The SEC will shift to a nine-game conference slate in 2026, scrapping divisions and locking in three annual opponents while rotating six others. Each program will play every other SEC team at least once every two years and host every foe on a four-year cycle, sharpening rivalries and tightening competition ahead of the College Football Playoff.

In addition, teams must schedule one quality nonconference opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or Notre Dame each season, ensuring marquee nonleague matchups. Commissioner Greg Sankey frames the move as preserving traditions while raising the level of testing for playoff prep.

The change traces back decades in SEC discussions and echoes a broader aim to deliver top-tier schedules. With stronger league play and selective nonconference tests, teams face more meaningful games, which could shift player usage, fantasy values, and betting angles across the conference and beyond.

Big 12 will issue player availability reports for men’s and women’s basketball and football, with night-before and 90-minute tips-off designations: available, game-time decision, or out. Kansas coaches reacted: Bill Self saw the move as important in the age of sports betting but doesn’t expect it to erase a game-time call. Lance Leipold pointed to balance and proper system use. Brandon Schneider supported the updates, hoping to reduce outside betting pressures on players and staff.

For KU women, Nichols and Evans anchor the backcourt while Keeley Parks, Libby Fandel, Tatyonna Brown and Jaliya Davis join a five-star freshman class. The Jayhawks begin Nov. 5 at home vs Kansas City, then face Georgia and Dayton in Fort Myers, positioning this season as a potential breakout for depth and fantasy value, especially if reports curb information leakage that could influence lineups.

storyline: The policy adds clarity to lineup decisions and could shape how fantasy players value KU assets, particularly Nichols and Evans, whose roles may shift with Parks and Davis entering the rotation. The Fort Myers slate offers a glimpse at how non-conference exposure might test depth and fantasy upside as the season unfolds.

Oregon State's season opener against Cal arrives with thinner inside linebacker depth after Makiya Tongue announced he’s moving on from football due to a knee injury. The redshirt senior battled multiple season-ending knee surgeries and another injury that ends his playing days, leaving Beavers fans grateful for a remarkable journey that began at Georgia and culminated in Reser Stadium.

Tongue began at Georgia, appeared in six games for the Bulldogs, then transferred to Oregon State in 2021. He switched to inside linebacker ahead of 2023, flashed promise, but injuries limited his impact. He returned in spring 2025 and was a fixture near the first- and second-unit ILB spots, only to be sidelined again and retire. His exit reshapes OSU’s defensive depth heading into Cal.

With Tongue out, Oregon State’s linebacker depth will be tested as the Beavers prepare for Cal. Early depth-chart talk suggests a shift in rotation and more responsibility for the remaining linebackers and younger players, making the opener a critical gauge of how quickly OSU can stabilize the middle and contain Cal's attack.

USA TODAY’s ranking of the 25 best college football uniforms is a celebration of identity, history, and bold experimentation. Michigan sits at No. 1 with maize and blue, winged helmets, and a timeless aura that has defined the program for generations. Notre Dame and Ohio State follow, their iconic helmets and clean jersey silhouettes signaling prestige and consistency. The list weaves through programs known for tradition—Alabama, Penn State, Florida State—while spotlighting risk-takers like Oregon and Tulane, whose frequent palette changes and striking logos keep brands front and center. The piece ties uniform excellence to on-field ethos, recruiting allure, and moments etched into college football lore, underscoring how a look can become as recognizable as a playbook.

Beyond the top tier, several programs lean into distinctive motifs: Colorado’s Ralphie emblem and bold color blocks, Georgia’s classic yet steady presence, and Oregon’s Nike-driven experimentation that has reshaped the visual language of the sport. The narrative also nods to soul-satisfying details—the Ole Miss powder blue, USC’s Trojan decal, the Penn State clash with its understated elegance, and LSU’s Death Valley-ready white/black/yellow combos. In essence, the article argues that great uniforms are more than aesthetics; they are branding, intimidation, and fan culture rolled into one eye-catching package that resonates on the field and in fantasy lineups alike.

The ranking culminates with Michigan’s winged helmet as the gold standard in college football, a symbol that transcends era and style. As the sport leans into varied looks, managers and fans alike are reminded that a team’s kit can sharpen perception, shape opponent decisions, and provide a subtle edge in weekly attention and brand engagement—an often-overlooked factor in the modern game.

Texas opens with the kind of season-long hype few programs ever see, ranked No. 1 in the preseason for the first time in school history, with Arch Manning taking the helm as the starter. Manning’s NIL footprint—reportedly around 6.8 million—has him front and center as the program chases a return to the national championship and a Heisman push. The high-profile opener at No. 3 Ohio State tee-offs a season that could reverberate through December, but there are clear cautions: Texas must navigate a brutal SEC slate and replace 12 drafted players from last year’s CFP run.

The Longhorns will do it behind a rebuilt line with four new starters and just one returning regular, forcing Manning to adapt quickly as pass protection and pocket presence are tested. The defense projects edge speed and interior rebuilds, led by Colin Simmons and Anthony Hill on the front seven. Texas also emphasizes a deep backfield with Quintreivion Wisner back as a top SEC rusher and C.J. Baxter providing depth. October features a long road stretch, Florida on the SEC slate, and a Dallas showdown with Oklahoma, followed by a November gauntlet including Georgia and a pair of Texas rivalries. Manning’s star power and NIL momentum set a stage where fantasy players and bettors will chase every passing yard, every long ball, and every big headline.