Trump Weighs Exec Order On NIL

Former college football coach Nick Saban reportedly “talked about ‘NIL’ deals with Trump, telling the president how he believed the influx of money had damaged college sports.” 

May 5, 2025

Report: Trump Eyes Executive Order on NIL
White House officials said that President Donald Trump‘s administration is “considering an executive order that could increase scrutiny of the explosion in payments to college athletes” since 2021, after Trump met with former college football coach Nick Saban. Saban “talked about ‘NIL’ deals with Trump, telling the president how he believed the influx of money had damaged college sports.” The pending House settlement would allow schools to pay athletes directly from the billions of dollars in revenue. Sources said that Trump “said he agreed with Saban and would look at crafting an executive order.”
^{Wall Street Journal via Sports Business Journal}

Why Warren Buffet Eschewed Sports During Famed Investment Career
Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen writes, “Buffett has been a staunch believer in a value-based investing model, focused on companies with solid fundamentals and cash flow. Those have not historically been the financial characteristics of sports teams, which typically lost money on an annual basis before recent revenue gains and more owner-friendly CBAs improved profitability. Sports teams owners cashed in when they sold the assets at significant gains.
^Sportico

General Motors’ F1 Plans Unchanged Despite $5bn Impact From Trump’s Tariffs
The Athletic’s Luke Smith reports: “General Motors’ plans to enter Formula One with its Cadillac team from next year and build an engine by 2029 have not been affected by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to the company’s president, despite a $5billion (£3.8bn) impact. Cadillac will join the grid as an 11th team, initially racing with Ferrari engines before a GM-produced power unit is ready for 2029.”
^{The Athletic}

Kentucky Derby Sets Viewership Record in Most-Watched Race Since 1989 as Sovereignty Wins at Churchill Downs
Yahoo Sports’ Ryan Young reports: “Roughly 17.7 million people tuned in to watch Sovereignty win the Kentucky Derby on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs, NBC announced on Sunday. That’s up about 6% from last year’s race, which made it the most-watched Kentucky Derby since 1989.

“Viewership peaked at about 21.8 million for the race, too. That’s up about 8% from last year's peak, which also set a Kentucky Derby record for the network.”
^{Yahoo! Sports}

NBC Hires Carmelo Anthony to Join Network’s NBA Coverage Next Season
The former Knick and 10-time All-Star will join NBC Sports as a studio analyst next season. He’ll make his debut with NBC and Peacock this October, when the NBA returns to the network. That’s shortly after Anthony is enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September.
^{New York Post}

Rangers Fire Offensive Coordinator Donnie Ecker After Hitting Struggles, 17-18 Start to Season
Yahoo Sports’ Kari Anderson reports: “The move came after Texas beat the Seattle Mariners 8-1 at home on Sunday, avoiding a sweep against its AL West rival. But the past few weeks have seen a smattering of disappointing results for the Rangers, who also lost to the Mariners 13-1 and 2-1 and had three one-run losses in a row last week.

“After short stints with the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, Ecker joined Texas' hitting staff in 2021, helping the team win the World Series in 2023.”
^{Yahoo! Sports}

Sources: PGA of America’s Kessler Leading Candidate for LPGA Commissioner
SBJ’s Josh Carpenter reports: “One source said Kessler had been offered the job and it was now his decision to take it or not. Kessler did not respond to a text seeking comment on Thursday evening.

“Kessler has only been at the PGA as its COO for a little more than two years but is seen as a rising star in golf’s executive ranks … A Harvard MBA grad, was also the COO at Topgolf from 2016-2021 and currently serves on the National Golf Foundation board.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Gregg Popovich Done Coaching Spurs; Mitch Johnson Takes Over
ESPN’s Shams Charania writes, “Popovich has been involved with the team and present at San Antonio's facility in recent days, and will continue to be a vital member of the franchise's day-to-day operations, sources told ESPN. As much as he wanted to return to the sideline, he decided that he no longer could move forward with the taxing grind of being an NBA head coach. He has been making steady progress with his health in recovery from the November stroke, sources added.”
^ESPN

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World Cup Host Cities Face a Big Sprint to Be Ready for a Month of ‘104 Super Bowls’
“We‘re working on some really big plans in terms of renovating multiple fields and parks around Houston, and once those fields are renovated and are playable, backfilling that with great programming that’s going to give kids access to the game on a level where they can basically play club soccer,” said Chris Canetti, president of the Houston host committee. “The World Cup provides an opportunity and a platform to do things that you’re not going to do in three years or eight years or 12 years, so we all need to capture this moment.”
^{AP News}

Michele Kang’s London City Lionesses Promoted to WSL for First Time
The Athletic’s Ali Ramping reports: “London City, owned by Washington Spirit and Lyon Feminin owner Michele Kang, will be the only fully independent club in the 2025-26 WSL, with all 12 teams in this season’s top flight attached to a Premier League club. The club secured their promotion after avoiding defeat against second-placed Birmingham City on the season’s final day.”
^{The Athletic}

F1 Signs 10-Year Extension With Miami Grand Prix
South Florida Motorsports, promoter of the F1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, confirmed that the race will remain on the F1 calendar through 2041 after agreeing to a 10-year extension to its original agreement. The deal will make the Miami Grand Prix the longest contracted race in F1. Miami hosted its first race in 2022 after agreeing to an initial 10-year agreement. The race is held at the custom-built Miami International Autodrome.
^{South Florida Motorsports via Sports Business Journal}

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