Closing Bell

Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff on Friday said that the conference "was 'very disappointed' USC and UCLA are leaving for the Big Ten but outlined the Pac-12’s strategy moving forward and turned feisty during the question-and-answer session." Kliavkoff, speaking at the conference's Media Day in L.A., "didn’t name names but indicated the Pac-12 is actively exploring expansion." He also "suggested the conference could play 'a lot' of football games in Los Angeles in the future, even without the Bruins and Trojans." He noted that the conference’s "next media rights deal 'highly likely' will involve a major digital media company" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 7/29).

Kliavkoff "didn’t bother to hold back when talking about the Big 12." This after that conference's new commissioner Brett Yormark's recent said the league is “open for business.” Kliavkoff: “I appreciate that. We haven’t decided if we’re going shopping there yet or not.” The comment drew "snickers and raised eyebrows from the room of reporters." Kliavkoff later "recognized the remark wasn’t his most collegial moment, especially after preaching trust and teamwork to ensure the future of the Pac-12." He said, "That remark was a reflection of the fact I’ve been spending four weeks trying to defend against grenades that have been lobbed in from every corner of the Big 12 trying to destabilize our remaining conference" (L.A. TIMES, 7/29).

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Under Armour agreed to pay UCLA $67.5M to "resolve the school’s lawsuit against the sports apparel giant." The settlement was reached in "late May," with news breaking only late yesterday that both sides had dropped their litigation. UCLA initially sought more than $200M in damages. The settlement "includes a mutual non-disparagement agreement." UCLA "can use its windfall to help offset" the $102.8M debt facing its athletic department that was "caused in part by the loss of the Under Armour deal." In December 2020, the school agreed with Nike and Jordan Brand on a six-year, $46.45M deal to "outfit its teams with their respective brands" (L.A. TIMES, 7/29).

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee "argued that 'it may not be possible' for the league to enforce, establish and maintain better working conditions for minor leaguers if the antitrust exemption is stripped." Additionally, Manfred said that "without the antitrust exemption, it was 'more likely' that minor league affiliates would leave their current communities." In a 17-page document, Manfred argued that the league "must maintain the current player development system" because it already spends $1B annually to support the minors, "which do not make a profit and are subsidized by MLB teams." This allows teams to "provide low ticket prices and remain in areas that otherwise could not 'economically support a professional baseball team'" (ESPN.com, 7/29).

The wait for a decision on potential discipline for Browns QB Deshaun Watson following accusations of sexual misconduct "will continue into another week." Sources indicated that retired judge Sue Robinson is "not issuing a ruling Friday on Watson’s disciplinary hearing that concluded a month ago." Both sides submitted post-hearing briefs by July 12 and "hoped for a decision before training camp opened this week." Robinson is "carefully considering the case and isn’t held to a deadline." If Robinson, who was jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA, "imposes any punishment, either side can appeal" (AP, 7/29).

The NTT IndyCar Series and NASCAR's top two series are all at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, 12 months after a Cup series race on the IMS road course was "marred by stock car splitters digging into a bolted-down curb and turning the race into a demolition derby." Track President Doug Boles and his team have been "hard at work" since, "hoping to create a foundation of a one-of-a-kind race weekend that can have serious staying power and excite fans and members of all series." Boles: “I don’t see us changing from the road course for 2023, and I think NASCAR would probably tell you the same thing. But that doesn’t mean that at some point in time we won’t experiment with the oval again." He added, "This race weekend (as a doubleheader) was born out of necessity, and I love the race with IndyCar here as part of it." The Truck Series is at nearby Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/29).

Lakers G Russell Westbrook is "getting into the digital media sector, adding a new division to his business as he enters the advertising industry." Russell Westbrook Enterprises is "linking up with digital marketer Causal IQ to help connect advertisers with multicultural audiences through a new venture called RW Digital." Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed. The business is "staffed by dedicated teams from both companies and uses the ad-tech firm’s back-end infrastructure." Early clients include PepsiCo, AT&T, American Airlines and A+E Networks (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/29).

Digital Seat Media and Fresno State have partnered to deploy Digital Seat’s fan experience platform at four of the Bulldogs’ athletics venues. The company installed over 49,000 metal tags with unique QR codes on the arms of stadium seats, which fans scan to access Digital Seat’s mobile web platform and the various modules housed within. Those include team rosters and live scores and stats, gameday programs, fan polling, sponsorship integration, in-seat food and merchandise purchasing, augmented reality filters, and interactive modules like mobile games and sponsor offers.

NIL group Level 13 Agency plans to pay $25,000 a year to "all 14 players" on the Texas Tech women's basketball team. The outlay is "believed to be one of the largest in the country for a women's program" (LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL, 7/28).

Mattel's Hot Wheels brand has launched its first fingerboard line, Hot Wheels Skate, in partnership with skateboarder and entrepreneur Tony Hawk (Mattel).

SportTechie offers daily updates and analysis on all the latest happenings that cross over between the sports and technology industries. Here are some of today's top headlines:

• What the NFL Learned From Wearable Data Led to Mandated Gradual Ramp Up Procedure for Training Camp

• University of South Carolina to Launch Gamecocks+ Subscription Streaming Service

See USA Network's new trailer for "Race For The Championship," a NASCAR-themed docuseries that debuts Sept. 1.

15,000 -- Number of free tickets reserved for the Steelers' "first full weekend day of training camp" on Saturday at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Penn. (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 7/28).