackets? 8773-DP-SHoSH Email Address dp danpatrick.com Twitter Handle @DP-SHoSHoSE as we always do every Monday. Best and worst of the weekend. What you saw that you liked, you didn't like. Operator Tyler is sitting by. He'll take your calls, as always. Stat OF THE DAY brought to you by Panini America. The official trading cards of the program. First hour brought to you by the great folks at Z. Kleiner. Revolutionary recliner designed by Flex Steel. Ideal bed alternative. A healthy life starts with a healthy night's sleep. Visit Z kleiner.com danpatrick today to find Z Kleiner at a store near you. Charles Barkley will join us coming up in a little more than an hour from now. Your phone calls. Best and worst of the weekend as well. I know we love this Cinderella story. And please don't tell me that Texas is a Cinderella story as an 11 seed. Now, they have rumored to have spent around $5 million on their roster this season. Just to give you an idea, these aren't official. I'm trying to find out how much teams have spent. Kentucky, they have spent I think over 20, 22 million dollars. But Arkansas, over 10 million. BYU, they spent maybe five to seven on one player. Duke, Indiana. Indiana missed the tournament. They rumored to have spent at least $10 million. Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, North Carolina, St. John's and Texas Tech. Back to North Carolina. Going to be an interesting week for Hubert Davis and North Carolina. And it's strange to hear analysts say, is this a desirable job? And to me, this feels like, you know, they're the blue bloods. These are, you know, those stocks that you invest in and you keep them forever. And then all of a sudden you go, why isn't it a great job? Are they spending the money you have? Of course, the comparison eight miles down the road with Duke, Hubert Davis bows out. They blow a big lead in the second half. And it feels like. And once again, these are just analysts who have Been speaking. He might have to make changes to his staff. Now, sometimes when they say that the coach will make those changes or the coach will say, I can't do that. I can't fire these people. But it might be last call for Hubert Davis. Maybe it already has been last call. And we might have some movement there as early as today. Iowa knocks out the defending champ Florida Gators. St. John's against KU at the buzzer. And it sounded like this. No fouls. Inbound comes to Garland.

Dan Patrick (7:59)

Yeah, Dylan Darling. His nickname is Bells. I think people have talked about how he got that nickname. It was a great game. Strategy, two hall of Fame coaches, and that's what you want. I mean, March Madness is all about the coaches. When you think about how Great. These coaches, how many great coaches are in the tournament? Still in the tournament. But I started to think about John Caliperi and Rick Pitino. And today's athletic landscape is all about adapting. And some guys can't do it, won't do it, and they bow out, they retire. But you look at Patino and Caliperi, certainly Pitino, he's a lifer. But, you know, here they are in the sweet 16, and they have, you know, such a great track record of winning. Caliperi turned UMass into a force, took Memphis to a national title game, won it all at Kentucky, Arkansas, won the SEC title. Patino's resume, he took Providence to a Final Four, championships at Kentucky and Louisville, and then he went overseas and won a championship in Greece. Then he turned Iona into a tournament team. And now he's got St. John's back in the national spotlight. Different programs, different decades, same outcome, because neither coach stayed the same. They all adjusted. And that's what coaching is nowadays. Not just having a system, but knowing when to adapt and change. That's the system. And that's why you see Tom Izzo. You know, it's no accident his teams get better in the tournament, but maybe it's. He's better in the tournament than your coach. And I think that's something to be said, to still have the energy to do it. And that's the first thing that goes, I think, with a coach or even a player. Sometimes it's just that willingness to. To, you know, or the energy that it takes, certainly with the coach. I mean, Tom is a Hall of Famer, and he could retire, he could walk away, but there's part of him that it feels like, hey, I can do this again. And a lot of his players aren't great pros, but they're great tournament players. And that says something about Tom Izzo. You know, Caliperi, Pacino. They. And I was. And this has been said about other coaches, they could take their players and beat you. They could take your players and beat you. That's how good a coach they are. But when you get college basketball, when you can really, it feels like college football. I mean, Nick Saban, most of the work that he did was prior to playing the game. Patino, it's the game. It's. It's Calipari. It's the game. Hurley. It's the game. It's. What do I do right now with this play? Bill Self almost pulled off a really interesting strategy there. He just left a little too much time on the clock. And the last guy in the building you thought was going to take the shot, beat you to the hoop. Yes, Marvin.

Dan Patrick (28:06)

All right, Chris. And, oh, let me mention this before I get to Chris in Syracuse. If I'm a mid major now, if I'm coaching a mid major, I look at my team and I treat it like it's a junior college. I'm going to get you for one or two years and I'm probably going to lose you. If you're a good player, I'm probably going to lose you. And this is where. And I heard Seth Greenberg talk about this. Can I get you for two years? And then let's say a big powerhouse comes in and, and wants you to transfer. Can I get a finder's fee for you taking my guy? Can the mid major get some money from, you know, one of these big conferences and say, we're going to pay you whatever, like a buyout. Is there a way that you could look at mid majors and say, how do we survive here? Miami Ohio was a great story, but once again, if I'm a, you know, a Power 5 conference, I'm not scheduling those guys. Now, I could do it because I have some kind of relationship, maybe with a coach or maybe I coach there, but. But I have everything to lose. They have everything to gain. And I'm just going by what I would be doing. If I'm coaching at a big school, I'd be like, no, it's dangerous. Are we gonna play on a neutral site? They're gonna come down to our place. We're not going to their place. But you're hearing these mid majors, these coaches saying, hey, we'll play anybody. High point coach, we'll play anybody. VCU coach, we'll play anybody. Miami, Ohio, we'll play anyone. By the way, the state of Ohio did not have a good tournament. I think that was Miami of Ohio, Ohio State, Akron. Is there another team? I think they went over. I don't know if Is there another Ohio team that I'm, I missed in the tournament, but I would treat my, my, my school, my team like it's two years. Two years and I'm going to lose some of these guys now. We find the mid majors do damage normally when they have their collective stay for about four years, three years. Like Purdue's players are good enough, but they're not great enough. So they're good enough to play high level and they stay. I mean, Zach, Edie stayed. Plus the amount of money that you're going to get. Most of them aren't playing in the NBA and you could still get sort of a mid major feel to a team like Purdue.