What do A League of Their Own, White Men Can't Jump, The Mighty Ducks, Ladybugs, and The Cutting Edge all have in common besides being sports movies? They were all released in 1992, and most of them did pretty well at the box office. (Sorry, Ladybugs.) To determine what happened to a genre that once enjoyed so much success, Steven Godfrey talks to critic and USA Today writer Cory Woodroof about changes in the film industry and the audience experience, and where sports movies still have a shot. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
In the wake of Lane Kiffin leaving for LSU, it wasn't surprising that Jon Sumrall, Alex Golesh, and Eli Drinkwitz all ended up with SEC jobs. But none of them necessarily landed in the spots many assumed they'd move to! Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss:How Sumrall went from assumed Auburn head coach to cold at Florida to Kiffin's successor to the choice in GainesvilleWhy Drinkwitz decided to pass up a shot at LSU, Florida, and Penn StateThe Kiffin move that forced Ole Miss's hiring decisionKentucky and the enduring power of rivalry hateThe long, winding Arkansas search and how it ties in with Oklahoma StateThis is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
It's an early drop of our usual Friday episode, as ESPN's Bill Connelly joins Steven Godfrey to plot out first-round playoff games of narrative or meteorological interest, review the surprising (in a good way) teams from every FBS conference, and take a little bit of preview time for the FCS playoffs. Don't forget to buy Bill's book, Forward Progress: The Definitive Guide to the Future of College Football.This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
In 2007, the NFL played its first regular-season game in London, leading to years of speculation that the team could move a team to the UK. Relocation seems unlikely to happen, but Roger Goodell and the league still talk about the possibility of an English franchise playing American football. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss why a European team appeals to the NFL, what hurdles that effort would face and whether it'd be easier to put a single team in London or create an entirely new overseas division.Research on this episode was conducted by Ryan Fortune. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
As of this recording, Lane Kiffin is the head coach at Ole Miss. HOWEVER: this episode has Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discussing how the race for his services has changed leaders over the last week, where the runners up may turn next once he makes a decision, and the impact this all has on schools ranging from Mizzou to Penn State. (But not Arkansas. At least not totally.) This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Paid subscribers to Phantom Island send questions to Steven Godfrey, and Steven Godfrey answers those questions, including which currently not open SEC job he thinks is most likely to be looking for a new coach, a Penn State possibility of interest, some attempts at positivity about the MAC, a wrasslin' story, and throwing something at Ryan during the recording of this episode. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
As the WNBA grows in popularity, a raw nerve in the game has also gained greater exposure: longstanding friction over how women's basketball is officiated. Sports Illustrated staff writer Emma Baccellieri joins Ryan Nanni to discuss the history of players and coaches frustrated with the refs, why things boiled over so publicly in the 2025 season, how this issue isn't exactly like the usual complaints about officiating in sports, and what the WNBA can do to improve things. Emma's also the co-author with Jordan Robinson of Court Queens, on sale in March 2026. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Jobs open every college football season, and, when they do, they are immediately sorted and ranked. Some jobs are good, some are not, and every job opportunity can be compared to and weighed against another. On this episode, Ryan Nanni asks Steven Godfrey how much the talking points about "good jobs" actually matches with what the candidates for them care about. What do coaches want to see from new landing spots? How does that change depending on the situation? And is this process too subjective to really fit into a ranking at all?This episode was originally only available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today - but we're making it available to everyone! Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
For decades, Canadian football has coexisted along its American counterpart with a variety of distinctions in field layout, rules, and strategies that make the game very similar to what you see in the United States but different enough to stand out. But some of those distinctions are getting shaved down, as Rodger Sherman, author of Sports!, joins Ryan Nanni to discuss the NFL-ification of the Canadian Football League. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Steven Godfrey once again answers questions from paid subscribers to Phantom Island, with topics ranging from an update on the Arkansas search, what to do about good upstarts stuck in lackluster NFL home venues, a lot of Godfrey's feelings about Georgia Southern, why "Mama called" feels different in this coaching cycle, and germ warfare for new parents. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
In 2022, Vanderbilt announced they were bringing back women's volleyball as a sponsored sport, but it took three years to hire the coaches, recruit the players, and get the team ready for competition. Ryan Nanni talks to head coach Anders Nelson, athletic director Candice Storey Lee, and sophomore libero Hailee Mack about their experiences reviving the program, spending a year on campus without any games on the schedule, and playing the first home match outside on Wyatt Lawn. Match audio courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Auburn has moved on from Hugh Freeze, and so has Steven Godfrey, who joins Ryan Nanni to talk about how a simple search could go sideways despite better leadership on the Plains, what to do with Jimbo rumors (and SABAN TO LSU?? ones), and why you're not getting A Big Ole Godfrey Rant on this episode. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Strength of schedule gets thrown around as a seemingly easy way to separate the brave from the weak in college football, but how should we actually think about this metric? ESPN's Bill Connelly, author of Forward Progress: The Definitive Guide to the Future of College Football and Parker Fleming, proprietor of CFB Graphs, join Ryan Nanni to talk about what goes into a strength of schedule measurement, how the Playoff Committee should think about SoS in their rankings, whether schedule strength can actually influence who teams choose to play, and plenty more.This episode was originally only available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today - but we're making it available to everyone! Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
On this episode, Ryan Nanni is joined by guest Yaron Weitzman, NBA writer and author of the new book "A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers" to review Year 1 of the J.J. Redick era. Has the criticism of hiring LeBron's podcast cohost worn off? How did Redick handle bringing Bronny James into the fold? What did the trade for Luka mean for expectations in J.J.'s first year, and what do they look like now? And will new ownership mean yet another change in the direction of this franchise? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.Want to attend the first live Phantom Island show on Friday, November 14 in Athens, Georgia? Click this link for tickets and more details!
When Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni started recording this episode, there were 10 FBS programs looking for a new head coach. Thanks to LSU, that number jumped to 11 before this was published, but Godfrey is not stopping there. He'll walk you through the dominoes and decisions that could lead to forty different schools (at least) starting 2026 with new leadership – and it doesn't even get particularly outlandish until the very, very end. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Steven Godfrey responds to questions from paid subscribers to Phantom Island, including: What's next for the Mike Bobo Renaissance? Does an active coach carousel season dissuade certain teams from firing their coaches? Could Sonny Dykes become a late candidate for several open jobs? And how do you manage the growing calendar of an active young kid? This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
The Seattle Mariners present a unique case for the unaffiliated fan who wanted to jump on their bandwagon in the postseason. They've had a number of nationally intriguing players but no World Series appearances, an extended playoff drought, and minimal friction with the rest of baseball. Though, as you'll learn, not zero friction. This leads Steven Godfrey to ask: Are the Mariners the easiest team to bandwagon? Ryan Nanni attempts to answer that query with comparisons and listener feedback. (This episode was recorded before Game 7 of the ALCS, which means you can blame us for Seattle's loss.) Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.Want to attend the first live Phantom Island show on Friday, November 14 in Athens, Georgia? Click this link for tickets and more details!
With two more FBS jobs open in this season's carousel, Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss the end of an uninspiring tenure for Billy Napier at Florida, wonder what Colorado State looks for after Jay Norvell, engage a handful of Tallahassee hypotheticals, and explain what's different about Lane to the Gators this time around. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Steven Godfrey answers questions from paid subscribers to Phantom Island, and on this episode all those questions concern the coaching carousel. Is incoming private equity fueling coaching terminations? What does the first day of a coach getting fired look like? How much does playoff access matter to attracting coaching talent? And could James Franklin and Matt Rhule just swap jobs? This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Faking injuries has been a part of football for decades, though how and when it's used as a tactic has shifted, as has the response it elicits from opponents and league officials. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss the history of pretending to be hurt, what the NFL and college football have done to combat the practice, and get some on-field perspective from Marshall Newhouse on how players feel about fake injuries. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber, and research on this episode was contributed by Ryan Fortune.Want to attend the first live Phantom Island show on Friday, November 14 in Athens, Georgia? Click this link for tickets and more details!