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Morning Edition

October 16, 2025

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As the college basketball season nears, SEC coaches say the game’s NIL and revenue-sharing era remains very unsettled—and they’re pushing for clarity.

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

SEC Coaches Sound Off on NIL, Revenue-Sharing: ‘Upside Down’ [[link removed]]

Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

With the college basketball season tipping off in just over two weeks, concerns about the shifting NIL (name, image, and likeness) and revenue-sharing era are top of mind for coaches in the SEC.

Speaking this week at the conference’s preseason media days in Birmingham, Arkansas coach John Calipari said he aims to be transformational, and more importantly, not transactional, in the final years of his career. “If I become transactional, I’m going to pay you this to do this and that, then I won’t do this anymore,” Calipari said. “I don’t need to.”

Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington labeled the current landscape “extremely complicated” because there are still many unknowns. “It’s ever-changing,” Byington said. “I thought we might get to a certain spot where revenue-sharing is in place, and now we know what we’re going to deal with—and we don’t. Things are still changing.”

Texas coach Sean Miller echoed Byington’s thoughts. “The one thing that we’ve all learned over the last 24, 36 months is that what was a year ago is no longer in place,” Miller said. “It’s flipped upside down two or three times when you start talking about NIL and some of the rule changes.”

Alabama coach Nate Oats simply wants clarity on the rules. “I think the guys that complain about it don’t figure out how to work within them,” he said. “Just give us what the rules are.” Oats also said it’s “great that our student-athletes are able to get compensated. There’s a lot of money in college sports. They’re the ones playing. They should be able to get a piece of the pie.”

Tourney Talk

After the SEC sent a record 14 teams [[link removed]] to the men’s NCAA basketball tournament last season, the potential expansion of March Madness [[link removed]] remains a hot topic.

Calipari, 66, who has won one national championship and made six Final Four appearances as a head coach, doesn’t want to see the tournament grow. “I just think you leave it how it is because if it’s not broken, go with the known, leave that unknown alone,” he said. “We don’t know what will happen to it. I’m not worried about money or anything else.”

Calipari also cited uncertainties around the transfer portal and player eligibility as his main concerns. “I would leave the tournament alone, but that’s just me,” he said.

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NHL Raises Concerns Over 2026 Olympic Arena’s Delayed Construction [[link removed]]

George Walker IV-USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK — There is potentially a real problem developing with the ice hockey facility for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics, and the NHL is concerned.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday [[link removed]] that the 16,000-seat Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, the venue for the hockey competition at the Milan-Cortina Games in February, continues to be built under an extremely tight construction timeline, with completion potentially not arriving until just days before the opening ceremony.

Because of that, it’s quite possible that no test events will be able to be held there before the Olympics start in early February—something that would represent a significant deviation from prior norms.

After an NHL Board of Governors meeting held Wednesday, league commissioner Gary Bettman said the situation in Milan amplifies worries held by the league since 2023.

“We’ve had a concern for the last two years on the progress of the rink,” Bettman said. “The [International Olympic Committee] knows of our concerns, and we’re expecting that they’re going to make good on their promises to have a facility that is, from a competitive standpoint, first class.”

The commissioner, however, reiterated that the situation remains the full responsibility of the IOC and local organizers. The NHL and NHL Players’ Association reached an agreement last year [[link removed]] with those officials and the International Ice Hockey Federation for players to participate in Italy, but Bettman said the NHL remains “guests” at the event.

There is no contingency plan, at least not one publicly known, should further construction issues arise.

“You better talk to the IOC,” Bettman said. “It’s not our issue. … This is not our event. We are constrained in what we can and can’t do.”

Expansion Plans Still on Ice

The league’s expansion consideration, meanwhile, has not materially changed, and there remains no formal process to add franchises beyond the current 32 teams. Several cities, including Atlanta [[link removed]] and Houston, have expressed ongoing interest in becoming part of the league, but Bettman said bids will still be considered on a case-by-case basis.

“There is, and continues to be, interest from lots of places, but none of it has reached the level that we need to focus on it,” he said.

The commissioner’s comments arrive as the league is beginning the 2025–26 season amid historic strength across the league [[link removed]]. NHL revenues, as well as current and projected salary caps, are continuing to reach unprecedented levels, labor peace is assured until at least September 2030, and several major stars, including Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, have solidified their professional futures [[link removed]] in recent days through impactful new contracts.

Aussie Airtime

The NHL, meanwhile, has also completed a deal with Australian broadcaster The Nine Network that will put 21 games this season on free, over-the-air television through the company’s 9Go! Channels.

The deal continues an accelerating push by the league to expand its international reach, particularly after Global Series preseason games held two years ago in Melbourne. The Australian audiences will be served specifically through a customized feed produced by NHL Productions from its New York studio.

“This isn’t just a broadcast—it’s a tailored viewing experience,” said Nine director of sport Brent Williams. “By creating a dedicated feed with local commentary and specialized content, we are committed to growing the sport in Australia.”

Troy Aikman’s ‘MNF’ Critique of Bears Sparks Player-Coach Pushback [[link removed]]

David Banks-Imagn Images

Troy Aikman is a well-respected NFL color commentator [[link removed]], and his partnership with play-by-play announcer Joe Buck is regarded as one of the best duos in all of sports.

But during Monday Night Football between the Bears and Commanders on ABC, Chicago fans were unhappy with the way Aikman called their win over the Commanders. And they expressed their frustration [[link removed]] with the NFL Hall of Famer on social media [[link removed]].

Aikman didn’t hold back in his critique of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, calling out several of his “late” throws while using “luck” to describe some of Williams’s and the Bears’ positive plays. That included a fourth-quarter touchdown from running back D’Andre Swift [[link removed]], which fueled Chicago’s comeback.

However, Bears fans weren’t the only ones to acknowledge the broadcast. Chicago head coach Ben Johnson addressed the commentary on two separate occasions Tuesday.

“It sounded like from that game the other day, a few people weren’t particularly pleased with how we’re winning right now,” Johnson said on ESPN Chicago radio [[link removed]]. Johnson said he “heard some of the commentary” while his kids were watching a replay of the second half of the game before they went to school.

Later in the day, Johnson was asked during a press conference by Chicago Sun-Times reporter Patrick Finley about whether the tone of the commentary bothered him.

“Maybe I just had it on mute,” Johnson joked [[link removed]] before clarifying his previous statement. “Listen, you want respect in this league, you got to go earn it. That’s where we’re at right now: We need to go earn that respect from not only the rest of the teams in the NFL, but everybody.”

Williams also jabbed at the MNF broadcast, posting a photo carousel on his Instagram [[link removed]] on Tuesday evening with a caption that included Aikman’s initials.

“‘It was lucky’ -TA,” the caption read, in part.

In his media availability Wednesday, Williams said [[link removed]] he was just “messing around” when making his post and said he “couldn’t care less” about the comments. He added that he and Aikman were not able to speak before the MNF game [[link removed]] for the usual production meeting that starting quarterbacks have with the broadcast team.

Stephen A. Backs Aikman

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith defended his colleague Wednesday on First Take following the comments.

“You’re talking about a guy in Troy Aikman who is a three-time Super Bowl champion, smart as a whip, [and has] incredible integrity. Anybody in the world of football who has a problem with him talking about a quarterback should really, really check themselves,” Smith said.

Smith added that one of his “proudest moments” as a member of ESPN was when the company signed Aikman and partner Joe Buck for its football coverage in 2022. Front Office Sports reported that Aikman is receiving $18 million a year [[link removed]] from ESPN.

Mercedes F1 Team Rides With Russell, Antonelli Despite Verstappen Link [[link removed]]

David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Less than a year after the shocking loss of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari [[link removed]], Mercedes has chosen continuity for its Formula One driver lineup.

The German constructor announced Wednesday that it has extended George Russell and Kimi Antonelli through at least 2026. The financial terms of the deal are unclear, though The Athletic reported that Russell’s deal is a multiyear extension [[link removed]] that should keep him in Mercedes for the long term.

That, however, is no certainty given the flexibility often included in F1 driver contracts. Russell acknowledged it himself in April [[link removed]].

“[Drivers] all got performance clauses, so a driver who is on a three-year contract, [it] doesn’t really mean anything if they’ve got an exit clause, or the team has an exit clause if the driver doesn’t perform,” said Russell, who was awarded a Mercedes F1 seat in 2021.

The extensions also come months after the team was linked to Red Bull driver and four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who is under contract until 2028, after Mercedes principal Toto Wolff admitted interest in the Dutch driver [[link removed]]. Russell, who has had public clashes with Verstappen in recent years, said it was “normal” for his team to have conversations with other drivers, particularly a world champion.

Mercedes sits in second in the constructors’ championship, though McLaren already secured the title at the Singapore Grand Prix earlier this month.

Four Seats Remain

With Russell and 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli settled in Mercedes, four seats remain available on the grid for the 2026 season, with six races left on the calendar.

Three of the four seats are with Red Bull: one on the lead Red Bull team alongside Verstappen, and two on the Racing Bulls, the junior team. Red Bull has had issues all year with its drivers after Liam Lawson replaced Sergio Pérez on the top squad to open the 2025 season, only to be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda after just two races [[link removed]].

Tsunoda hasn’t exactly performed up to par, and he is behind both Racing Bulls drivers in the standings.

The other open seat is at Alpine beside Pierre Gasly. It’s currently held by Franco Colapinto, who has yet to score points this season.

U.S. GP Extension Coming

Mercedes’s announcement comes just days away from the United States Grand Prix, the second of three races on American soil. The competition, which takes place at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, is the longest-running U.S. race of the three—and is expected to continue running until the next decade.

According to the Austin Business Journal, public documents from Travis County show that F1 has struck a deal to keep the race in Austin from 2027 to 2034 [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters Watch [[link removed]] what Reggie Miller had to say about Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton in a teaser for Season 2 of Netflix’s Starting 5. Amazon has unveiled its studio for the debut season of NBA on Prime. Check it out [[link removed]]. NBA rookies will wear a debut patch on their jerseys this season. After their first game, the patch will be placed in a 1-of-1 autographed Topps trading card. Take a look [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Facial Recognition Tech Suit Against Cubs Dismissed [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]The Cubs said they don’t use the technology protected by Illinois law. Clay Travis Is Planning His Next Moves As a Free Agent [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Travis’s current deals with OutKick, Fox, and iHeartMedia all expire this year. MLS Publishes Unchecked AI-Generated Game Recaps [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Humans are not reviewing the articles for accuracy. Question of the Day

Do you think NIL and revenue-sharing are hurting college basketball?

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

Wednesday’s result: 32% of respondents think the NBA is ready for a female head coach.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Show [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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