Navy Baseball Player Accuses NCAA of Harming Active-Duty Readiness Brock Murtha, who is seeking a fifth year of eligibility this season, has framed his legal fight for an NCAA waiver as a matter of national security.

NEWS: Navy baseball player Brock Murtha is seeking a federal court’s injunction to allow him to play this current season, after NCAA denied his eligibility waiver. He is framing his lawsuit in terms of national security.

Story for @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Duke Union Risk Memo Warned of Kara Lawson, Lacrosse Players A confidential report prepared for Duke University in March 2022 outlined the potential risks the school faced when it came to athletes unionizing.

EXCLUSIVE: In 2022, Duke hired law firm for confidential “athletics unionization risk assessment,” per memo seen by @sportico.bsky.social.

Memo flagged:

• WBB Coach Kara Lawson’s outspokenness
• Limited NIL engagement
• Lacrosse players’ “sense of entitlement”

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Navy Baseball Player Accuses NCAA of Harming Active-Duty Readiness Brock Murtha, who is seeking a fifth year of eligibility this season, has framed his legal fight for an NCAA waiver as a matter of national security.

NEWS: Navy baseball player Brock Murtha is seeking a federal court’s injunction to allow him to play this current season, after NCAA denied his eligibility waiver. He is framing his lawsuit in terms of national security.

Story for @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Thanks!

The ultimate here’s what they (your administration) think of you for Duke athletes.

Read this piece. Great reporting.

Did not expect to wake up and have to defend a former Tennessee women’s player today but here we are. Kara Lawson is (grumble) great, actually.

"Sounds like we need to get to Orem [@billoram.bsky.social] as well. Daschel [@nickdaschel.bsky.social] is someone we trust to put the correct information out there."

That's Scott Barnes, the day after @daniellibit.bsky.social's @sportico.bsky.social article dropped.

NEW👇 #thebarnesfiles #gobeavs

Duke Union Risk Memo Warned of Kara Lawson, Lacrosse Players A confidential report prepared for Duke University in March 2022 outlined the potential risks the school faced when it came to athletes unionizing.

EXCLUSIVE: In 2022, Duke hired law firm for confidential “athletics unionization risk assessment,” per memo seen by @sportico.bsky.social.

Memo flagged:

• WBB Coach Kara Lawson’s outspokenness
• Limited NIL engagement
• Lacrosse players’ “sense of entitlement”

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Get the 🔎 out. Here's the latest @sportico.bsky.social valuations for all 154 team in the big five U.S. leagues:

🔴 NFL - $7.13 billion average
🟠 NBA - $5.51 billion average
🟢 MLB - $2.82 billion average
⚫️ NHL - $2.1 billion average
🔵 MLS - $767 million average

Iowa Women’s Hoops Revenue Fell Back to Earth Post-Caitlin Clark In fiscal year 2025, the Hawkeyes relinquished their short-lived status as the top ticket-revenue powerhouse in women’s college basketball.

NEWS: Iowa women’s basketball ticket sales dropped by 27% in FY25, following the departure of Caitlin Clark, per school's latest NCAA financial disclosure obtained by @sportico.bsky.social.

Story from me and @ebennovywilliams.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

i was told people only care about the name on the front of the jersey.

Iowa Women’s Hoops Revenue Fell Back to Earth Post-Caitlin Clark In fiscal year 2025, the Hawkeyes relinquished their short-lived status as the top ticket-revenue powerhouse in women’s college basketball.

NEWS: Iowa women’s basketball ticket sales dropped by 27% in FY25, following the departure of Caitlin Clark, per school's latest NCAA financial disclosure obtained by @sportico.bsky.social.

Story from me and @ebennovywilliams.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

So @daniellibit.bsky.social also pointed this out, but I don't really get why many of this year's MFRS reports say DO NOT SHARE this information with the CSC. Brother, this is a public document! The CSC is gonna get it anyway!

WHAT IS NORTHWESTERN STATE HIDING (poorly)!?!?!?

Nebraska Keeps Raising the Net on Women’s Volleyball Spending The Nebraska Cornhuskers spent more than $7 million on its women's volleyball program in FY25, ahead of its women's basketball program at $6.3 million.

🏐SCOOP: Nebraska Volleyball set new spending ($7M) and ticket revenue ($3.2M) records in FY25.

The Huskers’ tix sales last fiscal cycle exceeded those of 39 FBS public football and 71 men’s basketball programs in FY24. Story w/ @ebennovywilliams.bsky.social

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Ex-CEO of Chicago Public Media saw $900,000 payout in 2024, IRS filings show

The nonprofit owner of the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ paid its outgoing CEO more than $900,000 in 2024, new tax filings show, as it engaged in staff cuts and other measures to deal with declining revenue.

Whittingham’s Michigan Gig May Cost Grandkids Free Utah Tuition Whittingham’s decision to accept a new coaching job at Michigan rather than retire comes with consequences for his progeny.

Here's a fun one: Had Utah been Kyle Wittingham's last job, his 11 grandkids would all have been able to attend the University of Utah for free.

His taking the Michigan job appears to have terminated that benefit. More from @daniellibit.bsky.social at Sportico 👇
www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Leadership Perks: Riley Gaines Scored Big Bonus From Nonprofit Gaines, the former Kentucky swimmer turned OutKick commentator, banked $474,313 from the conservative political organization in 2024.

NEW: Riley Gaines, the former collegiate swimmer turned right-wing media figure, made $474,313 last year from the conservative nonprofit org, the Leadership Institute. More striking than her total comp was the way it was structured.

For @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/business/med...

SPORTICO: “Riley Gaines received $474,313 in compensation last year from the Leadership Institute, according to the conservative organization’s most recent tax filing… a staggering $420,155 (89%) classified as bonus or incentive compensation…” www.sportico.com/business/med...

LSU Is on Hook for Kiffin’s Ole Home. But What Did It Really Cost Him? Per the term sheet, LSU has agreed to cover up to $500,000 in losses on the sale of new football coach Lane Kiffin's house in Oxford, Miss.

Lane Kiffin’s deal with LSU contains the unusual clause that the school will reimburse him up to $500,000 if he sells his home in Oxford, MS for anything less than what he bought it for. But what did he actually buy it for?

I investigated👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

UPDATE: 🤔 bsky.app/profile/dani...

First Riverside Abuse Trial Nears—and Evidence Takes Center Stage As the case brought by former Riverside Hawks basketball player Daryl Powell against the church nears its trial date, the parties dispute evidence.

Next month will have the first trial involving one of the 27 former Riverside Hawks basketball players accusing Riverside Church of failing to protect them from coach and alleged sexual abuser Ernest Lorch.

@lukecyphers.bsky.social and I have an update for @sportico.bsky.social:

Leadership Perks: Riley Gaines Scored Big Bonus From Nonprofit Gaines, the former Kentucky swimmer turned OutKick commentator, banked $474,313 from the conservative political organization in 2024.

NEW: Riley Gaines, the former collegiate swimmer turned right-wing media figure, made $474,313 last year from the conservative nonprofit org, the Leadership Institute. More striking than her total comp was the way it was structured.

For @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/business/med...

LSU Is on Hook for Kiffin’s Ole Home. But What Did It Really Cost Him? Per the term sheet, LSU has agreed to cover up to $500,000 in losses on the sale of new football coach Lane Kiffin's house in Oxford, Miss.

Lane Kiffin’s deal with LSU contains the unusual clause that the school will reimburse him up to $500,000 if he sells his home in Oxford, MS for anything less than what he bought it for. But what did he actually buy it for?

I investigated👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Since moving to FBS in 2012, UMass has had the worst football team in the country... by a lot

Tonight, the 0-11 Minutemen have their last chance to avoid a winless season

The top 100 most valuable sports teams in the world are collectively worth $554 billion 💰, per @sportico.bsky.social

The list comprises:
• All 32 NFL teams 🏈
• All 30 NBA teams 🏀
• 14 MLB teams ⚾️
• 10 global soccer clubs ⚽️
• 9 NHL teams 🏒
• 5 F1 franchises 🏎️

Sunk-Cost Football: UMass’ Faltering Quest to Belong in the FBS UMass bought the promise of big-time football in 2011, when it joined the FBS. Fourteen brutal years later, the Minutemen are doubling down.

UMass has been FBS's worst football team since it moved up in 2012. Its struggles include spilled hydraulic fluid, a failed stint at an NFL stadium 90 miles away, and unmet "pie-in-the-sky" projections.

Now the school is doubling down. More w/ Daniel Libit 👇
www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Sunk-Cost Football: UMass’ Faltering Quest to Belong in the FBS UMass bought the promise of big-time football in 2011, when it joined the FBS. Fourteen brutal years later, the Minutemen are doubling down.

NEW: UMass jumped to FBS in 2012 with big expectations. The experiment has gone so poorly that even prof emeritus Nelson Lacey — once an important backer of the move — now thinks the school should consider dropping back down. w/ @ebennovywilliams.bsky.social

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Sunk-Cost Football: UMass’ Faltering Quest to Belong in the FBS UMass bought the promise of big-time football in 2011, when it joined the FBS. Fourteen brutal years later, the Minutemen are doubling down.

These struggles, and others happening right now, is why I teach--how many more institutions will chase the DI dream in the era of "opting-in" and ultimately damage their institution's financial standing?
h/t @daniellibit.bsky.social @sportico.bsky.social

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Fan-Fueled FOIA: An Oregon State GoFundMe Redefines Donor Access The Belligerent Beavs podcast raised thousands in two days to secure OSU athletics records, showing how fans are reshaping public information.

NEW from @sportico.bsky.social's @daniellibit.bsky.social:

Fan-Fueled FOIA: An Oregon State GoFundMe Redefines Donor Access

#GOBEAVS

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Apple, MLS Deal Will End in 2029 With Revised Payment Structure MLS and Apple's streaming rights agreement will now end three and half years early, letting the league explore new partners after the 2026 World Cup.

SCOOP: @jacobfeldman.bsky.social and I got details of MLS's
revised Apple deal

- Ends in June 2029 (3.5 years early)
- Apple gave up 2027 opt-out
- MLS gets: $200M in 2026, $107M for 2027 "sprint" season, $275M in final two seasons

Via @sportico.bsky.social 👇
www.sportico.com/leagues/socc...