Morning Buzz

The future of Michigan AD Warde Manuel “is in doubt in the wake of a report of an internal investigation around” the firing of former football coach Sherrone Moore, according to sources cited by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. A Michigan Board meeting is “scheduled for Thursday, where officials are expected to further respond to the report” (X, 7/12). Michigan “commissioned the investigation in December” following the firing of Moore for having an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.” The incident was the “latest controversy for the high-profile athletic department, including numerous NCAA violation cases, an illegal in-person scouting scandal involving staff member Connor Stalions and federal charges against former offensive coordinator Matt Weiss for felony aggravated identity theft and unauthorized access to computers." Manuel has “never been cited for being involved in any of the scandals” (ESPN.com, 7/12).

Manuel’s tenure “has seen almost every Michigan team win at the highest levels over the past decade,” highlighted by five trips to the Frozen Four for the men’s hockey team, a 2023 CFP championship and an NCAA Tournament championship in men’s basketball. But “many of those high points have been sullied, in the eyes of many, by the scandals that preceded them” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/12).

The NBA has hired former NBAer and Bulls EVP Artūras Karnišovas as its “consultant for building NBA Europe,” according to sources cited by THE ATHLETIC. Sources noted that Karnišovas will advise NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and his deputies “on governance and game rules for NBA Europe, how to identify and recruit talent, how to create pathways for players into the new league and potentially from the new league to the NBA, and how to expand the continent’s already strong youth player development model.” He will “be a liaison between the NBA and the new European competition, NBA Europe and NBA teams, and FIBA” (THE ATHLETIC, 7/13).

SBJ’s Tom Friend is reporting that the Euro League is looking at its own schedule, read his full story here.

Paul Hastings LLP, one of the fastest-growing big law firms, has added former Baltimore Ravens executive and NFL in-house counsel Brandon Etheridge as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office as it formally launches a dedicated sports practice.

The addition of Etheridge, a 2024 SBJ “Forty Under 40” honoree, comes on the heels of the firm’s July 8 hire of investment funds/private capital partner Chidi Oteh from Ropes & Gray in Boston, and the May hire of former Slaughter and May deals partner Mark Zerdin to lead its sports practice from London.

Paul Hastings, ranked ninth in the 2026 AmLaw 100 in profits per equity partner, is the latest Big Law firm to invest heavily in sports as private capital continues to pour into the industry. In recent years, elite firms such as Davis Polk, Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins have spent heavily to lure the small group of lawyers with deep expertise representing sports teams, leagues and owners.

Paul Hastings firm chair Frank Lopez said the firm has more than 500 asset manager clients, many of whom already invest in sports or aspire to. Along with the sports specialists brought it laterally, Lopez said, the sports practice will leverage the firm’s existing strengths in entertainment & media, hospitality, and mergers & acquisitions.

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The Magic have made several front office promotions in business operations, including Chief Strategy & Business Officer Jay Riola; CMO Shelly Wilkes; Chief Facilities & Operations Officer Alex Diaz; and EVP/Global Partnerships J.T. McWalters. As the Chief Strategy and Business Officer, Riola, a 2022 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree, will lead efforts across gate revenue, strategy, technology and innovation. Riola is entering his 21st season with the team. Wilkes will oversee all brand strategy including digital marketing, fan and community impact. She has been with the organization since 2004. Diaz will join the organization full time and oversee arena operations, security, project management and the Westcourt mixed use development. McWalters, entering his 21st season, will continue to oversee all areas of the partnerships department, including new and retention sales efforts, activation and fulfillment of all partnership agreements (Magic).

President Trump will “host top IndyCar drivers at a White House event Monday afternoon” ahead of the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix set for D.C. next month. Trump “plans to hype up” the event that runs from Aug. 22-23 in a ceremony that begins at 1:30pm ET and “will feature reigning IndyCar champion Álex Palou ... Felix Rosenqvist, who won the 2026 Indy 500 in a thriller, and David Malukas." Planned attendees for Monday’s event include IndyCar series owner Roger Penske, Freedom 250 Grand Prix Chair Bud Denker and Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks, as well as U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Duffy is “overseeing logistics for the event along with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser" (NBCNEWS.com, 7/12).

The Wings took down the Sky 96-91 in front of a crowd of 13,236 Sunday night at American Airlines Center, the first of three games the team will play at the arena this season. The attendance figure was more than double the average attendance of 6,221 at UT-Arlington’s College Park Center, where the Wings usually play their home games. The Wings played two games at AAC last season and have “two contests at the venue remaining” -- against the Valkyries and the Fever. Wings coach Jose Fernandez said, “CPC has been a really good home court advantage. [AAC] just holds a lot more people.” Sunday’s “raucous crowd at AAC indicated an appetite is certainly growing for the Wings” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/12).

Meanwhile, the Tempo on Sunday beat the Liberty, 93-91, in “the second of two” games at Montreal’s Bell Centre and drew a crowd of 12,724. The crowd “was thinner” than Friday’s Bell Centre game against the Wings, which set a WNBA attendance record with a crowd of 20,996 (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 7/12).

Former MLBer Evan Longoria on Sunday “received the highest honor” he could as a former member of the Rays, as the team retired his No. 3 “in a short pregame ceremony” at Tropicana Field. The number retirement came just one day after Longoria was “inducted as the sixth member” of the team’s HOF. Longoria is the “first to have his number retired for achievements accomplished primarily with the team.” An announced crowd of 24,297 -- “the second largest of the season” -- came out to see Longoria honored. The “hope is that the display will become permanent” at the new ballpark the Rays seek to build in Tampa and open for the 2029 season. In renderings released last week, “a No. 3 display was included” (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/12).

Cognify Health, a healthcare startup working to improve access to concussion testing for youth sports, has raised a multi-million dollar funding round led by Game Changers Ventures. Other participants include Westbound Equity, RedBird Capital executive Advaith Anand, former assistant attorney general Viet Dinh and others. The investment will go toward expanding the startup’s employee headcount (currently around 10, including an outside product engineering team) and enhancing its products.

The L.A.-based company was founded by Christian Juzang, a Harvard grad with venture firm experience. He saw firsthand the difficulty of securing quick concussion care at the youth sports level after his sister sustained a head injury playing volleyball. Juzang pointed out that for concussions, timely care is crucial for long-term recovery and for avoiding any mental health side effects that can follow.

Cognify is equal parts platform and medical health provider, giving youth athletes a direct line to care. A person in need of an appointment can go to the site and book a virtual doctor visit within 24 hours. Juzang sees a future where Cognify is an integrated healthcare layer for youth sports programs, providing its offering to large pools of athletes.

“The biggest thing for us is we didn’t want to be a scheduling integration,” Juzang said. “... We wanted to own the process. We felt like the biggest flywheel capacity for us is going to be owning it. And so we actually brought the doctors on. We operate as a medical practice today.”

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The Wimbledon men’s final Sunday brought out the celebrities, led by Prince William, Kate Middleton and their two kids, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who all watched from the Royal Box. Augusta National Golf Club Chair Fred Ridley was also spotted in the Royal Box just behind Prince William. Other attendees: Nicole Kidman, Dame Anna Wintour, Jennifer Lopez, Jaafar Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Andrew Garfield, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor, Cynthia Erivo, Sienna Miller, Dustin Hoffman, Rami Malek, former Spice Girl Mel B and husband Rory McPhee, Jason Isaacs, Liam Hemsworth, and Twiggy. Also attending: actresses Elizabeth Debicki, Sarah Pidgeon, Erana James, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Leticia Wright, Celia Imrie; Sharon Horgan and Jenna Coleman; actors David Tennant, Theo James and Miguel Ángel Silvestre; Stephen Graham and Hannah Walters; Charlie McDowell and Lily Collins; and Nicky Hilton Rothschild (DEADLINE, 7/12).

What’s on Chris Marinak’s mind? The president of Playfly Sports explains how organizations can better utilize data analytics to understand their audience.

In this week’s issue:

• When his basketball ambitions ended, James Brown leaned into the gospel and his experiences to chart a path that would make him one of the most respected broadcasters in sports media. SBJ’s Bill King chronicles the rise of the man simply known as “JB,” our latest Champions honoree.
• New York provides the ultimate proving ground for marketers as the World Cup final arrives. From reaching consumers, to exclusive hospitality, SBJ’s Alex Silverman details the planning and activation that’s in store.
• Lou DiBella rose to the top as a boxing promoter, but his latest swings have come on a baseball diamond. SBJ’s Juwan Watson details DiBella’s moves in minor league baseball, which resulted in a more than decade-long push for a new ballpark for the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
• Since taking over as CEO of Daktronics, Ramesh Jayaraman has helped the company regain its financial footing. SBJ’s Ethan Joyce describes how curiosity and a fearlessness to trying new approaches has guided Jayaraman’s moves.
• As the Phillies host this week’s MLB All-Star Game, the event will provide an opportunity to highlight investments in the club’s roster, ballpark and fan experience. SBJ’s Mike Mazzeo breaks down the team’s long-term business strategy as the spotlight turns to Philly.

Georgetown Univ. Durban Sports Business Program is looking for a Dir/Career, Academics & Experiential Initiatives. The hybrid-based position is responsible for leading student career development, academic advising and experiential learning initiatives for the program, building industry partnerships and creating pathways to internships and full-time careers in sports (Georgetown Univ. Durban Sports Business Program).

Minnesota United is looking for a VP/Marketing. The Golden Valley-based position is responsible for leading marketing strategy that drives brand growth, fan acquisition and revenue across MNUFC and Allianz Field (Minnesota United).

New Balance is looking for a Senior Marketing Manager/Global Basketball. The Boston-based position is responsible for developing commercial marketing strategy for basketball that filters down into regional execution and leading account activity for the category inclusive of managing seasonal activation in support of those accounts with regional commercial teams (New Balance).

The Lakers are looking for an Exec Dir/Strategic Capabilities. The El Segundo-based position is responsible for advancing the basketball strategy by the development and implementation of strategic systems, processes and tools that enhance decision-making across Basketball Operations (Lakers).

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“To her 1910 funeral, ‘The survivors of the Balaclava Light Brigade charge’ sent an arrangement ‘to our benefactress & friend.’”