Good afternoon, here’s what we’re following at SBJ Today:
- Sources: Yasir Al-Rumayyan steps down as clouds darken for LIV Golf
- Notre Dame to announce restructuring of senior athletic department staff
- MLS, KKR form joint venture to commercialize Next Pro
- Plus: Iran to miss FIFA meeting, WNBA’s Tempo debut to sellout crowd, USTA signs wearables deal and more
Start your morning with Buzzcast with Abe Madkour: KKR/MLS see future in minor league soccer; what’s next for LIV Golf after the PIF news? Big 12’s Brett Yormark moves first on private equity. Listen >>
THE BIG STORY
Sources: Yasir Al-Rumayyan steps down as clouds darken for LIV Golf
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund who founded LIV Golf alongside Greg Norman nearly five years ago, has stepped down from his position as chairman of the LIV board, sources tell SBJ’s Josh Carpenter.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that LIV was planning to tell its staff members and players Thursday that the PIF would pull its funding of the league at the end of the 2026 season. Further, the London Telegraph reported late Wednesday that LIV CEO Scott O’Neil already had informed some players and staff of the move by PIF and that Thursday would be a formal announcement by PIF.
Al-Rumayyan’s move to step down is another layer in the PIF’s decision to pull back from LIV, as the league is expected to add board members while it seeks additional investment. Al-Rumayyan, an active golfer himself, has championed LIV from the very beginning. He helped negotiate the “framework agreement” with the PGA Tour in 2023 and was at the White House meeting in early 2025 with President Trump, the PGA Tour’s Jay Monahan, Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, when it appeared the sides were close to hammering out a deal.
5 STORIES WE’RE WATCHING
1. Notre Dame to announce restructuring of senior athletic department staff: Notre Dame is set to announce a restructuring of responsibilities atop its athletic department, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy has learned, with former Fighting Irish QB Ron Powlus set to be named the first COO in school history.
2. MLS, KKR form joint venture to commercialize Next Pro: MLS and private equity firm KKR agreed on a joint venture that will control the commercial rights for most teams in the MLS Next Pro development league, reports SBJ’s Alex Silverman.
3. Iranian soccer officials turn back on flight to Vancouver, to miss FIFA Congress: An Iranian soccer federation delegation, including a former member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said that they “turned back” while in Toronto this week, citing how they were treated by Canadian immigration, and will miss a pre-World Cup FIFA meeting in Vancouver.
4. Toronto Tempo draw sellout crowd in preseason debut: The WNBA’s Toronto Tempo played their first game in the expansion franchise’s history Wednesday at Coca-Cola Coliseum, and “normalcy reigned” for the preseason bout against the Sun in front of a sellout crowd of 8,210.
5. USTA signs Oura as U.S. Open, USTA Coaching sponsor: The USTA has signed Oura to a wide-ranging sponsorship that designates the wearable tech provider as the “official wearable fitness device” of both the U.S. Open and USTA Coaching for the next five years, reports SBJ’s Rob Schaefer.
ON THE MOVE
- Puma named Mark Langer as its CFO. Langer was previously CFO at beauty retailer Douglas. Prior to that, he spent over 17 years at Hugo Boss, serving as CEO from 2016 to 2020 (Puma).
- BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing named Will Wright as its COO. Wright will oversee BKB’s global operations and content. His career spans senior leadership roles at global sports and entertainment companies including Gravity Media, NEP Group, and ONE Championship (BKB).
- Kraft Sports + Entertainment named Mets Director/Premium and Suite Experience Matthew Cohen as its associate VP/premium and suites (SBJ).
- Populous named HOK Principal/Design Loren Supp as its senior principal and head of design/Western U.S. Supp returns to the company after working for the firm from 2008 to 2011 (Populous).
NAMES IN THE NEWS
- Former NFL star Rob Gronkowski is the newest member of the Patriots HOF, becoming the 38th person inducted in his first year of eligibility. Other finalists included Pro Football HOFer Adam Vinatieri and retired OL Logan Mankins. The date and time for the induction ceremony will be announced after the league releases the Patriots’ season schedule (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/29).
- Warriors G Steph Curry’s sneaker collection, featuring shoes that he “recently wore and autographed,” brought in $1.7 million this week. Officials at Sotheby’s announced the “staggering figure just hours after bidding closed on the lot” on Tuesday (CALIFORNIA POST, 4/29).
- Dodgers C Will Smith will host his third annual Dodgers Comedy Night, part of the “Netflix is a Joke” comedy festival. The May 7 fundraiser is for the Catching Hope foundation, launched by Smith and his wife to “equip at-risk youth with skills in leadership and self-sufficiency” (L.A. TIMES, 4/30).
- Former NBA exec Lester Jones Jr. was sentenced Wednesday to just over three years in federal prison for “embezzling around” $3.8 million during the bulk of his nie-year tenure as Hawks SVP/finance. He was fired June 30 (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 4/29).
HOT READS
The LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL went with the header, “Why is Raiders rookie QB Fernando Mendoza so marketable?” Even before Mendoza was taken first in last week’s NFL Draft, he “was already inking partnership deals.” It “started with” LinkedIn, but Mendoza has also inked deals with Taco Bell, US Bank, Adidas, Boss, Epic Games, Keurig, Dr Pepper, Wheels Up and Pfizer.
Also:
- Does the Padres’ $3.9 billion valuation prove other MLB teams are undervalued?
- A Bill of Rights for baseball fans to restore civility and common sense at the ballpark.
- Angel Reese is living the dream in Atlanta — and this match might be built to last.
- The World Cup has always been political, but it feels even more so now.