The Preferred Walk-On: The People's College Football Show

Seth Saunders
  • 5.0 (36)
  • Sports News
  • Updated Weekly

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with featured co-host James Kehm, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Weekly previews, recaps, and conversations with the head coaches, coordinators, players and insiders shaping the season — plus the rivalries, characters, and traditions that make this sport singular. New episodes year-round. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. Welcome to the Scout Team.

  1. 2d ago

    A Complete Plan to Save College Football: Regional Conferences, 24-Team CFP, & Rose Bowl Title Game

    College football is changing fast — and most of those changes aren't for the good. Between conference realignment, NIL, the House settlement, player compensation, TV money, playoff expansion, and the slow erosion of regional rivalries, the sport is at a crossroads. In this episode of The Preferred Walk-On Show, Seth Saunders lays out a comprehensive vision for how to reshape college football while preserving what made it great in the first place. This is not just another complaint about the current system. It is a full blueprint. Seth breaks down a proposed model for a unified college football structure built around 14 regional conferences, traditional rivalries, a more inclusive 24-team playoff, campus-site postseason games, iconic bowl tie-ins, and a national championship stage worthy of the sport’s history. The goal: restore regionality, protect rivalries, create more meaningful conference championships, give more schools access to the postseason, and increase revenue across the entire sport — not just for the biggest brands. In This Episode The current state of college football governance and why the sport feels fragmented Why regionality still matters in college football How traditional rivalries have been damaged by modern realignment A proposed structure of 14 regional conferences How a 24-team College Football Playoff could work How at-large bids could create access without watering down the postseason A new postseason calendar featuring campus games and major bowl sites Why the Rose Bowl should be considered as a permanent or recurring national championship venue How TV rights could be packaged under a unified college football model The potential role of federal legislation, antitrust protection, and collective governance How this plan could generate more revenue for Power 4 schools, Group of 5 schools, and smaller programs alike Chapter Markers 00:00 Introduction to College Football’s Current Landscape 02:53 The Impact of Compensation and Expansion on College Football 05:56 Proposed Changes to Restore Regionality in College Football 08:36 Reimagining Conference Structures for Better Rivalries 11:17 The New Playoff System: A Path to Inclusivity 14:02 The Vision for a National Championship at the Rose Bowl 23:10 Revising the College Football Calendar 28:16 The Vision for a Unified College Football Association 34:46 Navigating Legal Hurdles in College Sports 40:35 The Future of College Football: A Comprehensive Plan College football has never been more valuable — but it has also never felt more unstable. The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show" Instagram — @preferredwalk_on TikTok — @preferredwalkon Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

    45 min

  2. May 29

    Geoff Collins' College Football Odyssey: From Walk-On to Head Coach

    Geoff Collins walked on at Western Carolina, earned a scholarship, became a three-year defensive starter — and turned that into a college coaching career spanning three decades that took him from DIII to the FCS to the head coach of multiple Power 4 programs. Seth Saunders sits down with the former Temple and Georgia Tech head coach for the second episode of The Preferred Walk-On Show's summer interview series. Collins traces his full path — from what jersey numbers 92 and 5 meant to a walk-on earning his place, to what he learned from Nick Saban, Pete Carroll, and Jim McElwain, to building his own programs from the lessons he earned along his coaching journey. He talks about why the lower levels of football made him the coach he became, what authenticity actually looks like in a locker room, and what he'd tell the next generation of walk-ons and young coaches. KEY TOPICS: → Walk-on to scholarship to three-year starter at Western Carolina → The stories behind jersey numbers 92 and 5 as a Catamount → How Saban, Carroll, and McElwain shaped his coaching philosophy → Why coaching at the lower levels is a lab, not a stepping stone → Building culture through relationships and authentic leadership → Handling adversity and external noise as the head coach → Advice for young athletes, walk-ons, and aspiring coaches TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Geoff Collins — walk-on, starter, head coach 02:00 — Jersey numbers 92 and 5: what they meant at Western Carolina 06:00 — How walk-on grit wires your work ethic for life 09:00 — The mentorship moments that set the course 13:00 — Saban, Carroll, McElwain — learning to lead by watching and observing the best 17:00 — Why the lower levels of football are where you really learn to coach 21:00 — Building programs on relationships, not just schemes 25:00 — Navigating adversity and blocking out the noise 29:00 — Trust, authenticity, and staying grounded 33:00 — Who you surround yourself with matters more than you think 37:00 — What Collins would tell the next generation of coaches and walk-ons The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. 🎧 Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show" 📸 Instagram — @preferredwalk_on 🎵 TikTok — @preferredwalkon 👍 Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn 🐦 X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

    36 min

  3. May 26

    Show Me the Money, Pt. 2: NIL, Rev Share & the House Settlement Era

    If LSU's roster really costs an $40 million and the House settlement only allows $20.5 million in direct revenue sharing - where is all of the extra money coming from? In Part 2 of our Show Me the Money series, Seth breaks down the third bucket of college football compensation: everything happening above the rev share cap. That means multimedia rights partners (Learfield, Playfly, JMI Sports), the new generation of school-aligned collectives, and the high-stakes Nebraska arbitration case that just blew a hole in how schools were planning to pay players in 2026. We get into: – Why NIL Go and Deloitte are now the gatekeepers on every deal over $600 – How "warehousing" became the workaround — and why the arbiter just shut it down – The "associated entity" ruling against Playfly and what it means for every MMR deal in the country – What collectives now look like in a post-House settlement landscape – Matador Club, Texas Tech, and the new professionalization of roster management – The unanswered questions still hanging over all of it: employee status, Title IX, and whether NIL Go actually has any teeth "An estimated 70% of NIL deals from 2021 to 2025 would not have passed the smell test." "It's an upfront payday with a sponsorship costume on." "What if Nebraska just says, y'all can kick rocks, we're still gonna pay these kids? The NCAA doesn't really have any teeth here." Chapters 0:00 — Welcome & Part 1 recap (scholarships + the $20.5M rev share) 1:30 — The third bucket: where the rest of the money is coming from 3:30 — NIL Go, the smell test & the 70% rule 5:30 — MMRs explained: Learfield, Playfly, JMI Sports 7:30 — The Nebraska case & how "warehousing" deals work 12:30 — The arbiter's ruling: associated entities & no business purpose 15:30 — From Classic City Collective to Glory Glory: the new collective model 18:30 — Texas One Fund, Spire, Grove Collective & the Matador Club blueprint 22:00 — Donor fatigue, enforcement & what's still unsettled 26:00 — Coming next: Alston, O'Bannon & how we got here 28:00 — The three-bucket recap The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. 🎧 Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show" 📸 Instagram — @preferredwalk_on 🎵 TikTok — @preferredwalkon 👍 Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn 🐦 X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

    29 min

  4. May 22

    Montana Football's New Era with Head Coach Bobby Kennedy

    Coach Bobby Kennedy is Montana's 38th head football coach - he joins The Preferred Walk-On Show to talk about the opportunity to lead the Montana Grizzlies football program, the mentors who shaped his coaching philosophy, his front-row seat at the 2005 USC-Texas national championship, and why the Brawl of the Wild is unlike any rivalry in college football. From Joe Glenn in Missoula to Mack Brown at Texas to Lou Tepper at Illinois, Kennedy's coaching tree runs through some of the most influential figures in the sport. He opens up about mental toughness, presence, and detail - and delivers honest advice to the walk-ons and under-recruited players chasing the dream. In the opening conversation of our 2026 Summer Interview Series, Coach Kennedy discusses: Why community and relationships are the engine of Montana footballLessons from Joe Glenn, Mack Brown, and Lou Tepper that still shape his approachBehind the scenes at the 2005 National Championship at the Rose BowlThe leadership principle Kennedy teaches above all others: be present, be detailedThe electric game day atmosphere at Washington-Grizzly StadiumThe truth about the Brawl of the Wild from someone who's lived itReal talk for walk-ons and under-recruited athletesThe Grizzly Quarterback Club and how the community fuels Montana football ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 — Welcome and intro: Coach Bobby Kennedy's journey in college football 02:44 — Community and relationships at the heart of Montana coaching culture 04:41 — Early influences that shaped Kennedy's coaching philosophy 05:47 — Mentorship under Coach Joe Glenn 07:58 — Lessons from Mack Brown and Lou Tepper 11:28 — Inside the 2005 USC vs. Texas National Championship 14:33 — The Rose Bowl and the weight of iconic venues 16:23 — Kennedy's core leadership lesson: be present, be detailed 18:32 — Game day inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium 20:02 — The pride and passion of the Brawl of the Wild 21:54 — Advice for young athletes and walk-ons chasing the dream 23:00 — Enjoying the journey and enjoying the ride 26:54 — Supporting Montana football: the Quarterback Club and community 29:06 — Closing thoughts The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. 🎧 Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show" 📸 Instagram — @preferredwalk_on 🎵 TikTok — @preferredwalkon 👍 Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn 🐦 X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

    27 min

  5. May 19

    Show Me the Money, Pt. 1: How College Football Players Get Paid Now

    🏈 SHOW ME THE MONEY — PART 1 How do college football players actually get paid? In Part 1 of our Show Me the Money series, we break down the full money flow — from traditional scholarships to the House settlement, conference TV deals, and the rise of NIL collectives. You'll get a clear, no-jargon look at the three main compensation buckets, how the new $20.5M revenue-sharing cap is funded, CFP payout mechanics, and why funding an elite roster now runs $25–40M. We also dig into the fallout for fans: rising ticket prices, donor fatigue, and the Title IX and tax fights still ahead. Whether you're a fan, a student-athlete, or an industry insider, this episode makes the new economics of college football make sense. 💰 WHAT WE GET INTO › The shift from traditional scholarships to direct compensation › The three revenue buckets: scholarships, the House settlement, and NIL/collectives › How the $20.5M revenue-sharing cap is funded — TV deals, payouts, donor money › CFP payout mechanics: base distributions and progression bonuses › Why conference realignment and TV renegotiations keep reshaping the money › The real cost of an elite roster — and the strain on athletic budgets › Title IX, taxes, and the legal fights still coming 📚 Mentioned: The Club: How Sports Leagues Rise and Fall ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. 🎧 Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show" 📸 Instagram — @preferredwalk_on 🎵 TikTok — @preferredwalkon 👍 Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn 🐦 X / Twitter — @PreferredWO

    40 min
  6. Sugar Bowl Preview: Ole Miss vs Georgia | Life After Lane Kiffin & Dawgs’ Path to Victory

    Jan 1

    Sugar Bowl Preview: Ole Miss vs Georgia | Life After Lane Kiffin & Dawgs’ Path to Victory

    The Sugar Bowl is loaded with history and this SEC showdown will add another chapter to this game's storied past. One of the College Football Playoff's most fascinating games is about to kick off — and The Preferred Walk-On Show is breaking it all down. Host Seth Saunders previews the Sugar Bowl between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Georgia Bulldogs, examining how Lane Kiffin’s departure changes everything for Ole Miss as they face one of the most disciplined programs in college football. 🏈 Inside This Episode 🧠 Coaching change fallout at Ole Miss 🐶 Georgia’s cultural edge and defensive identity ⚔️ Key moments from their previous matchup 💥 Ole Miss’s offensive weapons 🛡️ Georgia’s defensive strategy 🔮 Why this game could be closer early — and tougher late This is a Sugar Bowl preview for fans who want more than headlines — they want the story behind the game. Plus: We’re on the hunt for College Football's Tailgate All-Americans. From Athens to Ann Arbor, Madison to Baton Rouge — we want to see whose the cream of the tailgate crop from coast-to-coast. 🎧 Give Preferred Walk-On a follow on social media: Preferred Walk-On YouTube Preferred Walk-On Instagram Preferred Walk-On Facebook Preferred Walk-On TikTok Preferred Walk-On X If you believe in Saturdays: ✅ Tap Follow/Subscribe ⭐️ Drop a 5-star review to grow the Tailgate 🍻 Share this episode with your tailgate crew

    23 min
  7. Scout Team: Rose Bowl Preview - Alabama vs Indiana | The Biggest Game in Hoosier History

    Jan 1

    Scout Team: Rose Bowl Preview - Alabama vs Indiana | The Biggest Game in Hoosier History

    One of the most improbable and memorable seasons in college football history now reaches one of its defining moments. On this episode of The Preferred Walk-On Show, host Seth Saunders previews the Rose Bowl matchup between Indiana and Alabama, as the Hoosiers play their first game ever as the No. 1 team in the nation, completing one of the most stunning program turnarounds in modern football under head coach Curt Cignetti. Seth breaks down what this moment means, how Indiana got here, and why this game is far more dangerous for Alabama than many expect. 🏈 Inside This Episode 🌹 Rose Bowl Stakes — Indiana’s first game ever as No. 1 🔴 Curt Cignetti’s Program Rebirth — how culture built a contender 🐘 Alabama’s Challenge — can they survive without a dominant run game? 🎯 QB Pressure — can Indiana’s defense force Ty Simpson into mistakes? ⚔️ WR Showdowns: Alabama: Germie Bernard, Ryan Williams, Isaiah Horton, Lotzeir Brooks Indiana: Omar Cooper Jr., Elijah Sarratt, Charlie Becker, E.J. Williams Jr. 🧠 Coaching & Tactical Battles 🔮 Predictions & Game Script This isn’t just a Rose Bowl — it’s a referendum on whether belief, culture, and development can beat five-star power on college football’s biggest stage. Plus: We’re on the hunt for College Football's Tailgate All-Americans. From Athens to Ann Arbor, Madison to Baton Rouge — we want to see whose the cream of the tailgate crop from coast-to-coast. 🎧 Give Preferred Walk-On a follow on social media: Preferred Walk-On YouTube Preferred Walk-On Instagram Preferred Walk-On Facebook Preferred Walk-On TikTok Preferred Walk-On X If you believe in Saturdays: ✅ Tap Follow/Subscribe ⭐️ Drop a 5-star review to grow the Tailgate 🍻 Share this episode with your tailgate crew

    21 min
  8. Scout Team: Orange Bowl Preview - Oregon vs Texas Tech | A Texas Tech Wagon on the Oregon Trail

    12/31/2025

    Scout Team: Orange Bowl Preview - Oregon vs Texas Tech | A Texas Tech Wagon on the Oregon Trail

    The College Football Playoff Quarterfinals are here — and the Orange Bowl delivers one of the season’s most intriguing matchups: Texas Tech vs Oregon. Host Seth Saunders breaks down the game from every angle — football, culture, and betting — while echoing Dan Lanning’s call that CFP Quarterfinals belong on college campuses. This episode covers: 🔥 Texas Tech’s Rise — powered by the Matador Club, Cody Campbell’s NIL vision, and transfer portal dominance 🦆 Oregon’s Talent Base — elite athletes and explosive playmakers 🧠 Quarterback Breakdown: Dante Moore vs Behren Morton ⚔️ Key Matchups: Oregon: Bryce Boettcher, Malik Benson, Bear Alexander Texas Tech: David Bailey, Romello Height, Cameron Dicke 🛡️ Defensive strengths & weaknesses 🎯 Offensive strategies & tempo 💰 Best Bets: ATS pick + favorite player props This is playoff football at its finest — elite talent, high stakes, and no place to hide. Plus: We’re on the hunt for College Football's Tailgate All-Americans. From Athens to Ann Arbor, Madison to Baton Rouge — we want to see whose the cream of the tailgate crop from coast-to-coast. 🎧 Give Preferred Walk-On a follow on social media: Preferred Walk-On YouTube Preferred Walk-On Instagram Preferred Walk-On Facebook Preferred Walk-On TikTok Preferred Walk-On X If you believe in Saturdays: ✅ Tap Follow/Subscribe ⭐️ Drop a 5-star review to grow the Tailgate 🍻 Share this episode with your tailgate crew

    19 min
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About

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with featured co-host James Kehm, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Weekly previews, recaps, and conversations with the head coaches, coordinators, players and insiders shaping the season — plus the rivalries, characters, and traditions that make this sport singular. New episodes year-round. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. Welcome to the Scout Team.

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