LSU inks jersey patch deal with Woodside Energy for all sports...Breanna Stewart‘s signing with EuroLeague’s Fenerbahce not a sign WNBA season in jeopardy...Cubs’ Tom Ricketts says club savors TV independence ahead of possible MLB consolidation.
LSU inks jersey patch deal with Woodside Energy for all sports

LSU on Monday unveiled a “first-of-its-kind” jersey patch sponsorship deal with Woodside Energy that will begin with the 2026-27 season. The multiyear deal was “facilitated by Playfly Sports,” LSU’s official multimedia rights holder. A “purple and gold designed logo patch of the oil company” will be featured on “all 21 LSU sports teams’ competition as well as practice jerseys.” Woodside Energy will “also have prominent signage at all athletic venues as well as various marketing assets across all LSU sports channels.” LSU’s deal with Woodside Energy was officially made possible last month when the NCAA lent approval for universities to seek out jersey patch partnerships with companies as “another revenue generating avenue” for athletic departments. LSU has had a deal with Woodside Energy “lined up for a some time now,” and it was “just waiting on the NCAA to change the rule to allow for it.” There were Woodside Energy patches on LSU football’s practice jerseys this past season (Lafayette DAILY ADVERTISER, 2/16).
Stewart’s signing with EuroLeague’s Fenerbahce not a sign WNBA season in jeopardy

Liberty F Breanna Stewart’s decision to sign Monday with Fenerbahce for the EuroLeague Women’s Final Six in mid-April is not expected to violate WNBA rules, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
While some construed it as a sign the WNBA season is in jeopardy and Stewart is bailing out early, insiders said Stewart signed with the understanding that WNBA training camps will likely begin April 19 and that -- under the 2020 CBA prioritization rules -- contracted players have until the later of May 1 or the first day of training camp to report. The EuroLeague Women’s Final Six in Zaragoza, Spain, at the Pabellón Príncipe Felipe will run April 15-19, giving Stewart ample time to return for a WNBA training camp.
The WNBA and its players union are at a collective bargaining impasse over their split of revenue sharing.
Cubs’ Ricketts says club savors TV independence ahead of possible MLB consolidation

Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts said as there has been “a lot of speculation” on MLB trying to take over all 30 teams’ broadcasts in the coming years, his team loves Marquee Sports Network and “we love our independence.” He noted given all the “market headwinds for RSNs,” Marquee was “one of the best things we ever did.” Ricketts: “To be in control of our own destiny and be able to produce the games we want to produce the way we want to produce them, with the right people and the right staff and the right level of production quality. For us, it’s been a huge home run” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 2/16). Ricketts noted Marquee has the “economic realities that are facing other sports networks and the declining revenue model,” adding there is a need to “balance that out and try to focus our efforts where we can get a great experience and a great production for fans” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/16).
Cohen reflects on Mets reset: ‘I felt what the fans felt’

Mets owner Steve Cohen said that he was “‘absolutely annoyed’ by last season’s failures,” adding that while their roster overhaul “may have been difficult, he trusted [President of Baseball Operations] David Stearns’ vision and was excited about their current crop.” Cohen said that he “felt a measure of anxiety after the Mets parted ways with their core without having their replacements lined up.” Cohen: “I felt what the fans felt. The worst part was these players left, and yet we hadn’t figured out who was going to fill those positions. … I feel really good about what we accomplished” (NEWSDAY 2/16).
Cohen when asked if he feels the Mets closed the gap with the Dodgers said, “They’re formidable, they have the ability to spend -- so do I, by the way.” Cohen insisted that he is “solely focused on the 2026 season, and isn’t worried about what may come in 2027.” As far as where he stands on a potential salary floor/cap, Cohen said, “I’m listening to all of the arguments, but I’ve always been a league-first owner.” He added, “I haven’t made up my mind yet, but we’ll see where it goes -- sometimes I put the league’s interest above my own interest” (SNY.tv, 2/16).
Padres extend A.J. Preller with multiyear deal

Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller “received a multi-year contract extension” as his current six-year deal was “set to expire after the upcoming season.” Preller’s status had become a “source of angst for fans” and had even seen 3B Manny Machado “politic on his behalf.” But this was the “expected outcome all along.” Sources with knowledge of the talks between Preller and team Chair John Seidler “maintained for months, including late last week, that the deal would get done.” Preller took over the Padres’ baseball operations in August 2014 and is MLB’s second-longest-tenured manager behind Yankees GM Brian Cashman (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/16).
The length of Preller’s new deal was not announced, but the finalization of one “put to rest questions about whether he would be extended with the team’s control in limbo.” Arguably baseball’s “most aggressive front-office executive,” Preller is heading into his 12th full season atop the Padres’ baseball operations department, during which he has “navigated multiple rebuilds, gone through a handful of managers and acquired a litany of stars” (ESPN.com, 2/16).
Barcelona to remain on F1 calendar through 2032 on rotational basis

Barcelona will “remain” on the F1 calendar on a “rotational basis beyond this year,” alternating with Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps until 2032. F1 had already announced a move toward calendar rotation for certain venues, with Belgium signing a deal that will have Spa host a grand prix in 2026, 2027, 2029 and 2031. Despite a new race in Madrid taking over as the home of the Spanish Grand Prix from this season, Barcelona had one year to run on its contract so there will be “two races in Spain this year, as well as in 2028, 2030 and 2032 as part of the new agreement.” With Madrid taking on the Spanish GP title, Barcelona will now “host the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix starting from this year’s edition of the race” (RACER, 2/16).
Speed Reads....
M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has been appointed as the agency partner for Betway. It will develop a global campaign for Betway, including advertising, communications, sponsorship activation, content creation and fan engagement initiatives (M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment).
Sacramento State, which has officially joined the MAC for football, is a “five-year agreement in which the school will take no conference distribution, cover air travel costs of visiting MAC teams” and pay $6M of the $18M entry fee in Year 1, according to sources (X, 2/16).
Around the World....
The Australian Rugby League Commission has “revamped” State of Origin eligibility rules for the “2026 series ‘to reflect the continued growth and global strength of rugby league’” (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/16).
Entrepreneur James Bord, who led the consortium that bought Sheffield Wednesday, is “being sued by a former friend and business partner over his investment” in Segunda División club Córdoba (London TIMES, 2/16).
Swedish soccer club Ostersund has “started crowdfunding” to re-sign F Curtis Edwards (THE ATHLETIC, 2/16).
Social Scoop....
Robert Duvall who portrayed Harry Hogge in Days of Thunder passed away yesterday.
— Save The Speedway (@savethespeedway) February 16, 2026
His character was based on legendary crew chief Harry Hyde.
The ice cream scene is based on something that happened in 1987 at the Transouth 500 when Wilkes County's Benny Parsons took over for… pic.twitter.com/I1FXvqlUwI
I'd like to hear more from the median MLB player group on economics/CBA. They are the most powerful voting cohort.
— Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) February 16, 2026
Keep in mind, this was the vote on the 2022 CBA:
*Team representatives vote: 26-4 in favor (More representative of the average player).
*Executive Subcommittee…
Welcome to Team USA, Roman Anthony! #ForGlory🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/gBfflrodaZ
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) February 16, 2026
Jason Kelce is here in Milan to support the U.S. women’s hockey team. pic.twitter.com/dttc7kTlST
— Greg Rosenstein (@grosenstein) February 16, 2026
LA 2028: Hold my beer. https://t.co/DsMmx0q71t
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) February 16, 2026
You’re going to love what we’re going to tell you. https://t.co/oKeHUXetSb
— Rock League (@rockleaguecurl) February 16, 2026
NEWS: On3 has signed Andy Staples, Pete Nakos and J.D. PicKell to new contract extensions🚀@PeteNakos x @AndyStaples x @JdPicKell pic.twitter.com/NY37hRxcsu
— On3 (@On3) February 16, 2026
The Columbus Aviators unveiled the franchise’s inaugural uniform set today ⬇️
— Blake T. Biscardi (@BlakeBiscardi) February 16, 2026
Ted Ginn Jr.’s team opens the season on March 29th at the Orlando Storm pic.twitter.com/BXTLW6eBcT
Daily Download....
23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick joined “Good Morning America” to discuss winning the Daytona 500 to open the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Among the topics were his thoughts on having Basketball HOFer Michael Jordan as a team owner.
Daily Digit....
331 -- Consecutive minutes the U.S. women's hockey team has shut out its opponents in the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. That is the longest shutout streak in women's Olympic history and has propelled the team to the gold-medal game, where it will face either Canada or Switzerland (X, 2/16)




