Here's a fun one: Had Utah been Kyle Wittingham's last job, his 11 grandkids would all have been able to attend the University of Utah for free. His taking the Michigan job appears to have terminated that benefit. More from @daniellibit.bsky.social at Sportico 👇 www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

For the next two weeks, @sportico.bsky.social is handing our AM newsletter over to a different writer each morning to look back on 2025 🔙 and ahead to 2026 🔮. Here are some excerpts so far from Lev, Anthony and @jacobfeldman.bsky.social 👇

BREAKING: The Chiefs are set to receive $1.8 billion (!) in public money for a new $3 billion stadium in Kansas. That's the largest public subsidy ever for a U.S. sports stadium project. More coming for practice facility, too. www.sportico.com/business/rea...

BREAKING: Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley is in advanced talks to become the next CEO of the @USTA, sources tell Sportico. Tiley has experience running both a governing body and a grand slam. Process comes at a critical time for global tennis. More 👇🎾 www.sportico.com/personalitie...

Can you figure out what's happening in these three circles? In today's Club Sportico essay, @jacobfeldman.bsky.social lets you in on a fun little trivia challenge: deciphering the oddities in the NFL's Sunday TV map.

In today's Club Sportico early week missive, we're talking about the College Football Playoff selection process, which managed to make even a surreal World Cup draw look sane and well managed... club.sportico.com/p/world-cup-...

In today's Club Sportico newsletter, we're talking about the new posterchild for college football's mercenary era 👇 club.sportico.com/p/lane-kiffi...

UMass has been FBS's worst football team since it moved up in 2012. Its struggles include spilled hydraulic fluid, a failed stint at an NFL stadium 90 miles away, and unmet "pie-in-the-sky" projections. Now the school is doubling down. More w/ Daniel Libit 👇 www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

This morning in the Spanish capital, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez proposed amending the team's fan-controlled structure slightly, to allow the club to sell a passive 5% equity stake. He believes that could provide the team $500+ million. More via Club Sportico 👇

Today at @sportico.bsky.social, we're talking about the delicate balancing act underway at Real Madrid. Can the world's most valuable soccer team court $1 billion in investment while keeping its fan-controlled structure? club.sportico.com/p/real-madri...

Today at @sportico.bsky.social, we're talking about the delicate balancing act underway at Real Madrid. Can the world's most valuable soccer team court $1 billion in investment while keeping its fan-controlled structure? club.sportico.com/p/real-madri...

Happy Monday. In this week's Pick Six, we're talking about: 👟 The two shocks of Curry's Under Armour separation ⛷️ Skiing on top of the world 🐂 Advertising that I actually enjoy watching 🎫 “Now there are sort of good bots and bad bots” ⚽ The NWSL's Rodman problem club.sportico.com/p/steph-curr...

SCOOP: @jacobfeldman.bsky.social and I got details of MLS's revised Apple deal - Ends in June 2029 (3.5 years early) - Apple gave up 2027 opt-out - MLS gets: $200M in 2026, $107M for 2027 "sprint" season, $275M in final two seasons Via @sportico.bsky.social 👇 www.sportico.com/leagues/socc...

Two years ago, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank said he "couldn’t imagine Under Armour without Stephen [Curry], or Stephen without Under Armour" Today, his company and its biggest endorser announced the unimaginable. More via @sportico.bsky.social 👇 www.sportico.com/business/com...

🚨 Sportico's F1 valuations are out 🏎️ Here's the full list, plus how each franchise compares to its next "Big Four" comp...

If you thought the NBA betting scandal was bad, wait until the Feds are done with college basketball... club.sportico.com/p/theres-a-g...

I wrote today about the blackmail of Jontay Porter. The concern for the NBA and other leagues isn't that players will forever think they can get away with rigging games. It's that players will always be coerced into trying 👇 club.sportico.com/p/nba-gambli...

Two classic stories here (one about batting cages, the other about Japanese toilets) from the Dodgers' free agent courtship of Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki

In today's Club Sportico, we're talking about the Big Ten's $2.4 billion loan, Michigan's vociferous pushback, and the curious ways that college sports leaders talk about the creep of institutional capital... club.sportico.com/p/the-big-te...

If there's one main takeaway from me on @sportico.bsky.social's latest NBA valuations, it's this: The league is moving toward an NFL-style model. It's gotten closer to fixed costs, and the league-wide media distributions (now $143M) have grown into a significant revenue stream.

We just entered a 49-day stretch with NFL or FBS college football *every day*. In the latest @clubsportico.bsky.social Jacob and I wrote about business levers that led to this panoply of pigskin 👇 club.sportico.com/p/nfl-colleg...

Of interest here, the contract was finalized and executed by the league's four-person executive committee, without a final vote from all owners. Some source said that the committee was given that mandate earlier this summer. Others said they believed all owners should still vote

SCOOP: NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman has a new three-year contract, per sources. Under her guidance the league has seen large commercial growth and undergone multiple expansions. #NWSL More via @sportico.bsky.social 👇 www.sportico.com/personalitie...

SCOOP: NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman has a new three-year contract, per sources. Under her guidance the league has seen large commercial growth and undergone multiple expansions. #NWSL More via @sportico.bsky.social 👇 www.sportico.com/personalitie...

SCOOP: The Houston Dash are in advanced talks to sell for $120M to RHC Group. RHC's founder is Richard Hsiao, a 24 y/o Bucks superfan and son of a Chinese billionaire who disappeared from public in 2017 under sketchy circumstances. #NWSL More at Sportico 👇 www.sportico.com/business/tea...

In today's Club Sportico essay, we're talking about a 1961 law that helps form the bedrock of the NFL's $22+ billion business. How serious are the politicians that say the law might be under threat? club.sportico.com/p/nfl-sports...

I wrote today about growing pains at the NWSL and WNBA. The two women's league, both undergoing rapid commercial growth, are also facing labor issues, expansion challenges, and in the soccer league's case, a real threat overseas. www.sportico.com/leagues/socc...

🚨 Lee Corso Data Viz 🚨 As the College GameDay host approaches his final mascot pick, @sportico.bsky.social went back through all 430, dating back to Oct. 1996. He's 286-144 (66.5%) through the years. A quick thread 🧵

This is a great series of visual breakdowns, check it out!

Lee Corso's headgear picks would be a really cool addition to his @sports-reference.com page cc: @sportinfo247.bsky.social @sean-forman.com

🚨 Lee Corso Data Viz 🚨 As the College GameDay host approaches his final mascot pick, @sportico.bsky.social went back through all 430, dating back to Oct. 1996. He's 286-144 (66.5%) through the years. A quick thread 🧵

Today's Club Sportico round-up hits on an absurd trading card, the collapse of an athlete's Hollywood story, Aaron Rodgers' helmet fiasco, and more... club.sportico.com/p/trading-ca...

If you want to better understand Michigan's ~$30 million spying fine relative to the Wolverines balance sheet...

🤔🤔🤔

SCOOP: Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has an agreement in place to buy the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. His group intends to keep the team in Oregon. More at @sportico.bsky.social 👇 www.sportico.com/business/tea...

BREAKING: The Pohlad family, one of MLB's longest-tenured owners, will keep control of the Twins after exploring a sale. LPs coming in instead. No path to control. More at @sportico.bsky.social w/ @soshnick 👇 www.sportico.com/business/tea...

This week's weirdest sports story isn't about the WNBA, or even sex toys. It's about memecoins, betting, and the economy of virality. Today's Club Sportico installment 👇 club.sportico.com/p/the-sex-to...

SCOOP: The Chicago Bears' current owners--the McCaskey and Ryan families--have reached an agreement to split the ~2% stake previously owned by Andrew McKenna. The deal values the Bears at an NFL record $8.8 billion. More at @sportico.bsky.social 👇 www.sportico.com/business/tea...

Wrote today about the commercial undertones to Deion Sanders' cancer presser: - He included two brands he co-owns - He featured two other companies that pay him - He's both a patient and a former paid spokesman of UCHealth - UCHealth pays Buffs millions More 👇 www.sportico.com/business/com...

As college sports change dramatically, some things don't. Today Daniel Libit and I wrote about the web of overlap between Maryland athletics, search firm TurnkeyZRG, and Ohio State 👇 www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

There are nine schools that are primarily DII and DIII that are sharing revenue with their athletes. Here is that list, via @sportico.bsky.social

SCOOP: The NFLPA fires arbitrator who ruled NFLPA then-president J.C. Tretter's comments about running backs faking injuries for contract leverage violated CBA, which requires both PA and league use best efforts to carry out duties. @ebennovywilliams.bsky.social & I have more @sportico.bsky.social:

Maryland's new AD gets a bonus equal to his base salary if the Terps revenue grows by $50 million. But that "revenue" is based off NCAA accounting, which includes student fees and institutional support as "revenue"... @sportico.bsky.social story from Daniel Libit 👇 www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...

BREAKING: Austin FC has added five local investors at an enterprise valuation a little north of $900 million, sources tell @sportico.bsky.social. Anthony Precourt remains majority shareholder and governor. None of the other LPs fully exited. More 👇 www.sportico.com/business/tea...

Wrote today at @clubsportico.bsky.social about one of the Tour de France's most prominent sponsorships, and the lengths that some riders may go to avoid it. Teams used to sew other company's logos on their skinsuits to satisfy TdF rules... club.sportico.com/p/the-cautio...

Wrote today at @clubsportico.bsky.social about one of the Tour de France's most prominent sponsorships, and the lengths that some riders may go to avoid it. Teams used to sew other company's logos on their skinsuits to satisfy TdF rules... club.sportico.com/p/the-cautio...

TIL: The Florida Panthers have considered other names, including the Fort Lauderdale Panthers and the South Florida Panthers... 🎙️: via @sportico.bsky.social's Sporticast podcast

The Florida Panthers raised season ticket prices by 36.5% (!) heading into this season. Fans renewed at a 91% clip. Here's how an NHL team with a season ticket waitlist monetizes three straight Stanley Cup appearances. More from @sportico.bsky.social 👇 www.sportico.com/business/fin...

Wild that PSG spent *all that money* chasing a Champions League title--at one point with Neymar, Mbappe and Messi together--and then won in one of the first years after slowing the spending...