College Football

Alston money explained: the up-to-$5,980 annual academic awards born from the Supreme Court’s 2021 Alston v. NCAA ruling.

Football scholarships explained: the old 85 full-ride headcount system, equivalency partial awards, and the post-House 105-roster era.

Pro days explained: the campus workouts where draft prospects run, lift and throw for NFL scouts on home turf each March and April.

The NFL draft eligibility rules: three years removed from high school, the January deadline, advisory grades and why declaring is final.

College football owns Saturday because federal law says so: the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act blocks NFL broadcasts on fall Saturdays.

Service academy football explained: the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, option offenses, service commitments and why Army-Navy stands alone.

HBCU football explained: the SWAC and MEAC, the Celebration Bowl title game, band culture, the Deion effect and the classics.

The FCS playoffs explained: 24 teams, automatic bids and at-larges, campus-site rounds, byes for the top 8 and the January final in Frisco.

Realignment explained: TV money moves schools, the Pac-12’s 2024 collapse, the Big Ten and SEC superleagues, and the 2026 Pac-12 rebirth.

Why schools ‘claim’ national titles: no official champion existed for most of history, selectors disagreed, and the banner math is school policy.