The NCAA is embroiled in several legal battles concerning allowing Penn swimmer Lia Thomas, the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship, to compete in the women’s category. Is the possibility of physical advantage the main point of contention? How can the situation be handled fairly for all athletes involved? What repercussions will follow, and how will professional sports organizations tackle the questions that are now being faced in the college realm?
There’s a new streaming company made up of Fox, ESPN, and Discovery proposing a complete sports network for $44.95/month. There would be a cross-section of all major sports, but would every show now available on other networks be included? How will this work with basic cable and streaming services? Would subscribers be allowed to keep the services they already have to complete the package?
Several coaches in the NFL are in hot water over what is considered legal tampering amid the free agent frenzy. The time frame in which these conversations took place is the issue, where talking with players during the Combine was allowed, but any discussions afterward are considered tampering. Does the NFL have clear rules for bringing new players on board, and how should coaches navigate this minefield?
The transfer portal for college basketball is opening while the current season is still being played by one-third of the teams. More trades are being made in the NCAA than in the NBA, and fans are having a hard time following their favorite teams because players are changing so frequently. Should players only be able to transfer after a coach has left or under conditions of family hardship? Has the “one and done” phenomenon exacerbated team continuity issues?
Michigan is down another coach in the wake of Jim Harbaugh’s move to the NFL, as Juwan Howard was fired after this season’s 8-24 losing basketball record. Did his heart health play a role in his dismissal? What does the future look like for the Michigan sports program with the round of coaching changes?
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