A long-running dispute between former Tennis Channel CEO and chair Ken Solomon and the outlet’s owner, Sinclair Inc., has exploded into a lawsuit.

Solomon sued Sinclair and several related parties in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging the company is seeking to avoid paying the executive what could have been an undisclosed eight-figure sum in options and bonuses from a sale of the network and separation payments. 

Sinclair fired Solomon nearly a year ago, with sources telling Front Office Sports the company was upset with the amount of time he was spending as a board member and adviser of Merit Street Media, a separate entity founded and led by television personality Dr. Phil McGraw. Solomon contends that those outside actions were preapproved by Sinclair in writing. Merit Street Media is now embroiled in its own legal and financial issues. 

The Tennis Channel, meanwhile, has been for sale for 18 months—as originally reported by FOS. No deal has emerged yet, but Sinclair has since expanded that consideration to include potential transactions involving its entire broadcast business, which primarily consists of local, over-the-air stations, as well as a possible spin-off or separation of its ventures unit that currently includes the Tennis Channel. 

Details of the Suit

Solomon, who played a key role in growing the Tennis Channel to more than 37 million U.S. subscribers, is making nine separate legal claims: wrongful termination, three breach of contract actions, a breach of implied convent of good faith and fair dealing, two related to an alleged failure to pay wages upon employee discharge, one related to vested vacation time, and a final one claiming defamation by several Sinclair executives, including company CEO Chris Ripley. 

“[Solomon’s] results for Sinclair speak for themselves and represent a bright spot in what was otherwise a distressed period for Sinclair and the industry,” the lawsuit reads in part. “In the last five years, Tennis Channel’s ratings doubled, despite a contracting market and the interference and failures by Sinclair. Moreover, if not for plaintiff’s business acumen and singular vision, Tennis Channel would have lost valuable rights and distribution deals, such as the WTA and Roland-Garros French Open, impacting its revenue, visibility, credibility, and ability to maintain top on-air talent.”

The filing also cites a substantial increase in Tennis Channel’s adjusted earnings from $17.5 million in 2016 to more than $135 million last year.

In the action, Solomon is seeking unspecified general, compensatory, and punitive damages, as well as statutory penalties against Sinclair and attorney’s fees. Solomon said in the suit that in early 2022, he signed a modified employment agreement that included a series of equity options. Sinclair cashed out half of those options for $3.86 million. The rest was to be paid out over a three-year period and was predicated on the expectation that a network sale would occur, in turn yielding a substantial financial reward for Solomon. 

A subsequent revision to that agreement would yield an additional $1 million to Solomon should a sale happen with a valuation of $1 billion or more. In the complaint, Solomon says he generated multiple offers above that figure, only to have them rejected by Sinclair executive chairman David Smith.

“Faced with having to make good on its commitment to reward [Solomon], Sinclair apparently decided [he] would be too expensive to retain,” the lawsuit reads. “The paradox is, of course, that it was only through plaintiff’s efforts, according to Smith himself, that the price Tennis Channel would command was now of such elevated value that paying [him] what was owed was a material number.”

Sinclair, which has owned the Tennis Channel since 2016, did not respond to a request for comment. In April, Sinclair filled Solomon’s role at the Tennis Channel, appointing former Amazon Prime Video executive Jeff Blackburn to the post. 

Scottie Scheffler may not have won the Tour Championship or this year’s FedExCup, but the No. 1 player in the world did top the PGA Tour’s official money list for the fourth consecutive season.

Scheffler’s T-4 finish at the Tour Championship earned him another $2.61 million, boosting his 2025 tournament prize money total to $26.58 million. That’s more than $8 million clear of second place, as Tommy Fleetwood’s $10 million payday at the Tour Championship vaulted him past Rory McIlroy in official money (although McIlroy made more when factoring in bonus money).

The $40 million purse at the Tour Championship was considered official prize money. Previously, Tour Championship prize money was considered bonus money and did not count toward a golfer’s official season or career earnings.

Here are the top 10 PGA Tour golfers in official prize money this season, with the amount they earned including bonuses in parentheses:

1. Scottie Scheffler: $26.58 million ($49.58 million)

2. Tommy Fleetwood: $18.49 million ($22.7 million)

3. Rory McIlroy: $16.99 million ($30.49 million)

4. Russell Henley: $14.63 million ($20.73 million)

5. J.J. Spaun: $12.89 million ($18.49 million)

6. Justin Thomas: $10.88 million ($16.05 million)

7. Sepp Straka: $10.65 million ($17.23 million)

8. Ben Griffin: $9.99 million ($14.99 million)

9. Patrick Cantlay: $9.4 million ($9.67 million)

10. Justin Rose: $8.86 million ($10.36 million)

Seven players made more than $10 million in official money, and nine made eight figures when factoring in bonus money. The PGA Tour restructured how it distributes FedExCup bonus money this season, paying out bonuses after the end of the regular season and after the second playoff event.

Scheffler Passes Mickelson

With his performance at the Tour Championship, Scheffler passed Phil Mickelson in all-time PGA Tour career earnings. Scheffler’s official career earnings now stand at $98.37 million, which is third behind Tiger Woods ($120.99 million) and Rory McIlroy ($107.98 million). Mickelson is now in fourth place with $96.72 million.

Scheffler has made $55.78 million in official money the last two seasons on the PGA Tour, and when including bonus money, he brought in $111.78 million during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Northwestern athletic director Mark Jackson told Front Office Sports that the school’s new Ryan Field stadium played a “big part” in his decision to join the program last year. But in the ever-changing college world, overseeing the $862 million stadium is far from the only thing on his to-do list—which includes managing the NCAA’s new revenue-sharing model following the House v. NCAA settlement in June. 

Jackson did not reveal how he and new GM Christian Sarkisian plan to divvy up the revenue-sharing dollars—which is up to $20.5 million per school—though he did admit sports that generate revenue will likely see faster growth.

“Our commitment here is we don’t want one program or one student-athlete in any sport to take a step back. Some are going to step forward quicker than others, particularly those that generate revenue, and that’s sort of been our investment model,” Jackson said.

Riding Volleyball’s Growth Wave

Jackson didn’t mention any of those programs, but it’s well-known that the primary revenue-generating sports in the NCAA are football and men’s basketball. He did, however, highlight his women’s sports programs—specifically pointing out volleyball.

“The one that’s out there that’s right in front of us is volleyball. Volleyball stands out as the fastest-growing sport in America,” Jackson said.

Jackson said Northwestern is noticing attendance growth for its women’s volleyball team, which included the first sellout in program history at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston last year. The game was against Nebraska, a Big Ten rival, and the most famous women’s volleyball program in the country right now. The Cornhuskers are even bringing in strong national viewership and record attendance.

“Use Nebraska as an example. … I think everybody sees tremendous potential there,” Jackson said.

He said his goal is for Northwestern to invest and compete for national championships across several other women’s sports as well, including lacrosse, field hockey, and golf—all of which have won a national championship within the last three years.

Other Big-Ticket Items

Jackson spoke to FOS about a few other major topics in college sports:

• Private equity: Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti told FOS that the conference was exploring potential PE integration, and Jackson said he wants to stay “in lockstep” with Petitti. He admitted the school has been “approached” directly, but has declined any offers. “Fortunately, the way we’re resourced here—a lot to do with our connection to the Big Ten—puts us in a good position where there’s not a lot of need for us to look outside as an institution individually for outside funding.”
• NIL Go: Jackson said the new NIL system has not created any problems for the Wildcats. “We haven’t hit any snags. We’d like to do more [NIL deals].”
• Stadium’s role in recruitment: Jackson admitted that several recruits have been given a tour of the stadium. “This stadium attracts national attention from young men that want to play football. It’s already evidenced in some of the hard-hat tours we’ve done. There’s a wow-factor.” 

The new Ryan Field is expected to be ready for the start of the 2026 college football season. In the meantime, Northwestern will continue to play its games at Martin Stadium with its famous lakefront view.