So exclusive

The GIST: The first College Football Playoff rankings (CFP) dropped yesterday, offering an initial look at which teams the Selection Committee thinks should make the expanded 12-team bracket (up from four in years prior).

• There are still five more rankings to go — including the final bracket reveal on December 8th — but here’s where things stand with five weeks left in the regular season.

Ducks on top: Undefeated Oregon unsurprisingly earned the No. 1 spot after spending the last three weeks atop the AP top-25 poll. The Ducks have been straight- up rolling, boasting wins over fellow CFP top-25 teams No. 12 Boise State and No. 2 Ohio State.

First-round byes: Under the new CFP format, the top-four seeds must be conference winners, meaning Oregon (Big Ten), No. 3 Georgia (SEC), No. 4 Miami (ACC), and No. 9 BYU (Big 12) would automatically advance to the second round if these rankings were to hold until the end of the season.

• That said, No. 2 Ohio State, who competes with Oregon in the Big 10, remains the betting favorite to bring home the natty title. There’s a whole lot of football to go.

The GIST: If Monday’s opening day slate of women’s college basketball games is any indication, we’re due for an absolutely wild season ahead. Bring on the drama.

No. 3 USC escapes No. 20 Ole Miss in Paris: Playing in the second annual Aflac Oui-Play doubleheader in the City of Lights, the Rebels gave USC everything they could handle, forcing 26 turnovers but ultimately falling just short in the 68–66 Trojans W. USC’s dynamic duo, JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen, each did their part to save the day, netting 27 and 22 points, respectively. Phew.

Lauren Betts leads No. 5 UCLA to win over No. 17 Louisville: Also in Paris, the junior started her Player of the Year campaign off strong, posting 18 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks to lead the Bruins to a 66–59 win. As for the Cardinals, senior Ja’Leah Williams kept them in the game, nearly dropping a casual triple-double.

Michigan tests defending champs, No. 1 South Carolina: Wolverines freshman Syla Swords scored a game-high 27 points, helping her team push South Carolina to the brink, before eventually falling 68–62.

• In other SC news, the August 31st assault and kidnapping charges against junior forward Ashlyn Watkins have reportedly been dropped, though Watkins remains suspended from the team.

The GIST: Notre Dame women’s basketball star and preseason All-American Hannah Hidalgo made waves last season thanks to her lockdown defense and 22.6 points per game on average.

• Now back for her sophomore campaign, Hidalgo shares her insights on teammate Oliva Miles, name, image, and likeness (NIL), and the future of women’s basketball in an exclusive interview with The GIST. Hoop yeah.

P.S. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed. Click here to read the full conversation.

Q: Notre Dame’s breakout star from the 2022–23 season, guard Olivia Miles, is finally healthy again after missing last season with an ACL tear. With her back in the mix, what should fans expect from the Irish this year?

A: Look out for Olivia and me in the backcourt. I think we have the scariest backcourt in women's college basketball right now. With my speed, my defense, and Olivia's offensive game, the way she's able to pass and facilitate, it's just going to be such a scary dynamic. I think it's the best dynamic in women's college basketball right now.

Q: There are lots of larger forces reshaping college sports, like NIL, the transfer portal, and conference realignment. How are things changing from a player’s perspective?

A: We athletes bring in a lot of money to the schools, so now, for us to be able to get paid for the money that we're bringing in, it's awesome, and it's definitely what athletes deserve.

• And [the transfer portal is] a good and a bad thing. It's been really hectic, but everybody has a reason for the transfer portal. It gives us more publicity with all this stuff going on — ‘This person just transferred, this person just got this deal,’ you know, it just brings us more fans.

Q: The women’s college game has undergone such a massive boom in the last few years, and it’s fed into growth at the pro level. How do you see the relationship between the college game and the WNBA?

A: I've had support from a lot of WNBA players, whether that was WNBA players coming up to me [after last year’s regular-season win over UConn], or from [Notre Dame] alumni here. I love how the WNBA supports college basketball. They give the girls the recognition that they need. It's a blessing to have people who have played here and who know what it takes to get to the league.