The NCAA is taking steps to rein in “unrestricted free agency” in college football.

On Wednesday, the NCAA announced it had approved the elimination of the spring transfer portal window for football—leaving players just one window to transfer at the conclusion of football season.

Players don’t have to decide which school to attend during the transfer portal window. Instead, the window is simply an allotted amount of time for them to declare that they intend to transfer for the following season.

The previous structure included two windows that ran in December before the College Football Playoff, from Dec. 9 to Dec. 28, and another in the spring that ran from April 16 to April 25. Now, there will be just one timeframe at the end of the college football season. 

The American Football Coaches Association supported the elimination of the spring window. The combination of NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals and the ability for players to transfer as many times as they wanted led to athletes re-negotiating contracts and transferring every year. That also meant coaches had to re-recruit their roster every season. Through the American Football Coaches Association, coaches had voiced frustration over having to worry about players leaving their programs twice a year: in spring and winter.  

The governing body has not, however, made a decision on the specific dates and length of the existing winter window. 

Currently, players have 20 days at the end of December to enter the portal—a timeline that has been burdensome for coaches participating in the College Football Playoff. The NCAA is discussing a proposal that would shift and shorten the window to begin Jan. 2, after the CFP quarterfinals have concluded, and run until Jan. 11. Players still involved in the CFP at the time of the transfer window, however, will have five days after their season ends to enter the portal.

Another proposal would kill all recruiting in December.

The changes will undoubtedly shorten the period players will have to transfer, but it’s unclear whether the NCAA has the power to enforce these windows. That concept was challenged last year by Miami football player Xavier Lucas, who left Wisconsin after the school had refused to enter his name into the portal. He skirted the rules by enrolling at Miami after the portal window had closed, and then joining the team.

ESPN’s first Monday Night Football doubleheader of the season—one of a record-tying four in 2025—posted the special broadcast experiment’s best viewership in more than a decade.

The Buccaneers’ last-second 20–19 win over the Texans and the Chargers’ 20–9 victory over the Raiders combined to average 13.5 million viewers, which is ESPN’s best audience across two games in a single night since 2015. 

Bucs–Texans started at 7 p.m. ET and was simulcast on ABC, drawing 17.4 million viewers, which is ESPN’s most-watched individual game on a week with multiple MNF games. Chargers–Raiders kicked off at 10 p.m. ET, and drew 9.7 million viewers.

ESPN has aired multiple MNF games in 24 weeks since 2006, and there are three more MNF doubleheaders this season. In Weeks 4 and 6, overlapping games will air on ESPN at 7:15 p.m. ET and ABC at 8:15 p.m. ET. In Week 7, the networks will use the same strategy as Week 2, with back-to-back games at 7 and 10 p.m. ET.

The strong TV ratings come after the Vikings–Bears drew ESPN’s second-highest audience, 22.1 million viewers, for a Week 1 MNF game on record. 

Multiple broadcasters have set new viewership marks early this NFL season, as Nielsen’s new Big Data + Panel methodology is boosting reported ratings. Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football opener, Packers–Commanders, drew the streamer’s highest regular-season audience yet, 17.76 million viewers.

Lionel Messi is reportedly keeping his talents in South Beach. 

The Argentine soccer star and Inter Miami are finalizing a new multiyear contract, according to an ESPN report Wednesday night. The deal will require final approval by Major League Soccer. 

There was speculation the 38-year-old forward would leave MLS for Saudi Arabia, Spain, or another country to finish his legendary career when his contract expired at the end of this season in December. 

Messi signed with Inter Miami in mid-July 2023 on a two-and-a-half year deal. He was paid $20 million this year, far more than any other player in the league, and more than the payroll of most of its teams. The deal came after a failed superteam experiment with Paris Saint-Germain that paid him $36 million annually. The maximum salary for an MLS player this season is roughly $734,000, but Messi can exceed it because of the league’s ‘Designated Player’ rule, which allows teams to have a player who exceeds the max. 

Messi also has a unique agreement with MLS that gives him a cut of Apple subscription revenue from its streaming deal with the league, increasing the total value of his deal. 

Since joining Inter Miami on the pitch, Messi has provided a significant boost in league revenue and viewership. He’s delivered on the field, too, leading Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup trophy weeks after he joined the team in 2023 and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, which goes to the club with the best regular season record. 

Through Thursday, Inter Miami is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 49 points and is in position to secure a playoff berth. Messi has a team-high 28 goals and 14 assists in the 2025 season for Inter Miami counting all competitions including Concacaf Champions Cup, Club World Cup, and Leagues Cup in addition to the MLS regular season. 

Inter Miami is set to open a new home stadium named Miami Freedom Park in time for the 2026 MLS season and Messi’s new contract should ensure strong ticket sales and interest for it. 

“My wish, my dream, would be for the number 10 to inaugurate our new stadium in March,” Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas told ESPN in July. “This is a decision that rests on Messi. We wish for Messi to finish his career here. I said a few months ago that we should have news in the summer about that but hopefully it will be as soon as possible.”