NIL
Paris 2024 Olympics – a risky business?
An even more contentious measure was to allow by law, for the first time and as an experiment, the police and transport companies to use AI-powered live during the Olympics. From an insurer point of view, those technology revolutions are of course powerful risk mitigation tools. Still, given the high controversy around potential freedom‘s restrictions, the generalization of such an exceptional measure, beyond the initial and limited period, is yet not validated, and will be subject to the submission of an in-depth evaluation report.
Olympic games evoke world records and superlatives: athletes were not the only ones expected to excel in Paris; but also a complex supply chain of organizers and suppliers planning for years the world’s largest sports event; one critical component, often overlooked, is insurance.
Insuring excellence in sports
The tradition of Olympic truce goes back to ancient Greece, yet there is a long record of sports getting embroiled in geopolitics. Logistical and security challenges facing the hosts include dealing with travel congestion, protests and strikes over socio-economic issues and political tensions, and terrorism threats. Many events took place in iconic, open venues difficult to secure, such as the opening ceremony which allowed 326,000 spectators along the Seine, which justified the heightened level of security, and a public-private partnership that involved 22,000 private security guards, 45,000 members of internal security forces and 18,000 military personnel. Sabotage of major railway lines the day before the opening ceremony were a stark reminder of the immense challenge of securing venues and all access routes.
From one Olympiad to another, risks evolve and insurance programmes designed years ahead of the opening ceremony need to be flexible enough to adapt to the 2024 risk landscape. For example, Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021) had no in-person spectators due to COVID-19. In contrast, Paris expected up to 15 million visitors, including 2 million from abroad. This article provides more examples of the evolving risk landscape, from environmental pressures, to crowd safety, technology and reputational risk.
Without event cancellation insurance, organizers have few incentives to cancel or postpone. But cancellation is a last resort and comprehensive contingency plans can do a lot to mitigate risks. This previous article looks at the iconic case of the Wimbledon tennis championship.
It’s easy to forget that when the final medals are awarded, athletes still need protection, individually, or through their sports federation. Despite well established insurance programmes, the growing popularity of women’s sport has underlined the need for a more gender-aware approach to protect sportswomen effectively. These Olympic Games are the first to reach gender parity, with equal numbers of male and female athletes. And yet sports equipment, clothing and training methods are often not designed specifically for women and may increase the risk of injuries – for example, there has been a disproportionate rate of Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries amongst professional women’s footballers in recent years. This reality underpins the launch of WTW’s Insurance for Women in Sport, designed specifically to protect sportswomen against loss of income due to injury or illness.
An independent study estimates Paris 2024 will generate up to €11.1 billion in net economic benefits in the Paris region and 78% of suppliers are small and medium-sized businesses. Yet luxury brands such as haute couture have been worrying about the impact on their business, anticipating their usual shoppers may stay clear of Paris during the summer, a known “crowding out” effect.
The heat is on: climate pressures on sports events
The threat of extreme heat for Olympians drove athletes from across 15 sports (including 11 Olympians) to team up with climate scientists and thermal physiologists and publish the report Rings of Fire II in June 2024. The UN predicts that 2024 will be the hottest year ever, with Europe the fastest-warming continent. Paris itself saw its average temperature rise by 3.1°C since 1924, when the last Olympics were set in France. Lord Seb Coe, four-time Olympic medalist and President of World Athletics, warns that “with global temperatures continuing to rise, climate change should increasingly be viewed as an existential threat to sport”. A separate recent review of the heat stress policies adopted by 32 international sports federations highlighted shortcomings of indices used, not necessarily fit for purpose for athletes.
Paris 2024 aimed to be the greenest Olympics ever, with a range of practical measures: a geothermal cooling system for the Olympic village, reusing data centre heat for the Olympic swimming pool, and catering 60% plant based and 80% locally sourced.
Increasingly digitized processes can increase efficiency, yet be more susceptible to cybercrime. Tokyo 2020 had registered a record of 450 million cyber attacks, 2.5 times more than the number seen at the 2012 London Olympics. Given increased geopolitical tensions, Paris 2024 was expecting 10 times more cyber attacks than Tokyo 2020, with the underlying fear of a repeat of Olympic Destroyer’s cyber attack that targeted Pyeongchang Organization Committee on February 9, 2018 during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics, causing a shutdown of all systems during 12h and triggering an impressive remediation plan to almost seamlessly restore operations overnight.
The geopolitical context on the eve of Paris 2024 (continuing conflict in Ukraine, tensions with Russia, conflict in the Middle East) made the Olympic & Paralympic Games in France an ideal playground for activism and terrorist attacks, dramatically raising security concerns to an unprecedented level.
Companies sponsoring the games can expect iconic visibility, as no other event can deliver the same drama, audiences and uplifting storylines. Sports sponsorship remains an attractive marketing option but with a changing line-up of stakeholders, some of them more unconventional. This is not without risks, and sports stars can also make the news for all the wrong reasons, highlighting the reputational risks of sponsorship on corporate brands.
Crowd safety: socio-geopolitical and public health pressures
The range of insurance needs showcases the diversity of solutions, from the obvious (protecting athletes with personal accident and illness insurance, protecting organisers with Directors & Officers cover, or protecting venues and operations with public liability insurance) to the more esoteric: for the 2022 FIFA world cup, Argentinian footballer Messi had the most expensive body part insurance in sports, with a 0m policy on his left foot.
With 32 sports and 329 events across 35 venues, Paris 2024 Olympics would have required a complex insurance programme, and a clear way to share responsibilities. With no “one size fits all” solution, a bespoke design of interlinked insurance covers would have been necessary, supported by a wide range of expertise, combining local knowledge, links to a large panel of insurers and industry specialization. With so many eyes on these events, there is no room for failure, and a proven track record is essential.
These aspirations have clashed with the harsh reality of athletes prioritizing their performance over their carbon footprint. A month before the start, a few Olympic delegations announced they would pay for their own air-con units.
Related to Zika and also spread by mosquitos, dengue was closely monitored by French entomologists to reduce the risk. Although numbers were still low, cases so far in 2024 were already 12 times higher than in 2023. Global travel, urbanization, hotter and wetter weather driven by climate change, all contribute to changing the geographic spread of mosquitos, a trend monitored closely by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. This will impact travel insurance and would also be an unwelcome souvenir as tourists go back to their countries.
The double-edged sword of technology
Cyber protection is a very good example of how the insurance market has evolved over time to constantly adjust coverages and wordings to hedge underlying risks that any event organisers face, whether they are the flagship organizer or a smaller provider in the complex supply chains underpinning mega events, whether the source of risk is insider threats or a global IT outage such as the recent Crowstrike incident.
The controversy around the QR code digital pass is a good example of how technology and crowd safety overlap. The system implemented for access to a defined security perimeter in Paris for a short duration around the opening ceremony led residents to contest (unsuccessfully) the exceptional measure in front of the highest court in France. Considering the exceptional circumstances and heightened security risks, the digital pass process was confirmed, despite the curtailed freedom of movement.
Olympic Games organizers are often determined to break new records. Paris 2024 challenged previous traditions of holding the opening ceremony in one stadium, staging it instead as a moving spectacle along 6km of the Seine on 26th July. The “Marathon pour tous” was be the first ever event in Olympic history open to the general public, with 40,048 runners. Both events brought unique security challenges and emphasised how insurers cannot simply rely on previous Olympics to assess and price risks. Insurance premiums are typically calculated by combining past loss experience, current risk profile and risk outlook. For such large and unusual events, history is a poor guide, and a specialized approach to risk will no doubt have been needed to price and place these unusual risks.
Organizers of large sports events face a complex web of risks, which cannot be considered in isolation: the Copa America Final in Miami in July 2024 combined heat stress, crowd control challenges, disciplinary action over an alleged racist chant, and athlete injury. Beyond the wonderful show of sports, risk managers can look at those events as a great demonstration of the adaptability of insurance to the most ambitious and challenging circumstances. In light of those complexities, it won’t be long before organisers and insurers discuss the finer details of Los Angeles 2028. With 2030 Winter Games in view, France will not have to wait long before going back to work and leveraging the Paris 2024 recent experience.
Sustainability and reputation risk: are large sports events good for business?
A recent report by the Council on Foreign Relations contrasted the skyrocketing costs of hosting the Olympics with unclear economic benefits. Paris 2024 may show whether the bidding process reforms have made hosting a better deal. The Olympic Agenda 2020 aims to deliver Games that are more responsible, sustainable and inclusive. For example, the construction-related carbon footprint for Paris 2024 should be lower, with 95% of the venues already built or temporary. Further innovative solutions for energy, food, transport and digital services will be there to stay, long after the Games.
The 2003 heatwave resulted in excess mortality estimated at 15,000 people in France alone, but a heatwave would not have to reach this intensity to affect athletes and spectators alike. After a rain-soaked opening ceremony, Paris 2024 had to contend with above normal temperatures, yet organisers had anticipated this well: with free water access points everywhere and personal bottles allowed on the venues, this was a win-win from an ESG and liability-hedging point of view. Extreme weather risks to spectators are increasingly a concern for sports and concert venues, with organizers and fans often unprepared for the rising risks. The Euro 2024 match between Germany and Denmark was recently interrupted after some intense lightning (often a precursor to a hail storm). Despite the inconvenience to spectators, local authorities were acutely aware that Germany regularly sees severe convective storms with hail stones of 10cm diameter and were taking no chances about the safety of players and fans. This also happened for a beach volleyball match in Paris 2024. Even with public liability insurance in place, organizers have to take all necessary measures to protect individuals on their premises. Over the last year, spectators have been injured, or even killed, at sports or concert events due to heatwaves or severe convective storms. In 2023, smoke from wildfires led to concerts and sporting events to be cancelled in the U.S. and Canada. Paris 2024 football events were held in Nice, in the south of France. Over the last 30 years, Nice has seen 328 forest fires. Although risk to the stadium itself is low, fires in surrounding areas could have created disruption to spectator traffic and smoke pollution.
With COVID-19 almost forgotten and spectators allowed back, Paris 2024 could have ended up as a super-spreader event. There is a precedent for Olympics being identified as a multiplier for viral epidemics: the 2016 Brazil Olympics were almost postponed because of concerns around Zika.
Conclusion
In summer 2024, Europe hosted a cluster of sports events: Euro 2024, Le Tour de France, but all eyes were on the Olympics and Paralympics. With sudden concentrations of risk, large sports events push risk management and insurance to their limits and require specialized experience and preparedness for the unprecedented. This article reflects on what is involved, behind the scenes, to insure excellence in sport, when this ideal is confronted to the harsh reality of multiple pressures: climate, socio-political, technology and ESG.
In a flurry of movement Monday morning, five different high-level quarterbacks announced their intention to go in the college football transfer portal.
Former five-stars Dylan Raiola and DJ Lagway left Nebraska and Florida, respectively, after two seasons. Aidan Chiles, a former top 60 recruit, opted to depart Michigan State. East Carolina QB Katin Houser decided to make a run back to the Power Four following a breakout season.
All the while, the portal has new No. 1 player according to Cooper Petagna’s big board at 247Sports: Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, who hopped back into the portal ahead of his final season of college football.
It was all a bit dizzying.
The portal doesn’t open for another three weeks, and there are still many high-profile moves expected to occur both within in the quarterback market and apart from it. With that in mind, let’s reset the quarterback landscape, highlighting some of the big names, schools to watch and names we still have on the radar ahead of Jan. 2.
The names atop the QB market
No. 1 Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati: Sorsby finished the year ranked 10th in ESPN’s QBR metric, emerging as one of the truly elite passers in the sport. The two early schools to watch with Sorsby are Indiana and Texas Tech. The Hoosiers are a bit ironic given that’s where Sorsby started his career, exiting Bloomington shortly after Curt Cignetti arrived. The Red Raiders are the local school to have on the radar — if you consider 300 miles of West Texas driving local — and seem to be a strong on-paper fit for the junior passer. Of note with Sorsby: Sources have indicated he still plans to consider the NFL Draft. But those are two schools to know if he does opt to stay in school.
No. 2 Dylan Raiola, Nebraska: It probably is unsurprising to see Raiola’s name listed here given the lead up the last few weeks. His brother decommitted from Nebraska. The school fired his uncle Donovan, the offensive line coach. CBS Sports reported the split was likely. But the end of the Raiola and Nebraska partnership is still interesting given how much the two sides had invested in each other, including a $3.5 million rev share/NIL package for Raiola. As for what’s next, an early school to keep an eye on is Oregon. The Raiola camp has interest in the Ducks, per sources, and there is a growing industry thought that Oregon QB Dante Moore will end up testing the NFL Draft waters.
No. 3 DJ Lagway, Florida: Unlike the above two situations that had been trending toward a breakup for weeks, the divorce between Lagway and Florida came as somewhat of a surprise Monday. Lagway only decided in recent days he’d move on after his initial meetings with the new Florida staff went poorly, per sources. As for what’s next for the former No. 1 QB prospect in the 2024 class, schools like Baylor, Florida State and Duke (depending on what happens with Darian Mensah) have been brought up per sources along with those like Clemson, LSU and Miami. Of note, Lagway’s dad played at Baylor.
Where will DJ Lagway transfer? Departing Florida QB’s possible destinations include LSU, Miami, Clemson
Cody Nagel
Others we’re watching
Sam Leavitt, QB, Arizona State: Industry sources have pointed at Leavitt for months as someone who could enter the transfer portal. That seems like a formality at this point after he didn’t attend Arizona State’s year-end banquet and head coach Kenny Dillingham wished him well “in whatever his future may hold,” per 247Sports’ Chris Karpman.
CJ Bailey, QB, NC State: A star sophomore with the Wolfpack, Bailey is a popular rumor for other teams in terms of potential portal candidates. Dave Doeren coming back aids NC State’s chances of keeping Bailey around, but he remains a very hot name in terms of other programs looking at the quarterback market.
Byrum Brown, QB, South Florida: It raised some eyebrows in the industry when Brown opted out of the Cure Bowl. Brown is a senior, but he’s pursing a waiver that is expected to go through. If it does … several schools in the industry are watching Brown and his status. There would be a natural fit at Auburn, where his former South Florida head coach Alex Golseh resides.
Drew Mestemaker, QB, North Texas: A breakout star as a redshirt freshman this season, Mestemaker led the FBS with 4,129 passing yards to go along with 31 touchdowns on 70.2% passing. He’s been a name other schools have eyed for months. It’s natural to assume that he’ll follow Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. But Mestemaker is expected to have robust options.
There are several other QBs worth watching over the coming month. Some notable backups like Ohio State’s Lincoln Kienholz and Oregon’s Austin Novasad have decisions to make. There are other very productive Group of Five QBs like Arkansas State’s Jaylen Raynor or Parker Navarro from Ohio worth keeping track of. There are also a few more established starters who could shake if things become further unsettled at their current situations.
The news keeps coming with three weeks to go. Don’t expect it to stop anytime soon.
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Teams in need
Miami: The Hurricanes are likely to dip into the portal for a third straight offseason in pursuit of a quarterback with Carson Beck’s impending graduation. Though, there is some internal optimism about the development of Emory Williams.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders love backup quarterback Will Hammond, but he tore his ACL in late October. Given that there’s no guarantee of him being ready for next season, Texas Tech is expected to go after a starter-quality passer in the portal. Money tends to be no object in Lubbock.
Indiana: Indiana’s made the playoff in back-to-back years with a transfer quarterback, and it will try to do so a third time in 2026. Expect Indiana to go and get a guy to replace Fernando Mendoza.
LSU: Could it just end up being Trinidad Chambliss? That’s certainly possible if he can secure a waiver. Either way, the Tigers are expected to be in the portal market for a high-level starter, and Lane Kiffin makes the Tigers a super attractive option.
Florida State: There had been some thought that Tommy Castellanos could qualify for an additional season of college football via a waiver. It could still happen, but there’s a good chance of Florida State hopping into the high-end portal quarterback market either way.
That top of the market could grow, too, depending on a few big quarterback decisions. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore could end up going to the draft which would mean Oregon jumping into the fray. The tenor around his situation has shifted in recent weeks with industry sources now considering the NFL a more likely option for Moore.
Auburn will have a decision to make about its 2026 signal-caller. Deuce Knight is a potential superstar and seems to be an ideal on-paper fit for Golesh’s system. Knight has also started just one game. I would expect the Tigers to pursue an experienced option.
Clemson, believe it or not, is also a team to watch in the quarterback market. The Tigers have indicated to agents that quarterback is a potential need this cycle as they replace Cade Klubnik. Whether that’s a high-end starter or someone to compete with Christopher Vizzina remains to be seen.
There are also a lot of other teams expected to go get a guy. Illinois, Virginia Tech, Louisville and Baylor will all likely need starting arms, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech had three members of its football staff recognized by the website FootballScoop.com Monday as Zarnell Fitch was named the publication’s Defensive Line Coach of the Year, while Shiel Wood and C.J. Ah You shared top honors for linebackers.
In total, Texas Tech has claimed three of FootballScoop’s annual coaching awards as Kenny Perry was previously named the Special Teams Coordinator of the Year last week. Wood was also a finalist for the top defensive coordinator in the country for his role in leading one of the top defensive turnarounds in recent history. He is also a finalist this season for the prestigious Broyles Award, which is presented to the nation’s top assistant coach. Fitch was previously a finalist for National Defensive Line Coach of the Year by FootballScoop while at TCU in 2017.
Texas Tech enters the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl as one of the nation’s top defenses, ranking third in the FBS for scoring at 10.9 points allowed per game and fifth for total defense after giving up only 254.4 yards a contest to this point. The Red Raiders are on pace to record the largest year-to-year improvement in both categories for an FBS team since 2000 after cutting their scoring average by 23.9 points a game from 2024 as well their yards surrendered by an average of 207.1 yards a contest.
Texas Tech is also the FBS leader with 31 takeaways this season thanks in part to one of Wood’s mainstays at linebacker in Jacob Rodriguez. The winner of multiple national awards already, Rodriguez finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting after becoming the first player since 2005 to record at least five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions in the same season. He contributed to nine takeaways during Big 12 play alone to lead a Red Raider defense that is also the FBS leader at only 68.5 rushing yards allowed per game.
In addition, Texas Tech’s defensive line under Fitch and outside linebacker room under Ah You have been able to get to the quarterback at near record numbers this season to rank among the top defensive fronts in college football. The Red Raiders enter bowl season with 39.0 sacks and 96.0 tackles for loss on the season, ranking fourth in the FBS for both categories.
David Bailey currently ranks second in the FBS with 13.5 sacks this season, earning him first team All-America honors alongside Rodriguez by the Walter Camp Foundation and Associated Press. Defensive linemen A.J. Holmes Jr. and Lee Hunter were also recognized as second and third team All-America selections, respectively, by the Associated Press after helping lead a Red Raider defense that is the highest-graded unit in college football by Pro Football Focus (96.9). Texas Tech is also the publication’s highest-rated defense against the run (96.4) and in pass-rush opportunities (92.1).
Texas Tech have held five of its last six opponents to at least single digits for points en route to a 12-1 record and its first Big 12 title, snapping the single-season school record for wins in the process. The Red Raiders will make their College Football Playoff debut on New Year’s Day against either No. 5 Oregon or No. 12 seed James Madision in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
Might be time to give the old LinkedIn profile an update, TJ.
I’m sure some of you are sick of me beating this dead horse by now of college football not being what it once was, and sometimes I catch myself thinking, “You know, it isn’t that bad.”
Sure, the transfer portal and NIL have gotten a little out of hand and bowl season is basically a relic of a bygone era, but it’s still my favorite sport by a long shot, so what do I have to complain about?
Then news like this drops, and I go right back to questioning my love for this sport and my passion for college athletics in general.
Oh brother! Is this guy serious? Does that REALLY say seventh year of eligibility?
If you’re a college football fan, a guy like TJ Finley really needs no introduction.
About a million years ago, Finley was a fairly highly touted high school quarterback with offers from every power program imaginable.
He decided to go to LSU and the thought was he would keep the gravy train rolling along in Baton Rouge after Joe Burrow had won them a national championship the year prior.
Yes, that’s how long Finley has been in college.
For some added context, Finley played college football around the same time Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, and Spencer Rattler were still in school.
Anthony Richardson was in TJ Finley’s recruiting class, and that dude is coming up on three full years in the NFL.
Six teams later, and Finley is looking for lucky number seven to match the amount of years he’s been on a college campus.
Van Wilder would blush at these numbers. Hey, TJ, it might be time to focus less on the transfer portal and more on your LinkedIn profile.
Get a job, my guy!
Many of the fine folks on X have echoed a similar sentiment.
Then again, it’s not Finley’s fault. He’s just taking advantage of a broken system.
How about this, NCAA? If a guy is old enough to legally rent a car, he probably shouldn’t be playing college football.
Until that rule is fixed though, I guess TJ Finley should do everything he can to soak up some more NIL dollars and bask in the glow of being the big man on campus.
Trust me, man. The real world comes at you fast after college.
The 2025 College Football Playoff field has settled into a 12-team bracket with Indiana (13-0), Ohio State (12-1), and Georgia (12-1) occupying the top seeds and a strong mix of Power Five contenders below them.
Other programs include No. 9 Alabama and No. 8 Oklahoma, who will meet Friday night in Norman, along with No. 10 Miami (set to face No. 7 Texas A&M), No. 6 Ole Miss (matching up with No. 11 Tulane), and No. 5 Oregon (to play No. 12 James Madison).
Interestingly, three teams featured in the CFP bracket are also reportedly in the mix for the class of 2027’s top-ranked running back, Kemon Spell.
Spell recently told Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett that his recruitment is officially down to five finalists: Georgia, Ohio State, Miami, USC, and Notre Dame.
Spell, listed at 5-10, 210 lbs, is the consensus No. 1 running back in the 2027 cycle across major services and a top-10 overall prospect on industry composites.
He exploded onto the national radar as a younger prospect, recording a breakout 2024 sophomore campaign in which he rushed for 1681 yards and 24 TDs on 157 carries (10.7 yards per carry).
He verbally committed to Penn State in August 2024 but decommitted after Penn State’s dismissal of James Franklin in October 2025, reopening a wide national scramble.
Multiple outlets and evaluators now list him as a top prize for contenders across the Big Ten, SEC, and independent power programs.
Spell reportedly told Fawcett that he plans to take official visits to each before deciding.
For CFP contenders, a back like Spell helps sustain drives, convert third downs, and control the clock in pivotal late-season or championship matchups.
With no clear decision timeline, Spell’s eventual choice could meaningfully shift recruiting momentum, and each program’s postseason run could influence the outcome.
However, despite not being in the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame can point to RB Jeremiyah Love’s Heisman-caliber season as tangible proof of its ability to develop elite running backs, a factor that could carry weight with the class of 2027’s top recruit.
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(Dec. 15th, 2025) — From Power Five basketball programs to Olympic sports and emerging brand partnerships, last week’s NIL activity underscored just how broad and sophisticated the athlete economy has become. This edition of the NIL Deals Recap features men’s and women’s basketball, football, baseball, gymnastics, and track & field athletes partnering with national brands like C4 Energy, Motorola, SONIC Drive-In, MET-Rx, and DripDrop. As schools like Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, and LSU continue to generate consistent NIL momentum, these deals highlight how brands are strategically activating across sports, markets, and athlete profiles.
For a full, searchable archive of past deals, visit our NIL Deal Tracker.
The search for the next leader of the Michigan Wolverines is officially underway following the dismissal of Sherrone Moore earlier this week. With a search firm actively vetting potential replacements and a committee forming to evaluate candidates, the process is expected to move quickly to secure a hire before the transfer portal window closes.
While no consensus favorite has emerged, speculation is heating up regarding who might take the reins of the college football powerhouse.
The vacancy in Ann Arbor has been described as a unique opportunity, with analysts noting the program’s massive potential despite recent turmoil. On a recent episode of Josh Pate’s College Football Show, the host likened the Michigan job to an “oil field” that hasn’t been properly drilled, suggesting that the right hire could unlock immense resources and passion.
“I’m just telling you, from a passion, energy, and resource standpoint in the new age, no one’s really drilled deep at Michigan yet,” Pate said. “When you do, money is flying all over the place. It’s there.”
As the vetting process continues, different factions within the university likely have their preferred options. Pate noted that while there is a rush to find a replacement, the administration is focused on getting the decision right rather than simply filling the position. “I don’t think there’s a favorite for this job yet,” Pate said. “What that doesn’t mean is there may not be factions or pockets of people that have their preferred candidate.”
Josh Pate identifies SEC coach as candidate to watch
While high-profile names often dominate the headlines, Pate pointed to Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz as a name to monitor closely. “Eli Drinkwitz, I think, is a dark-horse name,” Pate said, suggesting the 42-year-old coach could be a surprising but logical fit for the Wolverines.
Drinkwitz has built a steady winner in the Southeastern Conference, accumulating a 46-28 record over six seasons in Columbia, including 29 wins in his last three years.
The suggestion comes despite Drinkwitz recently signing a significant extension with Missouri. On Nov. 28, he agreed to a six-year, $64.5 million contract that raised his salary to $10.75 million annually.
However, the allure of the Michigan job could prove difficult to ignore. According to a recent report from the Associated Press, the search firm retained by Michigan has already contacted representatives for Drinkwitz, signaling genuine interest from the Big Ten program.
Pate argued that looking back, Michigan fans would likely view such a hire as a major victory. “Translation: when the dust settles and you’ve hired your new coach and he gets his staff in there and you’ve got your roster for 2026, you’re going to look at it and say, ‘Yep, I much rather take this than whatever the alternative was,'” he said.
During this conversation about the Michigan job, Pate also highlighted Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham as his favorite choice for the position.
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