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  • Ryan McGee, ESPN Senior WriterJan 13, 2025, 08:00 AM ET

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    • Senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com
    • 2-time Sports Emmy winner
    • 2010, 2014 NMPA Writer of the Year

Mid-January is always a period of great adjustment. That icy time when we hopefully have finally started ending dates with ’25 instead of ’24 and also finally stopped awkwardly wishing people “Happy New Year” even when the year is no longer all that new.

However, for college football fans, the entrance into 2025 has been more of a challenge than in years past. Why? Because gone are the days when the national champion was decided on a single-digit January date. And as we officially begin to look toward the first College Football Playoff title game at the tail end of the inaugural 12-team bracket, let’s pause to take a look back. As we grab a Pop-Tart, heat up a mug of Scooter’s Coffee, kick back in the home we bought through Union Home Mortgage and before firing up our TaxSlayer app on our Cricket Wireless phone, why not spend a moment reminiscing about the games those sponsors proudly backed?

For as much as was made about the new CFP overshadowing and overrunning bowl season, for all the sky-is-falling worry about opt-outs and teams no longer wanting to make non-CFP postseason trips, what we received was a month-long holiday gift of gridiron greatness, goofiness and good times.

So, before we become all-consumed with Notre Dame versus Ohio State for all the college football marbles, let’s make our annual trip through the Best of Bowl Season for 2024-25.

Best performance by a game winner: Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse

McCord arrived at the Holiday Bowl as the nation’s leading passer and he added to his Orange legend by throwing for 453 yards and five touchdowns against Pac-2 rep Washington State. On Syracuse’s first play of the second half, he launched a 50-yard pass to Darrell Gill Jr., who made an amazing over-the-shoulder snag, a play that pushed McCord past Deshaun Watson as the ACC’s all-time single-season passing leader, finishing with 4,779 yards — accomplished in 13 games vs. Watson’s 15 in 2016. McCord is so awesome that he has never been late to anything, or at least he has everyone convinced he has never been late to anything …

Best performance in a losing effort: Demond Williams Jr., QB, Washington

The Huskies trailed Louisville by two touchdowns entering the fourth quarter of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, but Williams threw two touchdown passes on UW’s final two drives, the second coming with only nine seconds remaining. Alas, his would-be game-winning 2-point conversion toss was batted down and Washington lost 35-34. Williams finished the day 26-of-32 passing for 374 yards and 4 TDs after entering the game with only two career TDs. He’s a freshman, so this won’t be the last time you read about him.

Best bowl bargain: Free football

Four bowl games reached overtime and each of those games wasn’t decided in the first extra session. The headliner was the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, where Texas advanced after outlasting Arizona State (and outsmarting targeting rules). But there have been few four-day bowl season stretches more glorious than Dec. 23 to Dec. 26.

It started when Northern Illinois defeated Fresno State in double OT in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. That was followed 24 hours later by a Christmas Eve 5-OT Hawai’i Bowl victory for South Florida, which traveled 4,682 miles to play San José State. Then, after a day off to let Santa do his thing, Toledo won a de facto home game, Detroit’s GameAbove Sports Bowl (the artist formerly known as the Motor City Bowl), but needed a bowl-record six overtimes to do it … after the team stormed the field thinking it had already won. Twice. Not bad for a game, played next door to the Detroit Tigers’ ballpark, that ended the first quarter with a baseball score (6-2).

Best bowl coaches: Special teams

From wacky kick return formations and suddenly diverse 2-point conversion playbooks to kickers attempting passes and punters whipping underhanded shuttle shoves, as a special teams coordinator texted me in mid-December: “All that stuff we spend all season practicing and trying to convince the head coach to do, he’ll finally say yes in the bowl game.”

Best nuptials: Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

Remember how horrifying the Red Wedding was in “Game of Thrones”? Well, imagine if we replaced all the knives with foam headwear, replaced the blood with soda and mixed in a lot of orange with all that red. I was at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl to watch Illinois, South Carolina and, of course, the antics of Ched-Z the Cheez-It. But even the mascot being launched through the uprights like a paper desktop football took a backseat to what occurred during a first-half TV timeout.

That’s when Erin Doolin and Erik Yakes were wed in a “Two-Minute Drill” marital ceremony while riding atop a trailer being towed around the playing field as Ched-Z and 47,129 fans served as witnesses. After exchanging orange rings, they spent the remainder of the game holding their reception with family and friends just off a corner of one of the end zones, complete with a dance floor and orange wedding cake.

Best postgame food bath: Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock

Stuff dumped on the heads of coaches this winter included iced coffee, eggnog and Frosted Flakes. When you beat CFP finalist Notre Dame, win eight games, earn your second consecutive bowl victory and get a bucket of fries dumped on your head at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, you can say whatever you want in the postgame interview.

Best celebrity postgame food bath: Duke’s Mayo Bowl, BOI!!!!

We’ve all grown to love the postgame dumping of mayonnaise on the winning coach’s head after the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, unless you’re Shane Beamer, who still might be concussed from his celebratory moment three years ago. But even Minnesota’s coach P.J. Fleck, a man who never needs help getting fired up, was sent to a different level of energy when surprise celeb Flava Flav emerged from behind the curtain to unleash this year’s mayo mess.

Best celebrity everything else: (Insert Famous Person) Bowl

Gronk hoisting wrestling belts. Matthew McConaughey wearing “Rusty,” his way-too-worn leather tassel jacket at Longhorns games. Snoop Dogg not just on the TV mic (“He stood over him because it’s business he’s standing on”) but with his name painted in giant letters on the playing field. Who do these people think they are, a Herbstreit dog?

Best canine celebrity: Hudson the Bahamas Bowl Racer

OK, we all know that Ben and Peter Herbstreit have been the Tail-or Swifts of college football. And it was amazing to see Myrtle Beach Bowl champs UTSA carry Fredo the Frenchie around like he was Sean Astin at the end of “Rudy.” But Hudson the hound stole the show at the Bahamas Bowl when he raced a bunch of kids on the track that surrounds the playing field where Buffalo rolled over Liberty in the last non-CFP game of bowl season.

Best new trend: The decline in highest-profile opt-outs

When their regular seasons ended, Beamer and Deion Sanders grinned through their disappointment at not being part of the CFP and pledged that their stars and seniors would be on the field for their bowl games. Meanwhile, multiple players on other teams promised the same, most notably at Ole Miss and Alabama. Were there still a lot of opt-outs? Yes, most were powered by the insanity of having transfer portal deadlines in the middle of the postseason. But with an adjustment to that timetable seemingly inevitable, as well as contracts tied to revenue sharing, the hope is that more teams will be loaded for future bowl appearances.

Worst trend: Opting out midgame (bonus category)

I needed to include one “worst” in this list because it’s not right to mention the best trend without pointing out the worst. Miami said the plan was to have Cam Ward sit out the remainder of the Pop-Tarts Bowl once he threw three touchdown passes to break the NCAA career record at 158. Do I think it was the worst crime in the history of the sport? Of course not. But the image of the Heisman Trophy finalist standing on the sideline perfectly healthy having achieved an individual record and watching his team lose to Iowa State by one point was a terrible look for Ward, Miami and college football.

Best trend that digs at the worst trend: Cal Band trust fall

“You can’t trust Fernando Mendoza [the Cal QB who transferred to Indiana]. But you can trust the Cal Band to be there at the LA Bowl tonight.”

Best postgame shoutout: Kansas State Pride

Speaking of bands, how about Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman acknowledging the K-State Pride making the 20-hour bus ride to provide the soundtrack for the Wildcats’ win in the Rate Bowl (aka what used to be the Copper, Insight.com and Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl)!

Best pregame perk: Becoming Phil Knight

From NASCAR ride-alongs to gift suites packed with tech and bling, there has never been a shortage of fun and free stuff for bowl participants, but the Las Vegas Bowl stepped things up. USC and Texas A&M players got to custom design their own Nike Air Force 1s.

Best pregame move: Boston College honoring an Eagle hero

As soon as BC coach Bill O’Brien knew his team was going to New York for the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, he reached out to Alison Crowther, mother of BC alum Welles Crowther. Known by many as the Man in the Red Bandana, Welles was an equities trader and a volunteer firefighter who helped first responders rescue victims of the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center before dying when the towers collapsed. He saved as many as 18 people. Members of the BC football team met Crowther’s mother at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum before their game against Nebraska.

Best stadium feature living up to its name: Pesky’s Pole

Speaking of football played in baseball stadiums, how two basketball schools — North Carolina and UConn — playing football in a baseball stadium. And how about the famous Fenway Park right-field foul pole, named for Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky, being … well … pesky?

Best wardrobe: Puffy pirate shirts

As Jerry Seinfeld will testify, it takes a certain level of confidence to pull off a puffy shirt. Well, Andre Ware, who won a Heisman Trophy, and Anish Shroff, just named North Carolina sportscaster of the year, displayed that confidence in the broadcast booth of the Gasparilla Bowl, which is named for a Tampa Bay pirate ship and festival. Whether they pulled it off is up to you.

One Pop-Tart taunted the back judge. All the Pop-Tarts crashed the postgame field rush. Strawberry returned from the Great Toasted Beyond, popping out of the top of the giant end zone scoreboard like Michael Jackson at halftime of Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl. Then, Cinnamon Roll made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of football glory, being baked and devoured by Iowa State as the Cyclones hoisted their trophy, which is also a working toaster. All of the above was framed by a special NCAA-approved sideline that was painted to look like it was covered in sprinkles. God bless America.

Best season: Bowl season

Always. See you next year.

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‘Last Chance U’ coach Beam dies after being shot

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November 15, 2025

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'Last Chance U' coach Beam dies after being shot

  • Associated Press

Nov 14, 2025, 03:36 PM ET

OAKLAND, Calif. — Celebrated former football coach John Beam, who was featured in the Netflix series “Last Chance U” that showcased the connections he made with players others wouldn’t gamble on, has died after being shot on the college campus where he worked, the Oakland Police Department said Friday.

The suspect, who police say knew and targeted Beam, 66, has been arrested.

Beam’s death a day after he was shot at Laney College rattled the community with scores holding a vigil outside the hospital before he died and remembering him as someone who always tried to help anyone.

Oakland Assistant Chief James Beere said the suspect went on campus for a “specific reason” but did not elaborate on what that was. “This was a very targeted incident,” he said.

Beere did not say how Beam and the suspect knew each other but said the suspect was known to loiter around the Laney campus. The suspect had played football at a high school where Beam had worked but not at the time the coach was employed there.

The suspect was taken into custody without any altercation and a gun has been recovered, the assistant chief added. Charges were still pending.

Authorities credited technology, specifically cameras at the college campus, private residences and on public transit, in tracking the suspect identified as Cedric Irving Jr.

Irving was arrested without incident at a commuter rail station in Oakland just after 3 a.m. on Friday and police recovered the gun. He was being held at a local jail on charges of murder and carrying a concealed weapon, according to Alameda County’s inmate locator. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday morning. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Irving’s brother, Samuael Irving, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he was stunned to learn of the arrest and that his brother excelled academically and athletically in high school, where he ran track and played football. The brother said Cedric grew distant from the family in recent years after an argument with their father. Irving recently lost his job as a security guard after an altercation, his brother said, and then was evicted from his apartment.

“I hope it isn’t him,” Samuael Irving said quietly. “The Cedric I knew wasn’t capable of murder – but the way things had been going, I honestly don’t know.”

Police said the shooting happened Thursday before noon, and officers arrived to find Beam shot. Few other details were available. It was the second shooting in two days at a school in Oakland.

The Netflix docuseries focused on athletes at junior colleges striving to turn their lives around, and Beam’s Laney College Eagles starred in the 2020 season. Beam gambled on players nobody else wanted. He developed deep relationships with his players while fielding a team that regularly competed for championships.

Beam’s family said in a statement that he was a “loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, coach, mentor and friend.”

“Our hearts are full from the outpouring of love,” the family said, requesting privacy.

Piedmont Police Chief Fred Shavies, who previously served as a deputy chief in the Oakland Police Department, said he was a friend, mentee and longtime admirer of Beam.

“John was so much more than a coach,” he said. “He was a father figure to thousands of not only men but young women in our community.”

Shavies said that he met Beam when he was in the eighth grade and that he supported him after Shavies lost his father in high school, calling him “an absolutely incredible human being.” He asked how Beam left his mark on so many people “with just 24 hours in a day, right?”

Two of Beam’s former players — brothers Nahshon and Rejzohn Wright, now in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints — posted on social media after the shooting.

“You mean the world to me,” Rejzohn Wright said in a post with a photo of Beam.

His brother shared a photo of the coach alongside a broken heart emoji.

Mayor Barbara Lee described Beam as a “giant” in the city who mentored thousands of young people, including her own nephew, and “gave Oakland’s youth their best chance” at success.

“For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family,” Lee said.

Beam, who was serving as athletic director, joined Laney College in 2004 as a running backs coach and became head coach in 2012, winning two league titles. He retired from coaching in 2024 but stayed on at the school to shape its athletic programs. According to his biography on the college’s website, at least 20 of his players have gone on to the NFL.

Beam’s shooting came a day after a student was shot at Oakland’s Skyline High School. The student is in stable condition. Beam had previously worked at Skyline High School, and the suspect had played football there after Beam had already left for another job.

Lee said the back-to-back shootings on Oakland campuses demonstrate “the gun violence crisis playing out in real time.” She gave no indication that they were connected.

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Belichick dispels Giants talk, reaffirms UNC focus

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November 15, 2025

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Belichick dispels Giants talk, reaffirms UNC focus

  • Andrea AdelsonNov 14, 2025, 09:05 PM ET

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    • ACC reporter.
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2010.
    • Graduate of the University of Florida.

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said Friday he will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies after his name surfaced in connection with the vacant New York Giants job.

After the Giants fired Brian Daboll on Monday, Belichick became the subject of speculation around the opening. In a statement posted on Instagram, Belichick said, “Despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.”

Before coming to college coaching, Belichick spent his entire career in the NFL — winning six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

But he won two Super Bowls with the Giants as a defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells in the 1986 and 1990 seasons.

“I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families. The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach Parcells’ staff for over a decade.”

Belichick is in his first season with North Carolina, which has won two straight games to bring its record to 4-5. He was asked during his news conference Tuesday about the speculation concerning the Giants and he reiterated he was focused on Saturday’s game against Wake Forest.

The statement Friday also reiterated his commitment to North Carolina, saying that has not wavered.

“We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud,” Belichick said.

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AD: USC wants long-term benefits of equity deal

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November 15, 2025

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AD: USC wants long-term benefits of equity deal

In a letter to the USC fan base Friday, athletic director Jen Cohen addressed the school’s stance on the pending Big Ten private capital deal that could infuse the conference with up to $2.4 billion.

“As we continue to evaluate the merits of this proposal or any others, our University leadership remains aligned in our stance that our fiduciary obligation to the University of Southern California demands we thoroughly evaluate any deals that could impact our long-term value and flexibility, no matter the short-term benefit,” Cohen said in the letter.

The proposed deal would extend the league’s grant of rights an extra 10 years to 2046 and create a new business entity, Big Ten Enterprises, that would house all leaguewide media rights and sponsorship deals. Each school, as well as the league office, would get shares of ownership of Big Ten Enterprises, while an investment fund that is tied to the University of California pension system would receive a 10% stake in the new entity in exchange for an infusion of over $2 billion to conference athletic departments.

USC and Michigan are the two Big Ten schools that have pushed back on the deal, which has otherwise been supported by a majority of the programs in the conference, as well as Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti.

In a call last month between USC and Michigan trustees, sources told ESPN’s Dan Wetzel that both programs were skeptical of the deal and talked about how it does not address the root issue — soaring costs — that has made cash so imperative for athletic departments. Just providing short-term money, sources said, does not solve that issue.

The schools also noted pending federal legislation that makes predicting the future of college athletics difficult, as well as a general apprehension about selling equity in a university asset — the conference media rights.

Beyond the potential impact to long-term value and flexibility in exchange for a “short-term benefit” that Cohen suggested (an extension to the grant of rights to 2046 could limit conference expansion and the departure of any programs, for example), she also noted in her letter that the $2.4 billion would be “unevenly distributed” among the schools and “create a tiered revenue distribution system moving forward.”

According to reporting from Wetzel and ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the exact equity amounts per school in Big Ten Enterprises are still being negotiated. There is expected to be a small gap in the percentage of the remaining equity among the schools that would favor the league’s biggest athletic brands, but it’s likely to be less than a percentage point. A tier system for initial payments is also expected, but with the lowest amount in the nine-figure range. Larger athletic departments could receive an amount above $150 million.

“We greatly value our membership in the Big Ten Conference and understand and respect the larger landscape,” Cohen said. “But we also recognize the power of the USC brand is far-reaching, deeply engaging, and incredibly valuable, and we will always fight first for what’s best for USC.”

The Big Ten is in the middle of a seven-year, $7 billion media rights package that runs through 2030. The money infusion is believed to be acutely needed at several Big Ten schools that are struggling to pay down debt on new construction and budgeting for direct revenue ($20.5 million this year and expected to rise annually) to athletes.

In a move that altered the college football landscape, USC left the Pac-12 and joined the Big Ten conference in 2024, alongside UCLA, Oregon and Washington, pushing the league to 18 members.

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