In a groundbreaking endeavor, the University of Utah athletics is entering into what could be a $500M+ equity partnership with Otro Capital featuring the creation and shared ownership of a for-profit entity to operate athletics, sources tell @YahooSports. bit.ly/44hUcZJ

Update: LSU executives and Lane Kiffin's reps held a call after the Tigers game at OU to continue solidifying the deal with travel plans: The university is sending two planes to Oxford on Sunday for Kiffin, his family & others, sources tell @YahooSports. yhoo.it/3Xq59ok

Ohio State did not issue a ban on Dave Portnoy, AD Ross Bjork tells @YahooSports. Bjork confirms that FOX decided Portnoy would not be on the main desk of Big Noon Kickoff and those not on the desk do not normally appear on the field. These are Fox decisions, he emphasized.

A newsy wrinkle from Bevacqua: As part of an MOU signed last spring, Notre Dame is assured of a CFP berth if it is ranked in the top 12 starting next year. If this year’s situation unfolds next year, the final at-large team (Miami) would have gotten bumped for No. 11 Notre Dame.

Meanwhile, back here in Oxford, there is a scramble. A postponement of the team meeting, to 1 pm, is related to the university’s attempt to retain staff for the CFP run. There is now doubt that Lane Kiffin will be in attendance as his scheduled travel to Louisiana overlaps.

Kiffin has made clear to Ole Miss administrators that he is leaving for LSU, sources tell @YahooSports. LSU’s original proposal to Kiffin, as reported last Friday at Yahoo, was a seven-year deal at more than $90 million - making him near the top of salaries in the country.

As Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss met Friday, confidence brewed in Baton Rouge: LSU is finalizing a near $90M+ offer to the coach - blessed by the governor - and $25M+ in annual roster cash in its most serious push to gain his commit, sources tell @YahooSports bit.ly/3LV0Tun

The Big Ten has signaled to Michigan & USC that it plans to move forward with a $2.4B capital deal, sources tell @YahooSports. U-M & USC face a tentative deadline (Nov. 20) before it may vote to extend the GoR without all members - an unprecedented step yhoo.it/4ovPNdN

Penn State is in the final stages of negotiations to make Matt Campbell its new coach, sources tell @YahooSports. The Penn State search - spanning more than 50 days - may land on the Iowa State and former Toledo coach who’s heralded as one of the best leaders in the country.

Michigan board members and university officials held a call earlier today related to the situation with Sherrone Moore, sources tell @YahooSports. Despite reports to the contrary, Warde Manuel remains the athletic director as the school begins a search for its next coach.

In a meeting today in Charlotte, power conference commissioners saw a presentation from the Big Ten on a 24-team playoff format, sources tell @YahooSports. Officials agreed to keep further exploring formats beyond 12. SEC officials, as they have said publicly, support 16.

Interesting: Brett Yormark and Big 12 ADs held a 40-minute call today with Dave Portnoy, offering him a “blank canvas” of engagement opportunities and emphasizing their full support of integrating the Barstool brand across league campuses, starting this week with Iowa State-Iowa.

Executives are inching closer to an agreement to expand the NCAA tournament to 76 teams with a 12-game “opening round” played at two sites starting in 2026-27. If it gets finalized, how will it work? More in our weekly sports biz column for @on3 - on3.com/news/ncaa-basketball-t...

LSU administrators and university executives have held and are holding high-level discussions over the future of football coach Brian Kelly, sources tell @YahooSports. While there is no immediate resolution, the conversations - which involve the state's governor - are on-going.

Lane Kiffin has never been happier, he says. He hasn’t drank in 5 years, rarely eats red meat or dessert, is reunited with his kids and has used an NIL blueprint & offensive magic to restore glory to Ole Miss. Is this his story’s final chapter? “Maybe.” yhoo.it/47YOmNY

Kirk Herbstreit: “It’d be great if we had 16 teams. Maybe that’s the next answer to get this thing up to 16 teams.”