May 28, 2024

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is still pushing for a federal-level structure to govern payment to college athletes. … A Spanish court ruling gives further legal support to the formation of the European Super League, but FIFA and UEFA are still calling the potential rival league nothing more than an ‘abstract project.’ … FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has strong words for Andretti Cadillac’s attempt to enter Formula One. … Plus: More on the Saints, ESPN, Argentine women’s soccer, and LIV Golf’s Richard Bland.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]] and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Following Historic Settlement, Greg Sankey Calls on Congress to Step In [[link removed]]

Gregg Pachkowski/USA TODAY NETWORK

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey (above), one of the most powerful people in college sports, shared an optimistic outlook about the swiftly shifting landscape ahead of the conference’s spring meetings, which begin Tuesday. Speaking with reporters Monday night, Sankey called for a national standard following last week’s $2.75 billion settlement [[link removed]] in House v. NCAA.

The landmark settlement facilitates an agreement for power conference schools to share revenue with players for the first time in NCAA history—an agreement that could start as early as 2025. The NCAA is hoping, however, that it won’t have to make any more concessions beyond the reforms outlined in the settlement, Front Office Sports college reporter Amanda Christovich notes. It’s asking Congress to step in and protect it from more lawsuits, and settle questions like whether athletes should be employees.

“Congress has still an opportunity to use the structure of this settlement to enact legislation to strengthen the future of college sports,” he said [[link removed]]. However, Sankey admitted the future is still unpredictable. “The breadth of the settlement is intended to give us a path forward, provide a level of clarity about the future that doesn’t embed employment automatically,” he added. (Sankey and the rest of the power conferences are strongly opposed to athletes being deemed employees.)

By the Numbers

To pay the players, administrators have said they’re looking for new revenue streams. ( Private equity [[link removed]] could be one of them.) But multiple conferences hit record revenues in the 2023 fiscal year. Here’s how much money each conference generated and the average payout per school, according to figures from USA Today [[link removed]]:

Big Ten: $880 million ($60.5 million) SEC: $852.6 million ($51.3 million) ACC: $707 million ($44.8 million) Pac-12: $603.9 million ($33.6 million) Big 12: $510.7 million ($44.2 million)

The Big Ten and SEC are primed to continue separating themselves with the most lucrative media deals and expansion to 18 and 16 teams, respectively. The ACC, despite expansion of its own, remains locked in to a far less valuable media contract, with the Big 12 on pace to become the third-highest revenue-generating conference in the country. The Pac-12 will continue to exist as a two-member conference.

The European Super League Inches Closer to Reality, Legally [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The prospect of a European Super League taking form has received further legal support through a new ruling in a Spanish court. But the highly debated venture remains shrouded in uncertainty.

The Madrid Commercial Court No. 17 ruled on Monday that FIFA and UEFA must cease any “anti-competitive conduct” that would preclude the formation of rival, pan-European leagues such as the ESL, and that the two governing bodies “have abused their dominant position … and are preventing free competition in the market by imposing unjustified and disproportionate restrictions” on clubs.

The decision follows a similar ruling [[link removed]] in December by the European Court of Justice. Described as the first application of the legal framework of that prior case, the decision is enforceable across the European Union.

“The era of the monopoly is now definitely over,” said Bernd Reichart, chief executive of A22 Sports Management, a company formed to aid the development of the ESL and the entity that brought the case against UEFA, FIFA, LaLiga, and the Spanish soccer federation. “We look forward to continuing our dialogue with clubs of all sizes to improve club football at [the] international level to make it more accessible and compelling for fans.”

But not so fast, say FIFA and UEFA. Despite the apparent victory for the prospect of the ESL, the two organizations said the ruling does not explicitly endorse the formation of the new league. The Premier League is not subject to the ruling due to the U.K.’s Brexit move to leave the European Union.

“The court has not given the green light to, nor has it approved, projects like the Super League,” UEFA said. “In fact, [Judge Sofía Gil García] has asserted that the Super League project has long been abandoned and that she cannot be expected to rule on any abstract projects.”

A New Day for FIFA, UEFA

Both FIFA and UEFA, however, have something of a history of asserting success even in the face of adverse developments, such as EA Sports’ departure [[link removed]] as a major FIFA commercial licensee. The video game developer successfully created [[link removed]] its own soccer game franchise, despite FIFA’s strident claim in 2022 that the “only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans.”

FIFA also has been forced to adjust to a new commercial reality elsewhere, as a recent legal settlement is likely to help enable European pro leagues playing [[link removed]] regular-season matches outside of their home territories—something FIFA previously resisted.

SPONSORED BY AUTOTRADER

See That Car? Find It on Autotrader

[[link removed][InsertCachebusterHere]PA__;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=;dc_tdv=1]

Look around. What do you see?

Cars. Lots of them. And guess what? They’re probably on Autotrader [[link removed][InsertCachebusterHere]PA__;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=;dc_tdv=1].

Big cars, small cars, blue cars, new cars.

Whether you’re into timeless classics or the latest trends (Did somebody say “solar-powered, eco-friendly, vegan-leather-wrapped, aromatherapy-scented, disco-ball-equipped, self-driving car?”), if you see it on the road, you can likely find it on Autotrader.

New. Used. Electric. And one day … maybe even flying cars. When the dealership is at your fingertips, buying a car becomes a whole lot easier.

Start your search [[link removed][InsertCachebusterHere]PA__;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=;dc_tdv=1] on Autotrader.

LOUD AND CLEAR Rethinking Options?

Kristin Enzor/For IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

“Go and buy another team.”

—FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, on the efforts of the Andretti Cadillac group [[link removed]] to enter Formula One. Sulayem, who has previously been a supporter of the bid from Michael Andretti (above, right) to form an 11th F1 team, addressed [[link removed]?] the matter at the Monaco Grand Prix. “I still believe we should have more teams but not any teams,” he said. “The right teams.” FIA is the governing body of F1, but ultimately F1 owner Liberty Media will have the final say on a potential expansion team.

STATUS REPORT One Up, Two Down, One Push

MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Saints ⬆ The NFL team has finally paid [[link removed]] the $11.4 million outstanding balance it owed to the Louisiana Superdome and Exposition District for renovations to the Caesars Superdome, which will host Super Bowl LIX in February.

ESPN ⬇ During the network’s NCAA Baseball Championship Selection Special on Monday, a Kansas Jayhawks graphic appeared [[link removed]] while Kansas State’s spot in the tournament was announced. The Jayhawks, a team on the fringe of making it, did not get selected.

Argentina ⬇ Three players have quit [[link removed]] the country’s national women’s soccer team after a dispute over a lack of pay and poor training camp conditions before two international friendlies.

Richard Bland ⬆⬇ The British LIV Golf member, 51, won the Senior PGA Championship and its $630,000 first-place prize. Typically, winners of the event also receive a one-year exemption to the PGA Tour Champions—the circuit for players age 50 and older—but Bland (above) won’t be eligible [[link removed]] due to his association with LIV.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS AWARDS

College athletic programs across the country support our next generation of athletes. In the modern age, athletic departments are faced with several new challenges unchartered by their predecessors of the decades before.

Powered by Sports Innovation Lab, the Best Collegiate Athletic Departments Award recognizes the programs that, regardless of school size or resources, are a model to the rest of the collegiate athletic sector for how to innovate. Is your school leading the pack?

Submit your organization today.

Now accepting early entries through June 9 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Conversation Starters When a fight broke out during a Canadian Hockey League game Monday night, broadcaster TSN had a cameraman skate onto the ice to capture the moment. Watch here [[link removed]]. Mariners shortstop Ryan Bliss just made his MLB debut. It was a long time coming: He called his shot on social media 10 years ago. Check it out [[link removed]]. Schools participating in EA Sports College Football 25 will be paid using a tier system ranging from just under $10,000 to nearly $100,000. Take a look [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Ángel Hernández’s Career and Crusade End With Retirement Settlement [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]The umpire unsuccessfully sued the league for racial discrimination. NFL Kicker Sexually Assaulted Attendants on Team Flight, Lawsuit Says [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Brandon McManus allegedly ‘grinded up against’ them on a flight to London. Adam Silver Is the Real Winner in the Battle for the NBA’s Rights Future [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]For the past decade, the commissioner has been playing chess, not checkers. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Peter Richman [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2024 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016