The Inside Track: College Football’s Quiet Revolution

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Trends and loose talk around the college football world.

Bill Belichick's Relationship with Jordon Hudson Creates Growing Distractions at UNC

Bill Belichick's relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson has evolved beyond a personal matter into a professional concern as she has assumed multiple unofficial roles within the UNC football program.

• Hudson has positioned herself as Belichick's manager/publicist/brand consultant, identifying as "chief operating officer" of "Belichick Productions" (a company The Athletic couldn't verify exists), demanding to be copied on university emails, and recently helped kill UNC's potential deal with HBO's "Hard Knocks."

• The relationship has generated negative publicity, including a contentious CBS Sunday Morning interview where Hudson interrupted and controlled the conversation, plus controversies around trademark requests and social media demands regarding Belichick's son.

• The age gap (73 vs. 24) and power dynamics have drawn comparisons to other Belichick associates who leverage his authority, with columnist Drew Magary describing Hudson as among "professional carpetbaggers who have attached themselves to Bill Belichick not merely for potential financial gain, but to claim some of the man's authority as their own."

What should have been a quiet offseason preparation period for UNC's football rebuild has become consumed by off-field controversies that threaten to undermine Belichick's effectiveness in his new role.

NCAA Considering Grandfathering-In Athletes Amid Roster Cuts

College athletic programs have been cutting roster spots to meet new limits imposed by the House settlement agreement, affecting hundreds of Division I athletes across multiple sports.

• During meetings between the NCAA and power conference executives, a proposal has emerged to phase in new roster limits, potentially protecting current team members, recently cut athletes, and possibly even committed recruits.

• This "grandfathering-in" approach raises numerous questions about implementation—whether it will be mandatory or voluntary, how to handle athletes who've already transferred, and what happens with recruits who changed commitments.

• No plan has been finalized yet as leaders work to satisfy a judge's recent order to protect athletes on existing rosters while ensuring approval of the settlement agreement.

The resolution of this situation could significantly impact the future of college athletics as the industry moves toward revenue sharing with athletes.

Pac-12 Finalizes TV Partnerships for 2025 Season

The Pac-12 Conference has secured television deals with The CW, ESPN, and CBS to broadcast the 13 home games involving Oregon State and Washington State for the 2025 season.

• The CW will air nine games, retaining the majority of broadcasts, while ESPN will show two Oregon State home games, and CBS will broadcast the Apple Cup between Washington State and Washington, plus one of the OSU-WSU matchups.

• Commissioner Teresa Gould emphasized that having Pac-12 football featured across three major broadcasters will provide "tremendous exposure" for the schools and the brand in the conference's final season before expansion.

• The announcement doesn't include details about broadcasting arrangements for 2026 and beyond, when five new schools (Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State, and San Diego State) will join the conference.

To meet NCAA requirements before the 2026 season, the Pac-12 still needs to add at least one more football-playing member.

DEEP DIVE

Inside the Pressure Cooker

I've long been fascinated by the spaces where potential and reality collide - those precarious moments where everything comes together or falls spectacularly apart. In college football, these inflection points aren't random; they're the product of decades of decisions, accidents of geography, and the strange alchemy of institutional willpower.

Our archaeological expedition continues, and as we dig deeper, we find that the most interesting stories aren't at the top or bottom of the sport, but in this anxious middle ground. These five programs - Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Kansas, Texas Tech, and UCF - aren't just playing football games; they're engaged in existential battles about identity and possibility.

What makes these programs compelling isn't their championship aspirations (though some harbor those) but rather how they navigate the fundamental constraints of their situations. When I dug into these teams, I wasn't looking for the obvious storylines. I wanted to understand the unspoken rules that govern their universes.

The difference between good and great in college football often comes down to how institutions respond when confronted with their limitations. Some deny them entirely. Others build elaborate mythologies to explain them away. The rare few transform those limitations into advantages.

As we explore these five programs balanced on their precarious ledges between breakthrough and breakdown, we'll see how the machinery of college football really works - not through the sanitized press conferences or carefully managed narratives, but through the messy, complicated reality of programs trying to become something they might never be.

The Last Ride: Mike Gundy's Final Shot to Save Oklahoma State Football

Oklahoma State football stands at a perilous crossroads in 2025, with legendary coach Mike Gundy facing what could be his final season after the program's stunning collapse.

• After going from a 10-win team and Big 12 Championship Game appearance to a disastrous 3-9 record with zero conference wins in 2024, Gundy has orchestrated the most dramatic staff overhaul of his two-decade tenure, replacing virtually his entire coaching staff.

• The Cowboys have complemented this coaching reset with what many consider a top-10 transfer portal class. They brought in former five-star EDGE Chandavian Bradley and immediately helped in the secondary and at skill positions.

• With a restructured contract that includes a pay cut and requirements to help find his replacement if fired, Gundy faces the stark reality that simply making a bowl game is now considered the minimum threshold for keeping his job.

The 2025 season isn't just another year of Cowboys football—it's a referendum on whether one of college football's most stable and successful programs can reclaim its identity or if it's time to end the Gundy era.

Sun Devils Rising: ASU's Path from 3-9 to Championship Defenders

Arizona State's meteoric rise from 3-9 basement dwellers to Big 12 Champions wasn't just unexpected—it rewrote the rules of college football rebuilds.

• 34-year-old coaching phenom Kenny Dillingham transformed ASU's culture overnight, building a championship program through sheer energy and authentic connection with his players

• Quarterback Sam Leavitt returns as a legitimate Heisman contender after accounting for 29 total touchdowns in 2024

• The glaring question mark? Replacing All-American Cam Skattebo, whose legendary performances defined ASU's identity last season

With 16 starters returning and strategic transfer portal additions, the Sun Devils aren't just defending their title in 2025—they're building a dynasty.

High Stakes in the Heartland: Kansas Football's Defining Season

After teasing greatness with consecutive bowl appearances only to crash to a 5-7 finish in 2024, Kansas football now faces the ultimate moment of truth.

• Quarterback Jalon Daniels returns for his final chapter in Lawrence, giving the Jayhawks their most valuable weapon—if he can overcome the injury demons that have haunted his career (he "really hasn't done a whole lot this spring," according to Leipold)

• The revamped coaching staff features Jim Zebrowski taking complete control of the offense after Jeff Grimes' departure to Wisconsin. At the same time, defensive coordinator DK McDonald attempts to transform a secondary that hemorrhaged 239.1 passing yards per game last season.

• Lance Leipold's unprecedented 22-player transfer portal haul—including North Texas Freshman All-American center Tyler Mercer and former Texas edge rusher Justice Finkley—signals an all-in approach to replacing departed stars Devin Neal, Mello Dotson, and Cobee Bryant.

The newly renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium awaits its grand reopening with the revival of the Border Showdown against Missouri, but the actual renovation project remains the program itself. 2025 will finally reveal whether Leipold has built something sustainable or merely a fleeting moment of relevance.

Texas Tech Just Went ALL-IN: $10 Million on Transfers To Win NOW

Texas Tech football is making the boldest gamble in college football—investing more than double their planned budget to chase the program's first-ever Big 12 championship.

• Unprecedented Transfer Haul: The Red Raiders secured 17 elite transfers, including 5-star WR Micah Hudson (who returned after briefly going to Texas A&M), All-Sun Belt TE Terrance Carter (48 catches, 689 yards), and explosive RB Quinten Joyner from USC, who averaged 7.6 yards per carry

• QB Stability Returns: After years of quarterback injuries, Behren Morton is back healthy after throwing for 3,335 yards and 27 TDs in 2024 despite battling shoulder issues, giving Tech the offensive firepower that produced 37.6 points per game

• Championship-or-Bust Mentality: Head coach Joey McGuire labeled his 8-5 season a "complete failure," while Texas Tech's GM James Blanchard turned down the same position at Notre Dame, stating boldly that a Big 12 championship is "gonna be a dream come true, because it's about to happen."

With a favorable schedule (three straight home games to start), elite talent at every position, and a wide-open Big 12 race, the $10 million question isn't IF Texas Tech has championship talent—it's whether they can transform a collection of transfers into a cohesive unit capable of dominating the conference.

KNIGHT REVIVAL: Why Frost 2.0 Could Shock the Big 12 in 2025

Scott Frost's return to UCF isn't just a reunion—it's a complete reset for a program that desperately needs to rediscover its winning identity.

• He's bringing 30+ transfers, a quarterback competition featuring Tayven Jackson and Cam Fancher, and an offense that once put up 48.2 points per game when he last coached the Knights.

• The Alex Grinch defensive coordinator hire represents the biggest gamble of Frost's second tenure—a coach who's been brilliant (Washington State) and disastrous (Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC) in equal measure.

• Seven home games, including a marquee matchup with Bill Belichick's North Carolina squad, give UCF a favorable path to potential bowl eligibility if Frost can turn things around quickly.

Will the Knight Revival succeed, or is UCF destined for another disappointing season in the ultra-competitive Big 12? Click the link for our complete 900+ word deep dive. ⚔️

THAT’S A WRAP

The Long Game

When I started this journey through the realms of college football's most fascinating middle class, I wasn't sure what I'd find. A portrait of programs caught between their imagined futures and stubborn realities emerged - each one a case study in institutional psychology. The stories we uncovered weren't just about X's and O's or recruiting rankings. They were about the peculiar combination of delusion and determination that keeps these programs pushing forward season after season, despite the gravitational pull of their histories. Next week, we'll complete our exploration of the Big 12 with five more programs that each represent their unique experiment in college football alchemy:

• Utah: The program that turned geographical isolation into a competitive advantage

• Iowa State: Where patience became a revolutionary strategy

• West Virginia: Navigating life as the geographic outlier

• Colorado: When celebrity culture and football culture collide

• Kansas State: The program that refuses to accept conventional wisdom about what's possible

What makes these stories worth telling isn't just what happens on Saturdays in the fall. It's about the Monday morning meetings where administrators decide how much they're willing to spend, and why.

It's about the Thursday night phone calls to boosters who need convincing that this time is different. It's about the Sunday film sessions where coaches confront the gap between their vision and roster.

The truth about college football is that it's never just been about football. It's about power and identity, the stories institutions tell themselves, and the curious economics of hope in places where hope is sometimes the scarcest resource.

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The conversation continues next week.