Spent this morning digging into first-year head FOOTBALL coach performance in the American Conference since to 2020. The average win total in year one is 5.2 games. What are fair expectations in 2026 for USF, Memphis, UNT, Tulane & UAB who are all ushering in new head coaches?

Excited to travel to Tampa this week to visit the University of South Florida! Below is my itinerary on USF campus: • Indoor practice facility tour • Overview/presentation related to the university and stadium • Stadium construction tour • Sit down/Interview with Rob Higgins

Tulane is the latest program in the American to unveil a covered practice facility. Tulsa, FAU, UTSA, and Charlotte are the only 4 programs in the conference that haven’t built one or even broken ground on one. How significant is the recruiting impact?

UTSA's AD Lisa Campos details what her staff is doing to generate money for the athletic program. MY TAKEAWAY: Creative financing is the name of the game. Front-footed & innovative admins will separate themselves from those afraid to take risks.

Just boarded my flight to Tampa ✈️ . The preparation for tomorrow’s USF visit is done. Going to take some time to enjoy the city today. Meanwhile, I’ll be on this flight for the next 2hrs. Send over any questions, comments or thoughts about the project you have.

My observations on the 2026 American Conference football schedule: - USF vs Tulane to end the year is excellent, BUT, on a Thurs/Fri? 🤦🏾‍♂️ - UTSA has the worst 3 game stretch (USF, Navy,Tulane) 😳 - weeks 7-8 are filled with absolute BANGERS Who has the most favorable schedule?

I had a great time speaking with USF CEO Rob Higgins today on campus. We even bumped into Jon Gruden 😁. We talked facilities, rev-share, resources, the intent to compete on the P4 level, not shying away from expectations, and more. Thanks for the hospitality Tampa!

In today’s Substack post, I share my top 3 takeaways from my visit to Tampa with CEO Rob Higgins. USF fans will get a good glimpse of where he’s driving the program. You’ll want to read this. He’s also sending a not-so-subtle message to the COUNTRY. 👇🏾 open.substack.com/pub/theportala…

Every American Conference football account on X: USF 176K Army 135K ECU 124K UTSA 116K Memphis 115K Navy 113K Tulane 102K FAU 96K Temple 93K UAB 89K UNT 86K Charlotte 68K Tulsa 67K Rice 58K These social media teams should be competing. Who has the best content?

A great article by Darrien Starling on our mentality! USF is uniquely positioned to thrive in the current dynamic landscape of college athletics for both the short & long term. We’ve never been more aligned & we have both feet on the gas!!! LFGB! 💯⛽️. 🚫🚗🛑!!!

Here’s a clip of my discussion with USF CEO Rob Higgins on the future of revenue share for the South Florida Bulls. He also speaks on their goal to win NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS and how USF is “unapologetic” about their ambitions. Double down on “All gas, no brakes”

The next revenue frontier in college football are jersey patch sponsorships. Projected annual value: Top P4 programs: $4M–$12M Most P4 programs: $1M–$4M Strong G5 brands: $500K–$2M These will certainly help programs pay players. Who in the American Conference moves first?

As spring ball approaches for the American, most teams are trying to establish who QB1 will be in 2026. Most notably: USF, Memphis, Tulane, ECU, UAB, Tulsa, Army, & Navy. UTSA’s QB2 situation is something to watch. QB1 may be on the shelf in the spring. Who wins the job?

USF athletics CEO Rob Higgins and I discuss the importance of social media in this era of college sports. In this clip, he speaks to the importance of Bulls Nation's X/Twitter presence and their ideas. Full video is live on my Substack It's totally free.😎

In my conversation with UTSA AD Lisa Campos, we talked about areas where fans could be more patient with the program and her goals for UTSA in 2026. She details UTSA's rapid growth & success over the last 8yrs and how that impacts fan expectation. Part 3 dropping soon.😎🎥

Solid response from UTSA’s admin, providing some of the transparency supporters have been asking for — for years. Several folks around the conference have mentioned the importance of connecting fans to their program’s journey. This appears to be a step towards that for UTSA.

What would actually Save College Sports? NIL regulation? Federal legislation? In today's article, I detail the issues they are trying to solve, using examples from the American Conference. I also weigh in on commissioner Tim Pernetti's comments in D.C. open.substack.com/pub/theportala…

There’s a lot to be said about a Miami (Ohio) investing $8-$10M on their 2026 football roster. A more intentional race to be the top G6 option for athletes is certainly under way. Most of the top options are in the American Conference but good to see others enter the room. 😳

I asked USF Athletics CEO Rob Higgins about his goals over the next 18 months (short) & 5 years (long). He wants to position USF to reach the highest level. "When the television contracts roll off from a conference perspective, you can anticipate a tremendous amount of change"

I set aside time to look at TOP recruiting targets in the American & was shocked at the state of recruitment these days. There are NO RULES. It's a circus if I'm honest. Lies. Backstabbings. Family politics. Wild promises.😬 There are RUTHLESS negotiators in Texas & Florida.