The New SEC Rivalries Are Here

Some new and old rivalries have been revealed as the Southeastern Conference announced league matchups for the next four years

September 24, 2025

SEC Unveils League Matchups for the Next Four Seasons and Keeps Most Rivalries Intact
AP News’ Mark Long writes, “The Southeastern Conference announced league matchups for the next four years Tuesday, including designating three annual — not permanent — opponents for each of its 16 teams. The nine-game slates retain several traditional rivalries and renew some old ones. And there are no more lengthy waits to play everyone.

“The new format begins next year and runs through 2029, with the SEC having the option to tweak it every four years to maintain competitive balance. Each team will play three opponents annually and rotate through the remaining 12. The setup ensures that rotating teams square off every other year and every team plays at every SEC venue at least once over a four-year span.”
^{AP News}

Pro Padel League Sells L.A. Franchise for Near $10M Valuation
The Pro Padel League’s L.A. Beat franchise is being wholly acquired by Commercial Trailer Leasing Inc. CEO David Eisen and I Squared Capital Operating Advisor Corey Eisen, a father-son tandem operating under Los Angeles Beat Partners, LLC. PPL CEO Mike Dorfman told SBJ the sale represents a valuation of “nearly $10M.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Amazon Hires Cash, Gay, Jackson and Dyer for NBA Coverage
Amazon has added Basketball Hall of Famer Swin Cash, former NBA players Rudy Gay and Jim Jackson, and British broadcaster Jaydee Dyer to its broadcast team ahead of its NBA on Prime debut.

NBA on Prime’s roster also includes play-by-play voices Kevin Harlan, Ian Eagle, Eric Collins and Michael Grady; game analysts Brent Barry, Dell Curry, Stan Van Gundy, Steve Nash, Candace Parker and Dwyane Wade; sideline reporters Allie Clifton, Cassidy Hubbarth and Kristina Pink; studio host Taylor Rooks; and rotating studio analysts Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, Udonis Haslem, Nash, Parker, Wade and John Wall.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Introducing CRO.ticker: A New Publication Serving Revenue Generators in College Athletics
College.town and the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) today announced the launch of CRO.ticker, Accelerated by Playfly, a new, twice-weekly email newsletter designed for Chief Revenue Officers, Chief Marketing Officers, heads of External Relations, and anyone within an athletic department responsible for the financial health and brand growth of their institution.

CRO.ticker will deliver curated news, intelligence and inspiration covering the new frontiers of a modern athletic department’s commercial success: revenue and sales strategy, marketing and brand innovation, sponsorship and media rights, the impact of technology on the fan experience and more. 

In addition to the newsletter, the partnership will also include the launch of the Margins of Victory podcast. Hosted by Craig Pintens, Athletic Director at Loyola Marymount and NACMA Past President, the podcast will feature in-depth conversations with revenue generators inside and outside of college athletics.
^{College Town}

Reds Overtake Mets in MLB Playoff Chase, With $222M to Spare
Sportico’s Jacob Felman writes, “The Reds and Mets both have an 80-76 record with six games to play; the only thing currently separating the two teams in the race for the National League’s final wild card spot is Cincinnati’s head-to-head tiebreaker. But their place in a ranking of baseball payrolls is a different matter altogether.

“The Mets spent the second most on players this year—their $341 million salary ledger trails only the Dodgers’ $350 million mark. The Reds, meanwhile, are 22nd in player spending at $119 million, according to Spotrac. New York’s Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto make more between them than every active Cincy player combined. The $222 million differential between the rosters would itself be the eighth biggest tab in MLB.”
^Sportico

Yankees Head to Postseason for 8th Time in 9 Seasons With AL East Race Still Up for Grabs
AP News’ Larry Fleischer reports: “The New York Yankees are headed to the playoffs for the eighth time in nine seasons. But first, there’s plenty to play for over the final days of the regular season.

“New York secured its spot in the postseason with a 3-2, come-from-behind win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night on José Caballero’s RBI single with two out in the ninth inning that scored team captain Aaron Judge with the winning run.

“While the win clinched at least an AL wild card, the Yankees (89-68) closed within a game of East Division-leading Toronto (90-67) after the Blue Jays lost 4-1 to Boston. New York and Toronto, which won the season series over the Yankees, have five regular-season games remaining with the division crown very much up for grabs.”
^{AP News}

BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park to Close at Season’s End
SBJ’s Mike Mazzeo reports: “The sportsbook will close after Sunday’s regular-season finale between the Nationals and White Sox at Nats Park, which is the final day customers can cash their tickets. BetMGM will remain a sponsor of the team, the spokesperson said.

“BetMGM Sportsbook was the first connected to an MLB ballpark when it opened in 2022. The sportsbook featured a 4,000-square foot sports bar, six betting windows and 17 kiosks.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Saints, Louisiana Reach Superdome Lease Terms, Other Property Deals Delay Signing
The Saints and the state of Louisiana have “agreed to the terms of a long-term lease of the Caesars Superdome,” but it “hasn’t been signed because the two sides are still haggling over leases for Benson Tower, Champions Square and the team’s practice facility in Jefferson Parish,” according to a front-page piece by Mcauley, Bridges & Duncan of the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE.
^{New Orleans Times-Picayune via Sports Business Journal}

Reports: Longtime Oklahoma State Football Coach Mike Gundy Has Been Fired
AP News’ Cliff Brunt writes, “Mike Gundy, one of college football’s most colorful coaches over the last two decades, has been fired at Oklahoma State, according to multiple media reports. The 58-year-old Gundy had a career record of 170-90 at his alma mater, where he was a star quarterback in the late 1980s. He posted winning records every season from 2006 to 2023, but had losing records in his final two years.

“Oklahoma State did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”
^{AP News}

Liberty Part Ways With Sandy Brondello, Won't Renew Her Contract Despite 2024 Championship
Yahoo Sports Chris Cwik writes, “The move comes one season after Brondello led the Liberty to their first WNBA championship.

“After a fantastic eight-year run with the Phoenix Mercury, in which Brondello led the team to a championship in her first season, Brondello was hired by the Liberty ahead of the 2022 WNBA season. The Liberty experienced a rocky first year under Brondello before posting two straight seasons with a 32-8 record. While the team fell short of a championship in 2023, it bounced back to win it all in 2024.”
^{Yahoo! Sports}

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Pac-12 Adding a Football-Only Member Looking Unlikely (Must Subscribe)
John Canzano writes, “Nothing is official, but it’s becoming unlikely that the Pac-12 Conference will add a football-only member for the 2026 season. Still, the conference is plotting.

“The new-world Pac-12 currently includes eight football-playing members. A league source confirmed on Tuesday that Pac-12 teams expect to play seven conference games and five non-conference games in 2026. The Pac-12 is exploring a scheduling arrangement with one or more ‘Group of Five’ conferences to open dates and add additional non-conference games.

“‘The American?’

“‘No,’ said one campus source, ‘not necessarily.’”

‘The Mountain West?’

“‘Most definitely off the table,’ said another…”
^{John Canzano}

JohnWallStreet Presents: Big Business on Campus Episode 3, Baylor's Mack Rhoades & Jovan Overshown
On the latest episode of JohnWallStreet Presents: Big Business on Campus –a college sports podcast powered by Playfly Sports and sponsored by Short’s Sports Travel Logistics– JohnWallStreet Founder Corey Leff and Playfly Sports Chairman Michael Schreiber sit down with Baylor University Vice President & Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades and Deputy AD & Chief Operating Officer Jovan Overshown. 

In this 40-minute deep-dive conversation, Baylor Athletics’ leadership opens up on raising ticket prices, new premium spaces and experiences, finding new dollars and fans, and much more.
-YouTube
-Spotify
-Apple
^{Playfly Sports, JohnWallStreetPresents}

Vanderbilt Keeps Winning While Its Players Sue the NCAA
FOS’ Amanda Christovich writes, “Just a few years ago, the Vanderbilt Commodores were considered the laughingstock of the SEC. But now, they’re winning big with a 4-0 record, a No. 18 AP ranking, and a potential Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Diego Pavia.

“That’s thanks in part to a landmark lawsuit filed by Pavia last year challenging NCAA eligibility rules that would have barred him taking the field this season. The lawsuit set off a firestorm of cases against the NCAA, and could ultimately sink the governing body’s ability to enforce any eligibility rules. Among the other lawsuits: a class action filed by 10 current and former NCAA D-I athletes—led by two of Pavia’s teammates: senior linebacker Langston Patterson and senior defensive lineman Issa Ouattara.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Transgender Sprinter Sues NCAA, SUNY Geneseo After Being Barred From Women’s Races
The Athletic’s Zach Powell reports: “Plaintiff Sadie Schreiner, a New Jersey native and former Division III athlete at Rochester Institute of Technology, attempted to enter the 200- and 400-meter events at the Geneseo Early Invitational in March 2025. Schreiner qualified for the races based on her official times and registered as an ‘unattached’ athlete — a standard practice for runners not representing a school or club.

“However, Schreiner says her entry was denied by SUNY Geneseo after the NCAA changed its policy on Feb. 6, 2025, banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports. The ban followed President Donald Trump’s executive order, blocking transgender athletes from women’s sports and threatening to deny federal funding to colleges and high schools that do not comply.”
^{The Athletic}

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