College Football's Cultural Rise

Sports & political commentator Clay Travis joins Chuck Todd for a candid conversation that spans the worlds of politics, sports, and media. They explore the shifting boundaries between culture and athletics, the pressure of serving a politically-charged audience, and what Clay learned from stepping into Rush Limbaugh’s former timeslot. Clay discusses the importance of distinguishing fact from opinion, the challenges of modern political incentives, and how law school shaped his worldview. The two also talk about the realities of online hostility, audience expectations, and Clay’s belief that influence in media can outweigh influence in elected office.

The episode also digs deep into college football: conference realignment, the CFP committee’s biases, southern schools’ growing appeal, and how cultural and political trends—from Gaza protests to regional identity—shape the sport’s landscape. Clay and Chuck debate how to fix the playoff system, what makes college football uniquely personal for fans, and which major sports league Nashville could attract next. Clay closes by sharing the presidential contenders he wishes would run in 2028 and why treating political opponents like rival sports fans could be a healthier way forward.

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Clay Travis joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:30 GW’s near win over the Fab Five 

03:30 Thoughts on McAfee interviewing Trump on ESPN?

04:15 If the president wants to do your show, you do it

05:30 Are you a sports guy that does politics or a politics guy that does sports

06:15 Taking over Rush Limbaugh’s timeslot for Premiere Radio

07:30 Balancing sports content vs. politics content

09:00 Sports used to be separate from culture, now they’re intertwined

10:45 Having the audience you want vs. the one that you have

11:30 Clay’s audience is people who voted Trump, love football, hated Covid masks

12:30 Not letting your audience be your editor

15:00 Learning not to care too much what people think about you

16:15 Everybody is mean on the internet, you have to have thick skin

18:00 Going to law school was the best decision Clay ever made

20:30 We need better distinction between fact & opinion in politics

21:15 Politics doesn’t attract the best & brightest due to low pay

22:00 Too many people in politics just want to be famous

23:15 Nick Saban could have been great at anything, including politics

25:30 Non SEC & Big Ten schools get no notice from the CFP committee

28:00 It’ll be interesting to see which big conference ACC programs try to join

29:30 Southern schools have become a huge draw for northern students

30:30 Gaza protests have affected student recruitment at some schools

32:00 Lane Kiffin will be the hottest name in the college coaching market

33:15 CFP committee cherry picking results, not acknowledging ACC

34:15 College football is the sport we’re always arguing about

35:00 Playoff selections need to be non subjective, needs a new system

36:15 Dems focus on what America did wrong, R’s focus on what went right

38:00 Quality wins should matter more than quality losses

38:45 People feel a closer personal connection to college football compared to NFL

39:30 Best way to reconfigure the college football playoff?

41:15 College football should start in August prior to NFL kicking off

43:00 What’s the next major sport coming to Nashville? MLB

44:00 There are more NHL, NBA and NFL teams in SEC footprint than MLB

45:30 Sports is unique in that the competition IS the business

47:30 Four people Clay would like to see run for president in 2028

50:00 Pitchforks are coming for corporate America & business candidates

51:45 Any interest in running for office?

52:45 Can have more influence and impact in media than in politics

53:45 Paul Finnebaum mulling run for office

55:15 We’d be better off if we treated political opponents like opposing fans

57:30 Nashville is always viewed as the “new _____”

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