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November 4, 2026

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In September, the Protect College Sports Act appeared to be closer than ever to reaching President Donald Trump’s desk. But after Democrats effectively swept the midterm elections, the chances of the House of Representatives passing the PCSA have significantly diminished, multiple sources tell Front Office Sports.

—Amanda Christovich

First Up

Pro sports owners who spent millions backing Republicans in the midterms got a poor return on their investment as Democrats took control of Congress.
The 2026 college football season has been filled with upsets and unpredictability, but overall TV ratings remain down double digits.
FanDuel’s parent company’s Q3 earnings came in below expectations, but its CEO said he’s optimistic about growing its prediction-market business.
The strange saga of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s fractured relationship with the 49ers could finally be headed toward a resolution.

College Sports Bill in Peril After Democrats Sweep Midterm Elections

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After Democrats effectively swept the 2026 midterm elections, the chances of the House of Representatives passing the Protect College Sports Act have significantly diminished, multiple sources in and around Capitol Hill tell Front Office Sports.

Beyond the House’s immediate priorities—passing another continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown and the next National Defense Authorization Act—any legislation now appears uncertain and unlikely to pass in the lame-duck period, one lobbyist told FOS.

While the PCSA was never guaranteed to pass the chamber, its chances now are nearly nonexistent.

Pre-Election Obstacles

In September, the PCSA appeared to be closer than ever to reaching President Donald Trump’s desk after garnering a strong bipartisan vote in the Senate of 77–22. But from timing to ideological concerns, the bill faced an uphill battle in the House even before the midterms.

For the PCSA to advance, the House would be required to vote on it before the new Congress is sworn in Jan. 3. Otherwise, the bill must be reintroduced, restarting the legislative process completely. Given the House’s pre-midterm schedule, the lame-duck period after the election offered the last chance to get the bill to Trump’s desk.

Republicans headed into the 2026 midterms with a slim majority in the House—meaning they could pass the PCSA on party lines if needed, and could potentially use the bipartisan momentum from the Senate vote to replace GOP defectors with Democrats.

But that was no easy task going into the midterms.

House Republicans, including current majority leader Steve Scalise (R., La.), voiced major concerns with the contents of the bill. Those concerns haven’t been assuaged, one GOP Capitol Hill aide told FOS on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, House Democrats continued to have issues with the bill, given major concerns voiced by labor organizations and civil rights groups. The Congressional Black Caucus, which is much more powerful in the House than in the Senate, remained completely against it.

Blue Wave Impact

Technically, the makeup of Congress doesn’t change until January. But the effects of the election will be immediate.

After winning back both the House and Senate (along with gubernatorial races nationwide), Democrats are unlikely to do any deals with Republicans now. Another factor: House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) is expected to become the next House speaker. Jeffries, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus who has opposed the PCSA in the past, will likely lobby hard against any Democrat cooperation with Republicans during the lame-duck period.

“There’s absolutely zero reason to give Donald Trump a win on college sports after he was rejected in embarrassing and historic fashion last night,” one Democratic aide told FOS. The aide observed this “is the worst thing that could’ve happened for GOP lame-duck priorities.”

Meanwhile, Republicans will have a problem far simpler than the ideological debate over the PCSA: attendance. If even a few Republicans—especially those who lost Tuesday—opt not to travel back to D.C., the GOP’s slim majority to pass legislation on party lines gets even slimmer, or disappears completely.

The wild card has always been the influence of the president, who has endorsed the PCSA multiple times and asked Congress to pass it. But given that the election will be seen as a referendum on the Trump Administration, it’s unclear how much sway the White House will have with House Republicans, particularly those who lost races.

“Whatever capital the [Trump Administration] has is gonna likely need to be spent elsewhere,” another GOP aide told FOS.

How the Yankees Get Ahead Off the Field

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Read how Sage Intacct is helping the Yankees streamline operations, make faster decisions, and plan for the future.

ONE BIG FIG

Braves’ Big Business

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

$324.6 million

That was the total revenue the Braves reported for the third quarter, up 4% from the same period in 2025. Atlanta’s latest earnings report, however, emphasizes just how critical the club’s real estate ventures are.

The Battery, the Braves’ mixed-use development, generated $55.8 million in adjusted operating income, up 11%, from $84 million in revenue. The Braves’ baseball business, conversely, posted an operating loss of $12.5 million for the same period, down sharply from a comparable gain of $62.5 million a year ago.

LOUD AND CLEAR

Playing Through It

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

“The UAE has great defense systems.”

—Rory McIlroy on why he feels comfortable competing at this week’s DP World Tour event, the Abu Dhabi Aldar Golf Championship, amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East surrounding the U.S.-Iran war. “I don’t feel like there’s any risk coming here, but if I did feel like there was a risk, I feel like the reward is worth it,” McIlroy said.

The Northern Irishman is in third place in the season-long Race to Dubai Rankings, seeking to win a record eighth order of merit points title on the DP World Tour. The Abu Dhabi event is the first of two playoff events—with a $9 million purse—but 11 of the top 70 players who initially qualified decided to not tee it up this week. The top 50 players after this week’s event qualify for next week’s season finale, the DP World Tour Championship, in Dubai.

Valkyries Cap WNBA Finals With Record Audience

Game 7 of the WNBA Finals drew more than 3.3 million viewers across USA, CNBC, and Peacock as the Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream to win their first championship in just their second season. If the preliminary number holds, it will be the most-watched WNBA game since the league launched in 1997.

Read the full story in the Women’s Sports Hub, presented by AT&T.

STATUS REPORT

Three Up, One Down

USA Today Network

Caitlin Clark ⬆ The Indiana Fever star has signed a multiyear deal with Dick’s Sporting Goods and Foot Locker. Clark also has an eight-year, $28 million endorsement deal with Nike, which beat out offers from Under Armour ($16 million) and Adidas ($6 million), according to The Wall Street Journal.

Deshaun Watson ⬇ The Browns quarterback is in concussion protocol after reporting symptoms following a 27–6 loss to the Steelers, during which he was sacked eight times. Watson, who is in the final year of a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract, could be replaced by Shedeur Sanders for Sunday’s game against the Saints.

Greg Newsome II ⬆ The Giants cornerback has agreed to a three-year, $46 million contract extension that includes $32 million guaranteed. Newsome, who joined New York on a one-year deal this offseason, has one interception and six passes defended for the NFC East–leading Giants.

Rafael Nadal ⬆ The 22-time tennis Grand Slam champion announced he is joining Real Madrid’s board of directors. Nadal, a longtime supporter of the club, said on X/Twitter that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez proposed he join the board. Madrid has been embroiled in controversy recently, from calling for LaLiga president Javier Tebas’s resignation to apologizing to China after star player Kylian Mbappé called Mao Zedong a “dictator.”