Daily Beast pulls story alleging Melania-Epstein connection after lawyers dispute framing

Daily Beast pulls story alleging Melania-Epstein connection after lawyers dispute framing

The Daily Beast has pulled an article detailing allegations by journalist Michael Wolff that Melania Trump was introduced to her husband Donald Trump via a modeling agent connected to Jeffrey Epstein, after a challenge from the first lady's lawyers. "Editor's Note. After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump's attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding," The Daily Beast posted in place of the article. The hyperlink to the article appears to have been amended to : https://www.thedailybeast.com/epstein-this-story-has-been-removed/. Wolff initially made the scandalous allegations in an interview with Daily Beast chief content officer Joanna Coles for The Daily Beast Podcast, Saturday. The two were discussing Trump's alleged connections with the disgraced New York financier. The two were friends for many years, but ultimately had a falling out. The president claimed Tuesday that Epstein had beenstealing stafffrom his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan prison while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking of minors charges. Wolff claimed Melania was "very involved in this Epstein relationship." Jeffrey Epstein Thrown Out Of Mar-a-lago For Hiring The Help: Trump "[Melania] was very involved in this Epstein relationship. There is this model thing, and she's introduced by a model agent, both of whom Trump and Epstein are involved with. She's introduced to Trump that way, Epstein knows her well," Wolff alleged. President Trump has been dogged bydemands by his MAGA baseto release the so-called "Epstein files" after a series of missteps by his Attorney General, Pam Bondi. Bondi had distributed binders labeled "Epstein Files: Phase One" to a handful of conservative influencers in February. The binders failed to include any heretofore unknown details surrounding the case – which has been a magnet for unfounded conspiracy theories alleging that Epstein was an intelligence agent sexually blackmailing America's most powerful figures whose death wasn't actually a suicide – which caused an outcry among the president's most online supporters. Read On The Fox News App Bondi subsequently made comments that some interpreted to mean an Epstein client list was "sitting" on her desk, though she later clarified in June that she was referring to the Epstein file, not a "client list." The DOJ ultimately released a two-page memo that denied a "client list" existed and claimed there was no "credible evidence" Epstein had blackmailed other individuals via his sex trafficking activities. The DOJ memo failed to quell the furor in Trump's base for greater transparency in the Epstein case, promptingTrump's ire. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Trump has disavowed his supporters who remain fixated on the Epstein scandal, labeling them "weaklings" who are buying into a "hoax" orchestrated by the Democrats. "Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this 'bullshit,' hook, line, and sinker, they haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years," Trump wrote on TruthSocial. Wolff's credibility in the journalism industry has faced scrutiny. In 2018, the journalist told Bill Maher he had evidence that President Trump was having an affair and claimed that a clue to his mistress' identity could be found at the end of his White House tell-all "Fire and Fury." Readers identified passages that seemed to implicate then-UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. Haley called the insinuation "disgusting" and "highly offensive." In a subsequent interview on "Morning Joe," Wolff denied that he ever insinuated Haley was having an affair with Trump, but then said he "found it puzzling that she would deny something she was not accused of," prompting co-host Mika Brzezinski to accuse him of "having fun… slurring a woman" and end the interview abruptly. Multiple figures in Trump's orbit also denied having made quotes attributed to them in "Fire and Fury." "The scenes in his columns aren't recreated so much as created — springing from Wolff's imagination rather than from actual knowledge of events," Michell Cottle wrote of Wolff's reporting style in a profile in the New Republic. Michael Wolff told Fox News Digital that he had nothing to do with the article. The Daily Beast and the White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Original article source:Daily Beast pulls story alleging Melania-Epstein connection after lawyers dispute framing

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August 01, 2025

Daily Beast pulls story alleging Melania-Epstein connection after lawyers dispute framing

Daily Beast pulls story alleging Melania-Epstein connection after lawyers dispute framing The Daily Beast has pulled an article detailing al...

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Trump administration weighs fate of $9M stockpile of contraceptives feared earmarked for destruction

Trump administration weighs fate of $9M stockpile of contraceptives feared earmarked for destruction

BRUSSELS (AP) — PresidentDonald Trump'sadministration says it is weighing what to do with family planning supplies stockpiled in Europe that campaigners and two U.S. senators are fighting to save from destruction. Concerns that the Trump administration plans to incinerate the stockpile have angered family planning advocates on both sides of the Atlantic. Campaigners say the supplies stored in a U.S.-funded warehouse in Geel, Belgium, include contraceptive pills, contraceptive implants and IUDs that could spare women in war zones and elsewhere the hardship of unwanted pregnancies. U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott said Thursday in response to a question about the contraceptives that "we're still in the process here in terms of determining the way forward." "When we have an update, we'll provide it," he said. Belgium says it has been talking with U.S. diplomats about trying to spare the supplies from destruction, including possibly moving them out of the warehouse. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Florinda Baleci told The Associated Press that she couldn't comment further "to avoid influencing the outcome of the discussions." The Trump administration's dismantling of theU.S. Agency for International Development, which managed foreign aid programs, left the supplies' fate uncertain. Pigott didn't detail the types of contraceptives that make up the stockpile. He said some of the supplies, bought by the previous administration, could "potentially be" drugs designed to induce abortions. Pigott didn't detail how that might impact Trump administration thinking about how to deal with the drugs or the entire stockpile. Costing more than $9 million and funded by U.S taxpayers, the family planning supplies were intended for women in war zones, refugee camps and elsewhere, according toa bipartisan letterof protest to U.S. Secretary of StateMarco Rubiofrom U.S. senatorsJeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, and Alaska RepublicanLisa Murkowski. They said destroying the stockpile "would be a waste of U.S. taxpayer dollars as well as an abdication of U.S. global leadership in preventing unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and maternal deaths — key goals of U.S. foreign assistance." They urged Rubio to allow another country or partner to distribute the contraceptives. Concerns voiced by European campaigners and lawmakers that the supplies could be transported to France for incineration have led to mounting pressure on government officials to intervene and save them. The executive branch of theEuropean Union, through spokesman Guillaume Mercier, said Friday that "we continue to monitor the situation closely to explore the most effective solutions." The U.S. branch of family planning aid group MSI Reproductive Choices said it offered to purchase, repackage and distribute the stock at its own expense but "these efforts were repeatedly rejected." The group said the supplies included long-acting IUDs, contraceptive implants and pills, and that they have long shelf-lives, extending as far as 2031. Aid group Doctors Without Borders said incineration would be "an intentionally reckless and harmful act against women and girls everywhere." Charles Dallara, the grandson of a French former lawmaker who was a contraception pioneer in France, urged PresidentEmmanuel Macronto not let France "become an accomplice to this scandal." "Do not allow France to take part in the destruction of essential health tools for millions of women," Dallara wrote in an appeal to the French leader. "We have a moral and historical responsibility." ___ Leicester reported from Paris. Matthew Lee contributed from Washington, D.C.

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August 01, 2025

Trump administration weighs fate of $9M stockpile of contraceptives feared earmarked for destruction

Trump administration weighs fate of $9M stockpile of contraceptives feared earmarked for destruction BRUSSELS (AP) — PresidentDonald Trump...

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Kamala Harris says system is ‘broken,’ criticizes ‘capitulation’ under Trump

Kamala Harris says system is 'broken,' criticizes 'capitulation' under Trump

Former Vice President Kamala Harris said she would not run for public office because the system is "broken," as she reflected on her decision not to pursue a gubernatorial run in California and spoke about what she views as "capitulation" by those tasked with guarding democracy during Donald Trump's second administration. In the former 2024 presidential candidate's first interview since losing the election, Harris spoke about her career as a public servant, noting that when she was young she thought that people who want to improve or change a system should not just do so from the outside but also change it from the inside. "That has been my career and recently I made the decision that I, just for now, I don't want to go back in the system. I think it's broken," Harris said in an interview with CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." "I always believed that, as fragile as our democracy is, our systems would be strong enough to defend our most fundamental principles, and I think right now, that they're not as strong as they need to be," Harris added. "For now, I don't want to go back into the system. I want to travel the country. I want to listen to people. I want to talk with people. And I don't want it to be transactional where I'm asking for their vote." Harris' comments echoed a statement earlier this week in which she said she would not runfor governor in California, saying that her leadership will not be in "elected office." She had been a heavy favorite in the field of potential candidates for the seat and told Colbert that she thought a lot about a possible run before deciding against it. When asked if she had predicted some of the actions Trump has taken during his second presidency likecuts to Medicaidin the domestic policy bill ortargeting political opponents, she responded, "what I did not predict was the capitulation." "Perhaps it's naive of me, someone who has seen a lot that most people haven't seen but I believed that on some level, there are many, there should be many, who consider themselves to be guardians of our system and our democracy who just capitulated. And I didn't, didn't see that coming," she said. "I think there are a lot of people who think they are riding out the storm as an excuse to be feckless," she added. She notably criticized Congress for not standing in the way of Trump's efforts toshrink the Department of Education, saying they "are just sitting on their hands." Harris, who is set torelease a book in Septemberabout her 2024 presidential campaign entitled "107 days," also spoke about the amount of time she had to run a campaign after then-President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. "I was so conscious and aware of the short time that we had," she said. Speaking about her political future, she said, "It is important I think that in this moment where people have become so deflated and despondent and afraid, afraid, that those of use who have the ability — which I do right now, not being in an office where I'm campaigning for that office — to be out there and to talk with folks and remind them of their power." Harris was also asked to name a leader of the Democratic Party but refused, saying there were many but that she would leave someone out. "It is a mistake for us who want to figure out how to get out and through this and get out of it to put it on the shoulders of any one person. It's really on all of our shoulders. It really is." For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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August 01, 2025

Kamala Harris says system is ‘broken,’ criticizes ‘capitulation’ under Trump

Kamala Harris says system is 'broken,' criticizes 'capitulation' under Trump Former Vice President Kamala Harris said she wo...

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College football Top 25: Where do Michigan, Oklahoma, SMU and others fit in?

College football Top 25: Where do Michigan, Oklahoma, SMU and others fit in?

The 2025 college football season is less than a month away. Week Zero officially kicks off on Aug. 23 while Week 1 gets underway just five days later on Thursday, Aug. 28. There are a ton of great matchups on the first full weekend; there is no easing into the season for teams like LSU, Clemson, Miami, Notre Dame and others. With the season rapidly approaching, here is the first installment of our preseason Top 25. This post contains teams Nos. 11-25, with our top 10 set to be revealed in the days following. How many of these teams can finish high enough in the selection committee's final rankings to make the College Football Playoff?(All odds are from BetMGM.) The Cyclones are in a strong position to get back to the Big 12 title game. QB Rocco Becht and RB Carson Hansen are back, though ISU will need to find someone to step up at receiver with the departures of Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins to the NFL. Watch out for East Carolina transfer Chase Sowell. He averaged nearly 20 yards a catch in 2024. The defense lost its two leading tacklers but could and should be better in 2025. The Cyclones allowed over five yards a carry and had just 16 sacks. Improving on both of those numbers will go a long way. This ranking is largely dependent on a healthy season from QB DJ Lagway. And he's already reportedly in a walking boot ahead of fall camp because of a minor lower leg injury. Lagway showed flashes of brilliance in 2024 while dealing with a hamstring injury. If he can stay on the field all season, Florida has a very high ceiling despite back-to-back games at LSU and Miami as well as matchups against Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee on the schedule. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] A return trip to the College Football Playoff is not out of the question for the Hoosiers. QB Kurtis Rourke was fantastic in 2024 despite playing with a significant knee injury all season and Fernando Mendoza arrives from Cal as his replacement. Mendoza is a favorite of Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Nate Tice, and he's got two solid weapons to throw to in Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper. They combined to catch 15 TD passes in 2024. The receiving depth behind those two is still a question, however, and Indiana needs to replace its top two rushers from 2024. But Aiden Fisher is back to lead the defense after recording a team-high 118 tackles and the schedule is favorable outside of trips to Oregon and Penn State. A Week 4 matchup against Illinois shouldn't be overlooked. It could be one of the most pivotal games of the Big Ten season. The South Carolina offense isn't going to sneak up on anyone in 2025. LaNorris Sellers had one of the biggest breakout seasons in college football as he rushed for 674 yards and threw for 2,534 yards and completed 66% of his passes. He was voted the first-team preseason all-SEC quarterback. WR Nyck Harbor could also make a leap after catching 26 passes for 376 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2024. Mike Shula will call the plays for the Gamecocks after Dowell Loggains left to become the head coach at Appalachian State. Shula, the former Alabama head coach, was an offensive assistant with the Gamecocks in 2024. Another step forward for the offense is vital for the Gamecocks, as the defense may not be as great as it was a season ago. South Carolina lost six of its top seven tacklers from 2024, including Nick Emmanwori and Demetrius Knight. Kyle Kennard is also gone after getting 11.5 sacks. Dylan Stewart and Bryan Thomas will be counted on after tallying 11 combined sacks a season ago as South Carolina navigates a schedule that includes LSU, Alabama and Clemson. Marcel Reed enters the season as the Aggies' starting quarterback after taking the job from Conner Weigman during the 2024 season. Reed threw for over 1,800 yards and rushed for 543 after leading A&M to a home win over LSU. Running backs Le'Veon Moss and Amari Daniels also return. Moss was one of the most dynamic rushers in the SEC before suffering a season-ending knee injury against the Tigers. If Moss is close to where he was a season ago, the Aggies should have one of the best rushing attacks in the country. That will help cover for a receiving group that has no one back who had more than 17 catches in 2024 but added NC State WR KC Concepcion via the transfer portal. The defense brings back its top six tacklers while looking for new edge rushers to replace Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton. The two high picks in the 2025 NFL Draft had just 6.5 sacks combined in 2024, however. No one is sleeping on the Sun Devils after they won the Big 12 title in 2024 in a season where hardly anyone expected them to be competitive in the conference title race. QB Sam Leavitt was fantastic in his first season in Tempe with over 2,800 yards passing and 24 TDs to just six interceptions. Getting back WR Jordyn Tyson is huge for 2025 after he missed the Big 12 title game and College Football Playoff due to injury. Tyson had 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 TDs. Replacing Cam Skattebo may not be as difficult as it once seemed after the offseason arrival of former Army RB Kanye Udoh. He rushed for 1,117 yards with the Black Knights in 2024 and averaged over six yards a carry. The defense returns nine starters from a season ago, including the entire secondary. Opposing offenses passed for just 227 yards a game on ASU in 2024. The Rebels reloaded with one of the top transfer classes in the country after posting at least 10 wins for the third time in the last four seasons. QB Austin Simmons spent the 2024 season as Jaxson Dart's backup and takes over as the starter in 2025. Simmons could quickly end up being one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC. Leading receivers Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins are gone, but Ole Miss added De'Zhaun Stribling (Oklahoma State) and Harrison Wallace (Penn State) to replace them. Former Notre Dame and LSU RB Logan Diggs is in line to start at running back but could split time with Missouri transfer Kewan Lacy. Don't sleep on Troy transfer Damien Taylor either. He rushed for over 1,000 yards a season ago. The defense added Princewill Umanmielen from Nebraska after his brother Princely had 10.5 sacks in 2024. Replacing Princely and DT Walter Nolen is imperative; Ole Miss was a much more competitive team a season ago thanks to its improvement on both the offensive and defensive lines. How much of a leap can Avery Johnson make in his second season as Kansas State's starter? Johnson is one of the most talented running QBs in college football, but he still needs some polish as a passer at times. Johnson rushed for 605 yards and seven TDs but completed fewer than 60% of his passes in 2024. Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards is in line to start at running back after backing up DJ Giddens a year ago. Leading receiver Jayce Brown is also back along with three starters on the offensive line. The defense needs to replace six starters, but leading tacklers Austin Romaine and VJ Payne return. In a schedule quirk for the second straight season, Kansas State plays 10 Big 12 teams despite having nine conference games. K-State's Sept. 12 trip to Arizona to fill out a home-and-home series again counts as a non-conference game. The Illini are a serious threat to make the College Football Playoff. Illinois brings back a host of starters on both sides of the ball following the school's first 10-win season since 2001. QB Luke Altmyer threw for over 2,700 yards last year and had 26 total touchdowns. RB Kaden Feagin returns after a season-ending injury in 2024 to team with Aidan Laughery in the backfield again and the entire starting offensive line is back. The only questions on offense are who will step up at receiver. The defense returns its top five tacklers, including Gabe Jacas. He had eight sacks in 2024. Illinois gave up fewer than 22 points per game in 2024 after allowing nearly 30 a contest in 2023. The schedule is also extremely friendly. There's a plausible path to 11 regular-season wins and a trip to the Big Ten title game. The toughest game is a visit from Ohio State on Oct. 11 and Indiana visits on Sept. 20. There are no other games against teams projected to be near the top of the Big Ten. The Broncos should again be the leading candidate to represent the Group of Five in the College Football Playoff. Yes, all-world RB Ashton Jeanty is gone, but the offense should be in good hands with QB Maddux Madsen returning along with four starters on the offensive line. RB Sire Gaines is in line to replace Jeanty and showed flashes in the first three games of the season before a season-ending injury. The defense loses a lot of pass rush juice, but Jayden Virgin-Morgan returns after leading the team with 10 sacks. Safeties Zion Washington and Ty Benefield are the best combination in the Mountain West. The Broncos should be favored in 11 of their 12 games this season. The only time they could be an underdog is for an Oct. 4 trip to Notre Dame. After a first season in the ACC that avoided games against both Clemson and Miami, the Mustangs play both teams in 2025, along with Louisville. Given the rest of the ACC slate, going 2-1 in those games could be enough to get SMU back in the ACC title game. Kevin Jennings returns at QB after taking over for Preston Stone early in the season. Jennings had a terrible game against Penn State in the College Football Playoff but was otherwise very good in 2024. The offense needs to replace RB Brashard Smith (1,332 yards) and three of its four leading receivers from a year ago, but a full season from TE RJ Maryland will be huge. He played in just five games in 2024. The defense needs to reload up front after the losses of Elijah Roberts (7.5 sacks) and Jahfari Harvey (7.5). But coach Rhett Lashlee stacked up on defensive line talent in the transfer portal After a year of sub-par quarterback play, Utah moved quickly to address the position in the transfer portal. The Utes were the favorites to win the Big 12 entering 2024, but Cam Rising suffered a hand injury in Week 2 before suffering another injury upon his return. In his absence, Utah QBs threw as many TDs (13) as they did interceptions. Enter Devon Dampier, who threw for over 2,700 yards and rushed for over 1,100 at New Mexico a season ago. Dampier had 31 total touchdowns and averaged 7.5 yards per carry. He is the clear starter for the Utes, who also added Washington State RB Wayshawn Parker in the transfer portal. Simply having a competent offense could make the Utes playoff contenders. The defense has allowed fewer than 23 points per game in each of the last six full seasons and brings back three of its four leading tacklers along with DE Logan Fano. Just how much can a stellar transfer portal class and a healthy quarterback do for the Red Raiders? They're among the massive group of favorites in the Big 12 due in large part to the top portal class in the country. Tech added edge rusher David Bailey from Stanford, DL Lee Hunter from UCF, RB Quinten Joyner from USC and 28 other players this offseason. Behren Morton threw for over 3,300 yards in 2024 but had offseason shoulder surgery. Another full season from him is key for Tech's playoff hopes. The offense takes a step back if Will Hammond has to play for an extended period of time. The schedule includes road trips to Kansas State, Arizona State and Utah, but Texas Tech avoids Baylor and Iowa State. If the defensive transfers can improve like we think they can from a unit that allowed nearly 35 points per game in 2024, there's reason to believe that Sept. 20 trip to Utah could be a Big 12 title game preview. John Mateer was really, really good at Washington State in 2024. Can he be just as good for Oklahoma in 2025? Mateer threw for over 3,100 yards, rushed for 826 yards and had 44 total touchdowns in 2024. He transferred to Oklahoma after his offensive coordinator at Wazzu, Ben Arbuckle, took the same position with the Sooners. Oklahoma's offense was dreadful in 2024. OU averaged 24 points per game as Michael Hawkins replaced Jackson Arnold (now at Auburn) at QB during the season. A 27-21 win over Auburn was the only time all season that Oklahoma scored more than 24 points in an SEC game. The defense did its part last year and allowed just 21.5 points per game and fewer than five yards per play. With players like R Mason Thomas (9 sacks) back long with seven other starters, Oklahoma could be in line for a big year despite a really tough schedule if the offense is simply above average. You may sense a theme among three of the last four teams. Michigan got eight wins and beat Ohio State and Alabama to end the season in 2024 despite a passing offense that was one of the worst in the country. The team's three QBs combined to throw 11 TDs and 13 interceptions. That should change in 2025. Even if five-star freshman Bryce Underwood doesn't start right away, former Fresno State QB Mikey Keene should be a significant upgrade. Keene threw for almost 2,900 yards with 18 TDs and 11 interceptions last year at Fresno State. He also completed 70% of his passes. Michigan QBs completed fewer than 62% of their throws in 2024. Last season's defense wasn't as good as it was in 2023, but it was still excellent. Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham are back at linebacker and Arkansas transfer TJ Metcalf could make a big impact at corner. TJ Guy will be counted on, along with Derrick Moore, to provide the edge rush. A Week 2 matchup between the Wolverines and Sooners should be fascinating — and a great early test for each team's offensive improvements. Also considered:Baylor, Tennessee, Missouri, Louisville, Iowa, USC, Nebraska, Memphis, Tulane

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August 01, 2025

College football Top 25: Where do Michigan, Oklahoma, SMU and others fit in?

College football Top 25: Where do Michigan, Oklahoma, SMU and others fit in? The 2025 college football season is less than a month away. Wee...

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With future of College Football Playoff still up for grabs, here's what to know about this year's format and beyond

With future of College Football Playoff still up for grabs, here's what to know about this year's format and beyond

Unlike last season, there's not much new with the College Football Playoff in 2025. And you may want to prepare to get used to this format despite the persistent expansion discussions. After an expansion from four teams to 12 for the 2024 season, the only change for the 2025 iteration of the College Football Playoff is with the seeding. Last year, the top four conference champions received the four first-round byes no matter where they were ranked in the committee's final set of rankings. Texas and Penn State were Nos. 3 and 4 in the rankings but were the No. 5 and 6 seeds since they were at-large teams. Boise State, at No. 9, was the No. 3 seed as the third-highest ranked conference champion and Arizona State was the No. 4 seed even though the Sun Devils were ranked No. 12. That won't be duplicated in 2025. While the top five conference champions still get automatic berths to the playoff, the top four seeds will be the top four teams in the rankings no matter if they're conference champs or not. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The change likely means that a conference like the Big Ten or SEC will get multiple teams with byes. Had the format been in place in 2024, each conference would have had two teams with byes. Having a bye wasn't a great thing, either. All four teams that received byes in 2024 lost their first games of the playoff. Was that attributable to the extended layoff between the regular season and the postseason for those four teams? Was it because all four top seeds were underdogs in the second round? Was it both, along with other factors? It's hard to see how all four top seeds will lose in the second round this season after the seeding change.And it's also hard to see how the playoff will be expanding to 16 teams in the near future. The conferences are currently at an impasse as the Big Ten is adamant in its support for a playoff format that no one else likes. The conference is advocating for a 16-team playoff that guarantees four bids each to the Big Ten and SEC, while the ACC and Big 12 each get two bids. The remaining four spots would be reserved for the top Group of Five champion and three at-large teams. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti seems enamoredwith the idea of a play-in tournament for the conference at the end of the season where the third-place team would play the sixth-place team and the No. 4 team would play the No. 5 team for the conference's final two playoff spots while the two teams playing in the conference title game would be automatically qualified. "[A record of] 8-4 is a winning percentage," Petitti said at Big Ten media day. "If you project that winning percentage in every other sport, I'm pretty sure you make the postseason, whether it's hockey, basketball, anywhere else. That type of winning record — we've conditioned ourselves to think that if you're not a one- or two-loss team, you're not worthy of competing. There are plenty of teams in professional sports who qualify for the playoffs who can't get past the first-round game. That's OK. They still get to play. We'll figure it out on the field rather than sitting in a room." You don't have to be a die-hard fan to understand that college football is still far different from professional sports, even as players are now getting paid above the table and schools are sharing their revenues with them. The chances of a three- or four-loss team winning the national title are extremely slim. And none of the other conferences want to cede a playoff spot or two to a Big Ten (or SEC) team with four losses. The SEC's coaches have advocated for a 16-team playoff that simply adds four more at-large teams and it's a formatfavored by Notre Dame,the ACC and the Big 12. Though the Big Ten and the SEC have the playoff power, the Big Ten appears to be outflanked. And unless the Big Ten backs down, the expansion stalemate is likely to continue. What would that mean? A 12-team playoff for 2026 and maybe beyond. That wouldn't be the worst idea. Having just two seasons of a 12-team playoff before expanding again seems foolish. Especially if each of those two seasons were seeded differently. The push to expand the playoff isn't due to competitive reasons, it's because more playoff games equals more TV revenue. Yes, it's yet another college sports decision being pursued in the name of money. The disagreement in the chase for the dollar could ultimately work out for college football fans. While four more fan bases would love the opportunity to make the playoff, teams seeded 13-16 aren't going to be winning four games on the way to the national title. Instead, the 12-team playoff deserves at least five years or more to establish itself. If teams seeded outside the top 10 consistently make the semifinals, maybe there will be a stronger case for expansion. But there isn't a very good case now. And that may turn out to be just fine.

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August 01, 2025

With future of College Football Playoff still up for grabs, here's what to know about this year's format and beyond

With future of College Football Playoff still up for grabs, here's what to know about this year's format and beyond Unlike last seas...

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