Coach is joined by Charles Davis and Dennis Dodd, The conversation begins with a discussion regarding the spring meetings of the Big Ten conference, which recently took place at a resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Charles notes that the conference is feeling very positive about itself, highlighted by the prominent display of recent national championship trophies at the meeting's registration. A significant shift at this year's meeting was the inclusion of the media, which had historically been discouraged from attending. This allowed Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti to publicly reaffirm his commitment to a 24-team playoff format, which emerged as the dominant topic of the meetings despite other minor issues being raised.

The participants then delve into the concept of "self-governance" within collegiate athletics, particularly concerning how the major conferences might establish their own rules independently of traditional oversight. Dennis outlines that self-governance would not mean conferences breaking away entirely, but rather choosing how to manage internal affairs such as collective bargaining, player compensation, enforcement of rules, and transfer eligibility while still competing against other schools. They express skepticism about current enforcement methods, recalling past failures when conferences attempted self-policing, which often led to internal friction and instability.

Finally, the discussion touches upon the potential conflict between state laws and a unified national standard for college athletics. The speakers contemplate a scenario where individual states, like Texas, might pass independent laws governing athletic programs, which could create a chaotic patchwork of regulations across the country unless a federal law is established to create a single national standard. Charles suggests that if the major conferences do not find a way to effectively govern themselves, they may eventually be forced to adopt a professionalized model similar to the NFL or NBA, complete with a dedicated commissioner and a board of governors to manage the sport's future.

Coach is joined by Charles Davis and Dennis Dodd, The conversation begins with a discussion regarding the spring meetings of the Big Ten conference, which recently took place at a resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Charles notes that the conference is feeling very positive about itself, highlighted by the prominent display of recent national championship trophies at the meeting's registration. A significant shift at this year's meeting was the inclusion of the media, which had historically been discouraged from attending. This allowed Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti to publicly reaffirm his commitment to a 24-team playoff format, which emerged as the dominant topic of the meetings despite other minor issues being raised.
The participants then delve into the concept of "self-governance" within collegiate athletics, particularly concerning how the major conferences might establish their own rules independently of traditional oversight. Dennis outlines that self-governance would not mean conferences breaking away entirely, but rather choosing how to manage internal affairs such as collective bargaining, player compensation, enforcement of rules, and transfer eligibility while still competing against other schools. They express skepticism about current enforcement methods, recalling past failures when conferences attempted self-policing, which often led to internal friction and instability.
Finally, the discussion touches upon the potential conflict between state laws and a unified national standard for college athletics. The speakers contemplate a scenario where individual states, like Texas, might pass independent laws governing athletic programs, which could create a chaotic patchwork of regulations across the country unless a federal law is established to create a single national standard. Charles suggests that if the major conferences do not find a way to effectively govern themselves, they may eventually be forced to adopt a professionalized model similar to the NFL or NBA, complete with a dedicated commissioner and a board of governors to manage the sport's future.

Not many analysts in the midsouth have as much football expertise as Doug Mathews brings to the microphone every Saturday morning. It’s Forklift System’s Football Saturday on 104-5 The Zone.

Mathews, best known for his 10 seasons as Running Backs Coach and Defensive Coordinator for the University of Tennessee, tells it like it is and lets you take show where you want to go every weekend.

Forklift Systems Football Saturday covers all the big games across the nation, including all the action within the Southeastern Conference. It’s the perfect preview before you catch your favorite team play Saturday afternoon. Featuring long-time college football writer Tony Barnhart and NFL analyst Charles Davis.