A new era for college fantasy football
Yahoo Sports is set to launch a series of college fantasy football leagues that will feature athletes from the Power Four conferences and Notre Dame, giving fans the chance to draft and manage teams much like they do with the NFL version.
The new format introduces a distinctive “offense” position that rewards teams for collective performance, adding a fresh twist to the traditional fantasy experience.
According to Ryan Spoon, president of Yahoo Media Group, the initiative is designed to deepen fan engagement with the sport, the players and the schools, building on the record‑breaking participation seen in the previous season.
Among the notable names that will be available in the draft are Arch Manning, Jordan Marshall, CJ Carr, Cam Coleman, Aiden Flora, LJ Martin, Brody Ruihley, Kyson Brown and Julian Sayin, each bringing their own storylines to the virtual gridiron.
Brody Ruihley, a professor at Miami University (Ohio), has warned that the growing popularity of fantasy sports and betting must be balanced with safeguards for college athletes’ privacy and well‑being.
The leagues will follow a familiar structure: a draft phase, weekly head‑to‑head matchups and a season that culminates in playoff brackets, mirroring the NFL fantasy framework while preserving the unique character of college football.
While the excitement is mounting, former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby recently abandoned a legal challenge to regain eligibility after admitting to betting on Indiana games, underscoring the need for vigilance around athlete integrity.
Ryan Spoon reiterated that Yahoo’s focus remains on gameplay and fan interaction, steering clear of direct betting markets or predictive algorithms.