David Covucci, founder of FOIAball.com, joins Ryan Nanni to discuss how journalists use open records laws, the art of crafting a good FOIA request, what the job of a FOIA response officer is like, the challenges of navigating open records systems in different states, and why this all means dozens of colleges had to tell David how much they spent on elaborate balloon displays. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

At three different points during his introductory press conference in Baton Rouge, Lane Kiffin claimed an angry Ole Miss fan had tried to run him off the road while he was driving to the airport to leave Mississippi. One problem: when Mississippi Today dug into that story, they couldn't find any police records to back it up. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss Lane joining an interesting set of coaches who have previously alleged that they were threatened or harassed by fans, only to have those stories look doubtful upon closer examination. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

As the coaching carousel creaks to a stop (hopefully), Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni pause to discuss the changes UCLA and Michigan State made, the ones Wisconsin and Maryland didn't, very different decisions by Tulane and USF, the plight of Southern Miss, the risk-reward move Kansas State is embracing, Jason Candle finally getting poached, and plenty more. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Matt Rh-, no wait, Kalani Sita-, hmm, no, ah yes, here it is. Matt Campbell has accepted the Penn State job, so Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni sit down to recap how this search played out over many, many weeks. What fissures within the Penn State fanbase does Campbell have to navigate? Why did other candidates get close to the finish line before bowing out? And does the messy process actually matter for the long-term success of the Nittany Lions?This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Former UNC football player and current TarHeel247 analyst Michael Felder joins Ryan Nanni to discuss the football failures of Bill Belichick's first year in Chapel Hill. Where did the defense find improvement over the course of the season? Was the offensive failure an issue of identity or execution? What's the case for optimism in year two? And what does Felder think is the root problem that will determine whether this team ever works under Belichick? This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

What do A League of Their Own, White Men Can't Jump, The Mighty Ducks, Ladybugs, and The Cutting Edge all have in common besides being sports movies? They were all released in 1992, and most of them did pretty well at the box office. (Sorry, Ladybugs.) To determine what happened to a genre that once enjoyed so much success, Steven Godfrey talks to critic and USA Today writer Cory Woodroof about changes in the film industry and the audience experience, and where sports movies still have a shot. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

In the wake of Lane Kiffin leaving for LSU, it wasn't surprising that Jon Sumrall, Alex Golesh, and Eli Drinkwitz all ended up with SEC jobs. But none of them necessarily landed in the spots many assumed they'd move to! Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss:How Sumrall went from assumed Auburn head coach to cold at Florida to Kiffin's successor to the choice in GainesvilleWhy Drinkwitz decided to pass up a shot at LSU, Florida, and Penn StateThe Kiffin move that forced Ole Miss's hiring decisionKentucky and the enduring power of rivalry hateThe long, winding Arkansas search and how it ties in with Oklahoma StateThis is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

It's an early drop of our usual Friday episode, as ESPN's Bill Connelly joins Steven Godfrey to plot out first-round playoff games of narrative or meteorological interest, review the surprising (in a good way) teams from every FBS conference, and take a little bit of preview time for the FCS playoffs. Don't forget to buy Bill's book, Forward Progress: The Definitive Guide to the Future of College Football.This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

In 2007, the NFL played its first regular-season game in London, leading to years of speculation that the team could move a team to the UK. Relocation seems unlikely to happen, but Roger Goodell and the league still talk about the possibility of an English franchise playing American football. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss why a European team appeals to the NFL, what hurdles that effort would face and whether it'd be easier to put a single team in London or create an entirely new overseas division.Research on this episode was conducted by Ryan Fortune. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

As of this recording, Lane Kiffin is the head coach at Ole Miss. HOWEVER: this episode has Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discussing how the race for his services has changed leaders over the last week, where the runners up may turn next once he makes a decision, and the impact this all has on schools ranging from Mizzou to Penn State. (But not Arkansas. At least not totally.) This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Paid subscribers to Phantom Island send questions to Steven Godfrey, and Steven Godfrey answers those questions, including which currently not open SEC job he thinks is most likely to be looking for a new coach, a Penn State possibility of interest, some attempts at positivity about the MAC, a wrasslin' story, and throwing something at Ryan during the recording of this episode. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

As the WNBA grows in popularity, a raw nerve in the game has also gained greater exposure: longstanding friction over how women's basketball is officiated. Sports Illustrated staff writer Emma Baccellieri joins Ryan Nanni to discuss the history of players and coaches frustrated with the refs, why things boiled over so publicly in the 2025 season, how this issue isn't exactly like the usual complaints about officiating in sports, and what the WNBA can do to improve things. Emma's also the co-author with Jordan Robinson of Court Queens, on sale in March 2026. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Jobs open every college football season, and, when they do, they are immediately sorted and ranked. Some jobs are good, some are not, and every job opportunity can be compared to and weighed against another. On this episode, Ryan Nanni asks Steven Godfrey how much the talking points about "good jobs" actually matches with what the candidates for them care about. What do coaches want to see from new landing spots? How does that change depending on the situation? And is this process too subjective to really fit into a ranking at all?This episode was originally only available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today - but we're making it available to everyone! Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

For decades, Canadian football has coexisted along its American counterpart with a variety of distinctions in field layout, rules, and strategies that make the game very similar to what you see in the United States but different enough to stand out. But some of those distinctions are getting shaved down, as Rodger Sherman, author of Sports!, joins Ryan Nanni to discuss the NFL-ification of the Canadian Football League. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey once again answers questions from paid subscribers to Phantom Island, with topics ranging from an update on the Arkansas search, what to do about good upstarts stuck in lackluster NFL home venues, a lot of Godfrey's feelings about Georgia Southern, why "Mama called" feels different in this coaching cycle, and germ warfare for new parents. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

In 2022, Vanderbilt announced they were bringing back women's volleyball as a sponsored sport, but it took three years to hire the coaches, recruit the players, and get the team ready for competition. Ryan Nanni talks to head coach Anders Nelson, athletic director Candice Storey Lee, and sophomore libero Hailee Mack about their experiences reviving the program, spending a year on campus without any games on the schedule, and playing the first home match outside on Wyatt Lawn. Match audio courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Auburn has moved on from Hugh Freeze, and so has Steven Godfrey, who joins Ryan Nanni to talk about how a simple search could go sideways despite better leadership on the Plains, what to do with Jimbo rumors (and SABAN TO LSU?? ones), and why you're not getting A Big Ole Godfrey Rant on this episode. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Strength of schedule gets thrown around as a seemingly easy way to separate the brave from the weak in college football, but how should we actually think about this metric? ESPN's Bill Connelly, author of Forward Progress: The Definitive Guide to the Future of College Football and Parker Fleming, proprietor of CFB Graphs, join Ryan Nanni to talk about what goes into a strength of schedule measurement, how the Playoff Committee should think about SoS in their rankings, whether schedule strength can actually influence who teams choose to play, and plenty more.This episode was originally only available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today - but we're making it available to everyone! Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

On this episode, Ryan Nanni is joined by guest Yaron Weitzman, NBA writer and author of the new book "A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers" to review Year 1 of the J.J. Redick era. Has the criticism of hiring LeBron's podcast cohost worn off? How did Redick handle bringing Bronny James into the fold? What did the trade for Luka mean for expectations in J.J.'s first year, and what do they look like now? And will new ownership mean yet another change in the direction of this franchise? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.Want to attend the first live Phantom Island show on Friday, November 14 in Athens, Georgia? Click this link for tickets and more details!

When Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni started recording this episode, there were 10 FBS programs looking for a new head coach. Thanks to LSU, that number jumped to 11 before this was published, but Godfrey is not stopping there. He'll walk you through the dominoes and decisions that could lead to forty different schools (at least) starting 2026 with new leadership – and it doesn't even get particularly outlandish until the very, very end. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey responds to questions from paid subscribers to Phantom Island, including: What's next for the Mike Bobo Renaissance? Does an active coach carousel season dissuade certain teams from firing their coaches? Could Sonny Dykes become a late candidate for several open jobs? And how do you manage the growing calendar of an active young kid? This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

The Seattle Mariners present a unique case for the unaffiliated fan who wanted to jump on their bandwagon in the postseason. They've had a number of nationally intriguing players but no World Series appearances, an extended playoff drought, and minimal friction with the rest of baseball. Though, as you'll learn, not zero friction. This leads Steven Godfrey to ask: Are the Mariners the easiest team to bandwagon? Ryan Nanni attempts to answer that query with comparisons and listener feedback. (This episode was recorded before Game 7 of the ALCS, which means you can blame us for Seattle's loss.) Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.Want to attend the first live Phantom Island show on Friday, November 14 in Athens, Georgia? Click this link for tickets and more details!

With two more FBS jobs open in this season's carousel, Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss the end of an uninspiring tenure for Billy Napier at Florida, wonder what Colorado State looks for after Jay Norvell, engage a handful of Tallahassee hypotheticals, and explain what's different about Lane to the Gators this time around. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey answers questions from paid subscribers to Phantom Island, and on this episode all those questions concern the coaching carousel. Is incoming private equity fueling coaching terminations? What does the first day of a coach getting fired look like? How much does playoff access matter to attracting coaching talent? And could James Franklin and Matt Rhule just swap jobs? This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Faking injuries has been a part of football for decades, though how and when it's used as a tactic has shifted, as has the response it elicits from opponents and league officials. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss the history of pretending to be hurt, what the NFL and college football have done to combat the practice, and get some on-field perspective from Marshall Newhouse on how players feel about fake injuries. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber, and research on this episode was contributed by Ryan Fortune.Want to attend the first live Phantom Island show on Friday, November 14 in Athens, Georgia? Click this link for tickets and more details!

The sudden departure of James Franklin from Penn State brings about questions for all kinds of schools, including Wisconsin, Nebraska, Florida, Auburn, Indiana, Virginia Tech, and the Tennessee Titans. (OK, not that last one.) Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni examine what the search will look like for Franklin's successor, his mitigation future, and what schools that haven't made a move yet but might want or need to should be doing right now. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

The University of Wisconsin is home to a normally steadily football team that's hit a stretch of alarming decline, a men's basketball team that's reinvented itself, an incredibly popular volleyball team, and an ongoing dynasty in women's hockey. How do Badger fans juggle the emotions and different expectations of that universe, and why does Minnesota pop up across basically all of them? We talked to Drew Hamm, Nicole Haase, and Kedrick Stumbris to find out. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Not long ago, a college kicker lining up for a 50+ yard field goal attempt sent terror and doubt into the hearts of that team's fans, and an NFL kicker lining up from 60+ yards was a rare sight. Rodger Sherman, author of the Read Rodge newsletter, joins Ryan Nanni to discuss how those trends have changed over the years at both levels, why kicking is unique in its historical assessment, and how we feel about the end of #collegekickers pessimism. (Also: here's Jourdan Rodrigue's story about the changes in the NFL's K-ball rules!) Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey takes questions from Phantom Island paid subscribers and discusses Tony Elliott snatching his job from the jaws of defeat, what Memphis does if Ryan Silverfield leaves, whether athletic directors hesitate to fire coaches they hired to avoid looking bad, how the MAC could change its television options, and a lot more. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Basketball games on aircraft carriers! Baseball at a (very muddy race track)! Multiple iterations of outdoor hockey! Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni review some of the history of sports being played outside their usual settings and look for patterns that explain what makes these unorthodox setups so appealing to the organizers. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Arkansas got stomped by Notre Dame, fired Sam Pittman, and noted that yes, interim coach Bobby Petrino wants the full time gig. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss what this search will look like for the Hogs, as well as examining how Todd Grantham managed to get fire a week after Mike Gundy's dismissal, what two G5 programs with struggling legends might do next, and some thoughts about the Belichick debacle at UNC. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

ESPN's Bill Connelly joins Steven Godfrey to talk about why Mizzou doesn't get the SEC benefit of the doubt, the blooming FCS to FBS coach pipeline, an early ranking of the Big 12, what to make of Bill's numbers about Indiana, and plenty more. Be sure to order Bill's new book! This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey has a well-documented love of Thursday night college football classics, but the sport and its broadcasters don't seem as invested in these games as they once were. Ryan Nanni brings some numbers to the conversation to show how the Thursday night game has changed and both hosts consider whether the NFL's really to blame. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey takes questions from Phantom Island paid subscribers to explain why being first to market may not help Virginia Tech or UCLA, how to shoot your shot as a school looking to hire a new coach, which game he'd pick to go back in time and attend in person, and how the last year or so of his podcast life has unfolded. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Jen Ramos Eisen joins Ryan Nanni to discuss the A's first year in Sacramento, from the logistical challenges that come with playing in a minor league park to how locals feel about having a temporary major league team in town, and take the temperature of the planned move to Las Vegas. Does the city want them there? Will the stadium even get built? And what's The Fontainebleau? Steven Godfrey and Ryan start the episode with some memories of the messy move that brought the Oilers from Houston to Memphis to Nashville. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Three games into the 2025 season, UCLA and Virginia Tech have moved on from their head coaches. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni sit down to discuss why these moves happened so quickly, what advantage being first in the market gives you, and what the process to find the next coach may look like at each school. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Parker Fleming joins Ryan Nanni to discuss the 247 Team Talent Composite (the recruiting site's formula for determining the overall amount of talent on a college football roster in a given year), the NFL's franchise tag valuation system, and how to combine the two to get a sharper picture of which college football teams might be best at acquiring players at the most important positions. (Or at least at the one the NFL values most.) This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and the rest of the Ivy League schools have tons of football history and deep donor pockets to draw from. So why does the world of player compensation not necessarily present an opportunity for these football teams to reclaim their ancient thrones? Rodger Sherman, author of Read Rodge, joins Ryan Nanni to talk about the customs and choices that keep the Ivy League from fully embracing the new form of college athletics and speculate on where and how those standards might waver. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

The Pete Carroll Seahawks gave their fans and the football world a seemingly endless supply of spectacle. More than a decade since their Super Bowl triumph over the Broncos and subsequent Super Bowl agony on the goal line against the Patriots, how do Seattle fans feel about the past, present, and future of their team? We talked to Mina Kimes, Jacson Bevens, and Natalie Weiner about the highs, lows, and in-betweens of rooting for the Seahawks. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

The 2020 (and, in some cases, 2021) postseasons of several American sports were changed drastically by Covid, from playoffs contained to bubbles to drastically shortened seasons and changes to postseason formats. But the way fans and media members think about and discuss the champions of these unusual seasons varies somewhat widely, which is why Ryan Nanni and Steven Godfrey sit down on this episode to figure out why some Covid title-winners are met with disdain while others are not. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey answers questions from paid subscribers to Phantom Island about issues ranging from how coaches feel about Friday night college football, status checks on Lane Kiffin, Mario Cristobal, and Brian Kelly, personnel changes at Pearl Jam, Family Dog Update, and plenty more. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni review the Phantom Island preseason survey of college football fans to see which coaches have strong support and which don't, discuss the growing gap between schools that value playoff wins and those that still value conference titles, look at which programs teams are most excited of beating or fearful of losing to, and plenty more. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

It's easy to make a hot seat list based on which coaches in college football have underperformed relative to expectations, but The Eyes List is where Steven Godfrey cuts through the speculation to tell you (and co-host Ryan Nanni) where various schools, coaches, and boosters really stand entering 2025. Which SEC coach is on the thinnest ice? Would candidates be more tempted by Stanford or Cal? Is the Big Ten going to see any change at all? And how could shakeups in the power conferences impact the G5? This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

The short answer: no, Ryan Nanni does not, despite goading from cohost Steven Godfrey, believe the 2001 Gators were derailed by Osama Bin Laden. But this episode is a look back at how the sports world reacted after the 9/11 attacks, the strange chain of events that led to Florida - and then Tennessee - blowing a chance to play for a national championship, the team Steve Spurrier said he wanted to stop scheduling, and the now-abandoned customs of Heisman voters. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Ryan Nanni brings on Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports to discuss the story he wrote earlier this summer about Texas Tech's brazen plan to spend heavily on the last open market transfer class. Where should improvement be most obvious for the Red Raiders? How will a somewhat weak schedule help or hurt their ambitions? And what's the plan to turn this into lasting momentum instead of one outlier year? This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

This episode of Phantom Island is a little different. Rather than look at a question about the sports world, Steven Godfrey brings a subject that's much more personal to co-host Ryan Nanni. See, Steven's selected a La Liga team to pull for, and he's worried that his experiences as a Braves and Falcons fan are pulling him towards absurdity. What kind of absurdity? The kind with kidnapping and incredible managerial turnover and financial ruin. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Enjoy this special bonus episode for paid Phantom Island subscribers, in which Steven Godfrey interviews Parker Fleming fresh off the conclusion of the 2025 Personnel and Recruiting Symposium. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Welcome to a special edition of Phantom Island, presented by our sponsor Homefield and highlighting five spots on this year's Can't Miss Kickoff Tour. We do that in the most sensible way possible: a game of Two Truths and a Lie, where Ryan Nanni runs Steven Godfrey through a gauntlet of questions about Georgia vs. the Mannings, Hugh Freeze vs. history, Indianapolis vs. the rest of the United States, and much more. You can learn more about other Tour stops from our pals at Split Zone Duo and the Shutdown Fullcast. Phantom Island is produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey takes listener questions on football, life, and his latest sports media venture. He argues in favor of the 3-3-5, considers the future of Washington State, explains where to find coaches who don't want to jump all over the country, offers some advice on attending games solo, and provides his thoughts on the latest iteration of a Superman movie. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Here's how the narrative used to work in college football: when a coach struggling to win found himself working for a new athletic director, his chances of getting fired went up significantly. The AD, the all-powerful head of a college's sports programs, simply wouldn't owe any loyalty to an underachiever they hadn't hired.So Ryan Nanni looked at the last four years of coach firings, compared them to a four year stretch from a decade earlier, and took the results to Steven Godfrey. Is this trope still real? Has it changed over time, and what do those shifts reflect about the power shifts within athletic departments? And how many times could you have fired Derek Dooley for the price of firing Jimbo Fisher?Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

ESPN's Bill Connelly joins Steven Godfrey to review the underappreciated qualities of Louisville and SMU, assess Boise State and Arizona State trying to maintain momentum, name the thing Bill's looking for Clemson to do against LSU, play a terrifying game of Two Coaches Control A James Bond Villain Death Trap, and lots more. Be sure to order Bill's forthcoming book! This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey is joined by Hector Diaz to reflect on the enormity of Hulk Hogan's initial cultural impact, the decay of his image over time, the truths and falsehoods of his wrestling character and his real life, and what value nostalgia has against a litany of harmful and toxic choices. (There are plenty of wrestling stories as well.) Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

ESPN's Bill Connelly joins Steven Godfrey to talk about his forthcoming book, preview the fortunes of Virginia Tech, Cal, NC State, discuss the value of returning production versus transfers with experience, explain the ongoing challenges with previewing teams, and more. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Hugh Freeze has spent this summer 1) losing a decent number of Auburn recruits to other schools and 2) playing a lot of publicly-recorded golf. These two facts have combined to create some stress for Freeze, which Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni use to unpack the myth of the grindbro head coach, the future of our expectations from this job, and why Tulsa's embracing the links skills of their coach. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

NC State often finds itself in tricky spots – drawing less national attention than UNC or Duke, succeeding in football just enough to create expectations that then go unfulfilled, and wrestling with a legacy in men's basketball that can feel like it's fading further into the past. We talked to James Curle, Alec Lower, and Joe Ovies to learn more about what makes the Wolfpack fan base tick, whether they think NC State is a football or a basketball school, and the future with Will Wade. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Men's and women's flag football will be part of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and the NFL announced earlier this year that they're open to letting pro players participate. Rodger Sherman joins Ryan Nanni to discuss which details haven't been figured out yet, what the international competition looks like, and why a 5'7" quarterback who will be nearly 40 might be America's best hope for gold. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

On this edition of the Single Wing, Steven Godfrey takes questions from listeners on topics ranging from expectations for Sherrone Moore, if and how you can get a lifer in the Group of Five, advertisements on uniforms, and navigating the future of your child's fandom. Of note: Godfrey's answer to one question about Scott Frost was recorded before Frost decided to go scorched earth on Nebraska, so, uh, yeah. Forget all of that.This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven Godfrey is joined by Hector Diaz on this episode to talk about works, shoots, and the ways in which wrestling fans want to discern what's real, what's "real," and what's neither. You'll also get some good Godfrey stories about his days working in pro wrestling, as the two discuss the ways in which real life informs and shapes the storylines in the ring. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

The New York Knicks came two wins away from playing in the 2025 NBA Finals, but they still made the somewhat surprising decision to can the coach who'd helped turn the franchise around, Tom Thibodeau. Host Ryan Nanni brings on Neil Paine, writer for ESPN, NASCAR, and his own Substack, to look at what the numbers say about teams that have bailed on successful coaches in hopes of improving their fortunes even further. Why does this move work better in some sports, and will we see impatient college football teams try this tactic in the near future? Neil also helps Ryan learn whether a trend he noticed in the 2025 NBA Playoffs is real or not.This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

The map of college hockey champions and teams that claim titles in baseball and softball don't overlap very much, and that gives Steven some questions to bring to Ryan. Does the regional nature of these sports put a limit on their potential success? Should we live in a world with more Arizona States starting hockey teams? And will the traditional Big Ten teams ever take baseball seriously again? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

On this edition of the show's mailbag, Steven Godfrey considers the future of Georgia Tech after losing their athletic director, how adding another triple option team changes things in the AAC, getting recruited as a specialist, whether Billy Napier is an FFC, and what recent moment of parenting has made him most proud. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

If you can get a head coaching job in the National Hockey League, there's a decent chance you'll have a shot at a second, third, and maybe even a fourth somewhere down the line. This isn't quite as true in the NFL, NBA, or Major League Baseball, so Steven and Ryan discuss their own theories for what makes retreads more prominent in hockey before asking an actual expert, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, for his insight into this phenomenon. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

The union of numbers and words continues as ESPN's Bill Connelly sits down with Steven to talk about the challenges of building experienced rosters in the MAC, whether Kirby Smart will find his next evolution, the potential of a USC-Illinois showdown, and a whole lot more. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

As two children of the 1990s, our hosts have an obligation to remember the teal-tinged days when the Charlotte Hornets, Carolina Panthers, and Florida Marlins first came into being. But this episode isn't just about Remembering Some Franchises. Steven and Ryan review the history of expansion in the four major men's sports in the US, put hockey to one side, and then ask where, when, and if we'll see new teams in the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

After years of tumultuous relationships and mixed results in the Big 12, Texas moved to the SEC and things turned out...totally fine, with a national championship in softball, a run to the Final Four in women's basketball, and a football appearance in the SEC title game. But there's lots to unpack about the Longhorns all the same. How do they feel about the resumption of the A&M rivalry? Which Big 12 team will they miss facing? And is the mixed reputation of the DKR crowd a fair one? Sara Cannon, Gerald Goodridge, and Will Baizer address these questions and others. This episode was originally only available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today - but we're making it available to everyone! Presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

Rodger Sherman joins Ryan Nanni on this episode to talk about FIFA's latest invention: the Club World Cup, a 32-team tournament thrown together to...well, move a lot of money around, for one thing. Why does this event exist in this form now, how do fans feel about it, and what is with the pronunciation of DAZN? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

Get ready to catch the bouquet, as the original marriage of numbers and words is back with special guest Bill Connelly. Topics include Rice’s move to the triple, Houston vs. Madison, an attempt to predict fortunes in the Big 12, and whether Godfrey can be talked back into Clay Helton. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

Year 2 of the UFL – the merger of the USFL and the second edition of the XFL – has resulted in mixed TV ratings, shuffled coaching staffs, and less of The Rock. What does the UFL need to do in order to succeed, and how can they learn from past attempts at spring leagues? Steven and Ryan consult Justis Mosqueda, who worked with the XFL on player evaluation and roster management during the league's 2020 launch, to find spring wisdom. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven tackles listener questions on three different ACC-related topics, considers an impossible Ohio State or Kent State theoretical, gives you a brief overview of his evolving habits as a moviegoer, and much more. Presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

In most professional leagues, rookies are prized possessions that can help teams effectively manage the salary cap, develop talent for the future, and show their superiority in scouting. So why do some women's basketball players get picked in the top 20 and wind up washing out before their first season even begins? This is the question that Ryan brings to Godfrey on this episode, with a special appearance from Marisa Ingemi of the San Francisco Chronicle to bring some actual expertise to the discussion. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

The Jordan Bulls dominated the NBA and the sports cultural landscape in the 1990s, but fans have spent the last 25 years watching an organization swinging between mismanagement, heartbreak, and mediocrity. Maggie Hendricks, Ricky O'Donnell, and Jack Silverstein join the show to share their favorite Bulls memories, explain the dreaded GarPax, and discuss where Bulls struggles fall in the general angst of Chicago sports. Presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

The NFL schedule for 2025 is out, and Steven Godfrey is not happy with how many prime slots went to the Dallas Cowboys. So he and Ryan sat down, with some numbers, to figure out whether or not America's team actually gets more choice television placement than their record merits and uncover which team isn't getting the TV love that it should. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

Steven returns to answer listener questions about expectation for Sonny Dykes, the future of Northern California's college football programs, the steady creep of gambling into sports coverage, and a whole lot more as The Single Wing makes its triumphant return. Presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

Early in the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament, Will Wade was connected with the open job at NC State. Critics complained this distraction was unfair to Wade's players at McNeese State – and then they beat five-seed Clemson. Steven and Ryan discuss the grudges still held against Wade, how the NFL restricts hiring during the playoffs, and evolving notions of etiquette. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

Welcome to the debut of "Numbers & Words," in which we take a single, anecdotal idea from sports and borrow a smart person to prove its empirical value. On this episode, Parker Fleming (@statsowar) stops by to help Godfrey walk through an idea about the newfound interchangeability of college football linemen in the NIL and portal era. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

In 2022, a new competitor to the PGA emerged: LIV. Three years, many hundreds of millions of dollars, and a lot of bitter golf feelings later, has the alternative league succeeded as an entertainment product, a revolutionary force in the sport, or a sportswashing enterprise? Ryan presents these questions to Steven on the first episode of Phantom Island, presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

Phantom Island, a new show from Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni, is coming to this feed soon, as our several other projects from Steven and Ryan. This, however, is not one of those projects, but merely a placeholder to give you a feed to subscribe to. REAL episodes will be longer than two minutes and usually have at least one word by Steven, unless you tell us you want no words from Steven. The market is never wrong!