SBJ Unpacks: The downsides of more football

Tonight in Unpacks: In 2024, then-NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell Jr. said, “Who doesn’t want to see more football, myself included?” when it came to adding an 18th game to the NFL season. But in 2026, union leaders are bringing up the negatives and injury risks that come from longer seasons, as SBJ Ben Fischer reports on labor issues from San Francisco ahead of the Super Bowl.

Also tonight:

• NFLPA ‘in no rush’ to open contract early
• Super Bowl Opening Night draws mixed reaction
• Goodell insists NFL is not ‘assuming’ 18th game gets done
• Op-ed: K-12 is the next sports sponsorship opportunity

Listen to SBJ’s most popular podcast, Morning Buzzcast, where SBJ’s Joe Lemire discusses the NFL’s planned return to Mexico and its first game in France, NBCUniversal eclipsing $10 million for Super Bowl ad units amid a strong sales year, Main Street’s remaining MLB teams abandoning ship and more.

SAN FRANCISCO — Super Bowl fever is building in the Bay Area. In San Jose on Monday night, Patriots and Seahawks fans stood in line for hours just to watch players talk to the media. Tuesday in downtown San Francisco, a steady stream of fans flocked into the NFL Experience. In that environment, it’s easy to recall former NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell Jr.’s words from 2024: “Who doesn’t want to see more football, myself included?”

But as the world looks forward to Sunday’s game, on Tuesday, Howell’s interim successor wanted fans to pause and remember Week 16 in December. Or the wild-card weekend. Both weeks featured a long list of injuries that altered teams’ trajectories, frustrated fans and jeopardized those players’ livelihoods.

“[Football] is punishing, and we can see that on the teams that have deep postseason runs,” said interim Executive Director David White. “And we saw it this year. If you looked at even Week 16, the biggest storyline was arguably about the critical contributors going down. And this was across many teams.”

During an hour-long press conference, union leaders reiterated their opposition to extending the regular season and their ambivalence around even opening the contract. But in some ways, they were simply trying to reset the public discourse around Howell’s “more football” remark and the air of inevitability that sometimes takes over the longer-season discussion.

“And if you look at wild-card weekend, which would be the 18th game if you took that week, [it had] really significant injuries, some that were high profile but a bunch that weren’t,” White said. “They happen. And those injuries, they cost players pay. They can shorten careers. They can diminish lifetime earnings.”

It’s unclear if this will be White’s fight for much longer. The NFLPA and TurnkeyZRG are amid a search for a permanent successor, with most experts believing an election will come this spring. NFLPA President Jalen Reeves-Maybin declined to say if White was a candidate.

But during the press conference, White talked about the risks of playing more football, also noting that players want better rules around international travel.

“The 18th game is not casual for us,” White said. “It’s a very serious issue. It’s something that comes out of negotiations, and nothing will move forward until players have the opportunity to account for all of those factors.”

SAN FRANCISCO -- NFLPA leaders said Tuesday they’ll listen to offers if the NFL wants to renegotiate the union contract early, but are in no hurry to consider an 18th game or any other changes.

“I don’t think the union is in any rush, or player membership, is in a rush to open that deal,” said NFLPA President Jalen Reeves-Maybin during the union’s traditional Super Bowl week press conference. “If the league wants to get in a situation where they want to have conversations, that’d be something we could open our ears to. But we’re not being proactive in that. And I think the league side has been more proactive in kind of stating their wishes and their desires.”

The current union contract does not expire until March 2031, and usually negotiations would not begin in earnest until the final year of the deal. But NFL owners and executives have repeatedly said they want to extend the regular season to 18 games much sooner than that, in part to help drive up the price of media deals with rights holders.

Prior to Reeves-Maybin’ answer to a question on negotiating time frame, interim NFLPA Exec Dir David White was more direct: “Our members have no appetite for an 18-game regular season,” White said.

However, presuming the league does press for a longer regular season sooner rather than later, White laid out the union’s interests in potential talks in new detail:

“We all know that the league continues to have big ambitions,” White said. “They want more games, more travel, more markets. Players are ambitious and players want this game to remain strong. But we must be crystal clear about a few things. One, we have no interest in entertaining changes ... that harm player health, or that harm recovery process or that harm the ability to compete at the highest level for the longest period of time.”

White continued: “We’re interested in considering changes that fully account for those factors that minimize risk, and that ensure players are properly recognized and compensated for a true fair share of the value that they create. This is going to cut across many issues that we have been talking about and will continue to talk about.”

On the international front, White said players have had good experiences traveling abroad, but report frustration about the wide variation from team to team on how travel is handled. The union must also sign off on more than 10 international games, according to the current contract. There are nine scheduled for 2026.

SAN FRANSICO — NFLPA interim Executive Director David White said Tuesday that union staffers should be able to speak their mind “within limits,” suggesting that untoward publicity can be at odds best serving the player members.

His remarks came after a question about Heather McPhee, the former longtime associate general counsel, and security staffer Craig Jones. McPhee recently revealed she was fired by the union after filing a lawsuit accusing executives of trying to prevent her from cooperating with a federal inquiry. Separately, ESPN reported Jones was recently placed on administrative leave. Last summer, Jones was an on-the-record source in an ESPN article about former Executive Director Lloyd Howell.

White declined comment on their specific cases, but he said employees should not fear retribution from raising workplace concerns in good faith. But he said employee speech should be balanced with their broader mission.

“The culture that we have, and certainly my principles as a [member of] leadership, is that whatever the work environment is, people should flourish,” White said. “People should have the right to do the job well, be civil, work well together, etc., speak their mind within limits. [You] can’t go into a theater and yell ‘fire’ and create havoc. That’s even with the First Amendment, there’s rules. There are things that you can’t and shouldn’t do if you’re going to be serving the mission of the players association.”

White added that he believes the union’s workplace culture is good, based off direct and indirect feedback. He also said the union has recovered from the turmoil of Howell’s final months.

“I’m happy to say that over this past year we’ve stabilized the operations and we have been strengthening our foundation,” White said Tuesday.

About a year ago, under Howell’s direction, the union launched a round of buyouts.

Super Bowl LX Opening Night, the media frenzy that kicks off the week’s festivities, on Monday night was “smaller, quieter and far less outrageous than recent years.” The crowd inside the San Jose Convention Center was a “fraction of its usual size” -- Opening Night has previously been held in larger arenas. More than 2,000 reporters from across the globe were credentialed to “cover the typically zany event.” But “nobody wore a wedding dress and proposed” to Patriots QB Drake Maye, and reporters “weren’t asking players to dance or perform odd tricks” (AP, 2/3).

Despite the toned-down evening, “quirky still managed to creep through the cracks.” A man “dressed as Pokemon character Charizard roamed the floor,” a Nickelodeon crew “armed players with dry-erase boards for impromptu SpongeBob SquarePants drawing contests” and Ms. Illinois Corporate America 2025 worked the room “in full crown-and-sash regalia” (REUTERS, 2/3).

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald “got a similar version of the same question at least three” times, with several reporters asking if he would run it or throw it from the one-yard line with 30 seconds left in the game -- in reference to the infamous Malcolm Butler interception in Super Bowl XLIX. When the question “came for at least a third time 15 minutes or so later, Macdonald’s humor had begun to wear out some” (SEATTLE TIMES, 2/2).

The S.F. CHRONICLE’s reporters did not have many positive things to say about the event, with Ann Killion writing “that’s three hours of my life I can never get back.” Killion: “There are good stories to be told and good journalists in town to tell them. But you would never know that from watching the ‘Opening Night’ idiocy and the NFL Network’s coverage of it.” Scott Ostler echoed those sentiments, calling it the “worst produced TV program ever.” It was “our first chance to really meet the players, and they were almost an afterthought, waiting their turn behind the network’s babblers.” Noah Furtado added “opening night for one of the biggest sporting events took three hours to fall flat.” Mike Lerseth noted the NFL “changed the Pro Bowl” and “changed the kickoff rules” when necessary. Lerseth: “It needs to change Opening Night.” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/2).

SAN JOSE -- Less than two weeks after Patriots owner and NFL powerbroker Robert Kraft said the league “will” extend the regular season to 18 games, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sought to discourage that certainty Monday, repeating his prior remarks that it must be negotiated with the NFLPA as part of comprehensive collective bargaining.

“It is not a given that it will happen,” Goodell said. “It’s not something that we assume will happen. It is something that we want talk about with the union leadership, which as you know is going through transition and hopefully that’ll get settled this spring. And as they determine their priorities, we are doing the same on the ownership so that we can address issues together.”

Goodell made similar remarks in October, apparently wanting to give the NFLPA space to elect a new permanent executive director after Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned in July. The 18th game would be beneficial to the NFL’s vision of dramatically increasing its media rights revenue, and allow the league to expand its international schedule. Notably, on stage at his annual Super Bowl Week press conference, Goodell said players like to play international games. The NFL wants to have a 16-game international slate, but in practice cannot without a longer schedule. There will be nine in 2026. Going beyond 10 games overseas requires NFLPA approval separately from the longer regular season question. The NFLPA has raised concerns about the health and safety impacts of long travel and soccer fields common to the international schedule.

“Our players love it,” Goodell said. “One of the greatest things from last season was talking to our players and our coaches about how proud they were to be there and talk about the game, and help globalize the game and they felt like ambassadors and they enjoyed the experience.”

• Eagles RB Saquon Barkley had the top-selling jersey sold at Lids this past season and the Cowboys sold more merchandise than any team, reports SBJ’s Robert Irby.
• Patriots owner Robert Kraft was “not selected for entry” into this year’s Pro Football HOF class. Kraft and former Pats coach Bill Belichick -- who was also snubbed -- were among five finalists among contributors, coaches and senior players (ESPN.com).
• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at his annual Super Bowl week news conference said that the league “would take a closer look at the Rooney Rule and all that it encompasses to ‘continue to make progress’ on diversity.” His response came one day after the NFL’s coaching carousel saw only minority candidate hired among 10 head coaching vacancies (ESPN.com).
• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league “will look into Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and his association with Jeffrey Epstein” after his name showed up more than 400 times in files released by the U.S. Justice Department regarding Epstein (N.Y. POST).
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement have “no planned immigration operations” for Super Bowl LX following reports of ICE’s security presence at the game (WASHINGTON POST).
• The Browns will be the Saints’ opponent when the NFL holds its first regular-season game in Paris next season. The game reportedly is slated for Oct. 25. (CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER).

As sponsorship rights costs continue to rise across collegiate and professional sports, brands are being forced to rethink where long-term loyalty is formed. Marketing around sports is increasingly costly, and families and younger fans often see themselves being priced out of attending. As a result, brands are being pushed to identify where authentic sports connections are first formed.

One emerging opportunity sits outside major venues, yet at the center of local communities: K-12 schools.

K-12 as pioneering sports sponsorship opportunity

Unlike college athletics or professional leagues, the K-12 space was never designed with sponsorships in mind. There are no specific sales teams, standards or defined paths for brands to become involved with. Each school and district operates independently, differing in structure and needs.

While this independent system supports a tailored educational environment for a particular school, sponsors see something else: friction. Regional, national and global brands want to invest at scale — qualities the K-12 ecosystem has historically struggled to offer.

At the same time, a key barrier still exists before schools would accept sponsorship support: trust.

A market defined by trust, not infrastructure

Schools are navigating budget cuts, limited staff, and rising expectations. Administrators and educators are focused on delivering outcomes in the classroom, not managing brand relationships. That reality has limited how often brands have been involved.

Yet schools possess a valuable superpower for brands to leverage: They remain one of the most trusted institutions in any community. For brands willing to engage thoughtfully, that trust creates an opportunity to build credibility, loyalty, and long-term relevance.

Why transactional sponsorships miss the mark

Many brands that have attempted to enter the K-12 space have done so through one-time contributions such as signage, donations, or short-term programs. While these efforts are appreciated, they rarely create sustained value for schools or measurable returns for brands.

Enduring brand programs are built through repetition and relevance. That principle applies just as strongly in education as it does in sports marketing. Long-term partnerships enable brands to better understand school needs, show up consistently, and earn permission to join the community — rather than appear for a single season or event.

The leaderboard for strategic school engagement

Some brands are already demonstrating what effective K-12 partnerships can look like.

Dick’s Sporting Goods — ‘Sports Matter’: Dick’s set the gold standard for branded school support with its anchor initiative that has delivered more than $100 million to protect access to play. Launched in 2014, the program has evolved beyond philanthropy into full retail integration, enabling customers to support youth sports at the point of purchase.

Jersey Mike’s — ‘#AStudentAbove’: Jersey Mike’s has approached the space through sustained student recognition via its #AStudentAbove program. By annually supporting schools where local franchise owners live and work and addressing real operational needs, the brand has become associated with encouragement and community investment rather than traditional advertising. (Author note: Jersey Mike’s is a Campus Multimedia client.)

T-Mobile — ‘Project 10Million’: T-Mobile has taken a broader infrastructure-first approach. Through Project 10Million, the company works with school districts nationwide to provide internet access and mobile hotspots to underserved students. That commitment is reinforced through a different initiative. On Friday nights, T-Mobile not only provides the internet, but also the field. Friday Night 5G Lights invests directly in high school football programs with facility upgrades, funding, and game-changing community experiences.

Different models, yet same principle: long-term community presence over short-term impressions.

This evolution isn’t limited to brands. Leagues themselves are embedding their intellectual property into classrooms. Through partnerships with nonprofit LearnFresh, the NBA and MLB Players Trust support programs like NBA Math Hoops and the MLB Players STEM League — using sport as a gateway to learning.

The business upside and the reality check

Skeptics will rightly argue that K-12 schools are not traditional marketing environments — and they’re correct. The sensitivities are real, guardrails are necessary, and aggressive missteps can carry reputational risk. But those constraints don’t eliminate the opportunity — they set the bar for who can engage and who can’t. In a sports marketing landscape defined by congestion and rising costs, K-12 remains notably uncrowded.

Brands willing to operate with transparency, community alignment, and long-term intent aren’t competing in a crowded sponsorship marketplace — they’re earning permission in one of the few remaining institutions where trust still matters.

For brands, consistent engagement with schools translates to trust, and trust drives loyalty. Supporting education also means supporting families and neighborhoods, expanding brand relevance at a local level where word-of-mouth still matters.

However, this space requires patience. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Needs vary by district, and partnership structures must remain flexible. Brands entering the K-12 ecosystem should expect complexity and invest accordingly.

The takeaway

As traditional sports marketing becomes more competitive and expensive, K-12 schools represent a rare combination of trust, scalability, and daily engagement. The brands that succeed will see the power of investing in their local communities. Those willing to lead with intention, rather than one-off activations, will be positioned to earn long-term loyalty with the next generation, long before fandom ever reaches a stadium.

Karl Mawhinney is founder and CEO of brand activation company Campus Multimedia.

• LA28 announced venues for the soccer tournaments during its Games, with six MLS stadiums around the country set to host group stages and knockout matches (N.Y., Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose and San Diego), reports SBJ’s Rachel Axon. Medal games will be at the Rose Bowl.
• NBC Sports will carry more than 3,200 hours of live Milan Cortina Winter Olympics programming across linear NBC and its Peacock streaming service, with SBJ’s Joe Lemire compiling the tech vendors helping the network deliver the Winter Games.
• With MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred sitting in the front row, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Tuesday that the state supports the Rays’ new ballpark proposal, which would include an adjacent mixed-use development on the site of Hillsborough County College in Tampa, writes SBJ’s Mike Mazzeo.
• NWSL club Bay FC hired LAFC Chief Business Officer Stacy Johns as its new CEO, a role in which she intends to focus on strengthening supporter culture and game-day experience at PayPal Park, notes SBJ’s Alex Silverman.
• Nielsen and the NFL are launching a pilot program around Super Bowl LX aimed at a new methodology that could enhance accounting for co-viewing, which is an area the NFL (and other leagues) have looked at improving, reports SBJ’s Austin Karp. Co-viewing is essentially multiple viewers in front of a single screen.
• Karp also writes that Playfly Sports made a number of senior-level promotions, with Nicolina O’Rorke elevated to COO and CFO, Geoff Kalan becoming EVP/corporate strategy and finance and tabbing Ashley Marshall as EVP/business operations, transformation and marketing.
• LIV Golf will have 17 windows on the Fox network when its 2026 season tees off Feb. 14, the same as last year but with a 30% increase in hours shown as the league moves from 54 to 72 holes, notes SBJ’s Josh Carpenter.
• “Gold Zone,” the “NFL RedZone”-inspired whip-around show that streamed daily during the 2024 Paris Olympics and was a hit, returns to Peacock (and now NBCSN) this week to guide Milan Cortina viewers through the best and most compelling Winter Games moments each competition day, writes SBJ’s Richard Deitsch.
• Sports-focused private equity firm Otro Capital closed its debut fund late last week, securing commitments for a total $1.2 billion, writes SBJ’s Chris Smith. The firm had targeted a $500 million raise.
• IndyCar enlisted Monumental Sports & Entertainment to play a key role in this summer’s planned street race in D.C., with the racing property hiring MSE to help bring aboard sponsorships for the event, reports SBJ’s Adam Stern.
• The Official World Golf Ranking on Tuesday said it will award points to LIV Golf players in the 2026 season, ending the league’s four-year effort to gain approval, writes Carpenter.