Browsing: Contract

The University of Florida reportedly fired football head coach Billy Napier on Sunday, per Chris Vannini of The Athletic.

Florida will owe Napier a buyout of more than $21 million after this move, per multiple sources:

Receivers coach Billy Gonzales will reportedly take over as the interim coach for the remainder of the season, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.

The Gators hired Napier in Nov. 2021, signing the former Louisiana head coach to a seven-year, $51.8 million contract. That deal included a buyout for 85 percent of the remaining compensation on his deal.

Napier previously enjoyed great success with the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, amassing a 40–12 record in four seasons (and 33-5 from 2019-2021).

Louisiana went 22-2 over its final two seasons (15-1 in Sun Belt), finishing 15th in the Associated Press poll in 2020 and 16th in 2021. The Ragin’ Cajuns had never won 10 games in a season before Napier’s arrival, nor had they finished Top 25 in the AP poll.

Napier took over a Florida program from head coach Dan Mullen, who had found success over his first two seasons (21-5 record, top seven finishes in both polls). However, Florida fell to 8-4 before going 6-7 in 2021, and the school parted ways with him.

Napier was not able to find much success in Gainesville. The 2022 Gators matched the 2021 squad’s record but fell to 5-7 the following year.

There was some hope in 2024, with the Gators improving to 8-4 and even winning their final four games, including a 24-17 against No. 9 Ole Miss.

The 2025 season began with the Gators at No. 15 in the AP poll, but Florida struggled. After a 55-0 win over Division I-FCS LIU, Florida suffered a massive home upset to South Florida, 18-16. The Gators then fell 20-10 at No. 3 LSU and 26-7 at No. 4 Miami.

The Gators showcased their talents in a 29-21 win over No. 9 Texas, but then they were outmatched at Texas A&M, falling 34-17 to go to 2-4.

One day later, Pete Nakos of On 3 reported, per his sources, that the bye week after the Oct. 18 game against Mississippi State “looms large as the possible point where Florida moves on Napier.”

However, Nakos also noted how hard Florida Gators have played for him.

“Despite all the rumors about Billy Napier’s future at Florida, his players continue to play hard for him,” Nakos wrote. “Athletic director Scott Stricklin has shown patience, not making a quick move on Napier after the USF loss.”

That prediction ended up being accurate, as not even Saturday’s win over the Bulldogs was enough to save his job.

Ultimately, the results simply weren’t good enough, and now Florida is left turning the page once more. Since the end of the Urban Meyer era (2005-2010), when the team won two national championships, the team has had four different head coaches, and none have made it through four full seasons. The Gators hope their next coach can finally bring stability and success to the program.

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Florida State would have to write Mike Norvell a massive check in order to fire him, even after he restructured his contract in the offseason.

Norvell’s future with the Seminoles will become a bigger point of discussion after FSU fell 20-13 to Stanford, extending its losing streak to four games.

Alas, the coach might be untouchable for now if only because of what the Tallahassee Democrat‘s Dan Rorabaugh reported is a buyout of around $59.2 million.

As long has Florida State fires him without cause, Norvell is entitled to receive 85 percent of the outstanding balance on his contract. Since his deal runs through 2031, dismissing him at any point over the next few years will be expensive.

Here’s his annual salary moving forward, per Rorabaugh:

Norvell is another example of the risks schools are increasingly taking with the extensions they’re handing out.

Ahead of the 2023 season, Florida State re-signed him through 2029 and bumped his annual salary up to $8.05 million. The Seminoles’ unbeaten record during the regular season that year resulted in another pay raise.

FSU proceeded to fall off a cliff in 2024 and finished at 2-10. Even assuming that was a nadir under the current regime, missing a bowl game for the second successive year would be a disaster.

Florida State is also trending toward a fourth losing record in his six seasons at the helm. It’s starting to feel like 13-1 was more of an exception than 2-10.

Of course, the dilemma for FSU is twofold.

Norvell would be cashing in on the second-biggest buyout in college football history, eclipsing the $49 million Penn State just paid to James Franklin but falling well short of the $76 million Texas A&M paid for Jimbo Fisher to go away.

All total, the Seminoles would need to find $100 million, maybe even $150 million to compensate Norvell and his staff and then hire a new head coach.

There’s also the fact that the coaching market is in a rough place right now.

Look no further than Penn State. Jettisoning Franklin was an understandable call, but the list of candidates to potentially replace him isn’t exactly inspiring. Curt Cignetti, one of the best theoretical options, took himself out of the running by signing a new deal with Indiana.

It would be the same thing with Florida State. As bad as things are with Norvell, there’s always the risk that things continue to spiral with a new head coach, which would mean another big buyout and more angst.

Giving it another year and trying to salvage things with Norvell might be the most likely outcome for the Seminoles.

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LSU football endured a disappointing 31-24 road loss to No. 17 Vanderbilt on Saturday, with Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia accounting for 246 yards (160 passing, 86 rushing) and three scores (one passing, two rushing).

This is another tough blow in the tenure of fourth-year head coach Brian Kelly, who left Notre Dame for LSU late in 2021 and signed a 10-year, $95 million contract with the Tigers. Per USAToday, the buyout for Kelly’s contract is $53.3 million.

LSU football’s season started with great promise as the No. 9 team in the Associated Press preseason poll, and it only got better after a 17-10 win at No. 4 Clemson.

The Tigers then rolled off three straight wins to move to 4-0 and up to fourth in the AP poll.

However, it’s been tough sledding ever since, with the possibility of the 2025 campaign getting worse before it gets better.

LSU lost 24-19 at Ole Miss in a game the Tigers never led in the final 35 minutes. The Tigers then scratched and clawed their way to a 20-10 win over a South Carolina team that’s currently 3-4 overall (1-4 in the SEC).

Now LSU has lost again, this time at No. 17 Vanderbilt. Once again, LSU played from behind and trailed for the last 35 minutes.

A look ahead at the schedule reveals more potential pitfalls. LSU will host No. 4 Texas A&M and then enjoy a bye week before visiting No. 6 Alabama. The Tigers should then be heavy favorites over the next two weeks against Arkansas and Western Kentucky. Another tough game ends the ledger, though, at No. 14 Oklahoma.

Ultimately, LSU faces a significant uphill climb just to make the College Football Playoff after missing out last year in the first season of the 12-team field.

Simply put, Kelly’s tenure overall has left much to be desired.

Kelly took over a program that had gone 11-12 in its last two seasons under head coach Ed Orgeron. LSU immediately improved from 6-7 to 10-3 in year one under Kelly and even qualified for the SEC Championship Game, where the team fell to Georgia. However, the Tigers closed the year strong by beating Purdue 63-7 in the Citrus Bowl and finished 16th in the AP poll after not even being ranked to start 2022.

The 2023 team began the season as the No. 5 team in the nation. While LSU did amass another 10 wins, the Tigers went just 1-3 against ranked teams and notably allowed a combined 155 points in three losses to Florida State, Alabama and Ole Miss. A win against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl closed the year.

In 2024, LSU started 13th in the AP poll, but this was a rough year for the Tigers, who again struggled against ranked opponents (1-3) and endured a three-game losing streak after a 6-1 start. They finished 9-4 but finished outside the AP poll entirely. A win against Baylor in the Texas Bowl closed the season.

Now 2025 is sailing in the wrong direction. The opening win against Clemson doesn’t look as good on paper now with the Tigers having their own struggles starting the year at 3-3 and falling out of the AP poll.

LSU now faces a pair of tough tasks against two SEC powerhouses. Wins against both of those schools could quiet any naysayers, but poor performances would only embolden critics as Kelly continues year four.

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Oliver Glasner has revealed the Crystal Palace captain, Marc Guéhi, has told the club he does not want to sign a new contract and will leave next year.

The England defenderâ€s deal expires at the end of the season and it is understood that Guéhi has rejected all attempts to persuade him to prolong his stay in south London after leading Palace to their FA Cup triumph in May.

The 25-year-old had looked set to join Liverpool in the summer until the Palace chair, Steve Parish, pulled the plug on his move a few hours before the transfer deadline.

Guéhi was said to have been left extremely unhappy about the collapse of his move but has put that behind him and continued to excel for Palace. However, Glasner confirmed before Palaceâ€s meeting with Bournemouth at Selhurst Park on Saturday that Guéhi has already signalled his intention to depart.

“I think Marc has already told us that he doesnâ€t sign a new contract, so he will leave next year,†said the Palace manager. “The club wanted [him to stay]. They offered Marc a new contract. But he said: ‘No, I want to make something differentâ€.

“And thatâ€s normal. And for us, itâ€s how we can deal with this situation? [What] is the best way to get this next step done? And thatâ€s all about how we are talking together.â€

Guéhi, who is believed to have strong interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona as well as Liverpool, will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club when the January transfer window opens on New Yearâ€s Day 2026.

Meanwhile, Glasner confirmed he has opened talks over extending his contract at Palace. It also expires at the end of the season but the 51-year-old Austrian warned that it could depend on whether the club can continue to build on their first major trophy.

“We are talking, but we have 19 games to play before the new year,†Glasner said. “I am here to do the best for Crystal Palace and win as many games as possible. With all the things around the games, there are not many evenings or days when we can talk about my contract with my focus on it. There is so much going on, the players and club deserve 100% Oliver Glasner. I donâ€t want to be distracted.

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‘We are looking for the right moments to talk. The club are not in a rush,†says Oliver Glasner. Photograph: Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images

“We are looking for the right moments to talk. The club are not in a rush. I met Steve four or five times this week. He appreciates that I am always giving 100% and I appreciate our open and honest communication.â€

He added: “Itâ€s not about Oliver Glasnerâ€s thoughts, itâ€s also the chairman, all the employees, the owners. Itâ€s extending the stadium capacity. Building a new stand has been a project for years and itâ€s what the club wants. Itâ€s important to get more revenue.

“In any company where two leaders have different visions, you go separate ways and canâ€t achieve your goals. This is what we are talking about. If we can find the same pathway and goal for Crystal Palace, then we will end the talks and if we canâ€t, we will also end the talks.â€

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

SHOW SUMMARY:In this week’s episode of All Elite Conversation Club, PWTorch contributors Joel Dehnel and Gregg Kanner cover these topics:

• (00:00) Introduction – back after week hiatus
• (01:04) Kota Ibushi injury
• (08:32) Andrade legal situation breakdown – WWE ninety-day non-compete clause dispute
• (11:16) Switchblade Jay White “ready?” tweet
• (13:07) Eddie Kingston and Orange Cassidy relegated to pre-show
• (15:12) WrestleDream ticket sales update – just over 5,500 sold in 6,000 capacity venue
• (16:51) Overall card assessment lacking major hook
• (26:18) Kenny Omega missing from card
• (30:26) Tailgate Brawl preview – Eddie Kingston and Hook vs TBA speculation
• (31:02) FTR vs Jet Speed
• (34:27) Megan Bayne character development
• (37:21) Death Riders vs. Conglomeration
• (38:05) Kyle Fletcher vs Mark Briscoe 5
• (39:29) Jamie Hayter vs Tekla
• (42:02) Mercedes Moné Wrestle appearance
• (46:13) Hurt Syndicate vs The Demand
• (48:55) Brodido defending tag titles vs Okada & Takeshita
• (55:17) Jurassic Express vs Young Bucks
• (59:16) Kenny Omega likely involvement speculation during Young Bucks match
• (1:01:19) Kris Statlander vs Toni Storm
• (1:06:01) Hangman Page vs Samoa Joe world title match
• (1:12:17) Darby Allin vs Jon Moxley I Quit match
• (1:14:53) Full year Death Riders storyline culmination discussion
• (1:16:31) Final thoughts on expecting good wrestling but lacking big moments or surprises
• (1:19:21) Zach’s comments and trivia

Send your thoughts and questions to allelitecc@gmail.com

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AEW/Lee South

Retirements have been the talk of the town when it comes to professional wrestling over the last few years, especially in companies like WWE and AEW where the likes of Sting and Bryan Danielson have already hung up their boots, and both John Cena and AJ Styles aren’t too far behind them. Another man who believes he is in the twilight of his career is Samoa Joe, who is still competing at the highest level as he will challenge Hangman Page for the AEW Men’s World Championship at AEW WrestleDream on October 18. Joe has already admitted publicly that once his current contract with AEW expires, he will likely call time on his career, and during a recent interview with “SHAK Wrestling,” Joe was asked if that was still the plan.

“I’d say most likely, and honestly I think it’s for a lot of reasons and I think most of them are responsible,” Joe said. “Obviously, you know you never want to outstay your welcome in this industry and I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to be involved with it for over 25 years now….The other thing too is you know, I think many of us want to preserve what we can of our health for our latter years. So it is something that is probably the most likely scenario, but hey, it is an unusual world and unusual opportunities come up, so we’ll see.”

When asked if he was willing to share a specific date on when that retirement might be, Joe stated that he would rather do things in a more casual way. “It might be a surprise. It might just be one day I’m gone and leave it at that. I’m not as ceremonial as everybody else you know? I like disappearing into the sunset.” Joe went on to explain that he has always had his sights set solely on the future of the business, and wouldn’t want to stand in the way of a younger talent who wants to grow and improve just so he can have one last dance in the spotlight.

Will Samoa Joe Stick Around In Wrestling?

AEW/Lee South

When wrestlers retire, they don’t stray too far away from the business as there are a number of opportunities for performers to stay with major companies in both backstage and on-screen roles where they don’t have to get physical. Joe has already tried his hand at commentary during his time recovering from injury while working for WWE, and when he was asked about potentially donning a headset once again, the former AEW World Champion admitted that he is open to any and all opportunities.

“Honestly, whatever role will have me. Like once again, I’m not worried about what it is I’ll do, that’s not an issue for me. I mean you plug me in wherever, I’ll do whatever it takes to help us as much as we need to be helped in that area. But yeah I mean I think I definitely would live to have some involvement with the industry. I’d love to work with younger athletes and help them develop and become better, obviously if they choose to want to work with me, but yeah I mean that’s really it.”

Joe rounded off by saying that he wants to help younger talent become stronger and stronger so that the fans can benefit in the long run, and that the legacy he wants to leave behind is that if he manages to help around ten wrestlers become better because they worked with him, then he will be very happy with himself.

Please credit “SHAK Wrestling” when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

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Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is open to playing into his 40s.

“All I’ll say is that I just want the option and if I’m at a legitimate ability to be able to play,” Curry told Mark Medina of EssentiallySports. “I don’t know if it’ll make sense or if I would want to, whatever the case is. But if I can make the decision and the decision is not made for me, that’s a big, big point.”

The 11-time All-Star and four-time champion will be turning 38 years old during the 2025-26 season.

He’ll be 40 years old in the middle of Golden State’s 2027-28 campaign, although he’s only signed through the 2026-27 season after agreeing to a one-year extension worth $62.6 million with the team in Aug. 2024.

Curry, who has spent his entire 16-year career on the Warriors, has repeatedly expressed his desire to finish his NBA journey as a member of the organization.

He hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down recently, as his legendary shooting prowess has allowed him to remain one of the league’s top point guards throughout the back half of his career.

Curry is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he averaged 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game on 44.8/39.7/93.3 shooting splits while helping the Warriors finish with a 50-32 record.

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Miami has talent on its roster — Bam Adebayo is widely respected as one of the better two-way centers in the league, Tyler Herro was an All-Star last season, and the addition of Norman Powell brings more scoring — but it doesnâ€t have a top-10 player, a championship cornerstone kind of player on the roster.

That appears to have impacted contract extension talks with Herro, as discussed by Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst at ESPN. Herro has two seasons and $64 million still on his contract and would like to discuss an extension, but that went nowhere, Windhorst reported.

“Tyler Herro is coming off an All-Star season and is definitely interested in extending with the Heat, but there havenâ€t been substantive talks to his point and a deal is doubtful, sources say.â€

Miami wants to keep max cap space heading into the summer of 2027 — when the class could theoretically include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Trae Young, Kyrie Irving and others — Bontemps reports. Not having an extension with Herro adds flexibility (the only locked-in salaries on the Heat books in the summer of 2027 are Bam Adebayo at $53.8 million and Nikola Jovic at $14.9 million).

That cap space is more about flexibility, max players are not jumping teams via free agency very often under the current CBA. Plus, look at the names on that list. Jokic has said he wants to be a Nugget forever, and they just retooled the roster to better fit around him. Whatever happens with Antetokounmpo will be decided next summer when the Bucks offer him a max contract extension and he either signs it or Milwaukee entertains trade offers. New York is likely to extend Towns next summer. The rest of that list likely doesnâ€t get to true free agency, either.

What is clear is that when a big name becomes available via trade, the Heat will be one of the teams in the mix. A lot of those elite players would fit nicely next to Herro, but it looks like Miami wants to keep its options open.

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A contract extension agreement between the Miami Heat and star shooting guard Tyler Herro isn’t likely to occur, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

“Tyler Herro is coming off an All-Star season and is definitely interested in extending with the Heat, but there haven’t been substantive talks to his point and a deal is doubtful, sources say,” Windhorst reported Friday.

Long-term extensions for Heat wings Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell are “unlikely,” per Windhorst. Powell could sign a short-term deal instead, though.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald previously reported that Miami would be open to extending Powell, who was acquired in a July 7 trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, if he can start the 2025-26 season on a high note.

Herro still has two years remaining on a four-year extension worth $120 million that he signed in Oct. 2022. He’ll earn $31 million for the 2025-26 season before receiving $33 million for his 2026-27 campaign, via Spotrac.

Herro exceeded expectations for the Heat last season, averaging a career-high 23.9 points and 5.5 assists per game. His 47.2 field-goal percentage also represented a new personal-best mark and the sharpshooter connected on 37.5 percent of his triples.

Concerns from Miami regarding a new extension could stem from Herro’s ensuing playoff performance, as he averaged just 17.8 points per game on 41.5 percent shooting as the Heat were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.

He’ll also be sidelined for the start of the upcoming regular season after undergoing foot surgery on Sept. 19.

Wiggins could take on a larger offensive role in Herro’s absence, as he enters his first full season in Miami after he was acquired in the Feb. 6 trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors.

Wiggins averaged 19.0 points and 4.2 rebounds to go along with 3.3 assists per game on 45.8/36.0/73.1 shooting splits after the change of scenery.

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TNA Wrestling is always going through changes, and it seems that the Knockouts Division is seeing a couple big contracts expire. That being said, it is possible that the two sides may continue working together.

Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that several TNA contracts have recently expired. Among them are the deals of The IInspiration. Cassie Lee and Jess McKay are former WWE Superstars and just recently competed on TNA Wrestlingâ€s side in the ShowDown event on NXT.

Last week, it was reported that their contracts were nearing expiration, which caught many by surprise given that the duo had just won the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships. It will be interesting to see if Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay go somewhere else, or if they stay in TNA Wrestling.

The IInspirationâ€s deals officially ended after Bound For Glory, but both sides are said to be interested in continuing the partnership. An extension is expected, so fans may not lose them on their television sets right now. If anything, their status as champions might get them more screen time.

Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay have reportedly been working under short-term contracts, a structure they are known to prefer. That is interesting, consider their notable name status coming into that deal with TNA Wrestling.

We will keep a close eye on this situation, because you never know what can happen. If anything, it certainly shows that you never know what can happen in pro wrestling, especially where contracts are concerned.

Whatâ€s your take on the IInspirationâ€s current contract situation in TNA Wrestling? Do you think they are better off staying put? Let us know what you think in the comments section!

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