A Grip on Sports: There are a handful of key college football games, a couple of NFL ones and just one major college hoop matchup this weekend

A GRIP ON SPORTS • What does the weekend hold? Besides rain, of course. College football’s conference championship games. NFL showdowns. Hoops from New York to Seattle, from Miami to Boise. And here in town.

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• Which of the conference title games are you looking forward to watching the most? Tonight’s Mountain West between Boise State and UNLV (5 p.m., Fox)? Or the heavyweights of the place where it just means more, Texas vs. Georgia, meeting Saturday in the supposedly neutral site of Atlanta (1 p.m., ABC)?

Something else?

That’s where I land. In the realm of something else. As in the Power 4 championship games are something else. Each, from the mighty SEC, with former Big 12 member Texas to the lowly ACC, with Conference USA alum SMU facing Clemson (5 p.m., ABC), feature a conference newcomer in the title bout.

The Big Ten – the battle I don’t want to miss at 5 (on CBS) – includes Pac-12 graduate Oregon facing off against Penn State in Indianapolis. And the Big 12 has another former Pac-12 school, Arizona State going up against Iowa State (9 a.m., ABC), with neither earning a CFP berth if it loses.

The new vs. the old. Seems like a marketing strategy, except none of the conferences want to recognize their newly acquired (possible) champions’ past.

• The past is prologue in the NFL. Or can be. The Seahawks have suffered more major losses in Arizona’s indoor/outdoor stadium – only the grass moves in and out – than anywhere else in America. No, not just games, though of course the 28-24 “give the ball to Marshawn” Super Bowl loss occurred there in 2015.

We’re talking players. Injuries. Remember Richard Sherman (Achilles) and Kam Chancellor (neck) in 2017? No? How about Earl Thomas (broken leg) the next year? Of course you remember that one. The middle finger game – his last in a Hawk uniform.

Seattle is at Arizona on Sunday (1:05 p.m., CBS). The NFC West lead on the line. The goal, besides winning? Leave State Farm Stadium with everyone healthy.

• Even though most eyes are on the conference championship football games, there are still quite a few decent basketball games as well Saturday.

Top of the list? The Battle in Seattle, and that’s not just because it’s Gonzaga’s showcase game on that side of the Cascades. Kentucky, led by former BYU coach Mark Pope, brings its No. 4 ranking into the 7 p.m. game (ESPN2) – though that will probably drop after it loss at Clemson this week. The Zags lost over Thanksgiving and paid their poll toll, dropping from three to seven. Still, it’s a great matchup. And the only one this weekend between ranked teams.

There is another game of high interest, though. Washington State (7-2) is at Boise State (6-2) Saturday (1 p.m., CBS). The Broncos are coached by a WSU alum (Leon Rice), who many Cougar fans would have loved see take the vacancy filled by first-year coach David Riley. A referendum on the hire? Not really but such narratives are always fun.

• Speaking of narratives, John Blanchette presented a special one in Friday’s S-R. The peg was the final call for The Fitz, the 12-year-old high school basketball tournament staged to honor the legacy of former Gonzaga coach and athletic director Dan Fitzgerald. As usual, John covers the subject with a thick comforter. Our addition to the tale is more like a ratty throw, but it exists.

As John’s story relates, during Fitz’s time at GU he did his level best to grow basketball in Spokane. He planted seeds everywhere, including in me.

I started attending Gonzaga’s coaching clinics in the early 1990s, joining some high school coaching friends. Got to know Fitz better through them. When he began his Fitz Camp with the AAU and the then-named Eastern Washington Elite travel program, he asked me to be a camp coach. Of course I said yes.

When I headed to Pullman to cover WSU, he would call me about once a week during the season. Checking in. Asking questions about practice. How Tony Bennett dealt with this and that. Wanting to stay current. And to learn.

Fitz died while I was covering the Cougs. In the middle of the 2010 basketball season. But his legacy lives on, through the game. His encouragement played a huge role in my decision to coach in this chapter of my life, whether it be at the prep level or with the AAU program he supported, now called Hooptown Elite.

As he would say, it’s about giving back. And growing the game he loved.

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WSU: Wayshawn Parker was a little-heralded recruit this time last year. After his emergence in the regular season just passed, he is well-known. Coveted even. The last will be tested, as Parker announced Thursday he will be entering the transfer portal when it opens next week. Greg Woods has the coverage of the first major blow to Washington State’s roster. … It’s that roster, and that of Oregon State, Jon Wilner examines today as he looks into the challenges the two programs face in their continued rebuild of the Pac-12. … Tyson Degenhart played his high school basketball at Mt. Spokane. That seems a long time ago, in part because Degenhart has excelled in his four years at Boise State. Theo Lawson has this story on the Bronco star in advance of their hosting of the Cougars on Saturday. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, it’s time for picks. We can pass along Wilner’s in the Mercury News. And those from John Canzano. Others from around the nation as well. … We are also really interested in how the CFP committee is dealing with the sort-of-Power-2 schools. The Big 12’s issues were highlighted by BYU. The ACC’s are illustrated by SMU. … It’s that time of year. Washington added on signing day and are losing players to the portal. … Oregon will try to rattle Penn State quarterback Drew Allar but that hasn’t been easy this season. … It certainly seems easy for the Ducks to flip recruits. … There is a new look for the Stanford program since Andrew Luck came aboard as the general manager. … UCLA fired offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy after one year. And hired his replacement quickly. … Utah found its new OC from New Mexico, where there will be a new head coach as well (see below). Kyle Whittingham is obviously coming back. Either that or Morgan Scalley, his designated replacement, made this hire. … Don’t expect USC to grab a quarterback from the portal. … Arizona State’s offensive turnaround is about Cam Skattebo, for sure, but the new quarterback has a part in it as well. … Can the Sun Devils handle championship pressure? … Arizona will have three new coordinators next season. … Among the future Pac-12 members in the Mountain West, before you watch Boise State and UNLV meet tonight with a playoff berth on the line (and possibly a CFP bye), check out this Chuck Culpepper story on BSU star Ashton Jeanty. … Utah State has found the coach it wants to lead it into its new conference in 2026. The Aggies have poached Bronco Mendenhall from New Mexico. Wonder if the win over WSU, led by a quarterback headed to the portal, helped his resume? … Another new Pac-12 school, Fresno State, will have a new coach as well. The Bulldogs introduced Matt Entz yesterday. … San Diego State is losing quite a few players to the portal. … Colorado State is parting ways with one of its coordinators. … In basketball news, there were two big women’s games for former Pac-12 schools, with Stanford losing in overtime to fifth-ranked LSU and host Cal finding a way to get past No. 19 Alabama.

Gonzaga: We mentioned (and linked) John’s story on Fitzgerald and The Fitz above. We link it again here in case you missed it. … As for Saturday’s game in Climate Pledge Arena, Jim Meehan has a related story, covering the relationship between Mark Few and UK’s Pope. … Jim also talked with a sports writer who covers the Wildcats. … Gonzaga’s cross country coach earned WCC honors this past week, with the news leading off the S-R’s latest local briefs column. … Elsewhere in the WCC, Oregon State’s men think they can play with anyone. … Loyola Marymount got walloped at Colorado State. … The OSU women lost their first WCC matchup, dropping an overtime decision to Pacific.

Idaho: The Vandals matchup with Lehigh in the FCS playoffs Saturday will be on ESPN+ (6 p.m.), as are all the games. But you can only get Peter Harriman’s preview here. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the toughest FCS playoff assignment? That would be for Montana, which travels to second-seeded South Dakota State. … If the game comes down to a field goal for Montana State, coach Brent Vigen, who won the FCS coach of the year award, is confident in his kicker. … There is a report from Sacramento that the Hornets are firing coach Andy Thompson. … Northern Colorado tried to get bigger in recruiting. … In basketball news, the Idaho State men lost at South Dakota. … The Bengal women dominated Denver.

Preps: Dave Nichols was on the South Hill last night, covering Deer Park’s visit to Ferris in girls’ hoop. He has this story on the Stags’ 71-39 rout.

UFC: Shadle Park High graduate Micheal Chiesa is going to spend his 37th birthday doing what he does best. Fighting. Charlotte McKinley has a look at his Saturday bout.

Kraken: Vince Dunn has been on fire since coming back from injury. He led Seattle to a 5-2 win over the host Islanders.

Seahawks: The pass rush should be better this week. … Mike Macdonald doesn’t kid around. Make big mistakes, get booted from the roster. … Are you like me? Worried every time the Hawks face a third- or fourth-and-short? It’s justified, and something the team would like to improve down the stretch. … As we linked earlier this week when this story was in the Times, the Hawks would also like to keep the young defense together. 

Mariners: The M’s have a lot of questions to answer at the winter meetings.

Sounders: Seattle found out who it will host in FIFA’s 2025 Club World Cup.

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• Funny, since I’ve retired it has been hard to keep up with the days of the week. Is it Tuesday or Thursday? Not Friday, though. It’s still my favorite. Favorite column-writing day, favorite lunch day – I meet friends most of the time – and favorite nap day. No, that’s not exactly right. Every day is my favorite nap day. Until later …