In a three-team trade that reflects the desire of each club to improve without dipping into the free agent market, the Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros exchanged six players on Dec. 19, with the Rays shipping two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh.

The Pirates also received two other big league pieces in the transaction – speedy outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery. They gave up precious starting pitching capital, as the unheralded but effective right-hander, Mike Burrows, is headed to the Astros.

In return, the Astros are shipping outfielder Jacob Melton – currently ranked their No. 2 prospect – and top 10 pitching prospect Anderson Brito to Tampa Bay.

The deal was first reported by the Athletic.

The Rays were particularly busy Dec. 19, also agreeing to trade starting pitcher Shane Baz to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for four prospects and a draft pick.

In the multi-team swap, the Rays are giving up the most current value to buttress their organizational depth, but Melton – who made a 32-game debut in 2025 – is considered close to the majors, while Brito dominated in high A ball last year.

The Pirates were the beneficiary. They grab Lowe, who hit 31 home runs last season and has four seasons of at least 21 home runs, shoring up a second base spot that was lacking. Mangum was a disruptive force for the Rays in his debut last season, stealing 27 bases and posting a .330 OBP in 118 games, though he hit just three homers and managed 22 extra-base hits.

Lowe, however, is in the final year of his contract after the Rays picked up his $11.5 million 2026 option.

In Burrows, the Astros get a right-hander with less than one year of service time who posted a 3.94 ERA and struck out 97 in 96 innings last season, when he made 19 starts in 23 appearances. Led by Paul Skenes, the Pirates had pitching depth from which to deal, and they provided the biggest fireworks on the largest transaction so far this offseason.

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah is returning to college instead of entering the NFL Draft.
Mensah will earn more money by staying at Duke than he likely would have as an NFL rookie.
The decision highlights how private NIL deals are making college football competitive with the NFL for talent.

Darian Mensah finally pulled off what eventually had to happen, further underscoring a booming college football economy that isn’t slowing down. 

An elite quarterback chose college football over the NFL. And will make more money because of it. 

Mensah, who led Duke to its first outright ACC championship since 1962 in his first season after transferring from Tulane, will make — at the very least — the back half of a two-year, $8 million deal he signed prior to this season. 

If Mensah were to leave for the NFL, he’d make half that or less for one season — depending on where he was selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Stay or go is no longer a professional decision. It’s now, in most cases, a monetary move.

Just when you think paradigm change over the past four years of college football couldn’t be more dramatic, we now have quarterbacks staying in college for more money than they’d earn in the NFL. 

College football isn’t the NFL’s minor league. It’s now the NFL’s competition.

The last quarterback selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft was Jaxson Dart, who was the 25th overall pick and signed a four-year deal with the Giants averaging $4.2 million annually.

The first quarterback selected outside the first round was Tyler Shough, who was the 40th overall pick by the Saints and signed a four-year deal averaging $2.7 annually. The next selected was Jalen Milroe, 92nd overall by the Seahawks with a deal averaging $1.56 million annually. 

Mensah, who more than likely would’ve been selected somewhere outside the first 50 picks, will earn $4 million by returning to Duke.

But that’s not the point of this exercise. The reality that Mensah will earn more in college football than the NFL, that he is choosing to delay playing at the highest level of football with a multi-year contract to stay in college, should tell you all you need to know about the flourishing private NIL economy.

The one area of unthinkable college football change the NCAA has no control over. And by no, I mean none.

Not with some special clearinghouse, or contrived czar, or play-nice agreement schools are refusing to sign. Private NIL is the heart of the college football economy, the only way to separate the haves from the have-nots.

You don’t really think the haves are going to sit there and take it, do you? They’re not going to nod their heads and spend 75% of their NCAA-mandated $20-23 million annual salary pool on football, and go along their merry way.

Because the elite of the elite players want more, and are they’re getting it through private NIL. It’s basic economics: supply and demand.

Ohio State overpaid for Quinshon Judkins and Will Howard and Caleb Downs, and won a national title because of it. Indiana outbid Georgia and Miami for Fernando Mendoza, and just polished off the first unbeaten regular season in school history. 

Duke, meanwhile, won its first outright ACC title in more than six decades after overpaying Mensah. That’s return on investment, everyone.

A similar or marginally better revenue sharing deal isn’t convincing elite players to change schools. Private NIL deals are.

Players don’t have to stay at programs if they feel (take your pick) they’re not being developed properly, don’t have a chance to play for a championship, or just don’t like their situation.

Now they aren’t forced to leave college for the NFL, where the ability to earn was always the greatest draw — no matter what you read from players about taking their talents to (insert team here). Thanks, LeBron.

With that being said, of course.

Imagine the sheer power of telling the NFL no, and then picking up a larger paycheck because of it. And, bonus: Mensah, who has only played two seasons of college football — with at TD/INT ratio of 52/11 — can play another season and strengthen his draft stock.

Go bet on yourself, kid. Have another big season, make twice what you’d earn in the NFL, and then improve your draft stock for 2027. The next thing you know, you’ve moved into a first round projection and your rookie deal goes from seven figures to eight. 

Quinn Ewers should’ve done it last season, and there will be more outside of Mensah who will do it this season. Brendan Sorsby and Sam Leavitt could leave for the NFL, and be selected in the first two days. 

So could Ty Simpson and John Mateer and Nico Iamaleava. They’ll all make more — per season — in college football with private NIL deals. And that’s just at the quarterback position.

It’s a bear market for the elite of college football, and nothing is stopping it. Not contrived NCAA guidelines with no teeth, and not some document with no legal standing.

And no longer, as crazy as it sounds, the big, bad NFL. 

The NBA announced it has reinstated former veteran official Eric Lewis, who resigned in 2023 after it was discovered that he operated a social media burner account that made unauthorized comments on the officiating of NBA games.

Lewis’ first assignment will be to officiate NBA G League Winter Showcase games during the weekend.

The usage represented a violation of the league’s social media policy. The account, which has since been deleted, was posting under the handle, @CutliffBlair, on Twitter, which is now known as X. The messages from the account had responded to other posts that had been critical of NBA officiating.

“Over nearly 20 years, Eric established himself as one of the NBA’s premier game officials,” NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell said in a statement on Friday, Dec. 19. “While he made a mistake in engaging on social media, our investigation concluded that his behavior did not impact his ability to officiate games fairly and with integrity. We are confident he has learned from that experience and can properly serve the game again, first as an NBA G League official and potentially in a return as an NBA official.”

Here are the implications of the move to reinstate former veteran official Eric Lewis.

What does this mean for Eric Lewis and the NBA?

The league believes Lewis’ previous social media usage didn’t affect his impartiality and ability to officiate games. There’s no shortage of potential candidates interested in becoming NBA officials, but the league has a rigorous selection process that emphasizes officiating experience at the collegiate and G League level.

Officials are regularly assessed for their performance, and the most accurate ones are the officials chosen for promotion.

Given his experience, Lewis’ reinstatement instantly reintroduces a veteran presence to the officiating roster.

Still, Lewis will have to remain compliant with league policy to work his way back to NBA regular season games. As part of the reinstatement, the NBA laid out a jointly agreed upon path toward a potential return. This included Lewis clearing benchmarks such as stress management, counseling and social media usage training.

Most importantly, the NBA will need to ensure that there has been no erosion of trust in the officiating program overall, and Lewis’ reinstatement may cause some fans to raise questions, even though the league said it found Lewis’ previous social media usage did not impact his ability to officiate games with integrity.

During his two seasons away from the NBA, Lewis officiated men’s college basketball games.

What has Eric Lewis said about the matter?

Lewis apologized for his social media usage and vowed to learn from his mistake.

“It started very small and got out of hand,” Lewis told ESPN. “It just went into another direction that it shouldn’t have gone. I don’t feel happy about the situation and how far it went. But I’m very apologetic to the family and to the league. This won’t happen again, and I’m just ready to get back to doing the work.

“I understand the gravity of the situation and how it affected everybody that is around me, from my family to the NBA. When you talk about the NBA, you talk about it all, from the fans to the players. I understand that my body of work showed the unbiasedness and integrity. But my actions crossed it. I have to earn that back, and I’m ready for that task.”

Who is Eric Lewis?

Eric Lewis, 54, had served as an NBA official for 19 seasons before his retirement in 2023. Over that time, he officiated 1,161 regular season games and also 91 playoff contests. Six of those were NBA Finals games.

Before officiating NBA games, Lewis had refereed three seasons in the G League.

A native of Daytona Beach, Florida, Lewis had played basketball at Bethune-Cookman University.

The aircraft’s black box has been recovered, but the investigation into what caused a North Carolina plane crash that killed a NASCAR legend and six other people this week will be lengthy, according to new details released in the case on Friday, Dec. 19.

According to information from family and federal authorities, seven people died in the Cessna C550 jet crash that took place a little more than 24 hours earlier and claimed the life of former race car driver Greg Biffle and six others.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Michael Graham during a media briefing Friday afternoon confirmed all seven on board the aircraft, including the pilot, died in the 10:15 a.m. ET fiery crash Thursday, Dec. 18, at the Statesville Regional Airport.

‘On behalf of the NTSB, I want to express our most sincere condolences to the families and loved ones that lost their lives,’ Graham said.

A preliminary report on what caused the crash is expected within 30 days, Graham said, but the final report could take up to a year while investigators continue to interview witnesses, review audio recordings and more.

‘This is the beginning of a very long process. We will not jump to conclusions…nor will we speculate,’ Graham told reporters.

Here’s more about the Thursday, Dec. 18, fatal crash including where it happened, who was killed and new details released in the case.

Where did the plane crash happen?

The crash took place around 10:15 a.m. local time while the pilot attempted to land at the airport in Iredell County, about 40 miles north of Charlotte, according to local officials and the Federal Aviation Administration.

NTSB senior accident investigator Dan Baker said the jet took off from runway 2A and was in the air 10 minutes before it crashed.

Five minutes after takeoff, Baker reported, the plane made a left turn to the west followed by another left turn to the east before it hit the ground. The jet also struck a set of trees and a runway fence before coming to rest.

The debris field, officials said, spanned about 1800 feet from the approach end of the runway.

Who piloted the plane that crashed with Greg Biffle on it?

The plane that crashed was manufactured in 1981, Graham said, and could be flown with a single pilot or a crew.

As of Friday, investigators said they had not been able to determine who piloted the aircraft before it crashed.

Graham said three people on board were licensed to fly.

Was the black box recovered from the plane Greg Biffle was on?

Graham said teams recovered one of the black boxes from the plane.

When asked whether aircraft controllers or anyone else reported getting a distress call from the aircraft before it crashed, Graham responded, ‘We are not aware there was a mayday call.’

Who died in the plane crash?

Here’s who died in the plane that crashed at the regional airport.

Family identified the victims as Biffle, his wife Cristina Biffle, their 5-year-old son Ryder, and Greg’s daughter Emma, 14.

Others on the plane were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.

‘We are devastated by the loss of our loved ones. This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken beyond words,’ the families said in a statement.

Where was Greg Biffle’s plane headed?

The plane was bound for Florida but attempted to return to the Statesville Regional Airport soon after takeoff in severe weather, according to FlightAware, which tracks flight paths and previous USA TODAY reporting.

The aircraft was registered to a company tied to Biffle.

What caused the plane crash that killed Greg Biffle?

The cause of the plane crash remained under investigation on Friday by the NTSB with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Anyone who saw the plane crash, particularly those with video of the jet’s approach to the airport after it turned around midair, is asked to contact NTSB via email at witness@ntsb.gov.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund

The Philadelphia Flyers are issuing a two-game suspension after an inappropriate remark went on the air in a hot mic moment on their radio broadcast.

The radio broadcast was supposed to go to a commercial break as the television broadcast did during the third period of the Flyers-Buffalo Sabres game on Thursday, Dec. 18. But the radio side stayed on air, and the inappropriate remark was made by play-by-play announcer Tim Saunders.

‘These remarks do not reflect the standards of conduct or values from anyone associated with our organization,’ the Flyers said in a statement. ‘Effective immediately, the Flyers, along with our radio partners, 97.5 The Fanatic, have issued a two-game suspension while we address this matter with all parties involved.

‘We take this matter very seriously, and sincerely apologize to our listeners, fans and all those affected by these comments.’

Saunders apologized on Dec. 19 for his ‘error in judgment’ during the broadcast.

‘I recognize how offensive my remarks were, and the harm it has caused,’ he said. ‘I take full responsibility and sincerely apologize to the Flyers, 97.5 The Fanatic and all those affected by my remarks.

‘To all Flyers fans and listeners of our broadcast, I promise that I will hold myself to a higher standard moving forward to ensure our broadcast is a safe and respectful place everyone can enjoy.’

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

The College Football Playoff gets underway Friday night and will occupy the spotlight for the rest of the weekend. But before things kick off in the evening in Norman, Oklahoma, there are a couple of matinee bowls on Friday to whet everyone’s appetite.

The first one on the undercard is a potential hidden gem at a popular beach setting, with actual conference champions squaring off. One is a first-time bowl invitee, but the other is just as happy to earn a trip south.

The mid-afternoon contest involves more established programs, although perhaps their fan bases are – less delighted with how their respective seasons transpired. Here’s a quick look at Friday’s pre-playoff bowl doubleheader.

Myrtle Beach Bowl: Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan

Time/TV: 11 a.m. ET, ESPN, Conway, S.C.

Why watch: As mentioned, the participants here are the champions of Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference. The Broncos claimed their first MAC crown since 2016, while the Owls earned C-USA honors in only their second year as FBS members. Kennesaw State QB Amari Odom, fresh off leading the championship-winning drive against Jacksonville State, will make frequent use of WR Gabriel Benyard and RB Coleman Bennett. They’ll try to solve the active WMU defense, featuring LB James Camden and DB Tate Hallock. The driving force of Broncos is QB Broc Lowry, who will keep it himself often but can also get backfield help from RB Jalen Buckley. They’ll be opposed by Owls LB Baron Hopson and DE Elijah Hill.

Why it could disappoint: These aren’t offensive juggernauts by any means, so don’t expect a wild shootout. If the first half is close, it will likely stay that way until the finish.

Gasparilla Bowl: Memphis vs. North Carolina State

Time/TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Tampa, Fla.

Why watch: This probably wasn’t the preferred destination for either of these teams, but there should be incentives to win on both sidelines. The Wolfpack showed considerable improvement down the stretch with victories in three of their last four games. The Tigers stumbled late and are now in a coaching transition but should welcome this chance to take down an ACC squad. Memphis QB Brendon Lewis wasn’t fully healthy during the team’s three-game skid to close the year but should be ready to lead the offense for interim coach Reggie Howard. N.C. State QB C.J. Bailey can be a dynamic playmaker and is even more effective when RB Hollywood Smothers is at full speed.

Why it could disappoint: There’s no disputing that N.C. State was playing much better in the final month of the season, so it more or less hinges on how the Tigers respond after dropping their last three contests. A fast start by the Wolfpack could make this a runaway.

No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma

Time/TV: Friday, 8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN.

Why watch: Not surprisingly, these big-name programs get the Friday prime-time treatment to kick off the festivities. It’s also the first of two opening-round contests that are rematches. The Sooners took the first encounter 23-21 back on Nov. 15, the primary reason OU earned hosting privileges for the encore. That result indicates another close – if not especially high-scoring – affair. The Crimson Tide offense has not been especially sharp over the last month, a stretch that includes the initial loss to the Sooners and the blowout loss to Georgia in the SEC title game. QB Ty Simpson still has a lot of speed weapons in his arsenal like WR Ryan Williams. But he’s been getting little ground support, and LB Kip Lewis and the rest of the Sooners’ front will look to continue that trend. OU has also struggled to find points, thanks in no small part to a spate of injuries along the front line. With the ground game struggling, QB John Mateer has become pick prone trying to force the issue, and Alabama S Bray Hubbard will be ready to pounce on any arrant throws.

Why it could disappoint: As we said, this has all the earmarks of a defensive slog. It could easily come down to the kicking game, where Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell might tip the scales to the Sooners.

Andrew Tate’s professional boxing debut is drawing international attention mostly because of his popularity as a right-wing internet personality and his pending rape and human trafficking charges in multiple countries. But inside the ring, the polarizing figure dubbed the ‘King of Toxic Masculinity’ by his critics will also attempt to win one London-based promotion’s heavyweight title from a former American college football player and Netflix reality star.

There will be lots of intrigue surrounding Tate’s match headlining Misfits Boxing’s ‘The Fight Before Christmas’ event on Dec. 20 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 39-year-old former kickboxer is a right-wing celebrity due to his high profile within the ‘manosphere,’ a collection of influencers, podcasters and content creators who promote masculinity, misogyny and anti-feminist viewpoints. Tate also has ties to the Trump administration, despite ongoing criminal proceedings of varying nature in Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States.

But Chase DeMoor, Tate’s opponent Saturday, is a star in his own right and not because he’s currently Misfits Boxing’s heavyweight champion. Here’s more on the American man Tate will be fighting in his professional boxing debut:

Who is Andrew Tate fighting?

Tate is set to make his professional boxing debut against Chase DeMoor, a 29-year-old former college football player and Netflix reality TV star. DeMoor has compiled a 9-4-2 record since starting his pro boxing career in 2022.

Chase DeMoor football career

DeMoor was a defensive lineman for one season at Central Washington University of the Football Championship Subdivision and led the NCAA in blocked kicks (6) there in 2018. The Eatonville, Washington native also played two seasons at the College of the Siskiyousas, a junior college in northern California.

He later signed with professional teams in the CFL, Indoor Football League and USFL. DeMoor told the Arizona Republic in 2021 he had a tryout with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks but did not make the team.

Chase DeMoor Netflix reality star

DeMoor became more well-known as a star during season 2 of the Netflix dating series, ‘Too Hot to Handle,’ in 2021. He infamously had a cockroach land on his forehead in the middle of one episode.

DeMoor has appeared on several more reality series since then, including Netflix’s Perfect Match, Pop the Balloon Live and Battle Camp, as well as MTV’s All Star Shore. DeMoor was also cast in a horror film called, ‘The Weeping’ earlier this year. He has more than 4.4 million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok.

Andrew Tate vs. Chase DeMoor fight date, time

Andrew Tate and Chase DeMoor are set to face one another in a professional boxing match with the Misfits heavyweight championship on the line on Saturday, Dec. 20 as part of Misfits Boxing’s ‘The Fight Before Christmas’ in Dubai. Event coverage is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET and will be streamed on Rumble Premium.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 20
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
TV: None
Stream: Rumble Premium