Front Office Sports Today

The NBA’s midseason tournament got off to an uneven start, but now the league is seeing games with a playoff-like atmosphere in December ahead of its next media rights deals, where the midseason tournament could be sold as a standalone package. ESPN’s Bobby Marks joins to discuss the tournament, the state of the league, and where the NBA is likely to expand.Plus, we take a look at the national phenomenon that is the Savannah Bananas, the barnstorming, independent baseball team with a following few teams in the sports world can match.

NCAA president Charlie Baker penned a letter to all Division I schools proposing a set of changes related to athlete benefits and compensation that could allow college athletes to get paid while preserving amateurism. We dive into that and take a look at the transfer portal, which has admitted over a thousand college football players in its first 24 hours.Plus, former president of Turner and current co-CEO of Horizon Sports & Experiences David Levy joins us with an inside look into how NBA media rights are negotiated as the league hashes out its next set of record-breaking deals.

The Premier League signed a record set of media rights deals with Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery for $8.5 billion over four years. BBC will receive a highlights package, but Amazon is notably not part of the new deals, despite being a current Premier League broadcaster. We also take a look at the fallout from Florida State’s exclusion from the College Football Playoff and the Arizona Coyotes’ latest attempt to leave the 4,600-capacity Mullett Arena.Plus, Buchalter commercial real estate attorney and shareholder Keven Rowe discusses the phenomenon of large, “mini-city” stadium and arena projects that include housing, restaurants, and hotels.

The College Football Playoff Committee passed up Florida State for Alabama in a decision that has some wishing that the 12-team playoff format would arrive a year early. The decision has major financial consequences for the ACC and SEC conferences.Plus, we take a look at the final Pac-12 Championship and hear from Jaia Thomas, founder and CEO of Diverse Representation on which leagues have diverse management and player representation and which leagues are sliding backwards.

The College Football Playoff is taking a page from the Super Bowl as it negotiates its next round of media rights. The CFP wants to implement a rotating schedule of broadcasters for its final games, with incumbent ESPN potentially just one of several media networks associated with college football’s big game.Plus, we hear from NFL legend Ed McCaffrey, father of San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey, on how the league has changed over the decades and his son Christian’s progression as a player.

Mark Cuban is selling a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson, widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, at a $3.5 billion valuation. Cuban will retain control of the team’s basketball operations while potentially collaborating with Adelson on a new arena and surrounding development. The sale and Cuban’s coming departure from "Shark Tank" is raising questions about the billionaire entrepreneur’s future.Plus, we hear from UNC field hockey legend Erin Matson, who went from on-field star to head coach in one year, continuing the Tar Heels' dominance with a national championship earlier this month.

A report from Futurism states that Sports Illustrated has been publishing AI-generated product reviews. Maggie Harrison, who broke the story, joins the show to explain how she got tipped off, what SI has been doing, and the broader implications for the media world.Plus, the Oakland B’s, a Pioneer League baseball team, are stepping in to replace the Oakland A’s, the NHL is making changes to try to increase interest in its All-Star weekend, and the Pop Tarts Bowl may be the strangest bowl game yet.

David Tepper has now run through six head coaches in five years of owning the Carolina Panthers, building a reputation for organizational chaos — and without a winning season to show for it. We also look at the biggest stories in the college football world, including James Madison University's and Jacksonville State’s timely entrance into the FBS.Plus, we hear from Gotham Chopra, who co-founded Religion of Sports with Tom Brady and Michael Strahan. He delves into what it’s like working with his co-founders, the meaning behind the name, and the boom in sports docuseries.

It’s been an uneven holiday season thus far for sports retailers like Nike and Adidas, but Dick’s Sporting Goods may be the exception. We also look at the potential for selection chaos for the College Football Playoff and Red Bull’s dominant F1 season and Max Verstappen’s future.Plus, we hear from IMG executive vice president Hillary Mandel on what went on in the room where it happened with the recent groundbreaking NWSL media rights deals.

The NCAA is facing a lawsuit that would effectively end the amateurism model and bankrupt the organization. We also look at the massive success of the NFL’s Thanksgiving triple-header and the league’s attempt to take over the other winter holidays.Plus, Men in Blazers Media Network co-founder Roger Bennett joins us to discuss a watershed moment for the Premier League, as external forces are pressuring the league to crack down on Financial Fair Play violations. Everton is now facing potential relegation after a 10-point penalty, and the league’s dominant team, Manchester City, could suffer more severe sanctions.