Report: Eddie George agrees to become Bowling Green's coach
George, 51, has posted a 24-22 record over the past four seasons as the head coach at FCS Tennessee State. He led the Tigers to a share of the OVC-Big South title in the 2024 season following a 9-4 record, marking the school's first league title in football since 1999.
George was named Big South/OVC coach of the year and was the runner-up for the Eddie Robinson national coach of the year.
George replaces Scot Loeffler, who resigned from Bowling Green to become quarterbacks coach of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 28. The Falcons were 7-6 in 2024 and 27-41 with three bowl game appearances during Loeffler's six seasons with the team.
George will return to the Buckeye State, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1995 with Ohio State.
George continued his success in the NFL, becoming the Tennessee Titans' franchise leading rusher with 10,009 yards.
A four-time Pro Bowl selection, George rushed for 10,441 yards and 68 touchdowns in 141 career games (136 starts) with the Houston Oilers/Titans (1996-2003) and Dallas Cowboys (2004).
5-star DE Richard Wesley to reclassify to 2026 class
He recently completed his sophomore season at Sierra Canyon High School in Southern California. He is a 6-foot-5, 250-pound prospect with 99 tackles and 19 sacks in his first two seasons of high school ball.
The composite lists him just a tick behind its No. 1 2027 player, defensive end LaDamion Guyton, who already has committed to Georgia.
The top 2026 defensive end is Zion Elee of Baltimore, who is committed to Maryland. Wesley has yet to be ranked in the 2026 class by the composite.
Wesley holds offers from numerous power programs, and he told ESPN he planned to make unofficial visits at schools that include Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, Southern California and Ole Miss before setting official visits.
"I really can't say what the future holds for me," Wesley told ESPN. "I'm excited for more opportunities to go talk with these coaches and see what they're about. I'm really open to everyone that's offered me and who really wants me in their program."
Report: Oregon's Dan Lanning to get big raise
The six-year deal that spans through 2030, which must be approved by Oregon's board when it meets Friday, includes a $2 million annual raise to an average of nearly $11 million per season.
His buyout will remain $20 million, per the report.
Before the 2024 season, Lanning was 14th in the nation in salary, according to USA Today's database of coaches salaries. He joins an elite class of coaches with his new salary; the five highest-paid coaches on the list were Kirby Smart (Georgia), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Lincoln Riley (Southern California) and Ryan Day (Ohio State).
Three of those coaches have won national championships, and Ducks leaders are counting on Lanning to join that group.
Lanning, 38, was the offensive coordinator at Georgia when Oregon gave him his first head-coaching job ahead of the 2022 season. The Ducks are 35-6 under Lanning and won the Big Ten championship last season in their first year in the Big Ten.
Oregon was 13-0 and the No. 1 seed in the expanded College Football Playoff but lost to eventual national champion Ohio State 41-21 in the quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.
Day received a new contract worth $12.5 million a year after the Buckeyes won the title, moving him to No. 2 on the salary list behind Smart.
ACC, Clemson, Florida State settle litigation
The settlement keeps the ACC's 18-member league potentially intact through 2036, when the league's grant of rights contract expires. Penalties for leaving the league before 2036 are reduced significantly -- which was a motivating factor for the initial litigation from the two universities.
The ACC board of directors approved the settlement, followed by approval from the boards of trustees for Clemson and FSU. The actions led to the dropping of four lawsuits.
"Today's resolution begins the next chapter of this storied league and further solidifies the ACC as a premier conference," ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement. "As we look ahead to our collective long-term future, I want to express my deepest appreciation to the ACC Board of Directors for its ongoing leadership, patience and dedication throughout this process.
"The league has competed at the highest level for more than 70 years and this new structure demonstrates the ACC embracing innovation and further incentivizing our membership based on competition and viewership results. The settlements, coupled with the ACC's continued partnership with ESPN, allow us to focus on our collective future -- including Clemson and Florida State -- united in an 18-member conference demonstrating the best in intercollegiate athletics."
FSU first sued the league in December 2023 followed by Clemson. The ACC countersued both schools. FSU's lawsuit came after the Seminoles failed to reach the then-four-team College Football Playoff despite being undefeated, which the university blamed on the ACC.
Before the settlement, conference members could be penalized as much as $700 million to leave, according to FSU's attorneys. Under the new terms, the exit fee will be $165 million in fiscal year 2026 and decreased by $18 million per year to a floor of $75 million in 2030-31 and beyond, according to a presentation made at Clemson's board meeting, The Athletic reported.
The schools also were concerned with league revenues falling too far behind those of the SEC and Big Ten, per media reports.
The league said in Tuesday's announcement that it will build upon previously announced success or brand initiatives with a component directly focused on annual football and men's basketball viewership. Instead of equal distribution of media rights deals among its members, the league will award bonuses to the most-viewed schools in those sports based on a five-year average of TV ratings.
"This settlement allows Clemson to remain nationally competitive at the highest levels and also makes our conference stronger," Clemson President Jim Clements said in the statement.
The ACC's revenue-sharing model aligns with a proposal FSU athletic director Michael Alford made 25 months ago.
"This is a great path forward that provides every team in the conference the opportunity to reach benchmarks for additional financial distribution," Alford said in a statement on Tuesday. "FSU and the ACC have benefitted from more than 30 years of partnership. This solution, forged collaboratively by FSU, Clemson, and the ACC is a testament to our ability to work together to proactively address necessary actions for future success."
Pitt CB Mason Alexander dies in car accident
Per the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, Alexander was a passenger in a 2016 BMW. The driver of the car attempted to pass another car and swerved to avoid a collision with another vehicle, resulting in the BMW going off the road and hitting a tree. Alexander was pronounced dead at the scene.
Alexander, who was part of Pitt's recruiting class, was set to join the team at the start of spring practice this month.
"I received a call this morning that no parent, teacher or coach ever wants to get -- the news of the sudden loss of a young and promising life," Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi said in a statement. "Our entire program is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Mason Alexander's passing.
"Mason had just enrolled at Pitt in January following his early graduation from Indiana's Hamilton Southeastern High School. Even during that short time, he made a great impression on all of us. Mason was proud and excited to be a Panther, and we felt the same way about having him in our Pitt family. He will always be a Panther to us. The Alexander family and Mason's many loved ones and friends will be in our prayers."
Auburn coach Hugh Freeze battling early stage prostate cancer
Auburn said Freeze's cancer is in the early stages and is "very treatable and curable."
Freeze, 55, will continue with his coaching duties while undergoing treatment.
"Recently, Coach Freeze was diagnosed with an early form of prostate cancer," the school said in its announcement. "Thankfully, it was detected early and his doctors have advised that it is very treatable and curable.
"He will continue his normal coaching duties and responsibilities, and with forthcoming proper treatment, is expected to make a full recovery. Coach Freeze is incredibly appreciative of our medical professionals and has asked that we use his experience as a reminder of the importance of prioritizing and scheduling annual health screenings."
Freeze has an 11-14 record after two seasons at Auburn. The Tigers went 5-7 last season and didn't qualify for a bowl game.
Freeze was coach at Liberty for four seasons before taking the Auburn gig after the 2022 season. He also has held Division I coaching jobs at Arkansas State (2011) and Ole Miss (2012-16) and has a 94-57 record.
Auburn's spring drills are slated to begin in late March.
Report: 'Hard Knocks' to feature UNC, Bill Belichick after NFL teams decline
The decision to turn to Belichick, an NFL head coach for 29 seasons with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots, came after no NFL team would agree to sign on, per the report.
The New York Giants were featured last season, and it's the filmed conversations that general manager Joe Schoen had regarding the future of free-agent running back Saquon Barkley that reportedly caused teams to shy away.
Barkley wound up signing with NFC East rival Philadelphia and led the Eagles to a Super Bowl LIX championship earlier this month in New Orleans. In the regular season, he gained 2,283 yards from scrimmage and scored 15 touchdowns.
Barkley broke the NFL single-season rushing record, postseason included, with 2,504 yards. Terrell Davis had held the mark since 1998.
Belichick, who won six Super Bowl trophies with the Patriots, never has appeared on "Hard Knocks." The Tar Heels will be the first college program featured.
