ESPN Cleveland Sports Daily - Friday July 25, 2025 presented by CHI Memorial

Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies—like the Department of Labor and NLRB—to clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees, aiming to establish unified standards in the NCAA’s NIL (name, image, likeness) era while preserving amateurism and protecting non‑revenue sports and scholarships 

The order also seeks to ban third-party pay‑for‑play deals, uphold fair market endorsements, and ensure support for women’s and non‑revenue athletics through federal guidance and regulatory action

Jesse Chavez, renowned as MLB’s most‑traded player, announced yesterday that he will retire. He had a career 18 seasons and 657 career appearances across nine teams, concluding with the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves travel to Texas tonight to play the Rangers. First pitch is at 8:05, you can listen to that game here on Mix 104.1 at 8:00 or on ESPN Cleveland starting at 7:00 with pre-game and post-game coverage presented by Cleveland Plywood.

Nascar

The Brickyard 400 weekend features the Xfinity race, Penzoil 250 Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET and the Cup Series race Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET. You can listen to those races on ESPN Cleveland 101.3.

PGA

Adam Svensson shot an 11-under 60 in the first round of the 2025 3M Open Wednesday to take a two‑stroke clubhouse lead.

The 3M Open round 2 will tee off today in Blaine, Minnesota at TPC Twin Cities golf course.

Hulk Hogan, the wrestling icon who helped launch WWE into mainstream stardom with his “Hulkamania” persona, died yesterday at the age of 71 from a cardiac arrest.

Though his legacy is marked by controversy, his impact on sports entertainment remains unmatched.

Six-time world champion, WrestleMania headliner, Rocky III, WWE Hall of Fame inductee.

This has been your sports report from the CHI Memorial sports desk. learn more about CHI online at Memorial.org