Preferred Walk-Ons

After months of waiting, college football is finally back, and it starts with the hosts' favorite schools facing off in a monumental ACC clash. In this episode, we provide an in-depth preview of the "PWO Bowl," sharing optimistic cases for both NC State and Virginia. Then, as we do every week in the fall, we analyze the other ACC games on the docket with predictions against the spread.
Topics for discussion include:
Why NC State presents a formidable challenge to Virginia
UVA's strengths heading into Week 0
Final predictions for the UVA-NC State game and the biggest questions for each team
Picks and previews for the other ACC games taking place this Saturday
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen on TheSabre.com and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

The ACC has long embodied the chaotic nature of college football. In this episode, we share our most outlandish and contrarian predictions for what will happen with ACC football this fall.
 
Topics for discussion include:
Elevating rivalry trash talk on social media
ACC headlines from fall camps
A problematic report from the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee
Our spiciest takes and predictions for the 2026 ACC football season
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

The future of college sports is being debated in halls of Congress and courtrooms across America. In this episode, we discuss how upcoming decisions are likely to impact the ACC and when fans can expect clarity on issues of athlete eligibility. We also debate whether Virginia and NC State have developed an emerging rivalry or more of a quiet partnership.
 
Topics for discussion include:
Updates from ongoing litigation around athlete eligibility
Whether the Protect College Sports Act will tear apart the ACC
Defining the relationship between UVA and NC State
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

The media has released its football preseason poll and All-ACC players, and fans are getting excited for the upcoming season. But a series of lawsuits have thrown the entire college sports landscape into complete chaos. In this episode, we try to make sense of the ongoing eligibility calamity and where the NCAA and its member institutions go from here.
 
Topics for discussion include:
Surprises in the media's ACC football preseason poll
Snubs for the All-ACC Preseason Football Team
The court cases that have thrown NCAA eligibility into chaos ahead of the college football season
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

With college football starting in one month, we give our ACC best bets for teams that will over/underachieve their Vegas expectations. We also debate whether anyone in the conference can compete with Miami, and give our thoughts on UNC General Manager Michael Lombardi being put on paid administrative leave.
Topics for discussion include:
The state of UNC football with Michael Lombardi on leave
Whether anyone can stop Miami from winning its first ACC Championship
ACC football teams that will exceed their projected Vegas win totals
Predictions for ACC teams that will underachieve this season
Projecting UVA's win total following a historic season
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show onTwitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

College football is right around the corner which means it's time for conference media days. To help get you ready for the season, we analyzed the most interesting and confounding soundbites from coaches and players at the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte.
 
Topics for discussion include:
Memorable team names from the largest AAU girls basketball tournament in the world
The ACC's new tiebreaker system for the conference championship
The most notable quotes from the ACC Kickoff
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

After the ACC underachieved in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, we decided to look ahead to the upcoming basketball and football seasons. We discuss some of our disappointments with the ACC's scheduling model for basketball, and map out the best possible road trip for football weekends in the fall.
Topics for discussion include:
A chaotic and upset-filled Regional weekend in the NCAA Baseball Tournament
The uneven scheduling model for ACC basketball
The cancellation of UVA & NC State's trip to Brazil
A preview of the ACC football schedule by planning the ultimate road trip
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

In this basketball-centric episode, we discuss the NCAA's decision to expand March Madness to 76 teams. We also take a look at the ACC players to watch ahead of the NBA Draft. 
Topics for discussion include:
UVA lacrosse's disappointing loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
The pros and cons of expanding March Madness
The ACC players most likely to be selected during the NBA Draft
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

After a chaotic three weeks of widespread transfer portal movement, we are starting to have a clearer picture of what ACC basketball will look like in the fall. Some teams, like UVA and Duke, have leaned into roster retention, while others like Louisville are prioritizing acquiring big name assets from other teams. In this episode, we analyze the ACC's most interesting teams in the early roster-building period. We also discuss the conference's lackluster performance during the NFL Draft.
 
Topics for discussion include:
The ACC's (and Virginia's) poor showing at the NFL Draft (0:00-12:33)
Mel Kiper's strange eating habits (12:33-15:40)
UVA basketball retaining all its scholarship athletes (15:40-24:03)
Other ACC winners of the transfer portal season (24:03-42:13)
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

It's been a tumultuous and disappointing week in the ACC hotbed of the Research Triangle. Duke blew its chance at a Final Four, North Carolina moved on from head coach Hubert Davis, and Will Wade unceremoniously left NC State after only a season. We discuss a drama-filled week in the Tar Heel state and give our predictions for the Final Four.
Topics for discussion include:
Duke's collapse against UConn in the Elite Eight
Predictions for the Final Four
The dramatic end of the Will Wade tenure at NC State
You can always email the show at preferredwalkons@yahoo.com. You can also follow the show on Twitter or Instagram (@PWOPod). Make sure to listen here and subscribe on your favorite podcast app!