Amanda Christovich

Big Ten Considering Investment From California Pension Fund CalPERS, the largest pension fund in the U.S., is in contention for a private capital deal with the Big Ten.

SCOOP: The largest public pension fund in the U.S., CalPERS, is one of the groups in contention to invest in the Big Ten, @FOS has learned.

It's part of the private capital proposal Big Ten members are considering (first reported by ESPN last week). frontofficesports.com/big-ten-cons...

The Improbability of UCLA's Upset Win Against Penn State Before UCLA beat Penn State, donors criticized athletic director Martin Jarmond for his NIL strategy and hiring missteps.

NEW: Before beating Penn State, UCLA had a coaching staff in disarray, a QB who couldn't win, an athletic dept saddled with debt, a lackluster NIL strategy, and an AD who lost fan support.

UCLA still has many issues. But now, the team has one victory.
frontofficesports.com/the-improbab...

Players Get Paid As Collectives Abandon Waiting for NIL Go At least two NIL collectives have begun to pay players before the submitted deals have been approved in the clearinghouse.

NEW: Collectives have given up on waiting for NIL Go.

At least two NIL collectives have begun to pay players before the submitted deals have been approved in NIL GO, sources tell @FOS. Another is preparing to do so. frontofficesports.com/fed-up-nil-c...

Women’s Final Four Moving to Football Stadium in 2028 The NCAA announced the women’s March Madness championship will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2028.

NEW: For the first time in 20+ years, the NCAA plans to host a women's Final Four in an active NFL stadium--the 2028 event will be at Lucas Oil in Indy.

The stadium won't be full, tho. NCAA is planning to offer 31K tickets, though Lucas Oil seats 70K.

frontofficesports.com/women-final-...

Senate Dems Introduce Counter-Bill to College Sports SCORE Act Republicans have not signed onto the counter-bill, called the SAFE Act, which omits two of the NCAA’s biggest wishlist items.

NEW: Senate Dems have introduced the SAFE Act, a counter to the SCORE Act. It's a mix of old ideas and new, like amending the Sports Broadcasting Act to pool NCAA media rights.

Sources gave FOS conflicting views about whether GOP Senators will sign on.
frontofficesports.com/senate-democ...

Shooter Who Attacked NFL Building Had ‘Low-Stage’ CTE After a “thorough assessment and extensive analysis,” doctors found “unambiguous diagnostic evidence” of CTE in Shane Tamura’s brain.

BREAKING: Shane Tamura, who traveled to New York in July and shot and killed four people in the building that housed the NFL headquarters, had “low-stage Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE),” the New York City Medical Examiner’s office found.

frontofficesports.com/new-york-cit...

SCOOP: Investment firm Sequence Equity was the group behind a pitch made to FCS commissioners about a privatized FCS playoff this week, FOS has learned.

Sequence Equity would take minority stake in entity owned by FCS leagues. Proposal is being taken to the NCAA, source says.

Vanderbilt Keeps Winning While Its Players Sue the NCAA Last year, Diego Pavia challenged the NCAA’s eligibility rules and set off a firestorm. Some of his teammates are suing now, too.

NEW: Vandy use to be the laughingstock of the SEC. But now, they're 4-0 and ranked 18th.

At the helm is QB Diego Pavia, who filed a watershed lawsuit against the NCAA last year to grant him extra eligibility. Now, two of his teammates are suing as well.
frontofficesports.com/vanderbilt-w...

NCAA Denies Wofford Players Deemed Ineligible The NCAA said Wofford had declared the players ineligible through a routine infractions reporting process that is usually swiftly resolved.

NEW: The NCAA denies it deemed Wofford players ineligible for using meal plans while living off campus, telling @FOS these violations are usually resolved through self-reporting w no penalty for players.

Lawyer who made the claims stands by them however. frontofficesports.com/ncaa-denies-...

Despite Vote Delay, SCORE Act Negotiations Continue Before the August recess, House Republicans passed the bill through two committee markups and planned to introduce it for a vote this week.

NEW: Negotiations are continuing on both sides of the aisle to secure the requisite 218 votes necessary to pass the SCORE ACT, sources tell @FOS.

One source says House Reps are now aiming to schedule the vote for October.

Meanwhile, lobbying continues.
frontofficesports.com/despite-vote...

UCLA-Tennessee QB Trade Has Been Painful So Far This past offseason, Nico Iamaleava abruptly left Tennessee for UCLA after reports surfaced of complications regarding his NIL negotiations.

NEW: After Nico Iamaleava left Tennessee, his representative told FOS they had not steered him wrong.

Now, Iamaleava is making far less NIL money on an 0-3 UCLA team that just fired its head coach.

Today, Iamaleava's representative declined to comment.
frontofficesports.com/ucla-tenness...

Trouble With The SCORE Act Many expected a House floor vote next week. That is no longer expected.

A brain dump on the latest with college sports on Capitol Hill: collegesportsmoney.substack.com/p/score-act-...

Cody Campbell Leads the Newest College Sports Lobbying Effort Unlike other college sports stakeholders looking from the outside in, Cody Campbell came from inside Trump's policy circle.

I link out to this story from @achristovich.bsky.social
for context on a major player in all this: frontofficesports.com/the-texas-oi...

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Rep. Steve Scalise and lobbyists for the NCAA have been working to ensure the bill had enough votes to pass the House.

House Republicans have opted to delay next week's vote on the SCORE Act bc they do not have enough votes to pass it.

Reasons include a failed deal w Congressional Black Caucus Democrats, Cody Campbell's influence on Republicans, other stragglers.

More: frontofficesports.com/house-republ...

Republicans, Lobbyists in 'Overdrive’ to Get Votes for SCORE Act House Republicans and lobbyists have been pushing to ensure they have enough votes to pass the SCORE Act next week.

NEW: Ahead of potential House vote on SCORE Act next week, Rep Scalise + lobbyists are in "overdrive" trying to secure enough YES votes, sources tell FOS.

Unclear if it would pass currently. One source said lobbying targeting Congressional Black Caucus. frontofficesports.com/college-spor...

OneTeam Partners, the org facilitating NIL deals for college football players to appear in EA Sports College Football, is distancing itself from EA's newest contract terms.

$1500, no royalties, and no opt-out is "not enough," OneTeam tells FOS. frontofficesports.com/group-that-f...

Oops: NIL Clearinghouse Says It Cleared $35M in Deals, Not $80M The NIL clearinghouse originally said $80 million in NIL deals was approved between June and August 31. Now it says it was only $35 million.

NEW: The CSC admitted today it published wildly inaccurate data related to NIL Go yesterday.

As of Aug. 31, NIL Go approved 6,030 deals valued at $35M. NOT 8,359 deals for $80M, as was reported yesterday.

Also: $35.99M worth of deals are in purgatory. frontofficesports.com/nil-go-corre...

NIL Go Says It Has Cleared $80 Million in NIL Deals So Far NIL collectives, however, released their own data set suggesting the majority of their deals are in limbo.

NEW: The College Sports Commission said that 8,500+ NIL deals have been approved through NIL Go for a total of $80M.

But NIL collectives released data of their own saying $11M of deals are currently in limbo, neither approved or denied. frontofficesports.com/nil-go-colle...

Big 12 Embraces Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and athletic directors held a conference call with Dave Portnoy to discuss collaborating, FOS confirmed.

NEW: Source tells @FOS that during a call with Dave Portnoy today, Big 12 officials discussed:

- hosting Portnoy on Big 12 campuses for Big Noon
- putting Big 12 guests on Barstool shows
- showcasing Big 12 hoops, women's sports on Barstool

frontofficesports.com/big-12-embra...

Lee Corso Making Final ‘College GameDay’ Appearance Lee Corso appeared on GameDay’s first season in 1987—and will retire after choosing the Buckeyes for his final headgear pick Saturday.

NEW: On Saturday, Lee Corso made his 431st and FINAL headgear pick on College GameDay.

In front of a screaming crowd inside Ohio Stadium, broadcast on multiple networks, he donned the head of Brutus Buckeye.

"One of the easiest picks I’ve ever made."
frontofficesports.com/lee-corso-fi...

Lee Corso Making Final ‘College GameDay’ Appearance After 430 headgear picks and nearly 40 years, the iconic ESPN ‘College GameDay’ analyst will bid farewell to the traveling morning show.

NEW: Lee Corso has been appearing on ESPN College GameDay since 1987, the show's first season.

Today, Corso will make his final headgear pick. It's the end of an era for millions of fans accustomed to the morning ritual that's dominated CFB for decades. frontofficesports.com/lee-corso-fi...

Cody Campbell Asks Congress to Allow National College Sports TV Deal The ad will run during both ESPN and Fox college football pregame shows this weekend, the billionaire booster tells FOS.

NEW: Don't expect college football games to be free from politics.

Billionaire booster/Trump ally Cody Campbell will run ads during CFB this weekend to tout ideas from his Saving College Sports campaign.

He tells FOS there "definitely" will be more.
frontofficesports.com/cody-campbel...

ESPN-Fox Battle for College Football Supremacy Is Heating Up Fox, which holds rights to the Big Ten, and ESPN, which airs the SEC, have been locked in a battle for college football broadcast supremacy.

NEW: The biggest rivalry in college football is between Fox and ESPN--and the super conferences they back.

The next chapter in that rivalry begins Sat, when GameDay and Big Noon go up against each other before the SEC-Big Ten battle of Texas-Ohio State.
frontofficesports.com/the-next-cha...

Pac-12 Strikes New Football, Basketball Deal With The CW It’s the next step in the Pac-12’s resurrection after being picked apart in 2023, when it was left with only Washington State and Oregon State.

NEWS: The Pac-12 has inked a multiyear extension with the CW for football and basketball, adding to its future package that also includes CBS.

It's the latest step in the league's unprecedented rebuild.

frontofficesports.com/pac-12-strik...

YouTube TV, Fox Standoff Puts CFB Viewers in Jeopardy More than 8 million subscribers could find themselves without access to matchups like Texas–Ohio State during the season's first week.

NEW: YouTube TV boasts more than 8 million subscriptions.

That means millions could find themselves without access to Week 1 college football matchups if YouTube TV and Fox can't reach an agreement by Wed.

Among the games they'll miss: Texas-Ohio State. frontofficesports.com/youtube-tv-f...

As College Football Season Kicks Off, NIL Deal Approval Lags Many deals are stuck in “purgatory,” one power conference collective operator says. Players are losing revenue opportunities as a result.

NEW: Players are waiting weeks or longer for deals to be approved through NIL Go, sources tell @FOS.

Athletes are losing opportunities to do certain deals with tight turnarounds as a result—potentially setting up more litigation opportunities.

frontofficesports.com/as-college-f...

NCAA Considers Making High School Athletes Register NIL Deals The proposed rule, essentially making high school athletes abide by the House settlement, seems nearly certain to be tested in court.

NEW: The NCAA is considering adopting a rule requiring incoming D-I athletes to disclose NIL deals they earned during high school to NIL GO. The rule also requires JUCO athletes to disclose all deals executed during JUCO.

Experts expect legal challenges.
frontofficesports.com/nil-high-sch...

Courts Lean Toward Striking NCAA JUCO Eligibility Restrictions A federal judge on Wednesday granted four West Virginia football players extra eligibility to play this season.

The NCAA has no control over its eligibility rules. It's at the mercy of federal courts across the country, who are considering the legality of its rules player by player.

And now, the NCAA appears to be losing in one specific category: JUCO.

My story:
frontofficesports.com/federal-cour...

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern Settle Lawsuit Over Firing The former Northwestern football coach had sued for $130 million, claiming wrongful termination after he was fired amid a hazing scandal.

NEW: The flurry of lawsuits surrounding the Northwestern football hazing scandal have been settled.

Former coach Pat Fitzgerald announced a settlement w Northwestern over a wrongful termination lawsuit. He said he's "satisfied" w settlement terms.
frontofficesports.com/northwestern...

Cody Campbell Leads the Newest College Sports Lobbying Effort Unlike other college sports stakeholders looking from the outside in, Cody Campbell came from inside Trump's policy circle.

NEW: Cody Campbell isn't just a billionaire booster with ideas about college sports.

He's got a direct line to the White House and President Trump--and has become a lobbying force to be reckoned with.

“I have known [President Trump] for a long time."
frontofficesports.com/the-texas-oi...