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For a sport that spent decades with effectively the same system, structure and configuration, the rate of change in modern college football is jaw-dropping.

The first iteration of the College Football Playoff was in 2014, not too long ago, in the grand scheme of things. Four teams, picked by a selection committee, played two rounds to win a title. For a decade, despite a long list of controversial choices by that committee, it stayed at four teams. Then, the expansion.

After a wave of criticism from Florida State's exclusion from the 2023 edition and administrators realizing that there was a massive reservoir of revenue available if the sport added playoff games, the sport moved to 12. Just a few years later, here we are and most of the major players involved seem set to blow tradition up further and move to a whopping 24 teams. Seriously.

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The execs who control the playoff format met this week outside Chicago, with several new reports saying that the 24-team playoff is all but a done deal.

"We've worked through a lot of the other issues associated with [a 24-team] expansion and those things needed to happen before we started any kind of negotiation [over money]," said executive director Rich Clark, per Yahoo!'s Ross Dellenger.

There's a widespread assumption that the money will be there to make an expansion possible, whether that's with the current network, ESPN or another broadcast partner. And Clark seemed confident enough to publicly explain some details of how the new format would work.

Eight first-round games would start two weeks after the end of the regular season, essentially one week after the current conference championship game window. This would eliminate conference championships, long viewed as a necessary consequence of further expansion. Second-round games, another eight, would follow in late December, "most likely" played at the home stadium of the lower seeded team. Similar to the current first-round format.

Dellenger also quoted a "confident stakeholder," who is adamant that if the money materializes through a TV deal, "we are definitely going to 24."

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There are two ways to react to this news, but a few things seem certain about a 24-team field: traditional bowl games are all but dead, with reaching a 24-team field all that matters. The other? That the college football regular season, long the best in sports, will be irreparably changed.

There’s no question that three-loss teams will be part of a 24-team playoff. It’s a near certainty that four-loss teams will be too. Those close losses between rivals or top programs that were once so meaningful will now just be another week in the schedule, particularly in the era of superconferences, where strength of schedule will guarantee spots for some three-loss teams and four-loss teams.

There is another possibility, as unlikely as it is, that big teams are more willing to schedule each other in non-conference weeks, given that losses are less harmful on an overall resume.

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For example, when the Texas Longhorns lost to Ohio State in 2025 and missed the playoff, head coach Steve Sarkisian went ballistic. He called it a "disservice" to the sport, and ranted about the importance of schedules while threatening to reevaluate future matchups to give the Longhorns an easier path to the tournament. Obviously, he had a different tune after winning in 2026, but the underlying point he made still stands. Easier schedules means a greater likelihood of a 10-2 season and a playoff berth.

But if three losses isn't a death sentence, are programs more likely to risk it with higher-profile matchups?

Particularly with ratings on the decline thus far in 2026, as well as even traditional powerhouses like Penn State struggling to sell out their stadiums, teams could sell season ticket packages on the promise of seeing big games. Even if losing doesn't carry the same penalty as it used to.

Texas didn't struggle to fill up their stadium for the Ohio State game. USC had ~50,000 fans at the San Jose State game in miserable weather at 12 p.m., but sold out against Oregon. With ever-increasing competition for entertainment dollars, rapidly growing ticket prices, and the ease of following and watching games on smartphones, the best way to keep fans in the building is giving them a reason to come in the first place.

That said, even in a sport now infamous for quick cash grabs, this feels like the most blatant of them all. Conference championships and the bragging rights they bring are done. Revenue matters most, rather than competition or truly rewarding exceptional teams. Few fans, if any, have demanded or even wanted a 24-team playoff. But what fans prefer was already at the bottom of the list in terms of importance, and somehow it's sinking even lower.

Get ready for 8-4 Missouri playing 8-4 Wisconsin in the first round of the playoff, coming soon to a television near you.

Report stating that Trump administration directed funds towards right-wing groups comes ahead of presidential election.

The government said it will work over the next year to complete consultations on the project itself, and to secure environmental safeguards, financing and Indigenous partnerships.

A 94-year-old Jewish activist was detained at a pro-Palestine rally in the UK for supporting Palestine Action.

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Le'Veon Bell is among the Pittsburgh Steelers most productive running backs of all time, joining a list that includes multiple Hall of Famers. But as an observer of how his former teams do business, Bell put himself in the Hall of Shame on Thursday.

Bell, who played for the Steelers from 2013-17, saw his former team trade cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys overnight after a contract dispute and decided it was all about race.

Because Porter is Black.

No, seriously.

JERRY JONES GOES ALL IN AS COWBOYS TRADE FOR STEELERS' JOEY PORTER JR IN HOPES OF SUPER BOWL PUSH

"I wish Pittsburgh paid their black superstars they drafted just like they pay their white ones they draft," Bell posted on X on Thursday afternoon.

" ... hate to see porter get traded .. I thought same thing with [George] pickens? TJ Watt is worth every penny tho, so let's not get it confused .. but something needs to change."

Now, Bell has said some wild stuff in the past. But someone needs to jar Bell's memory and adjust his grasp of facts to get him off this race-baiting narrative.

Bell, you see, is not an honest broker. He was drafted in the second round by the Steelers in 2013 and after three 1,000-yard-plus seasons, the Steelers tried to pay him. A lot.

And that led to a contract dispute that ultimately ended his career in Pittsburgh. But before that happened, the Steelers offered to pay him $70 million on a five-year contract before the 2018 season.

That offer from eight years ago, before the NFL salary cap jumped seven times, would be competitive with most running back contracts today.

But Bell, who has admitted he came close to accepting the offer, ultimately turned it down based on his desire for greater guarantees.

Those details aren't primary. What matters is that Bell lived through a negotiation where he, as a Black Steelers draft pick, was offered a lucrative contract by the Steelers. And still on Thursday he's saying the Steelers don't pay their Black draft picks like they do their White ones.

The racist undertones of Bell's post also flies in the face of the fact that the Steelers, at the time of his offer, were coached by Mike Tomlin, who coached the team for 19 years until he stepped away this year.

Mike Tomlin is Black.

The team's general manager now is Omar Khan. He is a first-generation American of South Asian and Hispanic descent, with an Indian father and a Honduran mother.

And those are the people who only want to pay White players?

Pittsburgh's two-highest-paid players today are Watt and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They are both White. But that has nothing to do with their pay because Watt is the team's best and most accomplished player and Rodgers is the quarterback who has earned the right to be highly-paid after winning four MVP awards ... and, did we mention he's the quarterback?

But Pittsburgh's next seven highest-paid players are Black. And Pittsburgh's next nine of 10 highest-paid players are Black.

The team has shown zero compunction about paying Black players.

Receiver DK Metcalf got a big contract from the Steelers. He's Black.

Defensive back Jalen Ramsey got a big contract extension from the Steelers. He's Black.

Linebacker Patrick Queen got a big contract from the Steelers. He's Black.

Receiver Michael Pittman has gotten two big contract extensions from the Steelers. He's Black.

Someone challenged Bell about these facts beneath his post. And the former running back, who may be suffering from too many blows to the head, shot back that none of those players were drafted by the Steelers.

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Except, running back Jaylen Warren got a big contract from the Steelers, as did defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, as did tight end Darnell Washington. All were drafted by the Steelers. All are Black.

All got paid.

And then there's defensive lineman Cam Heyward. He was drafted by the team in 2011, so he was there when Bell was on the team.

The Steelers renegotiated Heyward's rookie deal, rewarding him with more money before that initial contract expired. Then they paid him again in 2015, 2020, 2024 and before this season.

Cam Heyward is Black.

FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO

David Eby said the measures would save the average two-car family up to $100 per month, but would also cost the provincial treasury about $250 million.

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Republicans fully acknowledge they are facing political headwinds going into the midterm elections in November, and those winds are swirling in a race that has become quietly competitive as Election Day nears.

Kansas has, for nearly a century, consistently elected Republicans to the Senate. 

But in a midterm election year when voters are unhappy with the Trump administration’s actions and its impact on the economy, the race between Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and megachurch Pastor Adam Hamilton has tightened more than some in the GOP would have liked.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the Senate GOP’s campaign chief, acknowledged that the race is close but remained confident Marshall would hold on.

WOKE MEGACHURCH PASTOR, DEM NOMINEE CALLED ON CONGREGATION TO REPENT FOR DRIVING, EATING BEEF

"Listen, I think if you look at Kansas, it's a very competitive state, more competitive than I'd like to see it. But the fact of the matter is that we're gonna win in Kansas," Scott said.

Republicans are trying to maintain and expand their 53-seat majority but face many toss-up contests across the map and voters that are frustrated with high fuel prices, tariffs and the war in Iran, which could threaten that grip on power.

Kansas isn’t in that toss-up category, but it was recently downgraded by "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican" by the Cook Political Report and in Fox News’ election power rankings.

"No one should be surprised that Adam’s message of leading from the middle and working together is resonating across Kansas," Tyson Brody, a spokesperson for Hamilton told Fox News Digital.

KANSAS DEMOCRAT BEGS KAMALA HARRIS NOT TO CAMPAIGN WITH HIM, ‘PLEASE DO NOT COME TO MY STATE’

"Roger Marshall has spent the past 18 months hiding from his constituents, voting to slash health care and supporting and endless war that’s led to skyrocketing gas and grocery prices," he continued. 

"Kansans are ready for something different, and that’s why we’ll vote to elect Adam in November."

Still, Scott gave Marshall and others some advice that could be the recipe for success, even in close contests.

"I told Roger Marshall the same thing I told all the candidates nearly two years ago: "You do one of two things. You either run afraid or you run unopposed,’" Scott said. "And, frankly, it's not unopposed.

"And, therefore, you can't run to the tape. You have to run through the tape. I believe that Kansas is a competitive state," he continued. "I will, however, say that, as I look at all the data, it tells me that Roger Marshall will be successful."

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He has already gotten reinforcements in the form of Vice President JD Vance, who earlier this month rallied for the lawmaker and pitched to voters that Marshall, a former obstetrician, was a man who devoted his life to delivering babies and making sure that moms and children from every walk of life were safe and had the healthcare that they need."

"Let’s stand for Doc Marshall and send the crazy people packing, ladies and gentlemen," Vance said.

He will get more backup soon, too. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital as he exited the Senate late Wednesday night he planned to travel to Kansas. When asked if Republicans would keep the majority, Thune said, "Of course we are."

Marshall is eying a second term in the Senate against Hamilton, a political newcomer who was previously registered as a Republican now running a centrist-aligned campaign. Marshall was first elected to the upper chamber in 2020, cruising to an 11-point victory while Republicans across the country took hits as Trump’s first term came to an end.

Since then, he has aligned himself with Trump as many Republicans did during their time in total control of Washington.

But in recent weeks and months, Marshall has started to distance himself from the administration, like pushing for ICE to coordinate with local law enforcement as agents descended upon southern Kansas or vowing to fight for jobs at Bombardier, a Canadian aircraft maintenance center that employs nearly 1,500 Kansans as Trump’s trade wars ensues.

Hamilton has his own headaches, too. Marshall has consistently painted Hamilton as a "woke" pastor who has delivered sermons to Kansas’ largest United Methodist congregation on Black Lives Matter and climate change, among others.

"As voters continue to learn more about Democrat Adam Hamilton, they are realizing his views are just a carbon copy of every other woke liberal in Washington," Brent Robertson, a longtime senior advisor to Marshall, told Fox News Digital. 

"Voters are turning on this guy quicker than cider."

During one sermon six years ago, Hamilton called on his congregation to repent for eating and producing beef. Notably, Kansas is the third-largest cattle producer in the country.

"Some of the things that we grow, because we like to eat them, like cattle, end up producing more carbon dioxide than other crops that we could grow, other forms of food that we could have," Hamilton said. 

"And, so, in all of these ways, we are creating or adding to the amount of greenhouse gases in our world."

Manchester City's Erling Haaland is one of the biggest soccer stars on the planet, and the Norwegian seems to want to make sure that no one capitalizes on that fame.

And that includes taking his signature hairdo and slapping it on an airline.

One Norwegian air carrier is reportedly learning that firsthand.

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According to Norwegian outlet VG, a lawsuit has been filed against Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA by Haaland and York Promotions Ltd. that has to do with a post the airline made on social media.

The company posted a photo of one of their planes with Haaland's ponytail with shaved sides — which he recently cut — plopped on top and the caption, "We've never looked more Norwegian."

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That post has since been deleted, but there's a hearing scheduled for October 9 in Oslo.

"It is true that we have received a lawsuit that we do not understand," Norwegian press officer Eivind Hammer Myhre said. "We, like almost all of Norway, have been involved in cheering on the national team this summer through a few spontaneous posts based on trends in social media."

This is interesting. I'm far from a trademark law expert — I dabble, though — but I could see this going either way.

On one hand, I get wanting to protect your brand, and that extends to a signature hairdo like the one Haaland has become known for.

Buuuuuut...

Social media has made stuff like this so weird, because trends pop up, and then companies (for some reason, I kind of wish it would stop) feel the need to hop on board and toss up a hastily photoshopped image.

Well, maybe this will put an end to that... at least in Norway.

France face neighbours Italy in new coach Zinedine Zidane's first home game, with Mbappe out injured.

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The rivals have been grouped together again, along with holders Australia, as ICC announces schedule for the tournament.

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LOS ANGELES — A top Disney executive refrained from weighing in on Jimmy Kimmel's future at ABC as his role as a late-night host for the long term remains in question.

Dana Walden, The Walt Disney Company's president and chief creative officer, appeared Thursday at the Bloomberg Screentime summit and was asked by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw whether Kimmel will be hosting his late-night show "a year from now."

"Well, I'm certainly not going to make that announcement with you here today," Walden awkwardly responded with a grin.

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Shaw then asked why it isn't a "no-brainer" for Disney to keep Kimmel on air, pointing to a boost in ratings and his status as a "free speech hero" following his clashes with President Donald Trump and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr.

"The truth is, it's a very challenging day part, late night," Walden responded. "That's not to say that Jimmy is not doing a phenomenal job, and his ratings are up, but they're up relative to a smaller audience that's watching late night on broadcast television."

"Obviously, there's a YouTube channel. Millions of people are watching On Demand, the parts of that show — that is not a lucrative opportunity for a very premium talk show. So we're trying to make sense of the business while also honoring a deep partnership," she continued. 

"I love Jimmy. We have a great friendship," Walden continued. "He's close to a number of the people at Disney. And again, we're trying to work through it and make sense of both what does Jimmy want, what's the right thing to do and what's right thing for our business."

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There has been unconfirmed speculation that the current season of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" will be its last and officially bow out in 2027. It would come following a tumultuous year for Kimmel, including when Disney briefly suspended his show in September 2025 after he sparked backlash for comments he made about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. He also clashed with the White House earlier this year after he joked that first lady Melania Trump had "a glow like an expectant widow."

At the same event on Wednesday, comedian Conan O'Brien lamented the decline in the late-night TV landscape.

"I saw over my 17 years with NBC ... I started to see, oh, this is really changing. This is really changing," O'Brien said. "They're asking us to be much more cost-conscious. And it was for a good reason, which is that, you know, HBO, Cinemax, these are the things [that] are coming up. There's more networks — instead of one late night show, 'The Tonight Show,' there's now 'Tonight Show' and there's David Letterman's show, then there are other shows."

"It's a little like Detroit and automobiles," he added, referencing the decline in the U.S. auto industry as competition increased from Japan and Europe. 

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O'Brien spent decades on late-night television between his stints on NBC and TBS before transitioning into podcasts, now hosting "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend." TBS ultimately scrapped its late-night programming in 2022 following the cancellation of "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee."

Earlier this year, CBS pulled the plug on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," replacing it with Byron Allen's syndicated comic talk show "Comics Unleashed." "The Late Show" reportedly was losing CBS $40 million a year and had been running on a whopping $100 million budget per season.

While the viewership of "Comics Unleashed" is a fraction of the audience that Stephen Colbert had, it was reported that CBS now expects to make a $15 million profit in the same time slot due to the massive cost-cutting.

A federal judge has ordered a U.S. attorney from Western Washington who was fired by President Donald Trump in July to immediately be reinstated to the position.

The sudden influx of Bogong moths has caused a stir in cities like Sydney and Canberra, with people filming them infiltrating their homes and cars.