New College Sports Model is WILD

As the AP News’ Headline Reads: Contracts? Buyouts? Study at 1 School, Play for Another? Ambitious Pitches to Revamp College Sports

May 13, 2025

Contracts? Buyouts? Study at 1 School, Play for Another? Ambitious Pitches to Revamp College Sports
AP News’ Maura Carey writes, “As the amateur model of college athletics disintegrates, a handful of unusual ideas have been floated as ways to reign in some of the chaos surrounding the explosion in name, image and likeness compensation and a transfer portal that sees thousands of athletes changing schools every season.

“Whether any of the ideas end up being implemented is unknown and every school is awaiting a decision from a federal judge on whether a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement against the NCAA and the five largest conferences will take effect as early as July 1. If it does, that opens the floodgates for schools to share millions in revenue directly with their athletes amid a host of other changes.”
^{AP News}

Michael Jordan to Join NBC As Special NBA Contributor Beginning in Fall
Since retiring from the NBA, Jordan has served as an owner of the Charlotte Hornets and a NASCAR team since 2020.

SI’s Patrick Andres writes, “Jordan, 62, is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time. Despite his continued status as one of the most famous men in the world, Jordan has never held a formal television role.

“In joining NBC, Jordan reunites with the network that held the NBA's most prominent rights package for the bulk of his playing career. Jordan's final game with the Chicago Bulls—Game 6 of the 1998 Finals on NBC against the Utah Jazz—remains the most-watched game in league history.”
^{Sports Illustrated}

Rich Eisen to Return to ESPN as Part of Network’s New Direct-to-Consumer Service: Sources
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reports: “More than two decades after leaving ESPN, Rich Eisen is returning to the network as part of its forthcoming direct-to-consumer offering, sources briefed on the move said Monday.

“Eisen will take ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ from Roku to ESPN in the fall. There is a strong possibility that the program, which runs from noon to 3 p.m. ET, could also land on ESPN Radio, where it would be viewed as an anchor for the network, but those details are not yet ironed out. Similarly to ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ Eisen’s program will be licensed by ESPN, meaning he is expected to maintain ownership and editorial control.”
^{The Athletic}

2025 NFL Schedule Release: Live Updates Ahead of Wednesday's Full Announcement
The NFL is set to release the schedule for the 2025 season in several installments, leading up to the final reveal tomorrow (Wednesday). On Monday morning, it was revealed that the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will open their 2025 season against the Dallas Cowboys in prime time.
^{Yahoo! Sports}

ESPN Extends Chris Berman’s Contract Through 50th Year, First Super Bowl
FOS’ Michael McCarthy writes, “The six-time national sportscaster of the year will contribute to ESPN’s coverage of Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027, in Los Angeles. Berman, nicknamed ‘Boomer,’ celebrated his 70th birthday on May 10. The 2027 Super Bowl will be the 45th Berman has covered. ESPN’s Super Bowl coverage will be simulcast on sister Disney network ABC.

“The legendary sportscaster joined ESPN a month after its launch on September 7, 1979. The extension will take him through the company’s 50th birthday on Sep. 7, 2029. A few weeks later, he’ll become the first person to spend five decades with the company.”
^{Front Office Sports}

NBC Will Heat Up Its NBA Coverage to Boost Peacock
FOS’ Eric Fisher reports: “NBA games on the streaming service will be made available with enhanced features such as live game action, scores, and statistics directly on the Peacock home page; real-time overlays of player stats and shot probabilities relying in part on augmented reality; and prediction gaming embedded into the live video. Additionally, NBC Sports plans to introduce later in the 2025–2026 season a ‘Courtside Live’ feature that provides several curated alternate camera angles, such as dedicated views on star players and team arrivals that spotlight fashion.”
^{Front Office Sports}

UEFA Urged to Increase Payments to Non-Elite Clubs to ‘Address Competitive Balance’ Issues
The Athletic’s Matt Slater reports: “Football lobby group the Union of European Clubs (UEC) wants UEFA to set aside five per cent of its £3.7billion ($4.9bn) annual revenue from club competitions to reward all the teams that help to develop the stars of the show. The Player Development Reward (PDR), the UEC’s first significant proposal, would be shared between European clubs based on the minutes played in UEFA competitions and prize money earned by players they have trained earlier in their careers.”
^{The Athletic}

Brazil Signs Real Madrid Coach Carlo Ancelotti 1 Year Ahead of 2026 World Cup
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will leave the Spanish club and take over as coach of Brazil’s national team through the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian soccer federation said Monday. Ancelotti — Brazil’s first full-time foreign coach in a century — will officially take over the team after the Spanish league ends on May 25.
^{AP News}

Mavericks Win NBA Draft Lottery, Expected to Select Cooper Flagg
SI’s Madison Williams writes, “The Mavericks won over 13 other teams who didn't make the playoffs this year. They had 1.8% odds entering the lottery, and came out with the No. 1 pick. The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets were all tied with the best odds at 14% coming into the lottery. It has been widely expected that he [Flagg] will be the undisputed No. 1 pick, no matter which team ended up winning the lottery.”
^{Sports Illustrated}

Rockies Chart a New Course Under a New Manager After One of Worst Starts in Major League History
AP News’ Pat Graham writes, “Now, it’s Warren Schaeffer’s turn to navigate the Rockies away from a season that’s careening toward infamy. The Rockies have the worst start since the 1988 Baltimore Orioles began 6-34. Colorado is on pace for 134 losses a season after the Chicago White Sox went 41-121 — the worst since baseball adopted a 162-game schedule in 1961.”
^{AP News}

Women’s Super League Announces Rebrand With New League Name and ‘Visual Identity’
The move sees the second-tier Women’s Championship renamed as WSL2, bringing both leagues under the same umbrella. The Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), the independent body that oversees both leagues, has also rebranded to Women’s Super League Football (WSL Football).
^{The Athletic}

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ACC Football Primer: Clemson Is Favorite, League Settles Lawsuits
SI’s Bryan Fischer writes, “The league occupies an interesting middle ground in the broader landscape. On the field, there’s a team that is a trendy pick to be among the national elite, a handful of up-and-coming contenders and essentially the remaining set of teams who will be a few coin flips away from having a good year or a mediocre one. The ACC doesn’t feel any closer to the SEC and Big Ten in terms of overall potential, but it will be must-watch action given the number of storylines swirling around the 17 teams who are trying to make it to Charlotte for the title game in December.”
^{Sports Illustrated}

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