Today: K-State fires Jerome Tang, new bracketology projections, Alex Golesh on Auburn boosters, and NDSU's FBS jump.

~8 minute read (1,949 words)

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NCAA BASKETBALL

Kansas State fires Jerome Tang: What went down in Manhattan, top candidates to replace him

Four days after calling his team's effort "embarrassing" in a now-viral postgame rant, Kansas State has fired Jerome Tang, and a legal fight over nearly $18.7 million could be next.

According to On3's Pete Nakos, Kansas State administrators are attempting to terminate Tang for cause in an effort to avoid paying the remainder of his buyout. The university reportedly believes Tang's public criticism of his players following last week's 91-62 home loss to Cincinnati violated behavioral clauses within his contract.

"This was embarrassing. These dudes did not deserve to wear this uniform," Tang said after the loss. "There will be very few in it next year."

Those comments quickly went viral and sparked national backlash. The Mercury reported Kansas State officials are evaluating whether Tang's remarks violated contractual language requiring the head coach to conduct himself in a manner consistent with representing the university and avoiding actions that subject the program to public embarrassment.

Athletics director Gene Taylor confirmed the separation Sunday night.

"This was a decision that was made in the best interest of our university and men's basketball program," Taylor said. "Recent public comments and conduct, in addition to the program's overall direction, have not aligned with K-State's standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university."

Tang fired back later Sunday in a statement to ESPN, strongly disputing the university's characterization of his dismissal and adding that he was "deeply disappointed" with the decision.

The Wildcats' on-court decline only amplified the tension. After guiding Kansas State to the Elite Eight in 2022-23, Tang went just 45-47 over the next three seasons. The Wildcats are 10-15 overall and 1-11 in Big 12 play this year, mired in a seven-game losing streak and sitting at the bottom of the conference standings.

Kansas State has named Matt Driscoll as interim coach and will begin a national search immediately. Here are a few names to watch, per Joe Tipton and Pete Nakos.

K-State Hot Board

Brad Underwood, Illinois: It's a long shot, but Kansas State will at least send a feeler out, according to K-State Online. Underwood turned down his alma mater during the last opening, opting for security at Illinois, but Gene Taylor is expected to gauge interest again.
Josh Schertz, Saint Louis: One of the hottest names in the country. Schertz has Saint Louis at 24-1 and previously elevated Indiana State, making him a rising mid-major star.
Casey Alexander, Belmont: The Bruins are currently in first place in the MVC in his seventh season at Belmont. Each year as head coach, Alexander has led Belmont to 20-win seasons. He's also been the head coach at Lipscomb (2013-19) and Stetson (2011-2013).
Travis Steele, Miami University: Steele has Miami surging into the national conversation and brings prior Big East experience from Xavier, even if tournament success eluded him there.
Chris Jans, Mississippi State: Jans has led Mississippi State to the previous three NCAA Tournaments. While the Bulldogs aren't expected to get an at-large bid this season (4-8 in SEC play), Jans is a proven head coach and an Iowa native. Overall, he's overachieved at a job like Mississippi State and has been linked to other openings in the past few years.

See all the names on Tipton and Nakos' hot board.

MARCH MADNESS

2026 NCAA Tournament Predictions: Bracketology projections shake up bubble picture

A weekend packed with swing games across the bubble and more movement near the top of the bracket has reshaped the latest Bracketology outlook. Several contenders picked up résumé-defining wins, a few top seeds absorbed losses that tightened the race for positioning, and the cut line grew even more volatile. With the NCAA Tournament selection process leaning heavily on NET rankings and quadrant results, every result is magnified this time of year. The 1-seed battle has stabilized for now, but just beneath it, the field remains fluid as teams jockey for security and avoid a trip to Dayton.

Projected 1-line

Michigan, Duke, Arizona, and Houston occupy the top line. Michigan remains the No. 1 overall seed after a convincing win over bubble contender UCLA and now faces a major opportunity against Purdue. Duke strengthened its standing with a win over Clemson to assert control in the ACC and has a manageable matchup with Syracuse next. Houston added a win over Kansas State to reinforce its résumé and now meets Iowa State in a game that could influence Big 12 seeding. Arizona endured its first difficult stretch of the season with losses to Kansas and Texas Tech, dropping from unbeaten status, but still holds onto a 1-seed entering a key matchup against BYU.

Last four byes

Santa Clara, Texas A&M, UCLA, and Georgia currently sit just above the First Four. UCLA's loss to Michigan damaged its cushion and leaves little room for error. Texas A&M continues to hover in the middle tier of the SEC and needs another quality win to feel secure. Santa Clara has built a consistent profile but lacks a defining victory to create separation. Georgia remains on unstable footing, with recent results keeping it barely on the safe side of the bubble.

Last four in

San Diego State, USC, Ohio State, and UCF hold the final at-large spots and would be headed to Dayton. USC and SDSU are positioned for an 11-seed play-in game, while Ohio State and UCF are similarly precarious. Ohio State's uneven conference play has kept it near the edge, and UCF continues searching for a signature result. USC and SDSU both have upcoming chances to solidify their cases, but cannot afford missteps.

First four out

New Mexico, Missouri, VCU, and TCU remain just outside the field. Each has shown flashes of tournament-level play but lacks the résumé strength or consistency of the teams currently in. With minimal separation around the cut line, one strong week could dramatically alter the picture. For now, those four remain on the outside as the bubble tightens heading toward March.

See the full projected field here.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Alex Golesh explains why he can handle Auburn boosters and chase a national title

Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt of a longer feature from Pete Nakos.

Alex Golesh did not begin seriously entertaining other job opportunities until the night after USF's regular-season finale. Shortly after the Bulls' win over Rice on Nov. 29, he began having serious conversations about open Power Four jobs with his family.

When Auburn emerged as a serious possibility, a handful of questions rushed through his mind. Could he win at Auburn, a program that has not finished the season ranked since 2019? Were the stories of overly active boosters a real issue? Those concerns were answered over phone calls and texts with the Auburn administration.

He slept just one hour that night, only after holding a family meeting where he ultimately decided to take the Auburn job. More than two months into the job, Golesh is confident he can handle Auburn and steer the Tigers back toward SEC contention.

"When you look at this job, everything you said is everything I heard for years," Golesh told On3. "It's all these outside people [trying to control the program]. Well, you have to have confidence in a plan that you're going to essentially control it. That was a huge part of the conversation going in, was, 'Is there gonna be a bunch of outside influences on this thing?' Like, I just won't do it. It's not worth it.

"I would tell you, two and a half months in, what they said was true, where it's not that way. Are there people involved in helping fund this operation? Hell yeah, you need those people. It's also being very real with them, it's having conversations, and it's being really honest. It's giving them the plan, and now people are involved in the talent acquisition and retention. Do they have a right to know? They have a right to know what you're spending money on. But you have to be really careful. If you're going to spend money and then want to be involved in decision-making, then we're good. We don't need your money. If you're upfront and honest from the beginning, you've got a chance."

Golesh is also confident that Auburn has the necessary resources needed to win a national title. He was on the ground floor at Tennessee with Josh Heupel as the offensive coordinator, watching what it took for fan and donor buy-in to get the Volunteers back on track. Before Heupel arrived in Knoxville, the Vols had not finished a season ranked since 2016. Tennessee posted an 11-2 mark in Heupel's second season.

Read the full story from Pete Nakos.

🚨Headlines

NCAA FOOTBALL

North Dakota State head coach Tim Polasek on FBS jump: 'It's all gas and no brakes'

With North Dakota State set to join the FBS as a football-only member of the Mountain West beginning in 2026, Pete Nakos spoke with head coach Tim Polasek about the move. The Bison have won 10 of the last 15 FCS national titles and claimed the 2024 championship in Polasek's first season.

The school will pay $12.5 million to join the conference, according to athletic director Matt Larsen, in addition to a $5 million NCAA fee to transition to the FBS. North Dakota State also plans to petition for immediate access to the College Football Playoff and bowl games.

Q. When did it land on your desk that this was a real possibility, jumping to the FBS and Mountain West?

A. "That's interesting, because it depends on how you look at it. As conversations began, and I don't have a real, crystal clear timeline, we were in the middle of the season to the back third of the year. We had to start putting some things on our plate, as far as, 'OK, if this were to ever happen, Tim, you need to start brainstorming how you're going to approach the staff, how we're going to approach this, how we're going to approach that.' It was one of those deals where, obviously, the invitation and all that stuff take a little bit of time, but you get notified that there is a negotiation starting. It really didn't become real until a couple of weeks ago."

Do you feel like you would have attacked this transfer portal differently if you knew that you were going to play an FBS schedule?

"That's one of the things you're hopeful that, especially regionally, recruiting-wise, and I'm talking about bounce backs out of the portal, you hope you're seen in a little bit different light. I don't know that we would have necessarily been financially any different at that time than what we had. The answer is probably yes, but I do like the way our portal guys are working and how they're fitting in right now as well."

Are you going to have to start building your roster differently in the years to come?

"Where we are going to be tested the most, if you look at some of the guys that are even playing in the NFL, not a lot of people recruited them. It takes two and a half to three years of development before those guys are really good players. We want to stay true as much as we can. We want to stay true to that developmental piece, especially with the O-line, the D-lines, tight ends. This should put us in a position to compete much better regionally for FBS-level running backs, receivers, and cornerbacks. I have a great deal of respect for the skill level in the Mountain West Conference. I have a great deal of respect for the strength levels of the defensive fronts. A little bit bigger and stronger, but that's been our ace in the hole, right? It's been our development."

Read the full interview with Tim Polasek.

TRIVIA

Now here's a guy...

Below, you'll find 3 facts about a random college football player. You'll try to guess who the player is based on the facts. Let's go.

I played at BYU from 2012 to 2016 and left Provo as the school's all-time leading rusher with 3,901 career yards.
In 2016, I rushed for a school-record 286 yards and five touchdowns in a 55-53 win over Toledo and was named MVP of the Poinsettia Bowl after a 210-yard performance.
I later led the NFL in rushing touchdowns during the 2022 season.

Answer at the bottom.

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