"It is with tremendous pride, heartfelt love, and yes, mixed emotions, that I share with you that I have made the decision that this academic year will be my last at SMU," Hart wrote in a statement posted to X.

"... It is time for a new challenge for me and for a new voice to lead the Mustangs."

Hart took over as athletic director at SMU in July 2012. He was in charge of overseeing the Mustangs' shift to the Atlantic Coast Conference, which took effect with the 2024-25 school year. In its first year in the conference, the football program advanced to the 12-team College Football Playoff.

His departure coincides with that of university president R. Gerald Turner, who announced last summer that he would leave the school effective June. 1.

Hart said that by leaving now, incoming president Jay Hartzell -- most recently the president at the University of Texas -- will be able to "move forward with his own vision."

In his statement, Hart did not specify what his next move will be.

"When I interviewed for this job, President Turner shared that he wished for a nationally competitive athletics program on par with the quality of the university," Hart said in his statement. "Mission accomplished! Of course, there is always more we could have done and more that lies ahead, but I am excited for what comes next for me and for SMU athletics."

In a news release, SMU said it will begin it search for Hart's successor "in the coming weeks."

Sanders and Faulk were 2011 inductees in Canton, with Warren Sapp joining them in 2013.

Sapp is the Buffaloes' senior quality control analyst on defense. Faulk will coach the running backs and will be tasked with improving a running game that ranked 134th in the nation with 65.1 yards per game.

Faulk brings a lengthy resume to his role as running backs coach at Colorado.

He was a first-team All-American three times at San Diego State and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

In the NFL, he was the league Most Valuable Player in 2000, a three-time Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time first-team All Pro. The No. 2 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, he won the Super Bowl with the then-St. Louis Rams and its "Greatest Show on Turf."

Faulk, 51, played 12 seasons in the NFL and tallied 12,279 rushing yards, 6,875 receiving yards and 136 total touchdowns.

Sanders is entering his third season as head coach at Colorado. The Buffaloes finished the 2024 season with a 9-4 record.

The school released the news on Thursday and said the surgery was minor.

Daniels missed most of spring drills prior to the 2024 season due to a back injury.

Daniels will be entering his sixth season with Kansas. He has thrown for 6,751 yards, 45 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in 37 games.

Last season, Daniels passed for 2,454 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

The new pact, which adds three years to his current contract, is pending approval by the university's trustees.

The Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff national championship in January, making Day one of just three active coaches -- Dabo Swinney of Clemson and Kirby Smart of Georgia are the others -- to hoist the trophy.

"Ohio State Football has long been defined by excellence and, under Ryan Day's leadership, that tradition has not only continued, but thrived," athletic director Ross Bjork said in a school statement.

"Stability at the head coaching position is crucial in today's evolving college football landscape, and this new contract guarantees continued momentum in recruiting, player development, and overall program success," Bjork continued. "It is a great pleasure to work side by side with Ryan and we know that his vision and leadership will continue to bring championship success and pride to our program for years to come."

The Buckeyes finished the regular season with a 10-2, but a 13-10 home loss to bitter rival Michigan in November had fans calling for the dismissal of the 45-year-old Day.

Ohio State entered the CFP as the No. 7 seed, then won four games in dominating fashion, defeating Tennessee, Oregon and Texas to earn a meeting with Notre Dame in the title game in Atlanta. The Buckeyes won 34-23.

It was Ohio State's ninth national championship and first since 2014 and moved Day's career record to 70-10.

"My family and I are incredibly grateful to be a part of the Ohio State community, this football program and Buckeye Nation," Day said.

"I want to thank my assistant coaches and the entire staff for the tireless efforts they all put in to keep Ohio State positioned as one of the elite programs in the country ... on and off the field.

"And I especially want to thank and commend all the young men, and their families, who are a part of this football program. This is a team of tough and determined individuals who drive our culture of respect, commitment and love."

Hartline replaces Chip Kelly, who left the Buckeyes after just one season to become OC of the Las Vegas Raiders over the weekend.

It's unclear if Hartline or head coach Ryan Day will be the chief offensive play-caller in 2025, per the report. Hartline was also the OC during the 2023 season, but Day did the play-calling.

Hartline has been with Ohio State since 2017 and was promoted to wide receivers coach in 2018.

In addition, Billy Fessler is expected to be promoted from analyst to quarterbacks coach, and the Buckeyes are expected to name Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen their new offensive line coach and run game coordinator.

Bowen would replace Justin Frye, who left Ohio State to take the offensive line job with the Arizona Cardinals.

The former coach of the Panthers and Washington Commanders, Rivera interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets this offseason but didn't land any offers. But he seems content with his Plan B, and, after all, if six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick can work on the NCAA level, he can, too.

"Coach Belichick has made going back to school, cool," Rivera posted to X about his new job. "Stay tuned I am coming home."

ESPN reported that Rivera, 63, largely will help Cal head coach Justin Wilcox and the program in an administrative role. He'll assist in overseeing the big picture of the program, including budget and coaching staff, per the report.

Rivera was an All-American linebacker at Cal after his senior season in 1983. That year, he set a school record with 26.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including 13 sacks. He had 337 tackles during his Golden Bears career.

He was inducted into the California Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994.

This will be the first foray into college for Rivera, who posted a 102-103-2 record with the Panthers (2011-19) and Washington (2020-23).

He was fired by the Commanders following the 2023 season.

The contract runs through the 2029 season and includes a raise to an average of $1 million per year, per the report.

Helton, 52, has guided the Eagles to a 20-19 record and three bowl games in three seasons on the job.

Georgia Southern was 8-5 in 2024, including 6-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Eagles lost 31-26 to Sam Houston in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 19.

He previously coached at Southern California (2013, 2015-21), going 46-24 with five bowl appearances with the Trojans.

Haywood, out of Ryan High School in Denton, Texas, was the top remaining uncommitted recruit in the Class of 2025 after decommitting from Alabama last month. He is rated the 39th best prospect in the class and sixth-best offensive tackle, according to the 247Sports composite. ESPN rates Haywood the 16th best prospect.

The 247Sports composite ranks Haywood as a four-star prospect; ESPN gives him five stars.

The 6-foot-5 Haywood chose the Wolverines over Florida State, Texas A&M and Oklahoma among 33 offers.

He rates as the second-best prospect in Michigan's class behind 5-star quarterback Bryce Underwood.

His commitment gives Michigan the sixth-best class, according to the 247Sports composite.

"We all have the same mindset of winning," Haywood told ESPN. "We're going to go in and do what we're supposed to do. But we're also going to have fun with this process and this next chapter of life. I'm ready to go dominate, win games and make it a fun time in our lives."

While most players sign with teams during the early signing period in December, Haywood chose to wait until Wednesday, which is the traditional National Signing Day.

Cook, a five-star recruit in the Class of 2023 out of DeSoto, Texas, was being held at a correctional center in Fort Worth, Texas, according to inmate intake records.

Cook left the Longhorns midway through the 2024 season and entered the transfer portal. He announced he was transferring to Washington on Dec. 28 before re-entering the portal on Jan. 14.

He appeared in 20 games at Texas from 2023-24, catching 16 passes for 273 yards with two touchdowns. Both of his scores came in a 56-7 win against UTSA on Sept. 14, 2024.

And while the fervent faithful in Lincoln, Neb., likely would be devastated if Rhule follows through, the third-year coach said it might be necessary to keep his program together.

"I don't know that yet, but I'll be honest with you. I highly doubt it," Rhule told reporters Saturday about the likelihood of the Cornhuskers playing the game.

The reason? The transfer portal. He doesn't want to expose his players to other coaches who might try to pluck them during the spring transfer window.

"The word ‘tampering' doesn't exist anymore," Rhule said. "It's just an absolute free open common market. I don't necessarily want to open up to the outside world. I don't want these guys all being able to watch our guys and say, ‘Wow, he looks like a pretty good player. Let's go get him.' "

Rhule said he is considering ways to give fans a preseason look at the team without sharing his players with the nation. The spring game last year drew 60,452 fans to Lincoln, and it also was televised on the Big Ten Network.

The spring transfer portal closes April 25. After that, as a ceremonial close to spring practices, Nebraska could invite the fans in.

"I do want to show off our players in some way," he said. "So what exactly will it be? ... I have not worried about anything other than recruiting right now."

The investment bank Evercore, which was previously retained by the Big Ten, fielded initial offers from private equity firms earlier this week, per the report. A Big Ten spokesperson confirmed Evercore's inquiries to Sportico but declined to provide additional details.

"To better support its 18 member institutions, the conference is evaluating potential strategic partnerships in order to enhance the conference's event, sponsorship and other ancillary business endeavors," the Big Ten spokesperson told Sportico in an email.

Evercore's inquiries come after Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti pushed back on welcoming private equity into intercollegiate sports last fall. Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey took a similar stance when leaders from the two conferences met in October in Nashville. The Big Ten and SEC will reconvene for another summit next month in New Orleans.

No other conferences currently have a private equity deal, although the Big 12 explored that route, CBS Sports reported last June. Things could change in the near future if the House v. NCAA lawsuit is finalized this spring. The groundbreaking settlement would permit schools to share revenue directly with their athletes and distribute about $2.8 billion to former athletes who were not compensated for their name, image and likeness.

The Big Ten generated $880 million in revenue in 2023, the most among all conferences, according to Sportico. That also marked the first year of the Big Ten's seven-year multimedia rights deal with CBS, Fox and NBC worth $7 billion.

ESPN had until Feb. 1 to pick up the option on a 20-year contract it signed in 2016. The deal would have ended after the 2027 season had the network declined to do so.

While the ACC board of directors voted Wednesday, ESPN reported that the conference is working on ways of creating more marquee games in football and men's basketball. Those "value adds" are expected to help increase a new revenue distribution model as the ACC works toward a settlement with Clemson and Florida State.

Per ESPN, a proposed plan has a percentage of the ACC's television revenue included in a "brand" fund -- with that money going to schools that annually generate the most revenue for the league in football and men's and women's basketball.

Should that come to fruition, Clemson and Florida State likely would drop lawsuits that they currently have against the conference. The Tigers and Seminoles are suing the ACC in an attempt to back out of the conference's grant of rights.

With the grant of rights, which is in effect through 2036, Clemson and Florida State's media rights are attached to the conference itself.

Per ESPN, multiple athletic directors have said that this also could affect Notre Dame as a means to create additional games against top-tier teams within the conference.

Ash, 51, has been in the NFL since the 2021 season and was a scout for Jacksonville in 2024. He replaces Al Golden, who departed ND last week to be the new defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ash went 8-32 as the head coach at Rutgers from 2016-19, getting fired after a 1-3 start to the 2019 campaign. Prior to that, he was the DC at Wisconsin, Arkansas and Ohio State, where he was co-coordinator with Luke Fickell on the Buckeyes' 2014 College Football Playoff championship team.

Ash coached safeties with the Jaguars in 2021 before going to the Las Vegas Raiders to coach defensive backs in 2022 and 2023.

Ash also spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons at Texas, the latter as DC and safeties coach under Tom Herman.

Under Golden in 2024, the Fighting Irish defense finished fifth in the nation in points allowed per game (15.5). Notre Dame lost to Ohio State in the CFP championship game.

A three-year starter at Newbury Park (Calif.) High School, Smigiel had verbally committed to the Seminoles in June 2024 over finalist Michigan and more than 30 other programs. Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly made an in-home visit on Saturday, and UCLA, South Carolina and Washington also have made recent visits.

Smigiel, listed at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, is ranked the No. 63 overall prospect in his class, No. 5 at his position and No. 10 in California, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

"He definitely is planning on taking some trips," his father and coach, Joe Smigiel, told On3Sports before Sunday's news. "After the amazing season he had ... and (being) named Mr. California for all classes he has gotten a bunch of interest."

As a junior, he threw for 3,521 yards, 49 touchdowns and three interceptions. He ran for 11 TDs and more than 400 yards. Smigiel has a total of 147 TD passes and more than 11,000 passing yards in three seasons.

Florida State went 2-10 last season under head coach Mike Norvell, who has a new offensive coordinator in former UCF head coach Gus Malzahn. The Seminoles moved quickly on Sunday, making an offer to four-star QB Bowe Bentley of Celina (Texas) High School.

Bentley, listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, guided Celina to an unbeaten record and the Texas 4A D-I state championship in 2024. The junior is ranked No. 292 in the class, No. 18 at QB and No. 39 in Texas in the 247Sports Composite.

Knowles is set to make $3.1 million per season on a three-year deal to join the staff of Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin.

Knowles is getting a raise of $900,000 per season over the deal he had at Ohio State and zoomed past the $2.5 million per-season deals for both Wink Martindale of Michigan and Blake Baker of LSU, who were slated to be the highest paid defensive coordinators in 2025.

Ohio State rode the No. 1 defense in the country to four victories in the College Football Playoff, including a 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the title game. The Buckeyes gave up 251.1 yards per game, more than five yards better than the next best team, Indiana.

Ohio State, which finished 14-2, also led the nation with 12.2 points per game, more than two points better than Notre Dame.

Penn State was seventh in total defense (294.8 yards) and eighth in scoring defense (16.5 points). The Nittany Lions are set to return many of the key players that also led the team into the College Football Playoff.

Igbinosun, who started in the Buckeyes' secondary for the last two seasons, decided not to enter this year's NFL draft. Envisioned as a Day 2 selection if he had gone pro, the junior cited multiple motivations for staying at Ohio State, which is fresh off winning the national championship on Monday.

The deadline for early entry into the draft for Notre Dame and Ohio State players was Friday.

Chosen an All-Big Ten honorable mention in both of his seasons with the Buckeyes, Igbinosun told ESPN he relishes "the opportunity to lead and do it all over again. And have a bigger role as a leader, as more is going to be expected of me as a senior."

There is also the expectation of an eventual call by the NFL. Igbinosun added that he is "coming back to school to be a first-round pick."

Toward that end, Igbinosun acknowledged the need to cut down on penalties. He was whistled for 16 penalties in coverage, the most by a cornerback in college football during the 2024-25 campaign, according to ESPN.

He will be one of just three returning starters on defense for the Buckeyes.

In 29 games for Ohio State, Igbinosun has 104 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, 16 passes defensed and three fumble recoveries.

The CFP announced Friday that the 2026 season's champion will be crowned at Allegiant Stadium on Jan. 25, 2027.

"College football fans across the country are going to be thrilled to hear this news today," said Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff.

"Las Vegas has shown the world they have amazing venues and boundless energy to host an event like the College Football Playoff National Championship in spectacular fashion. I can't think of a better stage to crown the best team in college football in 2027."

Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, promised a "truly extraordinary event, both on and off the field."

"We appreciate the opportunity the CFP has provided us to welcome college football's greatest athletes and biggest fans for an unmatched national championship experience in the city built for celebration," Hill said.

Ohio State defeated Notre Dame 34-23 on Monday in Atlanta in the first CFP final with a 12-team format.

Next season's CFP national championship will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, opened in 2020 and has a capacity for 65,000 fans.

Judkins, who transferred from Ole Miss before the 2024 season, announced his decision to give up his senior season on Instagram.

"To Buckeye nation, thank you for taking in a kid from Alabama and continually showing your support," he wrote. "I am forever a Buckeye and will carry my time spent on campus and playing at The Shoe with me for a lifetime. Winning a national championship was the best way to end this journey."

Judkins was a three-star prospect, as ranked by 247Sports, when he landed in 2022 recruiting class at Ole Miss. He spent two seasons there, running for 2,725 yards and 31 touchdowns, and entered the transfer portal last January.

In 16 games with the Buckeyes, he rushed 194 times for 1,060 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He caught 22 passes for 161 yards and two scores.

Judkins' star shined the brightest, however, on Monday in the 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff title game in Atlanta. He scored two rushing touchdowns and caught a pass for another as Ohio State built its lead from 7-7 to 28-7 and gained 121 yards from scrimmage.

"My time here at Ohio State was like no other," Judkins told ESPN in a phone interview. "It was like no other place I've ever been. I enjoyed my time here so much. I'm ready to take the next step in my journey and prove I'm best running back in the draft class."

The university announced Friday that the board of trustees approved the extension, but financial terms were not released.

Per the USA Today database on coaches' salaries, Beamer earned $6.375 million in 2024, placing him 14th among the Southeastern Conference's 16 coaches.

"The culture and commitment to excellence that Coach Beamer has built in our football program shows that we are headed in the right direction and on a strong upward trajectory," athletic director Jeremiah Donati said. "Coach Beamer has made clear his desire to be at the University of South Carolina and this extension shows our collective support for him as the leader of our football program."

Beamer is 29-22 in his four seasons with the Gamecocks and has led them to three bowl games. His wins include victories over a trio of national-championship-winning coaches: Jimbo Fisher, Dabo Swinney and Mack Brown.

The Gamecocks were 9-4 (5-3 SEC) last season and were ranked No. 19 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

"As I've said before, this is my dream job," Beamer, 47, said. "My family and I love being here. We've accomplished a lot on and off the field over the past four years, but we're not satisfied. There's more to do and we're just getting started."

The Gamecocks are scheduled to open the 2025 season on Aug. 31 against Virginia Tech in Atlanta.

The 6-foot, 190-pound junior underwent season-ending hip surgery in October but still is considered a first-round pick.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., in his mock draft issued Thursday, projected Morrison to be selected by the Minnesota Vikings, who have the No. 24 pick.

"After much prayer and conversations with my loved ones, I've decided to forego my final year of eligibility at Notre Dame and declare for the 2025 NFL Draft," Morrison posted to Instagram.

"This is not just the end of one chapter -- it's the beginning of another. I'll carry the lessons, memories and love from Notre Dame with me every step of the way. Thank you for making these years unforgettable and allowing me to live out my dreams."

A four-star prospect from Phoenix in the Class of 2022, Morrison appeared in 31 games (26 starts) for the Irish. A team captain, he had 84 career tackles, 27 passes defensed, nine interceptions and a touchdown. He was limited to six games in 2024 because of the hip injury.

Also Thursday, multiple outlets reported a pair of starting Notre Dame offensive linemen -- Rocco Spindler and Pat Coogan -- would be entering the transfer portal.