A year ago at this time, college football fans around the country were counting down the days to get on the sticks and play EA Sports College Football 25, the first release of the video game in over a decade.

Now, fans are looking forward to playing as their favorite teams for a second straight year when EA Sports College Football 26 is released between July 7 and July 10.

Here are the 10 best teams, by overall, in EA Sports College Football 26:

10.  LSU — 86 overall

9. Oregon — 86 overall

8. Texas A&M — 88 overall 

7. Clemson — 88 overall

6. Georgia — 88 overall

5. Notre Dame — 88 overall

The Fighting Irish were one game away from capturing their program’s 12th national title last season and will have a mixture of new players and proven production in 2025—26. A new quarterback will be at the helm following the departure of Riley Leonard to the NFL. However, running back Jeremiyah Love will return as one of the best tailbacks in the country, as well as wide receivers Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison. Defensively, Notre Dame has a new defensive coordinator in Chris Ash, who replaced Al Golden.

4. Penn State — 88 overall

The Nittany Lions, led by quarterback Drew Allar, are going to face immense pressure to make a run at a national championship this season. Penn State is returning not only Allar but its elite running back duo in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. As a program that always prides itself on defense, the Nittany Lions brought in Jim Knowles from Ohio State as their defensive coordinator, a strong move that could propel them to the top of college football.

3. Ohio State — 88 overall

The defending National Champion Buckeyes lost 17 players to the NFL, but are reloaded and ready to make a run to go back-to-back. Ohio State will have a new quarterback in 2025 and will be surrounded by young talent on both sides of the ball, including receiver phenom Jeremiah Smith and do-it-all safety Caleb Downs.

2. Texas — 88 overall

The Longhorns are one of the favorites to win the National Championship in 2025—26 after falling to Ohio State just one game short of a national title game appearance. With quarterback Arch Manning ready to take the reins at quarterback, it should be no surprise that the video game is buying into the well-deserved hype.

1. Alabama — 89 overall

The Crimson Tide, who are coming off a disappointing 9-3 regular season record, are the video game’s highest-rated team. Alabama has seven players rated in the game’s top 100, including wide receiver Ryan Williams, a 95 overall, who is one of the game’s cover athletes and the fifth-best player.

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Summer is underway, and each passing day gets us closer and closer to the start of the college football season. June has prospective recruits visiting college campuses, July will have The Big Ten Media Days, and then August will have stories and news trickling out from teams about their respective depth charts are shaping up for the 2025 season.

While every team within The Big Ten has its share of non-conference opponents throughout the season, with most games falling in the first weeks of the season, the conference match-ups will start to materialize before the end of September. While not serving as elimination games, getting off to a good start within the conference can only help in the race for one of the coveted College Football Playoff berths.

September 20th: Michigan at Nebraska (3:30pm ET kickoff, CBS); Illinois at Indiana (Kickoff and network TBA)

Nebraska won the first two games versus Michigan as B1G opponents back in 2012 (Nebraska 23, Michigan 9) and 2013 (Nebraska 17, Michigan 13), but the Wolverines have been on the winning side of the ledger the last four times the teams have played, with Michigan decisively beating Nebraska 45-7 in Lincoln in 2023. For a program that earned its first bowl game visit since the 2016 season, this could be a barometer game for Matt Rhule and his coaching staff in seeing how far the Cornhuskers have come, and possibly how much further they may need to go to ascend to the level of the perceived conference elite.

Last season, the Indiana Hoosiers were the surprise team of The Big Ten, under their first year of coaching by Curt Cignetti. While Illinois had a tremendous 10-3 season under Bret Bielema in 2024, this game at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington could provide some clues as to how much either team will factor into the conference championship race.

September 27th: Ohio State at Washington/USC at Illinois (Kickoffs and networks TBA); Oregon at Penn State (7:30pm ET kickoff, NBC/Peacock)

Both Ohio State and Washington will begin their Big Ten conference schedules in this contest at Husky Stadium. This will be their first meeting as conference opponents, as Ohio State last visited Husky Stadium in 2007 (Ohio State 33, Washington 14) when Washington was still a member of The Pac-12. As Jedd Fisch begins his second year at the helm for Washington, this game against the defending national champions will be scrutinized to see how the program is developing. Ohio State will begin conference play in their first road trip of the 2025 season.

USC will be making their first trip to Champaign as a member of The Big Ten, as the Trojans easily handled Illinois 55-3 as a Pac-12 member back in 1996. USC will have already played at Purdue (September 13th, 3:30pm ET CBS/Paramount) and Michigan State (September 20th). It will be interesting to see how Illinois plays after the aforementioned game at Indiana on September 20th.

The most anticipated game of The Big Ten season in September is the night game featuring Oregon at Penn State. A rematch of last season’s Big Ten Championship Game, the Penn State faithful are understandably excited about a “White Out” contest against one of the premier Big Ten teams, and it will be interesting to see how Oregon handles what promises to be a raucous environment when the game kicks off. This will be the first time Oregon has played at State College since October 3, 1964, when the Ducks defeated the Nittany Lions, 22-14.

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With nearly 6 months before the game on November 1st, the highly anticipated match up between Penn State and Ohio State was ratcheted up after the publication of a story by Heather Dinich of ESPN.com on May 6th. Dinich’s story gave college football fans, most notably Ohio State and Penn State fans, insight into the reasons why Jim Knowles left his position as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator to join Jim Franklin’s staff at Penn State for this upcoming season.

In the article, Knowles explained to Dinich his reasoning for leaving Ohio State, despite the Buckeyes’ recent national championship success. Essentially, Knowles wanted a contract extension/adjustment prior to Ohio State’s national championship game versus Notre Dame, and when the adjustment did not happen, Knowles felt that it was in his best interests to look elsewhere.

In the article, Jim Knowles stated, “I did not want to put anyone, including myself, in a position to have to deal with it immediately following the national championship game…And that’s the way it happened…Season’s over, everything coming to a head again quickly…Ohio State hasn’t come forward with a deal, and it’s like, OK, if I’m going to act on this or at least explore it, I have got to make the call.“.

Adding to the awkwardness of the situation was how this all played out in the backdrop of a national championship celebration at Ohio Stadium, minus Jim Knowles. Negotiations with Knowles were ongoing, and Knowles was asked not to attend the celebration. In the article, Knowles stated, “I was asked not to go to the parade, and I respect that…I’m not trying to be a secretive guy. Here’s this offer, there were a couple others that were every bit as much money, and then there was Ohio State’s offer, which was still great money, but not as much, so then you have to sit with it.”.

Both Penn State and Ohio State have moved on, with Knowles taking over as Penn State’s defensive coordinator, while Ohio State head coach Ryan Day elected to hire Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator, while also promoting Tim Walton to co-defensive coordinator. Needless to say, the backstory and drama surrounding the departure of Jim Knowles from Ohio State to a rival Big Ten program in Penn State has only fueled the anticipation for one of college football’s biggest games of the 2025 season.

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The German Import spent two seasons at Ohio State recording 14 tackles and a sack.

It won’t be long before Kanu sees his former teammates. Texas opens its 2025 season with a late August trip to Columbus to face the Buckeyes in what could potentially be a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup.

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NCAA President Charlie Baker sent a memo to members of the NCAA on Friday, and he stated the settlement of the House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA cases will help “in our ongoing effort to create a stable, sustainable and equitable model for the future of college sports.” The Ohio State athletic department published the memo, and a full read of it is below.

READ: Report: Former Nebraska, Washington RB Will Nixon transferring to Syracuse

The NCAA and each of the Power 5 conferences jointly announced Thursday that schools can share “up to $22 million with student-athletes per year.” Baker acknowledged there will be future compensation for Division I student-athletes and back damages, though, he thanked everyone within Division I for their “dedication and hard work in getting us to this point.” Baker stated “there is still much work to be done” and NCAA members’ “continued support and collaboration will be crucial.”

Baker stated the “nearly $2.78 billion” in back damages from the settlement will be split 42% paid by the NCAA and 58% among the Division I conferences “based on their distributions over the past nine years.” It will be paid over 10 years, about $280 million per year.

“This will be funded through careful expense management, new revenue initiatives and the use of reserves,” Baker stated.

Baker bulleted three “specific contributions” from a trio of sources, as outlined below.

• Football Bowl Subdivision conferences: $95 million annually (33%).
• Football Championship Subdivision conferences: $37 million annually (13%).
• Nonfootball Division I conferences: $34 million annually (12%).

Had the settlement not happened and trials unfolded, Baker stated the NCAA could have been on the hook to pay potentially $9 billion in “treble damages,” which he stated “would be financially devastating and unsustainable.”

READ: College Football Playoff, TNT Sports reach 5-year sublicensing agreement; TNT Sports to begin broadcasting 2 first-round games in 2024

Baker also listed “several critical objectives” reached through the settlement, as outlined below.

1. It replaces potentially crippling lawsuits with a negotiated settlement and a 10-year injunction.
2. It enables student-athletes to receive up to 22% of the average DI Power 5 athletics revenues — in addition to tuition and other benefits currently provided. Adding all these benefits together, many A5 schools would be devoting nearly 50% of athletics revenue to student-athletes. 
3. It ends decades of antitrust litigation, stabilizing college sports while permitting conferences and the NCAA to enforce rules that set a level playing field and emphasize the educational mission of college athletics.
4. It binds DI together, enabling the NCAA to contribute $120 million annually for 10 years toward back damages.

While Baker stated in closing that the settlement is “a massive step forward for student-athletes and college sports,” he accompanied that sentiment by acknowledging “it does not address every challenge.” Baker stated pending legal issues “such as those related to employment with the NLRB and the Johnson case” are among the obstacles still in need of a solution.

There is the possibility that “if the NCAA outperforms revenue projections and has unplanned surplus net assets, there will be an opportunity to determine how those additional assets can be used to offset the local impact of the damages payment,” Baker stated. 

The NCAA aims “to provide more direct benefits to student-athletes,” and Baker stated “this is a vital opportunity to positively reshape the future of college sports” amid the challenges ahead.

READ: Reports: Big Ten Conference made $880 million in revenue during 2023

Here is Baker’s full memo, via Ohio State.

“Good afternoon,

“I would like to share an update on an important step forward in our ongoing effort to create a stable, sustainable and equitable model for the future of college sports. We have now reached a proposed settlement in three major cases — House, Hubbard and Carter — involving back damages and future compensation for Division I student-athletes. 

“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you in Division I for your dedication and hard work in getting us to this point. Your efforts have been instrumental in negotiating this complex settlement and in shaping a more stable future for Division I college athletics. We acknowledge that there is still much work to be done, and your continued support and collaboration will be crucial as we implement these changes.

“The media has covered these lawsuits extensively, with varying degrees of accuracy. The plaintiffs’ demand for back damages is substantial. In the House case alone, the plaintiffs sought approximately $3 billion. If the NCAA were to lose at trial, the courts could impose “treble damages,” potentially resulting in a $9 billion judgment. Such a verdict would be financially devastating and unsustainable.

“The lawsuits address three main issues: compensation for academic-related expenses; name, image, and likeness opportunities; and restrictions on scholarships. We have managed to negotiate the total back damages for these cases down to nearly $2.78 billion, to be paid over 10 years, equating to approximately $280 million annually.

“To address this obligation, we have developed a plan where the NCAA will contribute $1.2 billion over 10 years, representing 42% of the total back damages. This will be funded through careful expense management, new revenue initiatives and the use of reserves.

“The remaining 58% will be distributed among the Division I conferences based on their distributions over the past nine years. This translates to an annual contribution of $165 million, or a 20% total reduction in distributions.

“Specific contributions are as follows:

• Football Bowl Subdivision conferences: $95 million annually (33%).
• Football Championship Subdivision conferences: $37 million annually (13%).
• Nonfootball Division I conferences: $34 million annually (12%).

“While these contributions represent only 1%-2% of total revenues for FCS and nonfootball conferences, individual conferences will need to manage these contributions based on their members’ budgets. I understand this change will not be easy to manage, but given the challenges facing college sports over the last few decades, change is inevitable. I believe the change before us now presents massive new opportunities for student-athletes and all of Division I. 

“And to be clear, the financial estimate is just that. If the NCAA outperforms revenue projections and has unplanned surplus net assets, there will be an opportunity to determine how those additional assets can be used to offset the local impact of the damages payment (e.g., supplemental, pay down).

“Additionally, the forward-looking aspect of this settlement includes a revenue-sharing model allowing schools to provide more direct benefits to student-athletes, including for NIL. This model, starting in the 2025-26 fiscal year, proposes that 22% of average Autonomy 5 revenues can be shared with student-athletes, potentially amounting to $1 billion to $1.5 billion annually.

“This settlement achieves several critical objectives:

1. It replaces potentially crippling lawsuits with a negotiated settlement and a 10-year injunction.
2. It enables student-athletes to receive up to 22% of the average DI Power 5 athletics revenues — in addition to tuition and other benefits currently provided. Adding all these benefits together, many A5 schools would be devoting nearly 50% of athletics revenue to student-athletes.
3. It ends decades of antitrust litigation, stabilizing college sports while permitting conferences and the NCAA to enforce rules that set a level playing field and emphasize the educational mission of college athletics.
4. It binds DI together, enabling the NCAA to contribute $120 million annually for 10 years toward back damages.

“This is a massive step forward for student-athletes and college sports, but it does not address every challenge. There are still pending legal issues, such as those related to employment with the NLRB and the Johnson case. 

“While challenges remain, this is a vital opportunity to positively reshape the future of college sports. In the weeks ahead, the DI governance team will be working through all relevant committees to discuss next steps with you all. 

“There is a lot of work to be done, and we look forward to getting it done with you in the coming months. 

“Sincerely,

“Charlie Baker”

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According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, former Nebraska and Washington running back/wide receiver Will Nixon will join Syracuse before the 2024 season. Nixon has almost 30 games under his belt across four seasons in college football.

The Waco, Texas, native will have the opportunity to play for his father Jeff Nixon, who was named next offensive coordinator of the Orange in January and has built over 27 years of coaching experience across both college football and the NFL.

READ: NCAA, Power 5 announce settlement agreement, plan to pay student-athletes

Will Nixon ran for 201 rushing yards last season and scored a touchdown in his second year with the Huskies. While Washington advanced to its first College Football Playoff National Championship appearance, Will Nixon played an important role as the team’s second-leading rusher.

The 5-foot-11, 202-pound running back also is a threat in the backfield having averaged more than six yards per carry and catch in 2023. Will Nixon posted career highs in many categories, though in the receiving game he caught 84 yards along with 13 receptions.

Will Nixon was sidelined the first year of his college career at Nebraska after suffering a torn ACL in summer 2020.

READ: College Football Playoff, TNT Sports reach 5-year sublicensing agreement; TNT Sports to begin broadcasting 2 first-round games in 2024

The rising fifth-year is also accomplished in the classroom. Will Nixon earned a spot on the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team and won Washington’s 101 Club Academic Award in the postseason.

Will Nixon was a three-star recruit according to Rivals playing at Midway High School in Texas. He earned district MVP after totaling 2,087 yards from scrimmage and 29 touchdowns as a senior.

Syracuse is heading a new direction with former Georgia secondary coach Fran Brown as head coach and incoming quarterback transfer Kyle McCord from Ohio State. Will Nixon will join the Orange and junior running back LeQuint Allen, who led Syracuse with 1,118 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last season.

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According to Daniel Libit of Sportico, tax reports show the Big Ten took in the $880 million figure between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.

The Big Ten distributed “about $60.5 million” to the 12 longest-tenured members in the conference, according to Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY. Maryland and Rutgers received “about $2 million less” than the other 12 members of the Big Ten.

READ: Penn State Board of Trustees approves Beaver Stadium renovation before 2027 season

The Big Ten’s revenue earnings allow it to pass the Southeastern Conference for most revenue among college conferences, and the SEC had $853 million in revenue in fiscal year 2023, according to Sportico. The SEC distributed “an average of about $51.3 million” to each of its 14 members.

The Big Ten spent, including its distributions to member programs, “just over $897 million” in 2023 and “operated at a deficit of just over $17.5 million for the year, but still had net assets totaling $247 million,” according to USA TODAY.

Despite retirement in 2020, former commissioner Jim Delaney was the Big Ten’s “highest-paid employee” having received $5.8 million from retirement or deferred compensation and bonus or incentive compensation, according to Sportico. Delaney remains on the conference’s payroll as an outside consultant.

READ: Colorado announces season-ticket sellout for 2nd-straight season

The Big Ten entered a new media rights deal it signed in 2022 worth nearly $7 billion. It reached agreements with CBS, FOX, NBC, NBCUniversal’s Peacock, Big Ten Network and FS1 and will continue through the 2029-30 season.

Now over a year into its new media agreement, the Big Ten will likely see the beginnings of its impact financially. For comparison on revenue between fiscal years 2023 and 2022, the $880 million last year “represent about a 4% increase in total revenue and a nearly 3% increase in per-school payouts” according to USA TODAY.

The Big Ten also saw Tony Petitti take over after Kevin Warren as conference commissioner in May 2023, and Petitti’s pay was not reported because the report only covered the 2022 calendar year, according to USA TODAY.

ALSO WATCH

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Colorado announced Monday that it sold out of season tickets for 2024, marking the second-straight year the Buffaloes have done so. It’s also the 10th time in program history Colorado has sold out of season tickets.

READ: Former UNLV DB Ricky Johnson transfers to Michigan

Sanders and the Buffaloes sold out Folsom Field for the first time in 2023 since 1996 when Colorado’s seven-year stretch of doing so during the 1990-96 seasons also included a national championship in 1990.

“Selling out of season tickets for the second year in a row shows how strong our fan base is and the continued impact of and trust in Coach Prime,” Colorado athletics director Rick George stated in a release. “We are ready for an exciting 2024 season and expect a full house for every game for the second straight season.”

READ: Reports: Auburn’s Brian Battie injured during shooting in Sarasota on Saturday

READ: EA Sports College Football 25 features, gameplay shared in full reveal

The lone other season Colorado sold out its season tickets was in 1972 following a 1971 campaign in which the Buffaloes went 10-2 finishing the year ranked No. 3 and including wins over LSU and Ohio State.

According to a release, Colorado’s season ticket renewal rate finished above 98% for a second-straight year. Both the 2023 and 2024 seasons are “two of a few” that totaled over 90% renewal rates.

Colorado will return this season to the Big 12 Conference since it departed in 2010 for the Pac-12 Conference. Among the Buffaloes’ anticipated home matchups include the opener Aug. 29 against North Dakota State, which won nine Football Championship Subdivision national championships from 2011-21, and Homecoming on Sept. 21 against Baylor, which will “also be the Big 12 Homecoming game with several league activations on campus along with traditional homecoming activities,” according to a release, during the Bears’ first visit to Boulder since 2010.

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Set to launch worldwide on July 19, a full reveal of the modes and features of EA Sports College Football 25 was announced on Friday.

Dynasty and Road To Glory modes will be available in College Football 25, according to a release. Those two modes will allow players “to construct their own powerhouse program as a created coach or vie for the Heisman as a player” in what the video game introduces as CampusIQ, which will be “a suite of features that brings to life the true depth of college football through wide open, fast-paced gameplay across all 134 FBS schools in all areas of the game.”

READ: ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery introduce Venu Sports streaming service

Over 10,000 players have opted into College Football 25, it was announced in March. Any student-athlete who opts in and has their name, image and likeness used will receive $600 and a copy of the video game.

College Football 25 will also offer “the all-new Road to the College Football Playoff and College Football Ultimate Team” that will “bring fresh online experiences and ways to play.”

“EA SPORTS College Football is BACK! We’ve felt the passion and anticipation of college football fans every step of the way since we first announced this game, and we’re ecstatic to finally be able to show everyone what we’ve been building,” EA Sports SVP and Group GM Daryl Holt stated in a release. “College Football 25 is built with authenticity at its core, inspired by experiences our fans have loved from our games, and fully evolved to reflect modern college football – all of which will immerse them in the sights, sounds, and true-to-life gameplay of the sport they love.”

READ: Northwestern announces 2024 schedule, will play 2 games at Wrigley Field

READ: ABC, ESPN unveil Weeks 0-1 broadcast schedule

EA Sports unveiled the cover of College Football 25 on Thursday, showcasing Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Colorado defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter. They will star on the covers of the Standard and Deluxe editions.

“Donovan, Quinn and Travis are extraordinary talents who impressed and entertained millions of college football fans on the field last season and are poised to do so again this year,” Holt stated in a release. “We’re proud to be able to incorporate thousands of current athletes in College Football 25, and featuring this trio of playmakers and their iconic college programs on the cover is a perfect fit as we usher in a new era for EA SPORTS and college football. I can’t wait for the world to learn more about the game tomorrow.”

ESPN broadcasters such as Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will “call marquee matchups,” along with other broadcast teams such as Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer and David Pollack will comprise the virtual booth and “take the mic for all other games.”

Among the gameplay features include Homefield Advantage, which will allow players to “through distractions like screen shaking, missing pre-play icons, and moving play art.” Additional features consist of Pre-Snap Recognition and the Wear & Tear System, which means virtual player stamina is affected by more play so it will be important to “manage your players’ health, limit fatigue, assess risk of injury, and avoid on-field mistakes by using strategic substitutions to ensure your players are at their best when it counts the most.”

The traditions within college football that make it one of a kind will be immersed in College Football 25. Along with team mascots and fight songs, the video game will include “unique team run-outs, rivalry rituals, synchronized crowd-chants, loudness meters as well as real game-day audio.”

READ: Colorado-Nebraska primetime kickoff announced for Week 2 matchup on NBC

Dynasty and Road To Glory modes are also offered in the video game alongside Road to the College Football Playoff, where players will “experience a new way to play competitively across consoles” and “earn rank by upsetting the toughest opponents and securing the votes you need to progress and level up divisions,” as well as College Football Ultimate Team.

College Football Ultimate Team will allow players to “build your dream team of college football stars and legends” in Solo Challenges or H2H seasons, and they can test their skill across consoles “in more competitive formats like College Football Ultimate Team Champs and Champs Gauntlet.”

EA Sports College Football 25 is available for pre-order now. According to Matt Brown of Extra Points, the video game will not be available for PC at launch. EA Sports is also offering an MVP bundle on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S that will include deluxe editions of College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25 “with 3-day early access and unlocks a multitude of benefits across both titles.”

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Second-year head coach David Braun and Northwestern will host Ohio State on Nov. 16 and Illinois on Nov. 30 at the home of the Chicago Cubs. The Wildcats are rebuilding Ryan Field across the next two seasons after a historic $480 million gift from the Ryan family, the largest in Northwestern history, and will remain playing home games in the Chicago metropolitan area in 2024.

READ: ABC, ESPN unveil Weeks 0-1 broadcast schedule

READ: Colorado-Nebraska primetime kickoff announced for Week 2 matchup on NBC

The Wildcats will open the season with three-straight home games against defending Mid-American Conference champion Miami (OH), Duke and Eastern Illinois, and those games will be played inside the Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility.

While the Big Ten Conference expands welcoming Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington — all from the Pac-12 Conference — and goes divisionless in 2024, Northwestern will play a nine-game conference schedule including bouts against last season’s College Football Playoff National Championship participants on the road against the defending Pac-12 champion Huskies on Sept. 21 and reigning national title winner and Big Ten champion Michigan on Nov. 23.

Kickoff times and television networks along with additional game information will be announced by the Big Ten office at a later date, according to a release.

READ: Joe Alt cherishes Notre Dame career, hopes to put ‘best foot forward’ with Los Angeles after No. 5 overall NFL Draft selection

Braun and the Wildcats are building on an 8-5 season in 2023 which ended with a 14-7 win over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. Braun earned Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading Northwestern on a seven-win turnaround, the largest by any Football Bowl Subdivision team in college football.

Former Mississippi State and Vanderbilt quarterback Mike Wright announced his commitment to transfer and join Braun and the Wildcats last week. Wright is expected to command the starting quarterback competition, and he has over 2,500 passing yards and 20 touchdowns at the college level.

Here is Northwestern’s full 2024 schedule.

Week 1 (Aug. 31) — Miami (OH) at Northwestern (Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility)

Week 2 (Sept. 7) — Duke at Northwestern (Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility)

Week 3 (Sept.14) — Eastern Illinois at Northwestern (Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility)

Week 4 (Sept. 21) — Northwestern at Washington (Husky Stadium)

Week 5 (Sept. 28) — BYE

Week 6 (Oct. 5) — Indiana at Northwestern (Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility)

Week 7 (Oct. 12) — Northwestern at Maryland (SECU Stadium)

Week 8 (Oct. 19) — Wisconsin at Northwestern (Lanny and Sharon Martin Lakeside Facility)

Week 9 (Oct. 26) — Northwestern at Iowa (Kinnick Stadium)

Week 10 (Nov. 2) — Northwestern at Purdue (Ross-Ade Stadium)

Week 11 (Nov. 9) — BYE

Week 12 (Nov. 16) — Ohio State at Northwestern (Wrigley Field)

Week 13 (Nov. 23) — Northwestern at Michigan (Michigan Stadium)

Week 14 (Nov. 30) — Illinois at Northwestern (Wrigley Field)

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King Mack, a rising sophomore safety who played in all 13 games with the Nittany Lions last season, posted his commitment Friday to Alabama on social media.

“1000% committed,” Mack posted.

READ: Conference USA expanding to add Missouri State in 2025

READ: Former Colorado, Houston RB Alton McCaskill IV transfers to Arizona State

Mack saw most of his playing time on special teams in 2023. The first two tackles of his career came in Week 2 against Delaware in addition to a quarterback hurry.

The 5-foot-10, 188-pound safety won multiple state championships in three years at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mack was twice named a team captain on his way to being considered a consensus four-star recruit after being named 3M Defensive Player of the Year two times.

READ: Former Mississippi State, Vanderbilt QB Mike Wright transfers to Northwestern

Mack’s uncle is Keith Ferguson, who played at Ohio State from 1977-80 and in the NFL from 1981-90. He’s also related to former Miami Hurricane Tremain Mack, who played from 1993-96 and also in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1997-2000.

Alabama’s secondary in particular will be part of a revamped defense under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide are tasked with replacing former starters Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, who were selected among the 2024 NFL Draft’s top 41 picks, as well as safety Jaylen Key who was picked with the final choice in the seventh round.

King is the third defensive back DeBoer and Alabama have added through the portal this offseason. Former Wake Forest cornerback DaShawn Jones and former Charlotte defensive back Kam Howard also transferred into the program this spring, according to Alex Scarborough of Bama247 via 247 Sports.

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The Arizona Cardinals selected two first team all-conference standouts with their first round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Their first choice came No. 4 overall when choosing Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. The reigning Biletnikoff Award winner became the Buckeyes’ fourth receiver to hear his name called in the first round in the past three drafts.

READ: Drake Maye believes he can ‘fit right in’ New England after No. 3 overall draft pick

Harrison will team up with former Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson, who ended his Tigers career with a 14-3 Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State last season. Robinson reportedly wore his Cotton Bowl ring at their introductory press conference, and he said he and Harrison talked about it.

“I was telling Marvin we was glad he didn’t play,” Robinson said. “I mean, the whole week leading up, you see Ohio State, everybody say, ‘OK. Marvin Harrison,’ and then we was like, ‘Is he going to play? Is he going to play?’ He didn’t play, so you know, we lucked out, so.”

READ: Former Oregon State, Nebraska coach Mike Riley appointed to CFP Selection Committee

READ: Georgia approves new contract for Kirby Smart; Smart becomes college football’s highest paid coach

Harrison has long heard conversations about following in the footsteps of his father Marvin Harrison Sr. who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame spending 13 years with the Indianapolis Colts.

Marvin Harrison Jr. became the most decorated wide receiver in Ohio State history after joining Terry Glenn in 1995 as the only Buckeyes to win college football’s top award for a receiver, and the new NFL rookie also is the only two-time All-American receiver in school history.

Marvin Harrison Jr. has embraced the pressure on the biggest stages, like the College Football Playoff. Now at football’s highest level, he’s comfortable with working his way up.

“I mean, yeah, I have high standards for myself,” Marvin Harrison Jr. said. “But I’m just going to go in there and try to work the best I can. I just want to help the team win really, so. And whatever role I play come September I’m going to just do my best and do that role.”

Marvin Harrison Jr. said it’s “awesome” reuniting with former Buckeyes offensive tackle teammate Paris Johnson Jr., who the Cardinals selected No. 6 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. The former All-American wide receiver said it’s “kind of like two years in the making” as the two discussed the possibility of playing pro football together while at Ohio State.

“Hopefully when I score some touchdowns he raises me up in his arms like he used to do in college, so super excited to play with him,” Marvin Harrison Jr. said. “I mean, not only is he going to be a great teammate, but a great friend to have as well.”

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About he and his father’s reaction to April’s draft, Marvin Harrison Jr. said “I don’t think it’s hit both of us yet” that he was chosen No. 4 overall. He said there’s “no better role model, coach, mentor you could have” than his father when he grew up going down a similar path on the gridiron.

Arizona expects Marvin Harrison Jr. to be the team’s top receiver, and he expects to connect with former Oklahoma Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Kyler Murray. Marvin Harrison Jr., who was a Heisman finalist last season after catching 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns, said his work ethic that’s led him to the NFL will remain an integral part of his routine that could help him wind up in Canton.

“It’s just being a pro,” Marvin Harrison Jr. said. “It’s kind how I was raised and grew up to do, and I keep the same mindset, same attitude that I’ve had throughout my whole career, once I get here. Continue to work hard, be consistent and disciplined in all that I do, so looking forward to putting in the work.”

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