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A Republican Senate staffer warned SEC leaders that they needed to back the Protect College Sports Act before the midterms or risk losing their chance to get it passed, according to a memo obtained by Front Office Sports. Less than two hours after the SEC commissioner forwarded the memo to university leaders, the conference publicly endorsed the bill alongside the Big Ten.

—Jon Loesche

First Up

GOP Staffer Urged SEC to Support College Sports Bill Before Midterms

Hours before the SEC publicly endorsed the Protect College Sports Act, Republican Senate Commerce Committee staff director Brad Grantz sent a memo to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey that warned conference leaders they needed to back the bill or risk a Democrat version with collective bargaining and employee status for athletes.

“There is no legislative alternative that gets better for the SEC,” he wrote.

“After the election, because of who is likely to win the House, you won’t see this bill … being considered,” Grantz wrote in the July 31 memo, obtained via a public records request to the University of Texas. “The asks from the Democrats begin with employee status, collective bargaining rights, and end with private right of action. Let’s get this done.”

Klein/Johnson Group, the SEC’s lobbying firm for the PCSA according to disclosures reviewed by Front Office Sports, sent the memo to Sankey on July 31 with the subject line “From Brad via Schmitt’s office,” referring to Sen. Eric Schmitt (R., Mo.).

The email asked that the memo be shared “directly with the SEC presidents and board members.” Sankey forwarded it to SEC university leaders soon afterward, calling it “one additional email provided by the Commerce Committee.”

Less than two hours later, the SEC and Big Ten publicly released a joint statement endorsing the bill.

Read the full article.

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Inside the Technology Behind MLB™ Replay Reviews

What happens behind the scenes when an MLB™ team challenges a call?

Front Office Sports goes inside the Major League Baseball™ Replay Operations Center in Manhattan to see how officials review plays and how video coaches make decisions under pressure. Major League Baseball™ proprietary replay technology delivers the video evidence, while the Zoom communication platform helps connect team video coaches with league staff when technical issues arise.

The partnership also extends to the MLB^® Draft presented by Nippon Express and MLB.TV™ fan support, offering a closer look at the technology and operations behind the game.

Watch here.

LOUD AND CLEAR

Back to the Sidelines?

“I won’t close the door on it.”

—Former LSU and Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly told Front Office Sports he would consider returning to coaching despite enjoying his new role with CBS Sports. Kelly was fired by LSU in 2025 and subsequently secured his full $54 million buyout after a legal dispute.

The three-time Coach of the Year has already been linked to potential Power 4 openings, including Maryland, Baylor, and NC State. Kelly, who is also working for SiriusXM, said he’s committed to his broadcasting career but remains passionate about coaching.

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Your Paddock Pregame

It’s time for “Lights Out” in Las Vegas. Front Office Sports and PwC are teaming up to host the perfect paddock pregame for Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend. On Friday, Nov. 20, FOS and PwC will host Tastemakers—a curated afternoon of engaging conversations with some of sports’s most influential executives.

Join us as we bring together leaders in sports, media, and entertainment from all over the globe who are building, investing in, and shaping what comes next in the world of sports.

Limited space available—request to attend now.

STATUS REPORT

Two Up, Two Down

UCF ⬇ The Big 12 fined the Knights $100,000 for derogatory chants fans aimed at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during its football team’s 39–31 upset victory over No. 2 BYU on Saturday. Videos that were widely circulated on social media showed UCF fans chanting “Fuck the Mormons,” referring to the colloquial name for members of the LDS church. BYU is owned and operated by the LDS church, and more than 98% of its student body belongs to the church.

Caddix ⬆ Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will continue to wear the footwear brand’s cleats with “SmartStuds” despite being fined $11,941 for sporting an unauthorized logo in Chicago’s Week 6 win over the Falcons. Williams said he made the decision for health reasons. “They’ve been super comfy and they’ve worked,” Williams said Wednesday. “They are a science type of cleat.” NFL players are allowed to display logos for only Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour, all of which have official partnerships with the league. Williams could avoid the fine by taping over the Caddix logo, but has chosen not to.

Stow Acres Country Club ⬆ The historic Massachusetts country club is offering a one-of-a-kind promotion for golfers to play nine holes for just 50 cents. In celebration of its 100th anniversary, the course is paying homage to an old sign that used to stand on the property advertising “50¢ Week Days – 9 Holes.” The promotion ran from Tuesday through Thursday this week. 

Wrexham ⬇ The second-division English soccer club owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac was fined nearly $100,000 by the English Football League after naming two ineligible players to match-day squads earlier this season. The club did not file adequate paperwork to field Issa Kaboré in an Aug. 28 match and Callum O’Hare in a Sept. 2 match. Wrexham was not deducted points because it lost the first match and kept O’Hare as an unused substitute in the second match. 

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