From Friday Night Lights to College Football Business

🎙 Hosts

• JP Rock and Matt Biermann

• Streaming live Saturdays on 590 AM and across podcast platforms.

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🔑 Key Topics Covered

1. Season Momentum & Senior Year Urgency

• The football season is flying by, already into Week 3.

• Seniors are reminded not to rush past the moment—enjoy it while preparing for college.

• Early commitments help players focus on their final high school season.

2. Balancing Coaching & Training

• Matt shared his grind: coaching youth flag football, running training programs, and middle school coaching responsibilities.

• Football really is a year-round commitment for players, coaches, and trainers.

3. Health & Competition

• Discussion about kids battling illness (COVID/flu going around local schools).

• Competing while sick drains athletes quickly, raising concerns about game-day timing if illness hits.

• JP and Matt noted that coaches and players often “push through” because football rarely pauses.

4. Mizzou’s Big Win & Quarterback Talk

• Missouri’s comeback win was a highlight.

• Bo Pribula impressed with his fast-paced, urgent QB style, winning over doubters.

• Contrast drawn with Sam Horn’s unfortunate injury, which may derail his football future but leaves him with a baseball path.

• Coaching staff gave Horn opportunities out of fairness, but the QB battle leaned Bo’s way from the start.

5. Local Talent Driving Success

• Mizzou thrives when building around local players like Jamal Roberts, Brett Norfleet, Kevin Coleman, and Luther Burden.

• Hosts stressed “locking down the borders” on Missouri talent to elevate the program—similar to Gary Pinkel’s era with Blaine Gabbert, Sheldon Richardson, and Aldon Smith.

• Many St. Louis–area players are excelling nationally (Jeremiah McClellan, Jeremiah Love, Aeneas Williams, Frederick Moore).

• Per capita, the region produces as many NFL players as larger football markets.

6. Recruiting Battles & Legacy Recruits

• Big recruiting weekend at Mizzou; several high-profile players attended.

• Discussion of Ridge James (legacy connections but still a business decision in today’s NIL world).

• Recruiting is now approached as a business transaction, not just loyalty.

7. College Sports Business & NIL Debate

• Hosts critiqued the narrative of “saving college sports.”

• They argued schools profited for decades without paying athletes and are now resisting NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) changes.

• Concerns raised over NCAA pushing for antitrust exemptions, collective bargaining limits, and uniform NIL rules to regain control.

• Emphasis: college sports are big business—universities need to adapt like any other industry, not resist change.

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📌 Takeaways

• For Athletes: Don’t rush your high school years—focus on both performance and academics.

• For Parents & Coaches: Stay realistic about recruiting—injuries and business realities shift paths quickly.

• For Programs: Local recruiting is key; Mizzou succeeds when keeping in-state stars.

• For Fans: College athletics is a business; NIL is here to stay, and adaptation is essential.