Phantom Island

On November 14, 2025, Phantom Island held its first live show in Athens, Georgia, and we picked a topic suitable for the location: was the SEC's proclaimed speed advantage real? (And, if so, what happened to it?) Part trivia contest, part guy remembering, and part amateur data analysis, this episode walks through the concept of SEC Speed as both discussion point and measurable trait. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

Even before the 2025 college football season really got under way, Tulane's Jon Sumrall was being floated as a top name for a number of theoretical SEC openings. On this episode, Ryan Nanni asks Steven Godfrey what exactly made Sumrall an attractive target - and eventual hire at Florida - to get a better sense of what the market values from up-and-coming head coaches. 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.

David Covucci, founder of FOIAball.com, joins Ryan Nanni to discuss how journalists use open records laws, the art of crafting a good FOIA request, what the job of a FOIA response officer is like, the challenges of navigating open records systems in different states, and why this all means dozens of colleges had to tell David how much they spent on elaborate balloon displays. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

At three different points during his introductory press conference in Baton Rouge, Lane Kiffin claimed an angry Ole Miss fan had tried to run him off the road while he was driving to the airport to leave Mississippi. One problem: when Mississippi Today dug into that story, they couldn't find any police records to back it up. Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni discuss Lane joining an interesting set of coaches who have previously alleged that they were threatened or harassed by fans, only to have those stories look doubtful upon closer examination. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

As the coaching carousel creaks to a stop (hopefully), Steven Godfrey and Ryan Nanni pause to discuss the changes UCLA and Michigan State made, the ones Wisconsin and Maryland didn't, very different decisions by Tulane and USF, the plight of Southern Miss, the risk-reward move Kansas State is embracing, Jason Candle finally getting poached, and plenty more. 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.