Explaining New Big 12 Private Equity Deal + Is 2026 Dabo Swinney’s Last Year at Clemson?

The Big 12 has officially become the first conference to reach a private equity deal in college football. Ross Dellenger explains the new deal with RedBird Capital and what it will mean for teams in the conference. Teams can get more than $30 million, but the question is whether they will choose to do so. Andy Staples and Steven Godfrey join the conversation to discuss whether this decision makes sense and what the biggest impact is. Additionally, Ross shares a report on the Collegiate Athletic Commission (CSC) Participation Agreement. It hasn’t been signed yet, but several conferences are getting closer to signing the contract. The guys discuss what this would mean for college athletics.

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The guys then move the discussion to a specific team’s performance. In the recent 2026 NFL Draft, Clemson had nine draft picks. In the 2025-2026 season, Clemson only managed seven wins. What does this huge failure say about the state of the program? Andy, Ross and Godfrey discuss whether this season could be Dabo Swinney’s last as head coach of the Tigers. This discussion leads to a fascinating conversation about NIL. Many NIL contract numbers for college athletes are thrown out in the media without real confirmation. On the contrary, everyone knows what each NFL player makes and the length of their contract. These sports handle this information differently, but would it benefit the university to adopt that NFL model? The boys argue.

Later, Andy, Ross and Godfrey discuss a recent photo of a coach. The NFL receives a photo of the coaches every year and it is the topic of conversation for at least a day. Coincidentally, college football had a similar version this year. The Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament was recently held and 26 current and former college football head coaches attended. The boys analyze this group photo and discuss who they would like to play golf with the most.

All this and more in today’s College Football Enquirer.

0:00:00 – Big 12 private equity deal explained

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18:30 – Update of the Participation Agreement of the University Sports Commission

30:06 – Will this be Dabo Swinney’s last year at Clemson?

41:26 – Should college NIL contracts be reported like NFL contracts?

48:45 – Breaking down the college coaches photo.

58:16 – Which CFB coaches would you like to play golf with?

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