Closing Bell

A witness list for Wednesday’s college sports-centric hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee is being finalized with a new name attached.

Utah defensive end Lance Holtzclaw is slated to be among those in D.C. this week to provide an athlete’s perspective, sources told Sports Business Journal on Monday.

Holtzclaw is not a household name. He is a current Power Four football player who has lived through the transfer-portal era and can speak to how NIL, eligibility and roster rules affect athletes outside the sport’s superstar class.

A wider list of witnesses that includes former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, ex-West Virginia President Gordon Gee, Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould and Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua had previously been reported and was confirmed by SBJ.

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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday acknowledged the possibility that the Bears could move to Indiana, though he indicated that it would be something “he can live with if it means keeping a fair playing field for taxpayers.” The Illinois state Senate early Monday morning “failed to get a vote in the House before legislators gaveled out of session for the summer” regarding a stadium bill. Pritzker said, “As much of an emotional connection as many of us have to the Bears, and to keeping them in the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois, (the) No. 1 principle is we’re not going to foist this on the taxpayers of the state of Illinois” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/1). Meanwhile, Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia said Monday city officials are “‘truly disappointed’ and will continue to seek opportunities to redevelop the former Arlington Park site.” He called the lack of a bill “clearly a fumble for the state of Illinois” (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 6/1).

The Bears issued a statement on Monday saying that the club will “finalize our evaluation of both Arlington Heights and Hammond, and remain on the late spring/early summer timeline that we have previously communicated.” House Speaker Emanuel Welch said that conversations on the Bears stadium issue “would continue over the summer” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/1).

Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson welcomed a new proposal as an “opening to reconsider Chicago as the site for a new Bears stadium.” Johnson voiced tentative support for efforts that would allow municipalities in Cook County with populations of more than 70,000, including Chicago and Arlington Heights, to create a stadium authority that would let the Bears “pay to build the stadium, but make it publicly-owned so it would avoid paying property taxes.” The proposal Johnson referred to was “introduced in the waning hours of the spring legislative session, which technically ended Sunday night” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/1).

Melinda French Gates is joining One Roof Sports and Entertainment, the parent brand of the Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena, as the organization’s newest minority investor, pending NHL approval. Earlier this year, One Roof’s majority owner and managing partner Samantha Holloway announced that One Roof would pursue an NBA team in Seattle, should the league move forward with expansion (ORSE). The move pairs “one of the world’s most influential philanthropists and business leaders” with Holloway, one of the few women to serve as a principal owner in the NHL. French Gates mentioned that she was “drawn not only to continuing her investment in Seattle, but also to Holloway’s vision for what the Kraken could become.” The investment marks her first ownership stake in a major professional sports franchise (ESPN.com, 6/1).

Sentry will assume title sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s event at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, to be renamed The Sentry. Set to return to Torrey Pines for the 60th time as the kickoff to the PGA Tour’s network debut on CBS, The Sentry will begin on Monday, Jan. 25, 2027, and conclude on Jan. 30 with a Saturday finish. The event will be broadcast on CBS/Paramount+, Golf Channel and three PGA Tour Studios properties -- PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM and the World Feed (PGA Tour).

Free agent QB Russell Wilson is “finalizing a deal to become a CBS Sports analyst,” according to sources cited by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday. Wilson, who also had an offer on the table from the Jets to join the team as a backup to Geno Smith, had acknowledged last month to the N.Y. Post that he was “considering joining CBS Sports.” The Athletic reported in May Wilson was in talks with CBS Sports on an analyst role. Wilson now “is set to leave the NFL as a player to become an analyst on the network’s pregame show” that includes James Brown, Nate Burleson and Bill Cowher. He will replace Matt Ryan with CBS after the former QB left the network this offseason to return to the Falcons as the organization’s president of football (ESPN.com, 6/1).

Every jersey worn during the 2026 NBA Finals “will feature a USA 250 patch.” Select patches “will be removed after each game,” and the select game-worn patches will later “be featured inside ultra-rare trading cards” by Topps. Card collectors will get their shot at buying “ultra-rare cards, and jersey collectors will have a chance at buying jerseys with the patch when they inevitably hit the auction block in the future.” The patch features “a flag design with white font outlined in Navy Blue and Red.” The “USA” and “250” appear against a blue background with red stripes for the semiquincentennial celebration. In addition to the team branding, the front of the jerseys will now feature “the Nike Swoosh logo, the USA 250 patch, and each team’s jersey patch sponsor.” On the back of the jersey, “a special NBA Finals logo patch will appear above the player’s last name” (SI, 6/1).

N.Y. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has joined forces with regional politicians and the Red Bulls to “secure another” discounted FIFA World Cup ticket initiative, this time “providing $25 tickets for fans” to see Norway F Erling Haaland against Morocco on June 7. As part of a partnership with New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul, as well as the NY/NJ Host Committee, discounted $25 tickets have been “made available for two pre-tournament friendlies” at the Red Bulls’ Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J. This will mean a “limited number of tickets” for the game will be provided at $25. There were “2,000 tickets released at $25″ for Bolivia vs Scotland on June 6, then “500 tickets for Morocco vs Norway on June 7″ (THE ATHLETIC, 6/1). Officials from the “Road to 26″ event series — Florida Citrus Sports and Unified Events — were also involved in coordinating the ticket promotion (SBJ).

Shamrock Capital and EnOne Ventures have invested in CardsHQ and Sports Card Investor, which are merging into a single company. The companies will operate together as CardsHQ. Growth initiatives include opening additional retail locations, expanding breaking and ecommerce experience, hosting more live events and broadening inventory selection. CardsHQ’s next retail location is expected to open later this year, with additional locations planned in major markets across the U.S. Geoff Wilson, founder of the original CardsHQ flagship, will serve as CEO of the newly formed CardsHQ (CardsHQ).