Tag: Football

Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Owen Heinecke (38) runs after Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Ole Miss Rebels at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. Ole Miss won 34-26.

Judge grants Oklahoma LB Owen Heinecke another year

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former walk-on Owen Heinecke, who rose from special teamer to standout linebacker at Oklahoma, was granted an additional year of eligibility on Thursday by a district court judge in Cleveland County, Ok.

Judge Thad Balkman ruled in favor of Heinecke on a preliminary injunction after an all-day emergency hearing. After hearing testimony from Oklahoma coach Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy, Balkman decided that the NCAA did not appropriately factor out Heinecke’s freshman season with the Ohio State men’s lacrosse team in the spring of 2021.

Heinecke, a 6-foot-one, 227 pound dual sport athlete at Tulsa’s Bishop Kelly HS, transferred to Oklahoma in the fall of 2022, but saw the vast majority of his action on special teams in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. But he played in all 13 games and started the final five games of the 2025 season, earning All-SEC Second Team honors. He ranked second on the team with 74 tackles and amassed 12.0 tackles for loss and five sacks.

Heinecke’s emergence helped Oklahoma post the nation’s third-best rushing defense and led them to their first CFP appearance since 2019.

The NCAA denied Heinecke’s first request for a waiver and appeal earlier this year and the projected late round draft pick began preparing for the 2026 NFL draft. He took part in the NFL scouting combine and OU’s pro day, while continuing to pursue his legal battle with the NCAA.

On March 23, Heinecke and his attorneys filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and sought an emergency hearing in advance of the draft.

Heinecke had intended to play both football and lacrosse at Ohio State, but was unable to join the football team in the fall of 2020, due to COVID-19, recovery from a high school injury and the school’s suspension of walk-on tryouts until the spring of 2022.

NCAA attorneys argued that Heinecke’s eligibility began when he chose to play lacrosse at Ohio State in 2021 and should have expired following the 2025 football season.

But Balkman did not see it that way.

“We’re grateful for today’s decision,” Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny said in a statement after Thursday’s ruling. “This is a fair outcome for a young man who has handled this process with integrity and resilience. We’re proud to stand with Owen and look forward to supporting him as he returns to competition in a Sooners uniform.”

The NCAA is now 2-2 in high profile cases of late, with Heinecke joining Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in regaining collegiate eligibility. The NCAA has won in the courts in the cases of former quarterbacks Joey Aguilar (Tennessee) and Chandler Morris (Virginia), whose cases were rejected by the courts.

–Field Level Media

Tony the Tiger dumps Frosted Flakes on Manny Diaz, head football coach at Duke, after a 42-39 win against Arizona State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.

Duke coach Manny Diaz inked to extension through 2031

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Duke coach Manny Diaz inked a contract extension that will keep him in Durham, N.C. through the 2031 season, the university announced on Thursday.

Diaz has posted an 18-9 record at Duke in two seasons and led the squad to its first outright ACC title since 1962 this past season. They defeated Virginia, 27-20, in overtime in the ACC Championship game and then edged Arizona State, 42-39, in the Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

Diaz has signed the best recruiting class in the program’s history for 2026, according to AVG Recruit Ranking

The university did not release terms of the extension.

“Manny Diaz is exactly the right leader at exactly the right time for Duke University,” athletic director Nina King said in a statement. “His clear vision for Duke football, deep understanding of our student-athletes and strong alignment with campus and athletics leadership have positioned us for sustained success in the years ahead. We are incredibly proud to have him leading the Blue Devils, and with his passion, integrity and expertise, Duke football will continue to pursue excellence on and off the field well into the future.”

The 52-year-old Diaz replaced Mike Elko, who left Duke for Texas A&M after the 2023 season. He led the Blue Devils to a 9-4 record in 2024, but they fell, 52-20, to Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl.

The Miami, Fla. native served as head coach for his hometown Hurricanes from 2019-21, compiling a 21-15 record. Miami appeared in three consecutive bowl games, although Diaz was dismissed prior to the 2021 Sun Bowl and the team subsequently opted out of the game.

He then served as defensive coordinator at Penn State for two seasons before taking the Duke position.

In 2025, Duke played the aggressive defense that Diaz’ teams have been known for. The Blue Devils finished 11th nationally in fumbles recovered (10), 13th in turnover margin (+0.71), 14th in turnovers gained (24) and 16th in tackles for loss per game (6.6).

–Field Level Media

Snow-covered cars in downtown Wilmington, Del., on Jan. 26, 2026.

DIII football player dies of carbon monoxide poisoning

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A football player at Rhode Island’s Division III Salve Regina was found unresponsive in his car during Monday’s historic blizzard and later died at a hospital, with his passing attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Joseph Boutros, 21, was found in a snow-covered vehicle Monday night while charging his cell phone, police in Newport, R.I., said in a statement released Tuesday.

He was taken to the emergency room at Newport Hospital and pronounced dead Monday night.

A record 34 inches fell in Newport during the storm, and the tailpipe of his car was blocked by snow.

“This tragic incident was accidental and a reminder to be vigilant to keep exhaust pipes clear of snow and debris when vehicles are idling,” the police news release said.

Boutros was an offensive lineman from Bohemia, N.Y., on Long Island.

“The Salve Football family mourns the passing of Joseph Boutros,” the university said in a statement. “His contagious smile, selfless spirit, and the way he showed up for his brothers every day made our program better in every way.”

–Field Level Media

Northern Iowa Panthers tight end Parker Sutherland (89) goes for the catch during a game against South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

Northern Iowa tight end Parker Sutherland dies at 18

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Northern Iowa football player Parker Sutherland died Saturday morning at age 18, the university announced.

The school’s statement did not reveal a cause of death. However, on Thursday afternoon, Cedar Falls Fire and Rescue responded to a call from the university’s football complex, with the call log recording the reason as “unconscious/fainting (non trauma).”

“I’m heartbroken,” head coach Todd Stepsis said in a school news release.

“Parker embodied everything we look for in a UNI Football Panther. His talent and potential excited us on a daily basis, but it failed to compare to the type of person and teammate he was. His character, humility, toughness and genuine love of others are what champions are made of.”

A 6-foot-6 tight end, Sutherland played in four games as a freshman for the Panthers in 2025. He played three sports at Iowa City High School and was a second-team All-State football selection in 2024.

“We are devastated — just devastated,” Northern Iowa athletic director Megan Franklin said. “The blessing is that we have a Panther family who will hold the Sutherland family, our football team, and our athletics staff close as we grieve.”

Sutherland is survived by his parents, Adam and Jill Sutherland, and his sister, Georgia.

–Field Level Media

FBS coaches vote unanimously to adjust sport’s redshirt rule

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FBS coaches unanimously voted Tuesday to change the redshirt rule to let players take part in up to nine games while maintaining a full year of eligibility.

This rule change — which still needs approval from the NCAA Division I committee – would negate the current rule which allows players to participate in up to four regular-season games plus any playoff games while still preserving their redshirt, essentially allowing athletes to play four full seasons plus another one-third of a season within a five-year window.

The vote at the annual convention of the American Football Coaches Association was a compromise following extensive discussion over concerns about potential litigation in the wake of some controversial eligibility rulings.

Of particular note was Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ recent plan to file suit against the NCAA in state court for a preliminary injunction to attempt to secure Chambliss’ eligibility for 2026.

Per ESPN, some of the roughly half of the 136 FBS coaches in attendance had pushed for a full five years of playing time in a five-year window but ultimately came to a nine-game compromise.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said, per ESPN, the redshirt rule change is intended to keep players engaged and reduce midyear opt-outs that have become more commonplace in recent years due to NIL and revenue sharing opportunities for student-athletes and drastically increased movement via the transfer portal.

Opting out in midseason also became more frequent in 2017. Prior to that year, athletes could play five years in four seasons with medical reasons as the only exception. The rule change in 2017 allowed any player who participated in four or fewer games to maintain their redshirt year, leading to an incentive for players to opt out midseason to preserve eligibility.

–Field Level Media

Travis Kelce gauging how body feels before deciding future

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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce sounded like a man who has more in the tank in respect to his football career during Wednesday’s episode of his “New Heights” podcast.

“I’ve talked to a few people in the facility already, having the exit meetings and everything, and they know where I stand at least right now,” Kelce told his brother, Jason. “I think there’s a lotta love for the game that’s still there and I don’t think I’ll ever lose that.

“It’s a tough thing to navigate, but at the same time, if my body can heal up and rest up and I can feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 18-, 20-, 21-week run, I think I would do it in a heartbeat. Right now it’s just finding that answer and seeing how the body feels … and kinda when it all settles down.”

When Jason attempted to get the real skinny on his brother’s future plans in football, Travis said the decision wasn’t finalized yet.

The Chiefs’ lackluster 6-11 season ended with a whimper, leading some to wonder if the four-time All-Pro wanted to end his career on that note.

“Every season ends for me, I put my feet up, and I just be a human because I’ve been putting my body through the wringer for the love of it,” Travis Kelce said. “I do enjoy playing football and the physical aspect of it, I think there’s something about feeling the wear and tear of the football season to just f—- getting ready for a game knowing that your body is f—- beat down man.

“… But yeah, I think just being a regular human for a couple weeks, maybe a month or so, and trying to figure out what I’m doing to do next in terms of my future in football.”

Prior to the season, Travis Kelce admitted that he contemplated retirement. He also said his life has changed in some ways since he began dating the biggest pop star on the planet in Taylor Swift, to whom he is now engaged.

Kelce, 36, last month joined Hall of Famer Jerry Rice as the only players in NFL history with at least 12 consecutive seasons producing at least 800 receiving yards.

Kelce led the team in receptions (76), yards (851) and touchdowns (five, tied with Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown).

The three-time Super Bowl champion and 11-time Pro Bowl selection is the Chiefs’ all-time leader in receptions (1,080), receiving yards (13,002) and touchdown receptions (82).

–Field Level Media

Interim coach Biff Poggi wants chance to fix ‘malfunctioning’ Michigan

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Interim head coach Biff Poggi interviewed with Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, using the opportunity to insist he’s the right man to repair the tattered reputation of the program.

“It’s been five years of a malfunctioning organization. Let’s call it what it is, it’s happened every year,” Poggi said Monday. “The athletic director doesn’t want any more of that. There will be a massive self-examination of what’s happened in this building.”

What’s happening in the building is under investigation and Manuel is leading the search for a new head coach. But Manuel might not stick around, pending the results of an independent review of the department following the firing of head coach Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10.

“I’m being considered. I’ve had multiple interviews, multiple conversations,” Poggi said of the process. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I just appreciate being considered.”

Players have a window to transfer afforded by NCAA rules because of the coaching change, which is one of the reasons Manuel provided Poggi for setting his timeline to name a permanent head coach between Christmas Day and Michigan’s bowl game against Texas on Dec. 31.

“Everything that happens in this building has to be reevaluated, because it’s not up to standard,” Poggi said.

He said he believes he’ll be the right man for the job in the end because “I know what the hell I’m doing.”

Poggi was named interim head coach when Moore was fired with cause by the Wolverines for having an extramarital relationship with a subordinate in the football program. While Poggi is preparing Michigan for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Moore’s tumultuous two-year run since being hired to replace Jim Harbaugh wrapped in scandal.

Harbaugh hit the exits for the NFL after a 15-0 season in 2023 marred by the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal netted Michigan a national championship and a trove of penalties from the NCAA.

The NCAA issued show-cause penalties for Harbaugh and Moore, reduced the program’s scholarship allotment and fined the university to-be-tabulated amounts from bowl proceeds and profit sharing from the Big Ten.

A female staffer alleged to have had an affair of approximately two years with Moore told police the 39-year-old coach grabbed and pointed knives at her during a home invasion on the day of his firing.

Authorities recorded the statement of the female staffer disclosing her relationship with Moore, who is married with three children, to the university hours earlier. She said her intent was to leave town when an emotional Moore barged into her apartment.

Moore has not been charged with assault related to the knife allegations, but county investigators said last week they are still reviewing evidence.

Anything but the typical college football coaching candidate, Poggi’s full name is Francis Xavier Poggi, and he’s worth millions.

Poggi played football at Duke and Pitt and was a college coach at Brown, The Citadel and Temple before he said he was needed back in Maryland on a full-time basis to care for his ailing mother. He started Samuel James Limited, a hedge fund and investment firm, in 1986 and over more than two decades the value of the company grew to “hundreds of millions,” Poggi told ESPN.

Poggi, 65, went 6-16 as the head coach at Charlotte in less than two years before returning to Michigan. He was an assistant under Harbaugh and rejoined the Wolverines as assistant head coach to Moore.

“This place is magical, and the program means a lot to me,” he said. “It’s one of the things I want to fix before I go smoke myself to death with a cigarette. I want to fix this program.”

–Field Level Media

ACC reveals ‘26 schedule: Some play 9 league games, others 8

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The Atlantic Coast Conference revealed Tuesday that not all 17 of its football members will make the move to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026.

Instead, 12 teams will play nine games while Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina will have eight games in what the league called a “transition year” to its new scheduling policy.

The ACC said in a news release that the unique format for 2026 was “designed to balance competitive equity, honor existing nonconference game contracts and account for the league’s unique 17-team footprint.”

Beginning in 2027, 16 teams will play a nine-game ACC schedule and also be required to schedule one other Power 4 opponent. Because of the odd number of member institutions, one team each season will be scheduled for eight ACC games and must schedule two Power 4 opponents elsewhere.

“Today’s announcement of our 2026 football league opponents is another significant and intentional step forward for ACC Football,” commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement. “Transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule strengthens our competitive framework, aligns us with the other Power Four conferences and provides greater consistency for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. This phased approach reflects our commitment to competitive equity, scheduling flexibility and delivering a premier football product across all 17 institutions.”

The league announced its decision to join the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC with a nine-game conference schedule back on Sept. 22.

The ACC also said in its release that its tiebreaker policy will be updated and announced sometime before the 2026 season.

The league caught flak for 7-5 Duke winning a five-way tiebreaker among 6-2 ACC teams to qualify for the championship game against Virginia. The unranked Blue Devils upset the Cavaliers for the conference title, and come College Football Playoff selection time, two Group of Five champions — Tulane and James Madison — were ranked higher than Duke and got in the field as the No. 11 and 12 seeds.

–Field Level Media

Oct 27, 2018; Stanford, CA, USA; General view of the Stanford Cardinal helmet during the first quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Stanford football scores $50M donation from former player

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A former Stanford football player has donated a record $50 million to the program, the school announced Wednesday.

The donation from Bradford M. Freeman is the largest individual gift in Cardinal football history, outside of facilities.

It is a massive windfall for Stanford general manager Andrew Luck and new athletic director John Donahoe as they attempt to resurrect the moribund program. The Cardinal have finished 3-9 in each of the past four seasons.

“With Brad’s incredible gift, we are positioned to win on the field and build a bridge to a sustainable future for Stanford football,” Luck said in a statement. “The ability to support our players through new scholarships and institutional NIL will reinforce Stanford as the preeminent place in the country to be a football scholar-athlete.”

Freeman graduated from Stanford in 1964 and has been a major donor to the school for decades. The school plans to name a tunnel and gate at Stanford Stadium after Freeman, who previously funded the nation’s first endowed head coach position at the school in 1988.

Luck, the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback, became the GM in November 2024 and Donahoe was hired in July.

“I believe that Stanford has the opportunity to be a leading program in college football, and we are entirely motivated to field championship-caliber teams,” Luck said.

Stanford is currently seeking a full-time head coach, with former Colts and Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich handling the duties this season on an interim basis.

The Cardinal (2-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) are trying to avoid a seventh consecutive losing season, not counting the pandemic-impacted 2020 season. Stanford has not been to a bowl game since the 2018 season.

“This is a game-changing gift for Stanford,” campus president Jonathan Levin said. “Brad’s generosity and commitment to football will benefit our entire athletics department, as excellence in football will support success across all 36 varsity sports.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 4, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops shown on the sidelines during the game against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Mark Stoops says ‘zero chance’ he steps down from Kentucky

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Mark Stoops isn’t going anywhere.

The Kentucky head coach denied a report that he told athletic director Mitch Barnhart that he wanted to leave the program after a loss in November last season to Tennessee.

“There’s zero chance I’m walking away. Zero,” Stoops told reporters after Saturday’s 35-14 road loss to Georgia to fall to 2-3 overall and 0-3 in the Southeastern Conference.

He added: “That’s unequivocally 100 percent false, and anyone who says anything else is lying.”

Kentucky has been roughed up in SEC play of late, falling to 1-10 in its last 11 league games after the team’s blowout defeat to the Bulldogs. The Wildcats have been outscored 312-163 in that span.

They’re also 20-23 overall since a 10-3 campaign in 2021. Kentucky is 69-76 and made eight consecutive bowl appearances from 2016-23 under Stoops, who’s the SEC’s longest-tenured head coach after beginning his tenure with the program in 2013. The team went 4-8 last season, 1-7 in the SEC.

If the Wildcats were to fire Stoops, they’d owe him 75 percent of his remaining salary. He currently has a $38-million buyout.

Kentucky won’t catch a break after its bye, as it has back-to-back games against ranked Texas and Tennessee.

–Field Level Media