Closing Bell

2K Sports is making a college basketball game, one in which Power 4 programs such as the Big Ten’s UCLA and Michigan State and the Big 12’s Houston are rumored to be in the mix, SBJ has learned.

Speaking on background, a source told SBJ that 2K Sports plans on a standalone game -- not as a piece of downloadable content (DLC) or expansion of the NBA 2K series -- with more than 100 men’s and women’s teams that would all receive “fair market value” as well for their NIL.

EA Sports posted on X on June 30 that it was getting back into college basketball, and 2K Sports followed later in a day with a post alluding to potential plans for a game, with a message saying, “The campus has been quiet for too long.”

2K’s final basketball game was College Hoops 2K8, which launched Nov. 19, 2007, on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2. The publisher discontinued the series following former UCLA star Ed O’Bannon’s lawsuit against the NCAA for use of NIL, which eventually put an end to college sports video games for years. This changed in 2024 when EA Sports released College Football 25 last July, as rules now permit players from benefiting from NIL offers, such as the record one EA made to Division I players.

Read More >>>

INDIANAPOLIS -- As WNBA All Stars prepared for the skills competition here Friday and game on Saturday, the commercial success of one of the league’s tentpole events served as another example the players could cite in their ongoing CBA discussions with the league.

On Thursday, 40 players met with league officials with seemingly little progress in early talks. In a statement, the WNBAPA said the league had failed to meet the players’ proposals for a transformational CBA that would give them a greater share of league revenue.

Three-time MVP A’ja Wilson’s flight arrived too late for the meeting, but she said Friday that the business growth is evident. That’s in everything from the league’s new $2.2B media rights deal set to go in effect next year to three new expansion teams each paying a record $250M fee. Even an All-Star weekend features more sponsor engagement than ever before.

“When we see the revenue, when we see things flowing into our league, we want that,” Wilson said. “We are going to demand that because we see it and we see the growth. And when you see a business growing, obviously the people that are working for the business should have some say in that as well.”

Read More >>>

Indianapolis sports-business officials said that if “they achieve their goal of becoming an epicenter of women’s sports by 2050, they’ll likely look back at this WNBA All-Star Weekend as the spark.” The unprecedented fan and media attention “presents opportunities for both the city and the WNBA to benefit.” Indiana Sports Corp Chief of Staff Sarah Myer said that the All-Star weekend will be “a huge catalyst” for the women’s sports element of the organization’s long-term strategy, called the 2050 Vision, which it unveiled last year. The Sports Corp has been “more intentional” about how to use this weekend to “further women’s sports as a cornerstone of Indianapolis’ sports economy.” That cornerstone could “take the form of hosting additional major sporting events,” becoming home to new franchises -- including, potentially, a National Women’s Soccer League club -- and luring more sports-focused business ventures to the state (INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/18).

Indianapolis had only about a year to prepare but “quickly embraced the chance, with around 60 ticketed events planned for the weekend, including WNBA Live.” The All-Star Game watch party on Saturday with music and comedy, “Fever Fest,” will accommodate fans who “could not snag a ticket to the sold-out game, with organizers expecting between 4,000 and 5,000 attendees.” Indy Chamber Chief Talent & Marketing Officer Blaine Zimmerman said, “Having All-Star weekend in (Clark’s) home city is going to be probably the most high-profile All-Star weekend in league history.” He added, “We’re looking to become the women’s sports capital of the world” (REUTERS, 7/17).

Ally Financial Head of Sports & Entertainment Stephanie Marciano said the digital-only bank has been “focused on driving record fan engagement” for WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis through immersive experiences and fan promotions, and “creating experiences that resonate beyond the court.”

Ally signed a multiyear deal earlier this year to become the league’s new official retail bank and Changemakers member, a move that will see Ally heavily featured this weekend at WNBA All-Star.

In its first year, Marciano said Ally has been focused on immersive experiences and fan promotions, featuring a special promotion giving up to 1,500 fans a complimentary WNBA League Pass subscription, an arcade-theme activation with a shooting challenge, meet-and-greets with players and an immersive locker room experience in partnership with women’s basketball league Unrivaled.

Marciano noted one of the biggest takeaways in their first year so far has been fan engagement being about depth.

Read More >>>

SBJ’s Rachel Axon takes us through the WNBA Live experience in Indianapolis during WNBA All-Star Weekend.

MLB and the Phillies unveiled the official logo for the 2026 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. The game, to be held on July 14, 2026, at Citizens Bank Park, will mark the fifth time Philadelphia will host the event. The logo is a tribute to the city and the 250th birthday of America. At the center of the logo is the Liberty Bell, with typography that takes cues from the bell’s historic inscriptions, blended with design elements from the Phillies’ style (MLB).

The 2031 Ryder Cup “will be held in northeastern Spain,” as Catalan Golf Federation President Ramon Nogué said Friday that “next week it will be official” that Girona will be announced as the host of the event. The choice of the Stadium Course at Camiral a Quinta do Lago Resort was first reported by Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia. Camiral a Quinta do Lago Resort, which was previously called PGA Catalunya, has hosted DP World Tour events and the Spanish Open. It has been owned by Irish businessman Denis O’Brien since 2008. Irish media have reported that O’Brien “has invested tens of millions of euros in upgrades to the courses and the hotel, as well as accommodation on the property.” This will be the second time for Spain to host the Cup after Valderrama in 1997, and “just the fourth time it will be played in continental Europe” after Le Golf National outside Paris in 2018 and Marco Simone outside Rome in 2023 (AP, 7/18).