Preferred Walk-Ons

The ACC has long embodied the chaotic nature of college football. In this episode, we share our most outlandish and contrarian predictions for what will happen with ACC football this fall.   Topics for discussion include:

• Elevating rivalry trash talk on social media
• ACC headlines from fall camps
• A problematic report from the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee
• Our spiciest takes and predictions for the 2026 ACC football ...

The future of college sports is being debated in halls of Congress and courtrooms across America. In this episode, we discuss how upcoming decisions are likely to impact the ACC and when fans can expect clarity on issues of athlete eligibility. We also debate whether Virginia and NC State have developed an emerging rivalry or more of a quiet partnership.   Topics for discussion include:

• Updates from ongoing litigation ar...

The media has released its football preseason poll and All-ACC players, and fans are getting excited for the upcoming season. But a series of lawsuits have thrown the entire college sports landscape into complete chaos. In this episode, we try to make sense of the ongoing eligibility calamity and where the NCAA and its member institutions go from here.   Topics for discussion include:

• Surprises in the media's ACC foot...

With college football starting in one month, we give our ACC best bets for teams that will over/underachieve their Vegas expectations. We also debate whether anyone in the conference can compete with Miami, and give our thoughts on UNC General Manager Michael Lombardi being put on paid administrative leave.

Topics for discussion include:

• The state of UNC football with Michael Lombardi on leave
• Whether anyone can stop Miami fro...

College football is right around the corner which means it's time for conference media days. To help get you ready for the season, we analyzed the most interesting and confounding soundbites from coaches and players at the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte.   Topics for discussion include:

• Memorable team names from the largest AAU girls basketball tournament in the world
• The ACC's new tiebreaker system for the conference cha...

After the ACC underachieved in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, we decided to look ahead to the upcoming basketball and football seasons. We discuss some of our disappointments with the ACC's scheduling model for basketball, and map out the best possible road trip for football weekends in the fall.

Topics for discussion include:

• A chaotic and upset-filled Regional weekend in the NCAA Baseball Tournament
• The uneven scheduling mod...

In this basketball-centric episode, we discuss the NCAA's decision to expand March Madness to 76 teams. We also take a look at the ACC players to watch ahead of the NBA Draft. 

Topics for discussion include:

• UVA lacrosse's disappointing loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
• The pros and cons of expanding March Madness
• The ACC players most likely to be selected during the NBA Draft

You can always email the ...

After a chaotic three weeks of widespread transfer portal movement, we are starting to have a clearer picture of what ACC basketball will look like in the fall. Some teams, like UVA and Duke, have leaned into roster retention, while others like Louisville are prioritizing acquiring big name assets from other teams. In this episode, we analyze the ACC's most interesting teams in the early roster-building period. We also discuss...

It's been a tumultuous and disappointing week in the ACC hotbed of the Research Triangle. Duke blew its chance at a Final Four, North Carolina moved on from head coach Hubert Davis, and Will Wade unceremoniously left NC State after only a season. We discuss a drama-filled week in the Tar Heel state and give our predictions for the Final Four.

Topics for discussion include:

• Duke's collapse against UConn in the Elite Eight
• Pred...

It was a chalky but exciting opening weekend in the men's NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, only one ACC team remains in the field. We debate what the conference's poor performance means for the prestige of the league and preview an exciting slate of Sweet 16 games.   Topics for discussion include:

• Our podcast's performance in a tournament of UVA Twitter personalities
• The experience of watching NCAA Tournament games i...

Tournament time is finally here! Following a thrilling conference championship game, the ACC has 8 teams in the field. We analyze Duke's narrow win over Virginia and preview the NCAA Tournament, one quadrant at a time.   Topics for discussion include:

• Power conference teams left out of the postseason and the prominence of Bruce Pearl
• Duke's close victory over Virginia in the ACC Championship game
• The ACC's represent...

Tomorrow kicks off the ACC Tournament which will have major implications for the NCAA Tournament field. We debate whether anyone can beat Duke, and which bubble teams most need statement victories to punch a ticket to March Madness.   

Topics for discussion include:

• Chaos occurring in mid-major conference tournaments
• Boston College and Georgia Tech firing their coaches
• The biggest questions heading into the ACC Tour...

It's the last week of the regular season and everyone in the ACC is chasing Duke basketball. We discuss Virginia's loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium and analyze where things stand in college basketball's most chaotic conference.

Topics for discussion include:

• Takeaways from Duke's dominant victory over Virginia in a battle for ACC supremacy
• NC State's recent struggles
• The confusing pecking order of ACC teams fighting for NCAA To...

With one month away until Selection Sunday, it's time to start sorting the contenders from the pretenders. In this week's episode, we talked with college basketball insider Jim Root about the most interesting and confounding programs in the ACC and beyond.   Topics for discussion include:

• The improved reputation and depth of the ACC
• The success of UVA in Ryan Odom's first season and the tournament ceiling for the top of ...

It has never been more challenging to follow college athletics. To help us better understand the many financial and political issues at the center of the college sports landscape, we brought on Matt Brown of Extra Points. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discussed the evolution of Matt's career in sports media, financial struggles in higher education that impact athletic departments, ways to reform the current system, and the ...

ACC basketball is in full swing and everyone is one again chasing the Duke Blue Devils. We open the show by analyzing the race at the top of the conference and discussing the depth of talent. Then, we turn to football where fans are splitting their attention between transfer portal controversies and the release of the 2026 schedule.   Topics for discussion include:

• The race for the top of the standings in ACC b...

2026 is here and it has started in glorious fashion for the ACC. In football, bowl season was a rousing success led by Miami's dominant run through the CFP. In basketball, eight teams are in the NET Top 50 and others are well-positioned for at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. We preview the upcoming football national championship and examine some of the most interesting ACC basketball teams hoping to dance in March.   Topics...

Next week begins the start of conference play for ACC basketball. We discuss which teams have positioned themselves well for Selection Sunday and which still have major questions. Additionally, we recap a busy week of news for ACC football, including a statement victory for the Miami Hurricanes in College Station. Topics for discussion include:

• An update on the podcast's fantasy football team
• Miami's big CFP win over Texas ...

A storybook season ended in heartbreak for the Virginia football team, as the Cavaliers lost a wild ACC Championship in overtime. The defeat had ripple effects across the college football landscape, especially the CFP committee. We analyze what went wrong for UVA and take a look ahead at the playoff bracket.  

Topics for discussion include:

• The ACC Championship and accessing the season for Virginia football
• Notre Dame co...