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Afternoon Edition

November 11, 2025

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Brian Kelly is taking LSU to court, arguing the school still owes him his full $53 million buyout. LSU, meanwhile, is positioning his firing as “for cause”—and that difference could erase nearly the entire payout.

— Amanda Christovich [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], and Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

Kelly Suing LSU for Full $53M Buyout After Refusing Settlement Offers [[link removed]]

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Former LSU head coach Brian Kelly has filed a lawsuit against LSU to force the university to pay the full $53 million worth of his buyout after being fired Oct. 26, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by Front Office Sports.

ESPN [[link removed]] first reported the news of the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed in the 19th judicial district court for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, says that LSU informed Kelly that it has taken the position that he has not been “formally terminated,” and that it was going to argue that he was fired “for cause”—meaning it wouldn’t owe him his $53 million buyout.

Kelly’s lawyers are seeking “a declaratory judgment confirming that LSU’s termination of Coach Kelly is without cause and that Coach Kelly is entitled to receive the full liquidated damages provided for” in his contract.

A representative for the LSU athletic department told FOS the school did not have a comment at this time.

Kelly was fired after a lopsided loss to Texas A&M in late October. He is owed a $53 million buyout, payable in equal monthly installments of about $800,000, per his contract. Though he does have a duty to mitigate and an offset clause—meaning that he’s required to look for another job—and that LSU will owe him only the difference between the buyout and his new salary.

However, the buyout is theoretically owed only if Kelly was fired “without cause.” The buyout is not owed if he was fired “for cause,” which does not include whether he coached a winning team. His contract details the definition of for cause, which includes things like being convicted of a crime, committing “serious misconduct,” or “failing promptly to report any such material or substantial violation by another person to the Director of Compliance.”

If LSU wanted to fire Kelly “for cause,” it would have gone through a process outlined in his contract beginning with a written notice to him seven days in advance, according to the complaint, which it allegedly did not do.

Upon firing Kelly, LSU said in a statement that it was working on a separation agreement—implying that Kelly might agree to take a smaller portion of his $53 million buyout in a lump sum rather than wait for the full $53 million through monthly installments. The day Kelly was fired, the school offered Kelly lump-sum payments of $25 million and $30 million, the lawsuit said (and was previously reported by The New Orleans Advocate [[link removed]]). Kelly rejected them, but said “he remained open to any additional offers that LSU would like to make to amend its liquidated damages payment obligations by accelerating payments and/or eliminating the mitigation and offset provisions of the Agreement.”

LSU held a call with Kelly on Nov. 10 and told him that he “had not been formally terminated” and that it “believed grounds for termination for cause existed,” court documents said. Kelly’s representatives disputed the claims in the meeting that he was terminated for cause (and, in the court filing, cited multiple instances where it had been made clear to Kelly privately and publicly that he had, in fact, been fired).

The lawsuit also included communications from Kelly’s legal representatives to LSU representatives alleging that Kelly was told someone from the governor’s office would be reaching out to Kelly to discuss the terms of his buyout. The revelation is significant in that it suggests yet another layer to the involvement of Gov. Jeff Landry, who inserted himself into Kelly’s firing and opined on the coaching search—comments that ended with the exit of athletic director Scott Woodward. (Current AD Verge Ausberry disputed this claim in an email attached to the court filing.)

SPONSORED BY USAA

Beyond Thanks

This Veterans Day, USAA [[link removed]] is going beyond thanks with the launch of Honor Through Action, our $500 million commitment over the next five years to strengthen the military community. By investing in programs that drive meaningful, measurable change, we’ll help veterans build fulfilling careers, create secure financial futures and care for their overall well-being.

USAA [[link removed]] is proud to lead this effort, advocating for veterans and their families, championing their future and calling on others to do the same. Because while saying “thank you” will always matter, showing up for what’s next means everything.

Mavericks Fire GM Nico Harrison Months After Dončić Trade [[link removed]]

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The Mavericks have fired GM Nico Harrison nine months after the blockbuster Luka Dončić trade [[link removed]], the team announced Tuesday.

Dallas owner Patrick Dumont met with Harrison at 10 a.m. CT and informed Harrison of the decision to let him go, according to ESPN. Harrison had two years remaining on his contract after he signed a multiyear extension in June 2024.

Dumont also sent an open letter to Mavericks fans, saying the decision to part ways with Harrison was “critical to moving our franchise forward in a positive direction.”

“No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believe would be a promising season. You have high expectations for the Mavericks, and I share them with you. When the results don’t meet expectations, it’s my responsibility to act. I’ve made the decision to part ways with General Manager Nico Harrison,” Dumont said.

He also thanked the Mavericks fans for holding the organization “accountable.”

“You deserve transparency and a team that reflects your spirit. Our goal is to return winning basketball to Dallas and win championships,” Dumont said.

Harrison, a former top executive at Nike, joined the Mavericks in 2021. He stayed at the helm amid an ownership transition in late 2023, when Mark Cuban sold a majority stake in the team [[link removed]] to Miriam Adelson, the widow of casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson. Dumont is Adelson’s son-in-law.

The team had an 182–157 record [[link removed]] over four plus seasons under Harrison, including a run to the 2024 NBA Finals, the franchise’s first Finals appearance since 2011. But his Mavericks tenure will forever be linked to trading Dončić, then a 25-year-old with five All-NBA First Team appearances, less than a year after making the Finals.

The Mavericks also announced the appointment of assistant GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi to lead basketball operations in the interim. According to Marc Stein, who has long covered the Mavericks, some members of the organization wanted to bring back Dennis Lindsey [[link removed]], who advised Harrison in 2023–24 before leaving for Detroit.

Mavericks fans have been calling for Harrison’s ouster since the Dončić trade—whom the franchise drafted in 2018—to the Lakers in February for a package including Anthony Davis.

Fans at the American Airlines Center constantly chanted “Fire Nico” in the final three months of the 2024–25 season. That chant has continued this season, including in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Bucks on Monday as the Mavericks fell to 3–8, second to last in the Western Conference.

Harrison said after the trade that he believed the team was “built to win now and in the future.” He envisioned a team built around Davis and Kyrie Irving, two veteran stars who have won championships.

But a month after the trade, Irving tore his ACL and has yet to play this season. Davis, who has a track record for struggling to stay healthy, was injured in his Mavericks debut last season. He has played just five games so far this year with a calf injury.

Meanwhile, Dončić and the Lakers are one of the top four teams in the West after opening the season with an 8–3 record.

Reports had surfaced this week that Harrison was on the hot seat [[link removed]]. Those reports were amplified after Nicholas Dickason, an 18-year-old fan in a Dončić Lakers jersey seen speaking to Dumont courtside before Monday’s game, said the Mavericks owner expressed regret about the trade [[link removed]].

“Basically Patrick was like, he feels horrible for the trade. And wants to make it up to us,” Dickason said, according to The Athletic.

Disney’s Iger Sidesteps YouTube TV Blackout During ‘MNF’ Appearance [[link removed]]

Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Disney CEO Bob Iger did not address the elephant in the room—the company’s carriage dispute with YouTube TV [[link removed]]—in a surprise appearance on Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli. The ongoing battle, however, is causing increasing friction with not only the two sides but also frustrated consumers.

Iger, who often does not speak publicly outside of appearances tied to earnings calls and investor conferences, made the unique visit on the ManningCast of the Eagles-Packers game for an eight-minute interview from Lambeau Field [[link removed]] that was entirely devoid of news. Instead, the discussion with the Manning brothers delved primarily into Iger’s Packers fandom and football strategy.

“It was the beginning of the Vince Lombardi era,” Iger said, recalling a story of attending with his father the 1960 NFL championship game between the Packers and Eagles. “I’ve been a Packers fan for 65 years.”

There was no mention at all of the ongoing blackout of Disney channels on the No. 4 U.S. pay-TV distributor, something that reached into its 12th day Tuesday, and remains a major national story. Much of the lack of news from Iger owes to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s “quiet period” rules [[link removed]] about executives making market-moving comments before earnings reports, and Disney will report its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings Thursday.

There, the carriage dispute is expected to be a front-and-center topic, even if it’s solved by then.

Still, the complete lack of acknowledgement of the YouTube TV issue during the MNF appearance created plenty of social media pushback [[link removed]], and it greatly recalled Fox’s missed opportunity [[link removed]] Sunday with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The continuing blackout on YouTube TV is causing Disney about $30 million in lost revenue per week, according to a research report issued last weekend by Morgan Stanley analyst Ben Swinburne. While Disney’s Hulu + Live TV, a streaming service that competes with YouTube TV, is a salient factor in the talks, much of this dispute remains focused on money. Disney claims [[link removed]] that YouTube TV is not willing to pay market-based rates for the programming that includes ESPN—something that could, in turn, threaten most-favored-nation clauses in Disney’s carriage deals with other major distributors such as Charter, Comcast, and DirecTV.

Refund Matters

While the two sides continue to negotiate, YouTube TV began issuing $20 credits to subscribers on Sunday.

Receiving that credit requires subscribers to opt in and activate it. That additional step is very similar to many other refund and rebate processes, among other television distributors, and in plenty of other industries. The legwork that is required, however, only served to frustrate YouTube TV subscribers further.

“It is—and I say this with full appreciation of the fact that YouTube and its parent company, Google, and its parent company, Alphabet, are a multi-trillion-dollar conglomerate—bullshit,” wrote ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio [[link removed]]. “They’re adding an obstacle knowing that some people won’t realize that the credit has to be claimed, won’t know how to do it, won’t have the time to do it, or will forget to do it.”

SPONSORED BY USAA

The NFL’s Untold Military Stories

This Veterans Day, we partnered with USAA [[link removed]] to highlight the lesser-known military ties shaping some of the NFL’s most compelling athletes.

Ashton Jeanty’s childhood on a naval base in Italy helped forge the adaptability that now drives his rise with the Raiders. Brett Toth became one of the first active-duty players in league history after navigating West Point service commitments and shifting policy that cleared the way to join the Eagles. And Chargers receiver Quentin Johnston grew up in a household anchored by military structure—instilling the discipline he brings to every snap.

Their journeys show how foundational military values extend far beyond service, influencing leadership, work ethic, and impact across the league.

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

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Kelvin Beachum on Veterans Day

FOS illustration

Just days after former LSU head coach Brian Kelly informed the school to fulfill its contractual obligation by paying him the full $53 million buyout from his contract after he was fired by the school, LSU has now filed legal paperwork alleging Kelly was removed “for cause,” which it says would avoid it paying out the second-largest buyout in college sports history. FOS reporter Amanda Christovich tells Baker Machado how the buyout settlement talks escalated to this point.

Meanwhile, as the “Fire Nico” chants by disgruntled fans grew louder, the Mavericks finally relieved embattled GM Nico Harrison of his duties. FOS reporter Colin Salao explains why the struggling team finally decided to part ways with its controversial front-office leader after he infamously traded star Luka Dončić to the Lakers nine months ago.

Plus, NFL offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum joins the show to highlight the importance of our military community this Veterans Day and how his current team, the Cardinals, continues to remember heroes like Pat Tillman to this day.

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

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

LPGA Tour ⬆ Golf Channel will provide live coverage of Caitlin Clark’s pro-am round Wednesday at The Annika from Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla. The WNBA star is bringing an increased spotlight to the tournament for a second consecutive year, after drawing large crowds [[link removed]] during last year’s event. Clark once again will play with Nelly Korda, and her Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham will caddie for Clark.

Amazon ⬆ Prime Video drew its largest Thursday Night Football pregame show audience on record for last week. Ahead of Raiders-Broncos, TNF Tonight averaged 2.18 million viewers, beating the previous record of 2.13 million set in Week 1. The Raiders-Broncos game averaged 13.93 million viewers, up 2% compared to the Bengals-Ravens game in Week 10 in 2024.

Paramount+ subscribers ⬇ The parent company of CBS Sports said amid a third-quarter earnings report [[link removed]]that it would raise monthly prices for the Paramount+ streaming service, beginning Jan. 15. The ad-supported tier will increase $1 per month to $8.99, while the premium-level tier will rise by the same amount to $13.99. The jumps, roughly coinciding with the start of a UFC rights deal on Paramount [[link removed]], mirror those implemented by many others across the streaming business.

MLB rookie bonuses ⬆ A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin will each get $750,000 bonuses for winning, respectively, the American and National League Rookie of the Year awards. In both instances, the payouts will roughly match their 2025 salaries. Atlanta will also have an extra pick in the 2026 draft as a result of Baldwin’s award win, which qualified the club in Major League Baseball’s Prospect Promotion Incentive plan [[link removed]].

Editors’ Picks NCAA Agrees to $303 Million Settlement With Volunteer Coaches [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]A similar lawsuit from baseball coaches was approved in September. Three Former No. 1 Picks on Rookie Deals Are Shaking Up the NHL [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]The last three No. 1 draft picks, still under 21, are all starring. Trump Tries to Reassert Influence Over Commanders Stadium Plans [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]The president was loudly booed at the Lions-Commanders game. DAILY TRIVIA Factle Sports

Can you list the last five No. 1 NHL draft picks?

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