End of OK's Castiglione Era

Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione to retire from his full-time role, bringing an end to the longest-tenured run for a current AD in major college sports

July 8, 2025

Sources: Oklahoma AD Castiglione to Retire From Full-Time Role
ESPN’s Pete Thamel writes, “Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione will retire from his full-time role during the upcoming school year, bringing an end to the longest-tenured run for a current AD in major college sports, sources told ESPN. Castiglione is entering his 28th year at Oklahoma, a span that has seen 26 national titles, 117 league titles and the Sooners' move from the Big 12 to the SEC.

“In his nearly three decades at Oklahoma, he earned a reputation as one of the industry's most respected leaders. He won Athletic Director of the Year by Sports Business Journal in 2009 and shared the award in 2018. He also won the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics award for the nation's top athletic director in 2000 and 2018.

“One remarkable statistic perhaps best sums up his impact on the college athletics industry: In his time at Oklahoma and Missouri, 32 of Castiglione's employees have gone on to become athletic directors or commissioners.”
^ESPN

Dan Orlovsky, ESPN Agree to Terms for Contract Extension
FOS’ Michael McCarthy and Ryan Glasspiegel write, “With the NFL preseason only a month away, ESPN is poised to up one of its most important football voices. Analyst Dan Orlovsky is ‘at the 1-yard line’ with the network on a long-term contract extension, say sources briefed on the negotiations. Under the new deal, the NFL and college football analyst will continue to appear on NFL Live, SportsCenter, Get Up, and First Take. He’ll also continue to work as a game analyst for Monday Night Football’s second-string team, alongside Chris Fowler, Louis Riddick and Laura Rutledge.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Wimbledon’s Expansion Plan Heads to Court While Facing Opposition From Local Residents
AP News’ Ken Maguire writes, “Wimbledon’s major expansion plan includes adding an 8,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof and 38 other grass courts at a former golf course across the street that would allow the All England Club to move its qualifying event and hold it on-site — as the other Grand Slam tournaments do — to boost attendance and revenue.

“Some local residents did a deep dive on the details, though, and they’re not as convinced as the major champions are. That is why the proposal goes to the U.K.’s High Court for a judicial review Tuesday and Wednesday as the quarterfinals are held at the tournament that concludes next weekend.”
^{AP News}

Chicago Mayor Non-Committal About NASCAR Race
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson “dodged direct questions” along pit row yesterday afternoon about whether the NASCAR race returns for another lap next year. Meanwhile Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said that the city “needs a deal that benefits both parties.” He also said discussions about NASCAR’s future in the city “are in the works.”
^{Chicago Sun Times via Sports Business Journal}

What’s Next on TCU Athletic Director Mike Buddie’s Checklist? Facility Upgrades
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Steven Johnson writes, “The Horned Frogs recently completed their human performance center expansion project with a standalone weight room for football and more upgrades that helps TCU keep pace with some of its rivals facility wise. It’s been a good step, but Buddie knows more will need to be done.”

“We’ve got to put ourselves in the best position to win games, Coach (Sonny) Dykes is the right guy to lead that effort,” Buddie said. “Job one for me is to make sure that Coach Dykes and his staff and our student athletes have every resource they need to be successful.”
^{Fort Worth Star-Telegram}

Last-Place Nationals Fire Manager Dave Martinez and GM Mike Rizzo
The Washington Post’s Spencer Nusbaum and Andrew Golden write, “The Washington Nationals fired manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo on Sunday night, ending one of the longest partnerships in baseball. Their run included a World Series title in 2019 — the first and only championship in franchise history — and the second-worst record in baseball in the six seasons since. Martinez had spent eight years with the organization, while Rizzo was promoted to general manager in 2009.”
^{The Washington Post}

NFL’s Nabavi Joining FanDuel in New D.C. Role
SBJ’s Bill King writes, “NFL VP/Public Policy & Legislative Affairs Jonathan Nabavi has left the league to join FanDuel in the newly created role of VP/Federal Affairs. FanDuel also hired Columbia Univ. EVP/Public Affairs Shailagh Murray as SVP/Public Affairs. The ramp up comes as sportsbooks face a rapidly evolving landscape, with federally regulated prediction markets available through exchange operator Kalshi spreading to encompass all major U.S. sports.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

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Mike Anthony: How UConn Athletics is Generating Money as College Sports Enters Revenue-Sharing Era
CT Post’s Mike Anthony writes, “College athletes can now be paid, and most will be. UConn, [UConn Athletic Director David] Benedict said, has initial plans to share $18-plus million with its athletes and there is an expectation to soon share the maximum-allowable by the House agreement ($20.5 million the first year, with an expected annual escalation of 4 percent).

“UConn athletics is pulling in more than ever and still it’s never enough, because no amount is. The athletic department self-generated $62.7 million in revenue during Fiscal Year 2024, $59.7 million in FY25 and is projecting an increase of $21.5 million on top of that for FY26 ($81.2 million). That's massive. And with fundraising books to be closed July 14, the department has already pulled in $50.9 million — up from $29 million in FY24.”
^{CT Post}

Challenges Ahead, But CU Athletics ‘Ready to Go’ in New Era of College Sports
“It’s a tough time for a lot of schools out there, because nobody’s just sitting on money,” Colorado AD Rick George said. “You’ve got to make some changes and do some different things. We’ve been looking at our expenses, and how do we lower our expenses, and how do we lower our game costs and have a better net there? We’ll grow our revenue significantly this year, but it’s not enough. We’ve had to make some cuts.” On how they’ll make money, “It’ll be a revenue-based model, based on the revenue that sport generates.”
^{D1 Ticket via The Daily Camera}

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