By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

College football programs have been experiencing issues with the transfer portal and a mass exodus from their programs for the past few seasons. FCS and junior college programs get ransacked for their talent at the end of each season, forcing them to be in a constant state of rebuilding. When lesser-known programs at the D1 level do find diamonds in the rough, they do not stay in the rough for long, as the big names across the college football landscape throw large amounts of NIL money around to attract them.

Iowa State is currently being subjected to the most thorough cleaning of cabinets the NIL era has seen, with 40-plus players entering the portal since Matt Campbell’s departure. As of a few days ago, the Cyclones only had 17 players remaining on their roster — a far cry from the 105 roster limit.

College basketball has been experiencing similar problems. Yes, these programs are better-equipped to handle constant roster changes, as transfers are more prevalent in college basketball than college football before NIL. Overseas players also come and go, and younger players declare for the draft earlier than college football players. However, college basketball is facing a much different problem now. Players who have NBA experience or overseas professional experience are joining college basketball programs MIDSEASON.

In 2023, James Nnaji was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the NBA Draft as the 31^st overall pick, one pick shy of being a first-rounder. He spent time with FC Barcelona, Girona (Spain) and Merkezefendi (Turkey). After a trade, the New York Knicks own his draft rights. But, just last week on Christmas Eve, Nnaji was cleared by the NCAA to sign with Baylor.

What? A guy who was drafted into the NBA, spent several years playing professionally overseas, and whose draft rights are still owned by an NBA franchise is able to join a college basketball program midseason? Yes. And, oddly enough, Baylor and Nnaji are not breaking any rules to do so.

Another example: Theirry Darlan was playing with G-League Ignite for two seasons. Now, he is playing for Santa Clara University. He was not a midseason addition like Nnaji, but how is he allowed to go backwards? Darlan and Nnaji are not technically breaking any rules, but it doesn’t feel right. London Johnson, three seasons in the G-League, now with Louisville. Abdullah Ahmed, two seasons in the G-League, now with BYU. Players who are literally a phone call away from being on an NBA roster are now in college basketball.

And, who can blame them? Coaches and players alike. For coaches, if the team across from you is pulling guys from the G-League, why not do the same? If you’re playing in the G-League and a high-level college basketball program offers you a million dollars to play basketball, and, of course, get an education, why would you say no?

So, I ask, who is currently worse off? College football teams who get gutted for talent the moment a bigger NIL deal comes along or a coach leaves? Or college basketball teams, which are now facing midseason additions of players with professional basketball experience? Legendary coach John Calipari went on a great rant about the current state of college basketball’s rules. It seems each week a different coach is calling for the NCAA to do something — anything — to protect their programs. These coaches, football and basketball alike, often have good — even great — solutions. The NCAA should start listening to them.

Reach out with comments, complaints or story ideas to cyote@dmcityview.com.

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

It was announced on Monday that the Kansas City Chiefs will be relocating from Missouri to Kansas, with it coming a brand new, $3 billion, domed stadium. I, like many others, have some issues with this.

For one, Arrowhead is an iconic venue, and its eventual demise once the lease expires in 2030 will be tragic. It is possible some of you reading this attended Arrowhead as Chiefs fans, and if not, made the trip to Kansas City because your favorite team was visiting the AFC’s oldest stadium. The two-and-a half-hour drive is more palatable than four hours to Minneapolis, six hours to Chicago, or eight hours to Green Bay. According to local reporting, Kansas made more of a united front approach between the city, county and state, to attract the NFL’s most recent dynasty away from its current home.

For two, the stadium is going to be largely funded with taxpayer money. Of the $3 billion price tag, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says the state will pay for 60%. In other words, $1.8 billion. The other 40%, or less than half, for those of you counting at home, will be paid for by members of the Hunt family, who own the Chiefs. According to profootballnetwork.com, the Hunt family, worth $24.8 billion, are the second-richest owners in the NFL. I understand why the state of Kansas would want to spend money to attract an NFL team, as it will undoubtably be an economic boost for the area, but why the second-wealthiest owners in American professional sports can’t pay for their own stadium is beyond me.

For three, the early renderings of the proposed stadium are flat and boring. And, compare it to the other new, multi-billion dollar sports stadiums that have been built in recent years. Now, yes, 2031 is several years ahead and gives plenty of time for this rendering to change, so I’m being a bit of a Grinch. According to a Chiefs beat writer, Chiefs Charmain and CEO Clark Hunt says an architect and contractor will be selected in the months ahead. Why Kansas would agree to use $1.8 billion for a project that does not even have an architect is also beyond me, but that’s why I live in Iowa (where we have challenges getting a $20 million soccer stadium built, which is finally over the last spending hump, maybe).

For four, it signals the death of another outdoor stadium. The Chiefs leaving Arrowhead, and in a few years, the Chicago Bears leaving Soldier Field, are both seeking domed stadiums. The Bears are currently in a fight with the city of Chicago and are even threatening to build the stadium in northern Indiana. As a Packers fan, I find that hilarious. But, the person on the inside hates the idea that we could no longer see games like the ice bowl or the mud bowl, or a field blanketed in snow or rain, all in favor of a synthetic turf field inside a cookie-cutter dome, because it sells more tickets and it makes the game easier to watch on TV.

Currently, there are 20 “open-air” stadiums in the NFL. We know that number will change to 18 in the coming years because of the Chiefs and Bears. The Buffalo Bills, whose stadium almost always seems to fill with snow once a season, will have a massive canopy roof by next season, and the Tennessee Titans are aiming to have their domed stadium finished in Nashville by 2027. Plus, the Jacksonville Jaguars are getting a major renovation that will include a new roof, planned for 2028, and the Washington Commanders are planning for a potentially domed stadium in 2030. Add those in, and the country’s most popular sport will have more closed stadiums than not, and that’s a darn shame.

Reach out with comments, complaints, story ideas and more to cyote@dmcityview.com.

It’s rivalry week in Guthrie County. Not only are the boys and girls basketball teams for Panorama and ACGC facing off against each other on the hardwood at ACGC tonight, but last night saw the schools’ wrestling programs hit the mats against each other, with ACGC coming away victorious in a close 39-30 win.

It has been interesting to watch how these rivalry contests pan out between the schools separated by just a few miles. For example, when it comes to girls basketball, the Panthers squad made it all the way to state final two years ago and has, historically, been a dominant program. That pendulum has now started to swing ACGC’s way. The Charger girls are once again firing on all cylinders and have started the season hot. Panorama had won 32 straight games against ACGC before the Chargers swept the series last season. Not all of those games were blowouts, but 30-plus straight victories is impressive, regardless of the margins. I’m not sure if ACGC is going to rattle off another 28 in a row, but this series should be a fun one to continue to follow.

On the boys basketball side, Panorama has led the series 23-17 since 2006. But the record is in favor of ACGC since 2021 with ACGC going 7-4 since the start of that year and dominating the two contests last season. Both teams have fallen on some tough times this season, with the Chargers losing some major talent and the Panthers trying to develop their own. Both teams have suffered several close losses this year and will have some extra fuel to get back on track against their cross-county rival.

For boys wrestling, both squads sent school-record numbers to the state meet last year — ACGC with six qualifiers and Panorama with five. That’s a whole lot of wrestling talent just 10 minutes apart from one another. The two teams had one dual matchup last season with ACGC coming away victorious, 46-33. The result from last night put another W in ACGC’s dual column over the Panthers.

Big high school rivalries for me, being a Des Moines Lincoln High School graduate, were naturally against all of the other city schools: Roosevelt, Hoover, North and, especially, East. Whether it was soccer or basketball, I certainly had some intense times playing against those teams. Hard fouls, red cards, swear words, pushes, shoves, even a punch once (not thrown by me) made the games intense but just that much more fun to participate in. Oddly enough, even though we were all rivals, whenever I saw any of them matched up against a suburban school (e.g., Johnston, Waukee, Ankeny, Norwalk, etc.), you can believe I was rooting for my Des Moines faithful.

For those playing in these rivalry games, have fun and compete hard. The wins feel twice as nice when they come against your greatest opponents. For those of you with strong memories of playing in ACGC vs. Panorama sporting events, feel free to reach out to me at cyote@dmcityview.com and share the stories. If you don’t have one between those two schools, tell me about your own alma mater and the times that stick out to you.

Reach out with comments, complaints, story ideas and more at cyote@dmcityview.com.

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

At this point, every sports fan, and even some outside of the sporting world, are aware that Matt Campbell, the greatest football coach in Iowa State University’s history, has accepted a new gig to become a Nittany Lion and be Penn State University’s new head coach. The move shocked the college football landscape. Campbell’s name has floated around the rumor mill most every year for half a decade at this point. Many ISU fans, me included, never thought the day would come when Campbell would not be donning his patented tight brimmed Cyclone hat. We had found our own Kirk Ferentz, and prosperity was here to stay.

That was an unrealistic expectation for a number of reasons. After all, Ferentz is the outlier, not the norm. And, in today’s NIL landscape, college athletics is not what it once was. With Campbell gone, Cyclone fans around the nation began the five stages of grief — or, as I’m calling it, the five stages of losing Matt Campbell.

Denial

What? Campbell to Penn State? As if. Even with rumors swirling heavily on Thursday, my friends, my family and I were panickily texting each other, doubting the validity. Campbell loves ISU and has notably turned down NFL and other major NCAA programs in favor of staying in Ames. It even got to the point that “SoundOFF” created the Campbell Rumors Assessment Project (C.R.A.P) to poke fun at the ongoing idea that Campbell would ever leave. Here’s a video from 2019 when Campbell was rumored for the Florida State job.

Not only that, but Penn State has been floundering in its coaching search for the better part of two months, and now, all of the sudden, Campbell is not only the target but is favored to accept the gig? No chance. ISU was slated to return 17/22 starters, while PSU’s roster and recruiting class was bleeding out to Virginia Tech to follow James Franklin. I was not buying it.

Anger

Well. The rumors were true. Campbell to Penn State for a whole lot of $$$. Eight years and $70.5 million. Cyclone fans took to social media. Anger was directed at Campbell. “I’m sure as hell not rooting for Penn State.” “I hope he loses every game.” “He can kiss the imaginary statue we all wanted built for him 10 minutes ago goodbye.” Anger was directed at Josh Pate, the media personality who was once loved by ISU fans. Pate had interviewed Campbell in 2024, saying, “We need more of this in college football,” referring to Campbell STAYING in Ames. Pate went from that to tweeting out at every opportunity that Penn State should be pursuing Campbell with full force. The faint of heart should stay away from Pate’s replies and comments, as ISU fans were not kind to him in the wake of the news.

Was it Pollard’s fault? Online messaging boards added to hate. Posts suggested that Pollard wanted more control over NIL funds, leading to Campbell, and even other top coaches at the University, frustrated.

We felt betrayed, lied to and deceived. We all trusted Campbell’s process and fell in love with the coach and the person. He represented and improved the image of ISU in a way few have. To do all that, and jump ship for a Penn State job that about five other coaches had already turned down in recent months?

Bargaining

Honestly, this stage did not exist. After all, there was no real bargaining to do. ISU could not match Penn State’s offer. But, before the details of Campbell’s contract were announced, even before Penn State announced his hiring, ISU had broken the news on Campbell’s replacement, Washington State’s head coach, Jimmy Rogers. This was doubly shocking for ISU and college football fans. Before we could even panic about losing our star coach at the tail end of the hiring cycle, in true Jamie Pollard fashion, he hired an under-the-radar name no one saw coming.

Depression

Texts continued to flood in from older ISU fans telling me to get ready to experience true ISU misery. No more above .500 seasons, no more bowl games, no more watching draft day to see which ISU stud was going to play on Sundays (and Mondays, and Thursdays, and sometimes Fridays and Saturdays). The football program is going back to the dark ages, and we might as well just wait around for basketball season. The crack team at C.R.A.P., now laid off. We lost the greatest coach in the history of the program, and no one is really sure why. Was it Pollard? Was it the money? Who knows? Any way you shake it, this stinks.

Acceptance

New Head Coach Jimmy Rogers flies into Ames during a snowstorm, greeted by Pollard and other ISU brass on the tarmac. Rogers has a great pedigree, specifically in the Midwest during his time at powerhouse FCS program South Dakota State. In his press conference, he comes across as friendly, determined and excited to lead ISU out of this changing of the guard.

Pollard clears up rumors at the press conference about his involvement with NIL. He gives the money to the programs, and they choose to do with it as they please. I’m inclined to take Pollard at his word, seeing all the good he has done within the athletic department.

Campbell, as it turns out, has some close family members dealing with health-related issues, and the Penn State gig brings him closer to home. Campbell takes out a full-page ad in The Des Moines Register, thanking Cyclone nation. He even chokes up in his introductory press conference at Penn State when talking about ISU. Gosh, why was I ever mad at this guy in the first place?

As determined as I was to root for his downfall at the first announcement of his departure, I must admit that it is going to be difficult for me to do anything but root for Campbell’s success in any and all future endeavors. His leading of the football program brought me countless memories with friends and family that I won’t soon forget.

Meanwhile, here’s to the future, Jimmy Rogers. The ISU family and fandom are behind you.

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

It would be a shame if this column just turned into why I hate certain things, but I promise to bring the positivity back soon. For now, I have to rant again.

For the sake of your time, and Shane’s editing of this, I cut out about half of this column where I explained how we got to the current state of the College Football Playoff (CFP). This is about as short as I can put it: Two teams used to make the national championship, in 2014 it switched to a four-team playoff, and in 2024 it changed to a 12-team playoff.

The stated reason for expanding to 12 teams was that too many “worthy” teams were being left out of the four-team format. At first, it seemed simple. “Worthy” teams are getting left out, so the natural solution is to expand the playoff. Then, the powers that be made it not so simple, creating a cavalcade of problems in the process.

These are the problems I see. The simplest to me is that there are not 12 teams worthy of competing for a national title in a given season. Even worse, what was once a largely computer-model driven system of seeding and determining rankings, the 12 teams are now decided by a committee of 13 former and current athletic directors and coaches. Another problem is that the most prestigious bowl games are now playoff games as a means to reach the national championship, which has devalued their significance. Once a cherished accomplishment has become a stepping stone. Before, even one loss could kill any hope of making the national championship. Now, multiple teams with multiple losses get in every single year.

As well, teams ranked 13^th, 14^th and 15^th all take to press conferences and social media to talk about how they deserved to be in the 12-team playoff when just a few short years ago they would not have even been considered. Now, 9-3 Texas (horns down) thinks they deserve to be in the same conversation as 12-0 Indiana. It’s ridiculous.

My main gripe, though, is with the selection committee. What are supposed to be the most important games of the season are now in the hands of a group of 13 people who arbitrarily decide, and often mistake, what teams deserves to get in and what ones don’t. This brings in a bias that is not otherwise seen in any sport. Could you imagine if the NFL determined its playoff seeding based on the opinions of 13 owners across the league as opposed to its set-in-stone system? Why are these athletic directors’ and former head coaches’ opinions THIS valuable?

The current, and arguably most glaring, example as to why the committee holding this much power is a problem is happening right now. BYU is currently 11-1 with its one loss coming against Texas Tech. BYU is ranked 11^th. Texas Tech is ranked fourth. There are currently three two-loss teams ahead of BYU. Those teams — Oklahoma, Alabama, and Notre Dame — do have one thing that BYU lacks: brand recognition. Despite having a worse record, and worse resumes overall, these teams all sit ahead of the Cougars because the committee inherently comes with a bias, versus blindly judging these teams on resumes alone. BYU will meet Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game this weekend. The Cougars must win to cement a place in the CFP. Texas Tech will be in with or without a loss. So, despite BYU having a single loss to a top-five team, with the number six strength of record, the team is currently outside of the playoff due to its current constraints. Absolute buffoonery.

Here’s what it comes down to for me, and Mike Leach, a legendary college football coach who left this earth far too soon, and who also spent some of his coaching career at Iowa Wesleyan, proves me completely wrong. In a rant during his time at Washington State University, Leach tore the former four-team playoff apart. Now, the CFP did expand to his liking, but kept the committee and bucked the universal American football version of determining a champion, which is playoff seeding based on records like they do in little leagues, high schools, DIII, DII, D1AA and even the NFL. So, if you’re going to have a playoff, at least do it right and dump the committee. HERE is Leach’s rant. It’s worth the five-minute listen if you are a college football fan. Unrelated, but just for fun, here is my personal favorite Leach clip of him talking about coffee.

Reach out with comments, complaints, story ideas and more to cyote@dmcityview.com.

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

Winter sports in full swing

As I was writing the sports section for the Times Vedette this morning, I attempted to find different ways to describe the Panorama and ACGC winter sports teams starting their seasons. That, and the fact that it looks like I’ll have to warm my car up every morning now, helped me realize that winter is truly here. Good luck to each of those programs this season. And be sure to check out our winter sports guide, which features the ACGC and Panorama basketball and wrestling teams, by clicking here. 

Why I hate Black Friday games

Certain aspects of my life make me realize that I like the “old way” of doing things. I like classical architecture. I like old movies. I like a fair amount of old music. I prefer analog controls like buttons and dials on cars as opposed to screens. But, when it comes to sports, I’m much the opposite.

I appreciate the recent changes made by the MLB to make games faster. I don’t believe that basketball players who hit the court in Converse shoes years ago are as good at basketball, or as athletic, as modern NBA players. And, no one can convince me that Joe Namath or Roger Staubach could be an NFL quarterback today. But, one place where I draw the line and prefer the days of old is when it comes to the NFL’s scheduling. That may sound like an odd place to mark a line in the sand, but I’ll explain.

In 1961, congress passed the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. There are plenty of legal reasons that went into why this was passed, but you simply need to know that the main purpose was to prevent NFL broadcasts from interfering with amateur sports such as high school and college football. If you want the details, HERE is a good article that explains the innerworkings.

High school games on Friday, college games on Saturday, and the NFL on Sunday and Monday. A football game for each day of the weekend and another one to get you past the Monday blues sounded good to me. This was a great system that had been in place for decades, but the NFL, and admittedly college, too, bent these rules in recent years.

For example, today, Friday, Nov. 28, the Chicago Bears play the Philadelphia Eagles in Philly. Not only that, but there is a full slate of college football games broadcast today. It is bad enough that the Bears are playing on national TV (the Packers would be fine), but Iowa also faces Nebraska today (the Cyclones would be fine). There should a set of laws against those teams being seen by the masses.

The NFL and the NCAA have discovered certain exceptions and work-arounds in recent years. The main rules of the law are making sure the times do not overlap, and that no high school game is being played at the same time as a college or NFL broadcast within 75 miles. What gives me pause, though, is TV vs. streaming.

The language in the act says, “sponsored telecasting of the games on a television station.” Since streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video or Netflix are not technically a television station, the same rules don’t apply to them. The argument could (and should) be made that, in effect, they are.

You can spare me the argument that the NFL or the NCAA — or streaming platforms — are doing this for the benefit of the fans. The more games they can get on the air in different time slots on different days, the more money they can make, and they are all seemingly happy to bend the rules to do so. Is it life-threatening or world shattering that the NFL and NCAA are playing football on a Friday? No. But, it does annoy me that the traditional way of doing this is being changed to simply fill some already deep pockets. Chew on that with your leftover turkey.

Reach out with comments, complaints, story ideas and more to cyote@dmcityview.com.