As expected when it comes to making such a pivotal and career-altering decision, Mingo took his sweet time. Moreover, there was a plethora of reasons for him to choose the Tar Heels, which he went into in detail during his public announcement. Surprisingly, the Blue Devils had a say on the matter, as their recent loss in Chapel Hill may have been what tipped the scale for Mingo to join UNC.

“First of all, I chose North Carolina for North Carolina itself,” Mingo admitted in dialogue with ESPN’s “First Take”. “But definitely seeing everything after they won the game had a huge impact just on my decision. It’s so joyful. The players look so joyful. And you know the legacy of North Carolina; that was a dream of mine since I was a kid.”

Close second for Mingo

While North Carolina was always first on his mind, Mingo did contemplate other schools in the NCAA. He named his finalists as UNC, Penn State, Baylor, and Washington, but the former two were always the options generating the most buzz.

“I would say Penn State was second,” Mingo commented. “It was super hard to not play with your brother, to decline that option. I just felt like North Carolina [is] best for me right now.”

While UNC’s rich history in college basketball put it a peck above the rest, the prospect of joining his brother, Kayden, in State College was ever-present. As Mingo admitted, the Nittany Lions were in contention until the very end, but it was the Tar Heels who earned his commitment at the end of the day.

What’s next?

North Carolina has come away with one of the gems of the 2026 recruiting class, cementing its place as a school to watch in the 2026–27 NCAA season. Still, that is a long way off.

As it stands, the focus in Chapel Hill is on finishing the current campaign strong and making a deep run in the ACC and NCAA tournaments. March is around the corner, and that can only mean one thing: madness is in the air in college basketball.

Alabama and DeBoer always knew what they wanted to play for coming into the 2025 NCAA season. After a challenging journey, they are now staring right at it. On Saturday, the Crimson Tide will go head to head against the Georgia Bulldogs with the SEC Championship on the line. A win would punch Alabama’s ticket to the College Football Playoffs, while securing a first-round bye as a top-4 seed.

However, DeBoer believed he owed it to the fans in Tuscaloosa to hear directly from him, as rumors continue to whirl around his future. A loud buzz suggests the 51-year-old head coach could sign with the Penn State Nittany Lions ahead of the 2026 NCAA campaign. Now, DeBoer put those reports to sleep with a straightforward comment.

“We’re extremely happy at Alabama. We’re extremely happy here. I love the challenge, I love the grind, I love this place. There’s never been any link. There’s never been any conversation. There’s never been any interest in either way,” DeBoer stated, via Sidelines Sports Network Alabama.

Wasn’t always pretty for DeBoer in Alabama

Ever since DeBoer arrived in Alabama, he has been tasked with filling the shoes of Nick Saban. Needless to say, picking up right after one of the all-time greats in the history of college football is no easy thing to do.

DeBoer’s first season was far from ideal, as the Tide fell short of 10 wins in a year for the first time since 2007—Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer has now led Bama to a 10-win regular season, but this upcoming game will put the coach on the spot again.

DeBoer must keep Alabama’s streak alive

When Alabama takes on Georgia at the SEC Championship Game, the weight of history will be on the Crimson Tide’s side. However, that will also mean DeBoer will be facing Saban’s legacy’s weight, as well.

The Tide and Dawgs have met four times in the conference title game before, with the ‘Script A’ holding a perfect 4-0 record. DeBoer must now keep the unbeaten mark against Georgia in the SEC Championship, or fans in Tuscaloosa may turn on him again.

It would be awful timing, too. A loss in the title game could leave Bama out of the playoffs, and even if it manages to make the 12-team cut, spirits may be at such lows the team can never recover from.

After Taft’s comment, “Indiana has never won here,” Cignetti gave a straight reply: “This team has never played here.” And he was right up to that point, Indiana had never played at Beaver Stadium. They did for the first time that day and won.

Taft smiled slightly after his response, realizing her small mistake, but Cignetti stayed completely serious and didn’t crack a smile. Moments before kickoff, he also said nothing worried him his only focus was on attacking from the start.

Fans react to Cignetti’s response

Fans loved Cignetti’s quick and confident reply, saying it showed the kind of personality that drives a winning team. “Poor Jenny. Curt is refreshing and old-school. He reminds me of Coach Bobby Knight with his responses. Love it,” wrote David Melton (@meltoncre) on X.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever liked a coach’s personality more than Cig. Straight dawg, man,” added another fan (@ptballknower) in response to the viral clip. Another viewer (@jacquesdoucet) defended the reporter, saying, “These sideline reporters are often put in no-win situations with these pregame and in-game interviews.”

How Indiana is performing under Cignetti

The Hoosiers are having a perfect season, 10–0 overall and 7–0 in conference play, in what has been a spectacular year. Heading into the Penn State matchup, Indiana was ranked No. 2 in the nation, and their outlook could get even better as they prepare to host Wisconsin next week.

Cignetti’s second season has already outshined his first, when Indiana finished 11–2 and 8–1 against Big Ten opponents in 2024. Although that year ended with a loss in the CFP First Round, expectations are high that the Hoosiers can make an even deeper run in 2025.

Jimbo Fisher made history during his tenure with the Texas A&M Aggies. After a couple of successful years to begin his 10-year, $75 million contract, things turned south as Fisher was fired in November 2023. Consequently, the Texas A&M University had to foot the bill on the biggest buyout in NCAA history at a whooping $77.5 million figure.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the 60-year-old head coach spends much time watching film, organizing potential coaching staffs, and imagining recruitment plans. Fisher may be set for life with his earnings, but his life revolves around college football, and he isn’t giving up on his passion.

Could be back

Now, reports suggest the former Florida State Seminoles and Texas A&M Aggies head coach is eyeing a return to college football. Fisher’s name has been on everybody’s lips since Penn State fired Franklin, paying him over $50 million—including the $48 million buyout and his pending salary for the year. Though a hefty figure, it’s still much less than what the Aggies had to pay to Fisher.

“I never got into coaching for money,” Fisher commented during his interview with Yahoo Sports. “Well, I’m not going to get out of it because I’ve got money.”

Big bucks

While Franklin’s buyout is one of the biggest in college football history, it could be surpassed by other multimillion-dollar clauses around the league. According to Front Office Sports, there are two contract buyouts set at higher amounts than Fisher’s $77.5 million.

The USC Trojans would have to pay $90 million to Lincoln Riley, while the Georgia Bulldogs are committed to paying approximately $110 million to Kirby Smart in the event of his firing. However, neither coach is expected to be on the hot seat anytime soon.

Penn State must pay Franklin over $50 million for him not to coach the Nittany Lions in the 2025 NCAA season. Franklin’s buyout is valued at roughly $48 million, per Sports Illustrated, but the school in Happy Valley must also pay the former coach his remaining salary in the year.

As for Napier, the Gators will have to foot a hefty bill, as well. “Napier will be paid roughly $10.2 million within 30 days of the termination,” as reported by On3. “He will receive $2.5 million every July 15th over the next four years.

“He will also be owed 85 percent of the next two months’ salary — roughly $1.2 million.” All in all, Napier will receive roughly $21.4 million from the University of Florida without being in Gainesville himself.

No mitigation

While most schools secure their head coaches with off-setting clauses in case of them landing new jobs, Florida didn’t include such terms on the seven-year deal it signed Napier to.

“[Napier] is not subject to off-set or mitigation, which means he’s due all of it even if he lands another job,” as reported by college football insider Pete Thamel on X.

Extra time

The buzz around Napier’s job security had grown louder heading into the Mississippi State game. According to reports, Florida had made up its mind to fire Napier regardless of the outcome during the Gators’ hosting of the Bulldogs. When there’s smoke, there’s fire, and Napier was indeed shown the exit door in Gainesville amid a deflating NCAA campaign.

The timing of the decision is not random for the Gators. Florida will now head to a bye week in college football. The program will be back in action on November 1, when the Georgia Bulldogs pay the Gators a visit at The Swamp. Now, Florida has some time to acclimate to Napier’s absence, and adjust before taking on No. 5 Georgia (Florida’s fourth top 5 opponent of the season).

The decision came as a surprise to many — including Franklin himself. Judging by his recent statements, his goal of winning a National Championship remained very much alive. Now, that dream will have to be pursued wearing different colors.

“I thought we were going to win a national championship there (at Penn State). That goal hasn’t changed. We’re now going to win a national championship somewhere else,” Franklin said, per NBC Sports reporter Nicole Auerbach.

Now officially out at Penn State, James Franklin made an appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay, where he finally broke his silence following his dismissal — making it clear that the decision caught him completely off guard.

“We were a practice Sunday team,” he said, “and we have a team meeting at 1:45. About 1:30, the AD walked in and said, ‘We’re gonna make a change, I’m sorry.’ Was in shock, obviously.

“Really took the next 15 minutes to let my kids know so they wouldn’t find out on the Internet, and then walked down and had a super emotional meeting with the team to tell them I was leaving. Really, that was it. It was that quick.”

Penn State enters a new chapter

The college football world is reeling after Penn State stunningly fired head coach James Franklin, ushering in a dramatic and unexpected new era for the Nittany Lions. Following a disastrous three-game losing streak that dropped the preseason No. 2 team to a mediocre 3-3 record, the university acted decisively.

With Associate Head Coach Terry Smith tapped as the interim leader, the national coaching search is now officially underway, marking the biggest shake-up in the Big Ten this season and leaving the program’s direction firmly in the balance.

Potential candidates for the job

The highly-anticipated Penn State coaching search hit its first major roadblock after Indiana’s Curt Cignetti—a top candidate with Pennsylvania roots and the hottest name in college football—agreed to a massive eight-year, $93 million contract extension with the Hoosiers, immediately removing him from consideration.

Athletic Director Pat Kraft will now shift focus, with Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, a Penn State alum with strong ties to Kraft, and Duke’s Manny Diaz, the former Nittany Lions defensive coordinator, expected to headline the next phase of the search for the next permanent head coach in Happy Valley.

Raiola and the Cornhuskers are having none of it, however. When asked about the prospect of Rhule skipping town and heading off for Penn State, the sophomore signal-caller needed less than five words to cancel out the noise in Nebraska.

“He ain’t going anywhere,” Raiola boldly stated on the rumors around Rhule, via On3 Sports. Raiola has never been one to sugarcoat his thoughts in college football. As his head coach’s loyalty is placed under the scope, the Huskers’ quarterback didn’t stutter in his statement.

Unfazed

With the No. 25 Cornhuskers gearing up for a crucial matchup with the Minnesota Golden Gophers on the road, Raiola wasn’t having any of the outside buzz. Thus, he took it upon himself to clear up any doubt on Rhule and his commitment to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“[The rumors] don’t faze him at all,” Raiola added. “It’s just some people stirring things up. He’s as locked in as ever on this football game. I just had to make sure everybody knew that that’s our head coach and he’s staying right here.”

Back at it

Following Nebraska’s first road win of the 2025 NCAA season (though it won at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bearcats) over the Maryland Terrapins, Raiola and the Huskers must do it again in Minneapolis.

The matchup with the Golden Gophers is crucial in more ways than one. Nebraska enters the game on Friday at 5-1 (2-1 in the Big Ten). Meanwhile, Minnesota may boast a 4-2 record, but it shares the same mark as the Huskers within the conference.

On the rise

Raiola will look to maintain his red-hot form and build on his stellar campaign. So far, he has thrown for 138 completions (tied for 2nd in the Big Ten), 1,591 yards (5th), and 16 touchdown passes (2nd).

However, his five interceptions are tied for third-worst in the league, making it an area Rhule will surely want to address going forward. In tight matchups against conference opponents, limiting turnovers can be the difference between winning and losing. Moreover, those wins and losses could be the X-factor in keeping Rhule in Lincoln rather than considering a job in State College.

When results on the field don’t meet expectations, the head coach is often the first to take the fall. After a string of tough losses, the Lions’ front office made the significant decision to part ways with Franklin.

Marcus Freeman, someone who knows firsthand the work Franklin puts into his teams, spoke to the media and expressed regret over his colleague’s fate—acknowledging that getting fired is something no coach ever wants to experience.

“Let’s start with James Franklin,” the Fighting Irish coach said. “Again, I have a lot of respect for any coach, but what he’s done for college football has been tremendous. You never want to see somebody fired.

“As a head coach, right — I’m a head coach — you’re going to be okay, right? You’re gonna be okay. You feel awful for the people that come and join you that are going to be out of a job too. There’s a lot of people affected, a lot of families affected. Like if Pete [Bevacqua] said, ‘Marcus, you’re gone’ tomorrow, it stinks cause I love what I do, and I love coaching these young people,” he also added.

“But I’m going to be okay. But you feel awful for the people that have joined your program, and their families that don’t have a job at the end of the year. That’s what’s challenging about that.”

No resting on laurels

Marcus Freeman knows that being a coach in college football is extremely risky, even when achieving good results. This is something Franklin experienced at Penn State, who, despite having led the program to the Playoffs, losing several games in a row means losing the job.

“And it’s a reminder to — listen, don’t ever get too comfortable. I mean, you’re just in the college football semi-finals last year,” Freeman said. “And had a heck of a team. I don’t know what’s going on with Penn State. I don’t watch any of their games, and you lose three, and that’s it.

“So, it’s a challenging profession. It’s a reminder to be grateful for the opportunities you have. But again, each administration will make their own — Penn State made their own decision and every administration makes decisions based off what they think’s important.”

Could Freeman be heading to Penn State?

The swirling rumors around James Franklin’s potential replacement continue, and alongside names like Curt Cignetti and Matt Rhule, Marcus Freeman has also emerged as a candidate. However, all are purely speculative at this point, and Freeman himself has not commented on the possibility of switching programs mid-season.

Rhule—currently guiding the 5-1 Cornhuskers through the Big Ten—is reportedly a frontrunner for the vacant job in State College. However, he made sure to kill the buzz with a concise statement. Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola already draws plenty of attention to the program in Lincoln. The team will be better off if its head coach isn’t on the front cover, too.

“I’m not going to talk a lot about job openings when they come,” Rhule commented, via The Athletic‘s Mitch Sherman. “I’m not going to talk about my contract here. I absolutely love it here. I want to continue to take the steps needed to turn this place into a beast.”

All options on the table

While Rhule’s statement is far from what most fans and the brass in Happy Valley would like to hear, the door isn’t completely shut. Still, the Nittany Lions are keeping their options open, with several potential replacements for Franklin surfacing across the NCAA. Currently unemployed or not, Penn State is exploring college football’s coaching carousel—leaving no stone unturned in the process.

Of course, there’s the financial side to the story, but the Nittany Lions don’t seem to worried about that. “If [Rhule] were to resign before Jan. 1, he or his new employer would owe Nebraska $5 million,” as reported by Newsday.com. Though a seemingly low price considering Penn State is already footing a very hefty bill on Franklin’s buyout, it’s still something to keep an eye on.

Might be a matter of time

Rhule made it crystal clear his sight is entirely fixed on leading Nebraska through the 2025 college football season. So far, he’s had much success rebuilding the Huskers’ football program. Coming off a nail-biting 34-31 win on the road against the Maryland Terrapins, Nebraska is entering a short week before facing the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis on Friday, October 17th.

As long as Penn State remains acephalous, without a head coach signed for the long term, Rhule cannot expect the noise around him to be silenced. At the end of the day, he’s made his appreciation for his alma mater clear. Sooner or later, the writing on the wall may become reality, and the story could come full circle for Rhule and the Nittany Lions.

Penn State spiraled out of control with three straight losses to kickstart the Big Ten schedule in the 2025 college football season. Enough was enough for the Nittany Lions. Following the 22-21 loss to the Northwestern Wildcats, the school in Happy Valley parted ways with its head coach.

Now, as reported by Bleacher Report and Spotrac, Penn State must foot the bill for a $56 million contract buyout after terminating the 10-year deal handed to Franklin in 2021. According to Spotrac, Franklin’s buyout clause is the second-largest in college football history, trailing only Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M $76M buyout.

As noted by USA Today, the Nittany Lions would have paid a cheaper buyout had they fired Franklin after December 1, which would’ve reduced the total to $48 million. It seems Penn State was determined to make a statement—even if it meant more money leaving its wallet.

How much would UNC have to pay Belichick?

Following a 2-3 start to the 2025 NCAA season, the Tar Heels are seemingly having second thoughts. It’s not so much about the record as it is about the fashion of the losses and the overflowing media presence and drama on campus.

From Jordon Hudson’s appearance on the field before kickoff to the tug-of-war between Belichick and his former NFL team, the New England Patriots, it seems everything has been blown out of proportion in Chapel Hill. On that note, reports hint North Carolina is at least considering the possibility of moving on from Belichick. Needless to say, it would be anything but an easy—or money-saving—decision.

“Were North Carolina to fire Belichick at any point before Dec. 2027 it would owe him everything he was set to be paid up to that date. As things stand, that figure is north of $20 million,” as reported by CBS Sports. “Anything above $17 million would make Belichick’s buyout one of the five highest in college football history.“

Head-turning clauses

North Carolina signed Belichick to a five-year, $50 million deal, which includes $30 million guaranteed over the first three seasons. Therefore, if the Tar Heels scrape the deal before Belichick completes his third NCAA season, the school must pay him as if he had coached them, regardless.

On the other hand, if Belichick decides to leave, then he must pay the school in Chapel Hill $1 million. Prior to June 1st, Belichick would have had to foot a $10 million bill to walk out on the Tar Heels. He took quite a discount, which only fueled rumors of him leaving for an NFL team in the summer.

Where to now?

As things stand, just five games into his first coaching experience in college football, it seems North Carolina’s safest option is to stay the course. Perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel. Even if things turn south, the Tar Heels will be $30 million down by the time the 2027 season wraps up.

Instead, it might be wiser to give the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach more time to right his wrongs and build his program exactly as he envisions it—not with the leftover pieces from Mack Brown’s team.

This decisive move by the Lions’ front office was far from easy, especially considering the substantial amount of money now owed to the experienced coach.

According to college football insider Pete Thamel, who shared the news on his official X account (formerly Twitter), Penn State owes James Franklin more than $49 million.

“Sources: Penn State has fired James Franklin,” the insider reported via @PeteThamel. “Per his contract, Penn State owes James Franklin more than $49 million.”

“The more than $49 million set to be owed by Penn State to James Franklin is the second-biggest buyout in the history of college football. Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher buyout remains the most at more than $76 million,” Thamel also added.

Who will succeed Franklin as head coach?

With six weeks of College Football now in the books, the time has come for Penn State to make a crucial decision: who will be the permanent successor to James Franklin as head coach.

For now, according to Thamel, Terry Smith will take over as interim head coach. Smith brings extensive experience within the program, having served as an assistant coach for several years.

“Terry Smith will be the interim at Penn State, per the school. He’s longtime assistant coach and has been there all 12 years with Franklin,” the insider reported.

Allar out for the season

The nightmare season for the Penn State Nittany Lions suffered a massive blow on Saturday as star quarterback Drew Allar was officially ruled out for the remainder of the year.

James Franklin confirmed the season-ending injury, sustained late in the fourth quarter of the team’s crushing loss to Northwestern. Allar, who went down clutching his leg after a brutal hit on a scramble, was carted off the field, bringing a sudden and devastating end to his senior campaign. The team now turns to backup Ethan Grunkemeyer as they face an uncertain future.