Morning Buzz

Nationwide is officially announcing a renewal of its NFL league sponsorship rights today. Nationwide has held NFL league rights since 2014 and last renewed them in 2023. Nationwide supports its NFL deal through sponsorships with 16 NFL teams and with a Peyton Manning endorsement deal, which also started in 2014.

As has been the case since it began, the sponsorship centers around the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, of which Nationwide is presenting sponsor. New with this extension is an hour-long supporting TV show produced by NFL Films that will air on ESPN on Christmas Eve.

Nationwide continues with official auto, home, life, business, agribusiness and pet insurance rights. Nationwide VP/Sports Marketing Jim McCoy said category rights have been expanded, starting next year, to include retirement planning services that will allow Nationwide to also support its financial service offerings, in line with its recent ad campaign.

Wasserman is Nationwide’s longtime sponsorship AOR.

The WNBA and the WNBPA have formally agreed to a new 40-day extension of the current CBA as negotiations continue toward a new labor deal. The move came less than an hour before the expiration of a 30-day CBA extension Sunday night, with the WNBPA issuing a statement saying, “We expect substantive movement from the league within this window.”

After a full day of negotiations Sunday, which did not result in a consummated deal, the league reportedly offered the union a 21-day extension of the CBA. Just after 10pm ET, the WNBPA issued a release saying it had proposed a six-week window, and, at approximately 11:30pm, both sides alerted media of a compromise: a 40-day extension that would end at 11:59pm on Jan. 9.

In the league statement, the WNBA made it clear that, during the new negotiating window, both sides will have “the option to terminate the extension with 48 hours’ advance notice.” Had the two parties not acquiesced, the options would have ranged from a “status quo” period -- with talks ongoing as usual -- to a potential lockout.

A “status quo” scenario would have granted players continued access to team facilities. However, under status quo and depending on the tenor of the talks, the league would have had the wherewithal to lock players out or players could have gone on strike -- although neither of those scenarios was expected at this time, according to sources.

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The trial between NASCAR and the two teams suing it for alleged antitrust violations starts today in Charlotte, as the auto racing sanctioning body enters perhaps the biggest court case in its nearly 80-year history. The case in the Western District of North Carolina federal court started over a year ago when Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and another team, Front Row Motorsports, sued NASCAR and its chairman and CEO Jim France last October after the teams decided not to sign NASCAR’s new charter offer from 2025-31, and it has resulted in nearly 500 docket entries since that time.

NASCAR has 15 chartered teams, and the 13 other ones signed the new agreement that guaranteed more revenue than the last period but apparently didn’t have satisfactory enough terms for the other two. NASCAR is not using its in-house counsel as its lead lawyer and has instead been represented by Latham & Watkins global co-chair of antitrust and competition Chris Yates, while the teams are being represented by Winston & Strawn antitrust and sports law attorney Jeffrey Kessler.

The two well-known sports litigators have sparred and even have been scolded at times during pre-trial hearings by Judge Kenneth Bell, who has begged the sides to settle to no avail. A settlement can still be reached at any point during the trial, and if none is reached many expect the losing side to eventually file an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Today will start off with jury selection, with the expectation being that there will be six main jurors and three alternates selected, before the sides dive into opening arguments. The case has been seen as an expensive, distracting and in some cases outright embarrassing situation for the sport that has bogged down top execs from their usual course of business, revealed unsavory private text messages and emails from both sides and divided the sport’s fanbase. But the two teams insist that they are trying to change the sport for better.

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LSU officially announced the hiring of football coach Lane Kiffin on Sunday, ending its month-long coaching search by “landing its top target and the most-sought after coach on the market.” Exact terms of the contract have not been released, but sources said LSU “put together a seven-year offer with an annual salary expected to top” $13M. That would make Kiffin “one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.” LSU has also “prepared to commit” $25M-$30M annually to the roster “through revenue sharing and NIL funds, which was an important factor to Kiffin” (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 11/30).

There were “jeers, finger-pointing (not the polite kind) and curses” at the Oxford, Miss., airport as Kiffin left, and then “cheers, sirens and an impromptu motorcade” from Baton Rouge Metro Airport to LSU once he landed. Kiffin “drove by a knot of fans poised outside the MMR Group’s private aviation facility, giving a thumbs up out the window.” The whole scene was “ludicrous and exhilarating at the same time, people standing in the misting rain for just a fleeting glimpse” of Kiffin (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 11/30).

This story was featured in the latest SBJ Morning Buzzcast, our daily podcast that brings you the hottest stories in sports business in less than 15 minutes. Listen to the episode below and subscribe on all major podcast platforms. Apple | Spotify | YouTube

College football is heading to Brazil, as N.C. State and Virginia are slated to face off on Aug. 29, 2026, at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The game will also be broadcast on an ESPN network.

The contest, which will be the first college football game played in South America, has been branded “College Football Brasil” and is being put on through a partnership between Athlete Advantage and Brasil Sports Business. Local government was also heavily involved in the organization of the event.

Rio De Janeiro and Brazil aren’t strangers to significant sporting events in recent years. The city hosted in the Olympic games in 2016 and was part of Brazil’s FIFA World Cup anchor sites in 2017.

The NFL has already played a game in Sao Paulo, while it has a multiyear agreement in place to bring at least three more games to the country over five years. Rio de Janeiro will host one of those contests in 2026.

Former Jaguars GM David Caldwell is “finalizing a deal” to be the Univ. of Florida’s next GM. Caldwell, who was the Jaguars’ GM from 2013-20, has been with the Eagles since 2021 as a member of the team’s player evaluation department under GM Howie Roseman. Caldwell’s hire comes “on the heels of the Gators tabbing” Tulane’s Jon Sumrall as the team’s next football coach on Sunday (ON3, 11/30). The move by Florida AD Scott Stricklin is “designed to create an NFL-style front office to take pressure off the coaching staff when it comes to evaluating recruits and transfer portal options” (GAINESVILLE SUN, 11/30).

Sports betting “officially begins” today in Missouri, as the state’s sportsbooks officially opened at 12:01am CT -- “allowing people to legally place bets on professional sports from their phones and computers, or at licensed casinos and professional sports venues.” Missouri becomes the 39th U.S. state to legalize sports betting. Several casinos around the state are “licensed to operate retail sportsbooks,” and Missouri law “allows each of the state’s six professional sports teams to operate a retail sportsbook within 400 yards of their home venue, which could pave the way for additional in-person betting locations.” Not all teams have “confirmed, specific retail sportsbook sites” yet, but the following partnerships are in place that could make that happen:

• St. Louis Cardinals: Bet 365
• Blues: DraftKings
• St. Louis City SC: FanDuel
• Chiefs: Bet MGM (FOX2NEWS.com, 11/29).

A number of Missouri sports icons, including Pro Football HOFers Tony Gonzalez and Isaac Bruce, Hockey HOFer Brett Hull and former MLBer Alex Gordon, are set to place some of the first legal bets in Missouri today at events across the state (SBJ).

Fanatics set a company record for single day sales on Black Friday, and combined Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday sales marked the company’s best 48 hours, with sales up more than 20% year-over-year on those days. Sales on the Fanatics app were up 285% YOY on Black Friday, and it marked the app’s best day of sales ever.

The top teams were the Cowboys, Eagles, Bears, Lions, 49ers and Dodgers, while Ohio State was the top-selling college team. The top players were Bears QB Caleb Williams, Patriots QB Drake Maye, Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb, Bills QB Josh Allen, Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, Packers LB Micah Parsons and Warriors G Stephen Curry. The top overall products were a Parsons jersey, Cowboys WR George Pickens jersey, Maye jersey, WWE replica title belts and a Dodgers World Series locker room T-shirt (Fanatics).

What’s on Erik Jones’ mind? The Arizona Cardinals VP/Technology shares why being a role model is a vital part of his responsibilities.

In this week’s issue:

• During Steve Simon’s 43-year career in tennis, he’s done everything from string rackets to run major tournaments. Now as the WTA chairman retires, SBJ’s Rob Schaefer highlights how Simon guided professional tennis through the good times and bad.
• The Bucks are jumping at the chance to build out their global business, hiring two executives who will pitch sponsorships to international companies. SBJ’s Tom Friend outlines how it all came together.
• SBJ’s Bret McCormick and Irving Meija-Hilario look at the dust-up in Dallas between the Mavericks and Stars, and how their battle over American Airlines Center could signal challenges ahead for other teams that share facilities.
• Fuse cut its marketing teeth in action sports by being a cultural fit for the high-flying athletes and events. Now 30 years in, the agency has expanded its reach and influence throughout sports, as chronicled by SBJ’s Terry Lefton.
• From bobbleheads to fireworks, MLB teams rolled out a multitude of promotions to attract fans last season. SBJ’s David Broughton and Emma James Jimenez recap the old standards and some fresh approaches.
• With the pressure on to generate additional revenue, a growing number of colleges are setting up LLCs to target opportunities. SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks to the early movers to see how they aim to reach their goals.

Churchill Downs are looking for a Dir/SDI Ticket Operations & Development. The Louisville-based position is responsible for providing strategic and DBA leadership for all properties, staff and products from a central location at Churchill Downs Racetrack (Churchill Downs).

OEG Sports & Entertainment is looking for a Dir/Corporate Partnerships. The Toronto-based position is responsible for generating revenue through the pursuit of new partnerships as well as growing and retaining current partnerships for all OEG properties (OEG Sports & Entertainment).

The Stockton Kings are looking for a Dir/Sales & Services. The Stockton-based position is responsible for driving sales strategy, developing high-performing teams and fostering meaningful, long-term relationships with our fans, partners and community (Stockton Kings).

The Chicago Fire are looking for a Manager/Lifecycle Marketing. The Chicago-based position is responsible for developing automated lifecycle marketing journeys and campaigns across CRM channels to maximize conversions and engagement (Fire).

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