Intro to the 2026 College Football Season

In this episode, we officially welcome ourselves back to college football with a full 2026 season primer. Before preview season begins in earnest, we reset the board with the biggest changes you need to know, from conference realignment, new teams, and bowl games to rule tweaks, the coaching carousel and a longer road to the national championship in Las Vegas. Consider this your intro course for the upcoming season. We also run through the biggest names and roster moves shaping the season, including a huge crop of new head coaches, notable broadcast changes, the biggest transfer portal targets, and the quarterback storylines that could define the year. Plus, we look at early national title odds, conference favorites, Group of Six playoff contenders, and the broader themes we’ll be tracking all summer as our full preview series gets underway. Also: the Ball-Sac rivalry, North Dakota State’s FBS arrival, the triumph of bike shorts, the return of the Poinsettia Bowl, and a joyous march in the Fleck Parade. Timestamps:0:00 - Welcome back3:35 - What is this episode?6:26 - The Basics10:20 - Notable Changes30:16 - New Coaches35:49 - Announcer Changes39:52 - Notable Transfers56:16 - Big Storylines1:01:34 - The Odds1:06:21 - Common Themes1:15:57 - Parting ThoughtsSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.