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Morning Edition

March 7, 2025

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FOS can confirm that Stephen A. Smith will sign a five-year ESPN contract worth over $100 million. He’ll also appear on more of the network’s NFL programming, and is free to pursue his non-sports interests—including politics. Here’s what we know.

— Michael McCarthy, [[link removed]] Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Stephen A. Smith Agrees to $100M+ ESPN Deal, Not Constrained to Sports

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stephen A. Smith is not going anywhere—at least not for a while.

Front Office Sports has confirmed that the prolific sports media host and opinionist reached a five-year contract extension with ESPN worth over $100 million. The Athletic first reported that the deal was finalized.

Smith told FOS [[link removed]] at Radio Row during Super Bowl week that a deal was coming “very, very soon.” Smith made $12 million a year under his previous pact.

“I’m anticipating that hopefully we’ll reach a deal very, very soon, and I’ll march forward with ESPN for the foreseeable future,” he said.

Smith told FOS that the freedom to do projects outside of ESPN was important for him to secure before signing the deal.

Smith’s primary focus will be on First Take, and he will continue to be involved with NBA programming. Sources say he will also play a bigger role in the network’s NFL coverage.

As previously reported by FOS, Smith will also get a crack at Monday Night Football [[link removed]] like his childhood idol Howard Cosell, said sources. Look for him to make appearances on the Monday Night Countdown pregame show starting this season.

Alone among ESPN on-air talents, Smith is allowed to sound off on national political and social issues. That’s made him a possible contender for the Democratic presidential nomination [[link removed]] in 2028—even if Smith says he has no intentions of actually campaigning for the job.

As part of this deal, Smith will also gain the freedom to pursue his interests outside of sports. That’s not limited to politics.

Additionally, he intends to continue growing his production company, both in partnership with Disney and beyond.

For more of Michael McCarthy and Ryan Glasspiegel’s reporting on Smith’s new deal, you can read the full story here [[link removed]]. For all of our sports media news and insights, subscribe to the twice-weekly Tuned In newsletter [[link removed]].

SEC’s Tournament Takeover: 13 Teams Could Make March Madness [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Power conferences such as the SEC are closer than ever to overtaking March Madness, though perhaps not quite in the way previously envisioned.

As conference tournaments begin in earnest this weekend [[link removed]], initial bracketology predictions [[link removed]] show the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and Big East are in line to claim a combined 39 of 68 men’s tournament spots. The SEC, which currently has eight teams in the Associated Press top-25 rankings, including No. 1 Auburn, could see 13 of its 16 members reach the tournament—a figure that would beat the current record of 11 bids set by the Big East in 2011. A 14th SEC program, Texas, is additionally a bubble team.

The Big Ten, with five top-25 teams, similarly has 11 potential March Madness bids in initial projections.

The shifts partly reflect the continued impact of a frenetic wave of conference realignment that dominated college sports in the spring and summer of 2024. In particular, Oklahoma and Texas began SEC play last year; the Big Ten brought in Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington; the Big 12 added Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah; and the ACC added Cal, SMU, and Stanford. Four of those 13 newly realigned schools are likely March Madness participants, with two more on the bubble.

Consolidating Power

Such shifts had seismic impacts on the College Football Playoff, and still do [[link removed]]. The effects are also reaching basketball.

For comparison, last year’s March Madness in men’s college basketball included 33 total teams across those five conferences, as well as the Pac-12 Conference before it was gutted to just two members, Oregon State and Washington State, in advance of a subsequent rebuilding to eight schools in 2026 [[link removed]].

A year ago, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey openly questioned the merit of March Madness automatic qualifiers [[link removed]] for smaller conferences. Fast-forward to today, and that type of radical reformation has not happened— though conversations continue toward a potential expansion [[link removed]] or restructuring of the tournament format that would start as soon as 2026. Still, Sankey’s fear of what he viewed as deserving teams being squeezed out of the tournament hardly seems to be happening with the likely historic influx of tournament bids.

Such pull toward the major conferences can also be seen in the NCAA’s NET Rankings. Even the SEC’s last-place team, South Carolina, still holds a No. 88 national ranking despite a 12–18 overall record, 2–15 inside the conference, and 1–9 on the road.

Last year, each tournament unit—the NCAA’s formula for allocating event revenue—was worth about $2 million, making the financial stakes of March Madness bids large for any involved school.

In the meantime, there is scarcely an at-large bid foreseeable for mid-major conferences such as the American or Atlantic 10, even with multiple schools there enjoying strong seasons—making the upcoming conference tournaments all the more critical.

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Callaway’s LIV Deal Shows How Much Golf Has Shifted [[link removed]]

Chris Trotman/LIV Golf

When LIV Golf was launching in 2022, Callaway paused its longtime relationship with Phil Mickelson due to controversy surrounding the six-time major champion who headlined the list of defectors from the PGA Tour.

This week, however, the golf equipment manufacturer announced a wide-ranging deal with Jon Rahm and his LIV team, Legion XIII, in a move that shows just how dramatically views of the rival circuit have changed among the sport’s stakeholders.

Callaway is the first company to become the official club supplier of a LIV team. Rahm, Caleb Surratt, and Tom McKibbin were already using Callaway clubs. But it’s not an exclusive deal, as Tyrrell Hatton uses Ping clubs and will continue to do so.

Shifting Stances

Rahm has been a Callaway endorser since 2021, and in 2023 signed an extension that included equity in parent company Topgolf Callaway Brands.

But when he joined LIV [[link removed]] ahead of the league’s 2024 season, Callaway branding stopped appearing on his on-course apparel as the 2023 Masters champion repped his Legion XIII squad at both LIV events and major championships. This season, he’s been wearing a Callaway hat.

Bryson DeChambeau’s LIV team, Crushers GC, recently brought on Reebok [[link removed]] as its official apparel supplier. Other brands have signed various endorsement deals with some LIV teams, but none as big as Callaway. Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka is the only Nike golfer currently on LIV, as he reps the Swoosh, and not the gear of his team, Smash GC.

What Once Was

Mickelson, who remains the captain of LIV’s HyFlyers GC, kept using Callaway clubs despite the “pause” in 2022, and the partnership wasn’t officially over until he announced a formal split in January 2024—although the company had largely distanced itself from the golfer before then.

Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson’s longtime TaylorMade contract expired in 2024. The two-time major champion had been under contract to play the manufacturer’s clubs and ball, and represent their logos on his apparel. He also had a long-running deal with Adidas that ended in 2023. This season, he’s still been playing some TaylorMade clubs but sports clothing from his LIV team, 4Aces GC.

NFL Free Agency Hasn’t Begun, but Biggest Pay May Come to Traded Stars [[link removed]]

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Two Pro Bowlers—DK Metcalf and Trey Hendrickson—could be on the move soon.

The Seahawks’ two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver requested a trade Wednesday, the same day the team released Tyler Lockett, another receiver and the longest-tenured player on the roster.

Seattle is seeking a first- and third-round pick [[link removed]] in exchange for Metcalf, according to The Athletic.

While this is likely the Seahawks’ initial asking price, a first- and third-rounder for Metcalf is similar to the haul the Titans received when they traded A.J. Brown to the Eagles in 2022 [[link removed]]. However, Brown was 24 at the time. Metcalf is currently 27.

Just last week, the 49ers traded 29-year-old Deebo Samuel to the Commanders [[link removed]] in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Metcalf (6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns) has been a more productive receiver than Samuel (4,792 yards and 22 touchdowns) over the last six regular seasons, especially given the injury-riddled season the former Pro Bowler had last year, but the haul for him was nowhere near the asking price of the Seahawks for Metcalf.

Another complicating factor in a potential Metcalf trade is his contract. He is entering the final year of a three-year, $72 million deal and has a $31.8 million cap hit— currently the highest in the NFL [[link removed]], per Over The Cap.

The Athletic reported Metcalf is seeking a deal that would pay him $30 million a year, which would put him in a tie with Tyreek Hill and Brandon Aiyuk as the fifth-highest-paid wide receiver in terms of average annual value. His current contract has him 13th in the league [[link removed]]—though he tied for sixth when he signed the deal in 2022 [[link removed]].

Change Coming in Cincy

According to multiple reports, Hendrickson, the Bengals’ star defensive end, has been permitted by the team to seek a trade [[link removed]].

The news comes a year after the Bengals narrowly missed the playoffs despite their offense leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns as their defense finished 25th in total defense. Hendrickson was one of their few bright spots on defense, leading the league with 17.5 sacks last season.

The 30-year-old was on a four-year, $60 million deal that ran through 2024, but he signed a one-year extension in 2023 for $21 million. Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby just became the highest-paid non-quarterback in football, signing an extension worth $35.5 million per year. Hendrickson clearly noticed.

The Bengals are facing questions about the future of two other key players, as the team is looking to sign wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to a record extension [[link removed]] while also trying to secure fellow receiver Tee Higgins to a long-term deal after placing the franchise tag on him for the second straight year.

ONE BIG FIG Woj Bombs for Bucks

St. Bonaventure

$17,675

The amount of money generated thus far in auctions staged by former ESPN journalist Adrian Wojnarowski, now the GM of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team [[link removed]]. The auctions held on the new Daps Bounty platform were largely former iPhones and NBA event credentials he used while still at ESPN.

Wojnarowski is still accepting bids for video calls and dinners with him. The money will go to St. Bonaventure’s NIL (name, image, and likeness) program. The move was the latest in a series of unconventional efforts by Wojnarowski and the Bonnies to raise additional funds in a college basketball landscape increasingly dominated by power-conference schools [[link removed]].

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS NETWORK

Secrets Behind Memphis’s Rise in College Football

In this episode, Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield takes Adam Breneman inside his journey—from getting the head coaching job to building a sustainable winning culture. They discuss the lessons he’s learned, key coaching philosophies, and how Memphis continues to compete at a high level.

They dive into his biggest surprises as a head coach, the advantages of being promoted from within, and the moment he found out he got the job. They also talk about recruiting in today’s era of college football, how he approaches roster management, and the one decision that helped him get to where he is today. Plus, they discuss what Memphis needs to do to make the College Football Playoff and coach Silverfield’s ultimate “why.”

Watch the full Next Up episode here [[link removed]].

Editors’ Picks ‘Genius’: Bowl Season Head Wants College Football Super League [[link removed]]by Ellyn Briggs [[link removed]]The earliest any consideration of a super league can begin in earnest is 2030. What Sportswear Companies Are Saying About Trump Tariffs [[link removed]]by Lisa Scherzer [[link removed]]On isn’t worried about tariffs. Adidas and Foot Locker might be. NIL Collectives Want to Set the Record Straight [[link removed]]by Ellyn Briggs [[link removed]]Negative stereotypes about NIL collectives are rampant. Question of the Day

Is March Madness becoming too dominated by power conferences?

YES [[link removed]] NO [[link removed]]

Thursday’s result: 16% of respondents watch non–Grand Slam tennis. 48% of respondents watch only Grand Slam tennis. 36% of respondents don’t watch tennis at all.

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