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Afternoon Edition

November 18, 2025

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From Baton Rouge to Chapel Hill, lawmakers are inserting themselves into major college football coaching decisions. Governors, senators, and state officials are influencing hires and firings.

— Amanda Christovich [[link removed]] and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

From LSU to UNC, Politicians Are Pushing Into CFB Coaching Decisions [[link removed]]

USA TODAY

The college football coaching carousel has begun to attract a new set of stakeholders: politicians.

From Louisiana to North Carolina, both local and federal lawmakers have taken various levels of involvement in the hirings and firings of the college football coaches at their marquee state universities.

Bayou Power Play

Perhaps the most notable: the situation at LSU. In Louisiana, political involvement in LSU football isn’t exactly rare—Louisiana governors, especially, have involved themselves in the Tigers’ affairs dating back to the 1930s with Huey Long. The current situation is no different.

Gov. Jeff Landry hosted a meeting at the governor’s mansion just hours before LSU announced head football coach Brian Kelly had been fired. At first, it appeared Landry’s involvement may not have been that unusual. LSU was without a permanent university president, meaning that the governor—who could preside over the state’s public university system and whose office appoints board members—might take an outsized role in major university decision-making in the absence of a permanent leader.

But then, Landry inserted himself even more. During a press conference unrelated to LSU football, he told reporters that athletic director Scott Woodward would not be choosing the new coach [[link removed]], comments he reiterated. The week ended with Woodward exiting LSU, leaving a new AD to assemble a search committee. Landry also promised to be involved in discussions regarding the terms of the future coach’s contract [[link removed]], criticizing Kelly’s gargantuan buyout, and floating the idea of including more performance-based benefits.

Landry’s office did not respond to multiple Front Office Sports requests for comment.

Landry wasn’t the only one to get involved—after Kelly filed a lawsuit [[link removed]] last week against LSU, the Louisiana attorney general’s office told FOS it was reviewing [[link removed]] the case on behalf of LSU.

Ole Miss Meddling

Take Mississippi, for example. As the coaching carousel ramps up even more, all eyes are on Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin—who has been rumored to be taking meetings with multiple programs (including SEC rivals Florida and LSU) even amid an already successful season for the Rebels.

This weekend, Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson posted [[link removed]]: “At some point, it’d be nice for our current coach (Lane Kiffin) to reciprocate the love and gratitude shown by our administration, players, fan base, and collective. It just shouldn’t be this hard.”

Watson didn’t stop there—he continued to respond to comments on his original post discussing whether Kiffin had “reciprocated” the positivity shown by fans. To one person, he wrote: “I also understand the number of jobs that are and will be coming open. I want my Rebs to have a great coach if ours plans to leave. Is that not a fair request?”

Watson did not respond to interview requests from FOS.

Carolina Caucus

Then there was a prominent example from last year’s coaching carousel: how then-senators helped get Bill Belichick the job at North Carolina.

The administration at Chapel Hill first learned of Belichick’s interest in the job through two politicians, according to an ESPN report [[link removed]]. Belichick first contacted then-Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, now the U.S. secretary of state, who passed along the message to North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis. Tillis then called North Carolina state senate president pro tempore Phil Berger to facilitate introductions.

As one source told ESPN, the whole Belichick pursuit “all started with the politicians.”

SPONSORED BY AT&T BUSINESS

Connecting Small Business Owners to Greater Possibilities

With the goal of uplifting small businesses and their communities, AT&T launched the AT&T Small Business Contest [[link removed]]—awarding one small business owner and four finalists AT&T services and mentorship resources to grow their business to new heights.

This year, AT&T is proud to welcome the Top 5 Small Business Contest finalists—Bold Crumb House, SOJO Coffee Company, The Blueprint University, Nourish + Bloom Market, and Sensori—to the AT&T Small Business Community. Stay tuned for a special episode of She’s Connected early next year featuring a superstar athlete and the winner of the 2025 AT&T Small Business Contest.

You can learn more about the top 5 finalists and previous winners on the She’s Connected by AT&T website [[link removed]].

As LSU and Florida Circle, Kiffin Says ‘No Ultimatum’ From Ole Miss [[link removed]]

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss is set up for a chaotic conclusion to its college football season, as coach Lane Kiffin is targeted by SEC rivals LSU and Florida for their current coaching vacancies while the Rebels barrel toward the school’s first College Football Playoff appearance.

Saturday’s 34–24 victory over Florida made Ole Miss a virtual lock to make the 12-team CFP bracket, now holding a 10–1 record entering a bye week before their season finale against Mississippi State on Nov. 28. Ole Miss was ranked No. 7 and is likely to move up at least one spot in Tuesday night’s CFP rankings, since No. 5 Alabama (8–2) lost to No. 11 Oklahoma.

But concern over Kiffin’s future appears to be reaching a tipping point this week.

Kiffin: We’re Having a Blast

Kiffin on Tuesday afternoon denied reports—from On3 [[link removed]] and The Athletic [[link removed]]—that Ole Miss AD Keith Carter would like him to make a decision on whether he wants to remain in Oxford or accept another job before the Egg Bowl next Friday, when the Rebels will travel to Starkville for their annual rivalry game.

“That’s absolutely not true,” Kiffin said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show [[link removed]]. “There’s been no ultimatum or anything like that at all. So, I don’t know where that came from, like a lot of stuff that comes out there. We’re having a blast. I love it here.”

Kiffin said that he did yoga with Carter and others at 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning. But he didn’t address reports that members of his family visited Baton Rouge [[link removed]] on Monday, according to The New Orleans Advocate, after visiting Gainesville on Sunday.

“It just couldn’t be better,” Kiffin said of the Ole Miss season. “You pray for things. Our fans prayed for this type of thing, and now we’re in the middle of it. So, enjoy it.”

Tuesday’s interview marked Kiffin’s first public comments on the situation since Saturday’s postgame press conference [[link removed]], when he was asked whether he anticipates being the coach at Ole Miss next season.

“I love what we’re doing here,” Kiffin said. “Today was awesome. I don’t talk about that stuff. To even talk about it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and how well they played today. We’ve got a lot of things going here. Doing really well, and I love it here.”

Money Matters

LSU fired Brian Kelly [[link removed]] on Oct. 26 and is being sued by its former coach [[link removed]], who is seeking his full $53 million buyout after receiving lower settlement offers. Florida fired Billy Napier [[link removed]] on Oct. 19, and owes him a $21.2 million buyout.

Kiffin would owe Ole Miss $4 million if he leaves to take another coaching job, which would likely be covered by any school that would hire him.

If Kiffin were to accept either the LSU or Florida job, it would not be surprising to see him become the highest-paid coach in college football, surpassing the $13.28 million salary Georgia is paying two-time national championship winner Kirby Smart.

Ole Miss is also surely prepared to offer Kiffin a long-term contract extension and a big raise from his current $9 million salary, which ranks 10th in college football.

SURVEY

Want a chance to win $250? Help Front Office Sports improve by taking a few minutes to complete a brief survey [[link removed]]. As a thank-you, we’re offering a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card and an item from the new FOS merch collection.

No More Tape Delays: LPGA to Air Every Tournament Live in 2026 [[link removed]]

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The LPGA’s TV presence will take a major step forward in 2026: For the first time in the tour’s history, coverage of every round of every tournament will be broadcast live.

That feat just now being accomplished may be a little shocking to some fans, given the plethora of live sports available today. But the LPGA has dealt with coverage problems ever since Golf Channel began televising the tour in 1995.

Each season, including the 2025 campaign, has included several tournaments that did not air live coverage of at least one round on linear TV, with network partners only showing tape-delayed coverage—a nuisance most major sports leagues abandoned years ago.

Last year, the third round of the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship was shown on tape delay on Golf Channel. So was the majority of the 2024 Cognizant Founders Cup, when then–world No. 1 Nelly Korda was vying for a record sixth consecutive win on tour (Rose Zhang ultimately won).

The LPGA’s media rights are tied to the PGA Tour’s through 2030, with the women’s tour primarily airing on Golf Channel, but getting some broadcast TV coverage on NBC and CBS.

Making women’s golf more visible is a top priority for new LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler.

“For so many sports, it’s easy to know when to turn on the TV or click open an app and find the players you want to see at predictable times. It’s really, really hard to do that today with women’s golf,” Kessler told Front Office Sports [[link removed]] in May when he was hired.

More Cameras, More Action

As part of the LPGA’s revamped coverage strategy, select weekend rounds will air live on CNBC, a fellow Versant-owned sister network of Golf Channel.

There will also be a 50% increase in the total number of cameras used to capture on-course action, compared to the 2025 season, in addition to more slow-motion cameras, drones, and microphones.

The broadcast enhancements, announced Tuesday ahead of this week’s CME Group Tour Championship, are happening in part due to a new deal with insurance company FM, which sponsors the LPGA’s FM Championship and has become an official partner of the tour. The LPGA’s deal with Trackman is also expanding, which will quadruple the LPGA’s shot-tracing capabilities.

SPONSORED BY AT&T BUSINESS

Michelle Alozie Takes Her Talent to the Blue Carpet

NWSL star and She’s Connected by AT&T athlete Michelle Alozie will join AT&T as a Blue Carpet Correspondent at the 2025 NWSL Awards presented by AT&T [[link removed]].

At the inaugural event in San Jose, the NWSL Awards will honor the league’s top players, coaches, and most memorable performances of the season. AT&T is also the presenting sponsor of the MVP Award and will host award winners backstage in the She’s Connected by AT&T Lounge.

The event will be broadcast live on Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, and you can follow along with @ATT and @NWSL on social media for behind-the-scenes content.

AT&T is committed to highlighting the stories of your favorite athletes from the field to the Blue Carpet—watch Michelle’s She’s Connected episode [[link removed]] before you tune in.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Franklin’s Virginia Tech Hire Saves Penn State Millions

FOS illustration

James Franklin is heading to Virginia Tech, and although the details of his new contract aren’t yet known, Penn State will reportedly have to pay only $9 million of the $49 million in his contract buyout. FOS newsletter writer David Rumsey joins to explain the significance of this move, as well as the alleged deadline issued to Lane Kiffin to decide his coaching future. He also talks through the media considerations around expanding the College Football Playoff.

Plus, hockey’s new eligibility system is already having a big impact on the NHL pipeline, just one year after the change, as the CHL-NCAA tug of war for top talent has only just begun. FOS editorial director of features Meredith Turits joins Baker Machado to explain.

Also, LeBron James is done with the Olympics, Matt LaFleur rips MetLife Stadium, and Congress demands answers from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

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

STATUS REPORT Two Up, Two Down

The Cincinnati Enquirer

Ja’Marr Chase ⬇ The Bengals star wide receiver has been suspended one game without pay for spitting on Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey on Sunday. Pending an appeal, Chase—who signed a four-year, $161 million contract extension [[link removed]] this offseason—will miss Cincinnati’s next game against the Patriots and forfeit his weekly paycheck of $448,333 and a $58,823 per game active bonus.

Jennifer Kupcho ⬆ The LPGA golfer has won the tour’s 2025 Aon Risk Reward Challenge, a season-long competition that awards a $1 million prize, which is nearly equal to the amount of prize money Kupcho has won this season. Heading into this week’s CME Group Tour Championship, Kupcho’s 2025 earnings of $1.11 million rank 32nd on the LPGA Tour (Minjee Lee is first with $3.82 million).

Davis Cup ⬇ Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 1–ranked tennis player in the world, has withdrawn from the annual international team event due to a hamstring injury, ahead of Spain’s quarterfinal matchup against Czechia on Thursday. No. 2–ranked Jannik Sinner, who beat Alcaraz [[link removed]] in the $5.1 million ATP Finals on Sunday, is also not competing in the Davis Cup, citing the need for more rest.

YES Network ⬆ The regional sports network has reached an agreement with artificial intelligence company Camb.ai to explore strategic initiatives that could be used on-air. Camb.ai’s technology has been used by a variety of other networks and leagues, including Major League Soccer and NASCAR, for real-time multilingual communication that includes emotion, tone, and inflection of native languages. For the Yankees and Nets, each shown on YES Network, the work with Camb.ai could enhance the on-air presentation of the diverse rosters of both clubs.

Editors’ Picks Draymond Green Avoids NBA Fine for Confronting ‘Angel Reese’ Heckler [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Green has a history of fines and suspensions for his behavior. Cincinnati Open Returns to Sunday Final After ‘Extreme’ US Open Turnaround [[link removed]]by Colin Salao [[link removed]]The tournament also announced record attendance numbers in 2025. Congress Turns Up Heat on Sports Leagues Over Betting Integrity Issues [[link removed]]by Ben Horney [[link removed]]MLB, the NBA, and the NCAA are all in lawmakers’ crosshairs. DAILY TRIVIA Factle Sports

Can you list the top five NBA teams to score the most three-pointers in a playoff game post-2015 (with no duplicates)?

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