Weekend Rap

DENVER -- Denver Summit FC shattered the NWSL’s single-game attendance record Saturday afternoon, drawing 63,004 fans to Empower Field at Mile High for its inaugural home match, a 0-0 draw against the Washington Spirit branded as “The Kickoff.”

The crowd surpassed the league’s previous high of 40,091, set by Bay FC at Oracle Park last season, by 57%, delivering a powerful early signal of demand in the NWSL’s newest market. Enthusiasm for the expansion club was evident on site, with thousands of fans arriving early to tailgate and merchandise lines remaining long deep into the second half.

“It’s a surreal feeling to walk into the stadium to see this crowd, this excitement, the enthusiasm just coming through the parking lot,” said Summit FC owner Rob Cohen. “Even trying to get to the building today was just eye-opening. I came quite early, and they were out in the parking lots, partying, having a great time, which is what you want to see.”

Summit FC will play their next two home matches at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in nearby Commerce City, Colo., before moving into a purpose-built temporary stadium in July. Last week, the club finalized the purchase of land at the Santa Fe Yards property where it plans to build its permanent home stadium and mixed-use district.

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DENVER -- NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said the record-setting crowd of 63,004 for Denver Summit FC’s opening match at Empower Field at Mile High has prompted the league to reconsider its long-standing practice of holding its championship match at a neutral site.

“It’s been a topic of conversation over these last few weeks because it can’t not make us rethink what’s possible,” Berman said. “We’re going to continue to explore the best place to host a championship and put other options on the table that might not have otherwise been on our radar because we couldn’t imagine that this could become a reality for the NWSL.”

There are several reasons the league has chosen to stage its title game at a neutral site since 2015.

First, only a handful of clubs are primary tenants in their own venues, making it difficult to guarantee stadium availability if a team earns the right to host the final. The league’s championship match also takes place in late November, during the NFL season, which would make it difficult to secure a larger venue such as Empower Field.

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With all of New England wondering why the Connecticut Sun are leaving, sources told SBJ Saturday that the WNBA would have allowed prospective buyers from either Boston or Hartford to purchase the franchise for $325M if they had been willing to keep the team in Uncasville.

But — once those buyers maintained they wanted to relocate the franchise to Boston or Hartford, respectively — the Mohegan Tribe’s sale to Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta became a foregone conclusion.

Fertitta, as reported Friday by Chris Baldwin of PaperCity Magazine, has a purchase agreement to acquire the Sun for a league-record $300M, along with what one source called a “sweetheart deal” to move the team to Houston in 2027 without a relocation fee. While the WNBA Board of Governors still has to approve the settlement, league insiders consider the development a win-win-win — considering it gets the team out of a substandard 10,000-seat venue, takes the franchise to an NBA arena in Houston and helps the Mohegan Tribe reduce its debt.

Sources said Fertitta’s immediate plan is to reprise the Houston Comets brand, launch a Comets website Monday morning and begin taking season ticket deposits for the 2027 season. But machinations behind the scenes also illustrate the league’s ability to steer franchises at a time the WNBA has soaring valuations.

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The NCAA men’s basketball tournament West Regional semifinals drew 15,431 to SAP Center on Thursday, though the “lasting visual was rows of empty seats sitting starkly barren.” Attendance was “limited early for the session’s thrilling first game” between Texas and Purdue, but “picked up toward the end of that game as numerous Arizona fans came filing in for the night matchup” between Arizona and Arkansas. Arizona was “easily the closest team” to San Jose, and the four schools were “not the same draw a local team would be.” But San Jose Sports Authority Exec Dir John Poch said, “I was happy with 15,000. The NCAA gives zero comps. Every ticket is paid for.” He added, “Would I love to sell out? 100%. Should we sell out? Absolutely. But you gotta look at the price of the tickets, and it’s just a factor today.” The South Regional semis on Thursday drew 17,307 to Toyota Center, while the East Regional semis drew 19,445 to Capital One Arena on Friday and the Midwest Regional semis drew 21,508 to the United Center on Friday. Poch said the tournament is a “hard event to get” but it is “incredible to have in your building” (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 3/28).

The Illinois-Iowa men’s Elite Eight matchup on Saturday at Toyota Center was delayed with 7:43 left in the first half as the arena horn “blared for teams to resume play after a timeout and it didn’t stop ... for a really long time.” The “incessant buzzing continued for more than seven minutes as players gathered near their benches in hope of some sort of resolution.” The sound stopped when the arena’s videoboard that hangs above midcourt was “turned off and the annoyed fans cheered sarcastically.” Play resumed after “about an 11-minute total delay.” An air horn was then “employed at the scorer’s table whenever a buzzer was needed.” The teams also played the “rest of the game without the videoboard, although the scoreboards on both ends of the arena and the shot clocks above each basket still worked.” The problem was a “result of the scoreboard control system freezing and the only way to stop it was to shut down the videoboard” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 3/28).

Play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan on the TV broadcast said, “Surely there’s a way to unplug this. Surely there’s a horn expert somewhere in this building” (CBSSPORTS.com, 3/28).

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma voiced his “frustration” with the NCAA Tournament’s two-site regional format. Auriemma on Saturday said, “I just don’t understand some of the decisions that are made about our game when we’re trying to grow the goddamn game.” He added, “Does anybody who makes these decisions ever ask the coaches and the players, ‘Hey, does this work? Do you guys do this during the regular season? Is this normal?’” Auriemma has “criticized the tournament’s move from a four-site regional format to a two-site one since the new system debuted in 2023.” Duke coach Kara Lawson said, “The arena thing is the thing that’s hard. … We don’t get long enough practice or shootaround times in the venue for your most important games of the season.” NCAA VP/Women’s Basketball Lynn Holzman said that the association views the “positives of the format as outweighing the negatives, at least for now.” But UConn G Azzi Fudd said, “It’s not ideal. The schedule, waking up early to do media and then can’t come back to this arena until later, just little things like that.” UConn G Ashlynn Shade said, “It’s a new gym, new balls, new atmosphere. It is kind of frustrating when you don’t get that much time” (ESPN.com, 3/28).

The NCAA said that it does “not plan to change the current format in part because it has seen an uptick in attendance and it is satisfied with the current bid competition process.” Having so many teams sharing the same arena at super regionals, it “naturally condenses the amount of time teams get to practice on the official court prior to the night’s games.” It is a “diversion from the normal flow of pre-game activity for the sites” (THE ATHLETIC, 3/28).

Univ. of Washington AD Pat Chun describes the current landscape of college athletics as “unsustainable.” Chun said, “I’m firmly in the camp that what we’re doing right now is not sustainable. Does not put our student-athletes in the best position for success.” He added, “But it’s the system we’re in right now, and we’ve got to manage our way through it.” Chun’s immediate worries revolve around the “implementation of revenue sharing and the rules -- or lack thereof -- surrounding it.” Chun: “There’s really no rules and regulations. We’ve tried to do it through this House settlement. It’s been a very, very bumpy road to date. The hope and belief is time will settle that one way or another. This is either going to break up again and we’ll start all over, or the system will start binding firmer to some of the things we’ve all agreed upon” (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/28).

Entrepreneur Mike Repole on Saturday asked fans in a post on social media to “join him in supporting” the St. John’s men’s basketball team “with their NIL dollars.” Repole, a St. John’s alum, wrote in the post following the team’s loss in the Sweet 16 on Friday, “What an amazing year, what an amazing … last two years and what a great six weeks this has been. I’m really excited not only for this year, but also next year. I’ve already committed my pledge to [AD] Ed Kull and the athletic department.” He added, “We don’t want this to be a one- or two-year thing. We want to build a dynasty over here for the next 5 to 10 years.” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino earlier this season said that Repole’s support for the basketball program represents “approximately 40% of the NIL money.” Repole said, “[They] need not only my help, but everybody’s help. So whether you’re donating $1, $5, $50 or $250, every amount counts … You guys know you have my word. I will always do my part. But now we just need everyone just to chip in a little bit more” (NEWSDAY, 3/28).

The UFL opened it season this weekend with four games, and while Houston Gamblers-Dallas Renegades on Saturday “delivered excitement” on the field, the turnout “told a different story” with 8,870 in attendance at Toyota Stadium. It was an “underwhelming figure for a season opener and a rivalry matchup of this magnitude.” Toyota Stadium holds around 11,000 (NFL DRAFT DIAMONDS, 3/28).

The St. Louis Battlehawks drew a “jazzed-up crowd” of 31,191 to the Edward Jones Dome on Saturday for their opener against the D.C. Defenders. The Battlehawks led the UFL in attendance last season with an average of 29,537 per regular season games, including three games of more than 30,000. Rapper Nelly performed during halftime with the St. Lunatics (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 3/28).

The Birmingham Stallions defeated the Louisville Kings before 14,034 at Lynn Family Stadium on Friday. The stadium has a capacity of 15,304 (AL.com, 3/27).

The Orlando Storm’s debut game in the UFL on Sunday night drew a crowd of 11,127 to Inter&Co Stadium, as the Storm took down the Columbus Aviators 23-17. Storm coach Anthony Becht after the game said, “The fanbase was incredible tonight. If everybody just brings one friend next game, we’re gonna have a great environment, but tonight was great” (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 3/29). In Orlando, Mike Bianchi wrote UFL owner Mike Repole is “investing in a city,” as he “moved his family and his parents to Orlando five years ago.” Repole has “already committed NIL money to UCF and has tried to talk school administrators into changing the name of the school to ‘University of Orlando.’” He talks about Orlando “not only as a serial entrepreneur, but as citizen who loves living” there. Bianchi: “I love the fact that Repole isn’t just positioning this endeavor as another spring football story; he’s turning it into an Orlando sports story.” If Orlando fans show up at Storm games this spring, it “sends a message” that “this isn’t a small-time market” (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 3/28).

The Blue Jays opened their 50th season on Friday and the team celebrated their run to the World Series last season with a ceremony before the sellout crowd that included the unveiling of the 2025 AL Championship banner. Tears were “shed by fans and players alike in a cathartic redux of the joy and agony” of last season. Jays players watched an “emotional tribute to that magical 2025 season,” while the fans “showered the players with emotion.” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said, “I think our team did a great job of recognizing not only the 50th year, but last year too. There was a point where I almost got a bit choked up because you kind of put yourself back in those spots.” As another “classy touch,” the Jays had players’ family members “on the field with the giant 50th anniversary celebration flag and later watched the player introductions from the Jays dugout” (TORONTO SUN, 3/27). Schneider said opening day was “a little bit different this year.” He added, “You tie in the 50th anniversary and excitement around the team unveiling some stuff tonight” (N.Y. TIMES, 3/28).

Everything is “on hold” for PGA Tour player Tiger Woods after his car accident and arrest for a suspected DUI on Friday, as he was “days away from a decision on whether to be the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland.” He also is a central figure in the Tour as chair of the Future Competition Committee that is reshaping its model of tournaments. A source said that that PGA of America “has a backup plan of four potential candidates for the Ryder Cup committee to review if Woods declines -- or if the PGA of America moves on” (AP, 3/28).

THE ATHLETIC’s Brody Miller wrote under the header, “We don’t need to quit Tiger Woods. But we must ask less of him.” Woods “is a 50-year-old man who clearly continues to struggle.” Each “act of careless behavior no longer exists just as a poetic chapter in his hero’s arc.” It is “reality,” which “means it might be fair to ask if he remains the correct face for a new-look PGA Tour being built from the beginning.” If any other high-ranking PGA Tour exec were charged with multiple DUIs, “questions would be asked about whether they remained the right person to lead the project” (THE ATHLETIC, 3/28).

GOLFWEEK’s Eamon Lynch wrote the Tour “can do something to help,” like “allowing Woods to step aside” from his Future Competition Committee role. He has “more important matters to address than how the Tour’s business might be improved,” as PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp is “hoping for action sooner rather than later.” The Tour “ought to give Woods space to deal with the current situation” (GOLFWEEK, 3/27). USA TODAY’s Nancy Armour wrote Woods “needs to go straight to rehab and stay there for as long as it takes for him to overcome his addiction” (USA TODAY, 3/27).

In London, Rick Broadbent wrote Woods has “been in this glare of an unwelcome spotlight too many times for fans to trivialise the offences simply because he was fortunate enough not to hurt someone.” Journalists should “not fawn over his next return to golf until he accepts there has been a pattern of worrying behaviour” (London TIMES, 3/28). In London, Daivd Walsh wrote under the header, “Golf fans always forgive Tiger Woods, but his fall is both sad and bad” (London TIMES, 3/28).

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Versant is “weighing a buzzy acquisition target: the podcast network owned by Vox Media.” Versant is one of “multiple suitors in talks to buy the network,” which produces about 40 podcasts. Versant is trying to “grow beyond its highly profitable but fading cable businesses” (N.Y. TIMES, 3/27). Versant “already has a stake in Vox Media, which it got in the NBCU divorce.” Vox CEO Jim Bankoff has been “eyeing a spinoff of the podcast network for some time.” Versant “has capital and is highly motivated to make deals,” having already acquired Free TV Networks and INDY Cinema Group. This could be the “best possible exit for Vox -- and for Bankoff” (PUCK, 3/27).

Former Crystal Palace owner John Textor “lost control of his Eagle Football multi-club empire” after its main creditor Ares Capital Corporation “put the group’s UK-based holding company into administration” on Friday. Eagle Football Holdings Bidco is “now under the control” of insolvency firm Cork Gully, who will “immediately start looking for buyers” for Eagle’s majority stakes in Brazilian club Botafogo, French club Lyon and Belgium club RWDM Brussels. Ares took this step because of “events of default under its financial agreements” with Eagle, including the company’s “repeated failure to file accounts and other financial statements on time.” Textor reacted to the news with his “customary mix of bravado and defiance.” Eagle Football in a statement said that it was “‘gravely offended by the unilateral and predatory decision’ of Ares to ‘break apart a financially viable multi-club business’ that Textor claims has turned ‘insolvent clubs into sporting success stories’” (THE ATHLETIC, 3/27).

Ravichandran Ashwin, one of India’s all-time best cricket players, is headed to the U.S. as he will join the S.F. Unicorns for the upcoming Major League Cricket season. It is a “notable moment for the sport in both countries,” especially given that cricket will return for the 2028 L.A. Games after a 128-year absence. Ashwin recently played in an exhibition in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that “signaled that the move could be a promising one.” Ashwin said the game “showed me what the potential of American cricket could very well be” and it is “very exciting.” Ashwin is one of the most decorated players in international cricket history and also has a strong following on social media, with 5.3 million Instagram followers, more than Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (2.2 million) and Yankees RF Aaron Judge (2 million). MLC CEO Johnny Grave said, “For us to be the first league to attract a player of this caliber is a testament to how the league’s developed over the last three years.” The six-team league will play its matches at sites in Texas, L.A. and Oakland. It is the T20 version of the sport, which is “roughly three hours and has become popular around the world” (ESPN.com, 3/28).