Bubba's Big Paycheck

Sport & Story Daily March 18, 2025: North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham not only earns nearly $68,000 for the Tar Heels’ berth in the men’s NCAA Tournament, but he also chaired the committee that put them in.

March 18, 2025

One of the few teams on the bubble, North Carolina was the last team chosen for the field of 68

March 18, 2025

Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

NCAA Selection Committee Chair Earned $68K From UNC Berth
Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams writes, “North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham will earn nearly $68,000 for the Tar Heels’ berth in the men’s NCAA Tournament. He also chaired the committee that put them in.

“North Carolina was one of a few teams ‘on the bubble’ heading into Sunday night’s selection show. The Tar Heels finished the year 22-13, but were 1-12 in ‘Quad 1’ contests, their most difficult games. When the final conference title games had ended on Sunday, ESPN’s bracket expert had UNC on the outside looking in. Instead, the Tar Heels were the last team selected for the 68-team field.”
Sportico

Olympic Boxing: IOC Executive Board Wants the Sport Back for 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles
Sky Sports’ John Dennen reports: “The IOC only granted World Boxing recognition as boxing's new governing body last month and now the IOC Executive Board has decided to put the sport forward to the IOC Session for inclusion at the LA 2028 Olympic Games.”
Sky Sports

SPONSORED BY VISION INSIGHTS

Your Vision Insights: The Impact of MLB Game Attendance on Sponsorship Consideration

Brands activate with teams due to the ability to tap into the emotions fans have for their favorite clubs and the way they garner presence and affiliation across TV broadcasts, social/digital media, onsite, and everywhere in between.

Vision Insights examined the impact that game attendance has on the likelihood of an MLB fan considering purchasing a sponsor’s products/services due to their partnership. What we saw is that consideration increases from 28% to 67% when going from an MLB Fan who attends no games in a typical season to MLB fans who are season-ticket holders.

That is an increase of 139%. So, the number of games a fan attends is linked to how receptive they will be to sponsors.

Getty Images

Jordan Brand Lands Two No. 1 Seeds in Men’s Tourney
Nike continues to dominate as the top jersey and shoe provider of teams in the NCAA Tournament. Nike and its affiliated Jordan Brand are outfitting 41 of the 68 teams in the field (33 Nike, 8 Jordan), down just one team from last year’s 42. Notably, two No. 1 seeds, Houston and Florida, wear Jordan Brand while Duke is the only top seed to wear Nike.
Sports Business Journal

TGL Adds Seven Corporate Partners Ahead of Postseason Debut
TGL has added seven sponsors ahead of its inaugural playoffs, which began last night on ESPN2 at 7pm ET. Coming on board are Verizon, Mastercard, AG1, Hard Rock Bet, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and Stanley 1913.
Sports Business Journal

ESPN Images

ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro Not Interested in Being Disney CEO
ESPN Chair Jimmy Pitaro has communicated to both friends and the Disney board that he is “not interested in the role” of Disney CEO, according to Lucas Shaw of BLOOMBERG NEWS. Sources said that the board is “still leaning toward an internal choice,” having identified four insiders: Disney Entertainment Co-Chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, Disney Experiences Chair Josh D’Amaro and Pitaro.
Bloomberg via Sports Business Journal

Iona Fires Coach Tobin Anderson After 2 Seasons, MAAC Championship Loss
Anderson, 53, joined the program in 2023 as Rick Pitino’s replacement after Pitino was named the coach at St. John’s. At the time, Anderson was coming off a season in which he coached No. 16-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after an iconic upset over No. 1 Purdue in the first round.
The Athletic

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The Director of High Performance is responsible for fostering a multidisciplinary high-performance environment that enhances player care, competitive readiness, and sustainable success for all National Teams. This role provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and collaborative guidance across key performance disciplines, ensuring alignment with U.S. Soccer’s overall Sporting strategy. Apply Now.

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What is the College Basketball Crown, and Who’s Invited to the First One? Full Bracket, Details
The Athletic’s Justin Williams reports: “There’s a new postseason tournament in men’s college basketball. The College Basketball Crown announced its inaugural 16-team field on Monday, comprised of teams that failed to reach the NCAA Tournament. The Crown, developed by Fox Sports as a rival to the longstanding NIT, will be hosted in Las Vegas from March 31 to April 6, with the championship played the day before the NCAA men’s national championship.”
The Athletic

Strong TV Ratings and Attendance, Women’s Basketball in Good Place Heading to NCAA Tournament
AP News’ Doug Feinberg writes, “There was concern that attendance and overall interest in women’s college basketball would drop this year with the departure of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and other stars for the WNBA. Both took a dip -- but only a dip.

“With JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers and a host of other standout players leading the way, attendance across the country was just short of last season’s record numbers in women’s hoops and still the second-highest ever.”
AP News

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