Nov 12, 2026 · 16 min
College athletes test the limits of sports labor power
11/12/26 - LIV Liquidation Plan, Polymarket Layoffs, Russini's Crashed Debut
The episode connects LIV Golf’s collapse, media turbulence, international NFL growth, and college athletes’ unresolved labor rights.
- 1LIV Golf moves toward liquidation after debts and a failed rescue effort expose the tour’s unstable business model.
- 2Tennessee’s mock labor agreement shows how college athletes could negotiate compensation and eligibility despite major legal barriers.
- 3The NFL’s international expansion is drawing strong audiences while Kirk Cousins navigates an unusual three-team pay arrangement.
Don't miss
Tennessee basketball players’ theoretical collective bargaining agreement demonstrates how athlete negotiations might work even before formal unionization is legally available.
The brief
LIV Golf is headed toward liquidation after accumulating debts and losing a rescue effort, while Polymarket changes its workforce and weighs an IPO after rapid growth.
Dianna Russini’s return with The Rossini Report began with technical problems, reopening questions about her departure from The Athletic and the limited public discussion around Mike Vrabel.
The NFL’s games in Europe, Brazil, and Australia produced strong audiences, strengthening the league’s case for a larger international schedule, including a remaining Mexico City game.
Amanda Christovich explains how Tennessee players and Athletes.org built a theoretical collective bargaining agreement covering compensation, transfers, and eligibility—even though state law blocks a formal union.
The episode closes with Kirk Cousins collecting checks from three NFL teams and potentially playing 18 games, an unusual consequence of his trade and Minnesota’s bye week.
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