Scott Dochterman

What we learned from the finances of the Big Ten’s first year as an 18-team conference Big Ten athletic departments range from juggernauts to those that rely heavily on subsidies, with disparity growing rapidly among them.

Inside the Big Ten’s financial documents in its first year as an 18-team league.

Ohio State’s revenue soared after CFP title. (Michigan, too)

Major concerns at Maryland, UCLA, Rutgers.

Growing disparity in FB ticket revenue.

1 non-FB/MBB made money.

And more.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/707...

2026 NFL mock draft, Rounds 1 and 2: Fernando Mendoza to Raiders, Ty Simpson to Jets The Jets could walk out of Round 1 with a game-changing defender and their new franchise QB.

Could Mendoza be the franchise game-changer the Raiders desperately need?

@scottdochterman.bsky.social and @nickbaumgardner.bsky.social explain their picks ⤵️
www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...

That would be a great solution. I know Northwestern is in a tough spot with its scheduling, especially moving Ball State to midseason so it didn’t have three home games before the quarter opens in September.

Iowa’s offensive line earned the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s best. Here was when they saw the trophy.

College Football Playoff quarterfinals first look: Why you should be excited for every matchup An early guide to Indiana-Alabama, Oregon-Texas Tech, Ohio State-Miami and Georgia-Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff's second round.

A tweak to the seeding format after the first 12-team CFP to allow the highest-ranked teams to also be the top seeds has the second round looking like a potential banger.

Here’s a first look from @ralphdrussoath.bsky.social and @scottdochterman.bsky.social:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/690...

This is deplorable. Yeah, I used that word.

With CFP expansion still murky, college football’s bowl system braces for another year of limbo As December approaches, bowl executives have one eye on their upcoming matchups and another on the years ahead.

"The bowls’ contractual ties to specific conferences, which inform which teams receive invitations to each game, expire after this season." (@scottdochterman.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

College football midseason bowl projections: How 2025’s first half has changed December plans Around 35 teams still harbor College Football Playoff hopes. For more than 90 others, hopes of playing in a bowl are the next best thing.

College football midseason bowl projections: How 2025’s first half has changed December plans

www.nytimes.com/athletic/672...

I feel like a number of my timeline folks would enjoy this.

thanks! You're too kind. We enjoyed hanging out, chatting about football, throwing out aging metaphors and doing it in a balanced way.

Thanks. Much appreciated.

The Dave Kingman of hires.

It's definitely the camaraderie and the football, not the other stuff.

It was awesome seeing you, too! I need to do it again off the clock!

Luke Fickell and Wisconsin hit a new low — and it’s about to get much worse Luke Fickell put all the emotional chips on the table for this week’s game with Iowa. His team responded by getting shutout at home.

Wisconsin’s 37-0 loss to Iowa marked the Badgers’ ninth straight defeat to a power conference opponent and first home shutout since 1980.

“I’m crushed, disappointed in myself and our team,” Fickell said.

And it’s about to get much, much worse for the Badgers.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

Thanks! It’s always such a nice drive and lots of beer to pick up on the way back!

College football rivalry and life on the Iowa-Wisconsin 'beer highway'

Life and college football along the beer highway:
Starting in Iowa City, weaving through Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, veering to New Glarus and then Madison,
heritage, beer and football define the storied Iowa-Wisconsin rivalry.
@theathletic.com
www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Sorting through the Big Ten's second tier: Who still has a shot at contention?

Sorting through the Big Ten’s second tier: Who still has a shot at contention?

www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Final rankings.

Inside the CFP selection war room, the committee has plenty to think about

What a CFP selection dry run revealed about college football’s most scrutinized conference room

www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...

College Football Playoff 2025 bracket prediction: Hello Alabama! Goodbye Penn State! Right now, three of the SEC’s four unbeatens are in — Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Alabama, Georgia and LSU are also in the field.

College Football Playoff 2025 bracket prediction: Hello Alabama! Goodbye Penn State!

www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...

What we learned about the Big Ten after the conference’s most consequential Saturday yet The Big Ten’s first major weekend of conference games provided clarity on which teams have championship potential and which have work to do.

What we learned about the Big Ten after the conference’s most consequential Saturday

Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana pass major road tests
Concern, yes, but not all bad for Penn State
The league's "mushy middle"
QBs making strides
What if ... play-in edition

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

What we learned about the Big Ten after the conference’s most consequential Saturday yet The Big Ten’s first major weekend of conference games provided clarity on which teams have championship potential and which have work to do.

What we learned about the Big Ten after the conference’s most consequential Saturday

Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana pass major road tests
Concern, yes, but not all bad for Penn State
The league's "mushy middle"
QBs making strides
What if ... play-in edition

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

College Football Playoff 2025 bracket prediction: A wide-open field after a chaotic Saturday Welcome to the impossible task of selecting the College Football Playoff field after Week 5.

College Football Playoff 2025 bracket prediction: A wide-open field after a chaotic Saturday

(And good luck choosing among the SEC teams)

www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...

Indiana’s gut-check win at Iowa could form backbone of special season: ‘Now we know’ Winning in gutsy fashion at Iowa could help the Hoosiers form positive recall for future away games at Oregon and Penn State.

Indiana’s gut-check win at Iowa could form backbone of special season: ‘Now we know’

www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...

‘Is this real?’ At Indiana, Curt Cignetti is forcing fans to embrace a football frontrunner Cignetti's direct approach to turning Indiana from a basketball school into a perennial CFP hopeful, one blowout at a time, is taking root.

‘I had to find out if the fan base was dead or just on life support.’

At Indiana, Curt Cignetti stepped out of his comfort zone and now is forcing fans to embrace a surprising football frontrunner. The infrastructure says IU could stay there.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...

Haha, thanks!

Illinois and Indiana share a history of losing. That’s why their matchup is so intriguing Indiana and Illinois are both ranked heading into their matchup for the first time since 1950.

Illinois and Indiana share a history of losing. That’s why their matchup is so intriguing

www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

Big Ten football mailbag: Illinois optimism, Oregon concerns as conference play ramps up Also, why Penn State played a weak conference schedule and thoughts on Big Ten schedule discrepancies.

Big Ten football mailbag:
Penn State’s schedule
Disparities on Friday night games
Illinois optimism
Oregon concerns
And more here ⬇️

www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...