Free fun.

It never made much sense to me then. Now it’s woven into the fabric of our family.

This past weekend, we were embedded in it.

Location: Malibu. The challenge: camping. We’ve never camped before as a family. Football season, there’s no chance. The offseason, we like to travel. Big trips, new places. We’ve never just stayed local.

This past weekend, we did just that and camped, literally, on the sand.

A few of my colleagues were quick to remind me over the weekend that it wasn’t real camping. Maybe. It wasn’t the camping I grew up with in Northeastern Pennsylvania. But it was surely the camping I think many of us dreamt of when we imagined California.

And there we were.

Bonfire in front of us. Family all around. Connecting with neighbors setting up their tents nearby. Fighting wind gusts that no one warned us about. The kind that make pitching a tent feel like a genuine athletic event.

As the sun set, the stars showed up, and the s’mores were aplenty.

I just kept thinking: life goes so fast.

If we don’t capture these moments, these shooting stars, this space between birthdays and anniversaries, we’ll miss them entirely.

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Football season is right around the corner. I can’t wait for our opener. Can’t wait to get back on the road, learn new stories, take the helmet off, dive into scheme, delve into opponents, game plans, coaches. For all of us who love college football, that fire is not just burning in us - it’s likely about to roar.

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We also dive into the Big Ten vs. SEC debate — and what the Big Ten gets wrongfully dinged for — Elite 11 takeaways and what stood out most this year during the QB camp. We also analyze Bryce Underwood's development and explore the Big Ten quarterback tiers keeping defensive coordinators up at night.

is fueled by 76, keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat.

🎧 Tune in to hear:

• Brendan Sorsby eligibility case

• The “there’s no easy place to win” argument, and inside the reality of Big Ten stadiums.

• Elite 11 takeaways, and what stood out most this year

• The scariest quarterbacks in the league, and why they keep defensive coordinators up at night

• Who would have been the Elite 11 MVP in the famed QB class that Todd was a part of?

Bill Stevens is one of those for me.

In broadcasting, there’s a term and a title — Sports Information Director. By definition, the job is a liaison between the broadcaster and the coach. But by application, it’s much more than that.

For those of us who’ve been in the business longer than five, ten, fifteen years — and now entering year twenty, at least for me — SIDs, as they’re commonly referred to, are friends. Dependable teammates. People you can share life lessons with, learn stories from, break bread with, and become trusted confidants.

That was Bill Stevens. The recently retired Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Strategic Communications at Washington State.

In 2009, I met Bill Stevens for the very first time. I was a young broadcaster calling UCLA against Washington State on Fox College Sports and as a broadcaster, it was my first time in Pullman, WA.

Thankfully, my partner Steve Physioc began teaching me how to actually broadcast — the craft of it — that season. Step one was getting to know the SIDs, and that weekend, it was Bill. He was kind, insightful, and made me feel at home from our very first phone call.

I’m writing this while flying home from an early June trip to Pullman, where I spent the day with the team and the evening with the staff, learning about this year’s Cougs.

There were many memorable moments, but the best part of the day was having dinner with Bill.

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This year, the room was Big Ten spring meetings in Southern California.

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Head coaches, athletic directors, commissioners, all in the same space, hashing out the future of the game. And what came out of Terranea this year was one the entire sport was anticipating — a playoff expansion debate that isn’t slowing down, a new punt rule nobody practiced for, and a conference room full of some of the best coaches in the sport figuring out what comes next.

Todd Blackledge and I brought Illinois head coach Bret Bielema on this weeks episode of to break it all down, fueled by our founding sponsor 76, keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat

Here’s what stood out:

• Coach Bielema wants 24 teams in the playoff — And he has receipts. He was leading a 12-1 Wisconsin team in the BCS era that got left out and that experience never left him. His argument now, is that the sport has changed too much — NIL, revenue share, roster management — for only 12 teams to have a chance at winning it all.

• The punt rule landed wrong — Not because it’s necessarily a bad rule, but because it showed up after spring ball, with zero preparation time. In 18 years as a head coach, Coach Bielema has never seen something this consequential arrive so late and so unannounced.

• The Big Ten room itself is different — He described it with real affection. P.J. Fleck to his right, Matt Rhule to his left, Dan Lanning and Curt Cignetti in the mix. Coaches who are who they are, every single day. And above all, Tony Petitti — a commissioner who communicates before the meeting, not during it. Nobody walks in cold. Nobody gets defensive. That, Coach Bielema says, is what separates this conference right now.

Then we turned to Champaign — and what’s being built inside that building.

48% of his roster is new and for this program to meet its expectations and recent standards they must develop a true connection with one another and that is the focus of this off-season. The way Coach Bielema guides that is what will stand out.

On the field, he’s as excited about his wide receiver room as he’s ever been, his safeties could be among the best in the conference and quarterback Katin Houser heads into fall camp as the guy.

But the line that stuck with me didn’t come from the coach. It came from Houser himself, during our spring visit.

“Around here, the hallways are warm.”

Hope you enjoy today’s conversation and we are so appreciative of the support as we continue to grow Y-Option. Please be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss a beat.

Much love and stay steady,

Yogi

Over the last few weeks, every newsletter has been completely open to everyone, no paywall, because I wanted this community to feel shared during this stretch. Whether you’ve been here for years or found us two weeks ago, you got the same thing: the full post, every time.

That part mattered to me.

So did the response.

I’ve spent the last few weeks reading stories from readers all over the country. Former players. Coaches. Parents. Fans who grew up inside the Pac-12 footprint and still carry those Saturdays with them years later. Lovers of the Big Ten, Notre Dame and more as our audience has grown.

Honestly, I’ll probably remember those notes more than anything we gave away.

But yes, the prizes are still very real.

• The Pac-12 helmet from my collection.

• The Madden memorabilia.

• The podcast shoutout.

• And the football Sunday at Goal Line Studios with the Madden family, watching games all day on that massive 108-foot wall.

  

Winners get drawn Monday.

If this work has meant something to you, and you’ve been thinking about becoming part of the community officially, today is the final window to do it before The Honor Roll closes tonight at 11:59 PM PT.

Subscribe now

And to everyone who already has, thank you.

Truly.

Much love and stay steady,

Yogi

The Honor Roll Official Rules

Sit in that line for a few moments. Reflect on your life, its twists and turns, its pivots, its highs, its lows. Its wins and its losses.

Over the long weekend I was in Paris on an annual sojourn of sorts. Ever since our Mom died in 2020, we have taken a few days each year to be around one another in a place one of us had never been before. This year, it was the City of Lights.

We walked over 30 miles in 4 days, got lost, got found, got inspired, got full. We also got closer. And yes, we even went to a football game.

I’m a minority owner of the Paris Musketeers and it’s one of my life’s greatest joys. Amazing people in a brilliant city, pulled together by the game that has changed my life — and at the very least, impacted yours since you’ve subscribed to this newsletter.

The Musketeers offer an amazing excuse to visit Paris once a year, be around phenomenal people, bring family and friends, and continue to warm up for the season as a broadcaster. We even had a pre-game segment about the team that would go on to win, 30-6 that evening — shorts and a t-shirt on air — count me in.

On our final night, walking through the 6th Arrondissement, I started to gather my thoughts from this adventure.

And then I kept coming back to that line. Life Finds a Way.

A dear friend of mine lives in Paris and is navigating life in a way all of us will — heartache and loss. It’s not my story to share, so I’ll respect him in that regard, but I will pull from its essence.

Picture this: he was reciting a poem he had written about his heartmate in life, and in it was that line, Life Finds a Way.

My family and I were standing in his hallway amid 89-degree sweltering city heat. With each line of his poem, that one phrase continued to hit deeper. By the end — all of us were in tears.

At first I was thinking about him and his wife, but then it turned to our collective reason behind this very trip.

I wrote upon arrival that we all planned to be in Paris in 2020, but lung cancer and Covid had other plans. Yet here we were — eating, drinking, learning, laughing all throughout those streets — only to be led to this moment.

On the third floor of an apartment in a city our Dad had never visited, as he nears his 77th birthday.

Life Finds a Way, indeed.

At dinner that night at Tekes (go ahead and bookmark it), we went around the table sharing moments and memories that stood out from the trip. There were tears, stories, and real connection. Most of all, there was humanity.

Six years after our original trip was cancelled, our family — like a good football team — found balance. Balance within ourselves. Balance around kids losing our Mom. Balance around a husband losing a wife of nearly 50 years.

Balance.

A few weeks ago, a friend from high school sent me a random text:

Thinking about your Mom this week as I plan out graduation gifts for my son’s friends. She gave me the most beautiful lamp with a card when we finished high school, telling me to always be the light. It stuck with me — and now, 26 years later, I’m looking for a lamp to give to the friends of my son who are graduating. I think of her often and try to model much of my parenting style after hers. She was such an inspiration.

A lamp from 26 years ago in a story shared on our final night in the City of Lights. Surrounded by what matters most — family, friends, adventure.

Ah, Life Finds its Way, once again.

Maybe that’s a lesson for all of us.

Much love and stay steady — and if you’re seeking some football content be sure to check out the most recent podcast with the Montgomery brothers and Dane Burkholder, as it’s a conversation every athlete needs to hear.

Yogi

Not just because athletes can now earn money, but because 18, 19 and 20-year-olds are suddenly being asked to make decisions that most adults still struggle to navigate.

That’s why this conversation hit different.

Welcome to the latest episode of , fueled by our founding sponsor 76, keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat.

In advance of the Elite 11 Finals, I sat down with Ohio State offensive lineman Luke Montgomery, Georgia quarterback Ryan Montgomery, and Dane Burkholder — a partner at Roseville Wealth, where he and his team manage over 2.1 Billion dollars every year. Dane also coined the phrase and founded the company The Financial Athlete.

Today’s guests unpack the new reality in college football: The Rise of the Financial Athlete, and the way an All-American offensive lineman in Columbus and his quarterback brother in Athens navigate it all.

For those seeking to surround themselves with athletic minds who are succeeding in the Financial Athlete world of college football — look no further than these two, and Dane, for role models.

To be blunt: athletes and parents need to listen to this.

The Montgomery brothers didn’t just talk about contracts or NIL deals — they talked about patience. Discipline. Delayed gratification. Building a trusted circle. Protecting their future. And understanding that money can either become a blessing…or a distraction.

In other words, they used football analogies and applied them to their business life. As they should.

Luke opened up about what it’s really like navigating the NIL era at a powerhouse like Ohio State — and how head coach Ryan Day embraces his responsibility to impact his team off the field when it comes to balancing football, expectations, leadership and real financial accountability at an incredibly young age.

Ryan shared why development mattered more than chasing the biggest payday when he chose Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs, and how keeping the bigger picture in focus has shaped every decision he’s made since arriving in Athens.

What stood out most to me was their perspective.

Throughout our conversation, I kept thinking about what all of us who love sports so often preach — that the skills that allow you to find success on the field will always transition into life.

And that is exactly where Dane Burkholder and his education around being a Financial Athlete meets the moment. Dane’s team and their content continues to impact this generation of athletes, parents and coaches in ways that are helping athletes on countless levels.

As our conversation wound down, I was struck by how consistently Luke and Ryan kept thinking 20, 30, even 40 years ahead.

About setting up their future families.

About investing instead of reacting emotionally.

About understanding that football won’t last forever.

And maybe most importantly, they spoke about the power of environment.

The right coaches. The right teammates. The right family. The right mentors.

Or as my father still tells me: “You are the company you keep.”

This episode will resonate with athletes, parents, recruits and honestly anyone navigating pressure, opportunity and long-term decision-making.

Because the truth is, The Financial Athlete isn’t just a football conversation anymore.

It’s a life conversation.

It’s also Elite 11 Finals week — where every quarterback, parent and mentor will have seen this podcast and will get to be part of our powerful curriculum, Beyond the X’s and O’s, which we’ve been running for nearly 20 years.

The people who taught Luke and Ryan how to navigate life from day one — Mom and Dad — will be special guests in an intimate conversation with Dane and me, going behind the scenes on how they raised their sons to thrive on the field while staying so level-headed off it, as Financial Athletes at two of the most pressure-packed universities in the nation.

I can’t wait for this one — as a college football analyst and as a parent.

Be sure to subscribe to to get it right in your inbox, and on YouTube as we continue to grow our community.

Much love and stay steady,

Yogi

This campaign has felt different from the beginning.

Maybe it’s because the paywall came down.
Maybe it’s because so many new people found the community.
Or maybe it’s just because college football has always been about shared experiences, and for a few weeks, this place felt a little more connected than usual.

The replies have meant the most.

The stories.
The memories.
The cities and stadiums and Saturdays people still carry with them years later.

That’s the stuff I’ll remember long after the prizes are gone.

And speaking of prizes, yes, all of it is still very real:

• An old school Pac-12 helmet from me, personally. From my own collection.

• A Madden family experience, courtesy of my friend Joe Madden, who runs Goal Line Studios. The winner will spend a Sunday at Goal Line Studios watching football with the Madden family on their massive 108-foot screen wall running games all day, along with a two-night stay at The Rose Hotel in downtown Pleasanton, California. Travel to and from Pleasanton is not included.

• A collection of Madden family memorabilia tied to the legacy of John Madden, including a signed one-of-a-kind Madden Monopoly game, a Joe Madden-signed broadcast patch from this past year’s NFL Thanksgiving game, and a commemorative pin from John Madden’s Celebration of Life.

• A personal shoutout from me on the podcast this June. Your name, your story, a moment.

I’ve also been incredibly grateful to see so many readers step into the annual and Founding Member tiers during this stretch. That support means more than people probably realize.

If you’ve been thinking about becoming part of the community officially, there’s still time before The Honor Roll closes Friday night.

Subscribe now

Much love and stay steady,

Yogi

The Honor Roll Official Rules

In fact, for the past 6 years I’ve been trying to keep up with this small tradition with our first dog, Monkey.

Once I locate the star, I repeat the same phrase millions of us have said as children.

Star bright, star light, first star I see tonight…wish I may, wish I might…make wish upon this star I see tonight.

It’s a nod to my youth and a small poem our two boys have said every time they peer into the night sky. Usually one of them is with me, and it allows for a conversation starter and maybe a lens into their minds.

Then I begin the same conversation, and it starts with, ‘Hey Mom…’

Truth be told, it’s an exercise that brings me right back to the present moment, especially amid a flurry of life seemingly happening all at once. But truth be told, I rarely sit in it for more than 45 seconds. A quick hello, hope you’re well, quick update, and I’m out.

Dog inside. Lights off. Bedtime.

And if you’ve ever experienced loss, it’s pretty easy to realize that sitting in that conversation invites thoughts, emotions and feelings that can pack quite a punch.

This weekend I’m off to Paris. To, of course, see the Paris Musketeers — your new favorite football team, who is 1-0 and hosting their home opener of the 2026 season. But much more importantly, to join my dad, brother and sister on our annual family sojourn.

It’s our sixth adventure, an idea our dad had after his wife of nearly 50 years died.

We’ve been to Tulsa, Key West, Jackson Hole, Mexico City, Yosemite National Park and now the city we planned to take our mom to for her 70th birthday.

But life had other plans.

Right after we revealed the surprise trip to her in 2020, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. COVID arrived, and the trip to Paris became a trip to Pennsylvania.

Looking back, it was a beautiful trip.

Everyone in our family went back to our small hometown and, as our mom laid on the couch one night in pain I’ve yet to endure, she said something that cut right to my core:

“At the end, all you want… all I want… all I give a shit about is having you four at my side. That’s it. The rest is all b.s.”

She died two weeks later.

As the stars shine outside of our plane crossing the pond I’m deep in reflection. About life, football, family and loss. It’s actually the off-season in a sport that has become 24/7.

This week the football community lost a great soul in Adam Munsterteiger.

For as long as I’ve known him, he covered the Colorado Buffaloes. And for as long as I’ve seen his content or witnessed his welcoming smile, he loved what he did and he did it with passion, grace and pure joy.

Mid flight I started to read tributes to Adam, and mid flight I also started to sit in a meaningful conversation with my Mom.

You see, she loved football. So much that I called her ‘Coach.’

And once her and Adam sync up this fall for a watch party of sorts, I bet he will too. And vice versa. He will teach her about his Buffs and she will talk about how she loved Ralphie.

Life is short. We all know that.

Relationships last. We all know that too.

But how much time we get with those we love is an unknown.

It may be a handful of games per year in the press box or it may be 38 years with the strongest woman you’ve ever met. It likely falls somewhere in between.

But as nightfall turns to sunrise somewhere over the Atlantic, I’m convinced more than ever that the time we spend with those we love is what matters most — and we will never get enough time.

So when we have it, lean in.

Enjoy your long weekend, I know I will. And if your parents are alive, do me a solid and give them a call. One day you’d do anything to have just one more conversation.

And if they pick up, invite them to Paris. And if they say yes, let me know in the comments.

Much love and stay steady,

Yogi

P.S. The Honor Roll has been a blast, and we are so grateful that so many more of you are subscribing to this newsletter, watching our podcast and joining our growing community on YouTube. Thank you for your time, on many levels.

That’s what stood out most to me after sitting down with Noah Fifita on the latest episode of , fueled by our founding sponsor 76 — keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat.

Noah has become one of the defining faces of modern college football, not because he chased the spotlight, but because he stayed put long enough for the spotlight to find him.

In today’s game, quarterbacks transfer. Rosters flip overnight. Coaches leave. Expectations shift weekly. Yet here sits Fifita entering his final season at Arizona as one of only 5 senior starting quarterbacks still playing for the same school they originally signed with.

And the wild part?

That loyalty isn’t performative. It’s personal.

You can feel it when he talks about Tucson, his teammates, his family and especially his grandparents — whose sacrifices created the foundation for the life he’s now living. The humility is real. So is the conviction.

That combination is what makes him fascinating.

While Noah carries himself with gratitude, there’s also a very real edge underneath it all. He believes Arizona can do something the program has never done before. He believes this team can compete for a conference title. He believes they belong in the Rose Bowl conversation.

And yes — he believes he belongs in the Heisman conversation too.

Not in an ego-driven way. In a competitor’s way.

That distinction matters.

The best quarterbacks I’ve been around often carry two seemingly opposite traits at the same time: humility and unshakable belief. Noah lives in both spaces comfortably. He speaks like someone grounded by family, faith and service, while simultaneously preparing like someone who expects to walk onto the field as the best player every Saturday.

That’s rare.

And honestly, it’s part of why this upcoming season feels so compelling for Arizona football.

Noah isn’t trying to become “the guy who stayed.”

He’s trying to become the quarterback who won.

That mindset changes everything.

After talking with him, I walked away thinking less about statistics and more about legacy. About what it means for a player to choose development over escape routes. About what happens when belief inside a locker room becomes stronger than outside noise.

Arizona enters this season with expectations, but also with a quarterback whose story feels bigger than wins and losses.

He’s dynamic enough to put up massive numbers.
Tough enough to carry a program.
Grounded enough to lead it.

And if Arizona takes the leap many believe they’re capable of making this fall, don’t be surprised if the rest of the country starts talking about Noah Fifita the way Tucson already does.

Not simply as a great college quarterback.

But as a legitimate Heisman contender.

Much love and stay steady,

Yogi

A note on The Honor Roll

For the next few weeks, every Y-Option newsletter is free to read in full, no paywall, as a thank-you to this community. Subscribers are automatically entered into The Honor Roll, which includes a Pac-12 helmet from my collection, a Madden family football Sunday experience at Goal Line Studios, and more. Free subscription is open to anyone at y-option.com.

April gave me that view. Not from one place, but from a constant movement between two worlds that couldn’t have felt more different, yet are deeply connected.

For most of the month, I lived inside college football programs. Meeting rooms before sunrise, practice fields buzzing with energy, long conversations with head coaches, coordinators, and players who are all chasing something meaningful. And then, almost as quickly as I’d arrive, I’d head home—back to being Dad—pulling into a parking lot just in time to catch my kids’ practices, games, or a few minutes of them just being kids.

It became a rhythm that I didn’t plan, but one that revealed more than I expected. Travel, immerse, return. Learn, observe, then sit quietly and support. And over time, a contrast began to take shape.

It started in Southern California at USC where the Trojans look the part and in my eyes, have a blue collar mentality. It was then out to Lincoln, sitting down with Matt Rhule. We dove into a deep conversation about this generation of athletes—how they think, how they process, what they need from the people leading them. It wasn’t framed as a challenge as much as it was a responsibility for coaches, mentors and now, even agents.

From there, I headed into the Midwest and found myself alongside colleague and friend Todd Blackledge. Our first collective sojourn began in Illinois with Bret Bielema, sitting in a team meeting and watching him teach. Not perform, not fill space—teach. There was clarity, there was alignment, and there was an understanding that every word mattered because every player was listening.

That same thread carried into conversations with Barry Lunney Jr. and Bobby Hauck. Different backgrounds, different journeys, but the same intentionality. The same commitment to creating an environment that players could feel the moment they walked in.

When we sat with quarterback Katin Houser, he gave language to something Todd and I had been sensing all day. He told us, “the hallways here are warm.” He described what it felt like to move through the building—people acknowledging him, checking in, making him feel seen. It wasn’t said for effect. It was just his reality. And it hit me that culture rarely shows up in the big moments we like to highlight. It lives in the small, repeated actions that most people never notice. And everyone needs it, even big time QBs.

That idea stayed with me as I drove late into the night with Todd. Those drives have a way of slowing everything down just enough to actually process what you’re seeing. We talked about life, about family, about the role we play in telling these stories. I tried to ask questions and absorb Todd’s wisdom, as it’s plentiful and powerful. In many ways, that conversation became a through line for the rest of the trip. Football. Family. Purpose. (And some Big East memory lane conversation as we loved on Ted Robinson—whom we both shared a booth with, and much more)

At Indiana, with Curt Cignetti, I went in expecting to see a rigid standard. What we saw instead was something much more alive. The discipline was real, but it didn’t feel restrictive. It felt shared. The players weren’t weighed down by expectations—they were connected through them. The competing had joy in it. The clarity created freedom. It was a reminder that when a standard is truly lived, it becomes something people rally around, not something they resist.

That feeling carried into South Bend, walking a campus I hadn’t seen in two decades, and then sitting in a meeting room the next morning with Marcus Freeman. Watching him lead, you notice what’s not said just as much as what is. There’s a presence, a calm, and an understanding that leadership isn’t about controlling every moment. It’s about creating an environment where others can step into their own. Those lessons I took home to our kids, or at least competed to do so.

The same idea showed up again in Chicago with David Braun, where belief and development were woven into the fabric of the program. It was equally inspiring to watch Chip Kelly, who I believe is a College Football Hall of Fame coach, continue to evolve. Still curious. Still learning. Still asking questions.

Chip once told me: “you’re not a real coach until you’ve been on the yellow bus.”

That line never leaves you.

Because it’s a reminder that this game, at its core, is about people long before it’s about performance.

Next was Columbus, sitting with Ryan Day, that same principle was framed in a way I won’t forget. His job, as he described it, is to pour into his players. Not manage them, not simply prepare them—but invest in them fully. And when you spend time around his team, you feel that. It shows up in how they talk, how they interact, how they carry themselves. And Julian Sayin is only going to take the next step.

Back west, that thread continued in Eugene with Dan Lanning, where his DNA traits—connection, growth, toughness, sacrifice—are not just concepts, but lived behaviors. You see it in players like Poncho Lalaulu, who chose to return because of the culture around him.

In Seattle with Jedd Fisch, we talked about relationships and how they anchor players through uncertainty. In a time where so much is fluid, that consistency matters more than ever.

Next it was a place I used to visit regularly: Tucson, Arizona. Spending a day and half with Brent Brennan’s Wildcats was energizing as he has everything in order to take a legit run at the Big-12 title this fall. Add in Noah Fifita and one can’t help but feel like you can achieve any dream on your vision board. Stay tuned for deep dive podcasts with both Coach Brennan and dark horse Heisman candidate, Fifita. (Drops this week)

After flying back home it was a coaches clinic and practice at UCLA, where it has been fascinating to watch Bob Chesney work. He has experienced 184 games as a head coach and I can’t get that number out of my head. The years of reps, years of lessons learned, situations managed. But being around him this off-season and during practice what stood out wasn’t just his experience, it was how he is applying it.

In just 15 practices, he got a team with over 40 new faces moving with alignment, purpose and enthusiasm. There was an energy, a connectivity, a shared understanding that doesn’t just happen because of time. It happens because of intention layered on top of experience. It reminded me of a guy who used to call LA home as a college coach…Yea, that guy who took over social media this weekend—Pete Carroll.

And finally, my April tour ended with a conversation with every newly minted Pac-12 head coach in a series that will drop later this summer. There was palpable excitement about something new mixed with nostalgia about what something was. I’ve always felt that being a part of something from the ground up is rare and rewarding, this re-launch is a blend of all the feelings and one I think football fans will be rooting for.

And then I came home.

I sat down at my son’s youth basketball game, expecting nothing more than what youth sports should be—kids playing, learning, competing, enjoying the moment.

To set the stage, it’s 11 year old kids, who seemingly enjoy hoops. Few of them can go left, no one has proven to be pure from beyond the arc and not a soul is touching the backboard. They love to play, want to win and anticipate the snack post-game.

And for a while, that’s exactly what it was.

Until it wasn’t.

I sat on the sideline and watched an assistant coach/parent and a referee get into it. Voices rising, language changing, tension becoming real. So much so that the game stopped. Technical foul given and assistant coach/parent asked to leave the gym. Which of course, they refused.

The moment immediately became about something entirely different than the kids on the hardwood.

As I silently watched it unfold, I found myself watching my son more than anything else. Is he scared? Nervous? Oblivious? Surprised?

Sadly, he wasn’t surprised. It was as if it was almost normal.

I’m sure you’ve seen it before: an assistant coach out of control. A parent embarrassing everyone in the gym. A grown man’s ego elevated and his awareness nowhere to be seen.

That’s what stayed with me.

A strong reminder that parents, all too often, want to compete. And kids, extremely often, just want to play.

Driving home I kept running that scene back in my mind. After the 5th replay of the events, I flashed back to the educational month on the road, being immersed in environments where connection, clarity, and accountability are intentionally built. And in a flash I was watching a version of sports where those same principles felt absent.

What made it harder to process was how normal it all seemed.

We celebrate elite environments at the highest levels of sport. We study them, quote them, share their philosophies. But too often, we don’t carry those lessons into the places where they could have the most impact.

Especially in youth sports.

I’m sure that assistant coach/Dad is well intended and I’m sure he has shared social media content where a coach inspires a child, but in that instant he left those lessons on his phone.

I’ve seen youth teams go from not knowing one another to best friends and I’ve also seen youth teams where players don’t know each others names 1 month into the season. All too often the experience revolves around outcomes instead of relationships. Where the adults in the environment, often unintentionally, shift the focus away from growth and toward something else.

And I understand it. We all care. We all want what’s best. But somewhere along the way, we’ve started to confuse intensity with impact.

The best coaches I was around this spring weren’t trying to control every moment. They were building connection. They were clear, consistent, and intentional in ways that allowed their players to feel seen and challenged at the same time.

That’s the standard.

And it shouldn’t live only in college football facilities.

But like any healthy program—youth or college—the next day and the next game will arrive and for our youth team it did over the last few weeks. And the players, and parents, chose to not allow one embarrassing moment to define their season.

Which also serves as a reminder that none of us are perfect and will all make mistakes. What matters most is how we bounce back and how we implement lessons learned. And as a parent/coach—that happens every single day and am so grateful for the masterclass life’s experience provides.

As spring turns to summer, there’s an opportunity in front of all of us—not just to reflect, but to apply. To take what we admire at the highest levels and bring it into our own environments. Into the car rides home, into the conversations after games, into the way we show up for the kids who are watching everything we do.

Because that’s where it sticks.

That’s where it’s mirrored.

That’s where it matters most.

This month at , you’ll hear from these types of coaches and players. You’ll feel their environments and the stories behind them.

My hope is simple.

That we don’t just listen.

We let it land. And then we live it.

We are all in this together,

And if you need a full spring recap, take a look at Todd and I as we did our first LIVE podcast below. Also, we are giving back to our community here at Y-Option in the form of FREE content for the next few weeks in what we are calling The Honor Roll. Take a look.

Much love. Stay steady.

Yogi

Last week was one of them.

I was reading through the notes some of you have left when you became paid subscribers. Sitting in airports between trips, scrolling slowly. And the same feeling kept hitting me.

The growth of Y-Option is not really about the writing, the podcasts or the social media.

It’s about you.

The Oregon Duck from 1975. The reader who grew up in the Pac-12 footprint and wrote that he supports this work 100%. The note from a former colleague I hadn’t heard from in years. The message from a Penn State fan who also grew up in Pennsylvania embedded in the Big Ten culture. The names of cities I drove through in my playing days, my coaching days, my broadcasting days. People still showing up.

That’s not a subscriber list. That’s a community.

So for the next three weeks, we’re doing something I want to tell you about.

We’re calling it The Honor Roll.

It’s a recognition campaign for the people who built this thing with us at — and here’s how it works.

For the next three weeks, every Y-Option newsletter will be free to read in full, no paywall, for everyone on the list. Whether you’ve been paid since the early days or you joined yesterday as a free reader, you get the same thing: the whole post, every week, no gates.

That’s the first part of the gift.

The second part is that I’m giving away a handful of things over the course of the campaign:

• An old school Pac-12 helmet from me, personally. From my own collection.

• A Madden family experience, courtesy of my friend Joe Madden, who runs Goal Line Studios. The winner will spend a Sunday at Goal Line Studios watching football with the Madden family on their massive 108-foot screen wall running games all day, along with a two-night stay at The Rose Hotel in downtown Pleasanton, California. Travel to and from Pleasanton is not included.

• A collection of Madden family memorabilia tied to the legacy of John Madden, including a signed one-of-a-kind Madden Monopoly game, a Joe Madden-signed broadcast patch from this past year’s NFL Thanksgiving game, and a commemorative pin from John Madden’s Celebration of Life.

• A personal shoutout from me on the podcast this June. Your name, your story, a moment.

You’re already entered if you’re a subscriber. No form, no hoops. You’re in automatically because you’re already here.

If you’re reading this from a forwarded email, you can subscribe for free at y-option.com and you’re entered too.

And if you’ve been thinking about supporting Y-Option as a paid subscriber, this is a moment where it means a little extra. Paid subscribers receive additional entries throughout the campaign. But more than anything, this is just my way of saying thank you to the people who’ve helped build this thing with me.

To upgrade or subscribe, tap the “Subscribe now” button below or visit yogiroth.substack.com/subscribe. Monthly, annual, and Founding Member tiers are all available.

Subscribe now

The campaign runs from today, Friday, May 15th, through Friday, May 29, at midnight PT. Winners get drawn the following Monday and announced in a final post.

I’ll be back this weekend with the regular newsletter. Paywall down, full post for everyone.

Until then, much love and stay steady,

Yogi

The Honor Roll Official Rules

In today’s podcast we explore the conference that has crowned the last three National Champions and this past December, welcomed four new head coaches. And for the first time on this podcast we went LIVE on YouTube and X. If you haven’t subscribed, please do so you never miss a conversation around college football, Coast to Coast.

Todd and I share our lessons learned and intel gathered from Penn State, UCLA, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern and Illinois.

As always, every podcast is fueled by our founding sponsor, 76, keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat.

As always, much love and stay steady,

Yogi

So long that when I walked into his building this spring, I didn’t just see a head coach in year three — I saw the same guy from 2019 sitting outside his home in Hermosa Beach, pulling out notes and asking, what do you think of this?

Back then, it wasn’t a job.

It was a vision.

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I remember him walking me through it — how he’d structure a program, how he’d communicate, how he’d build it for players, his PRO mantra and more. It was detailed. Thoughtful. Almost like he was already living in a future that hadn’t arrived yet.

Fast forward to today, and you can feel it the second you walk in the Washington facility.

The building looks different. The roster looks different. The energy feels…settled.

Not comfortable. Just clear. There is a steadiness to it.

But every head coach has a starting point, and for Washington head coach Jedd Fisch, it all started with his curiosity to learn about the game of football.

And that is where we started on today’s podcast, fueled by our founding sponsor 76, keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat.

Not the buzzword version. The real kind.

The kind that shows up when you’re five years old asking questions during the entire drive from New Jersey to Florida. The kind that never really turns off.

That curiosity didn’t just make him a better coach.

It made him a collector — of ideas, experiences and people.

And when you sit with him now, you realize his program isn’t built off one philosophy. It’s built on years of filtering what fits, what lasts and what actually connects with players.

Personally, this conversation was a fun one for me.

Coach Fisch and I first crossed paths in 2009 when we were both interviewing with the Seattle Seahawks. He got the job. I transitioned into media. But we stayed connected, and over the years we’ve had countless conversations around football, leadership and quarterback play.

Which is why this episode felt different, as I only asked questions I didn’t know the answers to.

And honestly, those are usually the best conversations.

Topics Covered

• Demond Williams and why scars are unavoidable for quarterbacks

• His relationship with QB1

• A deep dive into Jedd Fisch’s mind as a play-caller

• His kitchen table as a child — something we ask every Elite 11 quarterback

• Why Year 3 feels different in Seattle

• What discipline looks like with this Washington roster

• The potential of the 2026 Huskies

• Why joy isn’t a tactic — it’s a byproduct of trust

Hope you enjoy this week’s Y-Option conversation.

And if you’re just joining us, thank you. Take a look back at some of our recent episodes and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, where we pride ourselves on bringing thoughtful and insightful conversations around college football every week.

Appreciate you being here and following along this spring.

More coming soon.

Much love and stay steady,

Yogi

We’ve had a lot of conversations over that time. So going into this one, I didn’t want to hit the same notes, didn’t want to discuss the topics we’ve covered before and hoped to stick to my lone rule during interviews: "ask questions I don’t know the answers to.”

That wasn’t easy, but it was a blast to prepare for and it started with something I was almost embarrassed I hadn’t asked:

“Why do you coach?”

And honestly, everything flowed from there.

If you’ve read this newsletter you know how much I respect Dan Lanning’s DNA Traits: Connection, Growth, Toughness and Sacrifice. But not just because they offer clarity to anyone walking into their facility but because they offer a standard for those who join his program.

Standards are easy to create but after completing my spring tour across the country, it is clear that they are not as easy to uphold.

After talking with Coach Lanning on the latest podcast, fueled by our founding sponsor 76—keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat, my mind was racing in route to my favorite cafe on the West Coast, Meraki, and onto my laptop while boarding a flight up north to Seattle to see UW.

Many people think that the Ducks win and retain players because they have resources, and yes they do. But they also have a group of returning players who love to learn from and follow their head coach. They know if they are willing to, as he says, “take the medicine” they will find tremendous growth.

From journaling post game to training this off-season, the entire 360 degree process in Eugene is a blueprint for success.

And now, the Oregon football process is player-owned and that is a reason why I think the Ducks can take the next step this fall and win the whole thing.

My Key Takeaways

• Coaching at its highest level is when you impact someone in a profound way.

• Standards matter more when players own them.

• Accountability has to be modeled, not just demanded.

• Growth comes from self-awareness and reflection.

• Obsession with improvement > obsession with praise. (personal favorite)

• Relationships still drive everything inside the Ducks program.

Hope you enjoy and thanks for the support along the way this spring. Am excited to share with you feature conversation’s over the next month with head coaches and elite players across the nation. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter here at and our YouTube page.

Much love and stay steady,

Yogi

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

1. Sponsor

The Honor Roll campaign (the “Campaign”) is sponsored and administered by Goal Line Playbook in collaboration with Y-Option: College Football with Yogi Roth (“Y-Option”).

2. Eligibility

The Campaign is open to legal residents of the United States who are at least 18 years of age at the time of entry.

Employees, contractors, affiliates, and immediate family members of Goal Line Playbook, Y-Option, or any entities directly associated with the Campaign are not eligible to win.

Void where prohibited by law.

3. Campaign Period

The Campaign begins on Friday, May 15th, 2026 at 12:00 AM Pacific Time (“PT”) and ends on Friday, May 29, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT (the “Campaign Period”).

Winners will be selected on or around Monday, June 1, 2026.

4. How to Enter

There are multiple ways to enter the Campaign during the Campaign Period:

Automatic Subscriber Entry

Current Y-Option subscribers as of the Campaign Period will automatically receive one (1) entry into the Campaign.

Paid Subscriber Upgrade Entry

Free subscribers who upgrade to a paid Y-Option subscription during the Campaign Period, including Monthly, Annual, or Founding Member tiers, will receive additional entries into the Campaign.

Tier Upgrade Entry

Existing paid subscribers who upgrade to a higher subscription tier during the Campaign Period will receive additional entries.

Free Entry Method

No purchase or paid subscription is necessary to enter the Campaign.

Eligible individuals may enter by subscribing to the free tier of Y-Option during the Campaign Period at y-option.com.

Free subscribers will automatically receive one (1) entry into the Campaign.

5. Prize Pool

The following prizes are expected to be awarded during the Campaign:

• One (1) vintage Pac-12 helmet from Yogi Roth’s personal collection

• One (1) Madden family experience package, including:

  • A Sunday football experience at Goal Line Studios with the Madden family

  • A two-night stay at The Rose Hotel in Pleasanton, California

Travel and transportation are not included. Experience date, timing, and participant availability are subject to coordination with the Sponsor.

• One (1) Madden memorabilia collection package, including:

  • A unique, signed Madden Monopoly game

  • A Joe Madden-signed broadcast patch from the NFL Thanksgiving game

  • A commemorative pin from John Madden’s Celebration of Life

• One (1) personal shoutout from Yogi Roth on the Y-Option podcast during June 2026

Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value if necessary.

6. Approximate Retail Value

Approximate retail value (“ARV”) of all prizes combined is estimated at approximately $3,000 USD.

Actual value may vary.

No substitution, transfer, or cash redemption permitted except at Sponsor’s sole discretion.

7. Winner Selection and Odds

Winners will be selected in a random drawing conducted by the Sponsor following the close of the Campaign Period.

Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received.

Potential winners may be required to verify eligibility before receiving a prize.

8. Winner Notification

Potential winners will be contacted via the email address associated with their Y-Option subscription or entry submission.

If a potential winner cannot be contacted, fails to respond within seven (7) days, or is determined to be ineligible, Sponsor reserves the right to select an alternate winner.

9. Publicity Release

By accepting a prize, winners grant Sponsor and Y-Option permission to use their first name, city, likeness, and statements related to the Campaign for promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law.

10. General Conditions

Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify the Campaign if fraud, technical failures, or any other factor impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Campaign.

Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any individual found tampering with the entry process or acting in violation of these Official Rules.

11. Limitation of Liability

By participating, entrants agree to release and hold harmless Goal Line Playbook, Y-Option, Yogi Roth, and their respective affiliates, partners, employees, contractors, and representatives from any liability arising from participation in the Campaign or acceptance, possession, or use of any prize.

12. Privacy

Information collected in connection with the Campaign may be used for administration of the Campaign and in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

13. Disputes

Except where prohibited, entrants agree that:

• Any disputes shall be resolved individually and exclusively in the appropriate courts of the State of Texas

• Any claims shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs associated with entering the Campaign

• Under no circumstances will entrants be permitted to obtain punitive, incidental, or consequential damages

This Campaign is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Substack, Instagram, Meta, the NFL, or the Pac-12 Conference.

Last Updated: May 2026

The goal we spoke of on those highways: find a place to play college football.

The goal we never spoke of but was the underlying dream: earn a scholarship to Notre Dame.

While that never happened, I did play and coach against the Irish. But the truth looking back was that driving with my Dad allowed both of us to listen, learn and discover. Me about him as a father and him about my passion for college football.

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Fast forward to the spring of 2026 and I found myself, along with Todd Blackledge, pulling into South Bend, walking the campus and reminiscing about our childhoods, drives with our fathers and both getting lost in the wonderment of the ND campus.

I also got to hear what led Todd to Penn State and what it was like growing up as a premiere player in the midwest.

The stories were endless, the laughter hearty and the connection meaningful. Reminiscent of that drive back in 1999 in many ways.

When the sun rose the following morning Todd and I found ourselves in the 2026 Irish team meeting, analyzing practice, meeting with coaches, sitting down with a Heisman candidate and Elite 11 alum CJ Carr and learning from a powerful conversation with head coach Marcus Freeman.

Afterwards, Todd and I reflected on lessons learned in South Bend and shared what we think about Notre Dame on the latest episode of , fueled by our founding sponsor 76, keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat.

A few high level takeaways:

• The nostalgia during a walk around Notre Dame’s Stadium as the sun rises will give you the chills.

• CJ Carr is elite — full ownership of the offense, deep understanding beyond just the pass game.

• Clarity at quarterback = growth everywhere else.

• Receiver room feels upgraded — deeper, more competitive, more dynamic.

• Defense remains the backbone — experienced, physical, with added interior presence via the portal.

• Charlie Partridge is a huge addition to the coaching staff. And he was on the Pitt staff back in the day so it was a full circle moment on many levels for me.

• Culture is intentional — last season’s CFP decision has been used as fuel.

• A key to 2026: start fast — urgency around opening the season strong is real

Finally, this leg of our Spring Tour also served as a reminder that life goes even faster than a college football season. Watching Irish wideout Devin Fitzgerald compete in practice put a smile on my face as his Dad, Larry, was one of my college roommates over 20 years ago.

I can recall the day he was born and watching him run routes had Todd and I sharing stories about our kids and our childhoods. It served as a simple reminder that sports are a catalyst for conversation, change and inspiration.

We hope today’s conversation allows you to learn about Notre Dame in 2026 and maybe, just maybe reflect on a car ride with a loved one.

Thanks for the support on this Spring Coast to Coast Tour and if you’ve missed any of our past episodes at Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon and others be sure to subscribe to our YouTube page, as Todd and I are just warming up this off-season.

Much love and stay steady,

Yogi

You feel it in conversations, in locker rooms, in the quiet moments between reps. It’s the anticipation of what’s next. For some, it’s the culmination of a lifelong dream. For others, it’s a reminder that time keeps moving.

When walking into the Woody Hayes Athletic Center with Todd Blackledge, that energy was there.

Welcome to this weeks podcast, fueled by our founding sponsor 76, keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat.

From Columbus, Todd and I talk about his Draft Day, as well as dive into the 2026 Ohio State Buckeyes.

It’s expected that 4 players will be drafted in the top 10 this week from Ohio State but let’s make one thing clear — this program doesn’t reset — it reloads.

And yet, by every modern measure, this years roster feels different.

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Over 50 new players have entered the program since the end of last season and in today’s game, that kind of turnover can challenge a teams identity.

Not in the great state of O-H-I-O.

If anything, it felt tighter.

Many of the players who arrived didn’t need to be convinced of the standard. They already knew it. Some had relationships with coaches. Others had studied the program long before they stepped into the building.

So instead of adapting to a culture they stepped into one they were ready for.

Hope you enjoy this week’s podcast and if if you haven’t, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Quick Takeaways from Ohio State

• Ohio State doesn’t rebuild — it evolves with intention

• 50+ new players, yet zero drop in identity or expectation

• The portal is being used to reinforce culture, not replace it

• “Tough love” shows up in daily standards, not messaging

• The best players are also the hardest workers — and it’s contagious

• The receiver room sets a tone that elevates the entire roster

• Year two at quarterback brings ownership, not just experience

  Y-Option: College Football with Yogi Roth is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

“Humans are made to move…and we move through things.”

I found myself coming back to that thought last week, driving along Midwest highways with Todd Blackledge. And after watching the reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers in spring practice, it hit me even deeper.

It’s time we move through the idea that Indiana is just a great story.

They’re not.

They’re a legitimate national title contender. Again.

Welcome to today’s podcast, fueled by our founding sponsor 76, keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat.

Todd and I spent time at Hoosiers spring practice, and one thing was undeniable — this program is taking its next natural step.

What does that look like after an undefeated season?

• Competitive depth across the roster

• More imposing, developed bodies along the defensive line

• Big portal additions at key spots

• Staff continuity + a key familiar face returns

• A standard that hasn’t flinched, even after reaching the mountaintop

That last part matters most. The standard hasn’t changed. And that’s why this isn’t a two-year flash.

If you want to revisit it, tap back into my conversation with Curt Cignetti and earlier this offseason. The blueprint has been there.

Today’s episode also marks the first installment of our new series:

Y-Option: Coast to Coast

A journey across the country with Todd and I, diving into spring football, sitting in meeting rooms, watching practice, and then stepping back to share what it all means.

Because if you’re willing to move…you might start to see things a little differently.

As always — much love and stay steady.

Yogi

Seth wrote the best-selling book, American Kings, A Biography of the Quarterback. In a sentence: it’s the best QB book I’ve ever read. He combined years of interviews, insights and experiences and takes his readers on a ride that had me taking notes, pondering the position and juiced up to talk to coaches this spring about my takeaways.

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After co-authoring 5-Star QB and then reading American Kings and sitting with Seth Wickersham, I kept coming back to this: the best quarterbacks aren’t defined by success, but by how they evolve when their identity gets challenged.

As always, every conversation is fueled by our founding sponsor 76, keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat.

I walked away from this conversation with Seth Wickersham thinking less about quarterback play and more about what the position does to you. Not the throws, not the scheme, but the identity. The role asks you to become something bigger than yourself early, and then at some point in your journey, it asks you to let that version of yourself go.

And that tension feels heavier today than ever.

Quarterbacks are arriving with attention, expectations, and a version of themselves already defined before they’ve truly been developed. And even though every player knows their path won’t be perfect, there’s still a belief that it will be. What this conversation reinforced for me is that the ones who last aren’t the ones who avoid the hard moments — they’re the ones who can rebuild when everything they thought they were gets challenged.

In this powerful and insightful conversation, discusses the complexities of the quarterback position, exploring the mental, emotional, and cultural aspects that define elite players. From leadership and humility to the pressures of fame and the journey of development, this conversation offers valuable lessons for aspiring and current quarterbacks, coaches, and fans.

Some high level thoughts this book will force you to have:

• The psychological traits of successful quarterbacks

• The impact of fame and social media on players

• The importance of humility and self-awareness

• The transition from college to professional football

• The influence of family and coaching on player development

Also, if you missed my conversation with Dr. Michael Gervais, this is a bookmark for you if you love QB play, leadership and development of the world’s best.

As always, thank you for the time and community.

I’m off to the mid-west for a spring tour with Todd Blackledge as we hit Illinois, Indiana, Notre Dame and others. Be sure to subscribe to Y-Option’s YouTube page as the content will continue to come all off-season long.

Much love and stay steady,

Yogi