A season that was supposed to be defined by parity instead ended with the two most iconic brands in women’s basketball meeting in the national title game and UConn adding a historic record 12th title. Those programs once again top the field in this way-too-early look at 2025-26. As is tradition in these power rankings,…
(Editor’s note: This article is part of the Bracket Central series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s & women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.) Drake’s in, so we can dispense with the arguments about whether Ben McCollum’s Bulldogs would have made the field of 68 without winning the Missouri Valley…
We’re a month removed from the national championship game, and the players who transferred from Notre Dame and Ohio State have found homes. So that’s given us a good bit of separation from the winter transfer portal window. Now that there has been time to assess all the roster movement, The Athletic spoke to 13…
Five years ago, this was a fairly simple exercise: Rank Alabama either No. 1 or 2, then drop Ohio State, Clemson or Georgia immediately before or after. Look like a genius 365 days later. But these days, it takes the GDP of a small country to keep a roster intact in college football. Ohio State…
We’re firmly into conference play in the college basketball season, which means it’s time to update the 2025 NBA Mock Draft here at The Athletic. Why does conference play matter so much more than the nonconference slate? First and foremost, it’s later in the season. Freshmen have had a chance to adjust to the speed…
Even SEC football is jealous of what SEC basketball is doing right now. The league went 14-1 this weekend and has been so dominant that you’re going to hear a lot of “The SEC is the first league to (fill in the blank)” for the next few months. My Top 25 ballot this week includes…
One of the most anticipated showdowns of the season is on the docket this week, as UConn and USC face off in a rematch of the 2024 Elite Eight in Hartford, Conn. Both teams boast top-10 offenses and defenses, per Her Hoop Stats, which generally indicates a national title contender. During the preseason, this game…
Editor’s note: The Athletic 134 is a weekly ranking of all FBS college football teams. The first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff was an absolute success. Regardless of how the bracket plays out, it has already accomplished exactly what it was supposed to do. More regular-season games had more stakes. New faces made…
Editor’s note: The Athletic 134 is a weekly ranking of all FBS college football teams. It turns out the first 12-team College Football Playoff field may be mostly locked in before championship weekend. After weeks of twists, turns and hypotheticals, figuring out the 12 teams has become mostly pretty easy by the end. But seeding…
Editor’s note: The Athletic 134 is a weekly ranking of all FBS college football teams. Winning games is hard. That’s a press conference cliché you’ll hear from every coach, but it’s true, especially for coaches dealing with college athletes. How else can you explain what happened on Saturday? For two weeks, SEC fans beat the…