College Sports Change Forever, Brett Yormark & Bruce Feldman Join, LSU Preview, & CFB Hall of Fame

Summary

The Triple Option Podcast Summary Episode: College Sports Change Forever, Brett Yormark & Bruce Feldman Join, LSU Preview, & CFB Hall of Fame
Release Date: June 11, 2025
Hosts: Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, Rob Stone
Guests: Bruce Feldman, Brett Yormack

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Introduction to Major Changes in College Athletics

In this episode of The Triple Option, hosts Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, and Rob Stone delve into one of the most significant transformations in college athletics: the recent California court approval of the NCAA's landmark antitrust cases. This ruling marks a pivotal shift, allowing student-athletes from 2016 to 2024 to receive a portion of $2.8 billion, fundamentally altering the landscape of college sports.

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NCAA Settlement and the Rise of the College Sports Commission

Urban Meyer initiates the discussion by expressing his skepticism about the NCAA's new enforcement capabilities, highlighting past inefficiencies and delayed punishments. He states:

"I've been around college football for 38 years... enforcement was comical... [04:15]"
— Urban Meyer

Bruce Feldman adds his perspective, noting that many coaches share the skepticism and are concerned about the practical implementation of the new rules:

"There's a lot of schools and maybe it's 15... it's gonna just be a ten-year deal [06:44]"
— Bruce Feldman

The hosts explore how the formation of the College Sports Commission aims to bring stricter compliance and expedited enforcement, contrasting it with the NCAA's previously ineffective oversight.

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Bruce Feldman’s Insights on Compliance and NIL Regulations

Bruce Feldman discusses the challenges schools face in adhering to the new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations, emphasizing the rise of unregulated agents and middlemen taking substantial commissions:

"A lot of those guys aren't regulated... and they're also getting 20%... [06:47]"
— Bruce Feldman

He raises concerns about schools' ability to manage NIL deals, suggesting potential non-compliance and the ensuing legal battles:

"I think it's gonna be really messy... [07:38]"
— Bruce Feldman

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Urban Meyer and Mark Ingram on Enforcement and Future Implications

Urban Meyer shares his cynicism regarding the NCAA's historical lack of effective enforcement, drawing parallels to past issues with steroid use and compliance loopholes:

"I don't get why that's hard to figure out... steroids are out... [08:33]"
— Urban Meyer

Mark Ingram echoes these sentiments, questioning the distribution and legitimacy of the $2.8 billion fund and expressing frustration over the uncertainty surrounding when and how athletes will receive their compensation:

"2.8 billion. What can it be? 9 billion. Who cares? [08:33]"
— Mark Ingram

Both emphasize the need for clear and prompt implementation to ensure fairness and prevent further complications within college sports.

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Discussion on Revenue Sharing and Sustainability

The conversation shifts to how schools will distribute the $20.5 million cap from revenue sharing, with Bruce Feldman highlighting varied approaches and the scalability over the ten-year deal:

"Schools can do whatever they want with that money... [10:07]"
— Bruce Feldman

Urban Meyer expresses concern over the sustainability of smaller programs:

"Are there way less programs playing major college football at the end of it?"
— Bruce Feldman

Mark Ingram points out the escalating cap and its implications for future payouts:

"the salary cap is 20.5 right now... It can grow 4% a year... [30:21]"
— Mark Ingram

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Interview with Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormack

The podcast features an insightful interview with Brett Yormack, Commissioner of the Big 12, who discusses the approval of the settlement and the strategies moving forward. He emphasizes the creation of value for member institutions and the importance of effective revenue distribution:

"We're in a better place today as an industry than we've been in a long time... [35:05]"
— Brett Yormack

Yormack addresses concerns about potential budget shortfalls by advocating for better operational efficiency and strategic value creation within athletic departments.

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College Football Playoff Expansion and Fairness

Brett Yormack shares his views on the proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff (CFP) to 14 teams, criticizing models that favor certain conferences and advocating for a more inclusive approach:

"I didn't like it because it created a huge divide... [47:18]"
— Brett Yormack

He supports a 16-team model, believing it offers greater access without diluting the competition:

"I'm a firm believer... I like 16 because more access is good... [49:26]"
— Brett Yormack

Urban Meyer concurs, highlighting the inefficiencies of the selection committee and proposing a more merit-based system:

"I've been from BCS to the first College Football Playoff... they don't know..."
— Urban Meyer

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LSU Season Preview and Hall of Fame Nominations

The hosts transition to a preview of LSU's upcoming football season, analyzing their schedule and key players like Garrett Nussmeier and Arch Manning. They discuss LSU's potential to exceed expectations despite a challenging start against Clemson.

Mark Ingram celebrates his nomination to the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame, alongside notable names such as Cam Newton and Aaron Donald:

"Mark, you got my vote, brother... [56:35]"
— Rob Stone

Urban Meyer and Mark Ingram share anecdotes about standout players like Percy Harvin, emphasizing their impact both on and off the field.

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Final Thoughts and Future Outlook

As the episode concludes, the hosts reflect on the transformative changes in college athletics. Urban Meyer remains cautiously optimistic, stressing the importance of stringent enforcement and the potential for a more equitable system:

"The punishment should be so firm... [26:23]"
— Urban Meyer

Mark Ingram acknowledges progress while recognizing the challenges ahead:

"We're in a better place right now... [26:24]"
— Mark Ingram

The trio anticipates ongoing adjustments and the need for continued dialogue among stakeholders to navigate the evolving landscape of college sports.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Triple Option provides a comprehensive overview of the seismic shifts in college athletics, particularly focusing on the NCAA's settlement and the establishment of the College Sports Commission. Through expert insights and candid discussions, Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, Rob Stone, and their guests unpack the implications for players, schools, and the future of college sports.

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Disclaimer: This summary excludes advertisements, promotional content, and non-discussion segments to focus solely on the core content of the episode.

Transcript

[Urban Meyer]

You realize if you take Mark to dinner in Boca that Rob and I are like, we're listening. We're here.

[Mark Ingram]

Well, you welcome to come down here anytime you like.

[Urban Meyer]

Coach.

[Mark Ingram]

Always trying to rain on my parade. Why you in my company? Why you in on my dinners, bro?

[Urban Meyer]

What do they say? What did Deion say? We're keeping receipts, brother.

[Rob Stone]

Keep those receipts, man. Welcome to the triple option presented by Wendy's. Try Wendy's new Frosty Fusions with flavors like Caramel Crunch, Oreo Brownie and Pop.

[Urban Meyer]

Tart Strawberry Light it. Bruce wasn't moving either.

[Rob Stone]

We are back.

[Bruce Feldman]

You guys have theme music now?

[Mark Ingram]

Yes.

[Rob Stone]

We've been random voice from the back. Bruce, stand by. We haven't even introduced you yet.

[Urban Meyer]

I love it. I love it.

[Rob Stone]

Rob Stone, Mark Ingram, Urban Meyer here with you.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah.

[Rob Stone]

Bruce Feld will join us in a second. As always, thanks for joining us. Please rate subscribe at Apple Podcast, Spotify wherever you get your podcast as well as across social media. We can be found at 3x option show new episodes coming your way Every Wednesday on YouTube or wherever it is you get your podcast. Today we're going to get you up to speed with our friend Bruce Feldman after one of maybe the biggest changes in college athletics ever. We'll hear about that and a whole lot more including the playoff system with the Big 12 commissioner Brett York a little bit later in the show. Then we are going to preview LSU season and take a look at this year's College Football hall of Fame candidates. I'm looking at you, Mark Ingram, the second but our lead topic. It was launched on Friday as a California court granted approval to NCAA's landmark three antitrust cases bringing in a new era for college sports in which athletes can be paid by their schools. A lot to digest. Here are your basic headlines. Student athletes going back to 2016 to 2024. This they are eligible for a portion of $2.8 billion.

[Mark Ingram]

I got questions back.

[Rob Stone]

But wait, hold on a second.

[Mark Ingram]

I got questions.

[Rob Stone]

Oh, you got a question. Because you're not 2016.

[Mark Ingram]

Yes.

[Rob Stone]

Right. Yes, I got it.

[Mark Ingram]

Yes.

[Rob Stone]

As of July 1st, schools can pay players on their roster. That's any sport. There is a cap, however, which will be 22% of revenue which is projected to be about $20.5 million for this season. Schools, they can do whatever they want with that money. They can spread it however they see fit. That's gonna be a big talking point. And there are escalators in place so that number will get bigger over the course of a ten year deal. Yeah. Guess what? It's just a ten year deal. We're gonna have to deal with this again at some other point. And then the new college sports commission will oversee enforcement with the help of a Deloitte run nil clearinghouse, not the ncaa. Coach, I know you've got plenty to say about that in just a moment. But to help us answer some of these questions, work through some of the semantics, we welcome in finally properly, our good friend from Fox Sports and the athletic, Bruce Feldman. Good morning, Bruce. Good to have you, buddy.

[Urban Meyer]

Hi Bruce, you ready?

[Bruce Feldman]

I'm ready. I got all your, I hope I got some of your answers because I don't know.

[Urban Meyer]

All right, so. So I, we had James Franklin on recently and he was incredible and he enlightened us. I read a lot of this stuff and be honest with you, I'm about as cynical as you can imagine with it. Nonsense. When I started hearing people say, well now there's rules, Bruce, for 38 years I, I took a test every year. I signed a piece of paper saying we're going to follow the rules, that we'd pass the test. You had to study a 3 inch or 4 inch rule book and we would get tutoring from our compliance people. So the rules, it wasn't a question if there were rules. No one followed them. I shouldn't say no one. A lot of people followed him. Some people made a decision not to and it would drive coaches crazy. So that's the first part. Second part is enforcement was comical. Comical might be the nicest word I've ever used with that. It was absolutely ridiculous when people would commit major violations and four years later they'd punish the team that had nothing to do with the violations. So here's the question for you. This college sports commission, James Franklin, I mean broke the rock yesterday when he said that there is subpoena power and you're going to sign a piece of paper saying that you will not litigate. So Tom Mars, the famous attorney that may basically I credit him with destroying the NCAA because everything was litigated is no longer so it's going to be expired expedited enforcement, tough enforcement and it's subpoena power. That means they're going to subpoena people immediately. They get to the bottom of it. I still cynical. What do you hear on that word?

[Bruce Feldman]

I talked to some coaches, Urban, who within the last two days who are very cynical as you are, as honestly as we all are because we've been paying attention for a long time. You're taken one head coach I talked to at a power conference said, I don't know why, right after this went through, they did not have the 64 power conference head coaches and their ads. On a zoom call with Brian Seely, that is the former MLB executive who has now been in charge and is basically the executive of this organization overseeing what essentially is compliance. Because right now he said different schools have different interpretations of the rules, which, you know, you mentioned compliance a bit ago. That was always one of the issues. I mean, I would go back to, and I don't know if you were still in the SEC at this point, but there was a, a prominent school with a very successful head coach. And I remember other coaches who had been, you know, had. Had talked to people who'd worked there who said, you know what, their compliance directors never shows up at any of the practices to see who's actually coaching, who isn't, all these other things. So there's always been bending of the rules. I think the. One of the harder parts from this, from the people I've talked to over the weekend was going to be you have all these middlemen and agents who are now been in the process. Right. Because we've had, you know, five years of nil. A lot of those guys aren't regulated. A lot of those people aren't regulated like they are. You know, Mark had an NFL agent that was a regulated person who answered somebody. A lot of these folks really haven't. And so. And they're also getting 20%. You know, Marc was, wow, imagine like a lot of them are getting 20% of.

[Mark Ingram]

The uncertified agent is getting 25. 25.

[Bruce Feldman]

20%. 20%. Yeah. And so what you end up with is coaches and administrators saying, wait, we have like five days to turn all this paperwork in. We're going to chase after, like, I guarantee you. Because the head coach I talked to yesterday said, I don't know every deal my players have done, nil wise. You know, we don't know. Just like my AD doesn't know every speaking engagement I've done. So I think it's gonna, I think it's a good idea in practice. We're gonna see. It's gonna be really messy. It was messy before, like, urban. I could see you were nauseous when you talked about the NCAA investigative part. That's exactly where I think this is headed. Maybe there's a. There's more teeth behind it, but they thought they had teeth behind it before and it didn't really hold up. So.

[Urban Meyer]

So we'll see you Know, it's amazing. Bruce, is that, and I told this before in a podcast with Mark and Rob, is that the template is pretty well set. You know, you want to end something, you make it ridiculously the punishment so hard that people won't do it. It's only been that way for 3,000 years. So I don't get why that's. That's hard to figure out. You know, the steroids used to be a big deal in college football. You know what happened, Bruce? They said you're finished if you use steroids. And for the most part, steroids are out. I know there's still stuff out there, but not like it was when I played. So number two. And then I'll hand it off to the other guys. Number two, Bruce, this. You start hearing a billion. And once again, the skepticism in me just in being around college football for 38 years. 2.8 billion. What it can be 9 billion. Who cares? When does Braxton Miller get a check? Who's a check from and is a legitimate check? Or is this.

[Mark Ingram]

Why doesn't Mark.

[Urban Meyer]

And we're gonna, we're gonna appeal Mark.

[Bruce Feldman]

Ingram in that window. Was he done it before 2016, though?

[Urban Meyer]

Okay, I'm sorry, I'll use.

[Brett Yormack]

Yeah, I get.

[Urban Meyer]

I'll use. I'll use Chase Young then, or, you know, or Joey Sorrentino, you know, a guy that was a walk on.

[Mark Ingram]

And why doesn't Mark Ingram get a check?

[Bruce Feldman]

I think it's hard for them to manage as far back into that window because then if it's you, Mark, then all of a sudden, Urban, you were a safety at Cincinnati way back when. Should Urban have gotten some money? You know, Rob. Rob was a high level.

[Brett Yormack]

Yes.

[Urban Meyer]

He's got a picture behind him. Look, he's got a picture behind him.

[Bruce Feldman]

That's right.

[Urban Meyer]

So. So seriously, let's go. Let's go again. Okay. Say, I'll give you a name. Was a 16. So, Curtis. Curtis Samuel. Curtis Samuel. When does the check show up and how much will be and who writes it?

[Bruce Feldman]

I, you know, honestly on how long it takes them to go through because we're talking about thousands of athletes. I don't know how that process is going to get expedited. I'd be lying if I told you how quickly. Because I think right now a lot of the people I've talked to are so focused on how does this work with the nil bubble that's already out there and how does this work going forward? The back money, which you think, okay, people are going to come forward who are in that window and say, go to their universities and say, okay, who do I have to talk to to get that? I don't know how they streamline that process, to be honest. That's something that, you know, hasn't come up in the conversations I've had.

[Mark Ingram]

I'm about to sue they ass.

[Rob Stone]

You won't be the first or the last.

[Bruce Feldman]

Won't be the first. You won't be the last. Exactly.

[Mark Ingram]

All right. Anyways, but Stone, I mean, Bruce, man, we appreciate you have, appreciate you coming to, you know, parlay with us, man. And we know we've been expecting this. We know some schools have been preparing for this. We know some schools are gladly going to be using that 20.5 to pay their players. Now, what if. Will all schools be required to pay their players? And like, what if they don't want to pay? Like, do they get to opt out? Like, what goes on with schools who are.

[Bruce Feldman]

You'll get left behind. And I think at that point a lot of your student athletes are going to be like, hey, do I really want to go to school there where I can get a better deal someplace else?

[Mark Ingram]

Right.

[Bruce Feldman]

You know, if they can, if they can make it work. And I think what you could see is other schools who cannot financially make it work. Maybe. And you know, 10 years from now, because as Rob said, there's a 10 year deal here, are there way less programs playing major college football at the end of it? Is it a sustainable model for them? I think that's the part that's going to be interesting. There's a lot of levels to that, and that's another piece of it that I think will be fascinating to see who can hold up and who can't.

[Mark Ingram]

And now the 20.5, they said over 10 years this thing can increase. So this is like next year it could be 25 million. In three years it could be 30 million. This is like a. Increasing.

[Rob Stone]

It's all on escalators.

[Bruce Feldman]

Yeah, right. Yeah. I think the, the part that is significant, and this is again something that was brought up by an administrator I talked to last night, which was, this all kicks in soon, July 1, it's less than a month away. There's a lot of schools and maybe it's 15, maybe it's 50. It's probably more like 15 who have been working ahead. So, you know, there's one school I've heard of in the SEC. They, they already have like a 30 to $35 million nil budget that is kicked in. Maybe they hold off on the 15 million that they're expected of that 20 million that they're expected to take from revenue share and hold that for January 1st and say, hey, we already got our roster allotment signed up from the NIL balloon we have in our nil group. So maybe we hold off till January 1st when we can start really haggling to get what we need for our next year's roster. I think that that is something. It'll be interesting to see who strategizes that way, how they handle what they have in nil because it seems like it's a different pot of money. And I think that's the part that is going to be the hardest for Brian Seely and the nil go people to, to kind of sort out.

[Rob Stone]

So we introduced the College Sports Commission to the landscape. What exactly does the NCAA still do with college football?

[Bruce Feldman]

I mean, they didn't do that much with college football as they did to like college basketball. Right, right. I mean, you know, urban somewhere you have trophies. I don't think they say NCA on them. It's not like, you know, if you had, I think you were at Florida when, when Billy Donovan won basketball championships. Right. Different trophy. The, the NCAA ran that. The NCAA runs, you know, lacrosse and soccer and everything else. The NCAA wasn't that involved. It was involved in the enforcement piece of it. But as you said earlier, Rob, right now they're not in the enforcement business as it relates to this. So their role has gotten further and further diminished. And I think that's only going to keep happening as the TV money and the power structure, the power conferences have more, have more influence. I mean, you know, let's not kid ourselves. Like Tony Batiti and Greg Sankey are the ones who are really running everything at this point. And I think the NCAA and Charlie Baker can, can talk about whatever he wants to talk about. But I think people know when it comes to college football, it's a different deal than it is for every other college sport.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah, for sure.

[Urban Meyer]

And. Oh, I'm sorry, I just, I'm mesmerized by this because I lived it and I spent hours in our compliance office and it was dead to rights. This is. They did it and nothing ever happened. So the whole thing about enforcement, again, you had three schools recently get involved in some pretty egregious so called, I'm not going to call the schools out, but pretty egregious violations. And the reason that took place is because they probably laughed at the compliance. They laughed at the fact that if we Got caught. Who cares? It's a joke. Is there in fact subpoena power?

[Bruce Feldman]

Start there if they get behind it. Because if it's something they've agreed to with courts. Because I think what the biggest concern with all this is lawsuits are coming. Right. And so I think that part of it meaning, okay, are you going to be able, are we going to be protected? You can sue anybody for anything in this country. Right. And it doesn't mean you're going to win. But I think we're going to see more of that. And there used to be urban like and I think this still holds with the ncaa. If you get caught lying to the ncaa, you know the NCAA could come. That was to me the worst crime. You get that? That was, it was always the crime. The COVID up was worse than the crime if you get caught. What they think lying to the NCAA was a lot more damning to them than what some of the infractions may have been.

[Urban Meyer]

We're going to find out.

[Bruce Feldman]

Yeah. And again, I think right now, again this is right from a power, power forehead coach. He was like, we haven't been on any zooms. They haven't told us our interpretation of what this is seems to be different than other coaches in our conference. And that he, he, this coach was super frustrated. He was like, you know what, there's a model that where really would work well and it's at, it works well at the highest level and that's the NFL model. And you know, like if you have you talked about, you know, cheating and steroids and different things, like there are hefty fines and punishments if you have too physical a practice in the NFL or about 18 other things that Mark could probably talk to you about that he lived through in the last 10 years. And the NFL model has done that, but it's done through collective bargaining. And I think there, you know, I know we talked about this the last time I was on, on the show. There's a lot of people who feel like that's where this is headed because they said the powers that be, they may want to go up like to have the, the politicians involved but they laugh at that because like the politicians barely can handle what they're supposed to be doing in Washington D.C. they don't know to go down these rabbit holes. They haven't lived it, they don't know it. And so now all of a sudden you're going to try to get them to handle something that they're in the dark about.

[Urban Meyer]

So number two, number one, we just discussed Subpoena power. So subpoena power only happens if. And this is my second question. It's. You just mentioned it. Unionization. That means all power. Four conferences directed through their commissioner is going to sign. And James Franklin said this is probably through the presidential level, then the ad, then the coach. But the president is going to sign and saying we are in. That means we are now unionized. As far as compliance, I'm just focused on the compliance piece right now. That means we will not. So we give up the power to sue the guy's name from the College Football Commission. Will that. And like you said, if that doesn't happen, I'll tell you what, the skepticism in college sports is going to be through the roof because if they've worked so hard on this and no one's. Then it's a joke. And I'm worried about it.

[Bruce Feldman]

I've heard is the president, presidents at each university are signing off on that. But that doesn't protect anybody from the lawsuits. Let's say, you know, it's 15 years earlier and Mark Ingram's a great running back, you know, a young running back at Alabama. And what is fair market value? Mark Ingram has somebody representing him. Those are where the lawsuits, I think are coming hard. Because who's to say, you know, what's worth what's, you know, you basically, if somebody's willing to pay for him to be the face of their company, no one's stopping, you know, Joe Burrow or anybody else who are professional athletes about, oh, is that too much money? Is that too much money for.

[Mark Ingram]

Right.

[Bruce Feldman]

Ant Man's shoe is that, you know, like all these kinds of different deals. That's where all the lawsuits, I think are coming. And again, when I referenced Coach, when I referenced the 20% that some of the commission that these agents are taking, that's. This is a, this has become a great business for them. Now all of a sudden you're going to tell, you're going to tell them that the water faucet's getting turned off. I don't think that's going to happen as easily as, you know, not because again, this is the United States where people feel like, you know, it's, it's capitalism. And if you're saying you can't do that, you can't make so much money or that deal is. Is getting paid too much again, I think there'll be a lot of lawsuits coming down the pipeline very soon.

[Mark Ingram]

The last thing, Bruce, before we let you go, this 20.5 million was supposed to be like Kind of, you know, even keel level the playing field. So everyone has to operate by the same rules. But this nil, you could still have like an advantage above everyone else because you can, what, raise more money through your collective and your nil still too. So, like, what's the role nil plays with this new 20.5 million, that cap?

[Bruce Feldman]

Yeah, it's. Right now, it's, it's a little vague because some schools, I've heard, are not going to have their collectives and some still will. And if, if that is still the case, and I don't. I just think right now, look, it came up a lot. Last year, Ohio State had a roster of 20 million. They won it, won a national title. A lot of that went to money to retain players, not to, not to recruit. There were some of them, obviously, that certainly were added, but I think now we're talking about rosters that are 35, 40 million for this coming season, where we're going to be out all and watch some of these teams. It's, it's 35, $40 million. And a large part of that is nil. I think people are crazy if they think you're going to tell college football coaches and ads that, oh, yeah, now you, you were paying that much money. Now it's going to go way back down to 20 that, you know, things don't work that way. It's almost human nature. And again, you know, I go back to something coach brought up at the beginning of this. We're talking about the most competitive people and we're talking about, like Tennessee when they first got in one of the bigger nil deals we've ever heard of was Nico Ema Iaba doing when he was in high school, a deal for, you know, close to $10 million. That was in part because Tennessee's fan base in Tennessee's, you know, power structure was so desperate and frustrated because they hadn't been winning. Right now, the biggest version of, I guess, like where we see Oregon and Phil Knight, the mega booster, you have Cody Campbell, a former Texas Tech offensive lineman who, who made billions in the energy business, is now funding his athletic department at Texas Tech. I don't think that's going away. I think, you know, it's, this is a supplement. And I think that you're going to have a lot of people who are now figuring out how do we budget, you know, because you have different schools, have different number of athletic programs, right, or athletic teams underneath their umbrella.

[Rob Stone]

Bruce, rapid response. Is college football in a better place now than it was last week.

[Bruce Feldman]

I think so because there's a little bit of closure. But they have new problems now.

[Brett Yormack]

Yeah.

[Rob Stone]

Fair to say. Fair to say. Bruce Feldman from the Athletic and of course our friend at Fox Sports. As always, thanks for joining us. Love the intelligence, Bruce. Thanks, buddy.

[Bruce Feldman]

See you guys soon.

[Rob Stone]

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[Mark Ingram]

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[Urban Meyer]

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[Mark Ingram]

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[Rob Stone]

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[Mark Ingram]

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[Urban Meyer]

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[Rob Stone]

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[Brett Yormack]

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[Bruce Feldman]

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[Brett Yormack]

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[Bruce Feldman]

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[Rob Stone]

All right, guys, a lot to digest this week. Coach, in the end, are you convinced that this, this next step, this settlement is going to be good for college football?

[Urban Meyer]

Well, we've, we've spoken to a lot of people most recently or in depth with the commissioner Yormack of the Big.

[Rob Stone]

12 and yeah, that's coming up next.

[Urban Meyer]

I 40 years of being scarred of how not to take charge of compliance of your, of your people scars you. And so I think I speak on behalf of the majority of people that played in Coach is like, wait, what? You know, we've been, we've been signing our name every year for 40 years on we're going to be compliance or all hell is going to break loose. And it doesn't. And so I, there are a couple key points that I've said over and over and over again is that subpoena power will change the game. That'll expedite. If you lie under subpoena and you take, you know, you put your hand up and say if that's what they're talking about, then that's a problem. And I think the, the punishment should be so firm to the point you can't coach or play again. If you, if you are subpoenaed and you lie intentionally, it's over. Your career is done. Watch what happens if that happens, Mark and Rob, it's over. I mean, everybody's going to be compliant and then it can move on to something else that's more important than the silliness that has gone on. So I love everything I'm hearing. I really do. Am I skeptical? You're damn right I am.

[Rob Stone]

Anything jump out at you, Mark?

[Mark Ingram]

Well, I think the main thing is now everyone has a set of rules and guidelines that has to level a playing field and everyone has to follow. You know, we'll see whether like, like Coach says, if it, if somebody doesn't follow the rules, what happens. But I think that we're in a better place right now because we kind of finally have something that everyone can agree on. Everyone has agreed. Everyone has kind of went with the rules. There's a set of rules. There's a salary cap. Obviously you have the other kind of fact of the nil that can contribute with this, you know, salary cap thing. But I think the fact that we have a set of rules, a set of guidelines that everyone has to follow across the board, I think that's a good place to start. Like we said, it's not going to be perfect, but I think that's a good place for us.

[Urban Meyer]

I want to clarify something real quick with you guys, that when I was a very strong proponent of the NCAA my entire career, because I understood what those people were up against. They had no subpoena power and people lie, you know, is. It was. And then every time they made a statement or a decision as far as enforcement, you know what happened. Right. They got litigated and lost.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Urban Meyer]

So I. This is not a direct hit, the ncaa. It's a direct hit. A direct hit on the system. Yeah.

[Mark Ingram]

But how about this? How about how they got a. Like, put a value on, like, your players now? Like, you know what I mean? Like how much you're going to play your players? Like, how do you know what this player is going to be their valuation is, you know what I mean?

[Rob Stone]

Well, I. I know when those, those roster numbers come out, you know, players in the league, whatever league it is, are looking like he makes how much and I make where. You know, that. That's. That's life in any business. And you hope that doesn't carry through to the locker room, but, you know, there's going to be instances of that. But that's just like a man. Throw me the ball more. Right. Give me more touches.

[Urban Meyer]

Two quick comments. And I know, Marco, appreciate. This is number one. Can you imagine we're here in 2025, and it's right that we're here for so long. I mean, I'm looking at a man right, right there, Mark Ingram, that the value he provided for that university was incredible. And I had, you know, the amount of players I coached, I mean, throw. Throw dollar figures at Zeke and Nick Bose and et cetera. And coaches got paid. Athletic departments generated all this. Well, I, I understand it. I just can't imagine we're here.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah, I'm glad that the young men and women get to get compensated for the value that they're providing to these universities. You know, I'm glad.

[Urban Meyer]

I just hope, you know, Mark, I hope women's sports don't go away, brother. I know you daughters. My two daughters.

[Mark Ingram]

Yep.

[Rob Stone]

I have Olympic Sports, Olympic sports are a danger, man.

[Urban Meyer]

My. Both girls played college sports, and you take away college volleyball for my daughters, that's a game changer, man. Remember, Ward Manu just came out and said this is one of the most lucrative athletic departments in the country. They're expecting a significant shortfall because of the money, the distribution of money and the scholarships moving up to 105.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah. You know, the, the 5% for the quote, unquote, other sports. You know, not the, you know, not, not football, not men's and women's basketball. You know, maybe it takes those Olympic sports just back to where they used to be. Mark, when you and I were playing Coach, when you were playing where. Hey, you know what? A scholarship is fantastic. That's awesome. I'm going to school to get educated, become smarter, become a better human in society, and I get to play this sport as well. And you're going to. You're gonna go there for free?

[Mark Ingram]

Yes.

[Rob Stone]

Again, back in my day, not to be the old guy mowing his lawn.

[Mark Ingram]

That's what you play.

[Rob Stone]

Socks and sandals. But, like, that's awesome. That's. That's still a win.

[Mark Ingram]

That's what you play for when you, you play to get a scholarship and go to school, get education.

[Rob Stone]

Right.

[Urban Meyer]

You know, my concern isn't that. Because I think that is correct. And plus, they can still, you know, the gymnast at LSU can still make all the money she wants on Instagram and all that. What I'm worried about is just for budget cost. They. They bang the sports.

[Rob Stone]

Agreed.

[Mark Ingram]

What I also love Stoner is this how this salary cap is 20.5 right now. Right. But it can grow 4% a year.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Mark Ingram]

Over, through, through, through 10 years. And after three years, they can reevaluate the percentage. So, like, basically you have a salary cap that's growing very similar to the NFL. So players are going to get paid more and more as the years continue to grow.

[Rob Stone]

So three final things. This is certainly good for the power four.

[Mark Ingram]

Yes.

[Rob Stone]

Let's check in with the Mac and the AAC and the Mountain west and even the Pac 12 as it tries to bring itself back up. You know, where do they fall into the ecosystem right now?

[Urban Meyer]

They become the feeder system for the big boys. I mean, it's still colorful football. Mac. I've coached there in two years. It was fantastic, Mark, because everybody had the same players, so it was really a coach's league. You know, some leagues you got the best teams are so much better than the other teams, but it's a coach. But what happens? And I've talked to shoot. Eddie George is my boy at Bowling Green Green. The reality is you're going to develop a player and he's going to leave.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah, double A, you're a double A. Or you're a triple A type team.

[Urban Meyer]

You develop a good player and they're there now. And that'll be continued. Yeah. Yeah.

[Rob Stone]

Part two, the Big east is going to be really interesting. And this is the college basketball part of my brain. You know, they don't have major college football, but they have major college basketball.

[Mark Ingram]

Yes.

[Rob Stone]

And those numbers are going to change. It'll be very curious to see where some of these great universities in the Big east, where they start moving and fluctuating in the grand scheme of just men's and women's college basketball, because they're going to get a lion's share of those revenue numbers pushed towards their programs because football is not going to annihilate those numbers. And then you're going to have programs like, like a Stanford, a North Carolina, a ucla. And I know there's others out there that excel in just about every sport. Right. How are they going to break things down? You know, what, what matters to them? There's going to be some universities out there that say, you know, we need to be closer to 50, 50, you know, male and female sports. There's going to be other programs like, I would love to know what's happening at Stanford right now because Stanford has dipped so significantly in the two big sports that matter, money wise, football and men's basketball. Do they say, you know what, we just got this influx of cash. Let's put all these chips into football. And we got to get our football program up. Because if our football program is up, guess what? It raises everybody else up in our program. Yes, it's going to be amazing and fascinating to see how, how these programs handle things. Also, it's going to be interesting to see how conferences as a whole handle it. We're going to talk with one of our great friends, the commissioner of the Big 12, Brett Yormack. Next on the triple option presented by Wendy's this postseason, BetMGM, authorized gaming operator of the NBA, is making first field goal score wagers more exciting with Second Chance with BetMGM Second Chance promotion. You'll get your stake back in cash if your first field goal scorer scores second instead. Yeah, that's right. Simply bet on any player to score the first field goal during any playoff game. Any game. Doesn't matter. And if you're right, you win but if your pick scores second instead of first, you get your stake back and you get it back in cash. Grab the chance at getting your stake back at BetMGM. See betmgm.com for terms. This U.S. promotional offer not available in D.C. mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER available in the U.S. for New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY 467-369. For Arizona, call 1-800- NEXT STEP for Massachusetts, 1-800-327-5050. For Iowa, 1-800-Bets Off. For Puerto Rico, 1-800-981-0023. For West Virginia, visit www.1-800gambler.net. Subject to eligibility requirements. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel.

[Urban Meyer]

With a Venmo debit card, you can.

[Rob Stone]

Venmo more than just your friends.

[Urban Meyer]

You can use your balance in so many ways. You can Venmo everything.

[Rob Stone]

Need gas?

[Urban Meyer]

You can Venmo this. How about snacks?

[Rob Stone]

You can Venmo that.

[Urban Meyer]

Your favorite band's merch?

[Rob Stone]

You can Venmo this or their next show?

[Urban Meyer]

You can Venmo that.

[Rob Stone]

Visit Venmo Me Debit to learn more.

[Mark Ingram]

You can Venmo this or you can Venmo that. You can Venmo this or you can Venmo that.

[Urban Meyer]

The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the.

[Rob Stone]

Bancorp bank and a pursuant to license. My MasterCard International Incorporated card may be used everywhere. MasterCard is accepted. Venmo purchase restrictions apply.

[Urban Meyer]

This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime.

[Mark Ingram]

From streaming to shopping, prime helps you.

[Urban Meyer]

Get more out of your passions.

[Brett Yormack]

So whether you're a fan of true.

[Urban Meyer]

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[Mark Ingram]

From time to time, with services like.

[Brett Yormack]

Prime Video, Amazon Music and fast free.

[Mark Ingram]

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[Brett Yormack]

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[Mark Ingram]

Visit Amazon.comprime to learn more.

[Rob Stone]

This week on the triple option, we bring in one of our great, great friends. Whether it's with the triple option or over on Fox's biggest noon kickoff, the commissioner of the Big 12, Brett, your mark. Always great to see you, Commissioner. Let's start right off the bat though. Let's. Let's talk what's happening in College Football House vs NCAA. The settlement approval comes in on Friday. What is what was your first order of business?

[Brett Yormack]

Glad it was approved. I mean, listen, we've been waiting. It's been a waiting game for us for a long time. I think I can speak on behalf of, you know, my commissioner colleagues, but happy Judge Wilkins Ultimately approved settlement. We're in a better place today as an industry than we've been in a long time. I mean, there's guardrails, there's rules of engagement, there's a new model, and as I often say to my board, my ads, and anyone that'll listen, it's progress over perfection. It's going to be a little clunky. It's not going to be perfect coming out of the gates, but it's better than where we've been, and a lot of progress has been made. The implementation committee that has been preparing us for this moment, made up of practitioners across the industry, have worked tirelessly to make sure that, you know, there's this new model in place that provides rules and that governs the future of collegiate athletics. So I'm excited about it. The hard work really begins now. I'll be with my commissioner colleagues next week, and we're going to roll up our sleeves and go at it, but excited that it was approved. And as I said, a lot of work to be done to be ready for July 1st.

[Urban Meyer]

Hey, Commissioner, I speak on behalf of all us, one of our favorite people, energy. You, you bring it every week and appreciate what you do for college football and your conference. So I'm jumping right into this because I'm fired up over this stuff and this compliance, because I've dealt with it. And if the NCAA ever wanted to write a book on how not to investigate and how not to enforce it, probably be a bestseller. And it wasn't all. And I would always push back when I heard that. Because the ncaa, they went to a fight, Mark, with a, with their left hand tied behind their back.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah.

[Urban Meyer]

They were unable to subpoena. They would get. Because it wasn't collective bargaining, it wasn't unionization. They just get sued, litigated, and they would lose. So I, I, I'm not a direct shot at the ncaa, just overall how it happened. I hear people say actually in the last two days, well, finally there's rules and finally there's guardrails. That's bullshit. That's been a. I've been doing it for 38 years. There was rules, just they were unfortunate. They didn't enforce them. So James Franklin told us that there's subpoena power, there's signing paperwork that says that you will not be able to litigate. The decision by the commission, and this is all gonna be driven through commissioners, through the president. I'm gonna ask you about, can the college football fans and people in college football. This is a Big word. Expect and demand compliance.

[Brett Yormack]

Yes. And let me speak to that a little bit. So the College Sports Commission is the enforcement arm of settlement. Effectively. We announced the new CEO that's coming on board, Brian Seely. He has spent years at Major League Baseball. He's done a lot of investigative work, and I think he's the right person at the right time to lead this new effort. Coming from professional sports, I bring a little bit of a different perspective. I said it yesterday during our press conference. Our schools want rules and they have them now. And the ramifications of breaking those rules will be very punitive. And that's the way we're going to govern moving forward. And I'm excited about it because, you know, settlement in many respects should create a level playing field for everyone. And that's what we're signing up for. So I'm excited about the future. As I said, it's not going to be perfect. A lot of progress. But we are going to enforce. And we and schools have asked for rules.

[Mark Ingram]

We.

[Brett Yormack]

We're giving them rules. And I think Brian Seely coming on board as the CEO is the right guy to enforce those rules as he builds out his staff.

[Urban Meyer]

One more question about that and I'll hand it off to Mark here is do you have to sign away a waiver or saying that we will not litigate once a decision. That's how the NFL model works. Is that there? It's all collective bargaining. So when the commissioner makes a decision, you can't say, oh screw you, I'm going to sue you. It's over. So the problem with college and this is what the deterioration of compliance was. I witnessed it. Because there is no teeth in the ncaa, the risk reward became comical. Are people going to sign away the light right to litigate?

[Brett Yormack]

Well, you might have read yesterday because it was. We discussed a little bit during our press conference, there is a what we call a participation agreement in this new model that all the schools are going to have to sign, which effectively codifies the rules of settlement that they are going to live by these rules. Okay. And understand the consequences if they don't. And each school that participates in rev share is going to have to sign that participation agreement.

[Urban Meyer]

It's over. Congrats. I wish we had that. Congratulations. If that if, man, I hope it holds.

[Mark Ingram]

That's great, Brett, man, like I. I relate with Coach, man. We appreciate you. One of our favorite people, man. We always appreciate you being around, man. So thank you for your time again. Just want to ask you a little bit about this model, man, like will you be suggesting a model on how to distribute your money to your schools and what would that look like if so, or do you gonna let your schools operate independently?

[Brett Yormack]

We're going to let our schools determine how they want to rev share. It's going to be a school by school decision. Obviously, you know, the revenue generating sports are going to receive a bulk of it. Okay, Right. But it really will be up to the schools and how they distribute what we call a permissive cap up to 20.5 million in year one. And you know, many schools have been very public already about how they're going to distribute it. One of the models out there, not to say it's right or wrong is, you know, 75, 15, 5 and 5. 75% to football, 15% to men's basketball, 5 to women's basketball and 5 to other Olympic sports. But there are probably going to be variations of that model and it'll be determined by the schools themselves.

[Mark Ingram]

Just one quick follow up to this cap. You say 20.5 in year one. Is there an anticipation to what type of growth you see in that cap each year? Like what do you, like what would that do? What do you anticipate that being?

[Brett Yormack]

Well, as part of settlement, there's a 4% increase every year.

[Mark Ingram]

Okay.

[Brett Yormack]

And then I want to say it's every three years. We can go through a reset based on, you know, the average amount of revenue that is being brought into the system, you know, by the defending conferences. Okay. And it's 22.5% of revenue. Okay. And that gets recalculated every three years, but it is 4% a year.

[Urban Meyer]

Okay, thank you, commission. It's last one and I'll hand it off again. Word manual came out yesterday in a letter to the Wolverine faithful saying they're expecting a significant budget shortfall as a result of revenue share in the scholarships. I go back to my time of a coach and I mean you'd fight for training table, you'd fight for gear, you'd fight for. And I'm talking about Florida and Ohio State. I'd fight for increasing a guy's salary that I needed them. And I'm wondering where in the hell is all this money going to come from and can we expect schools to drop sports? I think the Wolverines are going to drop a 10% of their personnel in the administrative side. Are you going to expect your conference schools or is that going to happen everywhere now?

[Brett Yormack]

Well, I will tell you this from a conference perspective and I'll start with us at the Big 12, it's incumbent upon me to create more value for our member institutions. And as you guys know, I like to innovate. I want to be bold, and I want to find opportunities that create value for our membership, which ultimately means driving more revenue and distributing more revenue to our schools. So that's what I think about daily. I also think that schools are of that same and similar mindset. How do they create more value? How do they further commercialize their businesses in order to support some of these new expenses, which, of course, the big one being now rev Share. But I also think they have to look at the expense side of the equation. You know, we all have to be better operators. We're doing that here at the Big 12 Conference also, you know, there's a difference in what you need versus what you want. And I've always managed to that. You know, you ask anyone on your staff, they want as much as you give them, but do they really need that to be successful or not? And that's the question we need to ask each other. And we have to differentiate between what do you need to get the job done versus what do you want? And I'm not sure we thought about it in those terms previously, but we need to now, and we need to be in the value creation business. We have to do business differently, and we have to grow the pie. And while we're doing that, we also have to be mindful of expenses. And what do we really need in order to be successful?

[Rob Stone]

On that theme, I know you guys had dabbled with the concept of bringing in some private equity into the conference, and I know you said that now isn't the right time, but how did you envision that kind of looking and playing out? Because that opens up kind of another Pandora's box, I think, at times, at least for some concerned people.

[Brett Yormack]

So, Rob, we. We. We took a deep dive and we looked at everything. We looked at debt, traditional private equity. Where we landed and where we spent most of our time was creating a bespoke model, if you will, a custom model for the conference. And I was looking for different things, and so were my key stakeholders. Do we bring a strategic partner in that can help us grow our revenue, that brings strategic expertise in the right areas while also serving as a capital partner if and when we need it? Okay? So I was looking at it a little differently because I didn't want to give anyone a stake in our conference. I'm very bullish on the future, and I don't want to give up any of Our upside, because we're in the growth mode right now, and I think the future is really bright for us, and I don't want to share that with any third party, but to the extent that I could identify, and I did, a strategic partner who also brings capital when we might or might not need it, to me, was the right fit. We've pressed pause on that right now, but we've done enough due diligence to understand that if there was a moment in time where we wanted to go down a particular path, we know exactly where to go. And that's incumbent upon me as the commissioner, to do my due diligence to bring opportunities to the membership and then determine if we do or don't do it.

[Rob Stone]

Let's pivot to one of our favorite subjects, College Football Playoff expansion. I know you have a lot to say about this, and I just want to take you back to when the concept was out there not too long ago where the Big Ten and the SEC had four guaranteed spots in expansion. This is going to 14 teams. The Big 12 and the ACC were only guaranteed two. When you first saw that, when you first saw that model, what went through your head? What went through your heart?

[Brett Yormack]

I didn't like it. And obviously that model's been out there for almost a year now. And I didn't like it because I just felt that it created a huge divide between us and those two conferences. Now, as you guys know, I have good self awareness. I know where we reside in the world of college football, but I just felt that it, it, it put a line in the sand that didn't need to be there. Okay? I'm a firm believer in that. You know, if, if you create value, you should be rewarded, earn it on the field. Okay? Every year is a new year. And by the way, with settlement, in theory, it should be creating a level playing field across the board. Okay? So I didn't like it, and it was somewhat foreign to me, and I was pretty outspoken during our spring meetings that, you know, a 511 format was certainly something I liked. I like 16 because more access is good. Okay. There's a point where access, you know, starts equating to dilution. But I don't think at 16, you're diluting anything. I think, you know, that's a, it's a good number to work with. And, you know, obviously the five AQs is what we have right now, effectively, the five. The five, you know, highest rated conference champions, so felt comfortable with that format versus, you know, every year knowing what someone already has and before you even, you know, play the season. And I felt that it was in the best interest of those two conferences only and not in the best interest of the fans in college football. So I was outspoken about it. That being said, I've got a great relationship with my colleagues, you know, within the power forward, and I do believe that we will ultimately get to a place that is good for all of us. Might not be great for all of us, but it'll be good for all of us. And I think, you know, I speak on their behalf also, that we're committed to figuring out a solution, and I'll be with them next week. And I'm sure, you know, CFP will be a topic of conversation and we'll roll up our sleeves and we'll hopefully figure this out.

[Urban Meyer]

Commissioner, I. I was kind of a fan, not necessarily that the Big 12 and ACC got left out, but the 442211 was appealing to me for one reason, and that is you eliminate the committee. Basically, the committee now is. It's human error. You know, I've been. I've been from BCS to the first College Football Playoff to the recent one. I, when I was coaching, I was involved in each one. And the committee. I would ask people actually when they left the committee, how it was done. And to a man, everyone was like, a lot of them have no idea. You know, they're not watching film because they really can't. And when they are watching film, what are they really watching? You know, that's a. That's an acquired skill in my mind. I mean, it is in the new formula that you made the. I think you said 5, 11. Is there a way to eliminate the human error of the committee and say, once again, the 4422 was 4. Big 10, 4, SEC, 4, 2 and 2 to the Big 12 and the ACC. The best thing I is there's playing games you play in to get one of those spots. It's not a group of people sitting there and say, this team's better in that team because quite honestly, they don't know that. And it's not their fault because no one really knows that unless you go play the game.

[Brett Yormack]

So there was elements of the AQ model that candidly, I liked. I do like the playing game. I think making championship weekend for all the conferences that much more dramatic because there's more at stake is obviously a great component of that model. The selection committee and the process they go through has been a topic of conversation, and I don't want to dismiss the selection committee, from the standpoint of saying it can never get better. And I think we owe the time and effort to roll up our sleeves to do a full audit of the selection process and to figure out what's going wrong with where is it too subjective and where it can be better. And I know we're going to have a deep conversation about that next week when the management committee comes together with, you know, the CFP organization to further discuss it. Mack Rhodes, who obviously is the new chair of the selection committee and, you know, part of the Big 12, the AD @ Baylor, is committed to making it better. And I know he's been working tirelessly. Last year was his first experience on the selection committee to figure out ways they can modify the process and be less subjective about, you know, their decision maker and to make sure that they're using the right data. Because you're right. I mean, some conferences are playing eight conference games, others are playing nine.

[Urban Meyer]

Right.

[Brett Yormack]

You know, I was very outspoken last year. You know, I want to know how a strength of schedule weighted when you think about all the different metrics. So I've got a lot of questions, but I did go through a mock session recently. You know, the CFP hosted that for the management committee and the commissioners. It was very eye opening for me. There's a lot of work, there's a lot of data that's being used. Is it the right data? I don't have an answer for that. But we are going to do an audit. We are going to do a deep dive into the process and hopefully we can land in a better place.

[Rob Stone]

Commissioner at the conference level, what's the one thing that maybe the general fan is not talking about that causes you some stress at night? That is something that needs to be handled and tackled.

[Brett Yormack]

Well, you know, it's interesting. It's a great question. I take everything home with me, you know, like you guys, right? It's a 24, 7 job enroll and, and you can never turn it off. You know, there's a lot of the big national issues that we're dealing with. And right now I would say the big three are settlement, CFP and future governance. You know, and, and, and future governance, meaning the role of the NCAA in this new age of collegiate athletics. Something Coach mentioned earlier. Okay. And what role do they play and how do they get back to doing what they, to overseeing what they do well, which is the academic and, and athletic experience, that is championships that they put on for, for membership. And then there's the business of the Big 12, which is somewhat connected, but sometimes not. And there's. And there's a lot on our plate. You know, when I first got here, we had 23 staff members in a very short period of time. We're up to 49 now. Because ultimately I'm in the value creation business, and that's what I'm trying to create for our membership. You know, they need more resources, so it's something I'm thinking about every day. But in context. I mean, there's a lot going on in our space right now, and I'm sure everyone knows, but it's not just football and basketball. I mean, we sponsor 25 sports here, 15 of which are women's sports. And we think there's a lot of growth there. So there's a lot to manage and a lot to do. But I will tell you that coming from professional sports, there's nothing like college athletics. It's a purpose driven industry, and at the core is our student athlete. So despite all the different things I'm handling on a daily basis, at the center of it all is it right for the student athlete. And that's what I'm focused on.

[Rob Stone]

Good man. Always good to see you, commissioner.

[Mark Ingram]

Always great to see you.

[Rob Stone]

We'll see you. Hey, we'll see you. Week 2 in Ames, Iowa at Iowa State. Big dune kickoff.

[Brett Yormack]

Rob, by the way, how's your daughter? She didn't. She loved tcu.

[Rob Stone]

My. My son just wrapped up his first year at tcu.

[Brett Yormack]

We.

[Rob Stone]

We drink the purple Kool Aid, man. We love it. It's such an awesome institution here. Couldn't. Couldn't have enjoyed it more. He's spending time.

[Urban Meyer]

You realize if you take Mark to dinner in Boca, that you got to. Rob and I are like, not like we're listening. We're here.

[Mark Ingram]

Well, you welcome to come down here anytime you like.

[Brett Yormack]

Listen, I'm going to take all of y' all when I see any names, but when I'm in Boca, markets convenient.

[Mark Ingram]

Coach always trying to rain on my parade. Why are you in.

[Urban Meyer]

My compliments.

[Mark Ingram]

Why you on my dinners, bro?

[Urban Meyer]

Oh, we just keep it. Hey, what do they say? What did Dion say? We're keeping receipts, brother.

[Rob Stone]

Keep those receipts, man.

[Mark Ingram]

Well, you didn't invite none of us to your Ireland golf trip, so what's up with that?

[Urban Meyer]

All right.

[Brett Yormack]

Well, guys, thank you.

[Urban Meyer]

Good point.

[Rob Stone]

Thank you, commissioner. Your Mark, thanks so much. Enjoy your summer, man. I know you got a busy summer.

[Brett Yormack]

Appreciate it, you guys.

[Rob Stone]

Welcome back to the triple option, presented by Wendy's Urban Mark. Rob Stone here with you. Time now for Treat of the Week, presented by Wendy's. Try Wendy's new Frosty Fusions with flavors like Caramel Crunch, Oreo Brownie, and Pop Tarts Strawberry. Don't sleep on the Pop Tarts. Strawberry. By the way, it was really, really good. My kids devoured it. Last week, the National Football foundation released the candidates for the 2026 College Football hall of Fame. Coach, Congratulations. You're going in this December in Las Vegas, which is that class who's going to be joining you next year. Some great names, our good friend at Fox Sports, Chris Peterson. Former TCU head coach, Gary Patterson there as well, Jonathan Filma. Nu. Percy Harvin, Cam Newton, RG3, Marvin Harrison.

[Urban Meyer]

Damn. Some ball players.

[Rob Stone]

Aaron Donald, and then this guy named Mark Ingram the second, who's on the list as well. Mark, you got my vote, brother. I signed up. I got a vote. And you, you got, you got mine, my friend. I hope you get in this year. You should have been in last year.

[Mark Ingram]

I appreciate you, man. Yeah. It's just an honor, man. Anytime you have a chance to get recognized for something that, you know, that you put blood, sweat and tears into, it's always an honor and appreciative. And obviously, I feel like I should have been going in with my boy, Coach this year.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah.

[Mark Ingram]

Coach Meyer and Coach Saban.

[Rob Stone]

And Coach Saban.

[Mark Ingram]

Yeah, that would have been, that would have been crazy. But, man, you talk about the list of guys that you just named. I mean, loaded to be able to go in possibly with a big bro. Jonathan Vilma, he's like family to me. He was my OG when I got to New Orleans as a rookie. Talk about Dominican Sue. The dominant player that he was, Percy Harvin, one of the best players to ever touch the football. Like, he was a different type of guy, man. Then you got Cam Newton. Scam Newton. No Barters. Don't be talking about those Barters, Cam. Know us all love. But RG3, Marvin Harrison, Aaron Donald. I mean, come on, man. I, I, that's a legendary class right there. So to be able to go with some ballers like that, I know we gonna have a ball if we all get inducted this year, so I'm just looking forward to it, man. Such a blessing. God is good.

[Rob Stone]

You know, hanging out with Coach all these years now, I feel like every couple months, the name Percy Harvin keeps popping up into.

[Mark Ingram]

He was him, man. He was one of them ones.

[Rob Stone]

And I, I know how much, how much he means to you, Coach.

[Urban Meyer]

Yeah. I've said this and not many people disagree who watched him or played against him or played with them. That includes, includes Pete Carroll when he had him at man at the Vikings. But I, I'm, I say this with great respect. I think he's arguably the greatest player to put on a helmet. I mean, when he's, when he was healthy, he just had so many injuries. He was a racehorse that when he got dinged, it was just hard for him. But I'm. When he was the most violent runner I've ever had. And Mark, he never got hit.

[Mark Ingram]

Speed.

[Urban Meyer]

You go back, you go back, you go back. He had that. We used to say he's got like eyes in the side and back of his head because. And he, you know, some guys don't get hit because they slide or some guys don't get hit because they run out of bounds or whatever. This guy, I've never seen. He was the most violent. 4, 4. I mean legit 4, 4. With the ball in his hand. You could put. He was extremely smart playing the tailback. We direct snapped him in the single wing. Yes. And of course he's an H back and an outside guy. So he played four positions every game for us.

[Mark Ingram]

He's a true runner, part return, kick return, a true X receiver, a slot receiver, whatever you want him to be. He was one of those ones for sure. That's why, coach, you say he's one of the best players from watching football, he was definitely one of the best players to ever touch the football, man. College, NFL, you name it. His highlights are second to none.

[Urban Meyer]

So. Hey, Mark, I was with Joe Hayden the other day and we were talking and you know, Joe Hayden came to Florida to play receiver. H back after five minutes of practice, he saw Percy, came to me, he goes, I'm never going to beat that one out. Can I go play corner five minutes. So that's in a 10 minute window. One of the best players in NFL history come to me and say, I can't beat that cat out. And within five minutes, he's a starting corner at the University of Florida.

[Mark Ingram]

I'm sure Joe Hayden will thank you because he made a lot of money playing defensive back.

[Rob Stone]

Yes, he did. Probably took a lot less hits too. The triple option crystal ball brought to you by BetMGM. The NBA Finals are underway between the Pacers and the Thunder. Here's an offer for basketball fans you won't find anywhere else. Pick the player that you think will score first in the game. If it's not your player, relax. And he scores the second field goal. Of the game, you get your stake back in cash. So the crystal ball. We're going to go to the SEC and take a look at LSU this week. The over under. Regular season wins eight and a half. I'm telling you right now. Take the over. They're going over eight and a half wows being set. Yep. At minus 155. The under at plus 120. Real quick. Last year, LSU eight and four. They lost to USC A&M Bama and Florida had one ranked win over Ole Miss. Why the optimism down there in Baton Rouge? They've got a Heisman candidate under center in Garrett Nussmeier, his fifth year at lsu. Second as a starter, second highest Heisman odds behind that guy in Austin. Arch Manning last year threw for over 4,000 yards, completed 64% of his passes, 29 touchdowns, 12 interceptions. Got to bring that number down. They also returned their leading rusher, their leading receiver and their leading tackler as well. They made some headway in the transfer portal. Everybody does these days. They brought in some defensive help from FSU and from Florida. Oklahoma wide receiver Nick Anderson, 6 foot 4, injured last year, but remember as a freshman, 10 touchdowns, 798 yards. So they're going to be really strong. We take a look at their schedule. No Georgia, no Texas on this, but my goodness, does it have a challenging start. And starts have been a problem at LSU under coach Kelly. They begin at Clemson. Death Valley versus Death Valley. Not neutral site. This is in the state of South Carolina at Clemson. That is a tough, tough place to start. L L L All right, Coach.

[Urban Meyer]

L oh, damn.

[Rob Stone]

Push. You want to put a pin in that?

[Urban Meyer]

1.505.

[Rob Stone]

All right.

[Urban Meyer]

I'm gonna have a bunch of zero point fives. I'm gonna.

[Rob Stone]

That's all right. All right. So then it eases up for one game. Louisiana Tech. Let's give him a win. And then dub. Dub. And then versus Florida. Home to Florida. I'm giving him a dub.

[Urban Meyer]

What time?

[Mark Ingram]

It's going to be a night game.

[Rob Stone]

You know, I don't know.

[Urban Meyer]

I'm going to say a dub.

[Rob Stone]

All right, so that's two. Southeast Louisiana. Let's go three at Ole Miss. I'm with Mark A four A four coaches. Coaches now to around the point. Three versus South Carolina.

[Mark Ingram]

Duh.

[Rob Stone]

Five at Vandy Doe six versus Texas A and M Doe seven at Alabama. We don't even have to ask anymore.

[Urban Meyer]

Agree.

[Rob Stone]

We just know what's gonna be. So that's seven versus Arkansas.

[Urban Meyer]

Duh. Eight.

[Rob Stone]

Remember, it's eight And a half versus Western Kentucky. Duh. Nine. And then at Oklahoma to close.

[Urban Meyer]

You just don't know their roster is going to be redone. And last year they were bad, but I agree.

[Mark Ingram]

But we gave them nine wins.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah, we feel pretty good with a nine, don't we?

[Urban Meyer]

How about you, Mark? You just fired a nine winner.

[Mark Ingram]

I was about to go under, but I just said nine wins. So, yeah, okay. Brian Kelly, nine wins.

[Urban Meyer]

Here's the thing about Brian Kelly is he's won everywhere. I've always respected him. He's won at Grand Valley, I believe it was. And then in Central Michigan, then Cincinnati, Notre Dame. But the question is, and I've been asked this just by SEC fans, Mark, you know that fricking conference. Is there pressure?

[Mark Ingram]

Oh, my gosh, yes.

[Urban Meyer]

They. They are going to be up on a guy so hard and. But he. I mean, my God, the guy's coached at Notre Dame. He knows handheld pressure. So I got a lot of respect for Brian Kelly Stone.

[Mark Ingram]

But you talked about all the guys we have returning. They lost two of their linemen to the draft. So you got all these quarterbacks and all these skill positions, but can you protect them and can you sh. Up the offensive line? We don't know.

[Rob Stone]

Totally fair. But guess what? They. They got dudes back at the skill positions and accomplished cats. To me, that. That makes me breathe easier rather than break.

[Urban Meyer]

No Georgia, no Texas.

[Mark Ingram]

I don't care who you have at the skill position. If you can't run block and you can't pass block, they can't do nothing.

[Rob Stone]

I. I'm. I'm with you. Let me throw this question at you real quick. They have lost the season opener the past five years. How much does that play in the thinking of the coaching staff, the players? And how much of a setback is losing your first game, really in this new day and age of college football?

[Urban Meyer]

I don't think the players care. I don't want to speak for Mark, but players are in and out that the coaching staff. What I would do is evaluate everything that you do over and over and over again from preseason where you're doing it. I change everything. I mean, I would. I would. Whatever we practiced last year, I'd move whatever time we practice that I change it just because that's the way my mind worked. But I don't know if the players would.

[Mark Ingram]

You know, the players don't care.

[Urban Meyer]

They don't give a damn.

[Mark Ingram]

The players don't care.

[Urban Meyer]

They want to go play.

[Mark Ingram]

They work and they ready to play. But the thing is they're playing good teams to start the season, right? You, you, who they play last year first? Notre Dame, or was it A&LC?

[Urban Meyer]

I think USC, right?

[Mark Ingram]

USC. Yeah.

[Bruce Feldman]

Yeah.

[Mark Ingram]

Now you got Clemson. So when you play top teams that are ranked high, you have the potential to take an L in the first game. So when you play that first game, it's all about who makes the least amount of mistakes. So you go back to fundamentals, you go back to studying a film, and you go back to who cannot beat themselves. The team who plays the most fundamentally sound, the least amount of penalties most likely win the game in week one.

[Rob Stone]

Coach, did you like starting your season with a big dog on your schedule, or did you like to maybe ease into it with a week or two?

[Urban Meyer]

That's a great question. Depends on what kind of team I had. If I had a returning quarterback, let's go find a young buck. I'd rather wait a couple of weeks, let them get the feet underneath themselves. So it depends what kind of team. I'll tell you what it does, though. It makes that week of August training camp very serious for sure. When you, when you start with three dogs, you know, three easier teams, man, it's. I used to carry. If I looked at our schedule and our players would kind of know after a while, but I would actually use some of those early games as scrimmages. In my mind, that's the way, because there's only so many hits a player can take. But if you're. If you're playing Clemson, at Clemson, you better have your scrimmages in the bank two weeks before that game.

[Rob Stone]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Urban Meyer]

So that means you got to go hard early on and then back off or they'll be blown out by the time you play that game.

[Rob Stone]

Season's getting closer, man. Season's getting close. We're talking about some of these big Week 1 matchups. LSU at Clemson, of course, Texas at Ohio State as well. Make sure to follow subscribe, rate us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast. You can also find us on social media at 3X Option Show. As always, thanks to our amazing sponsors, ZipRecruiter, BET, MGM and Wendy's and we will see. See you next week.