Ohio
Day: Big Ten deserves 4 automatic spots in CFP
COLUMBUS, Ohio — After winning the first 12-team College Football Playoff and a national title as an at-large selection in 2024, Ohio State coach Ryan Day would like to see future models include at least four automatic qualifying spots for the expanded Big Ten.
As college football leaders discuss the next version of the CFP, beginning with the 2026 season, there has been recent pushback against templates that include more automatic spots for the Big Ten and the SEC.
At last week’s SEC spring meetings, support grew for a model that included automatic entries for the top five conference champions and 11 at-large spots in a playoff that would expand from 12 to 16 teams next year. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and league administrators last week also voiced support for the 5+11 CFP model.
The Big Ten has not publicly advocated for a specific playoff model, but it has discussed one that would automatically include four teams for the Big Ten and for the SEC, two each for the Big 12 and ACC, and one for the top Group of 5 champion. The Big 12 and the ACC opposed that plan.
“We’re in the Big Ten, and we have 18 teams and some of the best programs in the country,” Day told ESPN. “I feel like we deserve at least four automatic qualifiers.”
Day noted how the most recent Big Ten expansion added the top teams from the original Pac-12, including the only two — Oregon and Washington — that made the four-team CFP and played for national titles. Washington reached the championship game after the 2023 season, falling to Michigan, and Oregon won the Big Ten last fall and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP, losing to Ohio State in a quarterfinal matchup at the Rose Bowl.
“You would have had at least a team or two [in the CFP] from out there,” Day said, referring to the original Pac-12. “So it only makes sense when you have 18 teams, especially the quality of teams that you would have [in] that many teams representing the Big Ten.”
Day added that a CFP model with more automatic spots will benefit the sport because it will incentivize stronger nonconference scheduling, especially given the discrepancies in conference scheduling models.
Big Ten and Big 12 teams play nine league games per season, while SEC and ACC teams play eight. Ohio State reached last year’s CFP with two regular-season league losses, but it also didn’t face a Power 4 opponent in nonleague play. Michigan won the final national title of the four-team CFP without playing a Power 4 nonconference opponent.
The Buckeyes open the 2025 season by hosting Texas, last year’s SEC runner-up and a team they defeated in a CFP semifinal matchup at the Cotton Bowl.
“If you don’t have those automatic qualifiers, you’re less likely to play a game like we’re playing this year against Texas, because it just won’t make sense,” Day said. “If we do, then you’re more likely to do that, because we play nine conference games in the Big Ten. The SEC doesn’t. So it’s not equal.”
Both Ohio State and national runner-up Notre Dame played 16 games last season — a number that will become the norm with an ever-expanding playoff. Day said his team, which played its best during the CFP run, benefited from a larger roster, with him noting that roster limits of 105 following the impending House-NCAA settlement will provide challenges.
“I’m concerned about 16 or 17 games with a 105-man roster,” Day said. “With 120, it’s about maxed-out. You have to stay healthy, and all it takes are a couple injuries during that long of a run. But in the NFL, you can hire somebody off of waivers. In college football, you can’t. I’m concerned about the length of the season with 105.”
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ohio Goes to the Movies, the statewide film festival launching in February, is coming into focus. Organizers have released the initial schedule for the nearly yearlong event. Part of the state’s America 250 celebration, it will bring more than 280 screenings to all 88 counties. Each film is tied to the Buckeye State in some way, and all screenings are free.
“Ohio has played a significant role in the history of American film and continues to attract talent, productions and storytelling that resonate around the world,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. “Ohio Goes to the Movies ensures that residents in every community can participate in the America 250 celebration and rediscover the films that connect us.”
From classic movies starring or made by Ohioans to Hollywood blockbusters shot in downtown Cleveland, the lineup highlights the depth of the state’s influence on the film industry. The festival is also meant to encourage movie fans to explore the state by attending screenings all over Ohio.
Here’s a list of events planned for Northeast Ohio’s seven-county region.
CUYAHOGA COUNTY
“Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Feb. 12. Phoenix Theatres Great Northern Mall.
“Major League.” March 1. Cinemark Strongsville at SouthPark Mall.
“Draft Day.” March 1. Cinemark Valley View.
“Welcome to Collinwood.” March 12. Cleveland History Center.
“Major League.” April 5. Capitol Theatre.
“Cool Hand Luke.” April 12. Cedar Lee Theatre.
“Draft Day.” April 23. Atlas Cinemas at Shaker Square.
“Toy Story 2.” June 24. Chagrin Documentary Film Festival HQ.
“The Scarlet Letter.” July 11. Cleveland Silent Film Festival at Cleveland Public Library.
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” July 11. Great Lakes Science Center.
“More Than a Game.” Sept. 11. AMC Ridge Park Square.
“Superman.” Sept. 18. AMC Westwood Town Center.
“Passing Through.” Sept. 19. Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque.
“Kill the Irishman.” Oct. 6. Atlas Cinemas Lakeshore.
GEAUGA COUNTY
“A Christmas Story.” June 11. Mayfield Road Drive-In Theatre.
LAKE COUNTY
“White Boy Rick.” March 11. Regal Willoughby Commons.
“Superman.” April 8. Atlas Cinemas Great Lakes Stadium.
“Air Force One.” July 7. Atlas Cinemas Diamond Center.
LORAIN COUNTY
“The Princess Bride.” April 22. Apollo Theatre.
“The Hunger Games.” Sept. 18. Regal Cobblestone Square.
MEDINA COUNTY
“Major League.” March 7. Hickory Ridge Cinema.
“Draft Day.” Sept. 12. Regal Medina.
PORTAGE COUNTY
“Unstoppable.” Feb. 22. Atlas Cinemas Barrington.
“Dog Man.” March 8. The Kent Stage.
“The Philadelphia Story.” March 19. Kent State University Museum.
“A Christmas Story.” June 10. Midway Twin Drive-In Theatre.
SUMMIT COUNTY
“The Big Short.” Feb. 21. Regal Hudson.
“The Avengers.” April 12. Akron Civic Theatre.
“Howard the Duck.” May 21. The Nightlight Cinema.
“Down by Law.” June 13. Akron–Summit County Public Library Main.
For a complete guide, go to ohiogoestothemovies.org.
POMEROY, Ohio (WCHS) — A fire destroyed one home and damaged two others Wednesday evening, but then rekindled early Thursday morning and destroyed another home, police said.
The fire was first reported just after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday night in the 300 block of Wetzgall Street in Pomeroy, according to a press release from the Pomeroy Police Department.
According to police, the fire spread to the two homes on either side of the original home on fire. Firefighters contained the fire and saved the two surrounding homes, but the home that first caught fire was deemed a total loss.
Then, just after 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, the fire rekindled and spread to one of the other homes, resulting in a total loss of that home as well, police said.
Pomeroy police said both homes were occupied at the time of the fires, but all occupants of each home were able to exit their homes safely. Police also said that there were no reported injuries, though both families lost everything they owned due to the total losses of the homes.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, and the incident is still under active investigation by the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office, according to police.
What we know about student loans and the Education Department
Will Education Department restructuring affect your student loans? Here’s what we know know.
Student loan borrowers under the Biden-era student loan repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), may soon have to select a new repayment plan after the U.S. Department of Education agreed to a measure to permanently end the program.
A proposed joint settlement agreement announced Tuesday between the DOE and the State of Missouri seeks to end what officials call the “illegal” SAVE program, impacting more than seven million SAVE borrowers who would have to enroll in another program. The settlement must be approved by the court before it can be implemented.
Ohio borrowers carry some of the nation’s highest student loan debt. Here’s how the proposed change could affect them.
What is the SAVE plan?
Originally known as REPAYE, the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan was created to deliver the lowest monthly payments among income-driven repayment programs. Under the Biden administration, it became the most affordable option for borrowers.
According to USA TODAY, the SAVE plan was part of Biden’s push to deliver nearly $200 billion in student loan relief to more than 5 million Americans. It wiped out $5.5 billion in debt for nearly half a million borrowers and cut many monthly payments down to $0.
But officials in President Donald Trump’s administration claim the Biden plan was illegal.
Why does the Department of Education want to end the SAVE plan?
The DOE says the SAVE plan aimed to provide mass forgiveness without congressional approval, costing taxpayers $342 billion over 10 years. In a press release, the Department said the administration promised unrealistically low payments and quick forgiveness without legal authority.
“The Trump administration is righting this wrong and bringing an end to this deceptive scheme,” Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a release. “Thanks to the State of Missouri and other states fighting against this egregious federal overreach, American taxpayers can now rest assured they will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for illegal and irresponsible student loan policies.”
If the agreement is approved by the court, no new borrowers will be able to enroll in the SAVE plan. The agency says it will deny any pending applications and move all SAVE borrowers back into other repayment plans.
Borrowers currently enrolled in the SAVE Plan would have a limited time to select a new repayment plan and begin repaying their student loans.
The DOE adds that it is working on the loan repayment provisions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, which created a new Income-Driven Repayment plan called the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), that will be available to borrowers by July 1, 2026.
How many people in Ohio have student loan debt?
Numbers from the Education Data Initiative show that there are about 1.7 million student loan borrowers in Ohio, carrying over $60 billion in debt. The average student loan debt is approximately $35,072.
Ohio also ranks No. 10 among the states with the most student debt, according to personal finance site WalletHub.
How much money does Ohio get from the Department of Education?
The DOE budget for Ohio for fiscal year 2025 is estimated to be more than $5.65 billion, The Columbus Dispatch previously reported.
President Trump announced his intentions to eliminate the Department of Education earlier this year, meaning that Ohio could lose more than $5 billion in annual funding.
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