Daniel Libit

Since moving to FBS in 2012, UMass has had the worst football team in the country... by a lot

Tonight, the 0-11 Minutemen have their last chance to avoid a winless season

The top 100 most valuable sports teams in the world are collectively worth $554 billion 💰, per @sportico.bsky.social

The list comprises:
• All 32 NFL teams 🏈
• All 30 NBA teams 🏀
• 14 MLB teams ⚾️
• 10 global soccer clubs ⚽️
• 9 NHL teams 🏒
• 5 F1 franchises 🏎️

Sunk-Cost Football: UMass’ Faltering Quest to Belong in the FBS UMass bought the promise of big-time football in 2011, when it joined the FBS. Fourteen brutal years later, the Minutemen are doubling down.

UMass has been FBS's worst football team since it moved up in 2012. Its struggles include spilled hydraulic fluid, a failed stint at an NFL stadium 90 miles away, and unmet "pie-in-the-sky" projections.

Now the school is doubling down. More w/ Daniel Libit 👇
www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Sunk-Cost Football: UMass’ Faltering Quest to Belong in the FBS UMass bought the promise of big-time football in 2011, when it joined the FBS. Fourteen brutal years later, the Minutemen are doubling down.

NEW: UMass jumped to FBS in 2012 with big expectations. The experiment has gone so poorly that even prof emeritus Nelson Lacey — once an important backer of the move — now thinks the school should consider dropping back down. w/ @ebennovywilliams.bsky.social

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Sunk-Cost Football: UMass’ Faltering Quest to Belong in the FBS UMass bought the promise of big-time football in 2011, when it joined the FBS. Fourteen brutal years later, the Minutemen are doubling down.

These struggles, and others happening right now, is why I teach--how many more institutions will chase the DI dream in the era of "opting-in" and ultimately damage their institution's financial standing?
h/t @daniellibit.bsky.social @sportico.bsky.social

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Fan-Fueled FOIA: An Oregon State GoFundMe Redefines Donor Access The Belligerent Beavs podcast raised thousands in two days to secure OSU athletics records, showing how fans are reshaping public information.

NEW from @sportico.bsky.social's @daniellibit.bsky.social:

Fan-Fueled FOIA: An Oregon State GoFundMe Redefines Donor Access

#GOBEAVS

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Apple, MLS Deal Will End in 2029 With Revised Payment Structure MLS and Apple's streaming rights agreement will now end three and half years early, letting the league explore new partners after the 2026 World Cup.

SCOOP: @jacobfeldman.bsky.social and I got details of MLS's
revised Apple deal

- Ends in June 2029 (3.5 years early)
- Apple gave up 2027 opt-out
- MLS gets: $200M in 2026, $107M for 2027 "sprint" season, $275M in final two seasons

Via @sportico.bsky.social 👇
www.sportico.com/leagues/socc...

Conference USA Accuses La Tech of Hiding the Ball in Public Records Suit Conference USA is seeking actual damages amounting to millions in a public records suit it has filed against the University of Louisiana System.

🚨 SCOOP: Conference USA has filed a public records lawsuit in Louisiana accusing its departing member, Louisiana Tech, of withholding documents showing when it decided to jump to the Sun Belt. Story for @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Australian Hooper Can Play at Idaho State Over NCAA Objections Idaho State forward Caleb Van De Griend has a unique path to Division I men's basketball. A judge has ruled he can play over the NCAA's objections.

Attorney Darren Heitner scores a big win for his client, Idaho State forward Caleb Van De Griend, who sued the NCAA for eligibility. Judge awards a restraining order to let him play. His play in Australia complicated his status but judge says he can play. I have more for @sportico.bsky.social:

Colleges Hide Athlete Pay Data Behind ‘Competitive Harm’ Nebraska, like other public FBS schools, won’t disclose even top-line totals of its House v. NCAA distributions, claiming that info is a trade secret.

NEW: In first 3 months of House v. NCAA era, Colorado spent $7.7M on athlete rev share and Kentucky spent $1.5M, per public records obtained by @sportico.bsky.social.

But the bigger story might be why Nebraska and most others won’t reveal their totals. My column👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Cam Colvin, Ex-Oregon Football Player, Faces Federal Fraud Charges A self-proclaimed billionaire, Colvin is charged with defrauding business and romantic partners out of more than $1.25 million.

SCOOP: Former college/peo football player Cameron Colvin has been charged w/ federal fraud & transactional money laundering. He was arrested by FBI this week. @sportico.bsky.social previously reported on Colvin's exploits as a self-proclaimed billionaire.👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

NWSL Takes First Step Into Federal Lobbying Arena With Hogan Lovells The NWSL is paying top dollar to global law firm Hogan Lovells for “government relations advice” from former Sen. Norm Coleman.

Sportico reporting that the NWSL is paying global law firm Hogan Lovells for “government relations advice” from former Sen. Norm Coleman (MN-R). “The league has paid the global law firm $130K since May,” per @daniellibit.bsky.social.

www.sportico.com/leagues/socc...

Cam Colvin, Ex-Oregon Football Player, Faces Federal Fraud Charges A self-proclaimed billionaire, Colvin is charged with defrauding business and romantic partners out of more than $1.25 million.

SCOOP: Former college/peo football player Cameron Colvin has been charged w/ federal fraud & transactional money laundering. He was arrested by FBI this week. @sportico.bsky.social previously reported on Colvin's exploits as a self-proclaimed billionaire.👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Via @daniellibit.bsky.social on the other app:

Oregon State has to pay $850K to end the Blueprint contract.

Inside Blueprint’s New Model: NIL Rev-Share Deals With Schools The NIL collective operator is now establishing multimedia rights-style agreements with Oregon State and other institutions.

What I’ve come to expect, but typically only @daniellibit.bsky.social delivers. You’ll need about half an hour to unpack all the interesting stuff in this one.
www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Mike Gundy Firing Won’t Stop ‘I’m a Man’ Consumer Cellular Campaign The recently ousted Oklahoma State football coach will continue delivering his trademark tirade in ads for the mobile phone service provider

NEW: Mike Gundy’s gone but the ad campaign will go on…For @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Excerpts from www.sportico.com/law/analysis...

College Sports Rev-Share Secrecy Undermines Public Records Laws The collective refusal of public universities to disclose rev-share deals is a scandal that betrays both public trust and the interests of athletes.

NEW: College athlete advocates had a solid case against applying open records laws to players' third-party NIL deals—but that doesn't apply to rev-share contracts w/ schools. Those should be transparent, and athletes should push for it.

For @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Riley Gaines Suit Over Transgender College Athletes Mostly Dismissed A federal judge has dismissed most of Riley Gaines' case against the NCAA over transgender athlete eligibility, though the Title IX claim advances.

Riley Gaines and other plaintiffs in their case against the NCAA over transgender athlete eligibility see most of lawsuit dismissed by a federal judge, though Title IX claims advance to pretrial discovery. @daniellibit.bsky.social and I discuss the ruling for @sportico.bsky.social:

College Sports Rev-Share Secrecy Undermines Public Records Laws The collective refusal of public universities to disclose rev-share deals is a scandal that betrays both public trust and the interests of athletes.

From @sportico.bsky.social and @daniellibit.bsky.social - why are colleges keeping athletes' revenue share contracts under seal? After all, they are using public(!) monies in many cases to pay the athletes.
www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

College Sports Rev-Share Secrecy Undermines Public Records Laws The collective refusal of public universities to disclose rev-share deals is a scandal that betrays both public trust and the interests of athletes.

NEW: College athlete advocates had a solid case against applying open records laws to players' third-party NIL deals—but that doesn't apply to rev-share contracts w/ schools. Those should be transparent, and athletes should push for it.

For @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Maxwell Told DOJ Epstein Owned Riddell. It’s More Complicated Jeffrey Epstein's financial ties to football helmet maker Riddell—and its corporate successor, Varsity Brands—date back to the late 1980s.

NEW: Ghislaine Maxwell told DOJ that Jeffrey Epstein once owned Riddell Sports. Not quite: in the ’80s and ’90s, he was an investor—alongside Broadway mogul Robert Nederlander—in the Riddell that later became Varsity Brands.

For @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/law/news/202...

Maxwell Told DOJ Epstein Owned Riddell. It’s More Complicated Jeffrey Epstein's financial ties to football helmet maker Riddell—and its corporate successor, Varsity Brands—date back to the late 1980s.

NEW: Ghislaine Maxwell told DOJ that Jeffrey Epstein once owned Riddell Sports. Not quite: in the ’80s and ’90s, he was an investor—alongside Broadway mogul Robert Nederlander—in the Riddell that later became Varsity Brands.

For @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/law/news/202...

Jay Feely, Worth Up to $65M, Brings NFL Riches, Niches to Congress Bid Former NFL kicker Jay Feely reported a net worth of up to $65 million in his candidate financial disclosures with the House Clerk.

SCOOP: Former NFL kicker-turned-Congressional candidate Jay Feely has net worth between $15.9 and $65.5 million, per financial filings with House Clerk. He made $220K last year as NFL commentator on CBS.

More for @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/foot...

Jay Feely, Worth Up to $65M, Brings NFL Riches, Niches to Congress Bid Former NFL kicker Jay Feely reported a net worth of up to $65 million in his candidate financial disclosures with the House Clerk.

SCOOP: Former NFL kicker-turned-Congressional candidate Jay Feely has net worth between $15.9 and $65.5 million, per financial filings with House Clerk. He made $220K last year as NFL commentator on CBS.

More for @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/foot...

Jay Feely, Worth Up to $65M, Brings NFL Riches, Niches to Congress Bid Former NFL kicker Jay Feely reported a net worth of up to $65 million in his candidate financial disclosures with the House Clerk.

Roger Goodell and a host of athletes donated to Jay Feely's campaign.

When the Fraud Stands Tall: A Football Triumph Story Turns Dark Once a symbol of triumph, the former Oregon wide receiver and self-proclaimed billionaire is accused of defrauding business and romantic partners.

INVESTIGATION: Cam Colvin’s story of overcoming personal tragedy on his way to tasting the NFL captured media attention and inspired a major motion picture. Now he faces millions in civil judgments and an FBI investigation. For @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

When the Fraud Stands Tall: A Football Triumph Story Turns Dark Once a symbol of triumph, the former Oregon wide receiver and self-proclaimed billionaire is accused of defrauding business and romantic partners.

INVESTIGATION: Cam Colvin’s story of overcoming personal tragedy on his way to tasting the NFL captured media attention and inspired a major motion picture. Now he faces millions in civil judgments and an FBI investigation. For @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

Charlie Tussle: Inside the Thorny Mess of Pete Rose’s Estate Controversy continues to surround Pete Rose as a bitter legal battle over his estate and NIL unfolds between two of his children and longtime agent.

Pete Rose died without a will, but with a contract that gave his agent control over licensing deals after he passed. This has sparked a legal fight between his children over control of his estate. @daniellibit.bsky.social and I take a deep dive into the messy situation for @sportico.bsky.social:

Ex-Penn State Trustee, Who Sued to See Elevate Deal, Still Has ‘Concerns’ Barry Fenchak’s battle with Penn State over its contract with Elevate Sports Ventures highlights a broader transparency issue in college sports.

Penn State is accused of forcing out a trustee who fought to unearth details over a major athletics department partnership.

The situation is part of a broader issue in college athletics, writes @daniellibit.bsky.social