Tennis' grand slams are "attempting to partner with a collection of the sport’s other best-known tournaments" in what "could become the most revolutionary transformation of the game since the 1990s." Their goal is to "form a partnership with at least the 10 largest tournaments and their own events" -- Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open -- to "create a premium tour that resembles a tennis version of Formula 1." The move comes as the sport’s most powerful entities, execs and top players have "come to accept that tennis in its current form does not work nearly as well as it should." Those factors, officials worry, have "left tennis prone to the kind of aggressive disruption that has plagued golf the past two seasons," as the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf venture "cleaved top players" from the PGA Tour (THE ATHLETIC, 11/28).

TNT and ESPN will use their announcers and analysts to cover the semifinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament "jointly from Las Vegas" in a "first-of-its-kind collaboration" between the competing networks. ESPN's Mike Breen and Doris Burke "will host TNT’s Reggie Miller " for the 5pm ET game on Dec. 7 (airing on ESPN), while TNT’s Kevin Harlan and Candace Parker "will be joined by ESPN’s Doc Rivers " for the 9pm game (airing on TNT). But the "headline event is a teaming-up of two of basketball’s most renowned orators" -- ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and TNT’s Charles Barkley. Before and between the semifinal games, ESPN’s and TNT’s studio analysts "will share segments, with conversation flowing between two desks." After the second contest, Smith and Michael Wilbon "will make their way to the TNT set for a portion of postgame coverage," joining Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/28).

Oregon State, Washington State and the Mountain West are in the "final stages of striking a football scheduling agreement for the 2024 season" that includes a "lucrative financial package for MWC schools," according to sources. The agreement, "for now just one season," is expected to include a fee of about $14M paid to the MWC. MWC teams would "play seven conference games ... plus one game against" either WSU or OSU, who will "compete as quasi-independents under the Pac-12 banner." There is an "option to extend the deal to the 2025 season," with an "intent and understanding of full-time membership for OSU and WSU in the Mountain West or a merger." OSU and WSU are "likely to negotiate separate broadcasting agreements" with MWC TV partners Fox and CBS Sports Network and "potentially others to televise their own home games" (YAHOO SPORTS, 11/28).

Meanwhile, the Washington Supreme Court today granted an "emergency stay in the Pac-12’s ongoing legal fight that further delays attempts" by WSU and OSU to "take control of the conference’s governing board." The schools plan to "appeal directly to the judges" and request that they "remove the stay to allow a critical preliminary injunction to take effect." The ruling also set Dec. 12 as the "deadline for all motions in the case" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 11/28).

The Maple Leafs have "unveiled Pizza Pizza as a helmet sponsor" for their remaining home games this season. The Leafs wore their home blue helmets at the morning skate today and will debut them on the ice in tonight's game against the Panthers. Pizza Pizza replaces TikTok and "has been a staple brand at the Scotiabank Arena since it opened as the Air Canada Centre." The team is "still in talks" for a helmet sponsor for their road white helmets (TORONTO STAR, 11/28).

The Leafs dropped the TikTok logo "on the eve of the '23-24 season for unstated reasons," but the team and TikTok still "continue other existing sponsorship paths." Pizza Pizza and the Leafs have been partners for 25 years, and "a popular giveaway for Leafs fans at Scotiabank Arena is a free slice if Toronto gets a first-period goal" (TORONTO SUN, 11/28).

The Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship have reached an agreement to "proceed with a new company (NewCo) to take over the running of the women’s professional game from the 2024-25 season." The agreement will see WSL clubs receive 75% of the "combined revenues from the two divisions" and WSL clubs have "all the voting power on commercial and broadcast matters." Eleven of the 12 WC clubs had "rejected the proposals earlier this month," leading the Football Association to give WC clubs an "ultimatum: back NewCo or WSL clubs may go alone." WC clubs then "voted unanimously in favour of the deal." Nikki Doucet, a former Nike director and investment banker, has been "appointed NewCo’s CEO" (THE ATHLETIC, 11/28).

Daytona International Speedway has "sold out of the grandstands as well as camping" for the 2024 Daytona 500, which will take place on Feb. 18. This marks the "earliest" the announcement of a sellout has come in the modern era of NASCAR (1972 and after) and the "ninth consecutive sellout" of the race, not counting the 2021 race, which had its attendance limited due to the pandemic. While all 101,500 grandstand seats have been sold, as well as thousands of camping spots, there are other events during Speedweek that "remain available." A limited number of Fanzone and hospitality packages for the Daytona 500 "remain as well" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 11/28).

When CBS Sports Chair Sean McManus first became involved in the March of Dimes luncheon back in 1996, the event raised less than $150,000. Last year, the event, which is held every year in N.Y. and is one of the most popular charity events for the sports business, raised more than $1.1M. Today’s event marks the final one for McManus as chair. McManus, who is retiring from CBS Sports in the spring, will pass the baton to his CBS colleague David Berson, who will take over as the luncheon chair next year.

Today’s event honors CAA’s Mike Levine, WNBA’s Cathy Engelbert, former NBAer Carmelo Anthonyand N.Y. Liberty F Breanna Stewart.

McManus first became involved with the lunch back in 1996, soon after he took over for CBS Sports. Peter Lund, who was CBS president at the time, asked if McManus would agree to be honored at that year’s luncheon. Believing that he hadn’t been in his position long enough, McManus suggested that he serve as the luncheon chair instead.

The following year, he brought star power to the event, convincing Pro Football HOFer Joe Namath, then-WNBA Commissioner Val Ackerman and famed Coca-Cola marketer Chuck Fruit to be honored.

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The Twins have hired Minneapolis-based Rise and Shine and Partners as their "lead brand advertising agency," which will "oversee everything from brand strategy to media communications for the Twins for the 2024 season." The partnership will "start as a 1-year deal with the possibility to extend beyond that" (MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL BUSINESS JOURNAL, 11/28).

The Big Ten and Big Ten Network today has named Samsung and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra as the Official Tablet Partner of the Big Ten. As a part of the partnership, the Big Ten Network will deliver Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra branded social content across its platforms (BTN).

FC Cincinnati named Rank+Rally its new retail partner (SBJ).

Vegas Pro Volleyball of the Pro Volleyball Federation revealed its official name: the Vegas Thrill. The team's home court will be The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev. Pro Volleyball Federation begins its inaugural season on Jan. 24 (Pro Volleyball Federation).

A proposal to "divert" Roman Abramovich's $2.9B Chelsea "sale fund to Israel rather than Ukraine was discussed after the Hamas terrorist attack." The U.K. is "understood to have turned down the high-level suggestion," with ministers believing it "had been a move by the sanctioned oligarch to avoid condemnation in Russia" (London TELEGRAPH, 11/28).

Paris Metro tickets "will double in price for fans during next year's Paris Olympics." The inflated ticket prices are being rolled out to "help offset the cost of extra transport provision in Paris" (London TELEGRAPH, 11/28).

Scottish Premiership sides Celtic and Rangers were "on average the most expensive clubs to visit for away supporters" in last season's Champions League, according to a new study (BBC, 11/28).

More: 

• New ruling could pose threat to Premier League as Liverpool and FSG face anxious wait.

• Lionel Messi: Inter Miami forward is 'gripping' United States, says Guillem Balague.

“I never thought that I would see an owner in the NFL who could out-Steinbrenner Steinbrenner, but David Tepper has done it” -- NBC Sports’s Peter King, on Panthers owner David Tepper naming his sixth head coach in the last 48 months ( “Power Lunch,” CNBC, 11/28).

“As a fan you don’t have the right to do those things just because you buy a ticket to get into a game” -- FS1’s Keyshawn Johnson, on Bills DE Shaq Lawson shoving an Eagles fans sitting in the first row after Lawson claimed the fan threatened his family and other players families ( “Undisputed,” FS1, 11/28).

Take a look at how director George Clooney guided the cast of his upcoming film "The Boys in the Boat" as they learned to row in order to portray the members of the Univ. of Washington rowing team that competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

34%  -- Thanks to warmer and drier weather, the total number of golf rounds played across North America on Black Friday increased 34% year-over-year, according to data reported by GolfNow. Much of the increase can be attributed to holiday demand across the Mid-Atlantic states, the Northeast, and the region running north from Georgia to Ohio (NBCUniversal).