I was going to take the Monday before Christmas off, but I figured you’d miss the weekly Mailbag, so this is my last official day working in 2025 (in this profession, you’re always working a little, but I won’t be coming into the office to do so until Jan. 5). So, this is my Christmas present to you, which I know is a pretty crappy present. Who wants to ready 3,700 words of my drivel? Apparently, and amazingly, plenty of you as this remains one of our most-read features of the week despite it being a 15- to 20-minute read. So, let’s get to the last Monday Mailbag of 2025. Thanks, as always, for the questions.

In case you missed it, Nevada football hired Brett Bartolone as its offensive coordinator. Bartolone was a standout wide receiver at Washington State during the one year Nevada head coach Jeff Choate was on the Cougars’ staff. Bartolone coached four seasons at the Division III level before a two-year stint at Nevada as a quality-control coach from 2020-21. He became Jackson State’s offensive coordinator in 2022 and spent the last three seasons on Colorado’s staff as a position assistant.

Choate highlighted three requirements for Nevada’s next offensive coordinator, including (1) experience calling plays; (2) a set scheme that is malleable; (3) the ability to lead a group. Bartolone has some offensive coordinator experience, but it is limited to two seasons at the D-III level and one in the FCS (he also was an OC for a team in France). That’s less than I thought Nevada would target. But you also must understand that not a lot of experienced coordinators are looking to tie their careers to Nevada, a place that has gone 10-39 the last four seasons (largely because of its offense) and enters what could be a make-or-break year for Choate, who now has his seventh offensive coordinator in eight seasons as a head coach. It’s not the most attractive job.

There are reasons to like the hire. Bartolone was at Nevada for two seasons, which I think is important because he’ll have an understanding of the job and situation he’s inheriting. I also like that he comes from a passing background having played and coached in the Air Raid and spread option. Nevada’s biggest issue is its passing attack, so it’s positive to see Choate, a run-first kind of coach, go outside his normal comfort zone to try and addressed that issue. Bartolone had a ton of success at Jackson State, posting a top-10 offense in the FCS, albeit with an NFL quarterback playing in the SWAC (that sets up you for success). Bartolone also helped develop some good wide receivers at Colorado, including Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

Bartolone’s D-III offenses were not very good (22.2 points per game), but that was early in his coaching career. He also called plays late last season for Colorado, that coming without much success (17.5 ppg, compared to 24.9 ppg game with Pat Shurmur calling plays). Bartolone should be a step up from David Gilbertson, last year’s offensive coordinator. But he doesn’t have the kind of experience we saw with Nevada’s first OC under Choate, Matt Lubick. There’s certainly some reason to be excited, but there’s also risk here. Bartolone will bring energy and excitement to the offensive staff, which includes Jim Mastro, who was on Washington State’s staff when Bartolone played for the Cougars.

Is it a home run hire? No. Probably a single Nevada will try and leg into a hustle double. But a home run hire seemed impossible given the attractiveness (or lack thereof) and salary (of lack thereof) of the job. My initial reaction to the hire was a positive one. Bartolone is the most important hire of Choate’s tenure. He had to nail this one. And we’ll see in 2026 if he did. At this stage of the offseason, Nevada has just two offensive starters returning (QB Carter Jones and RT Zach Cochnauer), so it’s a pretty massive rebuild for Bartolone, who inherits a team that averaged 17.6 points per game last season and a program that has produced just 19.3 points per game since Bartolone left Nevada’s staff after the 2021 campaign.

Nevada men’s basketball earned a BartTorvik game score of 98 out of 100 in its 81-66 win over Boise State. That tied its season high of 98 against Louisiana Tech, but Boise State is way better than the Bulldogs. Saturday’s game was Nevada’s most dominant effort since recording a game score of 100 last year against Santa Clara, which was an 85-59 win over a Broncos team that went 21-13. If you limit it to Mountain West games, I’d go back to a 76-66 road win at Boise State in March 2024. Nevada got a 97 game score in that win over a Broncos team that made the NCAA Tournament. Saturday’s win over Boise State was the best Nevada has looked this season.

I just don’t see Nevada being in the realistic mix for an NCAA Tournament at-large berth considering (1) it played zero Quad 1 games in non-conference and was 1-2 in Quad 2 games with a Quad 3 loss and (2) the Mountain West is not strong enough to build an entire at-large résumé off. As currently situated, the MW is a one-bid league, although it could get into two-bid territory. Nevada will get around 10 Quad 1 or 2 games out of conference play, but those won’t be weighted as heavily by the selection committee if the MW is a one- or two-bid league. Now, if Nevada went 17-3 in MW play and reached the conference tournament title game to finish 27-7 could it get an at-large berth? Maybe. But it would take something crazy like that. And that’s fine. Nevada’s goal right now is to win a MW regular-season title, which would be a major accomplishment since the Wolf Pack hasn’t done that since Eric Musselman took the Arkansas job in 2019. Focus on the small picture and the big picture could work out. BartTorvik gives Nevada a 0.4 percent chance of an at-large bid.

As noted above, I’d just focus on the Mountain West. But this also is an important lesson for the future MW, which is going to be a one-bid league with an outside shot at two bids moving forward after losing Utah State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Boise State and Fresno State to the Pac-12. I know it’s easier said than done, but Nevada needs to find a way to play three Quad 1 games and three to four additional Quad 2 games in non-conference play moving forward for any hope of an at-large bid — unless the NCAA Tournament expands, and it will. But zero Quad 1 games and three Quad 2 games just aren’t enough for at-large consideration in the new MW.

I grade each Nevada sport after each season, so that should be sufficient in the grading of those coaches, since those marks are a result of their quality of work. Here were my 2024-25 grades and my 2023-24 grades. Here are my report cards/grades for soccer, volleyball and football this season.

As for the shooting, the one thing Nevada has improved a lot at is shot selection. Over its first three games, Nevada averaged 25 3-point attempts per game and shot 26.5 percent from beyond the arc. In its last nine games, Nevada is averaging 15 3-point attempts per game and hitting 42.6 percent of those. That’s the correct formula for this team, which has shot it well from midrange, too (41.7 percent, which is above average). Shooting has been a plus for Nevada, whose only major issue on offense has been close-range finishing (49.1 percent, which is below average). But the Wolf Pack doesn’t turn it over, gets to the free throw line a lot, is solid on the offensive glass and has shot the ball well. It’s been a nice mix that has led to a No. 69 offensive rank in the nation, per KenPom, compared to a defensive ranking of 112. This team is shooting well enough it’d be hard to zone the Wolf Pack right now, which was last year’s formula to beating Nevada.

Nevada playing Peyton White at power forward and Elijah Price at center could work against some opponents. Price essentially started at center against Boise State with a true center (Jeriah Coleman or Ethan Croley) on the court for only 9 minutes, 16 seconds against the Broncos. Starting center Joel Armotrading will be back at some point, but Nevada has successfully played smallball most of the last five games.

When things are going well, most coaches are at least a little apprehensive about changing anything, so mixing two big pieces back into the rotation can be a scary, more so with Joel Armotrading then with Corey Camper Jr., who should be able to fit back in just fine given his versatility. Perhaps the only concern there is how it impacts Tayshawn Comer, who has been Nevada’s go-to scorer with Camper out. Comer is averaging 21.3 points on 50 percent shooting, including 55.5 percent from three, since Camper got hurt. Reinserting Armotrading could mess a little with Nevada’s offensive spacing and ability to play small, so that one will be more delicate. But the fact Nevada hasn’t had a big falloff in quality of play without those two means the Wolf Pack can let those injuries fully heal. There’s no rush to get them back into the lineup too soon. Ultimately, Nevada will need those guys if it is going to win the Mountain West, but you’re right there’s some risk because the Wolf Pack has played well without them. But this team seems to have good chemistry and not a lot of ego, so from that standpoint, it’s not a big deal. It’s just about readjusting to new roles.

This is a minor pet peeve of mine I usually see in poll questions, but the question should be “Will Nevada hoops go 10-0 at home in Mountain West play?” rather than “Can Nevada hoops go 10-0 at home in Mountain West play?” Anything can happen. The Dodgers could sign me and I could beat Shohei Ohtani for NL MVP next season. Will I do that? No, I will not. But to get to you question, will Nevada do that? I would bet against it. Yes, if Nevada plays like it did against Boise State, it would likely sweep its home games. But Nevada also struggled to beat Pacific, Southern Illinois. UC San Diego and Duquesne at home while losing to UC Davis at Lawlor Events Center. So, odds are it will drop a MW home game at some point. Odds are every MW team will lose at home at least once. It’s hard to be perfect.

Every season is a rebuild for Group of 6 football programs in the transfer portal/NIL era. That’s just the reality of the current system. If you have an all-conference player, they’re likely gone unless you have a super competitive NIL pot.

Here is our running list of Nevada football players who plan to enter the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2. There are 14 known players, including five starters. DE Jonathan Maldonado is among them. DE Dylan LaBarbera hasn’t publicly committed one way or another.

Yes. What needs to happen — and what should have happened several years ago — is these athletes becoming university employees, which would allow schools to sign players to more binding employment contracts. But the NCAA and its schools didn’t want to admit these athletes were employees entitled to the usual rights associated with the working class, which has led to college’s current cluster.

The Mountain West is 11th in the NET rankings, down from last year’s mark of eighth. The MW had three top-100 RPI teams last year and a fourth at No. 102. This season, there are again three in the top 100. Last year, there were only three MW teams 210 or worse in NET. This season, there are five at 210 or worse. So, the top of the MW isn’t quite as strong and the bottom is worse. The league has taken a step back, with the regular-season championship much more up in the air with UNLV not nearly as good as previous seasons. I would tier the league as follows:

Tier I: Colorado State, San Diego State, UNLV

Tier II: New Mexico

Tier III: Grand Canyon (despite being 1-10!), Fresno State, Boise State, Air Force

Tier IV: Utah State, Nevada, Wyoming, San Jose State

Here is my preseason poll, which is pretty much in line with the above tiers except for Nevada and Wyoming being worse than I thought and Fresno State better.

Win a lot of games as quickly as possible. Amanda Levens has one more year on her contract after this season for a guaranteed $260,000, so I would guess she gets another year since Nevada doesn’t want to eat that. That would be her 10th season as Nevada’s head coach. But her overall record is 120-140 with a 63-80 MW mark and Nevada trending toward a third 20-loss season in the last four years. There’s not much rope left.

This is a program with not much historic success. Nevada has had nine head coaches in its history with Amanda Levens’ 120 wins a school record and her 46.1 winning percentage also a school record (Anna Hope is second at 42.3 percent). With that said, a reset appears near. This year’s issue is the offense. Nevada is 359th in the nation in 3-point shooting, 348th in free throw shooting and 341st in turnover rate. That’s out of 363 Division I schools. Nevada’s inability to shoot means defenses can sag way off the 3-point line and gum things up in the post and passing lanes, with the Wolf Pack almost exclusively playing freshmen at point guard, which explains some of the turnover issues. I don’t know how this is fixed midseason. I’d give Gabby Ramos more playing time, but Nevada’s key returners haven’t played up to their potential, which has been a major issue.

Yes, I think college football’s power brokers will require a minimum ranking threshold for a Group of 6 school to make the College Football Playoff (like, top 20 in the CFP rankings). Is that dumb? Yes. But after James Madison was blown out by Oregon and Tulane was blown out by Ole Miss, the Power 4 will punish the Group of 6 while simultaneously guaranteeing spots for the Big 10, Big 12, SEC and ACC despite the ACC not earning a CFP berth this season. Oregon, SMU and Tennessee were blown out in last year’s playoffs, but those teams and conferences weren’t penalized as a result. I can’t wait until the Power 4/Group of 6 split. We need to bring some sanity back to regular college football.

Probably just an input issue on Nevada’s end because the Wolf Pack women’s basketball transfers have their previous schools listed.

1. 10 percent (Pete Carroll is still owed $30 million, and I don’t see the Raiders buying that out)

2. TeamRankings has Nevada men’s basketball at a 3.6 percent chance of winning the Mountain West, which is up from 2.1 percent prior to the Boise State game

Legends Bay Casino sportsbook, Peppermill sportsbook, GSR sportsbook. I’ll toss Dubs Sports Lounge in there, too.

Not in the next three years, although the NIAA did post its legal counsel position online today and is expected to name finalists Jan. 27-28 for those interested.

Wolves feed predominantly on ungulates, which are herbivore mammals with hooves or hard feet coverings. We’re talking deer, horses, asses, caribou, moose, etc. When that food is not plentiful, wolves will eat smaller animals such as rodents, rabbits, fish and waterfowl. When desperate, they can also eat lizards, snakes, frogs and grasshoppers. They’ll eat fruits as well, including apples, pears, figs, melons, berries, cherries, blueberries and raspberries. So, Ike’s should probably be serving a deer sandwich topped with grasshoppers and a fig spread for the “Wolfpack” sandwich.

Because an MLB team hiring a college coach with no pro experience has literally never happened before. There’s a much larger difference between college and pro baseball and college and pro football. The college baseball game is way, way different than the MLB game, especially with bullpen usage, which is the most important part of managing a big-league team outside of creating a positive culture. The Giants’ new skipper, Tony Vitello, could certainly be a success in MLB, but the NL West has gone nuts this offseason, knowing they can’t compete with the Dodgers. The Giants hired a college coach as an MLB manager, the Rockies hired an NFL employee who has been out of baseball for a decade (Paul DePodesta) to run its operation and the Padres hired a relief pitcher with no coaching experience (Craig Stammen) as their manager (relief pitcher are almost never hired as managers because they don’t exist in the dugout during games). The NL West is in shambles because of the Dodgers.

I was born in Simi Valley, Calif., so I grew up a Dodgers (MLB), Lakers (NBA) and Kings (NHL) fan, plus the Bills (NFL) because Los Angeles didn’t have an NFL team when I was young and Buffalo was always in the Super Bowl when I was a kid (those Super Bowls did not go well, but here I am, still a Bills fans).

Answering that question is significantly too much work for this space, but the top teams include 2017 and 2018 UCF; 2020 and 2021 Cincinnati; and 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2024 Boise State; 2009 and 2010 TCU; and 2004 and 2008 Utah. The best of those teams is probably 2008 Utah, which finished second in the nation with a win over Alabama. Those Utes could have made a run for a national title. But college football has changed so much, it’d be almost impossible for a Group of 6 school in the transfer-portal era to compete with the top Power 4 schools. I also think Boise State’s best team is the 2010 version, which makes Nevada’s win over the Broncos that year even more impressive.

My guy Mo Seider!

Double Mo!

I believe Joel Bitonio will retire with the Cleveland Browns, although getting a Super Bowl ring with another team at the end of his career, ala Andrew Whitworth, would bolster his Pro Football Hall of Fame résumé. I just don’t see him leaving Cleveland. As I’ve noted before, offensive guard is an extremely difficult position to get into the Hall of Fame playing. Bitonio has made seven Pro Bowls with two AP first-team honors and three AP second-team honors. Here is his résumé compared to other great offensive guards of the 2010-20s, sorted by most likely to least likely to make the Hall of Fame.

Zack Martin — 11 seasons, 162 starts, nine Pro Bowls, nine AP All-Pro (seven first team), 128 AV (the higher the better)

Jahri Evans — 12 seasons, 183 starts, six Pro Bowls, five AP All-Pro (four first team), 145 AV

Quenton Nelson — Eight seasons, 126 starts, seven Pro Bowls, five AP All-Pro (three first team), 79 AV

Marshal Yanda — 13 seasons, 166 starts, eight Pro Bowls, seven AP All-Pro (two first team), 116 AV

Joel Bitonio — 12 seasons, 176 starts, seven Pro Bowls, five AP All-Pro (two first team), 89 AV

Joe Thuney — 10 seasons, 161 starts, three Pro Bowls, four AP All-Pro (two first team), 90 AV

Bitonio is fifth on the list of offensive guards in the 2010-20s, which will make it tough to get into the Hall of Fame given how that position is viewed (there are only 16 guards in the Hall of Fame). Pro Football Reference’s offensive guard Hall of Fame rankings are here, and Bitonio is 34th all-time at the position with 49.50 points. The average Hall of Famer at the position has a score of 106. My guess is Bitonio falls just short unless he squeezes out at least two more Pro Bowls and two more AP All-Pro honors. He was fifth in the final vote of guards on this year’s Pro Bowl ballot. I would love to see Bitonio make it, though. He’s an awesome player and great dude. The most dominant game I’ve seen a Wolf Pack offensive lineman play was Bitonio at Boise State in 2013. It takes a lot to get noticed on the offensive line, but he was so dominant his senior season, especially in that game against Boise State. Bitonio has seven Pro Bowl honors in his career; every other Wolf Pack alum in the NFL’s modern era has combined for eight Pro Bowls. That’s how good Bitonio has been.

Last night, my family group chat was nostalgically texting about the stocking stuffers we got as children. Let me pull those up and see what was mentioned on the text chain. Looks like we got candy, Chapstick and toothpaste. The essentials. I would also throw in packs of baseball cards, hand sanitizer, stickers, bubbles, novelty socks and backscratchers. The top-five items I’d want are:

5. Chapstick (Burt’s Bees)

4. Mike & Ike

3. Snickers trees

2. Baseball cards

1. Plane tickets to Hawaii

I hope everybody has a great Christmas spent with friends and family. See y’all in 2026!

Sports columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. He writes a weekly Monday Mailbag despite it giving him a headache and it taking several hours to write. But people seem to like it, so he does it anyway. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.

I was going to take the Monday before Christmas off, but I figured you’d miss the weekly Mailbag, so this is my last official day working in 2025 (in this profession, you’re always working a little, but I won’t be coming into the office to do so until Jan. 5). So, this is my Christmas present to you, which I know is a pretty crappy present. Who wants to ready 3,700 words of my drivel? Apparently, and amazingly, plenty of you as this remains one of our most-read features of the week despite it being a 15- to 20-minute read. So, let’s get to the last Monday Mailbag of 2025. Thanks, as always, for the questions.

In case you missed it, Nevada football hired Brett Bartolone as its offensive coordinator. Bartolone was a standout wide receiver at Washington State during the one year Nevada head coach Jeff Choate was on the Cougars’ staff. Bartolone coached four seasons at the Division III level before a two-year stint at Nevada as a quality-control coach from 2020-21. He became Jackson State’s offensive coordinator in 2022 and spent the last three seasons on Colorado’s staff as a position assistant.

Choate highlighted three requirements for Nevada’s next offensive coordinator, including (1) experience calling plays; (2) a set scheme that is malleable; (3) the ability to lead a group. Bartolone has some offensive coordinator experience, but it is limited to two seasons at the D-III level and one in the FCS (he also was an OC for a team in France). That’s less than I thought Nevada would target. But you also must understand that not a lot of experienced coordinators are looking to tie their careers to Nevada, a place that has gone 10-39 the last four seasons (largely because of its offense) and enters what could be a make-or-break year for Choate, who now has his seventh offensive coordinator in eight seasons as a head coach. It’s not the most attractive job.

There are reasons to like the hire. Bartolone was at Nevada for two seasons, which I think is important because he’ll have an understanding of the job and situation he’s inheriting. I also like that he comes from a passing background having played and coached in the Air Raid and spread option. Nevada’s biggest issue is its passing attack, so it’s positive to see Choate, a run-first kind of coach, go outside his normal comfort zone to try and addressed that issue. Bartolone had a ton of success at Jackson State, posting a top-10 offense in the FCS, albeit with an NFL quarterback playing in the SWAC (that sets up you for success). Bartolone also helped develop some good wide receivers at Colorado, including Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

Bartolone’s D-III offenses were not very good (22.2 points per game), but that was early in his coaching career. He also called plays late last season for Colorado, that coming without much success (17.5 ppg, compared to 24.9 ppg game with Pat Shurmur calling plays). Bartolone should be a step up from David Gilbertson, last year’s offensive coordinator. But he doesn’t have the kind of experience we saw with Nevada’s first OC under Choate, Matt Lubick. There’s certainly some reason to be excited, but there’s also risk here. Bartolone will bring energy and excitement to the offensive staff, which includes Jim Mastro, who was on Washington State’s staff when Bartolone played for the Cougars.

Is it a home run hire? No. Probably a single Nevada will try and leg into a hustle double. But a home run hire seemed impossible given the attractiveness (or lack thereof) and salary (of lack thereof) of the job. My initial reaction to the hire was a positive one. Bartolone is the most important hire of Choate’s tenure. He had to nail this one. And we’ll see in 2026 if he did. At this stage of the offseason, Nevada has just two offensive starters returning (QB Carter Jones and RT Zach Cochnauer), so it’s a pretty massive rebuild for Bartolone, who inherits a team that averaged 17.6 points per game last season and a program that has produced just 19.3 points per game since Bartolone left Nevada’s staff after the 2021 campaign.

Nevada men’s basketball earned a BartTorvik game score of 98 out of 100 in its 81-66 win over Boise State. That tied its season high of 98 against Louisiana Tech, but Boise State is way better than the Bulldogs. Saturday’s game was Nevada’s most dominant effort since recording a game score of 100 last year against Santa Clara, which was an 85-59 win over a Broncos team that went 21-13. If you limit it to Mountain West games, I’d go back to a 76-66 road win at Boise State in March 2024. Nevada got a 97 game score in that win over a Broncos team that made the NCAA Tournament. Saturday’s win over Boise State was the best Nevada has looked this season.

I just don’t see Nevada being in the realistic mix for an NCAA Tournament at-large berth considering (1) it played zero Quad 1 games in non-conference and was 1-2 in Quad 2 games with a Quad 3 loss and (2) the Mountain West is not strong enough to build an entire at-large résumé off. As currently situated, the MW is a one-bid league, although it could get into two-bid territory. Nevada will get around 10 Quad 1 or 2 games out of conference play, but those won’t be weighted as heavily by the selection committee if the MW is a one- or two-bid league. Now, if Nevada went 17-3 in MW play and reached the conference tournament title game to finish 27-7 could it get an at-large berth? Maybe. But it would take something crazy like that. And that’s fine. Nevada’s goal right now is to win a MW regular-season title, which would be a major accomplishment since the Wolf Pack hasn’t done that since Eric Musselman took the Arkansas job in 2019. Focus on the small picture and the big picture could work out. BartTorvik gives Nevada a 0.4 percent chance of an at-large bid.

As noted above, I’d just focus on the Mountain West. But this also is an important lesson for the future MW, which is going to be a one-bid league with an outside shot at two bids moving forward after losing Utah State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Boise State and Fresno State to the Pac-12. I know it’s easier said than done, but Nevada needs to find a way to play three Quad 1 games and three to four additional Quad 2 games in non-conference play moving forward for any hope of an at-large bid — unless the NCAA Tournament expands, and it will. But zero Quad 1 games and three Quad 2 games just aren’t enough for at-large consideration in the new MW.

I grade each Nevada sport after each season, so that should be sufficient in the grading of those coaches, since those marks are a result of their quality of work. Here were my 2024-25 grades and my 2023-24 grades. Here are my report cards/grades for soccer, volleyball and football this season.

As for the shooting, the one thing Nevada has improved a lot at is shot selection. Over its first three games, Nevada averaged 25 3-point attempts per game and shot 26.5 percent from beyond the arc. In its last nine games, Nevada is averaging 15 3-point attempts per game and hitting 42.6 percent of those. That’s the correct formula for this team, which has shot it well from midrange, too (41.7 percent, which is above average). Shooting has been a plus for Nevada, whose only major issue on offense has been close-range finishing (49.1 percent, which is below average). But the Wolf Pack doesn’t turn it over, gets to the free throw line a lot, is solid on the offensive glass and has shot the ball well. It’s been a nice mix that has led to a No. 69 offensive rank in the nation, per KenPom, compared to a defensive ranking of 112. This team is shooting well enough it’d be hard to zone the Wolf Pack right now, which was last year’s formula to beating Nevada.

Nevada playing Peyton White at power forward and Elijah Price at center could work against some opponents. Price essentially started at center against Boise State with a true center (Jeriah Coleman or Ethan Croley) on the court for only 9 minutes, 16 seconds against the Broncos. Starting center Joel Armotrading will be back at some point, but Nevada has successfully played smallball most of the last five games.

When things are going well, most coaches are at least a little apprehensive about changing anything, so mixing two big pieces back into the rotation can be a scary, more so with Joel Armotrading then with Corey Camper Jr., who should be able to fit back in just fine given his versatility. Perhaps the only concern there is how it impacts Tayshawn Comer, who has been Nevada’s go-to scorer with Camper out. Comer is averaging 21.3 points on 50 percent shooting, including 55.5 percent from three, since Camper got hurt. Reinserting Armotrading could mess a little with Nevada’s offensive spacing and ability to play small, so that one will be more delicate. But the fact Nevada hasn’t had a big falloff in quality of play without those two means the Wolf Pack can let those injuries fully heal. There’s no rush to get them back into the lineup too soon. Ultimately, Nevada will need those guys if it is going to win the Mountain West, but you’re right there’s some risk because the Wolf Pack has played well without them. But this team seems to have good chemistry and not a lot of ego, so from that standpoint, it’s not a big deal. It’s just about readjusting to new roles.

This is a minor pet peeve of mine I usually see in poll questions, but the question should be “Will Nevada hoops go 10-0 at home in Mountain West play?” rather than “Can Nevada hoops go 10-0 at home in Mountain West play?” Anything can happen. The Dodgers could sign me and I could beat Shohei Ohtani for NL MVP next season. Will I do that? No, I will not. But to get to you question, will Nevada do that? I would bet against it. Yes, if Nevada plays like it did against Boise State, it would likely sweep its home games. But Nevada also struggled to beat Pacific, Southern Illinois. UC San Diego and Duquesne at home while losing to UC Davis at Lawlor Events Center. So, odds are it will drop a MW home game at some point. Odds are every MW team will lose at home at least once. It’s hard to be perfect.

Every season is a rebuild for Group of 6 football programs in the transfer portal/NIL era. That’s just the reality of the current system. If you have an all-conference player, they’re likely gone unless you have a super competitive NIL pot.

Here is our running list of Nevada football players who plan to enter the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2. There are 14 known players, including five starters. DE Jonathan Maldonado is among them. DE Dylan LaBarbera hasn’t publicly committed one way or another.

Yes. What needs to happen — and what should have happened several years ago — is these athletes becoming university employees, which would allow schools to sign players to more binding employment contracts. But the NCAA and its schools didn’t want to admit these athletes were employees entitled to the usual rights associated with the working class, which has led to college’s current cluster.

The Mountain West is 11th in the NET rankings, down from last year’s mark of eighth. The MW had three top-100 RPI teams last year and a fourth at No. 102. This season, there are again three in the top 100. Last year, there were only three MW teams 210 or worse in NET. This season, there are five at 210 or worse. So, the top of the MW isn’t quite as strong and the bottom is worse. The league has taken a step back, with the regular-season championship much more up in the air with UNLV not nearly as good as previous seasons. I would tier the league as follows:

Tier I: Colorado State, San Diego State, UNLV

Tier II: New Mexico

Tier III: Grand Canyon (despite being 1-10!), Fresno State, Boise State, Air Force

Tier IV: Utah State, Nevada, Wyoming, San Jose State

Here is my preseason poll, which is pretty much in line with the above tiers except for Nevada and Wyoming being worse than I thought and Fresno State better.

Win a lot of games as quickly as possible. Amanda Levens has one more year on her contract after this season for a guaranteed $260,000, so I would guess she gets another year since Nevada doesn’t want to eat that. That would be her 10th season as Nevada’s head coach. But her overall record is 120-140 with a 63-80 MW mark and Nevada trending toward a third 20-loss season in the last four years. There’s not much rope left.

This is a program with not much historic success. Nevada has had nine head coaches in its history with Amanda Levens’ 120 wins a school record and her 46.1 winning percentage also a school record (Anna Hope is second at 42.3 percent). With that said, a reset appears near. This year’s issue is the offense. Nevada is 359th in the nation in 3-point shooting, 348th in free throw shooting and 341st in turnover rate. That’s out of 363 Division I schools. Nevada’s inability to shoot means defenses can sag way off the 3-point line and gum things up in the post and passing lanes, with the Wolf Pack almost exclusively playing freshmen at point guard, which explains some of the turnover issues. I don’t know how this is fixed midseason. I’d give Gabby Ramos more playing time, but Nevada’s key returners haven’t played up to their potential, which has been a major issue.

Yes, I think college football’s power brokers will require a minimum ranking threshold for a Group of 6 school to make the College Football Playoff (like, top 20 in the CFP rankings). Is that dumb? Yes. But after James Madison was blown out by Oregon and Tulane was blown out by Ole Miss, the Power 4 will punish the Group of 6 while simultaneously guaranteeing spots for the Big 10, Big 12, SEC and ACC despite the ACC not earning a CFP berth this season. Oregon, SMU and Tennessee were blown out in last year’s playoffs, but those teams and conferences weren’t penalized as a result. I can’t wait until the Power 4/Group of 6 split. We need to bring some sanity back to regular college football.

Probably just an input issue on Nevada’s end because the Wolf Pack women’s basketball transfers have their previous schools listed.

1. 10 percent (Pete Carroll is still owed $30 million, and I don’t see the Raiders buying that out)

2. TeamRankings has Nevada men’s basketball at a 3.6 percent chance of winning the Mountain West, which is up from 2.1 percent prior to the Boise State game

Legends Bay Casino sportsbook, Peppermill sportsbook, GSR sportsbook. I’ll toss Dubs Sports Lounge in there, too.

Not in the next three years, although the NIAA did post its legal counsel position online today and is expected to name finalists Jan. 27-28 for those interested.

Wolves feed predominantly on ungulates, which are herbivore mammals with hooves or hard feet coverings. We’re talking deer, horses, asses, caribou, moose, etc. When that food is not plentiful, wolves will eat smaller animals such as rodents, rabbits, fish and waterfowl. When desperate, they can also eat lizards, snakes, frogs and grasshoppers. They’ll eat fruits as well, including apples, pears, figs, melons, berries, cherries, blueberries and raspberries. So, Ike’s should probably be serving a deer sandwich topped with grasshoppers and a fig spread for the “Wolfpack” sandwich.

Because an MLB team hiring a college coach with no pro experience has literally never happened before. There’s a much larger difference between college and pro baseball and college and pro football. The college baseball game is way, way different than the MLB game, especially with bullpen usage, which is the most important part of managing a big-league team outside of creating a positive culture. The Giants’ new skipper, Tony Vitello, could certainly be a success in MLB, but the NL West has gone nuts this offseason, knowing they can’t compete with the Dodgers. The Giants hired a college coach as an MLB manager, the Rockies hired an NFL employee who has been out of baseball for a decade (Paul DePodesta) to run its operation and the Padres hired a relief pitcher with no coaching experience (Craig Stammen) as their manager (relief pitcher are almost never hired as managers because they don’t exist in the dugout during games). The NL West is in shambles because of the Dodgers.

I was born in Simi Valley, Calif., so I grew up a Dodgers (MLB), Lakers (NBA) and Kings (NHL) fan, plus the Bills (NFL) because Los Angeles didn’t have an NFL team when I was young and Buffalo was always in the Super Bowl when I was a kid (those Super Bowls did not go well, but here I am, still a Bills fans).

Answering that question is significantly too much work for this space, but the top teams include 2017 and 2018 UCF; 2020 and 2021 Cincinnati; and 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2024 Boise State; 2009 and 2010 TCU; and 2004 and 2008 Utah. The best of those teams is probably 2008 Utah, which finished second in the nation with a win over Alabama. Those Utes could have made a run for a national title. But college football has changed so much, it’d be almost impossible for a Group of 6 school in the transfer-portal era to compete with the top Power 4 schools. I also think Boise State’s best team is the 2010 version, which makes Nevada’s win over the Broncos that year even more impressive.

My guy Mo Seider!

Double Mo!

I believe Joel Bitonio will retire with the Cleveland Browns, although getting a Super Bowl ring with another team at the end of his career, ala Andrew Whitworth, would bolster his Pro Football Hall of Fame résumé. I just don’t see him leaving Cleveland. As I’ve noted before, offensive guard is an extremely difficult position to get into the Hall of Fame playing. Bitonio has made seven Pro Bowls with two AP first-team honors and three AP second-team honors. Here is his résumé compared to other great offensive guards of the 2010-20s, sorted by most likely to least likely to make the Hall of Fame.

Zack Martin — 11 seasons, 162 starts, nine Pro Bowls, nine AP All-Pro (seven first team), 128 AV (the higher the better)

Jahri Evans — 12 seasons, 183 starts, six Pro Bowls, five AP All-Pro (four first team), 145 AV

Quenton Nelson — Eight seasons, 126 starts, seven Pro Bowls, five AP All-Pro (three first team), 79 AV

Marshal Yanda — 13 seasons, 166 starts, eight Pro Bowls, seven AP All-Pro (two first team), 116 AV

Joel Bitonio — 12 seasons, 176 starts, seven Pro Bowls, five AP All-Pro (two first team), 89 AV

Joe Thuney — 10 seasons, 161 starts, three Pro Bowls, four AP All-Pro (two first team), 90 AV

Bitonio is fifth on the list of offensive guards in the 2010-20s, which will make it tough to get into the Hall of Fame given how that position is viewed (there are only 16 guards in the Hall of Fame). Pro Football Reference’s offensive guard Hall of Fame rankings are here, and Bitonio is 34th all-time at the position with 49.50 points. The average Hall of Famer at the position has a score of 106. My guess is Bitonio falls just short unless he squeezes out at least two more Pro Bowls and two more AP All-Pro honors. He was fifth in the final vote of guards on this year’s Pro Bowl ballot. I would love to see Bitonio make it, though. He’s an awesome player and great dude. The most dominant game I’ve seen a Wolf Pack offensive lineman play was Bitonio at Boise State in 2013. It takes a lot to get noticed on the offensive line, but he was so dominant his senior season, especially in that game against Boise State. Bitonio has seven Pro Bowl honors in his career; every other Wolf Pack alum in the NFL’s modern era has combined for eight Pro Bowls. That’s how good Bitonio has been.

Last night, my family group chat was nostalgically texting about the stocking stuffers we got as children. Let me pull those up and see what was mentioned on the text chain. Looks like we got candy, Chapstick and toothpaste. The essentials. I would also throw in packs of baseball cards, hand sanitizer, stickers, bubbles, novelty socks and backscratchers. The top-five items I’d want are:

5. Chapstick (Burt’s Bees)

4. Mike & Ike

3. Snickers trees

2. Baseball cards

1. Plane tickets to Hawaii

I hope everybody has a great Christmas spent with friends and family. See y’all in 2026!

Sports columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. He writes a weekly Monday Mailbag despite it giving him a headache and it taking several hours to write. But people seem to like it, so he does it anyway. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.