Rachel Nichols to join new-look 'Undisputed'

Nichols is better known for her time with ESPN, including her acrimonious exit after leaked tapes of a private conversation where she believed that the network aimed to give now-NBC Sports host Maria Taylor more opportunities at her expense.

FS1 appears to be taking a different route with the show without Sharpe, who took on a ton of basketball talk despite his Hall of Fame football resume. Instead of Bayless and one other personality handling nearly all of the newsworthy moments and hot takes, it appears that the show will expertise-driven, depending on who is the co-host on a given day. 

With Sherman, who also doubles as an analyst for "Thursday Night Football" on Prime Video, it's safe to assume that he'll take on the majority of NFL and college football debates with Bayless. Although Ourand said Fox Sports may look to bring on a NBA expert, Nichols is deeply embedded with the NBA but could parry with Bayless on any topic that makes waves, harkening back to her time as well-respected print journalist who covered multiple sports for the Washington Post before the move to TV. Lil Wayne is the ultimate wild card as someone who isn't an athlete or typical media personality, so perhaps he'll bring a sports fan's perspective — even though he's far richer and has more connections to sports figures than the average fan.

Ourand reports that Fox Sports is also considering hiring either Keyshawn Johnson or Michael Irvin. Johnson — the former NFL wide receiver with New York (Jets), Tampa Bay and Dallas — was among the ESPN cuts in June, and has versatility as someone whose done sports radio, analysis and debate shows. Irvin, the Hall of Fame wideout who has worked on ESPN and the NFL Network, has been off television since February as he's facing allegations of inappropriate actions with a hotel staffer.