The Dan Patrick Show

Hour 2: Coach Calipari Goes Off
Date: December 31, 2025
Hosts: Jonas Knox, Brady Quinn, LeVar Arrington (in for Dan Patrick)

Episode Overview

This Hour 2 episode of The Dan Patrick Show dives into the evolving chaos of college sports—especially college basketball’s eligibility rules and the NCAA’s struggles to govern. The centerpiece of conversation is John Calipari’s fiery critique of current NCAA policies, particularly concerning the influx of older, often international players into the college ranks and shifting eligibility standards. The crew explores the tension between development and big business, the blurring lines between college and professional sports, and the responsibilities of athletic and academic institutions. They also share personal anecdotes, and the latter part of the hour features football playoff picks and their recurring awards segment: "Good, Bad & Ugly."

Main Discussion: Calipari Sounds Off on NCAA Rules

(07:44–09:35)

Context and Lead-In

• Jonas brings up coach John Calipari’s recent viral comments about college basketball’s eligibility crisis, specifically the return of older players and international confusion over drafted players returning.
• Calipari's full ESPN clip is aired, providing unfiltered criticism of current NCAA inconsistency and the threat to American high school athletes.

Calipari’s Key Points (Clip Excerpts)

"I've got friends that are playing with 27 year olds and they feel bad... We don't have any rules. Why, why should you feel bad?"
— John Calipari (07:44)

"If you put your name in the draft, I don't care if you're from Russia... you can't play college basketball. Well, that's only for American kids... Next lawsuit... if he's in Europe, we don't have the same rules... Does anybody care what this is doing for 17 and 18 year old American kids?"
— John Calipari (07:44–09:21)

"Who's going to recruit high school kids? No one other than dumb people like me. I get so much satisfaction out of coaching young kids... but why would anybody else if you can get NBA players, G League players, guys that are 28 years old, guys from Europe?"
— John Calipari (08:45)

Panel Reaction: The Wild West of Eligibility

NCAA’s Response and Moving Goalposts

(09:35–10:20)

• Jonas summarizes NCAA President Charlie Baker’s response: the NCAA won’t grant eligibility to players who've signed NBA contracts, but the situation keeps changing.
• NCAA is "moving the goalposts," making rules after public backlash.

The Big Picture: College Sports Are At An “Inflection Point”

(10:20–13:53)

• LeVar calls this an "inflection point for college sports":
  • Emphasizes how development and education used to be central; now they’re secondary to maximizing roster spots for older, more experienced players.
  • Draws parallels to college football’s transfer portal and the dilution of the traditional high school-to-college development track.
  • Criticizes the NCAA’s leniency with waivers and extended eligibility, saying it "takes away spots from high school kids."

"There does need to be a reckoning where someone comes and saves the day. And I'm sorry, I'm just not a believer that the federal government is going to do it..."
— LeVar Arrington (13:29)

Varying Rules By Sport & Educational Gaps

(13:53–17:56)

• Brady notes the rules are inconsistent between sports (hockey/baseball draftees can return, basketball can’t), making the discussion even more complex.
• Critiques the loss of focus on academics:
  • NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) has made education a secondary concern.
  • Most athletes will need to work jobs not related to sports, but their college years are no longer preparing them for that.

"You don't hear people speak on education... NIL has almost muted the conversation of how important education is..."
— Brady Quinn (15:04)

Is This Still College Sports?

(18:58–20:18)

• Jonas argues the system is now “professional in everything but name," noting the prevalence of agents, big money, and roster management.
• Calipari’s speech is seen as both a call to principle and a bit self-congratulatory, given his history with “one-and-done” recruiting.

"Don't feel bad. We don't have any rules. There's nothing to govern all this."
— Jonas Knox, quoting Calipari (19:56)

Youth Development, Sports as “Academics,” and the NIL Era

(21:13–29:03)

• LeVar and Brady discuss the need to rethink how sports are viewed—arguing sports should be a core academic track, not “extracurricular.”

  • LeVar reveals he will teach a course at Penn State, focused on the business of sports: "There has to be an understanding that... the training, the development, the preparation... at the younger levels has to become... more of a focal point." (22:55)
  • They advocate for financial literacy classes for young athletes due to NIL opportunities.
  • Brady: "The idea of understanding the business of sport, that's everybody..." (25:44)

• They contrast the U.S. approach unfavorably with Europe’s, where top talents are "already out" in pro systems with no development stalling.

• LeVar: "Educating them at an earlier age, getting parents on the same page... both those who will continue on to be pros and those who will continue on to be students." (27:35)

College Football Playoff “Quinn’s Wins” Picks

(35:13–44:43)

Brady Quinn runs through his college football playoff picks, emphasizing spread, player matchups, and program trends.

Key Picks Recap:

• Miami vs Ohio State – Miami +9.5
• Oregon vs Texas Tech – Oregon -2.5
• Georgia vs Ole Miss – Georgia -6.5
• Alabama vs Indiana – Alabama +7

Jonas humorously calculates parlays based on Quinn’s picks, joking about high-risk winnings.

LeVar adds: "The teams I feel most confident [in] winning it, obviously Ohio State, Georgia, and Oregon. Those three... are the most consistent, they're the most balanced, they have the most depth..." (43:19)

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

(49:58–51:54)

Rapid-fire round of panel “awards”:

• The Good:
  • Brady: Excited for the college football playoff games (“ABC without messing up... super good.” (50:09))
• The Bad:
  • LeVar on USC’s PR campaigns and Lincoln Riley: "That's the bad, is SC and where their program's at right now..." (50:22)
• The Ugly:
  • Jonas: "It's the constant complaining about college football... I got news for you. We're not that far away from you looking around and realizing you've got to talk NBA, okay? So enjoy it while you got it." (51:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Calipari's Lawsuit Warning:
  "Here's the next lawsuit. Well, we don't have a say over European players. You do if they're playing in college basketball... Does anybody care what this is doing for 17 and 18 year old American kids?"
  — John Calipari (08:22)

• LeVar on Sports Not Being “Extra”:
  "We have to stop segregating, separating athletics from academics... it's a tremendous fabric of what our culture and our society is..." (25:52)

• Jonas on College Sports Now:
  “It doesn't feel like this is college sports anymore. It's... a gray area... they're selling you the illusion of the college experience... there's money, there's a lot of money, there's influence, there's agents... That's professional.” (18:58)

Key Timestamps

• 03:39–06:47 — Hosts’ background stories: Brady Quinn’s basketball recruitment memories.
• 07:44–09:35 — John Calipari’s full on-air rant about NCAA eligibility loopholes.
• 10:20–13:53 — LeVar’s analysis on the inflection point of college sports and lost developmental focus.
• 15:00–17:48 — Brady and Jonas elaborate on lost educational priorities and differing sport regulations.
• 18:28–20:28 — Is college sports “dead?” Discussion of professionalization and Calipari’s recruitment philosophy.
• 22:39–29:03 — How sports education should change to meet new NIL/business realities.
• 35:13–44:40 — College football playoff picks and betting discussion.
• 49:58–51:54 — Good, Bad, and Ugly awards; Jonas’s plea for fans to stop complaining about college football.

Tone and Style

The episode is an energetic, conversational blend of insight, personal anecdotes, and pointed opinion. The hosts critique modern college sports with humor, mild cynicism, and personal investment, oscillating between indignation at NCAA chaos and comedic relief (with running gags about parlay bets and each other’s quirks). Calipari’s outburst serves as a catalyst for a broad, sometimes philosophical roundtable about what college sports is—and what it’s rapidly becoming.

Summary Takeaway

John Calipari’s “going off” is about more than just basketball; it’s a rallying cry highlighting the rapidly vanishing boundary between amateur and professional sports. The Dan Patrick Show crew amplifies his concerns, exposing a landscape where tradition, education, and development are increasingly sacrificed for cash, flexibility, and immediate results. With college athletes navigating new transfer/NIL rules and an evolving market, the crew asks: how do sports remain both a nurturing ground and a fair, aspirational system? No easy answers—just a lot of passion, insight, and debate.