Old Friends, New Seasons
When Mike Yam and I sit down together, it never feels like an interview. It feels like slipping back into a rhythm we’ve had for over a decade — back when we were in the Pac-12 Network studio, swapping stories between segments, wondering where the game might take us next or driving through the country roads in Oregon on the way to training camp.
Today’s conversation, presented by our founding sponsor, 76, keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat, dives into the Bill Belichick experience, Oregon State, Washington State, USC’s former QB Miller Moss and a theory about Stanford and Andrew Luck. We also talk about the recent news around ESPN acquiring NFL Network.
Overall, it is a conversation that will take you down memory lane, leave you laughing and always rooting for Mike Yam.
Mike’s journey since those days has been something to watch. NFL Network host. CW studio anchor for Pac-12 and ACC football. Author of a children’s book, Fried Rice and Marinara. TEDx speaker. And one of the most well-connected, well-respected voices in the sport. But when we sat down for this conversation, it wasn’t about titles. It was about the moments that stick with you, the ones that remind you why you fell in love with this game in the first place.
He’d just come from ACC Media Days, where Bill Belichick walked into the room and made it go completely silent. Players — not even from his team — made a beeline toward him. And the thing that stuck with Mike? Belichick already knew them. He’d studied them. That’s the part TV cameras miss: the curiosity, the attention to detail, the quiet personality that comes out when the mic isn’t hot.
When Mike sat down to interview players he sat across from former USC QB Miller Moss, now at Louisville. He saw a calm, professional presence — the kind that makes you think this team could be in the ACC title mix right away. Can you imagine a Louisville/USC bowl game? Playoff game?!
We also kicked around a theory I’ve had: what if Andrew Luck — now Stanford’s GM — stepped into the head coach role? Mike’s take? He sees Luck’s value as even greater in the GM seat, but we both agree: if Stanford truly commits to football, they could have the most unique offering in the sport.
And then, Mike told me what it was like to walk back into a Pac-12 set for the first time since the network made a major pivot. Same desk. Same redwood panels. Even the same scratches. It brought him back to 2012, the first time he ever touched that desk and thought, This is home. I could hear in his voice that, even after everything, part of it still is.
We ended where we began — with the two schools still carrying the Pac-12 flag this fall: Oregon State and Washington State. Mike believes there’s a massive opportunity for both teams to win now, not just for themselves but for the future of the league.
Mike’s living through uncertainty again — ESPN is acquiring NFL Media, and no one really knows what that means yet. But he’s showing up for his colleagues, staying present in the work, and holding on to the gratitude we both share: we were once kids on the East Coast dreaming of being in these rooms, and now here we are — telling stories from them.
This one was special. It’s family. And hope you enjoy it, know I did.
I’m off to Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois before a west coast loop back to Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC this week. As always, follow us on social media for stories from the road.
Much love and stay steady,
— Yogi
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