September 17, 2024

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Four years ago, Mike Trout was unquestionably MLB’s best player—and its highest paid. Injuries and Shohei Ohtani have changed both of those facts. But halfway through an enormous contract, Trout now hopes a position change can help him justify his value.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Trout Open to Position Change As $426M Contract Looms Over Angels [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mike Trout, widely regarded as MLB’s best player before the arrival of Shohei Ohtani, is looking to change positions to stay on the field after a four-year period heavily disrupted by injuries.

Speaking Monday in his first public remarks since July, the 33-year-old Angels star said he is open to shifting from his customary center-field position to a corner outfield slot, as well as playing as a designated hitter, in order to stay in action. Trout has played just 266 games since the start of the 2021 campaign—less than half of the team’s total schedule over that time—and only 29 contests this year as he has battled a series of maladies, including most recently a torn meniscus in his left knee.

“My goal is to be in that batter’s box, in the field, every single day,” Trout said. “Whether that’s moving to a corner or DH-ing more, that’s something I’ll leave up to the front office to come up with a plan. Where I’m at and what’s happened in the last few years, I’m definitely going to try to explore every option that can keep me out there.”

Trout’s $426.5 million contract extension—signed in 2019 and running through 2030—remains the second-largest player deal in MLB history behind Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million pact with the Dodgers [[link removed]]. The figure for Trout will likely be eclipsed this offseason by Yankees outfielder and forthcoming free-agent Juan Soto [[link removed]]. But having a player of Trout’s talent back on the field starting with the 2025 season will no doubt be a marketing boon for the league, even as the low-key personality of the three-time Most Valuable Player award winner has been a subject of extended scrutiny [[link removed]].

“I knew when I signed my contract, I’d eventually move to a corner [position]. But is it next year? I don’t know,” Trout said. “We’ll have conversations.”

Team in Transition

Trout’s comments were entirely in the context of staying with the Angels, even as the team is making little progress in its on-field rebuild.

Currently standing in last place in the AL West, the Angels trail even the low-spending and soon-departing A’s [[link removed]]. With six additional losses, the Angels will set a franchise record for their worst single-season record, highlighting a ninth-straight losing campaign.

California officials, meanwhile, said last month they are initiating a new audit on the Angels’ stadium lease [[link removed]] with the city of Anaheim, as well as a failed land sale between the team and the city.

Fox’s Friday Night College Football Experiment Off to Strong Start [[link removed]]

The Topeka Capital-Journal

Fox’s attempt to take over another college football TV window on Friday nights is off to a nice start.

Kansas State’s 31–7 victory over Arizona last week averaged 2.58 million viewers, kicking off a 12-game Friday prime-time slate on the main Fox network channel, featuring schools from the Big Ten, Big 12, and Mountain West.

Fox is using college football to replace WWE SmackDown, which is moving to USA Network [[link removed]] thanks to a five-year, $1.4 billion deal. In a comparable window last fall on Sept. 15, 2023, also the second Friday after Labor Day, SmackDown drew 2.57 million viewers on Fox [[link removed]]—just barely below KSU-Arizona. That was the highest Friday WWE audience for Fox for the remainder of the year.

Ahead of the Friday package of games, Fox Sports president of insights and analytics Mike Mulvihill predicted college football would do equal [[link removed]], if not better, viewership numbers than professional wrestling, in an interview with Front Office Sports. And with game windows of three-plus hours, compared to two-hour SmackDown broadcasts, the network’s expectations are high.

Friday Night Lights

This week, Fox gets a second straight matchup between ranked opponents for its next Friday prime-time showcase, after KSU and Arizona entered last week’s game ranked No. 14 and No. 20, respectively (KSU has since moved up to No. 14 and Arizona fell out of the top 25).

Here are the next three Friday night games on Fox:

Sept. 20: No. 24 Illinois at No. 22 Nebraska Sept. 27: Washington at Rutgers Oct. 4: Michigan State at No. 9 Oregon Rolling Effect

Fox also got a rare opportunity to broadcast an Alabama game this past weekend. The Crimson Tide’s 42–10 victory at Wisconsin drew 5.02 million viewers in the network’s Big Noon Saturday window. That followed a massive audience of 9.35 million for Texas’s 31–12 win at Michigan the previous Saturday.

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Off the Court With Napheesa Collier

Behind every great athlete is a dedicated team that turns personal aspirations into collective triumphs. From coaches and mentors to family and friends, this support system plays a crucial role in an athlete’s success. That’s the power of us [[link removed]].

Since winning the 2019 Rookie of the Year, Napheesa Collier has gained invaluable life and financial wisdom. In just a few short years, Phee has navigated several major milestones: winning multiple gold medals, getting married, signing a three-year pro contract, becoming a mother, playing overseas, and launching a new business venture. Through it all, her family has been a steadfast support system, guiding her to success on and off the court.

Learn more about Napheesa’s Untold Team [[link removed]].

Calipari’s Razorbacks Move

The Courier-Journal

At an event for the Little Rock Touchdown Club, Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek recounted how he first met with John Calipari [[link removed]] to pitch him the role of Razorbacks men’s basketball coach.

Yurachek called it “a funny story,” as it involved a meetup at a hotel lobby with a mystery man who directed him to Calipari.

“[Calipari] left, thought about it through the weekend, and decided this was the place for him to take the next step to be the head men’s basketball coach,” Yurachek said.

However, the meeting occurred in Phoenix during the weekend of the 2024 Final Four in April, which would’ve meant Calipari potentially breached his contract with Kentucky [[link removed]]. Calipari, who coached the Wildcats from 2009 to 2024 and led them to a national championship in 2012, submitted his resignation to Kentucky— 14 minutes before posting his farewell video [[link removed]].

Calipari reportedly agreed to a five-year deal with Arkansas [[link removed]] on April 8, the day of the NCAA championship game. Kentucky, which extended the Hall of Fame coach with a 10-year deal in 2019, was reportedly never informed he was in discussions with another school [[link removed]] before his exit.

STATUS REPORT One Up, One Down, Two Push

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Panthers ⬇ Carolina made the bold decision to bench Bryce Young [[link removed]], the 2023 No. 1 pick the team selected after trading two first-round picks and star receiver DJ Moore to the Bears. Because Young is still on his rookie deal, the team won’t be severely hampered by keeping him on the roster. However, if Carolina opts to waive him, it would cost the team more than $31 million in dead money.

ICC ⬆ The Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will have a total prize pool of $7.96 million [[link removed]], more than double last year’s purse, the cricket administrative body announced Tuesday. The winners of the tournament will receive $2.34 million, 134% more than the $1 million Australia received last year for winning.

EuroLeague ⬆⬇ The top basketball league in Europe is attempting to sell a minority stake [[link removed]] at a valuation of $1.1 billion to SURJ Sports Investment, a firm owned by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, according to the Financial Times. General Atlantic, a private equity firm, may also invest together with SURJ.

Tennessee ⬆⬇ The Volunteers announced a 10% talent fee will be added to football tickets [[link removed]] this season, and the fees will be used to pay players. The school will also add a 4.5% price increase to stadium tickets on top of the talent fees.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS AWARDS

Are You Making an Impact?

Front Office Sports has partnered with Sports Innovation Lab to honor organizations making a significant impact in the business of sports.

The Most Impactful Award [[link removed]] celebrates organizations that leverage their power and platform to create positive change beyond generating revenue and expanding their business. These companies understand the importance of investing in people, communities, and causes to reach their full potential.

Consideration for this award is inclusive of:

DEI initiatives Youth sports programs Education programs Voter registration and voter access programs Community outreach Foundation work and charitable fundraising Messaging and communications

Submissions are open through Oct. 6 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Learn more [[link removed]] about the award or submit your organization today.

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