Closing Bell

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Masters week kicked off Monday with a busier-than-normal feel at Augusta National Golf Club ahead of the 90th playing of the tournament. Monday of tournament week is typically quiet as players and patrons arrive for the first time. Last year’s Monday was a near total washout due to heavy rain in the area.

But with a near-perfect weather forecast for the week and a wide-open tournament, ANGC was buzzing with anticipation. Particularly packed was the area under the massive oak tree behind the clubhouse, where many of golf’s top executives are seen throughout the week.

Two main themes emerged through conversations with industry sources: The impending changes to the PGA Tour’s schedule and TGL’s upcoming media rights negotiations.

To date, only one tournament, the American Express, has been confirmed for the 2027 PGA Tour season. The belief is that there are a number of possibilities for the first portion of the schedule.

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The Bulls on Monday fired EVP/Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas and GM Marc Eversley. Karnisovas and Eversley were hired to run the Bulls front office at the start of the 2020-21 season and went 224-254 across six seasons. The 2021-22 season saw the only winning season and playoff appearance under their leadership. The Bulls are currently 29-49 and 12th in the Eastern Conference. At the trade deadline, the team “flipped over a large portion of its roster.” But sources said that the Bulls’ deadline moves did “not dramatically improve their lottery odds or gain any pieces the team sees as part of its future.” One of the players the Bulls acquired, G Jaden Ivey, was dismissed last week after “several social media posts ranging on topics including religion, anti-gay sentiments and depression” (ESPN.com, 4/6).

The Titans and Nissan shared renderings of one of the premium clubs in the new Nissan Stadium ahead of its February 2027 completion date -- the Nissan 1960 Club. Named for the year Bud Adams founded the franchise and Nissan Motor Corporation was established in the U.S. The sold-out club will accommodate up to 550 fans, with a private entrance, custom seating and a speakeasy aesthetic, designed by Elevate Creative. The club logo was inspired by Nissan’s 1960 wordmark. The Nissan 1960 Club will be available for all Titans home games, concerts and other events at the new Nissan Stadium. All premium spaces at the new Nissan Stadium are sold out, with future announcements about naming and amenities. Limited PSLs remain in the 100 and 400 levels (Titans).

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SBJ’s Rachel Axon takes us inside Tourney Town at the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Phoenix.

A federal ​appeals court ruled that New Jersey gaming regulators “cannot prevent Kalshi from allowing people in the state to ‌use its prediction market to place financial bets on the outcome of sporting events." A three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has “exclusive jurisdiction over the sports-related event contracts” on Kalshi’s platform. The ruling marked the first ​time a federal appeals court has “ruled on what has become the central issue in an escalating battle over the ability of ​state gaming regulators to police the activity of prediction market operators." New Jersey last year sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter stating that its listing of sports-related event contracts “violated state gambling laws.” Kalshi sued the state, arguing its event contracts “can only be regulated by the CFTC” under the Commodity Exchange Act (REUTERS, 4/6).

Premier League club Liverpool FC’s supporters’ union, Spirit of Shankly, is organizing “match-day protests at Anfield over rising ticket prices,” beginning with Fulham’s visit on Saturday. SOS and the LFC Supporters’ Board said that they have been “ignored” by the club over their plans to “increase costs for the next three seasons,” which was confirmed during the March international break. Liverpool FC senior figures “insist the rise is limited to inflation,” saying that the decision was “not taken lightly” after months of consulting with the Supporters’ Board, which was created following the European Super League debacle five years ago. Spirit of Shankly said, “This decision sits with ownership (Fenway Sports Group). Not just at Anfield. Not just at Chapel Street (club’s offices). In Boston. They have made the call. They can reverse it” (Liverpool ECHO, 4/6).

Liverpool announced multi-year pricing changes last month, which will lead to a 3% increase starting next season and then “align with inflation” until 2028-29. The rises would be “capped at a maximum” of 5%. Adult season tickets will increase by between $70.84 (all figures U.S.) and $89.38 over the three years, which Liverpool says equates to “no more than” $4.63 per game. The increase in prices will “bring in about” $1.6M a season, with Liverpool announcing record revenues of $930.7M in their latest annual accounts up to May 31, 2025 (London TIMES, 4/6).

Liverpool supporters’ union Spirit of Shankly has been calling on fans “not to spend money inside the ground and to delay renewing season tickets to ‘send a message’” to owner Fenway Sports Group (THE ATHLETIC, 4/6).