Good afternoon, here’s what we’re following at SBJ today:
- Who won, who lost with NCAA tournament expansion?
- Cosm to bring 40 of Fox’s FIFA World Cup games to its facilities
- Report: Celtics minority owners Grousbeck, Mittal making a bid to buy Seahawks
- Plus: Optimum Sports hires Todd Fischer; Sabres sign Stark Tech as first road jersey patch sponsor; Chicago mayor throws confusing wrinkle into Bears stadium talks; and more.
Start your morning with Buzzcast with Austin Karp: The NCAA Basketball Tournament expands, meaning more rights fees and more sponsor categories coming; Netflix grabs three more NFL games, and why YouTube may be shut out; and new Seahawks bidders emerge. Listen >>
THE BIG STORY
Opens in new windowWho won, who lost with NCAA tournament expansion?
After months of deliberation, the NCAA’s varying committees have agreed to expand the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to 76 teams. The change comes amid plenty of outside backlash, but announcements and comments from varying NCAA stakeholders were designed to quell some of the uneasiness about the dramatic changes.
“There are 32 conferences in the NCAA and not one of them is opposed to expansion at any level -- that’s a pretty powerful statement,” NCAA VP/Basketball Dan Gavitt said. “While I know that there’s not excitement in some corners of the media and fan base, our schools and conferences are saying, ‘We need this.’ Things are changing. And this is being responsive to their needs and keeping what’s special about March Madness special for many years to come.”
Responsiveness aside, there’s no doubt some who came out on top and others who didn’t with this week’s determinations. So who won and who lost in all of this? SBJ’s Ben Portnoy tries to identify them here.
5 STORIES WE’RE WATCHING
1. Cosm to bring 40 of Fox Sports’ FIFA World Cup games to its facilities: That will include 11 group stage matches, as well as the majority of initial knockout matches, followed by the full slate of remaining matches in the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final.
2. Report: Celtics minority owners Grousbeck, Mittal making a bid to buy Seahawks: Celtics Alternate Governor Aditya Mittal and minority owner and CEO Wyc Grousbeck are “making a bid to purchase” the Seahawks.
3. Optimum Sports hires Todd Fischer as chief strategy and property officer: Longtime GMR Marketing exec Todd Fischer is moving to fellow Omnicom sports/experiential agency Optimum Sports as chief strategy and property officer.
4. Sabres sign Stark Tech as first road jersey patch sponsor: The Sabres have signed a five-year deal making Buffalo-based Stark Tech their first-ever jersey patch sponsor.
5. Chicago mayor throws confusing wrinkle into Bears stadium talks: A legislative win in Illinois is far from certain, and this week a strong statement of opposition from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson raised fresh doubts about the Bears’ path to a new home in Arlington Heights.
ON THE MOVE
- Tepper Sports & Entertainment named Hawks Senior Manager/Global Partnerships Tia Washington as Dir/Corporate Partnerships (SBJ).
- The Rapids named Justyne Freud as the club’s first SVP/Marketing and Brand Strategy and Elizabeth DeFeo as VP/Partnerships. Freud previously served as VP/Marketing and Communications for NWSL San Diego Wave FC. DeFeo spent 13 years Octagon and most recently served as VP/Client Services (Rapids).
- UConn promoted Eric Schneider to Senior Associate AD/Governance and Regulatory Affairs and Will Aloia to Associate AD/Compliance and Revenue Sharing Strategy (UConn).
NAMES IN THE NEWS
- Warriors G Stephen Curry, Davidson College and the Oakland Unified School District is “teaming up on a unique academic scholarship program” -- one that will “allow 5-10 students every year to earn a full-ride scholarship to Davidson.” All of the students will attend Davidson, but will “need to travel cross-country to get there, because they will all hail from California” (Charlotte Observer).
- Several current and former athletes were at Little Caesars Arena for Game 2 of the second-round series between the Cavaliers and Pistons on Thursday night. Guests included Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson, former NBAer Jalen Rose, former NBAer and coach Lindsey Hunter, Warriors F Draymond Green and Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs (ESPN).
- Brand Risk Promotions announced Wednesday that former NFLer Johnny Manziel will fight social media star Bob Menery in a bout that “will air May 23 across YouTube, X, Twitch, Kick and TikTok.” UFC President & CEO Dana White will “host the event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas” (N.Y. Post).
HOT READS
The London TIMES went with the header, “‘I know a dozen LIV players who’d rather quit golf than return to PGA Tour.’” LIV golfer Anirban Lahiri “laughs at the idea that LIV Golf players are desperately seeking a collective escape route” to the PGA Tour. While he “is not one of the circuit’s provocateurs or platitude-spinners,” he said, “That is the biggest joke ever. I will not name names, but I know at least a dozen players who’d rather not play golf than go back to the PGA Tour.”
Also:
- ‘It still stings’: 18 people reveal how much they paid for LA28 Olympics tickets.
- If Brendan Sorsby bet on college football, be an adult and face the NCAA music.
- Mike Vrabel found the perfect fit with Patriots, who can’t be embarrassed.