Closing Bell

The NFL will be playing three games on Christmas in 2025, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said “that’s the plan for every year in the future as well.” Goodell during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday said that the league “plans to keep the three-game schedule in place regardless of when Christmas falls in the week.” Goodell added that the league likely will “continue to rotate” the teams that play that day. The league scheduled a pair of games when Christmas fell on Wednesday in 2024. NFL VP/Broadcast Planning & Scheduling Mike North had previously said that the league “might stick with two games on a Tuesday or Wednesday” (PROFOOTBALLTALK, 4/25).

The NWSL has filed an application with U.S. Soccer to “launch a Division II league in 2026 with the intention of furthering player development.” The application was filed on April 1 with a letter signed by NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman, in which she “likens the proposed Division II league to the minor-league baseball system.” The NWSL has “eight affiliated teams from its existing Division I league lined up for the inaugural season of the Division II league,” with those teams “slated to play at the same stadiums that the corresponding Division I teams play in.” All Division I teams are “expected to form an affiliated second-tiered team within the first four years.” The second tier will serve as a “space for clubs to build roster depth with the college draft now abolished, develop a pathway for player development as well as a place for injured players to feature in rehabilitation games.” The same can be “applied for coaches, referees and front office staff to hone their own skill sets” (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/25).

The PGA Tour is on the verge of revamping the Tour Championship for this year to make it a championship “of more consequence.” Adam Scott, a member of the PGA Tour’s policy board, said that the players “reaching consensus” at last week’s Player Advisory Council meeting was “the next step forward.” Still, remaking the Tour Championship “may be a two-year process,” with 2025 described as a “bridge to next year,” according to Scott. The next step before a board vote is “making sure that TV ... and umbrella sponsor FedEx and Tour Championship presenting sponsors Coca Cola and Southern Company -- support the changes.”

Here are some of the changes that may be implemented:

• The starting-strokes format, which gives FedEx Cup leaders in the season-long points race a head start, may be done away with. It has drawn criticism from players who “believe it undermines the prestige of winning the Tour Championship,” with Scott using the word “gimmicky” to describe it.
• The idea of a bracket-style competition like March Madness “has been kicked around,” but “consensus has been reached that match play isn’t the right format.”
• TV partners are pushing a format that would involve a “cut to the Round of 16 on Friday, eight play Saturday, top 4 duke it out on Sunday and Nos. 5-8 play for their position.” But while that would “infuse daily drama,” Scott said that format “has lost support” (GOLFWEEK, 4/25).

The PWHL is teaming up with lululemon to launch a first-of-its-kind apparel collection, available exclusively at PWHL venues starting this weekend. The collection will feature between five to seven of lululemon’s best-selling styles, including hoodies, crews, tees, jackets, the iconic half-zip, and crossbody bags. Each piece will be branded for the league or one of its six teams. The collection will be available at the venues in Boston and Ottawa on Saturday; Minnesota on Sunday; Montreal on Monday; Toronto on Tuesday; and finally in New York next Saturday. This marks lululemon’s first-ever professional women’s sports league branded collection (PWHL).

Premier League club AFC Bournemouth and owner Black Knight Football Club are set to acquire the team’s home stadium, Vitality Stadium. A newly created entity, Black Knight Stadium Limited, will officially own the stadium, which AFC Bournemouth has called home since 1910. The stadium acquisition follows the launch of the club’s new Performance Centre last month, continuing a trend of significant investment in facilities. Ownership of the stadium will help AFC Bournemouth as the club makes plans for any future renovation and expansion projects. With a capacity of 11,286, Vitality Stadium is the smallest of the current Premier League home venues (AFC Bournemouth).