NEW ORLEANS – The NFC divisional-round game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 19 – the snowy affair that ended with a 28-22 Eagles victory – nearly resulted in an Eagles’ collapse. How Eagles second-year defensive tackle Jalen Carter prevented that by sacking Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who had an open receiver in the end zone, has been well-documented. 

Eagles senior defensive assistant and defensive line coach Clint Hurtt likes to talk about a different Carter moment from this postseason run, however, one that demonstrates Carter’s football intelligence but isn’t a highlight or warranted “First Take” discussion. 

It came a week earlier against the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round. In the first quarter, Carter alerted teammate Nolan Smith that Green Bay had called a pass play based on how right tackle Zach Tom positioned his right foot. He was right, and Smith sacked Packers quarterback Jordan Love for a loss of 14 yards on second down. 

“His intelligence level … people don’t understand how sharp this guy is. Really, really sharp,” Hurtt said Wednesday before the Eagles play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59. “And not just book smart. But on the field, the ability to juggle and adjust within the game. But even just common-sense stuff.

“He’s a pleasure to coach from that aspect of it.” 

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Carter battled an illness the week of the Super Bowl but practiced in full Thursday, according to the participation report. By providing interior pressure on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes come Sunday, he could be one of the biggest difference-makers in the Super Bowl. 

His journey to football’s grandest stage was anything but smooth. 

From uncertain NFL start to potential stardom

On March 1, 2023, the same day he was supposed to address reporters at the 2023 NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Carter instead turned himself in to Athens (Georgia) police after authorities charged him for his role in a crash that killed a teammate and a recruiting staffer, who was driving with more than twice the legal blood-alcohol content. Carter pleaded no contest to two reckless driving charges – the crash followed driving patterns consistent with racing, per authorities – and avoided jail time, although he served 12 months probation, paid a $1,000 fine and performed 80 hours of community service. 

Suddenly, Carter went from potential top pick to massive question mark. His motivation and commitment to conditioning came up as question marks during the lead-up to the draft. 

Franchises with locker rooms that had veteran leadership became viewed as a necessity regarding Carter’s landing spot. 

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman knew he had that, along with a top-10 pick and an unquenchable thirst for talent (and Georgia Bulldogs, apparently, as six Eagles on the 2024 team played collegiately there). 

“That’s the beauty of the Eagles,” Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat told USA TODAY Sports. “You’re always an addition. It’s good when you were good before, but when you can add to it and actually make us better, that’s the thing about the Eagles, man. They only select you when they think you can help.

“We know how much he loves football. We can tell how passionate he is when he’s playing and stuff.” 

Philadelphia traded up from No. 10 overall to ninth with the Chicago Bears and turned in the draft card with Carter’s name on it. 

Even though he wasn’t yet coaching with the Eagles, Hurtt actually spent plenty of time with Carter during the pre-draft process. As the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator, he had a good idea the team would be going defense at the fifth overall pick, ultimately taking cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Hurtt observed a reserved prospect, and that’s the type of person Carter is in his position coach’s eye. 

“You get to realize, OK, he’s actually a really quiet and shy kid,” Hurtt said. “He’s not this outbursty (sic) kind of flamboyant personality. That’s not who Jalen is. He’s very quiet, very shy, kind of (keeps) to himself. But a great kid.”

Despite playing 50.6% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps his rookie season, Carter still finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting (the Houston Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. won the award). 

A 6-foot-3, 315-pound behemoth from Apopka, Florida, Carter played much more in 2024 and earned second-team All-Pro honors with 16 quarterback hits and 12 tackles for loss.

The strides this year were more noticeable “just taking it to the next level in everything he’s been doing,” defensive end Brandon Graham said. That includes working out and embracing that he’ll be on the field for the overwhelming majority of snaps, and that he has the potential to dominate with each play. 

“I think as he’s been making plays, that’s been making him grow every week, because now he sees that he can be a terror in this league,” Graham said. “But it’s going to come at a price. Because now you got a target (on your back). So you got to keep your body right, keep eating right, keep being a good dude. He’s checking all of those boxes, and I’m proud of him on that.” 

After the divisional-round win, Sirianni said Carter has done the right things to be a successful pro “ in and out of the building from his conditioning to his weight to his style of play.” 

“Jalen Carter,” Sirianni said, “he’s special.

“I can’t say enough good things about his development as a player. That just doesn’t happen because of talent. He’s talented as – you guys see it. He’s so talented. But, in this league there are a lot of guys that are talented. It takes more than talent to reach your potential, and he’s continuing to rise. That speaks a lot to Jalen Carter.”

NFL’s next elite defensive player?

Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo, part of the Bulldog-Eagle contingent at the Super Bowl, doesn’t remember when this particular practice at Georgia occurred or much of the details. But the memory is a perfect encapsulation of how Carter plays.

“One time, he just got off the ball and he just literally grabbed the dude’s shoulder pad and just threw him with one arm, and the dude went flying,” Ringo told USA TODAY Sports. 

That sounds a lot like Carter’s “club move,” a move that functions as a haymaker to interior offensive linemen and immediately puts him in the quarterback’s lap. 

“He just keeps linemen off guard,” defensive lineman Milton Williams told USA TODAY Sports. “They don’t know what he’s going to do.

“I’ve seen him club a couple dudes and just get clean to the quarterback. … Once he first got here, it was like, ‘He’s gonna be a special player.’” 

In his second season, Carter has been exposed to more blocking schemes and has a better understanding of how teams will try to neutralize it. 

But good luck trying. Going forward, Hurtt expects Carter to insert himself into Defensive Player of the Year conversations. 

“I don’t like to put timetables on that stuff,” said Hurtt, who did so anyway. “I’d be disappointed if it didn’t happen starting next year. He has all the ability. He’s shown to put in the work.” 

And all of the natural ability in the world. 

“I tell people all the time: I feel like he was born to play football. He was born to play football,” Williams said. “I don’t know if I was born to play football. I just worked my butt off to be able to do that. I feel like he can wake up and just put a helmet on, he’s ready to go.”

Four wins in five games has Texas A&M climbing the bracket all the way onto the No. 2 line, giving the SEC five of the eight top seeds in our updated tournament picture.

Two of the wins during this five-game span have come against projected tournament teams in Mississippi and Oklahoma. Things will only get more difficult from here for the Aggies, beginning with Saturday’s road trip to Missouri. That’s the first of four games still to come against teams ranked in this week’s USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll.

A&M is up to No. 13 in the NET rankings thanks to seven Quad 1 wins, tied for the second-most in the country behind top-seeded Auburn.

Another team on the move is St. John’s. In his latest rebuild, coach Rick Pitino has the Red Storm up to a No. 4 at 20-3 overall and a Big East-leading 11-1 in conference play. The team’s three losses (Baylor, Georgia and Creighton) have come by a combined five points.

The Red Storm still have two games to play against two-time defending national champion Connecticut — one in Storrs, the other at Madison Square Garden — and a road trip to Marquette. St. John’s beat the Golden Eagles 70-64 on Tuesday night.

STARTING FIVE: Top-10 showdown in SEC leads best games of weekend

Bracketology: NCAA Tournament bracket projection

Last four in

Georgia, Nebraska, Brigham Young, Wake Forest.

First four out

Virginia Commonwealth, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Arkansas.

NCAA Tournament bids conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: SEC (13), Big Ten (10), Big 12 (8), ACC (4), Big East (4), Mountain West (3), West Coast (2).

NEW ORLEANS – Sometimes, the best stories walk right up and shake your hand. Literally.

For instance, did you know there’s no guarantee that traditional college football powers such as Ohio State or USC or LSU or Tennessee or Nebraska or Miami will see a Super Bowl champion crowned from their ranks this Sunday?

But one noted juggernaut (from the 1940s, anyway), the United States Military Academy – West Point – will.

Let me rewind to the opening paragraph.

When covering a Super Bowl, it’s easy – and also incumbent, to some degree – to get bogged down with narratives surrounding quarterbacks, coaches, other superstars, dynasties, the controversy du jour, etc. I’m writing about luminaries like Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce this week, among other topics, and will surely devote further thought to what could be a historic Super Bowl three-peat by K.C.

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Yet focusing on the people and subplots that take up so much oxygen can make it easy to lose sight of a given game’s more unique nuggets.

So it was a pleasant surprise Wednesday morning when Eagles offensive lineman Brett Toth (USMA class of 2018), strolled up, shook my hand and started asking me questions in a rare Super Bowl role reversal. Toth spied my West Point cap (my father is a graduate) and didn’t seem the least bit disappointed to learn I’d taken the ROTC route into the Army when I served. We talked for a few minutes, swapped stories about our military experiences, and then he was off to team meetings ahead of Super Bowl 59.

While slightly annoyed with myself for not having Toth on my list of assignments, the encounter with him also got my wheels spinning. Former United States Naval Academy star and 1963 Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach is a two-time Super Bowl champion (in addition to being a Hall of Famer and Dallas Cowboys legend). Air Force Academy grad Chad Hennings won three rings with the Cowboys’ dynasty in the 1990s.

So, I thought, how cool that Toth might finally affiliate West Point with a Lombardi Trophy.

Just one problem: It’s already happened.

Linebacker Cole Christiansen (USMA class of 2020) has been a member of the Chiefs since 2022. He made his Super Bowl debut a year ago, playing 23 snaps on special teams in Kansas City’s overtime win against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58.

So, naturally, I tracked Christiansen down Thursday morning to playfully let him know how I was going to profile Toth’s chance to be the first Black Knight with a Super Bowl ring.

Christiansen, a former team captain for Army who bears a striking resemblance to actor Channing Tatum, gave me a wry smile to inform me of what I already knew.

“Might’ve beaten him to the punch there,” chuckled Christiansen, a teammate of Toth’s at West Point.

“It’s been incredible, and I’ve been very, very fortunate,” continued Christiansen, who broke into the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 after the Department of Defense allowed him to defer his service until his NFL career concludes. The DoD’s policy for allowing service academy players to join the NFL has been fluid in recent years, but he believes he’ll eventually serve for five years, probably as a field artilleryman.

“We’ve all been in this a little longer than anyone expected us to be, which I’m very grateful for,” said Christiansen, who played in nine games this season but won’t suit up Sunday unless he’s promoted from the practice squad.

Toth didn’t play at all during the 2024 regular season, which isn’t hugely surprising given the talent and depth of Philadelphia’s forbidding offensive line. However he has appeared in all three of the Eagles’ playoff wins, primarily on special teams, but did take some offensive snaps in the team’s dominant NFC championship game defeat of the Washington Commanders.

But don’t make the assumption his role is minor.

“Brett’s probably one of my favorite people on this team. If you want to talk about people who are underrated on this team, he’s one of them,” said Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata.

“He’s so smart. I mean, the guy can talk about football all day. I keep telling him that he should be a coach. I said, ‘Man, screw playing – when you’re done, you’re gonna be a great coach.’ When it comes to reading defenses, knowing the scheme, knowing the tendencies of that defense? He’s a true asset to this team.”

Mailata said Toth “debugs” issues in the game plan, and Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson credits him as an invaluable source of feedback for players and coaches.

“Brett’s a tremendous teammate, extremely high football IQ – really understands the game,” said Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson. “He’s a guy that’s always looking to do what he can to help others.”

Naturally a center, Toth can play all five O-line spots and will be on the end Sunday for field-goal and extra-point attempts – potentially a key spot given the Chiefs’ propensity for blocking kicks.

But he’s thrilled for whatever role comes his way having already fulfilled his military obligation – Toth was an engineer, loosely equivalent to an offensive lineman from an Army perspective given both occupations can call for blowing holes into enemy lines – while overcoming his share of obstacles.

“Unique. Unorthodox,” he said of his journey, which has included three stints with the Eagles plus time spent with the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers.

Toth has done his own time on the practice squad and also had to overcome a torn ACL. All of that after serving as a lieutenant and trying to balance his football ambitions with the Army’s requirements, which had him down to 265 pounds when Philadelphia first signed him in 2019. Toth, who stands 6-6, is currently listed at 304 pounds.

“Didn’t know if I was ever gonna get the chance to play football again,” he said of his journey, which he’s nonetheless very appreciative of. He met his wife, who also served as an engineer officer, when both were stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

Toth brings big-game experience into Super Bowl 59 – after all, he was 2-0 against Navy when he was a starter for the Cadets. (Christiansen was 3-1.) Toth said he’ll speak to his former teammate after the game, but his focus is currently on the Chiefs.

“I’m grateful for the journey,” he said. “Lots of adversity, and it hasn’t been the smoothest ride, but I still made it.”

Christiansen wishes he was playing Sunday but maintains a healthy perspective regarding his situation.

“I probably shouldn’t even be in the NFL based on my circumstances – I never thought I would be. Truthfully, it wasn’t even a goal of mine. My only goal coming out of high school was to get free college. And then, obviously, when I got to West Point – my only goal was to be a soldier, and I was totally hellbent on that,” he said.

“This wasn’t even in my sights. And then when it happened, I was like, ‘Well I gotta try and see how much I can make of this, because this is a pretty rare opportunity.’ And I have so much gratitude, I’m just very lucky to even have the chance to do it – and have the possibility of getting three in a row.

‘It’s awesome.’

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We here at Starting Five HQ recognize that there’s a certain upcoming event this weekend that is getting most of the sports world’s attention. But there’s plenty of action on the collegiate hardwood worthy of notice leading up to those few hours on Sunday.

Our list of the top five games in men’s college basketball in fact actually begins on Friday evening. After that, there are marquee contests in each of the other four major conferences spread out through a busy Saturday, so there’s no need to be bored until the big party in the Big Easy kicks off on Sunday. Enjoy.

No. 6 Florida at No. 1 Auburn

Time/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN

We begin with this week’s game of the century in the SEC, where given the sheer numbers you’re pretty much guaranteed to see at least one top-10 showdown in the conference every week. The Tigers could absorb a loss or two in the coming month and still be comfortably placed at the head of an NCAA regional. But the fact that they haven’t taken any ‘L’s yet in the nation’s deepest conference means they’ll probably be a popular pick to cut down the nets even if that happens. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, however, as there will be a lot of physically taxing games ahead starting with this one. The Gators, very much in the mix for a top seed, as well, could solidify that case by taking down No. 1 on the road. Florida hopes to regain the services of Walter Clayton Jr., who sat out the win against Vanderbilt earlier this week with a bad ankle. Regardless, handling Auburn’s constant ball pressure that generates 7.5 steals a game will be a major priority for the Gators. Tigers big man Johni Broome, meanwhile, is back to putting up double doubles after missing a couple of games. He’s hard to stop near the rim, but Florida’s Alex Condon will do his best.

No. 10 St. John’s at No. 18 Connecticut

Time/TV: Friday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox

We move to the Big East for the Friday headliner as the red-hot Red Storm put their nine-game winning streak on the line, and two-time defending NCAA champion UConn looks for a springboard to a strong finish. The Huskies are hopeful this will be the return game for standout freshman Liam McNeeley, though his effectiveness against a physically tough team like St. John’s after an eight-game absence remains to be seen. The Red Storm have surged to the conference lead with a combination of stout defense, holding opponents under 40% shooting, and dominance on the boards. They don’t shoot particularly well themselves, but they generate a slew of second-chance opportunities led by Zuby Ejiofor.

BRACKETOLOGY: Texas A&M, St. John’s surging up NCAA tournament projection

No. 2 Duke at No. 21 Clemson

Time/TV: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN

The Blue Devils head to Littlejohn Coliseum for what might just be their last obstacle to a perfect run through the ACC. The Tigers could use a good result here on their home court to offset the damaging loss to Georgia Tech sustained earlier this week. While Cooper Flagg has rightly gotten most of the accolades for Duke, the contributions of his freshman classmates Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach shouldn’t be overlooked. Clemson has some experienced hands but is going to need a good shooting day from Chase Hunter to keep pace with the Blue Devils.

No. 12 Texas Tech at No. 20 Arizona

Time/TV: Saturday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN

You’ll want to stay up for this one as the two hottest teams in the Big 12 convene at the McKale Center. The Red Raiders have won seven in a row, following their scrappy victory at Houston with a solid effort at home against Baylor. The Wildcats have rattled off five consecutive wins since dropping their first meeting with Texas Tech in Lubbock on Jan. 18. Arizona had few answers for JT Toppin in that encounter, but a hot streak from high-volume shooter Caleb Love can erase a Wildcats’ deficit quickly.

Oregon at No. 9 Michigan State

Time/TV: Saturday, noon ET, Fox

Life in the bigger Big Ten has been different in 2025. This isn’t exactly the ideal time for the Ducks, in the throes of a four-game skid, to make their first visit to the Breslin Center as league members. The Spartans are likely to be a little salty themselves in their first action since dropping a pair on their Los Angeles road swing. Oregon was at least within shouting distance in its last outing at Michigan, but the Ducks would undoubtedly like to get more close-in opportunities for Nate Bittle this time. Michigan State has a long bench and spreads out its minutes, but with the game on the line the ball usually finds its way to Jaden Akins.

It started out as a locker-room spitballing session, a couple of Ivy League football players trying to solve for hydration.

Sunday, more than a decade and many late nights and early mornings later, Garrett Waggoner and Andy Gay’s brainchild will be unveiled on the biggest commercial gridiron of them all.

The co-founders of Cirkul will enjoy a significant full circle moment, when a 30-second spot for their flavored water will air during the Super Bowl.

It’s a big game debut rich in symbolism: Cirkul distributed its first product in 2018, just a few years after Waggoner was parking cars in between his two seasons playing football for Winnipeg of the CFL and Gay was selling shoes, both hoping to gain a foothold with investors to provide a proof of concept.

By 2022, after multiple investment rounds, Cirkul exceeded a $1 billion valuation.

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And after the brand enjoyed a boost from TikTok virality and gained a foothold at Walmart and other massive distributors, the group felt it was time to strike on Super Sunday, symbolically completing a dizzying rise.

“Even a couple-few years ago,” says Waggoner, “Andy and I were in the warehouse, packing boxes.

“To be on the biggest stage, yeah, it’s pretty humbling.”

They’re scarcely going it alone.

Thanks in part to Cirkul chief marketing officer Steve Battista, the group reeled in director Peter Berg, well-known cinematically but also a veteran of multiple long-form Super Bowl commercials for the NFL.

And to connect with the audience, the crew brought aboard comedian and former ‘Pitch Perfect’ star Adam DeVine, cast opposite his wife, actress Chloe Bridges, aiming to execute a vision the founders concocted over the long haul.

“A lot of early mornings, a lot of 3 a.m., 4 a.m. brainstorming sessions,” says Gay. “We had a lot of ideas we wanted to fit in and (Battista) kept banging us on the head, saying, ‘Guys, it’s 30 seconds, 30 seconds.”

They were in good hands.

‘Poetry in motion’

Berg, the creative force behind both the ‘Friday Night Lights’ movie and celebrated TV series, cut his commercial teeth by helming a pair of two-minute Super Bowl spots for the NFL; he’ll have a third featured in this year’s game.

Yet Cirkul – not even a decade old – presented a significant challenge that the hoary NFL didn’t: Connecting a nascent product with a largely unknowing audience.

“They had all the accompanying anxiety that comes with trying to launch a new product and go all in on a Super Bowl spot,” Berg said of the Cirkul gang. “You knew they were making a pretty large commitment and I wanted to help them take that quite seriously.

“The biggest challenge was helping them get through the pressure of the moment. It’s a huge commitment financially and as far as reputation goes, you can’t walk it back. You’re proclaiming something is legit, on the biggest stage in the world.

“People are maybe a little tense. You can feel the pressure. That’s what I like about Super Bowl spots – everybody’s sitting up a little straighter and breathing a little shorter.”

They were certainly all ears.

Waggoner was a hard-hitting safety at Dartmouth, got a brief look in Detroit Lions camp and then played two seasons for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Gay was a reserve quarterback at Dartmouth and both, naturally, were big fans of Berg’s football work on the big and small screen.

They were relatively awestruck seeing his handiwork up close.

“It was our first time being on set with someone of his caliber,” says Gay. “He’d throw out suggestions or tweaks or ideas and you’d be like, ‘Oh, let’s see how it goes,’ and it would just be perfect, and bring the entire spot to life, and get so much more out of the limited time and scenes we have to play with in that 30-second mark.”

Says Waggoner: ‘It was like seeing what one of the best quarterbacks of all time was like on the field. Small nuances, different tweaks, talking off-set to different talent. It was poetry in motion.”

Time for a ‘big bet’

Berg says in working with emerging products like Cirkul, “you have to let the brand land.” That’s been a near decadelong process for a product that touts sustainability and health, along with the consumer’s freedom to dial up the flavor in their water.

Now, thanks in no small part to shrewd online marketing, Cirkul is in Walmart and Target, available on Amazon, credible with young consumers.

Waggoner says Cirkul’s aided brand awareness – or the measure of how many people can recognize a brand when prompted – is just 20%. Yet its widespread availability made now the time to strike.

“At this point in our life cycle, it makes sense to make a big bet,” he says. “We’re fully widely distributed now, in all the places where customers would think about shopping.”

The group is confident in Sunday’s final product, and will connect what they believe is a unique product with a similarly splashy spot.

“What we’ve got cooked up is something I don’t think people have ever seen before,” says Waggoner. “And we’re really excited to see how America reacts.”

The NCAA has lost its common sense, along with its spine.

A day after President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning transgender women from playing sports, the NCAA threw the handful of them to the wolves. In doing so, however, NCAA president Charlie Baker and Co. inadvertently revealed what a farce this actually is.

While banning transgender women from competition, the NCAA’s edict late Thursday said they could still practice with women’s teams. Male practice players are still allowed, too. Which is funny, because the physical safety of cisgender women is one of the “reasons” the transphobes have used to justify their efforts to ban transgender women.

So, which is it? If transgender women pose a physical threat during games, wouldn’t they also during practice? And for sure wouldn’t male practice players? If transgender women are really just crafty men looking to groom and assault women, wouldn’t they still be able to do that? Couldn’t the male practice players do that, as well?

It’s circular logic. But malevolent circular logic that is only going to further demonize the “less than 10” transgender athletes there are in the NCAA.

Great job, Charlie. Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back for what you described as “clarity,” when it’s really cowardice, sacrificing already-vulnerable kids so the president and his minions won’t put you on their enemies list.

There was a time when the NCAA was fearless in standing up to bigotry. It refused to put championship events in South Carolina for almost 15 years because the state continued to embrace racism, flying a Confederate flag over the Statehouse. It yanked events out of North Carolina over a bill that forced transgender people to use bathrooms of the sex they were assigned at birth.

And when Indiana enacted a “religious freedom” bill that was just a cover to allow discrimination against gays and lesbians, NCAA then-president Mark Emmert’s forceful denunciation led to a walkback within days.

“The NCAA national office and our members are deeply committed to providing an inclusive environment for all our events,’ Emmert said at the time. “We are especially concerned about how this legislation could affect our student-athletes and employees.’

My, how times have changed. Now the NCAA’s only concern is covering its ass.

The transphobes want you to believe that there is an army of transgender women banging on the doors of every gym and playing field, at every level of sports. They want you to believe these athletes are superhuman, so much so that they’ll eventually crowd cisgender women out of sports. They want you to believe transgender women are a threat to your daughters’ bodies and virtue.

Rather than buying into the hysteria, take a step back. You parents of girls in youth sports, how many transgender kids do you know on your daughter’s team or in her league? Actually know, not just assume because someone has short hair or you’ve heard gossip. You college athletes, how many transgender athletes have you come across in your career?

The International Olympic Committee and NCAA had protocols allowing transgender participation for more than a decade. And, last time I checked, cisgender women are still competing. Still standing on podiums with medals around their necks. The hysteria is exactly that – hysteria.

And don’t get me started on the science. Or lack thereof. Asserting that transgender women have an advantage because cisgender men do is both inaccurate and lazy. To know how transgender women compare with cisgender women, you actually have to compare them, and there are very few studies that have. One that did showed it’s the transgender women who might be disadvantaged.

This fear, this meanness, this witch hunt has always been a solution in search of a problem. Transgender women are not a threat. They’re not ogres. They’re not overrunning sports now or ever.

These are girls and young women who want to compete and play with their friends, same as cisgender girls and young women, and the NCAA is telling them to go away. That they’re not welcome. That it believes all the awful things the transphobes have said about them.

“Schools (are) directed to foster welcoming environments on all campuses,” the NCAA’s headline said.

Oh, I’m sure that will make the “less than 10” — again, Baker’s own words — transgender athletes feel so much better now! The NCAA is offering transgender athletes the equivalent of thoughts and prayers after throwing them under the bus and encouraging the transphobes to double-down on their efforts to eradicate them completely from society.

Because that’s what this really is. The Trump administration is trying to ensure there is no safe space for transgender people outside their homes. Not in the military, not at work, not at their doctor’s offices and now, not on the playing fields.

Part of the power of sports is that they teach us life lessons. Sadly, the NCAA has made it so intolerance and ignorance are now among them.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.