The No Show-Cause Show

Send us Fan MailMonday episode sees us recapping the Spring Sports scene, Tennis and Lacrosse move into the Quarterfinal rounds in their brackets, the Softball Field is released, and Baseball moves toward Conference Tournaments.For our Featured Rules Item, a weird and wild ruling in the SEC as a ball is sent into the foggy night. The umpires deliver a headscratcher. Lastly we examine what it means for colleges to keep using the "we have no money" card for the new era of college sports. The biggest brands certainly are not spending like they don't, and maybe the tide is turning on athletic departments looking for private equity to save them.

Send us Fan MailOn today's show, we have a huge ineligible athlete count across over 30 sports count at a mid-major. The NCAA mostly went lenient on them.We also have another NCAA Champion while other spring sports are in their tournaments.In our main segment, we talk about coaches' feedback when it comes to CFP and Basketball Tourney Expansion, and the 5 for 5 Eligibility Rule. Some coaches are expressing frustration that the committees making the final calls are not leaning on their opinions, but should they? 

Send us Fan MailOn today's show, we have another installment of Show-Cause Conversations, we have our first recurring guest in show history! Adam Drake returns to talk about the Brendan Sorsby gambling story, how the Braylon Mullins shot went over with a Duke alum in his house, tourney expansion, video games, and removing your shirt when using the facilities.It's always great to have a former college teammate and college radio co-host to talk sports and a whole bunch of random topics. Here is the link to the Nuclear Refridgerators hit song mentioned in the show. (Listener note: some parts of the show contain adult content just in case you listen with your kids)

Send us Fan MailIn this installment of our conversation episodes, we welcome on Jay, one of the most knowledgeable sports fans I have encountered in my travels.We discuss South Carolina's athletic program, the high and low points, touch on Louisville, and start to discuss Tulane before it devolved into a CFP discussion.Jay shares his thoughts on the current state of college sports and where he thinks it could be headed in the future as well.At the end, Jay delivers on his specialty: a Kentucky Derby horse to go in on this weekend.Thanks for stopping in, remember to like and subscribe to the feed.

Send us Fan MailWe made it to 100 weekly episodes! It's okay to admit you didn't think we would get this far, but we did.Today we talk about the Brendan Sorsby gambling saga and how it relates to issues with collegiate sports and gambling and also what punishment Sorsby could be looking at.Then, we take a look at the new 76 team March Madness, not ideal but could have been worse?Private Equity strikes again, this time the entire Big 12 is getting in bed with "private capital", not just one school.Finally, the NCAA officially unleashes 5 for 5 as a proposal, and while we generally agree with this change, the NCAA just couldn't help themselves and threw in a couple of head-scratchers regarding transfers and tampering.Thanks to all that have been here on the journey to 100!

Send us Fan MailOn today's show we focus on the wise words of the Wu Tang Clan: Cash rules everything around us.The NFL Draft was this past weekend, how is the cash infusion to the players in the college game affecting how the draft looks?Cash is the driving decision from a power 4 school dropping it's tennis program, and mainly from a standpoint of choosing not to fund it. (free newsletter link to Matt Brown's Extra Points here.)And we take a look at a couple of ACC ADs that will be retiring at the end of this year and the administrator AD versus the sports business professional AD (hint, you still need good people in your athletic department to be successful).

Send us Fan MailJUST got the episode in before midnight, a Thursday episode it shall be.Today we talk about reaction to the Heineke case we discussed on Monday's episode and why some college media are wrong to treat it like just another athlete using the courts to game the system.We also talk about the national champions in equestrian and the latest Learfield Cup Standings.Playoff expansion is again on the table in the CFP, but also a mid-major conference has an interesting take on March Madness expansion.Plus, a reporter broke down the transfer portal for football, and yes, there are still players available!Additionally we talk about two administrative changes in college sports, one that is admirable and one that hits us close to home.

Send us Fan MailMonday's show tackles some of the complaints about modern college sports head on. Right on the heels of our attempt for positivity on the last episode, we discuss the backlash to eligibility proposals, and an article about the Michigan head coach not fully enjoying his national championship win.It's easy to fall into the college sports are bad because of modern times, but we try to look deeper at what a story like this tells us.Adding to the bright side of life, we look at a few more programs that have won national titles in their respective sports, inclduing a huge win for Stanford.Finally, we look at the recent court case for Oklahoma LB Owen Heinecke getting his 4th season of eligibility back to play college football this Fall. The biggest witness for Heinecke was from the OU compliance staff. (Info from this on3 article)

Send us Fan MailA yin and yang of college sports stories today: We go back to an NCAA Championship that was won last weekend, amidst the hockey championship that did record numbers.The UConn AD has some thoughts on the program's place in being profitable in modern college sports while leading with basketball.The NCAA forges ahead again with some pre-enrollment rules for eligibility.Iowa gets wins vacated for tampering in 2022 after they self-imposed a number of penalties. The Committee on Infractions said their hands were tied, but past actions obscure the necessity to erase victories.Finally, the CFP brought out a new logo that looks quite similar to their previous one, and we wonder who was really excited for this, we would rather the committee fix their selection process.

Send us Fan MailCollege Sports put a few more championships in the books to close out the winter sports season, and now the spring championships take the focus to close out the academic year. And what a year it has been!Denver (the Pionneers) wins the Frozen Four on the men's side, denying Wisconsin and the Big Ten. Additionally, Wisconsin loses its AD...to the Big Ten Conference Office! We examine the odd situation there.We have some more mid-major conference moves, as some other programs with fanatastic singular nicknames are on the move, the Gauchos and Tritons go from Big West to West Coast Conference...along with Denver. Also, the Argonauts(!) of West Florida will be transitioning from D2 to D1 next year, moving their football team to FCS.FRI: The Rattlers (more singular greatness) will have their football team miss out on postseason play next year because of their low APR score, we take a quick look at what the school said about their failings and why that hurts them in their revenue as well.

Send us Fan MailIn our latest installment of Show-Cause Conversations, we bring on our brother, John, to discuss the situation at NC State. The extremely unceremonious exit of Will Wade from Raleigh has sparked a lot of feelings about his manner of exit and where NC State now sits in the basketball landscape.We discuss the new hire for the Wolfpack, getting one of their own on board, and also the recent hire across the triangle of Michael Malone at rival UNC.We also talk about how the football team looks ahead of next season, and how important it is for NC State to have some great success in women's basketball and some other non-revenue sports.

Send us Fan MailOn today's show we recap the title game from Monday night, discuss Michigan's gutsy effort and great season, UConn's worthy effort, and yes some of the officiating woes.That leads us into the Big Ten discussion; they've had some major success in the revenue sports lately, can we say it is officially a trend?Finally, we dive into why the NCAA is finally putting on their big boy pants and trying to establish one eligibility rule with clear stated limits. 

Send us Fan MailAnother great (final) weekend of college hoops action. UCLA captures the women's title while the biggest media story was about another coach throwing a tantrum.A coach cites the compliance office in an interview in a joking manner, and of course we take the opportunity to examine the situation as if he was serious, and get educated ourselves in the process!Of course, we will talk about the men's hoops semifinals on Saturday and preview the title game tonight. Can Michigan be stopped? Most answers point to no.** Fun moment in editing, as I was finishing up the editing for the episode the Mike Malone to UNC news dropped so I broke in to give my Carolina coaching search comments context, seems foolish I was touting Billy Donovan!**

Send us Fan MailAn appropriate March Madness theme to this edition of Show-Cause Conversations. We welcome on Chad Lutkenhaus, number 11 in your programs number one in the ticket office for FGCU. Chad played for the Eagles right up to the Dunk City run in 2013 to the Sweet 16, and at which time he was working in the Athletic Department for the Ticket Office. He got to experience the rapid rise of FGCU Basketball as much as anyone, and then got a firsthand account of the tidal wave of hysteria around Dunk City. He candidly shares what made the run so special and also what made it so challenging from a departmental standpoint. He also graciously shares why he chose to move on from college athletics and gives perspective on how he views the modern game with all the changes to how teams are built.I appreciated him taking the time to go in-depth on some memorable times. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Send us Fan MailFirst show of April is here, Final Four is here amidst record numbers. We take a look at this weekend's games.There's a conference sponsoring women's flag football starting soon.The blind transfer penalty has been approved for football and all sports.Plus, two new coaches at LSU are giving some interesting quotes.

Send us Fan MailAn unforgettable Elite 8 game took place and it emphasizes why sports, and in particular college sports have the power to collectively lose our minds (in a good way). Meanwhile off the court, the CSC is at it again (in a bad way) as we examine why it is going after a mid four-figure deal in NIL Go. A P4 president weighs in on making college sports "sustainable", and we also have a Frozen Four set as well. The Women's Final Four is half set, but one longtime coach has some thoughts on the format. Is the women's tournament not optimizing the experience for the actual teams playing in it?

Send us Fan MailWe start off today's episode with another reminder that you may not like how Texas Tech is doing things, but they are showing you how they are doing it, even while they try to change it.We have some "niche" NCAA championships that were won in recent weeks, and some in more traditional Olympic sports, we will run it all down, let me know who the College Fencing fans are out there!We then dive into the wild coaching firings and potential hirings going on around college basketball. How was infighting a factor in the UNC decision and where do they go from here? Why would a coach choose a Big East middle of the pack team over a power 4 school? Also, Will Wade is now official to LSU but at the time of recording, I was only certain on a guess he would end up there.Finally, we review the women's and men's sweet 16. Truly some great match-ups on paper ahead of us this weekend.

Send us Fan MailWellness, not underrated. We work through another show while we battle illness, but this tournament has too much going on to not recap what we've seen so far.We talk about the games and the state of the tournament from off the court and the many factors at play.

Send us Fan MailWe continue our series (3 times makes a series, right?) of Show-Cause Conversations with individuals talking about their ties to the college sports world.Today, a former collegiate teammate of mine, Adam Drake joins to share his experience as a NCAA athlete, how he came to join the team, go on to coach, and everything he learned from his experience on and off the water.There is also plenty of random topics as well, for example we nail down the correct lyrics to the Full House theme song, so vital items of discussion to be gleaned as well as the college sports avenue.

Send us Fan MailIt's Tournament Time, the Brackets are set.First we discuss the absurdity of the Big Ten writing a letter asking the NCAA not to enforce a rule, then we get right into the brackets.For the most part, we think the committee did the job it was tasked with, but a few mis-seeds and the egregious Mizzou/St. Louis situation. We go region by region and give our thoughts and then some predictions. Let's get the best sports time of the year going!

Send us Fan MailFull throttle College Basketball coverage. The tickets punched, and the conference tournaments ongoing are covered.First we go through two cases in which D1 conferences and their soon-to-be former schools are embroiled in lawsuits.We then blow our top about the CSC, in particular its president and the failure by that organization to see what was coming and how they are complaining about reality and open markets.Finally, College Basketball coverage. Some upsets in mid-major conference tourneys mean we could see a small number of Cinderellas like last year, but there will still be a few possible. It also is pondered if this is the worst bubble team performance as a collective as we can remember in college basketball.

Send us Fan MailYours truly's voice is shot on this Monday. The congestion is making my voice even flatter than usual, but we push through. It's Championship Week after all. We start off the show with the non-actions to be taken after the big roundtable to save college sports last Friday, plus a few notable changes at the top of two namebrand athletic departments and universities.We review the teams that have their tickets punched, how a Fun Belt team is trying to make the impossible happen from that unique bracket. In our FRI, we discuss how conferences make a big mistake letting ineligible teams play for the conference tournament title. Then, we get into how bad the bubble teams played over the weekend and set up what the power conferences tourney brackets shake out.

Send us Fan MailIn today's episode we get philosophical about the why of this show brought about by doing what all podcasters do- listen to other podcasts. We trace our start in college athletics rules analysis, why it matters using the example of one of the best coaches in college football and how he maximized rules knowledge to succeed. Why should anyone pay attention to the rules and how they work? What makes a good rule, especially in the current landscape.We also hit on the college basketball action we saw this week and preview a few of the conference tournaments that will be decided this weekend.Lastly, we learned that aside from the big panel in DC this weekend to discuss the future of college sports, there was also a secret meeting in Dallas that proposed a very specific solution to the quandary, but one that the two biggest conferences already have rejected.

Send us Fan MailIt's officially March! A wonderful time of year for us college sports enthusiasts. We take a dive into the college basketball weekend and how teams faired in helping/hurting their cause. The top seeds certainly are looking strong. We jump back to January when the NCAA added some more championships from their emerging sports and then entered in another one; are they really bolstering women's opportunities? The roster sizes say yes.We also hit the final proposals from the College Football Rules Subcommittee that were submitted for approval. We will cover the in-game proposals and one about attempting to close the out of portal window loophole.Finally, we talk about Cincinnati suing Brendan Sorsby for leaving. Not over hurt feelings but what the buyout was listed as in his contract. Where will it lead, and yet another case put before the courts to judge on a "non-employment" agreement.

Send us Fan MailOn today's show we look at College Basketball, and make an interesting note about the WAB rankings. (Website we referenced is here)After seemingly gaining momentum, the NCAA loses an eligibility case that defies not one but two of its rules.Army Football coach Jeff Monken weighs in on possibly moving the Army-Navy Football game, will that clear the way for CFP changes?And finally, the NCAA sends out a memo to it's school not about TPS reports, but about tampering and that it will actually enforce them and actually punish the violating schools/coaches. But do we think they will really follow through?

Send us Fan MailDiscussing Wins Above Bubble and Short Shorts in College Football.A Monday show with two weeks to go in the college basketball regular season. We take a look at the top 16 seed reveal and how the men's tourney committee in basketball is lapping the CFP committee in explaining their process.We of course check-in on the obligatory courtroom rulings in eligibility and discuss a couple of in-game rule change proposals in college football.

Send us Fan MailNot just speaking of college sports wanting us to flip the entire gameboard over at 2 am, the more I think about college sports being akin to Monopoly, the more it makes sense. Especially in how we aim to cover it on the No Show-Cause Show.On today's episode, much like trying to attain money and resources with maybe not having them to being with, we look at a couple ventures in college sports that have the sense of a pyramid scheme.We must also of course talk about the Big Ten's latest proposal to expand the CFP. The new format may entice the SEC to get on board.Goes with out saying College Basketball keeps delivering this season, and this week has had so much action we can barely keep up, but we'll try. One area we sadly cover is devastating injuries to a bevy of contending teams.

Send us Fan MailOn today's show, we take a look at the weekend that was in College Basketball. Is Arizona in trouble? Is Iowa St back on track? How fair some of the bubble teams and a ejection-laden microcosm of a game in the Big East.Kansas St moves on from its coach after some volatile comments directed at his players, plus a possible rules violation mentioned in a press conference! Trinidad Chambliss wins in court since the NCAA was too proud to give him a waiver, while in Tennessee Vols talk in court taking place by both lawyer and judge!Baseball and Softball have begun and the House Settlement may alter those sports more dramatically than any.Finally, we talk about an SEC school seeing big financial headway, even though it did not finish at the top of the standings or (spoiler alert) win the Duke's Mayo Bowl.

Send us Fan MailMore like Bediak-NO? The Alabama circuit judge has ruled against Alabama Basketball's athlete that came back from the pros to play in 5 games. Some may say it was absurd to allow him to play in 5 games before this point, but the main point is that this ruling will hopefully help bring stability to college sports eligibility.On the actual court, we've had some great games and significant wins over the past week as the final cases for teams will be decided in the next few weeks for the tournament.We also update the latest in the Chambliss case, as Ole Miss files one last appeal with the NCAA, we dive into what they are actually filing for.Finally, disturbing allegations out of Pitt women's basketball, where it appears an absence of leadership took place.

Send us Fan MailOn today's show, more conference realignment talk. An FCS power is moving into the FBS, while others are still trying to get in the door.We also look at the wide field of contenders to make the Final Four in college basketball, and look back on the weekend action. Court storming once again enters the discourse. Realignment info gathered from a variety of sources, but mostly Matt Brown.

Send us Fan MailLate getting our Thursday show up. But we wanted to hone in and focus solely on athlete eligibility, using some examples currently being decided or recently decided for college football and basketball.The rules used to be a lot more clear, but now the waters are murkier than ever and if the pattern does not stop, there may be no limit to who you see suiting up for college teams over the next few years.

Send us Fan MailBy now we have all heard of the transfer portal, and most people believe they know it to be an evil force against the sanctity of college sports.However, the portal itself is nothing more than an administrative tool that actually makes life easier for those that work tirelessly for their schools and student-atheltes.We discuss an article highlighting the architect of the portal, whom we have crossed paths with, and explaining that it is not simply the "portal" that has changed our beloved college sports, it was inaction and inevitability. We explain more in today's show. Also, a check-in on College Basketball and what it would mean for an undefeated team of the two remaining to make it to the tourney without a loss.

Send us Fan MailCircling back, the office speak we all loathe, but we shared some topics on Monday's show that need revisiting.Darian Mensah and Duke reach a settlement, the NCAA says it will investigate Clemson's tampering claims against Ole Miss.We check in on College Basketball as we are whittled down to two undefeated teams left.Plus, the story of how one athletic department has nailed it's big sport hires while another one is taking on debt without the results on the court and field.

Send us Fan MailOn today's show, we have more fallout from local judges ruling on college sports; Darian Mensah is in the portal but can't transfer, and Charles Bediako has played in a game for Alabama this season.According to Dabo, Ole Miss heavily tampered with a player Clemson had just signed out of the portal...after he turned around and entered the portal again and transferred!We talk a little more College Basketball ahead of one of the best conference match-ups of the season tonight.We update the CFP changes and non-changes for 2026 and we look back at how right and mostly wrong our 2025 College Football predictions were.

Send us Fan MailOn today's show we recap the national championship, and Indiana's landmark program turnaround. What the 16-0 season could mean for other programs, what it could not mean as well.I will of course cover some of my Miami sadness from seeing them lose in person...again. Also, court cases and lawsuits seem the norm in college sports now, but we have some major ones out there right now, we will take a look while the lawyers sit back and collect their fees.

Send us Fan MailThe National Title will be settled tonight in Miami. We are on the scene as the game unfolds. We take a look at the big storylines for the game, but also dive deeper into the coaching and program philosophies and then how this game has strong ties to many in South Florida.We also talk a bit off the jump about the big game-fixing scandal in college basketball and what that means going forward.

Send us Fan MailToday we talk some College Basketball selection process. The tournament chair for the Men's Basketball committee is talking clearly about metrics and selection process. Contrast that with the convoluted process College Football had this past season to get to 12 teams.Can Football turn it around? Not likely as the Big Ten and SEC are at odds about the solution. Elsewhere, NCAA Convention is ongoing and eliciting a number of thoughts from the stakeholders, we dive into some of them. Is the portal as dramatic as the headliners are making it to be.Also, the College Sports Commission is under fire and seems overwhelmed to stop the new tactic by the well-resourced schools to pay their players.

Send us Fan MailWe have the CFP title game match-up, compelling for many reasons. We also have the curious case of a transfer portal QB, rubberbanding back to his school, providing a lesson for coaches, administrators, agents, and athletes themselves.Also, an update on the Trinidad Chambliss eligibility case. Find out why this one is not going to federal court.Most important of all, we dubbed our loyal listeners as the "Causeheads". Make sure you are subscribed to earn the moniker.

Send us Fan MailIt's time to preview the CFP Semis, but first we rundown a change at AD at a P4 school that feels like it is behind in the money game.In CBB, Michigan almost made me look foolish for praising them last episode, and conference chaos is ramping up with a bunch of unranked teams beating their ranked counterparts.We dive into the transfer portal...somewhat...because while it seems too much to take in right now, by the time Fall comes around things will have more clarity.

Send us Fan MailOn today's show we examine what the semifinal teams have in common, along with other successful college football programs of the current era. Also, the programs left reeling from coaching and player loss have to adjust as well. We look at a couple examples.The CFP payout for the conferences for this year are working a bit differently this year in some cases. Finally, we take a look back at the CBB weekend, including an FRI on a new rule this year that left a head coach to go after a referee. 

Send us Fan MailNew year, same show...new episodes!We kick off our 2026 year of the show with a discussion over the college basketball hysteria with player eligibility. How is it concerning, how is it overblown, and what can help settle everyone down (hint: not just naming someone a commissioner).Then we jump into college football. ND-USC rivalry ending, bowl game recaps, and also we take a look at each of the CFP quarterfinal games. 

Send us Fan MailWe have reached the end.....of 2025 on the No Show-Cause Show.We briefly recap how much has changed since we started the show in June. Including calling out the Louisiana governor for his comments on "how to save" college sports in our FRI.Also, a rundown of the bowl games that happened last weekend and looking forward to some of the good match-ups coming up this week.Finally, we take a look at each Quarterfinal of the CFP and breakdown what we think will make the difference in each match-up. I even dive a little deeper into that 2003 Fiesta Bowl for the first time since the game happened.Thanks so much for joining us in 2025, and we hope you will continue to join us in 2026!

Send us Fan MailHope everyone's holiday was a great one. Quick check-in on the college sports front for the show.We take a look at a few college QBs and their extension of eligibility situations.College Basketball is heavy at the top heading into conference play, which conference races will have the most impact when we look at where the rankings sit at the end of December.Bowl games are here, here to stay or is change coming?We also discuss the Michigan coaching and culture situation and why some coaches are choosing their alma mater over big brands.A quick word on the four quarterfinal match-ups in the CFP (we'll get more in depth on Monday).

Send us Fan MailLate posting but the show goes on. We recap the Round 1 games from the College Football Playoff. This leads into a broader discussion about the Group of 5(soon to be 6)'s involvement in the future of the playoff, and how some are driving the narrative based on selfishness, not facts.Plus, Texas A&M wins the volleyball national title to complete an all-time tourney run, the FCS title game is set, and in our FRI, the Leathernecks are in trouble.

Send us Fan MailWe have a very special episode today as we are joined by Brynn Richter. Not only a former boss of mine, but a veteran of the college athletics administration game. She also happens to be married to a D1 Basketball coach.We discuss the current state of college athletics, success and failures of the current college athletic framework, the stresses of moving around due to her husband's profession and much much more.It was so great to catch-up with her and I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Send us Fan MailThursday show is up, and a new national champion has been crowned in college sports, in a thrilling OT finale.We'll look ahead to the sports weekend, that starts tonight with volleyball semis and runs Fri-Sun with Round 1 of the CFP. We'll take a look at each game.Our FRI is that the Show-Cause Order has been defeated in court, we'll explain what happened and what it means for the future of NCAA enforcement (and our show title)Plus, more discussion of the flawed CFP Committee's process, the fallacy of thinking computer rankings can be the sole determination for playoff rankings, and how a member of this year's committee explains that the process in the room was as bad as we thought.

Send us Fan MailA new week and a new outlook on the state of college sports.While the Michigan Scandal and Private Equity elements of college sports can lend to a gloomy outlook, there are some great things going on in college sports.Fall Championship season continues to deliver as the FCS playoffs and volleyball tournament are into a final four, with volleyball having a pair of upsets, including an all-time upset of the #1 team.We also discuss ND toning it down, Mendoza winning the Heisman, and then the negative turn of the Michigan scandal and the Big 12 taking a run with private equity.Can college athletic departments get their spending in line? A guy can dream, right?

Send us Fan MailAfter a quiet episode about the College Football Playoff, so much has happened.We have not only playoff bluster, but playoff antagonism against the CFP and the ACC from Notre Dame. Do they deserve special treatment? (No, but they are pining for it anyway).The Notre Dame (non) controversy has led many to question where the CFP should go from here. We explore that along with the bowls losing their meaning and how conference championship weekend could be altered to mean more.The Rubicon of Private Equity has been crossed, how will it fair in Utah?We briefly touch on the Michigan situation and a Fall Championship update.

Send us Fan MailThe Playoff Bracket is out for College Football and people are mad, people are happy, but mostly, people are wondering why the process played out like it did.We recap conference championship Saturday and what the final rankings were and discuss the great debate of the three last teams for the last two at-large bids.How was the committee's process like the time I was given a beer in 8th grade? Listen to find out! 

Send us Fan MailThe College Football Playoff Committee is making it up as they go, and that is not the design of their own protocols, which you can view here.The latest rankings continue to perplex, with the key element being the ignoring of a head to head match-up. We look at the rankings, what could happen, and preview conference championship Friday/Saturday.College Basketball has given us with a good number of early season match-ups, some teams are standing out, while the Big East is quiet.Also, Score Act update, it's actually worked its way to Congress.Plus, a Fall sports championship update!