Ole Miss filed separate breach-of-contract lawsuits July 27 in Lafayette County Circuit Court against former Rebels Devin Harper and Princewill Umanmielen, now at LSU, seeking early-termination penalties of $400,000 and $550,000 plus fees. Court filings and a university statement say both signed January 2026 revenue-sharing deals with 90-day buyout windows, then entered the portal and signed with LSU before paying demanded amounts. Ole Miss said it asked LSU in March to cover the buyouts; LSU declined as a non-party. The cases highlight schools enforcing player revenue-share exit clauses in the transfer era.
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday invoked cloture on the motion to proceed to the Protect College Sports Act (S. 4668), clearing the 60-vote hurdle 74–24 and opening formal floor consideration. Sponsors Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz framed the bipartisan bill as setting national NIL, revenue-share, transfer, and mid-season coaching-move guardrails; the Commerce Committee said further Senate votes are still required, and House action would follow any Senate passage. Final passage timing remains unsettled before the November midterms.
The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents on Tuesday formally approved Brent Venables’ contract extension, locking in a six-year, $63 million deal through Jan. 31, 2032 (about $10.5 million annually, with $10 million in 2026). Athletic director Roger Denny and President Joseph Harroz Jr. reaffirmed support for Venables after OU’s loss at Michigan, saying the timing of the paperwork lagged the post-playoff negotiations but does not change their long-term commitment. Denny did not disclose buyout details when asked.
West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said Sunday he immediately and indefinitely placed assistant running backs coach and offensive analyst Noel Devine on leave after Devine’s arrest on a felony strangulation charge. ESPN and West Virginia outlets report Devine was booked into the North Central Regional Jail, entered a not-guilty plea, with bond set at $40,000 and a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 23. Rodriguez said any further decision on Devine’s staff status will wait until more information is available. Devine, a former Mountaineers star running back, rejoined the program when Rodriguez returned as head coach.
Sen. Ted Cruz told Yahoo Sports/On3’s Ross Dellenger he has a “high level of confidence” the House will pass the Protect College Sports Act and stressed that a strong Senate tally matters (Dellenger noted a 70-plus read, though Cruz did not cite a number). Cruz said procedural voting could begin as soon as Tuesday, with timing tied to the Clarity Act vote. On3 reports Nick Saban and Deion Sanders are campaigning for the bill ahead of the floor push, as Senate sponsors press for action after the August recess.
Florida State announced Monday that Michael Alford is no longer vice president and director of athletics, effective Sept. 14. President Richard McCullough appointed senior associate AD Bruce Warwick as interim while the school runs a national search. Board chair Peter Collins framed the move as the next phase of restructuring to compete in today’s college sports model. The leadership change lands with football coach Mike Norvell under intense scrutiny after recent losing seasons and a 1-1 start, including a Labor Day loss to SMU.
Kentucky Athletics Director J Batt announced Jon Palumbo as executive deputy athletics director and deputy CEO of Champions Blue, LLC, the school’s athletics business entity. Palumbo, recently CEO of Michigan State’s Spartan Ventures and a former interim AD there, starts Sept. 18. Batt said Palumbo will help grow Champions Blue and oversee strategic business initiatives. The pair previously worked together at Georgia Tech. The hire is a staff/structure move aimed at revenue, NIL support, and operating like a modern Power athletics department.
CBS Sports detailed that firing Dabo Swinney without cause in calendar 2026 would cost Clemson a flat $57 million, payable in full or over the remaining term. Unlike most deals, the contract has no mitigation if he takes another job, so the school would not get Franklin-style offset relief. Waiting until 2027 raises the obligation to remaining total compensation of about $60 million, making an earlier exit slightly cheaper but still among the largest buyouts ever. Pressure rose after a rough 2025 and a blowout loss to open 2026.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via open records, reported details of Brent Key’s December extension: base pay rises to $6.15 million annually through 2030, plus about $2 million more for assistants and support staff. The amendment adds automatic contract extensions and raises tied to eight-, nine-, and 10-win seasons, plus layered bowl, ranking, and playoff incentives. Separation terms also shift, including buyout figures that decline by year if Key leaves. The package shows Tech investing in staffing depth, not only the head coach’s salary.
USA TODAY Sports, citing contract terms it obtained, reported that firing Mike Norvell without cause on Dec. 1, 2026, would cost Florida State about $46.7 million. His deal runs through 2031 and generally pays 85% of remaining salary and supplemental compensation if terminated without cause. Other mid-season estimates have put the 2026 figure closer to $50–51 million depending on timing. The buyout math is now central after FSU’s SMU loss and Monday’s AD change, with any coaching move ranking among the largest payouts in the sport.