Sport & Story Daily March 13, 2024

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March 13, 2024

Good morning! Do NOT Sleep on College Sports

Congress Is Finally Talking About College Athlete Employment Status
Federal lawmakers appear to have finally started talking about the biggest issue regarding NCAA athlete compensation—and it’s not NIL.

As FOS’ Amanda Christovich reports, “On Tuesday, the House Subcommittee on Education and the Workforce held the first congressional hearing on college athlete unionization efforts. The conversation focused on the implications of a recent National Labor Relations Board decision deeming Dartmouth men’s basketball players employees. Dartmouth players voted 13–2 to unionize last week, on the same day that House Republicans announced the scheduling of this hearing.”
^{frontofficesports.com}

WWE President Nick Khan, COO Brad Blum Revealed As Key Figures in Vince McMahon Sex-Trafficking Suit
As FOS’ Eric Fisher and David Rumsey report, “WWE president Nick Khan—a dealmaker and former CAA executive who has earned a reputation as one of the most powerful men in sports media—and COO Brad Blum are the previously unnamed men identified as Corporate Officers No. 1 and No. 2 in the lawsuit filed in January by Janel Grant. Khan and Blum are not personally accused of sexual misconduct or violence, or of knowing of any such acts; rather, the suit claims that they and others facilitated and covered up Grant’s exploitation…”
^{frontofficesports.com}

LA Clippers Rebrand—What Designers Like (And Don’t Like) About the Refresh
“We have been on a long journey, gathering feedback and insights from across Clipper Nation,” Gillian Zucker, president of business operations for the L.A. Clippers and Intuit Dome, said in a press release of the new branding, which is reportedly aiming to tell a story about the team’s connection to Los Angeles and its history with the sea. “We listened to as many voices as we could and then engaged specialists to arrive at a timeless design that blends bedrocks of our past and our future.”
^adage.com

Saudi Arabia Bid $1bn to Combine Men’s and Women’s Tennis Tours
Tennis could be the next sport to fall into the arms of Saudi Arabia after discussions at Indian Wells this week reportedly included a $1bn take-it-or-leave-it offer from the state-backed Public Investment Fund, which would see the men’s and women’s tours merged. Reports suggest that ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi asked the Masters Tournaments to stay behind for a discussion once the four grand slams had left a meeting about the Premium Tour, another proposal for tennis that would see a heightened circuit with equal prize money.
^{uk.finance.yahoo.com}

CBS’ Sean McManus Says He’s Leaving March Madness in Good Hands
“I don’t want to bog down the call with how I’ve approached these last weeks, but it’s been thrilling,” McManus said. “We had a thrilling Super Bowl … and I can’t wait for the tournament, and I can’t wait for the Masters, and at that point I will become a full-time fan of TNT Sports and CBS Sports.”
^sportico.com

NWSL Set to Kick Off Revolutionary Season
CPKC Stadium, the new home for the KC Current, is the first stadium built specifically for an NWSL team. This weekend, the NWSL begins its 12th season and the third under the leadership of Commissioner Jessica Berman with a series of major developments.
^{sportsbusinessjournal.com}

Hainline Announces Retirement as NCAA’s Chief Medical Officer
NCAA Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Brian Hainline founded and oversaw the NCAA Sport Science Institute, which aims to provide college athletes with the best environment for safety, excellence, and wellness. During his tenure, he guided the Association in the development of key consensus-based guidance that served the membership in its efforts to support the mental and physical health, safety and performance of student-athletes. 
^ncaa.org

EXCLUSIVE: ASU Deputy Athletic Director Jean Boyd Discusses Decision to Retire in May
"We made an effort to get her and her kids transitioned to Arizona for a period of time but due to family dynamics, and so forth, that just wasn't possible," Boyd said. "And so I've been in this long-distance married relationship now for a year and a half. Over the holiday window of time, my wife and I spent a lot of time contemplating [the] best next steps for our family development. And it became clear to me… that it was time for me to close out this chapter of my ASU career."
_{247sports.com}

Growing Fan Base for Women's College Basketball Opens Sport up to More Scrutiny
The SEC Championship matchup between South Carolina and LSU saw "a late-game confrontation that led to multiple ejections.” The "good and the bad of the game has all come into sharper focus" as women's college basketball continues to grow in popularity.
sportsbusinessjournal.com

Money Madness: Where Does Men’s College Basketball and NCAA Tournament Fit Into a Football-Crazed Ecosystem?
The Athletic reported last week that talks of the NCAA expanding its tournaments center on going from 68 teams to 72 or 76 as opposed to a massive expansion to 96 or more. As SBJ’s Ben Portnoy reports, NCAA President Charlie Baker and NCAA SVP/Basketball Dan Gavitt feel the organization should at least consider the idea of expansion given -- in part -- the existing field barely accounts for 19% of the 351 D-I basketball programs.
sportsbusinessjournal.com

A Century Before Caitlin Clark, 6-on-6 basketball players in Iowa Were Blazing Trail for Her
“When I hear from a lot of people that played basketball, whether it was 6-on-6 however many years ago, I think they’re blown away at where women’s basketball is now and the platform we get to play on,” Clark said. “That doesn’t come if it’s not for the people who came before us.”
^apnews.com

NAACP Urges Student-Athletes to Reconsider Florida Colleges After State Eliminates DEI Program
“This is not about politics,” the NAACP wrote to NCAA President Charlie Baker in response to the University of Florida and other state schools that have eliminated their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. “It’s about the protection of our community, the progression of our culture, and most of all, it’s about your education and your future.”
^apnews.com

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