Morning Buzz

The Chicago Fire have been approved by the Chicago Plan Commission for their plans to build a $650M soccer stadium at The 78. Support for the project was “divided during a lengthy public comment session.” More than 30 people shared thoughts on the project, including subcontractors that have worked with The 78’s master developer Related Midwest and the Near South Planning Board, who “anticipate the stadium bringing in a wave of economic development.” Other speakers were residents from neighborhoods like Chinatown and Bronzeville, who “expressed concerns over the short three-month timeline between the project’s announcement to the Plan Commission’s vote.” Related Midwest presented what would be included in the first phase, “such as 3 acres of sports fields, a new water taxi stop, public parking, Divvy bike stations, more than 1,400 feet of publicly accessible riverfront space, 1 1/2 miles of bike trails and two temporary surface parking lots” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/18). Related Midwest President Curt Bailey mentioned that the new plan “still includes many transportation upgrades, including expanded streets, new pedestrian walkways, and utilizing” other transportation stations to handle game night crowds (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/18).

The Ohio Department of Transportation has “reversed itself” and announced it has “approved a permit” for the Browns to build their proposed stadium next to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Back on Aug. 1, the ODOT had rejected the permit, “citing height concerns,” but that rejection “came with an opportunity for the Browns to appeal.” Key to the decision by ODOT to waive the height limit was that ODOT “determined the stadium would not require any changes to the airport’s current flight operations.” The approval “eliminates one of the remaining hurdles” in the team’s quest to build a $2.4B enclosed stadium in Brook Park. What remains is a pending lawsuit filed by the city of Cleveland in an “attempt to block the team’s move” from the city-owned stadium on the lakefront. The team wants to start construction early next year, opening the stadium for the start of the 2029 NFL season (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 9/18).

Singer Adele “has been approached” about playing the Super Bowl LX halftime show, but she has “not been booked to play the gig,” according to sources. There has been buzz halftime candidates also include Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. Adele’s fiancé Rich Paul is one of sports’ biggest agents, and the singer has attended the Super Bowl before as a fan. Adele has said that she “previously turned down” the gig in 2017 game. The performer is chosen by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in partnership with the NFL and is usually announced in September. Earlier this month, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell “hinted at the prospect of Swift taking the stage” (PAGE SIX, 9/18).

Owners of La Liga club Atletico Madrid are “in advanced talks” to sell a majority stake in the club to Apollo Global Management, according to sources. A source mentioned that Apollo “might not get a majority stake at first,” but is “expected to obtain it during a later stage of the transaction.” The source added that management is “expected to stay and that the owners may only sell part of their holdings.” A deal would mark the latest venture into sports by private equity firms, “attracted by their stable and predictable revenue streams.” Spanish publication Expansion first reported that the talks concerned a majority stake sale, “adding that a deal would value the club at” $2.9B. Sources cautioned that a deal is “not guaranteed and negotiations could still fall apart” (REUTERS, 9/19).

Miami FC’s proposed 15,000-seat stadium can commence construction following the Homestead, Fla. city council’s Thursday approval of an 80-year ground lease with a group of developers and investors.

The stadium will anchor the larger Sports Performance Hub (SPH) project, whose investors include former NBA star Manu Ginobili, retired international soccer star Juan Sebastian Veron, former NFL kicker Martin Gramatica, former ATP Tour player Juan Monaco, and Riccardo Silva, who owns the 10-year-old USL Championship club. It will be built on the 92-acre site of a current park that’s adjacent to Homestead-Miami Speedway. Local news channel NBC 6 reported that SPH will open in 18 months.

In addition to the stadium, which was designed by LaBella Associates, the development will contain facilities for tennis, soccer, basketball and football; a residential boarding school for student-athletes; a sports medicine center; and a 200-room hotel and adjoining entertainment district.

Miami FC has played its one decade of existence at Florida International’s Pitbull Stadium. Homestead is about 35 miles south of central Miami where Inter Miami will open Freedom Park ahead of the 2026 MLS season. Other USL clubs in Detroit, Sacramento, and Pittsburgh have unveiled stadium construction or renovation plans this year.

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The 2025 edition of the Laver Cup -- the self-proclaimed Ryder Cup of tennis and a joint initiative between Roger Federer’s Team8 agency, Tennis Australia, the USTA and Jorge Paulo Lemann -- begins today at S.F.’s Chase Center, the third time the event has come to the U.S. and first time since 2021 (TD Garden in Boston).

Organizers say the tournament sold out all sessions at the 16,500-capacity Chase Center on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (its sixth sellout in eight years), including a bevy of premium clubs that price between $5K and $20K. Outside the venue, the Thrive City mixed-use district will host a Laver Cup Fan Zone from Thursday-Sunday, which will be anchored by a 74-by-24-foot LED screen for watching matches and include activations like live tapings of Andy Roddick’s “Served” podcast; pop-ups from tournament partners ServiceNow, Mercedes Benz and DAOU Vineyards; and a mini-tennis gaming space run by USTA NorCal. Laver Cup has 22 total corporate partners in 2025, headlined by founding partner Rolex (which re-upped on a five-year extension earlier this year) and global sponsors UBS, Mercedes Benz and Alipay+.

The competition will see a series of singles/doubles matches between members of Team Europe, captained by Yannick Noah and led by world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, and Team World, captained by Andre Agassi and featuring American star Taylor Fritz.

RELATED: Laver Cup team tennis competition to return to London’s O2 Arena in 2026

The ACC is closing in on a change to its scheduling format that will “require all league teams to play at least 10 games against Power 4 competition,” though the number of intraconference games played -- eight or nine -- “remains a sticking point,” according to sources. The ADs are scheduled to meet Monday in Charlotte to discuss the details of what will “either be a move to a nine-game conference slate with one additional Power 4 game required out of conference or an ‘8+2′ model that will provide more flexibility to schools that already have an annual nonconference rival.” Clemson AD Graham Neff is among the “handful of ADs concerned that a nine-game conference slate would be problematic in limiting schools’ ability to play marquee nonconference games” as Clemson did this season against LSU in Week 1. Sources added that ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips wants to “see the conference play nine league games annually and require each school to schedule one out-of-conference game against another Power 4 school, essentially matching the SEC’s new strategy” (ESPN.com, 9/18).

Arsenal Exec Vice-Chair Tim Lewis has stepped down as part of a boardroom shake-up at the club, with Richard Garlick promoted to the role of CEO. Lewis became a director of the club in 2020 before being promoted in 2023 but has advised Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Arsenal’s ownership group, since 2007. Film producer and director Ben Winston, an Arsenal season ticket holder, has joined the board along with the KSE representatives Kelly Blaha and Otto Maly. A long-term adviser will also be appointed. Lewis was a “trusted adviser” to the Kroenke family whose responsibilities grew over time. Lewis will be replaced by Garlick, who joined Arsenal in 2021 after three years as the Premier League’s Dir of Football. Garlick was promoted from his role as Dir of Football Operations at the end of the 2023-24 season (London TIMES, 9/19).

Attorneys for Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and several other plaintiffs have “filed for reconsideration of a court order that shifted some of their lawsuit against the NFL and multiple teams to the league’s arbitration process.” In a request filed earlier this week with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Flores -- along with fellow coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton -- “argued that the 2023 order should be reconsidered based on an August ruling that found insurmountable flaws in the league’s arbitration process.” The attorneys in this week’s filing wrote that the ruling “‘constitutes definitive controlling law’ over the previous order.” Following the 2023 order, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell “named Peter C. Harvey as the arbitrator for the issues that had been shifted out of the lawsuit.” However, Flores’ attorneys claimed that the arbitration process has “not progressed since an exchange of legal briefs in December 2024” (ESPN.com, 9/18).

SailGP’s newest expansion franchise has been awarded to Artemis Racing, which will represent Sweden. Artemis was originally founded in 2006 and is backed by Torbjörn Törnqvist, the billionaire cofounder and chair of commodities trading house Gunvor Group. It will be the 13th team on SailGP’s grid.

Artemis, which previously contended in the America’s Cup, has acquired 100% of the expansion team’s equity. The league did not disclose a value for the franchise, though SailGP managing director Andy Thompson noted that the price is “in line with recent valuations for teams, and also in line with the target we set out at the start of the process.” He told SBJ earlier this year that the league considered $60M to be a baseline value.

SailGP ultimately received expressions of interest from more than 35 groups, with Artemis emerging victorious from around a half-dozen finalist bids. Thompson said the other finalists - who will likely remain contenders for a later expansion team - included groups from Central America, the Middle East and elsewhere in Europe. The league’s expansion process was managed by the Deloitte Sports Business Group.

The Swedish team will be led by CEO Iain Percy, the two-time Olympic gold medalist who retired from sailing in 2017 to head Artemis Technologies, which manufactures clean energy commercial boats. Percy spoke highly of SailGP’s growth across its first five seasons.

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The Dodgers’ Single-A affiliate will be called the Ontario Tower Buzzers. The new name and brand identity was introduced during a community celebration Thursday at Ontario Town Square.

The name “Tower Buzzers” originates from the city’s deep ties to air travel and innovation, and is inspired by the control tower that has guided thousands of flights into Ontario International Airport. Dodger blue and white are the team’s primary colors, while its primary logo is a yellow bee buzzing around a control tower. Its mascot is named Maverick.

In 2026, the Tower Buzzers will play in a brand-new, 6,500-seat ballpark. Ontario International Airport has the naming rights to ONT Field. The ballpark sits on a $100M sports complex called Ontario Sports Empire. Diamond Baseball Holdings acquired the franchise (Rancho Cucamonga Quakes) in December 2024.

On this week’s Sports Media Pod, host Austin Karp chats with SBJ’s Josh Carpenter about Prime Video’s deal with the Masters.

The A’s are looking for a Dir/Special Projects. The Las Vegas-based position is responsible for cross-functional project management and support functions for ongoing workstreams around the new ballpark (Athletics).

The Durham Bulls are looking for a Manager/Brand & Visual Communications. The Durham-based position is responsible for designing content, across print, digital, video and in-venue displays, that captivates and connects with fans (Bulls).

Boston Legacy is looking for a Dir/Activation. The Boston-based position is responsible for overseeing the end-to-end activation of partner agreements -- from ideation and planning to execution, measurement and renewal support (Legacy).

Pro Football HOF is looking for a Food and Beverage Dir. The Canton-based position is responsible for leading a team to ensure quality dining experience and presentation, promote a unique and fun guest experience and achieve financial performance targets (Pro Football HOF).

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