The GIST

No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 10 Miami clash in College Football Playoff semifinal

And then there were four. The College Football Playoff (CFP) semis kick off with tomorrow’s 7:30 p.m. ET Fiesta Bowl, featuring No. 6 Ole Miss and bracket-busting No. 10 Miami, followed by the Peach Bowl slated for Friday.

January 07, 2026

Everything you need to know about LOVB and MLV

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It’s officially pro women’s volleyball season. Two leagues — League One Volleyball (LOVB) and Major League Volleyball (MLV) — will begin their second and third seasons, respectively, this week, so we’re serving up a deep dive on the surging sport.

January 07, 2026

PWHL shows strong Takeover Tour attendance despite YoY dips

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We’re six stops into the PWHL’s third Takeover Tour, which expanded significantly this year in terms of length, number of stops, and brand partners. While Canadian tour stops are pulling more fans than U.S. ones, the tour is proving successful in every city when it comes to attendance.

January 06, 2026

Milano Cortina Olympics: 32 days and counting

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With the calendar turning to 2026, that means it’s officially an Olympic year — that’s right, the Milano Cortina Games begin in just 32 (!!!) days. As the Olympic torch travels across Italy, here are the latest Olympic headlines, by the numbers.

January 05, 2026

The NFL’s 14-team playoff field is officially set

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The Week 18 NFL slate can sometimes be a buffet of meaningless football, with the playoff field often set and teams resting their top talent — but not this year. There was plenty to play for in the regular-season finale, from division titles to all-important playoff seeding. Let’s dig in.

January 05, 2026

The only Unrivaled preview you need

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Before we dig into all the hoopla to come, let’s take a look back at Unrivaled’s stellar 2025 debut. Unrivaled was launched in part to provide hoopers with a domestic playing option during the WNBA offseason, a welcome addition to the (increasingly crowded) women’s basketball landscape.

January 05, 2026

Celebrating the holidays with a heaping helping of basketball and football

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Save one lockout-canceled holiday in 1998, the NBA’s top teams have met on December 25th each year since 1947, just one year after the Basketball Association of America (which later became the NBA) was formed.

December 24, 2025

NFL, Hallmark partnership illustrates potential scripted media opportunity in women’s sports

Sports Business

NFL, Hallmark partnership illustrates potential scripted media opportunity in women’s sports

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December 23, 2025

This holiday season, the Buffalo Bills aren’t just playing NFL games — they’re the latest team featured in a holiday-themed Hallmark movie thanks to the channel’s NFL partnership.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #520

Banned for accepting tuition money: Diving into the complicated NCAA sports landscape

January 06, 2026

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Banned for accepting tuition money: Diving into the complicated NCAA sports landscape

The college sports landscape is a wonky place.

And that’s an understatement. Between NIL rules, the transfer portal, and constantly changing eligibility requirements, it’s tough to keep up with what is and isn’t allowed.

That’s why we’re taking today’s episode of The GIST of It to directly compare two college athletes: Baylor men’s basketball center James Nnaji and Augsburg University runner Mohammed Bati. Nnaji was drafted to the NBA in 2023 but is now competing as a college athlete, while Bati has been banned from competing after accepting $6K in donations to pay his tuition. Make it make sense.