First-Ever WNBA Game in South Dakota

Sport & Story Daily March 25, 2026: The Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky will play in South Dakota.

Author

Kelsey Middleton
March 25, 2026

First-Ever WNBA Game in South Dakota

March 25, 2026

Phoenix Mercury Announces 2026 Preseason Schedule, Including The First-Ever WNBA Game In South Dakota
The Phoenix Mercury announced its two-game preseason schedule for the 2026 WNBA season. The Mercury will take on the Chicago Sky at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux-Falls, South Dakota on April 25. This will be the first-ever WNBA game played in the state. The Mercury’s visit to South Dakota marks a homecoming for head coach Nate Tibbetts, who grew up in the Sioux Falls area, played at the University of South Dakota and coached for the University of Sioux Falls and the NBA G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Front Office Sports

Kraken create One Roof Sports & Entertainment in expected pursuit of NBA expansion team
Kraken owner Samantha Holloway created the umbrella brand One Roof Sports & Entertainment. This will give her a majority stake in Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena. This also might be a precursor to bid for an NBA expansion franchise. One Roof Sports & Entertainment will become the parent brand for the arena, the Kraken, One Roof Foundation, Kraken Community Iceplex and the partnership with the City of Seattle and Seattle Public schools to redevelop the New Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center. It will also be the representative in the enterprise’s interest for the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds and Acrisure Arena.
Sports Business Journal

10 MLB teams still without local TV deals before Opening Day
Fans of 10 MLB teams still don’t know where they’ll be able to watch games on TV. The Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, and Detroit Tigers are in their first season with MLB Local Media. MLB Local Media is the league-operated outfit that will handle production and distribution for about half of the league this season. None of these teams have announced television distribution for the upcoming season.
Awful Announcing

Chuck Todd, J.A. Adande partner for new longform sports podcast
Chuck Todd is one of the cofounders of Sports Business Daily and went on to a career covering politics with NBC. J.A. Adande is a longtime former L.A. Times columnist. The two are joining to launch “Dynastic.” It is a once-per-month podcast that highlights sports dynasties. The first episode came out on Tuesday. They average to be around two hours long. You can watch it on YouTube.
Sports Business Journal

Adidas Returns The Trefoil To The FIFA World Cup™ For The First Time In 36 Years With Launch Of Away Jerseys
adidas unveiled the official away kits for all 25 partner federations, including 13 nations who are qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The trefoil is returning, a design that was inspired by the 90’s aesthetic in which they last appeared. The jerseys are also constructed with jacquard fabric to create a more lightweight finish that allows for freer on-pitch movement. Each kit is finished with the classic 3-stripes running down the shoulders, applied via a herringbone stitching pattern designed to help improve breathability and ensure optimal ventilation even in the most demanding climates.
adidas

OKC Thunder's new arena name revealed as 'Continental Coliseum'
The Oklahoma City Thunder announced that their arena will be called the Continental Coliseum. The naming rights deal will span 15 years. The arena will be open in the 2028-29 season. Continental Resources has its headquarters located in Oklahoma City. It is the largest privately held oil and natural gas producer in the world. Thunder owner Clay Bennett released a couple of statements about the announcement.
Yahoo Sports

Matt Vasgersian Credits Netflix for Landing Barry Bonds
Longtime baseball play-by-play broadcaster will be on call for Netflix’s MLB Opening Day. He will be on the telecast for the Giants-Yankees game tonight. He will be working alongside CC Sabathia and Hunter Pence, with the game jointly produced by Netflix and MLB Network. Vasgersian also remains a studio host at MLB Network, where he’s worked since the network launched in 2009, and will call Peacock’s early Sunday MLB games, as well as Netflix’s Field of Dreams game.
Front Office Sports

Long Beach Coast. Director, Revenue & Business Operations
The Director of Revenue & Business Operations is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive strategies to grow and diversify the team’s revenue streams. This role oversees certain revenue-generating departments—including ticket sales, hospitality, concessions, and retail/merchandising—and plays a central role in shaping the operational structure and processes associated with each.  The role is accountable for driving revenue growth across tickets, concessions, and merchandise while delivering a best-in-class fan experience. Apply Now.

Syracuse University. Producer/Videographer of Creative Services
Serve as a member of the athletics department content creation team as a producer/videographer. Responsibilities include: Video production, including shooting, editing and post-production, for the athletics department and all 20 intercollegiate athletics teams; producing event highlights and feature packages; producing social media content; managing distribution of highlights to external entities, including media agencies, conference and NCAA offices, and external agencies; managing freelance videographers. Apply Now.

UFC. Art Director, Design
This role balances visionary thinking with hands-on execution. The Art Director is a senior creative leader and active designer responsible for shaping and executing world-class visual concepts across all UFC brand touchpoints.This position plays a critical role in guiding the future visual identity and creative direction of UFC while remaining deeply engaged in the craft. The Art Director will concept, design, iterate, and refine high-impact creative across campaign key art, digital, broadcast, social, environmental, and experiential executions. The Art Director partners closely with the Vice President, Creative, internal creative teams, and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver cohesive, culturally relevant, and strategically aligned brand experiences. Apply Now.

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‘Onions!’ and All: Bill Raftery Still Steals March Madness
Bill Raftery will celebrate his 83rd birthday less than two weeks after calling the NCAA men’s nation championship game. With only a few days of rest, Raftery called four men’s first-round games and two second-round games as a part of CBS’s No. 1 team alongside fellow analyst Grant Hill, play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle, and reporter Tracy Wolfson. He will call two Sweet 16 games, on Elite Eight game, both Final Four games and the national title game on April 6.
Front Office Sports

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