On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including a wild few days for college football coaches. Two bombshell hires—Lincoln Riley leaving Oklahoma for USC, and Brian Kelly leaving Notre Dame for LSU—have shaken up the sport, as other top-tier programs scramble to fill vacancies.
The moves come alongside a dramatic shift in upper levels of compensation. Ten-year deals worth $85 million or more, unheard-of just two years ago, appear closer to the norm. Kelly, Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M), James Franklin (Penn State) and Mel Tucker (Michigan State) have all signed new contracts in that range.
The hosts also discuss the looming MLB lockout. The current collective bargain agreement was set to expire at midnight on Wednesday and the two sides haven’t reached an agreement. Key disagreements all revolve around compensation, including service-time manipulation, the path to free agency for younger players and competitive balance.
Lastly, the hosts discuss what has been a rough month for sports betting stocks, and the inequality in what top college basketball programs spend on their men’s and women’s teams.
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