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Afternoon Edition

January 27, 2026

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The first known lawsuit by a school against a current athlete over an NIL or revenue-sharing contract is over, after Duke reached a settlement with quarterback Darian Mensah.

— Amanda Christovich [[link removed]] and Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]

Duke, Darian Mensah Settle Lawsuit, Opening Door to Transfer [[link removed]]

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah can play at another school.

Duke reached a settlement with Mensah to resolve litigation stemming from his decision to transfer. Duke claimed he violated the terms of a contract with the school.

The settlement resolves the first-ever lawsuit filed by a school against a current athlete over an NIL and/or revenue-sharing contract.

On Tuesday, Mensah’s agency, Young Money APAA Sports, said in a statement [[link removed]] that Duke had engaged in “good-faith discussions” to reach a resolution. Mensah’s attorney, Darren Heitner, called the settlement [[link removed]] a “fair resolution.”

In a statement, representatives from Duke said [[link removed]]: “We are committed to fulfilling all promises and obligations Duke makes to our student-athletes when we enter into contractual agreements with them, and we expect the same in return. Enforcing those agreements is a necessary element of ensuring predictability and structure for athletic programs. It is nonetheless a difficult choice to pursue legal action against a student and teammate; for this reason we sought to resolve the matter fairly and quickly.”

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

The dispute began Jan. 16, just hours before the transfer portal closed, when Mensah announced he intended to enter the portal. In response, Duke filed a lawsuit [[link removed]] on Jan. 20 in Durham County Superior Court in North Carolina arguing that Mensah had breached an agreement with the university by transferring before the contract expires on Dec. 31, 2026. The lawsuit argued that Mensah would further breach that contract if he began playing for another school.

According to the lawsuit, Mensah’s contract stipulated all disputes should be settled through arbitration, which the school initiated. However, Duke said it filed the lawsuit to stop Mensah from transferring before arbitration was resolved.

“As Mensah agreed when he signed his contract, such breaches cause Duke irreparable harm for which there is no adequate remedy at law and, in the event of any such breach, Duke is entitled to injunctive or other equitable relief,” the lawsuit said.

A judge quickly granted a temporary restraining order allowing Mensah to enter the transfer portal, but prohibited him from signing with another school, beginning to play, or signing over his name, image, and likeness rights until a hearing scheduled for Feb. 2. But the settlement, which resolves both the litigation and any arbitration, came before the hearing.

Mensah has not yet announced where he will transfer, but he has been connected to Miami.

SPONSORED BY ATHLETES UNLIMITED

Women’s Sports Is Big Business

The momentum around women’s sports continues to grow exponentially. On Feb. 26, Front Office Sports and Athletes Unlimited are joining forces to host Future of Women’s Sports.

This half-day summit [[link removed]], curated by FOS women’s sports reporter Annie Costabile, will bring together the bold thinkers, trailblazers, and visionaries shaping what’s next with dynamic editorial discussions and opportunities to connect with leaders across the industry.

Hosted in Nashville—one of the country’s most dynamic sports cities—this event will forecast where women’s sports is headed and highlight the vast opportunities that still lie ahead. Set in advance of the AU Pro Basketball Championship game, this experience will bring together collaborators in culture, business, and competition to explore what’s next.

This is your front-row seat to the future of women’s sports. Don’t miss your opportunity to join us— request to attend now [[link removed]].

NFL: Dave Portnoy Not Banned From Super Bowl [[link removed]]

Imagn Images

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy is indeed permitted to attend the Super Bowl in Santa Clara after previously being barred from the Big Game, the NFL confirmed to Front Office Sports.

“Mr. Portnoy can buy a ticket to the game,” an NFL spokesperson said in an email.

Responding to the apparent un-banning, Portnoy told FOS, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” in reference to Ronald Reagan’s 1987 speech in West Berlin.

Portnoy’s permittance to attend the Super Bowl was first reported by TMZ [[link removed]].

In 2019, Portnoy, a vociferous New England fan, was kicked out of Super Bowl LIII [[link removed]], between the Patriots and Rams in Atlanta. He infamously mimicked a “dead fish” during the ejection. The forced removal came after Portnoy falsified a media credential [[link removed]] for a Super Bowl event earlier in the week and was charged with criminal trespass; longtime Barstool podcaster PFT Commenter also falsified a media badge in Houston in 2017 [[link removed]], when the outlet had been denied Super Bowl credentials.

The feud between Portnoy and Barstool and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell dates back to when Tom Brady was suspended over Deflategate. In 2015, Portnoy and Barstool employees John Feitelberg, Hank Lockwood, and Paul Gulczynski protested the suspension outside league headquarters in New York— and were arrested [[link removed]]. Portnoy later distributed thousands of T-shirts and towels portraying Goodell as a clown with a big red nose.

Nevertheless, there were some signs that the beef was thawing. After Barstool made a wide-ranging deal with Fox Sports [[link removed]], there were frequent ad reads during NFL games on Fox for FS1’s programming slate, including Portnoy. Barstool personalities Dan “Big Cat” Katz and Michael Katic also did a sketch that aired on Fox’s top-rated NFL pregame show.

Barstool also has a partnership with Netflix, which for the past two seasons has aired NFL games on Christmas. Barstool’s video podcast licensing deal with Netflix is worth more than $10 million per year, FOS first reported [[link removed]].

Portnoy has a close relationship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and he sat in the owner’s suite [[link removed]] at a road game in Tampa earlier this season.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Push

Mike Frey-Imagn Images

Elina Svitolina ⬆ The No. 12–ranked women’s tennis player upset No. 3–ranked Coco Gauff, winning 6–1, 6–2. Svitolina advances to her fourth career semifinal, with her last appearance coming at Wimbledon in 2023. The Australian Open raised purses by 16% [[link removed]] this year, with Svitolina and the other semifinalists guaranteed to earn roughly $870,000 ($1.25 million AUD).

Arizona ⬆ The No. 1 men’s basketball team in the country boosted its résumé, improving to 21–0 with a Monday night win over No. 13 BYU. The Cougars, led by AJ Dybantsa—who earns a reported $7 million [[link removed]] in NIL—stormed back from down 19 in the second half, but ultimately the Wildcats held on to win by three. With a win Saturday at Arizona State, Arizona would improve to 22–0, which would be the best start in school history.

Mattias Ekholm ⬆ The 15-year NHL veteran recorded his first career hat trick in the Oilers’ 7–4 win over the Ducks. Ekholm, who signed a three-year, $12 million contract extension in October, had only three goals in 53 games played entering Monday night.

New York hockey trades ⬆⬇ For just the fourth time, the Islanders and Rangers have completed a trade. The Rangers sent defenseman Carson Soucy to the Islanders in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. The last trade between the two teams came in 2010, when prospect Jyri Niemi was traded to the Blueshirts.

Editors’ Picks Fernando Mendoza Officially Working With LinkedIn [[link removed]]by Jake Kring-Schreifels [[link removed]]The QB swapped his profile photo to the platform’s “Open to Work” graphic. Grand Slam Track Made Just $1.8M While Racking Up $40M in Debt [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]New filings show the most complete picture of the bankrupt league. Nike Cuts 775 More Jobs, Pointing to Rougher Road to Recovery [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]A new set of layoffs is extending a run of challenges for the company. DAILY TRIVIA Factle Sports

Can you list the top five losingest programs in college football history?

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