Preferred Walk-Ons

To the House with Joe Reed

With college football finally back on the schedule this week, we wanted to talk to one of the best special teams weapons the ACC has ever seen. All-American kick returner and wideout Joe Reed stopped by to talk about his college and professional career, the importance of special teams, and experiences with ACC fan bases.
 
Topics for discussion include:
Joe's life following his football career (0:00-5:17)
The most memorable moments from Joe's illustrious career at UVA
What it feels like to change the game with a special teams play
The preparation required for playing multiple positions
The enduring relationships formed with coaches during his time at UVA
Feelings about NIL, the transfer portal, and opposing fan bases
Difficulties in transitioning to the NFL during the pandemic
What Joe would like to see from UVA this 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 ACC Owns Labor Day with Ryan Nanni

On this week's episode, we spoke with Ryan Nanni, one of the most prolific and insightful college football podcasters in the business. His newest podcast collaboration, Phantom Island, explores difficult and intriguing questions across the sports landscape. 
 
Topics for our discussion include:
The goal of Phantom Island and the state of sports media
Fandom and appreciating all that college football has to offer
The psychology of NC State fandom
The most intriguing storylines for the ACC heading into the season
How the ACC can reclaim national respectability
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!
 
You can subscribe to Ryan's Phantom Island podcast by going to PhantomIsland.show. You can also follow him on Bluesky (@celebrityhottub.bsky.social‬) or Twitter (@celebrityhottub). 

ACC Where Are They Now?

Change is constant in the world of college sports. Between neverending conference realignment and athlete movement in the transfer portal, it can be difficult for fans to keep track of their favorite college sports teams. As we countdown the final weeks in the lead-up to the season, we wanted to educate ACC fans on the changes they may have missed this offseason. 
 
Topics for discussion include:
Rumors of handshake agreements with UNC and UVA leaving the ACC
Former ACC football coaches and players who have new homes for the upcoming 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!

Media Days Takeaways

The ACC Football Kickoff is currently taking place in Charlotte. We listened through hours of coach speak and platitudes to discuss the most important takeaways for the conference and college sports. 
 
In this episode, we discuss:
Virginia Tech's recent non-NCAA championships
Jim Phillips comments at ACC Media Days and the stability of the conference
Expansion of the NCAA Tournament and College Football Playoff
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 Evolution of Amateurism with Amanda Christovich

Are college athletes employees? Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports calls this the existential question now facing college sports. We spoke with Amanda about the challenges the NCAA must now address in the wake of the House settlement and what it means for fans of college sports.  
In this episode, we discuss:
How fans can make sense of the constant changes to college sports
How the NCAA is hoping for Congressional intervention to clarify rules for college sports
Early issues with NIL Go reporting and changing requirements about collectives
How the House settlement is impacting women's and Olympic sports
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!
Be sure to follow Amanda Christovich on X (@achristovichh) as well as Instagram and TikTok (@by_achristovich).

UVA Summer Pulse Check with Kris Wright

After one of the most tumultuous years in Virginia sports history, there are a lot of new faces around Charlottesville. We brought on Kris Wright of TheSabre.com to analyze the state of the UVA athletic department and what to expect with the upcoming football and basketball seasons.
 
Topics for discussion include:
How Virginia is navigating the new college landscape in the wake of the House settlement
What to expect from Virginia basketball now that the roster is nearly complete
Fan expectations of UVA football and the portal additions most likely to influence the team's success
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!

A House Unsettled

The long-awaited approval of the House settlement was issued on June 6th and has already shifted the landscape of college sports. Has this agreement created a clear path forward or unearthed even more questions and lawsuits? In this episode, we discuss:
Will Wade stoking the rivalry flames with UNC
UVA baseball hiring Chris Pollard from Duke
The most pressing questions that remain in college sports following the House settlement
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!

100th Episode Spectacular

We commemorated the 100th episode of the podcast by doing two of our favorite things: celebrating the success of the ACC and talking about college football betting. In this episode, we discuss the College World Series and preview ACC football teams that are under- and overrated by Vegas prognosticators.
 
Topics for discussion include:
The ACC's success in the Regional rounds of the NCAA Baseball Tournament
Brian O'Connor leaving UVA to accept a job at Mississippi State
Vegas projections of season win totals for ACC football teams and best preseason bets
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!

CFP Power Grab

The ACC faces economic headwinds in trying to keep up with other major conferences. Now, commissioners of the SEC and Big 10 are attempting to stack the College Football Playoff deck in their favor. What can the ACC do to fight for survival while still advocating for the good of the game?
 
In this episode, we discuss: 
ACC coaches providing unflattering anonymous feedback about Virginia football
College football's search for an equitable playoff system
Overzealous fan expectations of incoming basketball transfers
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!

Recruiting Stories with Joe Tipton

Everyday brings new surprises for college sports fans in the era of the transfer portal. No one is more connected to college basketball recruiting than On3's Joe Tipton. We discussed how he has become one of the most influential reporters in the sport and the behind the scenes stories that have defined the offseason.
 
In this episode, we:
Discuss the pros and cons of the new scheduling model for ACC basketball (0:00-9:08)
Debate whether UVA and NC State are capable contenders in the new college basketball landscape
Ask Joe Tipton about his career as a college basketball insider and get his unique perspective on the chaos of modern day recruiting (15:48-54:05)
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!
 
Be sure to follow Joe Tipton on Twitter (@TiptonEdits) and read his ongoing reporting with On3.