A federal jury in Los Angeles found the NFL liable in the Sunday Ticket class action on Thursday, awarding the plaintiffs more than $4 billion in damages. The NFL has the option to appeal to U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez, arguing that the damages are excessive and unreasonable. Additionally, the league can appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court. This ruling could force significant changes to the league’s broadcasting arrangements, which accounted for 93 of the 100 most-watched TV broadcasts in the U.S. last year.

Despite the defeat, the NFL may not have to make payments or alter its broadcasting structure for years—if at all. Gutierrez, who expressed skepticism of the plaintiffs’ case during the trial, will hear post-trial motions on July 31. The NFL may seek a judgment notwithstanding the verdict, arguing that no reasonable jury could have reached the same conclusion based on the evidence presented, or that the jury misapplied the law. Alternatively, the NFL might pursue “remittitur,” contending that the damages are so excessive it would be a miscarriage of justice to uphold the amount. The league could also request Gutierrez to delay potential changes to the Sunday Ticket structure resulting from the jury’s verdict.

If Gutierrez upholds the jury’s ruling, the NFL will appeal to the Ninth Circuit and seek to halt the case pending the appeal. This delay would affect class members expecting payments or considering renewing their subscriptions. The NFL would argue that a stay is appropriate due to the substantial damages award and the structural changes that would affect contracts for teams, the league, and providers. This would mean the NFL would not have to pay damages or make structural changes to the Sunday Ticket package until all appeals are resolved.

The appeals process in the Ninth Circuit can take from a year and a half to nearly three years. The NFL could also petition the U.S. Supreme Court after the Ninth Circuit appeal, extending the timeline into the late 2020s. Another possibility is that the NFL and the plaintiffs could reach a settlement before an appeal is heard, where the league pays less and makes fewer changes, but the plaintiffs—and their attorneys who will receive a portion of the proceeds—gain payment certainty.

The class action involves more than 2.4 million residential subscribers and over 48,000 restaurants, bars, and other commercial establishments that purchased Sunday Ticket. Journalist Meghann Cuniff reported that the residential class was awarded $4.7 billion, while the commercial class received another $96 million. The plaintiffs argued that NFL teams pooling their broadcasts through Sunday Ticket, available through YouTube TV for $349/year (or less with discounts), violated antitrust law.

The NFL disputed the verdict. “We are disappointed with the jury’s verdict today in the NFL Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit,” the league said in a statement. “We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit. We thank the jury for their time and service and for the guidance and oversight from Judge Gutierrez throughout the trial.”

Unlike other major pro leagues, NFL teams offer local fans free TV access to games, but out-of-town fans must purchase Sunday Ticket. If NFL teams competed in broadcasting deals, some might make out-of-town games available for free or less than the Sunday Ticket cost.

The NFL raised several counterarguments, but none convinced the jurors. One argument involved the Sports Broadcasting Act (SBA), which exempts professional football, basketball, baseball, and hockey leagues from antitrust scrutiny when negotiating national TV deals for freely watched games. While the SBA doesn’t exempt subscription-based Sunday Ticket from antitrust scrutiny, the NFL claimed Sunday Ticket is part of a broader TV arrangement that includes free local broadcasts.

The NFL also warned that if teams were forced to compete in licensing out-of-town broadcasts, it would reduce the number of televised games available to fans. Although Sunday Ticket has a cost, it ensures fans can watch any game on TV regardless of location. If out-of-town fans depended on their favorite team finding a broadcast partner, some might lose access to certain games.

Besides appealing, the NFL will need to consider new broadcasting arrangements where teams compete in broadcast sales. The league insists consumers will be worse off without Sunday Ticket but has incentives to maintain its broadcasting dominance—even if it means exploring new methods for teams to televise games to out-of-town fans.

In a historic move, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. has been drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, paving the way for a potential father-son duo on the court. Bronny, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, joins his father’s team after going unselected in the first round.

The 6-foot-2 guard from the University of Southern California had been a major talking point leading up to the draft. Although his last name has contributed to the hype, Bronny’s game has steadily developed over the years, preparing him for this significant moment.

Yahoo Sports NBA draft analyst Krysten Peek had projected that James would be taken with the 55th overall selection by the Lakers. “James is far from a finished product, but proved he belonged in this draft class as a prospect at the draft combine, where he shot the ball well and showed more scoring potential in the lane with his floater,” Peek wrote in her recent mock draft.

Despite sharing genes with one of the greatest basketball players of all time, experts were not as high on James coming into the draft as they were when his father was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2003. One reason for this was James’ underwhelming freshman season at USC, where he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting below 40% from the field. Additionally, the Trojans’ underperformance contributed to a less-than-ideal college debut for James.

James’ freshman season was further marred by a health scare on July 25, when he collapsed due to cardiac arrest during a USC basketball practice. After being hospitalized and stabilized, he was unable to practice until late November, making his college debut in December.

Despite these setbacks, James showed flashes of potential, with one of his best performances being a 15-point game against Oregon State. However, his inconsistency led to questions about his legitimacy as an NBA prospect. An NBA executive told the New York Post, “We wouldn’t be talking about him if his name was Joe Thomas,” highlighting the scrutiny James faced.

Historically, the sons of NBA players often outplay their draft positioning. Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstroh noted that the success of second-generation players, such as Jalen Brunson and Stephen Curry, often defies their draft rankings. “As we talk about Bronny’s candidacy, it’s worth pointing out that the success of second-generation players like Brunson isn’t the exception; it’s the rule,” Haberstroh wrote.

LeBron James has expressed his desire to play with his son, stating in 2022 that his last year in the NBA would be spent alongside Bronny. However, his agent, Rich Paul, has since clarified that there is no guarantee of this happening. “If he does, he does. But if he doesn’t, he doesn’t,” Paul told ESPN, indicating that LeBron’s future in the NBA is not solely tied to Bronny’s career.

As the second round of the draft played out, former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers, now an ESPN broadcaster, revealed that Paul was calling teams to inform them that if they selected Bronny, he would play in Australia instead, implying that Paul had a specific destination in mind.

Bronny James finished his high school career at Sierra Canyon as a four-star recruit and a McDonald’s All-American, averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.7 steals in his senior year. With his drafting by the Lakers, the stage is set for a potentially historic moment in NBA history if Bronny and LeBron take the court together.

In the aftermath of losing the Men’s College World Series to Tennessee on Monday, Texas A&M baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle was adamant that he would “never” leave the program for another job.

On Tuesday, Schlossnagle agreed to leave Texas A&M to take over the baseball program at Texas. Schlossnagle and the Longhorns confirmed the news Tuesday night, following multiple reports.

In three seasons in College Station, Schlossnagle led the Aggies to three NCAA tournament appearances and two trips to the College World Series. Texas A&M fell one win short of a national title in the best-of-three championship series this week.

Here’s Schlossnagle when asked about the proposition of leaving Texas A&M after losing the winner-take-all Game 3 on Monday:

“I think it’s pretty selfish of you to ask me that question, to be honest with you,” Schlossnagle said. “But I left my family to be the coach at Texas A&M. I took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again. And that hasn’t changed in my mind. That’s unfair to talk about something like that.

“I understand you’ve gotta ask the question. But I gave up a big part of my life to come take this job, and I’ve poured every ounce of my soul in this job. And I’ve given this job every single ounce I can possibly give it. Write that.”

Schlossnagle apparently has given the last ounce he’s ever going to give to Texas A&M. Less than 24 hours after that statement, he’s headed to Austin.

“Although I know many will be upset with my decision, I chose to make a change to join a longtime friend to continue my career as a college baseball coach,” Schlossnagle said, via a statement released by Texas A&M. “The run to the national championship game was truly a remarkable one this year, and I will savor the memories and true friendships I have made there for a lifetime.”

Schlossnagle leaves for the rival Longhorns as one of the most decorated coaches in college baseball. He takes over a powerhouse Texas program with 38 College World Series appearances, 12 trips to the CWS finals and six national championships.

A two-time National Coach of the Year, Schlossnagle has coached 22 years of NCAA baseball with previous stops at TCU and UNLV. He has led his teams to 19 total NCAA tournament appearances, including seven trips to the College World Series.

He has yet to win a national championship. If he does, it won’t happen with Texas A&M. The Longhorns and Aggies will face off as SEC rivals starting next season.