UCF has inquired concerning the availability of USC coach Lincoln Riley in its seek for a alternative for Gus Malzahn, three people aware of those discussions said Wednesday.

There was no indication that Riley was enthusiastic about the move, the people said. He has reportedly been on a 10-year contract for 3 seasons that pays him about $10 million per yr.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because all conversations were private and UCF didn’t publicly release details of its coaching search.

Riley's contract is just not publicly available because USC is a personal school, but moving him away from Southern California – if he wanted to go away – would likely cost tens of hundreds of thousands of dollars, either for the Trojans or for the varsity trying to poach him.

According to a source, UCF officials reached out to Riley's representative last weekend and inquired about his interest in moving across the country. Any discussions about adjusting the terms of Riley's contract could be between him and USC, sources said.

The first source added that UCF has received no word from Riley's camp that he’s enthusiastic about leaving USC and that the varsity remains to be in search of multiple candidates to fill the top coaching emptiness.

Firing Riley, whose win total has declined in each of his three seasons with the Trojans, would cost USC about $90 million, based on considered one of the sources. If Riley were to vary schools, he wouldn't owe USC anything. But UCF is in no position to repeat the deal Riley made at USC. Malzahn earned $4 million at UCF in 2024.

Two sources said even when Riley had an interest within the move, it might require some payout from his current contract with USC to make up for what he would quit within the transition — like an expert sports deal where a team pays a portion of a player's remaining salary on a big contract and the receiving team covers the remainder.

Riley was hired at USC by former athletic director Mike Bohn, who resigned within the spring of 2023 amid controversy. University President Carol Folt also oversaw the hiring and will likely be retiring this summer, meaning two of the primary parties involved in bringing Riley to USC will likely be gone.

Jen Cohen, Washington's former athletic director, was hired as head of the athletic department in August 2023. She inherited Riley and his contract.

It finds itself within the unenviable position of getting a football program that isn't doing well but having a coach who is simply too expensive to maneuver on from. In the spring, Cohen navigated a fragile situation with men's basketball coach Andy Enfield, whose term had expired but whose track record was too good to justify firing. He eventually took the SMU job and Cohen hired Eric Musselman from Arkansas to exchange him.

Even if there’s a suitor for Riley, getting out of his deal appears to be harder.

Malzahn left UCF after 4 seasons as head coach to turn into offensive coordinator at Florida State. The Knights posted a 10-15 overall record and a 5-13 league record of their first two seasons within the Big 12 after switching from the American Athletic Conference. UCF received only a partial share of Big 12 revenue last yr, about $18 million, and is scheduled to receive about $19 million for the 2024-25 fiscal yr.

In 2025-2026, the number increases to the total share, which is anticipated to be about twice these numbers.

Riley is 25-14 at USC since being lured to Los Angeles from Oklahoma after the 2021 regular season. It was a seismic move for the Trojans, taking away a coach with a 55-10 record in Norman and two Heisman Trophy winners in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.

The Trojans went 11-3 in Riley's first season, with one other Heisman winner in Caleb Williams, the star quarterback who followed the Oklahoma coach to USC. But since then the outcomes have been trending within the flawed direction.

USC achieved an 8-5 record in 2023, its final season within the Pac-12, and finished its first regular season within the Big Ten with an overall record of 6-6 (4-5 in league play).

After the 2023 season, Riley said that he “didn't come here (USC) for any short-term reason and as long as SC continues to give us the support and the things we need to continue to build this two-year rebuild, this hasn't been a success.” .”

Recruiting didn’t meet the high expectations that got here with Riley's hiring. USC continues to regress on the sphere each season and this system doesn't appear to have much direction going forward, making Riley's prospects seem hazy at best.

Almost half of adolescents and three-quarters of adults within the United States were classified as clinically chubby or obese in 2021. Rates have greater than doubled in comparison with 1990.

Our study predicts that by 2050, without urgent intervention, greater than 80% of adults and almost 60% of adolescents might be classified as chubby or obese. These are the important thing findings of our current study, published within the journal The Lancet.

Synthesis of body mass index data from 132 unique sources within the US, including nationally And State-representative surveysWe examined the historical trend of obesity and chubby from 1990 to 2021 and projected estimates through 2050.

For people aged 18 and over, the condition that health researchers call “overweight” has been defined as “overweight”. Body mass indexor BMI of 25 kilograms per square meter (kg/m²) to lower than 30 kg/m² and obesity from a BMI of 30 kg/m² or higher. For people under 18, we have now defined the definitions based on the International Obesity Task Force criteria.

This study was conducted by the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 US Obesity Forecasting Collaborator Group, which incorporates over 300 experts and researchers specializing in obesity.

Why it matters

The US already has one in all these the very best rates of obesity and chubby on the planet. Our study estimated that in 2021 a complete of 208 million people within the USA were medically classified as chubby or obese.

Has obesity slowed health improvements and life expectancy within the United States in comparison with other high-income countries. Previous studies have shown this In 2021 alone, obesity was accountable for 335,000 deaths and is one of the dominant and fastest growing risk aspects for poor health and early death. obesity increases the chance from diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, cancer and mental disorders.

The economic impact of obesity can also be profound. A report published in 2024 by Republican members of the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress, predicted healthcare costs related to obesity will rise to $9.1 trillion over the following decade.

The rise in obesity rates amongst children and adolescents is especially worrying greater than doubled amongst young people aged 15 to 24 since 1990. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show that just about 20% of youngsters and adolescents within the United States are between the ages of two and 19 living with obesity.

Our forecast results suggest that by 2050, one in five children and one in three adolescents will suffer from obesity. The increase in obesity amongst children and adolescents not only triggers the early onset of chronic diseases, but additionally negatively impacts mental health, social interactions and physical performance.

What other research is being conducted?

Our research has shown significant geographic variation within the prevalence of chubby and obesity across states, with southern US states having among the highest rates.

Other studies of obesity within the United States have also highlighted significant socioeconomic, racial and ethnic disparities. This is what previous studies suggest Black and Hispanic populations have higher rates of obesity in comparison with their white counterparts. These differences are even greater reinforced by systemic barriersincluding discrimination, unequal access to education, healthcare and economic inequalities.

Another lively area of ​​research is identifying effective obesity interventions, including a recent study in Seattle supporting taxation of sweetened beverages decreased average body mass index in children. Various community-based studies also examined initiatives geared toward this Improving access to physical activity and healthy eating, especially in underserved areas.

Clinical research was actively explored recent anti-obesity drugs and continuous monitoring of the Effectiveness and safety of current medications.

In addition, there may be a growing variety of scientific studies technology-driven behavioral interventionsB. mobile health apps to support weight management. However, it shouldn’t be yet clear whether lots of these programs are scalable and sustainable. This gap hinders the broader adoption and adaptation of effective interventions and limits their potential impact on the population level.

What's next?

Our study predicts trends within the prevalence of chubby and obesity over the following three many years, from 2022 to 2050, unless motion is taken.

With the introduction of latest generation anti-obesity drugs, the treatment of obesity could change significantly. However, the magnitude of this impact relies on aspects similar to cost, accessibility, coverage, long-term effectiveness and variability in individual responses. Future research must use essentially the most current findings.

CVS Health's The board has hired consultants to conduct a strategic review of its business as the corporate grapples with potential activist pressure and a sharply fallen stock price, in line with people acquainted with the matter.

The review has been underway for a while, the people said, but there isn’t a certainty about what motion, if any, the corporate will take. A split of the insurance and trading business is one in all the choices being considered, it is alleged.

CVS management, including CEO Karen Lynch, met with major shareholder Glenview Capital on Monday to debate the corporate's declining outlook and Glenview's plans to revive the stock, CNBC previously reported.

In a press release, CVS spokesman David Whitrap told CNBC: “CVS Health's management team and Board of Directors continually seek opportunities to create shareholder value. We remain focused on driving performance and delivering high-quality healthcare services enabled by our unmatched scale and integrated model.”

CVS shares rose about 1% in premarket trading on Tuesday on the news, which was first reported by Reuters on Monday.

Lynch has struggled with an insurance business that has suffered from increased medical costs, which led to a leadership change earlier this year. Lynch took direct control of CVS's insurance division in August, replacing then-president Brian Kane.

The company also announced a new plan in August to cut spending by $2 billion over several years. On Monday, CVS said this would mean a reduction of less than 1% of its workforce, or about 2,900 workers.

The company owns Aetna health insurance, which includes Affordable Act, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans, as well as dental and vision insurance.

In particular, medical costs for Medicare Advantage patients have skyrocketed for insurers like CVS, UnitedHealth Group and Humana in the last year as more seniors return to hospitals to undergo procedures they had put off during the Covid pandemic, such as such as hip and joint replacements.

Medicare AdvantagePrivately run health insurance under Medicare has long been an important source of growth and profit for the entire insurance sector. More than half According to health policy research organization KFF, starting in 2024, most Medicare beneficiaries will be enrolled in these plans because they are lured by lower monthly premiums and additional benefits not covered by traditional Medicare.

But Wall Street is increasingly concerned about the out-of-control costs of Medicare Advantage plans, which insurers warn won't go down any time soon.

In August, CVS said so Forecast for the full year lowered reflected a decline in the company's Medicare Advantage star rating in 2024. These ratings are critical because they help patients compare the quality of Medicare health and drug plans and determine how much an insurer receives in bonus payments from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

CVS predicted last year that it would lose up to $1 billion in 2024 due to lower star ratings, the company said in a statement Deposit of securities.

Unlike insurers like Humana, CVS has two other business lines – its retail pharmacy and health services segments – that could help mitigate the impact of higher medical costs.

The company's pharmacy and consumer wellness division reported year-over-year sales growth in the second quarter, driven in part by increased prescription volume. The unit dispenses prescriptions at more than 9,000 retail pharmacies across the U.S. and offers other pharmacy services such as vaccinations and diagnostic testing.

However, the company said declining prescription drug reimbursement rates and lower volume at the front of the retail store, where it sells everything from pantry staples to makeup and cleaning products, weighed on the unit's sales in the quarter.

Inflation, weaker consumer spending, theft and competition from Amazon and grocery giants are putting pressure on retailers. In August, CVS said same-store sales at the front of the store fell about 4% in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, reflecting a “general softening in consumer demand.”

CVS is counting on its private label products to draw shoppers away from national brands to combat inflation.

—

Glenview Capital, a significant CVS Health The shareholder is anticipated to satisfy with company leadership on Monday to propose solutions to the troubled company, people aware of the matter say, a possible precursor to an activist push.

The hedge fund has built a large position in the corporate, some people said. Glenview invests in a wide range of sectors, but its most up-to-date regulatory filings show that the corporate holds positions in these sectors HundredsCVS and Teva Pharmaceuticals under other names.

Details of Glenview's proposals couldn’t be learned. The Wall Street Journal first reported that Glenview would meet with CVS management, including CEO Karen Lynch.

A CVS spokesman said the corporate “maintains a regular dialogue with the investment community as part of our comprehensive shareholder and analyst engagement program.”

“Furthermore, we cannot comment on engagement with specific companies or individuals,” the spokesperson said.

Shares of CVS rose about 2% in early trading Monday. Before Monday's open, the stock had fallen about 22% for the reason that start of the yr.

The meeting with Glenview is just not CVS's first encounter with an activist. Earlier this yr, Sachem Head Capital Management, the outstanding activist fund led by Scott Ferguson, disclosed in regulatory filings that it had built a stake in the corporate.

Jeff Smith's Starboard Value also built a stake in the corporate in 2019 and likewise held discussions with management.

Investor confidence in CVS has fallen after three straight quarters of full-year forecast cuts.

The company's bottom line is being hurt by higher medical costs in its insurance segment – a problem plaguing all the healthcare industry as more seniors undergo procedures that they had delayed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

CVS owns Aetna, the nation third largest health insurer by market share, in accordance with the American Medical Association. The company's insurance unit includes Aetna's Affordable Care Act, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans, in addition to dental and vision insurance.

In its second-quarter leads to August, CVS unveiled a brand new plan to chop spending by $2 billion over several years, which would come with streamlining operations and increasing the usage of artificial intelligence. The company can also be finalizing a three-year plan to shut 900 of its stores, with 851 locations scheduled to shut by August.

CVS is cutting lower than 1% of its workforce, or about 2,900 jobs, as a part of the brand new cost-cutting plan, an organization spokesman said in an announcement Monday. The spokesman said the cuts would primarily impact corporate functions, not employees at the corporate's retail stores, pharmacies and distribution centers.

The majority of affected employees might be notified this week and can receive severance and other advantages, the spokesman said. Aside from layoffs, CVS has closed some open positions, they said.

“Our industry faces ongoing disruption, regulatory pressures and changing consumer needs and expectations. Therefore, it is critical that we remain competitive and deliver excellence,” the spokesperson told CNBC.

First, the Wall Street Journal reported the cuts on Monday.

Also in August, CVS announced a leadership change based on the performance and prospects of its insurance division. The company said CEO Lynch will replace segment president Brian Kane, effective immediately.

Meanwhile, CVS is under increased pressure in its pharmacy retail business. Reimbursement rates for prescribed drugs have fallen lately, while inflation and weaker consumer spending have made it harder for CVS locations to show a profit in stores.

Caitlin Clark made her mark within the record books in the course of the 2024 WNBA season and was named the league's rookie of the yr, league sources said Friday.

Clark winning the award was no surprise considering how productive her debut season was.

Clark broke each the WNBA's single-season and single-game assist records. She scored probably the most rookie points ever and probably the most point guard points ever. She became the primary rookie to record two triple-doubles and the primary Fever player ever to record a triple-double.

These are only a number of of their many accomplishments: Averaging 19.2 points and eight.4 assists per game – numbers that were even higher within the second half of the season – led the Fever to their first postseason appearance since 2016. Indiana also improved its win total at seven in 2024.

Clark, the No. 1 pick within the 2024 WNBA Draft, got here into the league as probably the most anticipated rookie in league history. She thrived for 4 seasons at Iowa, leading the Hawkeyes to 2 Final Fours and setting NCAA Division I women's basketball and major college women's basketball records.

The spectacle surrounding Clark followed her into the skilled ranks. While Clark stunned fans and tormented opponents, she also played an important role in a season of explosive growth for the WNBA. Six different league television partners set viewership records for the most-watched WNBA game this yr, and all six featured “Fever.”

Attendance in Indianapolis reached a record high: a median of 17,036 fans packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse for home games. For the primary time in WNBA history, Indiana led the league in attendance.

However, Friday's news doesn’t reflect the Clark Effect off the sector, but quite their successes between the 4 lines of the sector.

“She was special,” Indiana coach Christie Sides said before the playoffs. “She came to the best league in the world, the best women’s basketball league in the world. She has found her footing. She's getting better and better. She has put herself in a position to be considered one of the best players in the league. That’s unbelievable for a rookie.”

In the primary half of the season it seemed as if the Rookie of the Year race could be one among the closest ever. Through the primary two months of the season, Angel Reese helped the Sky stay in playoff contention. She recorded 14 double-doubles in 20 games and broke Candace Parker's consecutive double-double streak.

Like Clark, Reese earned All-Star honors and was named WNBA Rookie of the Month for June. She set the league's single-season total rebound record (446) and recorded the very best rebound per game average in WNBA history (13.1).

As the No. 7 draft pick, Reese would have grow to be only the third player to be named Rookie of the Year, following No. 6 within the WNBA draft. But her second half proved different than her first. Chicago was struggling and Reese was ultimately ruled out for the remaining of the season on September eighth with a wrist injury. The Sky missed the postseason.

During the season, Clark and Reese downplayed the importance of the race.

“I'm sure (Angel) would give you the exact same answer – I'm sure she gave you the exact same answer,” Clark said in late August. “So for us, anyone can write that, but our focus is on winning basketball games. It’s that simple.”

Reese said: “We don’t care about Rookie of the Year either. I think you guys made it a big deal. We don't have that. We both want to win. We always wanted to win, and we did that in our college careers.”

Clark became the third consecutive No. 1 pick to win the highest rookie award.

“I know there is still a lot of room for me to continue to improve,” Clark said after the Fever were knocked out of the playoffs by the Connecticut Sun. “I feel like I’ve had a solid year, but the nice thing about it for me is I feel like I’m just scratching the surface.”

Collier wins DPOY Award

From the beginning of the regular season to its conclusion, the Minnesota Lynx had probably the greatest defenses within the WNBA. And that defense now boasts the league's best defender after Napheesa Collier was named the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, league sources said Friday.

The Lynx finished the yr first in opponent field goal percentage (41), first in opponent 3-point percentage (30.1), first in opponent assist rate (18.6) and just below Second in defensive rating (94.8). Collier's versatility was key to her success because the anchor of Minnesota's defense.

Collier was often tasked with guarding an opponent's best frontcourt players. At other moments, she pivoted to offer crucial assistance. It was particularly effective against top competition, because the Lynx went 7-4 against the opposite top-four playoff seeds, including Minnesota's Commissioner's Cup victory.

Collier ranked second within the WNBA in steals per game (1.9) and eighth in blocks (1.4 per game). According to Synergy Sports, opponents shot just 34.3 percent against them.

“I am so proud of Phee's defensive work in 2024. Her commitment to all aspects of our defense – deflections, rejections, steals, blocks, rebounds – has anchored one of the best defensive teams in the league and led to their best season ever as a professional,” Lynx -Trainer Cheryl Reeve said the AP.

Minnesota finished second within the WNBA standings and defeated the Phoenix Mercury in the primary round of the playoffs. The Lynx, winners of 4 WNBA titles, need to win their fifth this postseason. If they accomplish that, they might move into first place in titles won by an energetic WNBA franchise, breaking the tie with the Seattle Storm.

Game 1 of their semifinal series against the third-seeded Sun is scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Required reading

Even news agencies considered politically neutral can profit from today's polarized media landscape.

The last decade has seen an increase in partisan online news sites that obviously goal one side of the American political spectrum, from the right-wing Blaze Media to the openly liberal Axios. Money is a significant driver of this media polarization: User engagement translates into dollars for subscriptions or promoting. Online news agencies’ revenues rely on attracting attention from a increasingly polarized reading public known Avoid journalism this doesn’t confirm their existing prejudices.

Surprisingly, these same dynamics can even attract readers of all stripes to officially non-partisan media. This is the unexpected conclusion of a Article I co-authored and published within the June 2024 issue of the Journal of Management Information Systems. It found that news sources perceived as unbiased sometimes adjust their story presentation to appeal to partisans.

This is sweet for his or her business results, at the least within the short term, nevertheless it is probably not so good for American democracy.

Polarized politics, polarized readers

My co-authors and I examined the interplay of political partisanship and the competition for audience attention between three hypothetical news channels: one left, one right, and one centrist.

In a series of studies using computer models and game theory, we simulated competition amongst news organizations in various kinds of media markets, including a market with minimal regulation, equivalent to the United States.

Studies show that American readers have grow to be more partisan Over the past 30 years, this has been the case for a lot of American news sources. At the identical time, a handful of perceived neutral web sites, equivalent to The Hill and Reuters, have gained notoriety without major controversy.

We desired to know: How might the US “marketplace” for information evolve within the face of accelerating polarization?

Our model assumed that in a market with minimal regulation, competition amongst news media corporations is a key driver of change.

Surprisingly, we found that news outlets perceived as relatively neutral can have a competitive advantage over partisan media on either side because they will still lean right or left. Unlike publications with an already well-articulated political area of interest, centrist media retain the pliability to distort their views.

This partisan bias might begin with small, isolated changes in wording, but when those changes result in greater partisan engagement, neutral news web sites may be encouraged to drive more lasting polarization.

Essentially, they were testing the boundaries and seeing how far they may turn left or right without losing their perceived neutrality.

Has this process already begun?

Many supposedly neutral web sites have recently been accused of becoming more biased, but they deny this accusation.

The Associated Press, a venerable American news agency, was criticized in July 2024 for allegedly using language favoring President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump. In 2019, the owner of the political website The Hill, Trump aide James Finkelstein, said got here under fire for the web site’s “conspiracy theory” reporting on Biden’s dealings in Ukraine.

However, there are still just a few online outlets that stubbornly remain neutral.

The website AllSides categorizes news as “left,” “right,” or “center.” It names about 10 news sources which might be widely read by Americans as “unbiased.” These include Newsweek magazine, the UK-based news agency Reuters, and The Hillwhich regained its centrist base after being sold by Finkelstein in 2021.

Our research shows that these stubbornly centrist media outlets could gain a bigger, more partisan readership by change your presentation Style barely to the best or left.

At first, this will appear to be thing: As these readers read more centrist news, they arrive out of their partisan echo chambers. But our results suggest that over time, partisan engagement would encourage previously neutral media to cater to those partisans.

Polarization sells higher than neutrality, but on the expense of journalistic objectivity.

Democracy lives from the press

The lack of unbiased media wouldn’t be good for American democracy.

Democracies need an informed electorate that makes political decisions based on facts quite than dogma. The media plays an important role on this task, as US law once recognized. Fairness Doctrine of 1949 The Federal Communications Commission required broadcast networks to offer airtime to dissenting opinions on public issues.

The agency formally repealed the doctrine in 1987citing First Amendment concerns. Similar constitutional issues would likely prevent the revival of the Fairness Doctrine and stop the creation of comparable restrictions on digital and print media today.

Unless there may be direct intervention by regulators, neutral news organizations have an economic incentive to win the battle within the echo chambers of the web press. Occupying these chambers would destroy a final forum for fact-based discourse.

John Sterling could come out of retirement to commentate on the New York Yankees' postseason, in line with sources briefed to WFAN on the Yankees and Sterling's plans.

Earlier this season in April, 86-year-old Sterling retired from the team after 36 years. The Yankees held a farewell ceremony for him. A trio of Rickie Ricardo, Justin Shackil and Emmanuel Berbari replaced him.

This week, Sterling made a transient appearance within the Yankees' locker room, joining analyst Suzyn Waldman on stage as a commentator for several innings.

He is anticipated to seek advice from Chris Oliviero, president of Audacy New York, in the following few days whether he’ll return for the playoffs, in line with an individual briefed on the plans. Oliviero, who runs WFAN, has not yet officially asked Sterling.

“The ball is in their court,” Sterling said. “You'd have to ask. I'd feel sorry for the guys who have been at the games all year.”

Oliviero declined to comment.

While it's possible that WFAN and the Yankees could get Sterling to play in home playoff games, early indications from people briefed on the talks suggest he would must commit to all home and away playoff games. Travel was a serious reason Sterling resigned in April. He said by phone Thursday that the playoff scheduling makes that aspect easier.

When he returns, Sterling could commentate on a number of regular season games in preparation.

Regardless of whether he returns in October or not, Sterling is anticipated to retire after the season.

The Yankees and WFAN would then consider Ricardo, Shackil and Berbari for the job while conducting a nationwide search.

Recently, WFAN and the Yankees asked FS1 “Breakfast Ball” co-host Craig Carton to commentate on some games. Although Carton will not be a full-time candidate, team and radio officials liked what they heard and would invite him back. That likely won't occur this season, as Carton's “Breakfast Ball” responsibilities kick into high gear in September.

Required reading

ESPN has fired Sunday NFL Countdown host Samantha Ponder and analyst Robert Griffin III, sources acquainted with the changes said Thursday.

The decisions were made for financial reasons as ESPN closes its fiscal 12 months at the tip of September, based on a source acquainted with the matter. Both Ponder and Griffin earned greater than seven figures. Both were informed of ESPN's decision on Thursday morning, a source acquainted with the choice said. Neither Griffin nor Ponder responded to requests for comment, but Griffin has referred to the move in posts on X.

“I am grateful for so many people who have helped me grow during my time at ESPN because they are some of the best in the business. … THANK YOU to everyone who has supported my family during my playing days and my career as a presenter so far,” he wrote.

Ponder was entering the ultimate season of a three-year deal value greater than $3 million, sources briefed on her contract said. She was working only in the distinguished role of host of the “Sunday NFL Countdown” and was essentially off for the remaining of the 12 months. ESPN normally reserves those sorts of dates for the Joe Bucks, Troy Aikmans and Peyton Mannings of its world.

Possible successors to Ponder include “NFL Live” host Laura Rutledge and “Get Up” host Mike Greenberg. According to sources acquainted with the network's internal discussions, Greenberg is taken into account the favourite.

The severance packages for Ponder and Griffin are the one moves ESPN is making at the moment, but the corporate could make more pay cuts by the tip of September. However, the cuts are unlikely to be nearly as bad as last June, when around 20 big names were let go, including well-known figures reminiscent of Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber and Jalen Rose.

Griffin, who was considered a rising star at ESPN last 12 months, had two years left on his contract. He was hired three years ago after interest from Fox Sports and ESPN, where sources at each networks raved about what they called probably the greatest auditions they’d ever seen.

Last season, he was considered ESPN's second-best college football game analyst, together with Sean McDonough, however the job went to Greg McElroy.

ESPN declined to comment.

With Griffin's stock price falling, he was a major candidate for firing. His seven-figure annual salary might be maintained, but his role had shrunk a lot that ESPN decided not to maintain him.

The first real sign that Griffin was regressing was his removal from Monday Night Countdown, where he was featured on the premier pregame show for 2 years. ESPN hired Jason Kelce within the offseason to interchange Griffin.

Last season, Griffin was also a member of one in every of ESPN's top college game broadcast teams, working with live commentator Bob Wischusen.

Fox Sports has shown interest in Griffin through the years. When the network was searching for a substitute for Reggie Bush on its pregame show “Big Noon Kickoff,” Griffin was at the highest of the list, however the selection fell on one other former Heisman winner, Mark Ingram II.

Griffin is lively on social media and speaks out on quite a lot of topics, although there have been controversies at ESPN. Ponder doesn’t post as much on social media as Griffin, but has sometimes spoken out on transgender athletes and other politically charged topics.

In 2017, Ponder was given the glory of replacing the legendary Chris Berman on “Countdown.”

Berman, perhaps probably the most famous anchor within the network's history, stepped right down to make way for Ponder. She didn't have much NFL experience, having worked her way up at ESPN by playing a serious role on the legendary pregame show “College GameDay.”

Required reading