Missouri State head football coach Casey Woods joins The Preferred Walk-On Show to talk about leadership, culture, faith, toughness, family, and what it takes to build a football program that lasts.

Coach Woods shares his journey from playing at the University of Tennessee, earning his way as a walk-on, coaching on a national championship staff at Auburn, helping build winning programs at UAB and SMU, and now leading Missouri State football into a new era.

This conversation goes beyond wins and losses. Coach Woods opens up about the influence of his father, long-time head coach Sparky Woods, the lessons learned from adversity, the five core values guiding his program, and why the walk-on mindset still matters in college football.

If you love conversations about college football culture, leadership, player development, program building, and the people behind the game, this episode is for you.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro: The press conference is the result, not the beginning
01:39 – The moments that prepared Woods for the head chair
04:11 – Sparky Woods: a hero, a mentor, and now a staff member
07:23 – The non-negotiables of a Casey Woods program
11:12 – What a player should carry beyond football
14:43 – The walk-on mindset & the TNT All-American
17:37 – What adversity teaches you about yourself
21:38 – Advice to young Casey leaving Tennessee for the last time
25:15 – Closing thoughts

“Love your team. Love your teammates. Always compete. Enjoy the journey.”

“You can’t separate the wins and losses from the impact, because the cost of the platform is winning.”

“The proudest day of my life is when the University of Tennessee put me on scholarship.”

“Two things every single coach can be: organized and enthusiastic.”

“Don’t ever, ever, ever settle for average.”

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.

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

Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available:

• Walk-On
• Partial Scholarship
• Full Ride
  Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer sits down with The Preferred Walk-On Show to trace his path from walk-on player to leading a Power Four program - and to explain why culture, core values, and resilience matter more than any recruiting ranking.

Coach Beamer opens up on the leadership lessons that shaped his coaching philosophy, the outsized role walk-ons play in building winning culture, and how adversity and failure became catalysts for growth. He digs into the core values - love, gratitude, and trust - that anchor his program, why authenticity and hard work earn lasting respect, and how the relationships you build become your real legacy.

Whether you're a coach, a player grinding for your role, or a fan who loves the human side of the sport, this conversation is a blueprint for building something that lasts.

In this episode:

🏈 Shane Beamer's journey from walk-on to South Carolina head coach

🏈 Why walk-ons are the heartbeat of championship culture

🏈 The core values that define South Carolina Football

🏈 Leadership lessons from success, failure, and adversity

🏈 How players can earn trust and create opportunity

🏈 Why "every day is a résumé builder"

🏈 Advice for young coaches and future leaders

Memorable Quotes

• "Core values are the foundation of a program."

• "Every day is a résumé builder."

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 Intro to Coach Shane Beamer
01:17 The Importance of Walk-Ons
02:35 Beamer's Journey as a Walk-On
04:31 Finding Your Role
09:07 Building a Program: Core Values
13:10 The Legacy of Coaching
15:09 Lessons on Adversity
17:28 Advice to Young Coaches
20:55 Walk-Ons in South Carolina

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week.

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

Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available:

• Walk-On
• Partial Scholarship
• Full Ride
  Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

For over a century, the NCAA was the sheriff of college football. Today there's no sheriff at all - and the fight to replace it is reshaping the sport. In this solo deep-dive, host Seth Saunders makes the case that NIL, the transfer portal, conference realignment, and playoff expansion aren't separate crises. They're symptoms of one massive transfer of power, and college football is living through its own Cold War.

Seth traces the legal through-line that got us here: from the 2014 O'Bannon case, to Justice Kavanaugh's unanimous Alston concurrence ("the NCAA is not above the law"), through the wave of state NIL laws and the House settlement, all the way to the Brendan Sorsby eligibility fight - the case that proves the NCAA is now just the trial court, not judge, jury, and executioner.

From there: why the SEC and Big Ten are the sport's two superpowers, why the ACC has become the "Berlin Wall" everyone's watching, how NIL Go exposes college football's enforcement problem, and the six proxy wars driving every headline. Seth closes with three possible futures for the sport - "NFL-lite," managed expansion, or the regional renaissance he's pulling for, built on the lessons of the FCS.

The sport isn't dying. The money's never been better. But the fight over who gets to decide what college football becomes is fully underway — and the next five years may define the next fifty.

🎧 Listen & subscribe so you never miss an episode — and if this one made you think, share it with your tailgate crew.

Topics: college football, NIL, SEC, Big Ten, conference realignment, College Football Playoff, House settlement, NCAA, transfer portal, revenue sharing, ACC, FCS

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

Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available:

• Walk-On
• Partial Scholarship
• Full Ride
  Inquiries: [email protected]

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

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

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

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

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 football
• Lessons from Joe Glenn, Mack Brown, and Lou Tepper that still shape his approach
• Behind the scenes at the 2005 National Championship at the Rose Bowl
• The leadership principle Kennedy teaches above all others: be present, be detailed
• The electric game day atmosphere at Washington-Grizzly Stadium
• The truth about the Brawl of the Wild from someone who's lived it
• Real talk for walk-ons and under-recruited athletes
• The 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

🏈 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

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:

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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:

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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:

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If you believe in Saturdays:
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