The Settlement Implementation Committee is in the process of reforming into a pseudo-advisory group for the College Sports Commission, sources tell SBJ. The caveat? The NCAA and Pac-12 are no longer involved. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

Windermere Club in Blythewood, SC was the latest stop on the Beat Writer's Game Deteriorating Throughout Football Season Tour. Played horribly, excellent time though. Hard course. @bportnoy15.bsky.social whipped my ass in a back 9 match

Iowa State is set to unveil a 10-year extension of its multimedia rights with Learfield. Official announcement slated for Thursday. More details here: www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

The College Sports Commission is now almost three months into its existence. How's it going? I polled more than a dozen ADs around the country, from the G5 to P4, about their experiences with the CSC so far. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

Student Athlete NIL (SANIL), one of the larger third-party collective operators in the country, is ceasing operations immediately, sources tell SBJ. The company was set to be acquired by Blueprint Sports, but the merger fell through in recent months. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

The ACC is set to hire American Express exec Marques Zak as its first-ever chief marketing and brand officer, sources tell SBJ. An official announcement is expected on Wednesday. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

A little NIL news ahead of Penn State-Oregon this week: Drew Allar has signed a deal with Venmo to become the face of the new Penn State Venmo Debit Mastercard. He'll also be featured in a national ad spot that will debut this weekend. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

There have been some ~thoughts~ about the AP Top 25 over the last week or two. Wrote about why the poll still matters in a system flush with cash, Memphis’ new FedEx deal and more in this week’s college newsletter: www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/sb-blogs/new...

Bowl organizations touch far more than just the games they operate. But with CFP in flux, sponsorship deals and conference affiliations are unsettled. On the bowl system's ongoing holding pattern and why their parent organizations are diversifying what they do. shorturl.at/IuhvF

This Saturday, one of the games of the week — No. 18 USF and No. 5 Miami — is being carried by, of all networks, The CW. Story on how the CW found itself here, Miss. St. adding a retro logo to its rotation and more in this week’s college newsletter: www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/sb-blogs/new...

Jimbo Fisher spent a year out of college football home in West Virginia, hunting in Tanzania and he believes he can still win a national title. But first, he’s joining “ACC Huddle” as an analyst. “We know his name is going to be a bit of a lightning rod.” shorturl.at/HXuYb

Discussions around an EA Sports CBB video game that includes all DI men’s and women’s teams are at an impasse, sources tell Sports Business Journal. The snag centers on 2K Sports' continued development of its own, more narrow CBB product and exclusivity EA Sports desires. shorturl.at/7tJAu

Opendorse has released a new report around positional NIL earnings in college football. A few highlights: - QBs account for 18% of P4 football budgets, the largest share of any position - Just 0.3% of P4 players are making >$1 million, but 10% are making at least $100K

Sources: Oregon State is set to hire Blueprint Sports to operate its in-house NIL agency. Expecting an official announcement later today. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

Matt Kelly never set out to be a power broker. Then one contract led to another, and another, and another. “A lot of young guys used to want to be Jerry Maguire ... Now, it's like [people want to] be Matt Kelly.” On the most influential college sports lawyer you’ve never heard: shorturl.at/g3wtM

As college sports further skew toward the P4, a group of mid-major leaders quietly discussed their place in the space this summer. Now, a 10-league coalition has been formed with one goal: Remain part of the conversation. "If you're not at the table, you're on the menu." shorturl.at/Lu1bR

Could an NFL RedZone-style show come to college football? What's next for South Carolina after announcing an on-field sponsorship? All that and more in this week's college newsletter: www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/sb-blogs/new...

Kentucky has announced an extension of its MMR partnership with JMI Sports “valued at more than $465 million.” A few nuggets from the release:

The Southland Conference is set to extend its deal with ESPN through 2031, sources tell SBJ. Deal includes one Southland MBB semifinal game and the WBB championship game being broadcast on linear (Those were previously aired on a case-by-case basis). www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

New Balance has signed Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love to an endorsement deal, the company announced. Love joins a client list that includes Chase Young and Marvin Harrison Jr. Last season, Love helped Notre Dame to the national title with 1,125 yards rushing and 17 TDs.

The Big 12 is slated to announce a new package of 20 regular season MBB games that will be streamed on Peacock beginning in 2025, sources tell @SBJ. The games are part of a sublicense agreement between Fox Sports and NBC. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

Is it harder for G5 admins to land P4 AD gigs? Are pro sports execs next up for AD jobs? What does an AD even do now? “The gap between the haves and have-nots is getting bigger — and so are their problems.” On college sports' evolving admin economy: www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua tells SBJ he's supportive of the recent executive order issued by Pres. Donald Trump. Bevacqua has been one of the leading voices in D.C. around federal college sports legislation, played golf with Trump and Greg Sankey earlier this summer, etc.

The Heisman Trophy Trust is hiring a new President or CEO, a source confirmed to SBJ. The new role will essentially be a revamped version of the role that's been held by Executive Director Rob Whalen for 30-plus years. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

The College Sports Commission has issued new guidance around collective payments, essentially walking back its blanket ban on such transactions. They’ll now be allowed, but will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and under some scrutiny. Statement from the CSC below:

The ACC received more credential requests than ever for its media kickoff in Charlotte. The reason: The Bill Belichick Experience ™ On Belichick's ACC Media Days debut and the impact he can have for a league fighting for attention. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

Auburn is set to announce a three-year deal with Peachtree Entertainment to bring live music to its venues. The deal brokered by Elevate will see Peachtree bring at least five shows per year to Neville Arena and one concert to Jordan-Hare Stadium over the life of the agreement.

ACC Commish Jim Phillips tells SBJ he's in favor of a 5+11 CFP format, but staying at 12 is possible. "I hope we can get there, but if we don’t, I’m fine with where we’re at right now, and we can just watch this for a few years, and then reconvene.” www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

The Rose Bowl is set to tab Elevate as its exclusive premium sales partner through a multi-year agreement, sources tell SBJ. The stadium is currently undergoing an $80 million renovation that includes new premium seating ahead of the 2028 Olympics.

Re-upping a couple things from Charlotte this morning as ACC Media Days get going (the Big Ten is also set to begin in Vegas). My story from reporting over the last week on Memphis' efforts to get into the Big 12 and the $200 million pitch it made: www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

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Big 12 presidents are passing on a pitch made by Memphis to join the league, sources tell SBJ. The Tigers’ sell centered on taking no conference distribution in the immediate future and delivering $200+ million in sponsorship dollars to the league. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

Goodbye AAC. Hello, "American Conference." Details on the league's rebrand set to be announced later this week by Commissioner Tim Pernetti at the conference's media days and why now was the time for a new name and look. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

The second annual College Basketball Crown is set for April 1-5 in Las Vegas, sources tell @SBJ. The event put on by Fox Sports and AEG will also see a host of returning sponsors, including: - Ghost Energy - Vivid Seats - JSX - Circa Resort & Casino - MGM Resorts International

News from my colleague @jasonbwilson.bsky.social on the video game beat: 2K is working on a college basketball video game, while Michigan State, UCLA and Houston are among the schools that could be a part of it. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

The SEC dominates offseason headlines like no other conference in America. How do they do it? Look no further than Digital Drive — formerly and colloquially known as “Radio Row.” "Here, you eat what you kill. You’re not guaranteed anything.” www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

NEWS: SBJ obtained the nearly 100-page NCAA governance recommendation the Division I Board of Directors were briefed on in June. The update included previously unreported polling the NCAA conducted for feedback on potential changes to its structure. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

Iowa and Learfield are set to announce a five-year extension of their current partnership (Official announcement expected Thursday). The current deal between the two parties was slated to run two more years, while the extension now binds them through 2032.

CFP discussions are ongoing — and holding at 12 teams feels like a real possibility. But is another offseason of format conversation unhealthy? Greg Sankey doesn't necessarily think so. That and more in this week's college newsletter from Atlanta: www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/sb-blogs/new...

The Power Four conferences (plus the Pac-12) have put out a joint-statement related to the mark up of the SCORE Act on Capitol Hill earlier today. The mark up was conducted by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.

Oklahoma is set to announce that it's rolling up its collective, 1Oklahoma, into its local Learfield property (Sooner Sports Properties). Utah State Deputy AD Bobby Nash is also being brought on to help run the new-look operation. More details here: www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

Sankey asked if the SEC was open to PE/private capital. He confirmed the league had explored it, but noted "we've not seen the concept that works. It doesn't mean we won't consider opportunities if there are opportunities for mutual benefit. Those would pique our interest."

Sankey, tongue-in-cheek, asked about early returns on revenue sharing: "There's consensus about concerns and complaints. ... I think the freak out factor is a little bit high."

Some interesting comments from Sankey related to the CFP and whether the SEC will adjust its scheduling from eight league games to nine:

Sankey with a few thoughts on the CFP and what comes next there: "We think growth beyond 12 can be positive. It should be pursued. There's also a belief that the process for selecting teams to participate in the College Football Playoff can be updated and improved itself."

Greg Sankey on NCAA basketball tournament expansion: "Basketball, in general, we are supportive of expanding both the men's and the women's basketball tournaments. Nothing in college basketball is static, so tournament expansion is certainly worth exploring."

An interesting tidbit in Sankey's address: He mentioned SEC presidents suggested at spring meetings the P4 leagues form a committee to explore their role in the future of college sports. The idea would include two presidents from each league, plus the commissioners.

Greg Sankey taking the podium here in Atlanta to kick things off at SEC Media Days

Paciolan is set to hire ex-Ticketmaster exec Brendan Lynch as its new president. Lynch replaces Deana Barnes, who moved to Learfield's sports properties division overseeing Big Ten and Pac-12 clients as part of a reorg earlier this year. www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

Another notable retirement at NCAA HQ: VP of Regulatory Affairs Stan Wilcox will retire effective Aug. 1. Wilcox, the ex-AD at Florida State, has worked at the national office the last seven years. That comes after longtime staffer Kevin Lennon announced last week he's retiring in August, too.