Social media had an absolute field day with Lane Kiffin on Saturday after the No. 15 LSU Tigers were embarrassed at home by the No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide, 31-13.
Less than a full season into Kiffin’s tenure in Baton Rouge, college football fans are already questioning whether LSU made the right decision hiring him.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LSU really paid Lane Kiffin $91 million for this: https://t.co/Z2GBzRp6sM
— College Sports Only (@CSOonX) <a href="https://x.com/CSOonX/status/2119217660093432262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Tigers brought Kiffin in to compete for national championships, not get blown out in their biggest home game of the season.
Unfortunately for the LSU head coach, the internet has plenty of receipts.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
After tonight’s loss to Alabama, Lane Kiffin is now 15–27 (35.7%) against AP Top 25 opponents as a head coach.
For comparison:
Kirk Ferentz: 33–61 (35.1%) 
Bret Bielema: 24–48 (33.3%) 
Houston Nutt: 20–40 (33.3%)
— Brennon Chapman (@BrennonChapman) <a href="https://x.com/BrennonChapman/status/2119224406505599121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Kiffin has developed a reputation as one of college football’s most entertaining personalities, particularly when it comes to trolling opponents on social media.
But Saturday, the trolling was directed squarely at him.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LSU&#8217;s record under Lane Kiffin this year isn&#8217;t too different than their record when they fired Brian Kelly last season 😬 https://t.co/D2oNNwLEvc
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) <a href="https://x.com/YahooSports/status/2119243924296319470?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lane Kiffin STILL has never beaten Alabama as a head coach 😅 https://t.co/bphIWwTqLf
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) <a href="https://x.com/YahooSports/status/2119221798138941607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The criticism wasn’t limited to people sitting behind their phones, either.
Late in the fourth quarter, with Alabama putting the finishing touches on its blowout victory, an angry fan inside Tiger Stadium could be heard shouting an expletive directly at Kiffin.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, the ABC broadcast picked it up loud and clear.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;HEY, LANE- F*CK YOU!&#8221;
A fan in Baton Rouge voices their displeasure with Lane Kiffin while Alabama is blowing out LSU, as heard on the ABC broadcast. 🏈🎙️🔊 https://t.co/CTbbyljv9m
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/2119219424020537512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
So much for the honeymoon phase. The loss dropped LSU to 6-3 and delivered Kiffin his sixth defeat in six career meetings against Alabama as a head coach.
That’s probably not the start Tigers fans envisioned after Kiffin arrived with enormous expectations. It certainly didn’t help that LSU briefly led 13-10 in the third quarter before surrendering 21 unanswered points.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss because he wanted to beat the best of the best
LSU has played 3 teams that are currently ranked. They are 0-3, as a favorite in every game, including a loss to Ole Miss
Yikes! https://t.co/L32o4jK16k
— The Fourth Quarter (@4thQuarterCFB00) <a href="https://x.com/4thQuarterCFB00/status/2119216497256271886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Of course, it’s still Kiffin’s first season, and declaring the hire a failure after nine games would be premature.
But LSU didn’t bring him in to simply win the games it was supposed to win. The expectation was to compete with programs like Alabama, especially at home.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
If we want to talk about the biggest disappointments in college football this season, move Lane Kiffin to that table. Year one at LSU has been a failure.
With today’s loss, Kiffin moves to 13-27 against top 10 opponents.
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) <a href="https://x.com/John_Fanta/status/2119217648005488739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Instead, the Tigers are staring at a third loss and a much more difficult path to the College Football Playoff.
Kiffin still has time to turn things around, with Texas and Tennessee providing opportunities to salvage the season.
But for now, the coach who has spent years making other programs the punchline is finding out what it’s like to be on the receiving end. Something tells me college football fans aren’t going to let him forget this one anytime soon.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://x.com/ByGusWilson">Follow Gus Wilson on X at @ByGusWilson</a></h3>

SSKiffinFire-1536×864

Did LSU Make The Wrong Hire? Social Media Lights Up Lane Kiffin After Blowout Loss

alabama

college football

college football playoff

lane kiffin

sports

This article was written by Gus Wilson and published on <a href="https://sportandstate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sport &amp; State</a>, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation.
* * * * *
Before Thursday night’s matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat, singer Jason Broccoli was selected to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” as part of the Warriors’ Pride Night celebration at Chase Center.
Apparently, an entire night dedicated to Pride wasn’t enough.
During his performance, Broccoli pulled out a rainbow Pride flag and began waving it while singing the lyrics “what so proudly we hailed,” the line specifically referring to the American flag.
Unfortunately for Broccoli, his display didn’t appear to get the most serious reaction from some of the players.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A gay man singing the national anthem at a Golden State Warriors game pulls out a pride flag during the anthem and waves it around. https://t.co/5WlqTOm70B
— Bruce Snyder (@realBruceSnyder) <a href="https://x.com/realBruceSnyder/status/2118692094705336645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As the camera panned toward the Warriors, Charles Bassey and De’Anthony Melton could be seen laughing during the performance.
Whether the two were laughing specifically at Broccoli’s flag-waving remains unclear, but the timing certainly made for an interesting moment.
Coming just two days after the midterm elections, it seems like Broccoli, and potentially the Warriors, were making a statement.
The Warriors were already hosting a night dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ community.  Did the national anthem really need to be part of it?
For a song meant to bring Americans together under one flag, pulling out another flag at the exact moment the lyrics reference the Stars and Stripes seems like an unnecessary attempt to make the moment about something else.
Not everything in sports needs to become another cultural statement. The national anthem should just be the national anthem.
At the time of publication, neither the Warriors nor the NBA has responded to Sport &amp; State‘s request for comment regarding Thursday night’s incident.

Untitled Design – 2026-11-06T141726.110

Warriors Can’t Contain Laughter As National Anthem Singer Waves Pride Flag

chase center

golden state warriors

national anthem

pride night

<div class="ss-article__content">
This article was written by Mark J. Burns and published on <a href="https://sportandstate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sport &amp; State</a>, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation. * * * * *
Pat McAfee injected a double shot of espresso into everyone’s beloved version of College GameDay, whose road show started long before the dot com boom and the advent of social media.
Ah, yes, much simpler, quieter times, don’t you think?
The overly caffeinated, sometimes-shirtless, now always-screaming McAfee brought a jolt of energy and unpredictability — which I’m not sure the weekly Saturday show needed — that’s been hard to ignore this college football season.
“It’s an institution,” McAfee <a href="https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/pat-mcafee-joins-espns-college-gameday-built-by-the-home-depot/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a> as he joined the “universally beloved” College GameDay show full time in 2022. “It’s a Saturday tradition for everybody. … I understand the weight that the show holds in the sports universe and I will try my best to somehow add to it.”
Four years later, is ESPN’s addition of the <a href="https://sportandstate.com/2026/10/27/pat-mcafees-thin-skinned-tirade-at-utah-shouldnt-surprise-weve-seen-it-before/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thin-skinned 39-year-old sports media personality</a> finally reaching its limits?
On Tuesday, McAfee’s latest adversary came from the political realm as Joe Scarborough, co-host of MS Now’s weekday morning show “Morning Joe,” <a href="https://sportandstate.com/2026/11/03/political-tv-host-joe-scarborough-enough-of-pat-mcafee-ruining-college-gameday/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">went at McAfee guns a blazing</a> on Election Day, telling the former NFL punter that he is absolutely “ruining College GameDay.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It&#8217;s election day in America, and Morning Joe spent over two minutes discussing the country&#8217;s most pressing issue: Pat McAfee ruining College GameDay
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know if they haven&#8217;t gotten the message yet, but the manosphere that we all thought was brought in in &#8217;24, it may get washed aside&#8221;
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/2117619431471751311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Though McAfee is unpredictable at times on the College GameDay set, <a href="https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/1581291795379429378" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">like when he backflipped into the Tennessee River</a>, he’s absolutely predictable when it comes to publicly confronting his online haters and TV critics.
A wronged Pat McAfee always, always gets in the last word, even if it consistently leads to the same tired chorus of outrage and self-proclaimed victimhood.
“I didn’t know if it was on every ballot or not,” McAfee said on Wednesday’s edition of his daily live show. “Did you hear they were voting to vote me off of GameDay?
“Ole cup of coffee yesterday, that was a crazy thing to wake up to.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dXyaOr48PFo?si=iaWFKq5i5TVsGx4c" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
See what I mean?
It’s clear McAfee is growing tired of the constant criticism and doesn’t have the ability to drown out the noise, even if he admitted to “staying off of X” earlier this week.
We need a lie-detector test, folks.
“It’s been pretty mean on there, and everybody is calling me a snowflake,” he said. “It’s like, ‘OK. F**k. All right.’ I guess this is me being soft. A lot of X sports media people chiming in. I appreciate that. I’m sure you’re very similar to the situation I’m in. It is very fun.”
Is he referring to me? Sorry, I digress …
Anyway, maybe Scarborough’s assessment was a bit harsh. Does McAfee have the right to defend himself? Sure. But does every criticism, every slight, every seemingly inconsequential remark require a response for why you’ve been wronged?
There’s only so much McAfee an audience can stomach before the caffeinated buzz wears off and the mutual dissatisfaction starts to manifest itself.
This week, columnist <a href="https://x.com/williamfleitch" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Will Leitch</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7749127/2026/11/03/espn-college-gameday-future-pat-mcafee/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">took a closer look at McAfee’s role</a> on GameDay and the MrBeast-ification of it all, with views and ratings the ultimate driver of success. If you’re ESPN management, you’re happy with GameDay’s <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/college-gamedays-historic-numbers-continue-232821631.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">viewership increase</a> of 4% year over year.
Still, I found myself nodding along as Leitch’s argument struck a chord. McAfee has become the show’s main character to the detriment of the entire cast and, ultimately, the overall point of the show — to celebrate the uniqueness of college football.
“This sort of self-aggrandizement can’t help but run out of gas, and I bet McAfee runs out of it first,” Leitch wrote.
It’s too bad the viral “Kicking Is Easy” contest, <a href="https://sportandstate.com/2026/09/04/in-attention-economy-pat-mcafee-kicks-down-door-with-media-executives-dream/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a sports marketer’s dream</a>, couldn’t come with a less self-absorbed version of McAfee and his soft exterior.
We can dream, I guess.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
$200 bottles of tequila. Dental school. College Football Playoff title game tickets. ETFs.
Here&#8217;s how six winners of the @PatMcAfeeShow kicking contest on @CollegeGameDay spent their winnings.
✍️: @markjburns88 
https://t.co/bSmWKrrowu
— Sport &amp; State (@SportNState) <a href="https://x.com/SportNState/status/2100946244352803038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
At this point, it seems inevitable that The Pat McAfee College GameDay Experience will run its course in due time — and not because he isn’t an entertaining showman worthy of at least some applause.
It’s because the same routine continues to play out each week, whether it’s on TV or online.
McAfee does or says something, people react, he responds, and the whole cycle repeats, with the college football conversation suddenly taking a backseat to Pat McAfee himself.
And frankly, we’re all getting just a little tired of that.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://x.com/markjburns88" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Follow Mark J. Burns on X @markjburns88</a></h3>
</div>

Pat-McAfee

College GameDay’s Double Shot Of The Pat McAfee Experience Is Reaching Its Limits

college gameday

espn

joe scarborough

pat mcafee

This article was written by Gus Wilson and published on <a href="https://sportandstate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sport &amp; State</a>, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation. * * * * *
Of the many top-20 matchups college football fans get to enjoy Saturday, only one features a century-old rivalry with championship implications on both sides.
The No. 7 BYU Cougars travel to Salt Lake City to face the No. 3 Utah Utes in the latest edition of the Holy War, potentially the most consequential meeting in the rivalry’s history.
Between the success of both programs, conference and national championship implications, and a hatred that doesn’t get nearly enough national attention, this game has just about everything you could ask for.
Except a reasonable kickoff time.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">A historically great matchup</h3>
For the first time in the rivalry’s history, BYU and Utah will meet with both teams ranked inside the AP Top 10.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
https://t.co/T23NtgfCyw 
Ohio State falls out of the top 10, UCLA cracks the top 5 and New Mexico earns its first-ever ranking in the AP Top 25 poll. See where your team landed. https://t.co/8s2vaaEOvj
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) <a href="https://x.com/AP_Top25/status/2116968993516900502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Utah enters Saturday undefeated at 8-0, riding a 14-game winning streak dating to last season, the longest active streak in college football.
BYU sits at 7-1, with its only loss coming in a 39-31 double-overtime defeat against UCF two weeks ago.
But the Cougars have something Utah doesn’t: three consecutive victories in the rivalry.
The past two meetings have been particularly memorable. In 2024, BYU escaped with a controversial 22-21 victory following a last-second field goal from Will Ferrin. Last season, the Cougars won another thriller, 24-21.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
What’s one BYU football game you wish you could go back and experience again for the first time?
Mine is 2025 Holy War, &#8220;There’s a Bear on the loose in Provo!&#8221; 🐻
What’s yours? And if you have a video from it, post it. I want to see it. 🤙 https://t.co/M4Q9dHLdGC
— Greg Mortensen (@Morty13) <a href="https://x.com/Morty13/status/2094117747269800407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Now, both programs are playing some of their best football at the same time.
“This is definitely the most important Holy War from a national perspective,” Jeff Hansen, publisher at <a href="https://247sports.com/college/byu/">CougarSportsInsider.com</a>, told Sport &amp; State. “But in a lot of ways, it just feels like another Holy War here along the Wasatch Front. The stakes are obviously enormous, and that’s not lost on anybody, but for fans of these programs, the stakes are always enormous.”
Josh Bennett, a contributor at KSL Sports, believes the stakes make this particular meeting unlike anything the rivalry has experienced.
“This is without a doubt the biggest Holy War we’ve ever seen,” Bennett said. “There have been instances where one team could play spoiler to the other, but never this much at stake for both teams.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Utah v BYU 
Top 7 matchup 
Everything on the line 
Holy War for the ages
— Professor WildUte (@TheWildUte) <a href="https://x.com/TheWildUte/status/2116971546678042801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Both writers emphasized how the programs’ reunion in the Big 12 has restored the conference championship implications that were absent for years.
“For decades, these two teams would play each other with a conference title on the line,” Hansen said. “Being in the Big 12 has brought that feeling back, and while it isn’t a new feeling, it is a feeling that was absent for a while.”
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Everything on the line</h3>
Saturday’s winner won’t just earn bragging rights for another year. It will take an enormous step toward the Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff.
Utah leads at 5-0 in conference play, while BYU sits at 4-1 alongside Texas Tech in the championship race.
A Utah victory would give the Utes a commanding advantage over BYU and keep their undefeated season intact. For the Cougars, a win would create a tie between the rivals in the conference standings and give BYU the crucial head-to-head advantage.
Tuesday’s first CFP rankings placed Utah at No. 3 and BYU at No. 9, putting both programs in the projected 12-team field.
Bennett sees Saturday as an opportunity for Utah to accomplish two things at once.
“Continue onward with the special season they’re having,” Bennett said, while also having the opportunity to “effectively end BYU’s Big 12 and College Football Playoff hopes.”
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">An underrated hatred</h3>
There are few rivalries in college football quite like the Holy War.
Saturday marks the 104th meeting between the schools, according to Utah’s records, in a rivalry that stretches back more than a century. The universities are separated by approximately 45 miles, but the competition goes well beyond what happens on the football field.
“The Holy War is heated, because you can’t hide from it,” Bennett said. “The two fanbases mix and mingle seemingly everywhere: church, school, workplaces, grocery stores, Jazz and Mammoth games. There is no separating these two fanbases, and the rivalry never turns off.”
Hansen echoed that sentiment, explaining how the rivalry often divides families.
“Families grow up cheering for one school and marry into another family who cheered for the other and now there is a split household,” he said. “It has a lot of those traditional rivalry elements that make college football great.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Holy War trash talk is already heating up 👀 https://t.co/YQklrLjkuL
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) <a href="https://x.com/CollegeGameDay/status/2113971560579002545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The religious component adds another layer to the rivalry. BYU is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while Utah is a public university with a significant population of Latter-day Saint students and fans.
Hansen said BYU’s religious affiliation can create tension between supporters of the two schools, including disagreements over whether BYU should be viewed as representing their shared faith.
“It’s just a unique rivalry, and unless you have seen it up close and personal, it’s kind of hard to wrap your head around,” Hansen said.
But regardless of religious affiliation, beating the other school means just about everything.
“Beating Utah is the biggest thing for BYU fans,” Hansen said. “There are more important games on the schedule, like BYU playing Notre Dame or having a chance to win a Big 12 Championship, but the Holy War is the game everyone wants to win the most.”
Bennett shared a similar sentiment from the Utah perspective.
“Aside from Big 12 title implications and College Football Playoff positioning, this game is about bragging rights and pride … and it all centers around football,” Bennett said. “You can win every instance of Utah-BYU sport matchups, but if you don’t win the football game … it means nothing.”
With BYU winning three consecutive meetings after Utah previously dominated the series with nine straight victories, the bragging rights have shifted.
As Hansen put it, “This game provides either a win or a loss that resonates for 365 days.”
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bright and early</h3>
For a rivalry with this much riding on it, you’d think the networks would give it a primetime slot.
Instead, BYU and Utah will kick off at 10 a.m. local time.
The game will air nationally on ABC at noon ET, marking the first 10 a.m. kickoff in the rivalry since 1996.
For Utah fans, that means getting to Rice-Eccles Stadium well before most college football games across the country have even begun. For BYU fans making the trip from Provo, the morning starts even earlier.
Sport &amp; State founder Clay Travis was among those criticizing the decision, calling the kickoff a crime against college football humanity.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BYU-Utah kicking off at 10 AM Mountain Time is a crime against college football humanity. One of the greatest rivalries in sports. One of the biggest Holy Wars ever. And they&#8217;re playing it at 10 in the morning? BYU and Utah fans, I&#8217;ve got your back. https://t.co/rbOl3OPW7D
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/2115599851237036436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It’s difficult to disagree.
A historic top-10 rivalry matchup with conference championship and playoff implications deserves a bigger spotlight than a breakfast-time kickoff.
Then again, something tells me neither fan base will struggle to get out of bed Saturday.
One program will take a massive step toward its postseason goals, while the other will have to spend another year listening to its biggest rival brag about it.
All before lunchtime.

SSHolyWar copy

The Holy War Has Never Had More At Stake

big 12 conference

byu cougars

utah utes

This article was written by Mark J. Burns and published on <a href="https://sportandstate.com/">Sport &amp; State</a>, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation. 
* * * * *
After Democrats swept the November midterm elections, time is of the essence for House Republicans to pass the Protect College Sports Act, though the bipartisan bill’s future still remains in serious jeopardy.
If it doesn’t get passed before the current congressional session ends Jan. 3, college sports might be waiting even longer for federal legislation.
A spokesperson for the Senate Commerce Committee, which is chaired by Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), told Sport &amp; State on Thursday that “there is no realistic path to secure the same broad, bipartisan support for a new bill in 2027 and beyond.”
The spokesperson said: “Passing the Senate-approved bipartisan bill through the House and sending it to the President’s desk during the lame duck Congress gives House Republicans an opportunity to close out the 119th Congress with a significant win for President Trump, HBCUs, women’s sports, and student athletes. An attempt to amend it would be a surefire defeat for the colleges and fans counting on PCSA’s enactment.”
On Wednesday, multiple sports law attorneys <a href="https://sportandstate.com/2026/11/04/protect-college-sports-act-might-be-on-life-support-after-democrats-sweep-midterms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">painted a similarly bleak outlook</a> as the PCSA — which passed in the Senate with a 77-22 vote on Sept. 28 — appears to be on life support ahead of the upcoming lame-duck session.
Sports law attorney <a href="https://x.com/heitner" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Darren Heitner</a>, founder of Heitner Legal, placed the odds at 80% that the federal bill doesn’t pass the House at this point, while college sports lawyer <a href="https://x.com/WinterSportsLaw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mit Winter</a> said its passage is “slim-to-none.”

@GaryGrumbach on X, @OhioStateFB

Commerce Committee On College Sports Bill: ‘No Realistic Path’ For Bipartisan Support In 2027

2026 midterm election

college sports

politics

protect college sports act

senate commerce committee

ted cruz

This article was written by Mark J. Burns and published on <a href="https://sportandstate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sport &amp; State</a>, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation. * * * * *
A bipartisan federal bill trumpeted as a way to save college sports may soon be on its deathbed after Democrats swept the recent midterm elections, effectively gaining control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4668" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Protect College Sports Act</a>, led by U.S. Republican Senator Ted Cruz, passed the Senate in a 77-22 vote on Sept. 28, setting up a potential vote in the House before the end of the current Congressional session, which wraps up Jan. 3.
With now a lame duck session, when Congress meets after the November vote before elected individuals are sworn in, the likelihood of the college sports bill being voted upon in a Republican-controlled House is looking grim with limited floor time scheduled.
In other words, time is running out to vote on the bill before having to start all over again in a new Congress.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Ted Cruz got booed relentlessly on ESPN’s College GameDay in mid-Sept.
The media outrage was loud, too.
The viewership? It didn’t flinch.
On @SportNState.
https://t.co/A9Xf343bcH https://t.co/4foogz5tbo
— Mark J. Burns (@markjburns88) <a href="https://x.com/markjburns88/status/2102834598585512236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Christopher Pham, a sports law attorney at Fredrikson &amp; Bryon in Minneapolis, believes the bill’s passage is “unlikely” before the January date due to the “compressed legislative calendar and a change in congressional control approaching.”
“Democrats have no reason to cooperate on this bill now and pass a bill that would be seen as a win for Trump and the Republicans,” added <a href="https://x.com/WinterSportsLaw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mit Winter,</a> a college sports attorney. He said the bill’s passage rate is currently “slim-to-none.”
Meanwhile, sports attorney <a href="https://x.com/heitner" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Darren Heitner</a>, Founder of Heitner Legal, put the odds at 80% that the Protect College Sports Act also doesn’t pass.
“House Republican leadership has already said it wants changes, and any change sends the bill back to the Senate for another vote,” Heitner said. “Democrats have now won the House and have little reason to give the outgoing majority a win on a bill their own caucus opposes.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Protect College Sports Act is probably dead.
— Darren Heitner (@heitner) <a href="https://x.com/heitner/status/2117935881302818907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
At this point, the most likely outcome, according to lawyers interviewed, is that the current version of the PCSA dies and has to be reintroduced into a new Congress.
So, ultimately, what does that mean for the future of college sports in 2027 and beyond?
“College sports continues to be governed by litigation and settlement,” Heitner explained. “The House settlement framework, the College Sports Commission, and NIL Go will keep operating, but every rule they enforce stays exposed to antitrust challenges and conflicting state laws.”
Collegiate administrators, conferences, and other stakeholders will almost-certainly return to Congress in 2027. And now with a Democratic House, members of Congress “will demand more for athletes,” according to Heitner, stating that if and when a new bill emerges in Congress, it “will look materially different” from the current version.
It’s also possible a future new collegiate sports bill in Congress would specifically include collective bargaining rights for college athletes, either as employees or non employees, Winter said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
With last night’s election results likely meaning the end of the PCSA, a few thoughts:
&#8211; the NCAA’s relevance for high level college sports continues to wane
&#8211; power continues to move to conferences, who will make decisions without the NCAA (see the Big Ten’s new cap rule)
— Mit Winter (@WinterSportsLaw) <a href="https://x.com/WinterSportsLaw/status/2117983766480060622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Added Pham: “Ultimately, I believe Congress will have to revisit the issue. The underlying challenges are not going away, and the financial stakes will only continue to grow.
“The goal should not simply be to restore institutional control. It should be to establish a sustainable framework that provides stability for college athletics while appropriately protecting the rights and opportunities of the student-athletes who make the industry possible.”
<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://x.com/markjburns88" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Follow Mark J. Burns on X @markjburns88</a></h3>

SnapInsta.to_881861009_18656085070018519_5595887991082166038_n-1200×675

Protect College Sports Act Might Be On Life Support After Democrats Sweep Midterms

ncaa

Untitled Design – 2026-11-04T140304.753

Stripes, Strength & Structure: Inside The Intense Physical Preparation Of NFL Refs

clay travis

nfl officiating

referee

sport state

This article was written by Jason Foster and published on <a href="https://sportandstate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sport &amp; State</a>, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation. * * * * *
If MLB players want a peek into what could be in store, they should look at the smoldering corpse of the Republican Party after its historic nuking in Tuesday’s midterm election. The parallels are closer than one might think.
The GOP was handed a mandate in 2024 and had the opportunity to ride the momentum into a period of national prosperity. Instead, Republicans wet the bed with a tsunami of self-inflicted failure.
MLB players find themselves on a similar path. Baseball is booming right now. TV ratings and general popularity are at a place they haven’t been in a long time. The level of on-field talent is greater than at any point in history. But trouble looms, and it will largely, perhaps ultimately, be up to the players to avoid catastrophe. Otherwise, they will become the villains in their own story.
As it stands now, deserved or not, it’s the players who are on track to be the bad guys of the offseason — and perhaps much longer.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read the room</h3>
There’s a good chance the 2027 MLB season will be shortened, perhaps significantly, thanks to an impending lockout that’s almost certain to begin at midnight Dec. 1 when the league’s current collective bargaining agreement expires.
MLB owners will lock out the players so they can try to institute a salary cap, something the MLB Players’ Association has adamantly opposed for decades, even though baseball is the only one of the four major North American sports without one. There’s no indication that the players will budge this time, so expect a long, ugly and annoying fight.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
With free agency already underway, and recognizing that Clubs will need a full offseason to operate within the cap and floor system, MLB is proposing to phase in the salary cap and floor in 2028
The projected cap and floor payrolls for 2028 would make 12 clubs increase payroll by $636M to reach the floor, and 8 clubs to decrease payroll $528M to reach the cap. Overall, this would net a $108M payroll increase
Starting in 2028 would allow a smoother transition into the cap and floor system without delaying key player benefits
— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/2117692324402667556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Though the owners technically control whether the season begins on time, or whether it happens at all, it’s the players who will face the most public pressure to reach a deal. And it’s not going to be pretty from a PR standpoint.
The MLBPA’s stern dismissal on Tuesday of MLB’s latest salary cap proposal, which would delay a cap until 2028 and pay a minimum salary of $900,000, is a reminder that the players are about to be about as popular as Republicans were on Election Day.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Statement from the Major League Baseball Players Association https://t.co/rQNq5RXjDY
— MLBPA (@MLBPA) <a href="https://x.com/MLBPA/status/2117730064708391167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Before I go further, let’s get this out of the way: Nobody feels sorry for MLB’s mega-rich owners. Perhaps literally no one. This isn’t about carrying water for “management” against “labor,” as if the players are a bunch of factory workers just hoping to make enough to pay their mortgage.
The owners definitely play a huge role here, but this is about not living in a fantasy world that’s completely untethered from social and economic realities — and avoiding the consequences of ignoring those realities.
At a time when basic necessities have become borderline unaffordable for millions of people, the public just does not want to hear about the “struggles” of rich people — especially athletes. A guy making $22 an hour isn’t interested in hearing that $900,000 or $1 million or $20 million just isn’t enough. Or, worse, isn’t “fair.”
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Public support for cap remains strong</h3>
An October poll conducted by the Sports Business Journal and Seton Hall University showed that <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/10/29/new-sbjseton-hall-poll-finds-that-majority-of-mlb-fans-support-a-salary-cap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">54 percent</a> of baseball fans want a salary cap. This follows other polls in recent years with similar results, with some showing <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-proposed-salary-cap-floor-system" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">even more support</a> for a cap. It’s not that fans want players to make less money. It’s a matter of competitive balance: Too many fans believe their team has no realistic shot at a championship.
Yes, the Brewers <a href="https://sportandstate.com/2026/10/28/relentless-brewers-mlbs-best-in-2026-end-epic-postseason-with-first-world-series-title/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="link" data-id="https://sportandstate.com/2026/10/28/relentless-brewers-mlbs-best-in-2026-end-epic-postseason-with-first-world-series-title/">won the World Series</a> with a low payroll. Good for them, truly. But that’s not the norm, nor will it ever be the norm. A top-10 payroll team has won the World Series 17 times since 2001. Over the past 11 seasons, it’s happened eight times. The haves will always win a lot more often than the have-nots.
It’s very true that many of the have-nots could be a lot closer to the haves if they actually invested in their teams. The proposed $180.2 million salary floor for 2028 that goes with the owners’ proposed $258.2 million cap would help a lot. But, of course, you won’t get one without the other.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Lavish ‘security’</h3>
Players say a cap hurts their earning potential. That’s true. But let’s be real: It’s also the First Worldiest of First World Problems.
The NFL has a cap, yet Patrick Mahomes will earn $56.8 million this season. The NBA has a cap, yet Steph Curry makes $62.6 million. MLB’s proposed cap would pay a minimum of $1 million to players with at least two years of service time. The average salary would be much higher than that, while the superstars would continue to rake in annual amounts in the dozens of millions.
By the way, the median annual income in the United States is about <a href="https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/smart-money/average-salary-in-us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/smart-money/average-salary-in-us">$64,200</a>.
The point is, the “security” the players say they seek is the most extreme of luxuries. Does $80 million really offer less security than $60 million in any real sense? Most people would probably say no, but that’s ultimately what’s at the heart of the players’ opposition to a salary cap. And it’s going to be a very unpopular message.
So when the CBA talks get tense and the public starts to fear a truncated or lost season, the players’ spin will go nowhere. The players will take a public-relations hit unlike they’ve seen since 1994-95, when another fight over a salary cap canceled the ’94 World Series, shortened the 1995 season and led to years of apathy among fans, some of whom never came back.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Don’t ignore your constituents</h3>
Maybe the owners will eventually back off a cap in exchange for some other big concession, but that doesn’t seem likely. It’s been their top goal for more than 30 years, but they also know how the players will be perceived. I’m just not sure the players are prepared for it — or that they care. But they should not simply dismiss public opinion, especially when there’s a direct link to their paychecks.
Fans just want to watch baseball. They don’t really care how that happens. But if they’re deprived of that, especially for reasons of vanity, they will make their displeasure known in ways that will hurt the bottom line.
It’s a lot like politics: When constituents are ignored, bad things happen. If people think you don’t care about them, even when you should, they will stop caring about you.
This isn’t 1994. Fans have no shortage of entertainment options. If they aren’t getting what they want from MLB, it’ll be easy to shift loyalties elsewhere. There’s no guarantee that anyone other than die-hards will remain, and that’s not a recipe for long-term health.
As in politics, decisions have consequences. Sometimes, it takes a while to repair the damage. The damage from a long MLB lockout, especially one driven by players’ perceived greed, could take a lot longer to fix than people realize.

MLBlockout copy

Baseball’s Biggest Fight Is Coming And Nobody’s Wearing A Glove

collective bargaining agreement

mlb lockout

mlb players association

salary cap

This article was written by Karen Crouse and published on <a href="https://sportandstate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sport &amp; State</a>, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation. * * * * *
If anybody can sympathize with the volleyball player, Payton McNabb, who was knocked unconscious during a girls’ high school varsity match when <a href="https://x.com/paytonmcnabb_/status/1830415945887551944">she was struck in the face</a> by a ball spiked by an opponent assigned male at birth, it’s the North Carolina Democrat House member Marcia Morey.
<a href="https://www.marciamorey.com/meetmarcia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Morey</a> experienced firsthand the misery of competing against opponents who held an unfair advantage. At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Morey, a seven-time national swimming champion who was ranked in the top 3 in the world in both breaststroke events at the year’s start, failed to make it out of prelims of either of her specialties.
The East German women, who had barely caused a ripple four years prior, <a href="https://websitedevsa.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/eventsdocuments/meet-results/international-event-results/olympic-games/1976-olympic-games.pdf?sfvrsn=ef962a32_5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">won 10 of 11 individual events,</a> finishing 1-2 in four of them, and sweeping the podium in a fifth. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the world would find out what their competitors had long suspected; that the East German women had been part of a <a href="https://ishof.org/the-east-german-doping-machine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">state-sponsored doping system.</a>
Given Morey’s personal history, it was startling to learn that she and McNabb were <a href="https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2023/08/17/transgender-youth-face-more-restrictions-veto-overrides/">on opposite sides of a state bill</a> restricting transgender females from playing on women’s sports league teams at the middle school, high school and college levels.
McNabb was paraded before the national assembly by Republican legislators championing <a href="https://dashboard.ncleg.gov/api/Services/BillSummary/2023/H574-SMBE-85(e3)-v-2">The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act</a>, which requires sports participation, regardless of one’s gender identity, to be based on their assigned sex at birth. Morey opposed the bill, which, on the surface of it, made no sense. How could an athlete who had been demoralized by women holding a chemical advantage champion those in women’s sports who have a built-in physiological advantage?
I had interviewed Morey in 2004 for <a href="https://palmbeachpost.newsbank.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a package of stories in The Palm Beach Post</a> on the 1976 US Olympic women’s swim team and the long-term repercussions many of them experienced after the adults in charge stood by and said nothing as the East German women with their deep voices, muscular builds and facial hair prospered. I reached out to Morey, who was in the final stretch of her campaign for a sixth term in the North Carolina State House, to help me make sense of her stance.
She got back to me promptly, and our exchanges over the next few days served as a reminder of the complexities of issues that get refracted through a political lens to stoke cultural wars.
“That’s very interesting that someone seems to think I am okay with transgender women competing in world-class athletics,” Morey said. “I am not. Our experience in 1976 proved the unfairness of medical steroids and hormones injected into female athletes, all for victory on a world-stage podium.”
She added, “I do agree an even playing field is essential. And the older a child is, or higher the level of competition, there should not be an unfair biological advantage, just like there was an unfair chemical advantage with the East Germans in 1976.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="The Last Gold Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3gk4vDiBRvQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The North Carolina bill that became law in 2023-24 originally banned kindergartners and grade schoolers from participating on sports teams, leagues and even intramural sports that did not correspond to their sex assigned at birth, which Morey resisted. Intramural sports were dropped from consideration, but one of the reasons she ultimately voted against the bill was because of its inclusion of middle school-aged participants.
Her position was informed, in part, by parents who told her about their “now new daughter” who simply wanted to participate in a sport for the many benefits of physical activity and to socialize with kids their age.
Morey’s belief is the benefits to 10, 11, and 12-year-olds of learning fundamental skills, making friends, practicing sportsmanship and developing self-confidence outweigh any innate physiological advantages a prepubescent assigned male at birth has over biological girls.
“They are looking to fit in, not stand out competitively,” said Morey, who also takes exception to the politicization of transgender kids in sports.
“The issue has become a good vs. evil culture war that’s also an attack on the LGBTQ community as a whole,” Morey said. “I’m all about justice and fairness, but the political rhetoric is harming a lot of young, innocent children.”
Both sides have turned the issue into a cultural and political hot potato, as was borne out in correspondent Russ Douthat‘s 60 Minutes interview with Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, which aired Sunday. Asked about transgender athletes in girls’ sports, El-Sayed dismissed it as a manufactured social issue and intimated that biological boys being allowed in girls’ locker rooms isn’t a big deal because kids are already exposed through their internet to everyone’s different body parts.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Yes. This is Abdul’s argument. Your young daughter will see dicks on the Internet so she might as well see them in her locker room too.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/2117292371243041189?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
El-Sayed added that he’s not running “to govern sports.” It’s a familiar refrain among legislators, including Morey, who view eligibility rules as an issue best left to sports governing bodies, much to the frustration of the civil rights lawyer Nancy Hogshead.
Like Morey, <a href="https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/nancy-hogshead" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hogshead</a> competed against the East German women during their steroid era, though not at the Olympics. The GDR was among the <a href="https://www.medalswithoutborders.com/1980-1984-olympic-boycotts/">nineteen countries that boycotted</a> the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, where Hogshead raced to three golds.
The uneven playing field she was helpless to correct has informed Hogshead’s decades-long work as a fierce legal advocate for women’s sports. Hogshead, the CEO of Champion Women, an organization <a href="https://www.championwomen.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">engaged in restricting sports spaces</a> to those assigned female at birth, said, “When I hear what Marcia is saying, I hear a very typical fear. No one wants to be on the other side of the trans women activists, who are quite violent.”
She said, “One of the reasons why I stayed in this battle is because nobody stood up for us against the East Germans. We were all told not to say anything about steroids.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
And remember for 20yrs the IOC allowed East Germany to drug its female athletes meaning women lost out &amp;amp; young East German girls died prematurely
— Sharron Davies HoL MBE (@sharrond62) <a href="https://x.com/sharrond62/status/1929958833134145942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
They were told to be quiet then, Hogshead said, in the same fashion that Riley Gaines, among others, was silenced 38 years later when a biological male, Lia Thomas, competed alongside her at the 2022 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving championships.
“So, I was like, ‘Okay, I can do it,’” Hogshead said. Naming the tennis player Martina Navratilova, a 59-time Grand Slam champion in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, and the swimmer <a href="https://www.olympics.com/ioc/olympism-in-action/speakers/donna-de-varona" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Donna DeVarona,</a> a two-time Olympic champion in 1964, as others who have taken up the fight, Hogshead said, “We can continue speaking up on behalf of females. We have the stature, the history, the credibility to be able to. If we’re out front, we can get other people to come along.”
Their advocacy has affected change. One year after <a href="https://www.outkick.com/olympics/lia-thomas-wins-500-freestyle-national-championship-over-biological-females" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thomas was crowned an NCAA women’s individual champion,</a> the national governing body of the sport, USA Swimming, established a limit on testosterone levels that transgender women must maintain for at least three years to be cleared for competition. In addition, they must provide evidence, to be reviewed by a panel of medical experts, that they do not enjoy a competitive advantage as a result of having been assigned male at birth.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
500 free final @IvyLeague championships: Lia Thomas, formerly of the @PennSwimDive men&#8217;s team, won by over 7 seconds. You can hardly see the other women swimming at the far end of the pool by the time the race is over. For the women, &#8220;it was a race for second place.&#8221; https://t.co/3ItZnsGMtR
— Emily Kreps (@ekreps) <a href="https://x.com/ekreps/status/1494474871853793281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Two years later, the NCAA decreed that only student-athletes assigned female at birth may compete in NCAA women’s sports, though a biological male who identifies as female is able to practice with women’s teams.
Also in 2025, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee enacted an athlete safety policy that requires the national governing bodies under its purview to be in alignment with an executive order issued by President Trump that tracked the NCAA policy.
And in March of this year, the International Olympic Committee, the international governing body for Olympic sports, revised its transgender policy to restrict eligibility for any female category event to biological females as determined by a one-time screening for the SRY gene, a key determinant of male sex development.
It’s a different story at the grassroots level. Twenty-one states, including Washington, allow all students the freedom to participate in athletics in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association policy paved the way this fall for a biological male, Logan Mihailoff, to switch, mid-season, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/high-school/camas-cross-country-team-transgender-athlete-qualify-for-state/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=owned_echobox_tw_m&amp;utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1793490755-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">from the boys’ cross country team to the girls’ squad.</a> In a regional race on Halloween, Mihailoff finished seventh to qualify for the girls’ state championships and help the Camas HS girls’ team qualify for the team event (without Mihailoff’s points, another team would have advanced in Camas’ place).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Camas, Washington — regional girls cross country race. Logan Mihailoff takes off, assuming a top spot early in the race. He competed on the boys team in early September, always bottom of the pack.
Now it appears he’ll make State in the girls’ division. https://t.co/KJ03Fv7LZO
— Jennifer Sey (@JenniferSey) <a href="https://x.com/JenniferSey/status/2116627873880793384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“That’s the guideline they are governed by,” Morey said. Each athlete has the freedom to “decide for herself,” she said, how to proceed — as she did in the 1970s against the East Germans and also in college at Division III <a href="https://millikin.edu/">Millikin University</a> in her hometown of Decatur, Ill., where she competed on the men’s team and was occasionally banned from racing by opposing coaches.
Morey swam on the men’s team because the university didn’t field a women’s team at the time. The 1972 passage of Title IX, a landmark Civil Rights law that prohibited sex-based discrimination in any school program that receives federal funding, led to the carving out for women of their own competitive space through the proliferation of women’s sports teams at the high school and college levels.
On Tuesday, Washington residents were voting on a <a href="https://letsgowashington.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IL26-638-TEXT.pdf">ballot measure to require biological sex verification</a> for girls’ sports from kindergarten through twelfth grade. In the meantime, some girls, including a few from Camas High, have refused to run in races in which Mihailoff is entered.
“If it unfairly skews competition results, that may be a different issue that the governing body should take into consideration,” said Morey, who, like Hogshead, had her life’s work informed by her Olympic experience. Her humanistic approach, with its emphasis on individual dignity and well-being, was shaped by the ongoing friendship she forged with one of her East German rivals, <a href="https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/renate-vogel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Renate Vogel</a>, who she came to see as a victim, too, of the cheating culture forced upon her.
Noting that the East Germans were, as she described it, “pawns of their government” who were given steroids without their knowledge or consent, Morey said, “We may have lost our races, but they lost their freedom.”
Before Morey became a legislator, she served as a circuit court judge in North Carolina where her work primarily revolved around juveniles and criminal justice, the judiciary and public safety.
The kids labeled “punks” and “thugs” that came through her courtroom were rarely committing the monstrous acts that generated the headlines, she said. Those were the outliers, whose actions were not a reflection, she said, of the kids she saw whose lives were lacking support and guidance.
Morey believes the outliers whose gender identities do not match their sex assigned at birth deserve support, but it’s complicated. She found her stance articulated in <a href="https://www.championwomen.org/fair-and-safe-sports" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a petition to support fair and safe sports for girls and women</a> spearheaded by Hogshead’s organization.
The third paragraph caught Morey’s eye: “We support inclusion for all, but in the appropriate sport category. Males identifying as transgender, non-binary, gender-fluid, or any other identity are encouraged to compete in the male category. These athletes are encouraged to follow the lead of females, who overwhelmingly compete in their sex category, the women’s category, regardless of their gender identity.”
That standpoint, Morey said, “is great and acknowledges inclusion and support for transgender athletes in the appropriate category.” She added, “I’d support the petition.”
In 1976, Morey said she felt defeated before she stepped on the blocks in Montreal, having watched the East German women shatter world records right and left in the lead-up to the Olympics. The feeling that she had let down her family, her community, and her country on her sport’s biggest stage weighed heavily on Morey. It didn’t help that she was surrounded by adults who advised her not to complain or speak out. Instead of a medal, she came away from the Olympics with anorexia nervosa.
“I couldn’t see my self-worth,” said Morey, who struggled with the eating disorder for several years.
Similarly, McNabb, the volleyball player, said her encounter with the opponent assigned male at birth has left her with long-term mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Though opposites politically, Morey and McNabb share this single truth: In battles waged on unlevel playing fields, the wounds leave lasting scars.

MarciaMorey copy

Robbed By Olympic Dopers In ’76, A Liberal Lawmaker Now Battles Transgenders In Sports

marcia morey

nancy hogshead

north carolina

title ix

transgender athletes in women's sports

This article was written by Jason Foster and published on <a href="https://sportandstate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sport &amp; State</a>, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation. * * * * *
There’s an argument to be made that nobody did more to grow Major League Baseball’s popularity in the second half of the 20th century than former Braves owner Ted Turner.
In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to say that untold millions around the country are baseball fans today because of him, even if they don’t realize it. His official baseball title was “owner” (and for one day, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/cut4/38-years-ago-then-braves-owner-ted-turner-decided-to-manage-his-own-team-for-a-game/c-123387944" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.mlb.com/cut4/38-years-ago-then-braves-owner-ted-turner-decided-to-manage-his-own-team-for-a-game/c-123387944">manager</a>), but he was much more than that.
Thanks to TBS, the network Turner built basically from scratch starting in the mid-1970s, generations came to discover nightly baseball and fall in love with the game. I’ve long believed that such a legacy deserves recognition among the game’s all-time innovators and influencers, and there’s finally a chance to make it happen.
Turner’s name was among those announced Monday on the Baseball Hall of Fame‘s Contemporary Era ballot, which recognizes managers, umpires and executives whose primary contribution to baseball came after 1980. The candidates will be judged by a 16-member panel of executives, former players, media members and historians. Results will be announced Dec. 6, and a candidate must receive at least 75 percent of the vote for induction.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Contemporary Baseball Era ballot features four managers and four executives for consideration in the Hall of Fame Class of 2027.
Results will be announced at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 6: https://t.co/ofvHWarX4I https://t.co/xZ8WpqqgkZ
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) <a href="https://x.com/baseballhall/status/2117285717021954527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Turner, who died May 6 at age 87, should’ve been elected to the Hall of Fame years ago, but this is the first time he’s appeared on a ballot. Still, voters shouldn’t let the opportunity pass to honor a guy who was a significant and historic ambassador for baseball, just from an unconventional perspective.
The “Mouth of the South,” as Turner was once known because of his flamboyant, outspoken and sometimes controversial personality, is as deserving as anyone up for consideration in this cycle, including some who are considered locks. Most notably, former managers Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy are virtual shoo-ins, and rightly so.
Baker was a beloved figure as a player and manager, and led his teams to multiple playoff appearances, three pennants and a World Series title with the Astros in 2022. Bochy, meanwhile, led the Giants championship dynasty of the 2010s, resulting in three World Series titles, and later won a fourth title with the Rangers in 2023.
There are other worthy candidates on the ballot, but none should overshadow Turner, whose influence will continue to be felt at least as long as there are Braves fans old enough to remember the TBS days. It’s a story that can’t be overstated.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Nightly baseball for a nation</h3>
It was Turner’s entertaining mix of businessman, innovator, maverick, and just the right amount of crazy that led him to buy a struggling local Atlanta TV station and later decide to beam it via satellite to millions of homes around the country.
When Turner bought the Braves in 1976, it just made sense to lean into the team as a programming staple for his superstation, which was rebranded as WTBS in 1979. The Braves gave Turner a reliable 150-plus nights of easy and affordable programming each year, but even he probably had no idea where that would lead.
By the mid-’80s, TBS was seen in more than 50 million homes, and the Braves had amassed a large and loyal following, despite a lot of losing. Turner dubbed them “America’s Team,” and it was only slightly hyperbolic, given that they were the only nightly baseball option for large swaths of the country.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Atlanta Braves America&amp;apos;s Team 1982 News Story" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ykTGLqXUfJ4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Throughout the ’90s, after the Braves had established a culture of winning, <a href="https://sportandstate.com/2026/10/27/when-america-had-a-team-there-will-never-be-another-bunch-like-the-1991-braves/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="link" data-id="https://sportandstate.com/2026/10/27/when-america-had-a-team-there-will-never-be-another-bunch-like-the-1991-braves/">their popularity only grew</a> as TBS eventually reached upward of 77 million households during the decade. Enthusiasm remained strong into the 2000s as the team continued to build a streak of division titles that didn’t end until 2006.
By the time the network stopped broadcasting the team after the 2007 season, Turner no longer owned either. But the love of baseball he created and helped flourish over 20-plus years continues to endure. It really is a remarkable achievement, not quite on par with his creation of CNN or his work as a philanthropist, but a massive accomplishment in its own right.
Turner was a unique owner who worked his media magic during a unique time in history, seeing potential where nobody else saw it and creating a baseball legacy that will continue to span generations.
It’s time to reward that legacy with a permanent place in Cooperstown.

TedTurner

Ted Turner Should Be In The Baseball Hall Of Fame. It’s Time To Make That Happen.

atlanta braves

baseball hall of fame

major league baseball

ted turner

This article was written by Mark J. Burns and published on <a href="https://sportandstate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sport &amp; State</a>, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation. * * * * *
Angel Reese’s layup struggles have drawn plenty of attention and scrutiny during her WNBA career. You might have seen complete social media mashups highlighting Reese’s inability to finish at the rim, like the video below from a single game.
Now, soon-to-be free agent Sophie Cunningham and her podcast co-host Drew Hanlen directly pointed toward the Atlanta Dream forward’s struggles around the basket during the WNBA Finals.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
How does Angel Reese miss all these WIDE OPEN layups in one game 😭😭😭 https://t.co/qgPTG8nfCk
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) <a href="https://x.com/BrickCenter_/status/2079616471987360033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“This is the thing that holds her back because in Games 2 and 3, she looked so dominant,” said Hanlen on the latest episode of No Hesitation.
<a href="https://sportandstate.com/2026/11/02/sophie-cunningham-continues-win-wnba-social-media-game/">Cunningham</a> responded, “But it’s because she was making her layups. … She was dominant because she was making these.”
In Games 4-7, <a href="https://sportandstate.com/tag/angel-reese/">Reese</a> went 12 of 45 from the field, with Hanlen describing the misses as “they’re just all layups.” Reese also committed a whopping 19 turnovers during the four-game stretch.
“Improving her touch around the rim is ultimately what’s going to lead her to being the player that she can become,” he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sophie Cunningham &amp;amp; Drew Hanlen discuss Angel Reese’s lack of finishing around the rim:
“Improving her touch around the rim is ultimately what’s going to lead her to being the player that she can become…”
(via @NoHesiShow) https://t.co/3OtuDFltCq
— Kyle Ingram (@SnapshotKyle) <a href="https://x.com/SnapshotKyle/status/2117328227492663310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“She was literally looking like the MVP because of the consistency of her making her layups,” Cunningham said.
“She is tall, she is strong, she gets these shots. … That’s always been the name of the game for her. I’m not saying anything no one hasn’t said.”
Later in the podcast, Cunningham asked Hanlen why so many women’s basketball players miss wide open layups. She didn’t mention Reese by name, but it’s hard to argue she didn’t have the three-time All Star in mind when she popped the question.
“It’s a joke because it actually happens,” Cunningham said. “Like, what the f*ck is that?”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m0DUGnjTH80?si=0N1p81-L__zxRyYR" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Hanlen explained that it’s a combination of athleticism, distance from the basket, and an inability to absorb contact.
“But, dude, these are wide open layups, though?” said Cunningham, leading to an eventual smile and laugh from Hanlen.
“Some of those, I have no answer for you to be honest with you,” he said. “The open ones, I have no answer for you. I have none.”
Frankly, I don’t have an answer for you either, but you know what they say, practice makes perfect.
Get your shots up this offseason.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://x.com/markjburns88" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Follow Mark J. Burns on X @markjburns88</a></h3>

sophie-angel

Angel Reese’s Layup Struggles Have Sophie Cunningham Asking Question: ‘WTF Is That?!’

angel reese

atlanta dream

sophie cunningham

wnba

wnba finals

<div id="message-list_1790698703.583759" aria-setsize="-1">
<div>
<div aria-roledescription="message">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div draggable="false">
<div>
<div>This article was written by Matt Foley and published on <a href="https://sportandstate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sport &amp; State</a>, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation. * * * * *</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama speaks multiple languages, plays chess, does kung fu and meditates with Buddhist monks, and believes shoes are an unnecessary obstacle to human athleticism.
He also supports the ongoing political riots in France and thinks Americans are a little shallow.
Nobody’s perfect.
On the latest episode of 60 Minutes, the 22-year-old Frenchman offered a glimpse into the mind of one of the most interesting young personalities in the sports world.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
What does French NBA star Victor Wembanyama like about living in the U.S.? “You&#8217;re never judged for being ambitious.”
The downside? “I think the social interactions are more shallow here,” he tells 60 Minutes.
His full interview, Sunday on 60 Minutes. https://t.co/R5wto7HJ6r
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href="https://x.com/60Minutes/status/2116597366824341906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Wembanyama is a thoughtful, curious, and open young man — a rare delicacy in modern professional sports. He’s unapologetically ambitious, but he seems to be chasing something greater than the obscene wealth that comes from NBA stardom.
Listening to Wemby answer a question is like discovering <a href="https://sportandstate.com/2026/10/23/lamelo-ball-in-minnesota-is-already-an-entertaining-mess-dont-look-away/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the antidote to LaMelo Ball</a>.
And while his assessment of American social life deserves some pushback, Wembanyama brings more positive than negative to the American sporting landscape.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">A shallow interpretation</h3>
Asked about life in America, Wembanyama offered an interesting contradiction. He called America “the best place in the world to be a professional athlete,” and praised the United States as a place where ambition is celebrated rather than resented.
But Wembanyama also suggested that American social interactions lack the depth he’s experienced in other countries. That’s a pretty sweeping cultural judgment from someone who has, in his own words, “never lived a normal life in the U.S.”
Wemby may be right that the untethered American pursuit of excellence and accumulation breeds more transactional day-to-day social interactions. But it’s hard to know how much weight to give his anecdotal evidence.
This is a 7-foot-4 Frenchman on the cusp of a 9-figure net worth. His day-to-day schedule is filled with trainers and coaches and agents and marketing executives who see him as a dollar sign and a championship ring.
In the few moments he steps out into the San Antonio public, he’s probably treated more like a demigod than a typical civilian.
So, no, I don’t doubt that Wemby has largely shallow social interactions in America. But that reality is a product of his extraordinary position more than a reflection of the American collective.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Breath of fresh air</h3>
The rest of Wembanyama’s interview revealed plenty of reasons why this guy has a chance to help restore some sanity to the NBA.
Wemby explained how chess sharpens his decision-making and how an extended stay with Buddhist monks in China challenged his ability to meditate. He also expressed a desire to promote healthy habits rather than becoming another celebrity influencer for every lucrative vice available.
“I want to promote healthy things, things that make people’s lives better,” he said.
He detailed why he believes barefoot training is a <a href="https://x.com/Ballislife/status/2117275790916178404" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">key to his longevity</a>, and when asked whether he deserved last season’s MVP award, Wembanyama dismissed the suggestion before declaring he should win it this year.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say that sounds like pure-bred American confidence.
Wembanyama’s recent public support for the ongoing protests and riots in France suggests his political instincts don’t align with a large swath of this country, but at a time when professional sports feel overrun by manufactured personalities, rehearsed talking points, and athletes who mistake social-media engagement for intellectual depth, at least he’s genuinely interested in understanding the world.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I don&#8217;t even remember many American NBA players publicly encouraging the riots in 2020 when everybody was losing their minds. Now Victor Wembanyama appears to be applauding the riots tearing apart his home country of France. Shame on him. He owes everyone an explanation. https://t.co/QLxoBWwiYW
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/2112665898570133750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He might have a warped view of American social interactions, and he might be years away from his early-onset Republicanism setting in, but he clearly appreciates the opportunities that the United States offers.
And as the NBA <a href="https://sportandstate.com/2026/10/30/we-are-all-witnesses-nba-is-ready-for-post-lebron-era-even-though-hes-still-playing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transitions into its post-LeBron era</a>, that’s a compelling personality to build around.

Victor

Victor Wembanyama: U.S. Is ‘More Shallow’ Than Other Nations, Still Great For Athletes

60 minutes

france

san antonio spurs

victor wembanyama

Menu

Sport & State