• Tradition's Finest Episode 140 - The "Reign Man" Episode
    Jun 19 2026
    Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 140 - The "Reign Man" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: "The Saga Continues:" The Big 12 on Monday morning made it clear it did not want to be pushed around in court in the case surrounding Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby. .and it seems to have worked: Hours before sources told ESPN Monday night that Sorsby plans to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, a decision later confirmed by a university statement, the Red Raiders' conference filed a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas seeking both a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief to allow the league the authority to use its bylaws to potentially punish Sorsby, who admitted to betting on college sports - - Sorsby's and TTU's decision to “mutually part ways” should quell the conference's concerns for the time being. . .Q: What are your thoughts on QB Brendan Sorsby & Texas Tech University mutually parting ways following this media spectacle? - - The Big 12, a league won by Texas Tech last season, was chief among those critics, as Monday's move by the conference was a legal counter to a letter from Texas attorney general last week, which warned that any sanctions imposed by the Big 12 would be “unlawful” and countered by legal action, with the Texas AG, Kenneth Paxton, listed as a defendant, along with the chancellor, president and AD of Texas Tech - - This all played out in the wake of a judge granting Sorsby a temporary injunction on June 8 that essentially cleared the way for him to play for Texas Tech in 2026 - that came after Sorsby admitted that he broke NCAA rules by betting thousands of times, including 40 times on Indiana football while he was on that team's roster - - Before Sorsby's decision to leave the Red Raiders, the Big 12's presidents met Monday to discuss potential punishments with no definitive outcome - - The Big 12's federal suit included a request for an injunction to allow the league to enforce its own rules - and at the heart of this was Big 12 Bylaw 3:6, which allows the league via a supermajority vote to decide whether Texas Tech's conduct warrants sanctions: The suit sought to bar Texas Tech from “seeking to deter, coerce, prevent, or punish the Big 12 for exercising its rights under its Bylaws to sanction TTU related to its handling of the sports betting activity discussed in this Complaint, including if TTU fields a student-athlete in Big 12 competitions who has engaged in collegiate sports betting activity.” - - The measures discussed by the Big 12 executive committee last week in a call included both financial penalties to the school and penalties related to eligibility, as the Big 12's filing alludes to barring the school from the conference championship game as a potential sanction – The suit also acknowledged the near unanimity in the college athletics industry that Sorsby should not be allowed to play and mentioned bans on playing Texas Tech by the athletic departments at Georgia and Nebraska - as the suit was a highly unusual action from a conference and it came amid a volatile situation: Big 12 ADs were outspoken, both publicly and in meetings, in saying they don't want to Sorsby to play - - For the first time since 2019, the NFL supplemental draft is interesting!. . .Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby has announced his intention to enter the supplemental draft, which will be held sometime in July once the league approves his application: The supplemental draft allows all 32 teams to bid blindly against one another for the rights to a player – Any team wishing to add Sorsby must submit a bid for the round in which it would be willing to draft him, as the team that submits the most valuable bid wins the rights to the player, but its pick in that specific round is forfeited in the upcoming 2027 NFL Draft - - As such, NFL teams are now doing all of their due diligence on Sorsby: A much-larger-than-normal piece of that diligence will consider his serious sports gambling transgressions, but it's still the job of scouts and coaches to watch the tape and grade his current play and NFL potential - as league evaluators were excited to see Sorsby play another season at Texas Tech; even if he had declared for the 2026 draft, before the sports gambling was exposed, he was considered a high-ceiling prospect worthy of a solid pick. . .Q: Do you think that an NFL franchise will use their draft pick to select QB Brendan Sorsby in this year's Supplemental Draft? If so, which NFL franchise or franchises might take the risk & draft Sorsby?. . .NCAA College Baseball: Bracket #1: Men's College World Series Game #11/Semifinals: No.5 North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0) vs. No.16 West Virginia Mountaineers (1-1) - - The Tar Heels exploded for 12 runs, jumping out to a 12-1 lead and holding off No.16 West Virginia, 12-7, to advance to the championship series of the College World ...
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • Tradition's Finest Episode 139 - The "oster-Tag, you're it!" Episode
    Jun 12 2026
    Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 139 - The "oster-Tag, you're it!" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - Women's College World Series (WCWS) Finals: Game 2: No.2 Texas Longhorns vs. No.11 Texas Tech Red Raiders - - Teagan Kavan struck out five (5) in the final two innings to back a strong start from Citlaly Gutierrez, and Kayden Henry homered to lead Texas to a 4-1 victory over Texas Tech last Thursday night at the Women's College World Series (WCWS) for a second straight national championship - - Kavan earned the Most Outstanding Player award after becoming the first pitcher with two shutout & two saves in one WCWS - - Henry homered off Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady - in what was her final game at the collegiate level - to begin the 7th inning and Leighann Goode singled to drive in the final run - - Meanwhile, Texas Tech did put up a fight, as the Red Raiders jumped in front in the 3rd inning on an RBI single by Lauren Allred, as Canady retired 11 in a row after Henry singled to begin the game before disaster struck in the 5th - - Kaiah Altmeyer and Ashton Maloney led off with singles before Logan Halleman made a leaping catch in left field with one out to save at least one run, and Canady walked slugger Katie Stewart to load the bases and appeared to escape the jam before Toney's error - - Halleman also robbed Altmeyer of an extra-base with a runner on 1st base in the 6th to keep the score at 2-1 - - Gutierrez (11-3) allowed one run on three (3) hits in 4 1/3 innings, while freshman Hannah Davis got two outs in the 5th inning prior to Gutierrez re-entering the game with the bases loaded to get the final out - - Kavan fanned Mihyi Davis to wrap up her fifth save of the season, whereas Canady (29-7) went the distance, allowing just four (4) runs - two earned - on eight (8) hits with three (3) walks - - **NOTE: Coach Mike White led Texas to the program's second title in his eighth season, meanwhile, second-year Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco has led the Red Raiders to their only two, but consecutive nonetheless, WCWS appearances: Texas Tech fell 7-3 in this year's WCWS finals series opener the prior Wednesday. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Texas Longhorns earning back-to-back WCWS national championships under HC Mike White?. . .NCAA College Football: The West Virginia Mountaineers are set to honor a college football legend this upcoming fall: On Friday, the program announced plans to retire Pat White's No.5 jersey at a home game that will be determined later this summer - - White, who played at WVU from 2004-08, is widely considered to be the greatest football player in program history and one of the most electric players in college football's modern era - - White is also currently on the Mountaineers' coaching staff, serving as the assistant QBs coach and assistant to the head coach, Rich Rodriguez, whom he played for throughout his playing career in Morgantown - - White finished his West Virginia career with more than 6,000 passing yards and 4,480 rushing yards, and he recorded 103 total TDs in his three (3) seasons with the Mountaineers: A three-time First Team All-Big East selection & two-time Big East Offensive Player of the Year, White led WVU to its' best season in program history in 2007, as the Mountaineers were ranked as high as No.2 in the BCS rankings and were just one win away from a guaranteed spot in the BCS National Championship Game, and now, White - originally from Daphne, Alabama - is being immortalized in Morgantown for the legend that he is - - There is but one caveat, here. . .Q: Did West Virginia miss an ideal opportunity to retire White's running mate - and arguably the best RB in Mountaineers' program history - Steve Slaton's No.10 jersey? What are your thoughts on West Virginia's announcement that the program will retire former star QB Pat White's No.5 jersey this summer?. . ."A Disgusting Day for the NCAA:" A judge in district court in Lubbock County, Texas, has granted the temporary injunction requested by Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby, and in result, he is now eligible to play for the Red Raiders next season, according to the temporary injunction filed against the NCAA, granted Monday morning by visiting District Court Judge (*and Texas Tech alum) Ken Curry - - The NCAA had earlier ruled Sorsby ineligible, after he acknowledged that he gambled on sports, which included placing approximately 9,000+ bets estimated at a value of $90,000, some of which were placed on Indiana University, while Sorsby was on the program's football team as a redshirt (RS) freshman - - The request was approved after Sorsby completed a 35-day gambling rehabilitation program in late May - - Judge Curry ruled in Sorsby's favor, stating that the transfer QB "has demonstrated [that] he will suffer a probable, imminent, or irreparable injury," if the court did not grant and/or issue his request for a temporary ...
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Tradition's Finest Episode 138 - "The Bust of All Time Episode"
    Jun 5 2026
    Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 138 - "The Bust of All Time Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: Posthumously, Mike Leach is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, following an adjustment to eligibility criteria for coaches - - Leach, whose use of the Air Raid offense, widespread coaching tree and distinct personality left a significant impression of the sport, had been kept off previous ballots because his career winning percentage at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State - 158-107 (.596) - fell just below the previous threshold of .600 - - In 2025, the National Football Foundation, which oversees the Hall of Fame, announced that the winning percentage required for coaching eligibility would be adjusted to .595, whereas the other requirements for coaches to become eligible for selection, including ten or more years as a HC and at least 100 games coached, have not changed and/or remain the same - - Leach died in December 2022 at the age of 61 from complications related to a heart condition, while still coaching at Mississippi State - - **NOTE: He won division titles at both Texas Tech and Washington State, where his 2018 team finished the season ranked No.10 nationally, and guided teams to bowl appearances in all but two seasons at his three (3) head coaching stops - - Leach's previous ineligibility for the Hall of Fame garnered extensive criticism of the process involved in selection, from many coaches, media members & fans - as Leach coached or hired many notable coaches throughout his pristine career, including USC's Lincoln Riley, TCU's Sonny Dykes, Oklahoma State's Eric Morris, Baylor's Dave Aranda & Tennessee's Josh Heupel, among others - - Similarly, Jackie Sherrill, who had a career winning percentage of .592 at Washington State, Pitt, Texas A&M and Mississippi State, also appeared on the ballot for the first time, as Sherrill had six (6) AP top-10 finishes, including a No.2 overall ranking while at Pitt in 1980 - - Other notable players on this year's ballot include Auburn QB Cam Newton and Baylor QB Robert Griffin III, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2010 and 2011, respectively, as well as Ohio State LB A.J. Hawk and Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon, both national award winners - - **NOTE: The 2027 ballot includes 80 players and nine (9) coaches from the FBS level, and 99 players & 39 coaches from other NCAA or NAIA divisions, while the next Hall of Fame class will be announced in January 2027, during the College Football Playoff. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the late Mike Leach being included on the HOF ballot for the first time after the career winning percentage for eligibility was adjusted to .595?. . ."You Can't Make This Up:" Jordyn Adams spent the better part of eight (8) years pursuing one sports dream, but now he's returning to another: The former five-star football recruit & first-round MLB draft pick has enrolled at SMU and plans to join the Mustangs football program, a source confirmed to CBS Sports - - Adams was once considered one of the country's premier high school athletes - a standout WR at Green Hope High School in Cary, North Carolina - he finished his prep career ranked as the No.3 WR in the 2018 class and the No.14 overall prospect nationally - - **NOTE: The only WRs ranked ahead of Adams in the Class of 2018 were future NFL stars: Amon-Ra St. Brown & Ja'Marr Chase - - While in high school, Adams signed with North Carolina and intended to play both football & baseball, but those plans changed when the Los Angeles Angels selected him with the No.17 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft and signed him away from college on a deal worth more than $3 million, which was a decision that launched a professional baseball career that stretched from 2018 up until just a couple weeks ago, when he last appeared in a Triple-A game on May 20 with the Nashville Sounds - - Adams made his major league debut in 2023, as he appeared in 17 games for the Angels that season and returned for 11 more games in 2024, after which point, he departed the Angels' organization, spending time with the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers' organizations - - In total, Adams played 38 MLB games, collecting 13 hits, six (6) runs scored, one HR and five (5) RBIs - as he spent the bulk of his career in the minor leagues, appearing in 678 games and accumulating more than 2,400 at-bats, while showcasing the athleticism that once made him one of the nation's top football recruits - - After his baseball career came to a close last month, rather than continuing to pursue another opportunity in the MLB, Adams has elected to revisit the sport many believed could have carried him to a professional career as well - - As for now, Adams remains eligible to play college football for SMU, but the NCAA continues to debate significant eligibility changes, for instance, last month ...
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Tradition's Finest Episode 137 - "The House That Doak Built Episode"
    May 29 2026
    Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 137 - "The House That Doak Built Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: "No More Cupcakes:" SEC ADs on Tuesday voted to play conference games on the second-to-last week of the regular season, eliminating what has commonly been referred to as the "cupcake" games before rivalry weekend, commissioner Greg Sankey said, as the new schedule policy is scheduled to begin in 2027 - - Sankey said the SEC has been discussing the topic for months, and ultimately needed to make decision now in time to schedule for 2027 - - Sankey said the decision wasn't driven by a desire to silence the critics, but rather, it was a result of the league transitioning to nine (9) conference games this season and playing on more weekends. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the SEC Conference's ruling to eliminate the "cupcake" games that are generally scheduled the week prior to Rivalry Week?. . .The NCAA has denied Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby's request to be reinstated as eligible for the 2026 season, even as the school president publicly backed Sorsby's desire to play for the Red Raiders this season "amid a "complex situation," - - The NCAA decision, which is in line with precedent, will put Sorsby's lawsuit against the NCAA seeking an injunction for his eligibility for the 2026 season into further focus, as his court date looms Monday in Lubbock County - - Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt indicated that he fully expected the appeal to be submitted to the NCAA by the end of the week - - In the suit, Sorsby, who filed a lawsuit in local court in Lubbock County on May 18 seeking his eligibility, acknowledged betting on thousands of sporting events as part of his gambling addiction, which included betting on Indiana football games while on the roster (as a redshirt freshman), as he did make clear that he never bet on a game he played in nor did he bet against his team, as the suit also cites the NCAA's "deeply hypocritical" position on gambling - - The news Tuesday comes in the wake of Sorsby completing his 35-day in-patient rehab for his gambling addiction in Arizona, as he's set to return to campus in the upcoming days - - While the NCAA precedent has been clear in gambling cases, it is not surprising the Sorsby's attorneys will plan to appeal their decision to deny his request for reinstatement - - Sorsby has one year of eligibility remaining, and the lawsuit revealed his lawyers asked for a two-game suspension, which the NCAA also denied. . .Q: Are you surprised to learn that the NCAA denied Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby's request for reinstatement next season? What do you expect the result of his appeal to be: (1) he will play for the Red Raiders next season OR (2) he will be watching from the sidelines?. . .NCAA College Softball: "A Potential Softball Bench-Clearing/White Chocolate:" If Florida softball was targeting Mia Williams in Sunday's Game 3 of the NCAA softball Super Regional against Texas Tech, the Gators didn't waste any time: Williams, a transfer who helped the Gators reach the Women's College World Series (WCWS) last year, was plunked by UF ace Keagen Rothrock with the first pitch of the game, and this was the fifth time in the series that Williams had been hit by a pitch - - Whether any were intentional or not, this set the stage for a game that was, if anything, upstaged and will likely be remembered more for the off-field drama rather than Texas Tech's eventual 16-7 series-deciding victory to punch its' ticket back to the WCWS - - Williams' return to Gainesville was the top storyline of the weekend, as she is the daughter of former Florida basketball player, Jason Williams (aka "White Chocolate"), who after the game expressed his displeasure with UF softball coach Tim Walton to The Gainesville Sun, part of the USA Today Network - - Jason Willianms, who has attended UF basketball games this past season, was often demonstrative in the crowd and later celebrated with the Texas Tech squad on the field after the victory - - After Mia Williams was hit with Sunday's first pitch, the Texas Tech bench started chirping at the Gators, rising tensions in the winner-take-all Game 3 - - In Williams' next at-bat, she hit a two-run HR, one of Texas Tech's eventual five (5), which featured a celebration that prompted a warning to the Red Raiders dugout - - Florida coach Tim Walton was later ejected from the game before the run-rule was induced in the 5th inning for arguing balls & strikes - but Williams' father, Jason, felt that Walton's ejection may have been premeditated: "He got kicked out because he didn't want to shake her hand," Jason Williams told The Sun - but Walton wasn't alone in avoiding postgame pleasantries: The peak of the animosity between the teams was best illustrated after the refusal to shake hands - following that decision, Texas Tech players began exchanging with Florida ...
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Tradition's Finest Episode 136 - "The Big Bus Bettis Episode"
    May 22 2026
    Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 136 - "The Big Bus Bettis Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: Heralded true freshman QB Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt's top recruit, will appear in comedian Nate Bargatze's movie "The Breadwinner" as part of his NIL deal, per Outkick's Clay Travis, although he has yet to take a singular snap at the collegiate level - - The former five-star recruit, competing with Blaze Berlowitz for the starting gig next season at Vanderbilt, will appear as a cameo in the film - - Bargatze, a Vanderbilt fan, is based in Nashville and appeared on ESPN's "College Gameday" in 2025 as a guest picker, for the Commodores' game against Missouri, as it was there that he called out Curtis and asked him to flip his recruitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt, and also threw out the idea of the QB being featured in one of his films - - Bargatze is holding up his end of the bargain, as now, Curtis will appear in the film wearing a Vanderbilt hat while shopping for a car, according to the report - - Curtis, the No.4 overall recruit and No.2-ranked QB nationally in the 2026 Class, chose Vanderbilt - his hometown school - two weeks later following Bargatze's offer - - **NOTE: Curtis is the highest-ranked recruit in program history, and represents a huge shift in the Commodores' status as a football program, especially after winning a program-best 10 games in 2025 with Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia behind center. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Vanderbilt true freshman QB Jared Curtis serving as a cameo in Nate Bargatze's film "The Breadwinner" as part of his NIL deal? Could this type of cameo feature become a regular occurrence that is potentially included as part of a recruit's NIL deal?. . ."The TIGAZZ Are Back in Town:" LSU has finalized a deal to add Ed Orgeron to its football coaching staff, the school announced Wednesday night - - Orgeron's role will officially be special assistant to recruiting and defense for the Tigers - - Orgeron is the former HC at LSU, to which he led to a national title in 2019 - - He reunites with LSU HC Lane Kiffin, Orgeron's longtime friend and colleague with whom he previously worked at USC and Tennessee - after last collaborating for a brief stint at USC in 2013 - as the relationship between Kiffin and Orgeron goes back a quarter century, as they first served on a staff together in 2001 under Pete Carroll at USC, as Orgeron is largely credited with being the recruiting engine during that gilded USC era - - Along with serving as the head coach at Ole Miss & LSU and as the interim coach at USC, Orgeron crafted a reputation as one of the country's top recruiters and defensive line coaches - - Fortunately, recent changes in NCAA recruiting rules will allow Orgeron to go out on the road to recruit for the Tigers, selling the two things he knows intimately well: LSU and Kiffin. . .Q: How do you feel about Ed Orgeron being hired at LSU to serve on Lane Kiffin's staff as the special assistant to recruiting and defense? Could Orgeron's hire potentially be related to a potential interim role in the event that the LSU gig does not go as planned?. . .⭐"A Special Discussion on the NIL Rule & NCAA Transfer Portal and How They Are Changing the Landscape of College Sports:⭐: In this week's "special discussion" segment, JD & Spencer discuss the NIL, the NCAA Transfer Portal, and Player Opt-Outs - as well as the way in which each of these factors have drastically changed the landscape of college sports, specifically college football - and finally, they discuss & provide their individual feedback of what the future of NIL is as it continues to evolve across the collegiate (or University) level. . .**Be Sure to Tune in for This Week's Special Discussion segment. . .NCAA College Basketball: Head basketball coach Will Wade has earned the "American Gangster" moniker, but LSU is taking an even more brazen affront to the NCAA's shaky eligibility rules and regulations: Former Boston Celtics guard RJ Luis Jr., who is looking to return to college, has signed with LSU, per multiple reports, in hopes to play one more season in the collegiate ranks - - The same RJ Luis Jr., who earned 2025 Big East Player of the Year honors under St. John's coach Rick Pitino two seasons ago - after averaging 18.2 points & 7.2 rebounds for the Red Storm - and who controversially chose to remain in the 2025 NBA Draft despite numerous seven-figure deals that were on the table in last spring's transfer portal market - - Luis, 23, didn't play this season due primarily to injury, but he did, however, suit up for three (3) preseason games for the Celtics back in October - - Luis went through the NBA draft process last summer, and while he wasn't drafted, he signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, prior to being acquired by the Celtics in the Georges Niang trade - - However, Luis was waived by the C's ...
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • Tradition's Finest Episode 135 - "The Big Hurt Episode"
    May 15 2026
    Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 135 - "The Big Hurt Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: "Basket Weaving 101:" Some SEC football coaches aren't waiting for next season's kickoff to get after each other: One day after LSU HC Lane Kiffin's controversial comments concerning Ole Miss, Texas HC Steve Sarkisian made the following statement to USA Today: "At Texas, we will only take 50% of a player's academic credit hours. You may be a semester from graduating, but you're going all the way back to 50% if you play here and want a degree. But at Ole Miss, they can take you. All you have to do is take basket weaving, and you can get an Ole Miss degree." - - A University of Texas athletic department spokesperson told ESPN on Tuesday that Sarkisian's comments were part of a larger conversation about tampering and [that] he was stressing the importance of academics at the University - - Shortly afterwards, first-year Florida HC Jon Sumrall, a former assistant at Ole Miss, added to the fray later Tuesday afternoon with a jab at Sarkisian via social media: "Grateful to coach at a top 10 public university that also offers advanced basket weaving!". . .Q: What are your thoughts on Sarkisian's comments regarding Ole Miss academics for student-athletes? - - The flurry of jabs comes just weeks before the SEC's annual spring meetings, which is scheduled to occur May 26-28 at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Miramar Beach, Florida - - In a four-hour interview with Vanity Fair magazine that was published on Monday, Lane Kiffin - who was the head football coach at Ole Miss prior to accepting a similar role at LSU - said that some top [high school] recruits would tell him [that] they weren't interested in coming to Oxford, Mississippi: "[They would say], 'Hey Coach, we really like you, but my grandparents aren't letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi," Kiffin told the magazine. "That doesn't come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Parents were sitting here this weekend saying the campus's diversity feels so great: 'It feels like there's no segregation. And we want that for our kid because that's the real world."' - - According to the article, Kiffin clarified his remarks one day later: "I just hope [my comment] comes across respectful to Ole Miss . . .There are some things that I'm saying that are factual; they're not shots." - - Let's analyze the overall demographics of the two college towns: The population of Baton Rouge (LA) - home to Louisiana State University - is 52% African-American (or Black) and 34% Caucasian (or White), according to 2024 census data, whereas Oxford - the home of Ole Miss University - is 66% Caucasian (or White) and 26% African-American (or Black) - - Kiffin led Ole Miss to a 50-19 overall record from 2020 to 2025 prior to leaving for LSU, whom of which offered him a seven-year contract worth about $13 million annually - - There is no doubt that Kiffin's remarks will serve as additional motivation for Pete Golding & the Ole Miss Rebels as they prepare for the upcoming 2026-27 college football season, especially for one particular date that we are sure they have circled on their calendar, September 19th, the date that Lane Kiffin & the LSU Tigers travel to Oxford to take on the Rebels. . .Q: What is your take on Lane Kiffin's comments to Vanity Fair magazine regarding the differences in overall campus diversity between that of Ole Miss & LSU? While he has since attempted to clarify his remarks, on a more personal level, do you believe that his comments were, in fact, "calculated?". . .Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy has been released from the hospital after being shot in the upper leg early Sunday morning, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel, as he plans to head to Missouri's campus immediately to begin rehabbing with the goal of playing this year, sources said - - The 20-year-old Tigers' star RB was shot while attending a "rap concert," in his native Mississippi, and was rushed to Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, where he immediately underwent surgery: The shooting incident reportedly occurred around 2 a.m. Sunday outside a concert at the Kamakazy Biker Club in Laurel, Mississippi, as the Laurel police department informed the local news affiliate on Monday that at least two people were injured and three (3) people of interest were in custody, as three (3) 19-year-old men, identified as Landice Magee, Jvon Sibley & Alvin Peyton, were arrested & booked into the Jones County (MS) jail on Sunday, in connection with the shooting of Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy - - According to numerous reports & posts on social media, the three (3) suspects were former high school teammates of Hardy's at Lawrence County High School in Mississippi - - A first-team All-SEC selection last season, Hardy was second among FBS players with 1,649 rushing yards last season - - **NOTE: The first-team Associated ...
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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • Tradition's Finest Episode 134 - "The Quadruple-Double/Dream Episode"
    May 9 2026
    Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 134 - "The Quadruple-Double/Dream Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Basketball: "6-7, 6-7, 7-6?:" The men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments are expanding to 76 teams, the NCAA announced Thursday - - **NOTE: It is the first time the men's tournament has expanded since 2011, and the first time the women's tpurnament has expanded since 2022 (15 years and 4 years for men's & women's tournaments, respectively) - - The expansion from 68 teams to 76 teams marks the men's largest increase since it moved to 64 teams in 1985 - - It went from 64 to 65 in 2001 and then added three (3) more teams in 2011 to form the "First Four" - - With the increase to 76, the First Four (4) - doubleheaders on back-to-back days in Dayton (OH) - will be replaced by a 12-game Opening Round: The Tuesday and Wednesday of the men's tournament will feature 12 games played by 24 teams in two different cities, as there will now be three (3) games each day in Dayton and three (3) games each day in a second city to be determined, with sources telling ESPN's Pete Thamel that the second site is expected to be west of the Eastern time zone to help with logistics - - On the women's side, the 12 Opening Round games will be played on the Wednesday & Thursday between Selection Sunday and the beginning of the Round of 64 on Friday - and across 12 of the campus site designated as first- and second-round hosts - - Half of the 24 Opening Round teams will be the lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers, as the others will be the lowest-seeded "at-large" teams, while the traditional 64-team first round and ensuing rounds rounds will remain the same in both the men's and women's tournament. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the NCAA's announcement that both the men's & women's NCAA basketball tournaments will expand to 76 teams beginning next season?. . .NCAA College Football: "Never Too Late:" A retired businessman enrolled in college for the first time - and joined the NCAA D-III football team as a freshman walk-on - after a dire cancer diagnosis reinvigorated his zeal for life: Tom Green, a 60-year-old Maryland native, stunned officials when he tried out for the football program during his freshman year at McDaniel College, located in Westminster, Maryland - - Now, he's slated to become one of the oldest college athletes in United States history, about a decade after beating cancer, as he is set to make his debut on the defensive line in the fall season: Green turns 61 years old in June, and if he plays through his 62nd birthday, he will, in fact, become the oldest person to ever play college football - - When he was first diagnosed with stage four (4) kidney cancer in 2015, Green said he was certifiably "dying," as his doctors informed him that he had eight (8) tumors festered in his body, stretching from one in his skull to another in the tail of his pancreas - and then, in what Green chalked up to divine intervention, he was declared cancer-free in 2018 - - While reapplying to college after being cleared of cancer, he decided to take his shot at joining the team - - Some players on the team, according to Green, thought his recruitment was a joke, but they eventually began to accept his presence as an inspiration: "I had to get used to it. At first, it was kind of weird, but I got used to it because he teaches us lifelong lessons that we can use off the field," teammate Jordan Weeden said - - Green was also blown away by the team's warm reception, though he admitted it only came about after they each tested him with rough blows during practice - - The sexagenarian knows his time on the turf is finite, but he hopes to leave his newfound brothers with memories that will carry them through the rest of their lives: "[Football] never leaves you. And the one thing that I always tell everybody is, the camaraderie of it all, you miss it. I've had employees, and I've had people work for me, and so on and so forth, but when you're playing ball, it's a lot different atmosphere. It's one of those things that I think the Lord has led me to and God's blessed me to do it," he added. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the resiliency of Mr. Tom Green? Thoughts on him becoming the oldest person to ever play the sport of college football?. . . - NBA - - 2025-26 NBA Playoffs Recap: In this particular segment, JD & Spencer review & recap the following first-round & semifinal playoff games: **Be Sure to Tune in for a full recap of the first & second round playoff series listed below. . . Western Conference Playoffs: First Round Game 6: No.4 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No.5 Houston Rockets LAL leads series 3-2 Eastern Conference Playoffs: First Round Game 7: No.2 Boston Celtics vs. No.7 Philadelphia 76ers Series tied 3-3 (includes a discussion of "Embiid's Plea" & "Jaylen Brown's Twitch Rant". . .) Game 7: No.1 Detroit Pistons vs. No.8 Orlando ...
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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • Tradition's Finest Episode 133 - "The Hick from French Lick Episode"
    May 1 2026
    Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 133 - "The Hick from French Lick Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Basketball: The NCAA has initiated the final steps to expand the men's & women's college basketball tournaments to 76 teams, sources told ESPN Tuesday evening - - The expansion, which has been discussed for well over a year, is on track to be formalized in the upcoming weeks and would begin this coming season - - Sources indicated mid-May as a potential timeframe for an announcement, although there are still steps to take in terms of approvals via various NCAA committees - - Once the contracts are completed, the NCAA also would need approval from various committees, including the men's & women's basketball committees, the men's & women's basketball oversight committees, the Division I cabinet and the Division I board of governors - - The added finances would cover the additional logistics cost for both the men's & women's tournaments - - The primary driver of this expansion hasn't been money, but rather access for at-large bids for power conferences - the expansion has been pushed primarily by power conferences, which have grown throughout the course of the current deal - - The mechnics of the expansion in the men's tournament would include eight (8) additional at-large bids, and what's known now as the First Four, would include eight (8) teams playing four (4) games in Dayton, Ohio, would expand to 12 games played by 24 teams at two sites, one of which was expected to remain in Dayton, and the location of the new site has yet to be determined - - The expansion would lead to an additional eight (8) men's games, meaning the Tuesday & Wednesday of the NCAA Tournament would features 24 of the 76 men's teams, that number now includes eight (8) teams who would have qualified for the traditional bracket that would sqaure off against the eight (8) at-large additions - - The traditional 64-team men's bracket would still begin on Thursday and look much of the same, with the major difference being that more teams would qualify as traditional "at-large" bids, that would have to play earlier than the 64-team bracket. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the NCAA initiating the final steps to expand the men's and women's basketball tournaments to 76 teams?. . .NCAA College Football: "A Sorsby Dilemma:"Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby will take an "immediate indefinite leave of absence" from the football program as he enters a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction, the school announced Monday, as the NCAA is investigating Sorsby's gambling, industry sources told The Athletic - - Sorsby, a fifth-year senior, transferred to Texas Tech in January as one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal after two seasons at Cincinnati - - Following the news, Texas Tech has said that it is committed to supporting Sorsby through his recovery process, but there is no announced timetable for Sorsby's treatment or his return to the Red Raiders - - Industry sources confirmed an ESPN report that Sorsby bet on Indiana football in 2022 while he was a redshirt freshman for the Hoosiers, as his gambling continued since then, according to sources, but the full extent is not yet clear - - Industry sources also informed The Athletic that Sorsby attended Cincinnati Reds' games on repeated occasions and placed live wagers on balls & strikes, with bets ranging anywhere from $2.50 to less than a $1 per pitch - and he placed a significant number of wagers in recent years - as the overwhelming majority were for smaller dollar amounts on various sports, including live bets on UFC matches, which is allowable under NCAA rules as long as the athlete is of legal betting age, primarily because the UFC is not a sport in which the NCAA hosts a sanctioned championship - - Sources who have reviewed the betting data told On3, dating back to 2022, he placed more than $20k wagers and at one point averaged 20 bets per day - - The NCAA is likely to permanently ban Sorsby, or for the QB to be deemed ineligible, pending their investigation - - According to updated NCAA sports betting guidelines passed in 2023, players who bet on games involving their own school face potential permanent loss of eligibility, which also applies if they engaged in activities to influence the outcome or knowingly provide insider information to people involved in sports betting, and also, last October, all three (3) NCAA divisions passed a rule change allowing players and staff to bet on pro sports, but the rule was rescinded a month later when more than two-thirds of Division I schools voted to rescind the change - - Sorsby only has one year of eligibility remaining, and so, if he returns to football but is ruled ineligible by the NCAA, he could choose to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, which typically takes place in July or August - as former Ohio State QB Terrelle ...
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    1 hr and 6 mins