House Case Scapegoat For Cuts?

“It’s important to remember that House settlement-related costs are not occurring in an intercollegiate sports vacuum. They should be placed in the broader context of higher ed; universities face multiple budget challenges that aren’t related to athletics but will make it harder to fund athletics.” - Michael McCann, Sportico

June 24, 2025

Don’t Be So Quick to Blame the House Case for College Sports Cuts
Sportico’s Michael McCann writes, “A popular narrative is setting in: It insists the House settlement will impose new costs on schools that make it harder to justify keeping teams that aren’t either money-makers or needed to comply with Title IX’s gender equity requirements. But while the settlement is impactful, don’t fall for the head fake that it is the only or most important factor in schools’ decisions to keep certain sports or cut sports altogether.

“It’s important to remember that House settlement-related costs are not occurring in an intercollegiate sports vacuum. They should be placed in the broader context of higher ed; universities face multiple budget challenges that aren’t related to athletics but will make it harder to fund athletics.”
^Sportico

Jets Owner Woody Johnson Buying John Textor’s Crystal Palace Stake
Sportico’s Brendan Coffey reports: “New York Jets owner Woody Johnson has signed a deal to purchase 43% of soccer club Crystal Palace from John Textor, the club announced on its website Monday.

“The deal is worth about $254 million, according to a Reuters story, citing unspecified media reports. Crystal Palace is the 50^th-most valuable soccer team on the planet, worth $610 million, according to Sportico’s latest global soccer valuations.

“Johnson’s purchase also comes with Palace at a high on the pitch: The club won England’s FA Cup this past season, its first major trophy in its 164-year existence.”
^Sportico

Game 7 Keeps NBA Finals Above Historic Lows
Thunder-Pacers wrapped up with 16.4 million viewers for Game 7 on Sunday night on ABC, per fast-national data from Nielsen, and it keeps the NBA Finals above 10 million average viewers for the complete series. Thunder-Pacers Game 7 is the most-watched NBA game since the clinching Game 6 of the Raptors-Warriors NBA Finals in 2019 (18.3 million, and without the benefit of Toronto markets numbers).
^{Sports Business Journal}

Maria Taylor Named NBC’s Lead NBA, WNBA Studio Host Next Season as Pro Basketball Returns to Network: Source
The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch reports: “Taylor will host NBA studio shows on Sunday and Tuesday nights as part of a group that includes Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter. Taylor will also host select WNBA games on NBC and Peacock when the company begins airing the WNBA in the spring of 2026. (NBC will air the 2026 WNBA semifinals and Finals.) Along with her new assignments, Taylor signed a multiyear contract extension with the company that will have her working at NBC Sports’ properties deep into the 2020s…”
^{The Athletic}

F1 Owner Liberty Media Finally Set to Seal Deal to Take Control of MotoGP After European Approval
Liberty Media said Monday the “unconditional” approval was the last step in completing the deal to buy 84% of Spain-based MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports. It values Dorna at 4.3 billion euros ($4.97 billion), Liberty said.
^{AP News}

With Launch of BJJ Property, UFC Aims to Deepen Combat Sports Moat
It will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass. An accompanying eight-episode reality show, “UFC BJJ: Road to the Title,” began airing on YouTube last week. Multiple divisions will be featured across men’s and women’s competitions, with rankings and champions for each. Matches will have three five-minute rounds and take place at the Apex in Las Vegas.
^{Sports Business Journal}

The Thunder Can't Be Duplicated, But Opposing Teams Would Be Foolish Not to Emulate NBA Champs
CBS Sports’ James Herbert writes, “If opposing general managers believe they can copy Oklahoma City's championship formula, they're fooling themselves. It would be equally foolish, however, to think that there's nothing to learn from the Thunder. The 2025 champs are talented enough to have competed in any era, but they crossed the finish line this year because they were built to overcome obstacles specific to today's game.”
^{CBS Sports}

World Cup, NFL Draft, New Stadiums in PA … and No State Cash?
FOS’ Eric Fisher writes, “Pennsylvania is one of the most important states in the country for pro sports, and it has a fast-growing list of upcoming major events and stadium needs. Teams and leagues shouldn’t necessarily expect much financial help from Gov. Josh Shapiro, though. 

“Speaking Sunday at NASCAR’s Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, Shapiro said heightened fiscal challenges are complicating any consideration of taxpayer help for teams and facilities in the commonwealth.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Manfred Attends A’s Groundbreaking for Vegas Park
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, A’s owner John Fisher, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and other top city, county and state officials participated in a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning at the site of the A’s eventual new ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip. The 30,000-seat, domed ballpark is slated to cost $1.75B, and open for the 2028 season.
^{Sports Business Journal}

K.C. Mayor Optimistic On Keeping Chiefs, Royals
K.C. Mayor Quinton Lucas on Sunday “expressed optimism” that both the Chiefs and Royals “will remain in Kansas City ... while attending a KC World Cup community event at the Aspiria campus in Overland Park” on the Kansas side of the border. That area “has been mentioned as a possible site for a Royals stadium.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Knicks Head Coach Search: Could a New Name Enter the Conversation?
The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III writes, “[Taylor] Jenkins and [Mike] Brown appear to be the front-runners as of now. However, New York has tossed around the idea of speaking with James Borrego for its vacancy, per league sources. Borrego, a CAA client, is known around the league for his offensive creativity and analytics-forward approach. Borrego spent last season as an assistant coach on Willie Green’s staff in New Orleans and was last a head coach for the Charlotte Hornets from 2018-22.”
^{The Athletic}

Olympics’ Champion: New IOC President Kirsty Coventry Inaugurated to Start 8-Year Leadership
AP News’ Graham Dunbar reports: “The first female and first African president of the IOC, Kirsty Coventry, was inaugurated in the role Monday on the organization’s 131st birthday with praise that the Olympic movement was ‘in the best of hands.’ Coventry, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming for Zimbabwe, finally and formally takes office Tuesday aged just 41 after decisively winning a seven-candidate election in March to succeed Thomas Bach.”
^{AP News}

PWHL Vancouver Names Brian Idalski First-Ever Head Coach
Idalski was head coach of the St. Cloud State Huskies women’s hockey team the past three seasons. He previously coached at the University of North Dakota for 10 seasons and the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point for five.
^{The Athletic}

Nuggets Name Tenzer EVP/Basketball Operations
The Nuggets have named Ben Tenzer EVP/Basketball Operations and are also hiring Jon Wallace from the T’Wolves to take over as EVP/Player Personnel. Tenzer finished the 2024-25 season as interim GM after the Nuggets fired former GM Calvin Booth.
^{Denver Post via Sports Business Journal}

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Pac-12 in Talks With Texas State Over Membership After Extension of CBS Sports Media Deal: Sources
Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger writes, “The new Pac-12 has found its primary media partner. Now, it’s time to finalize the next member school.

“Conference officials have engaged in conversations with executives at Texas State, sources tell Yahoo Sports, as the two parties work toward a membership agreement that would start in the fall of 2026. While no deal is finalized, this months-long courtship is expected to reach a crescendo this week, when the formal extension of an invitation may be made.

“The addition of Texas State, a Sun Belt school located in San Marcos, Texas, would give the Pac-12 a necessary eighth full, football-playing member — a requirement by the NCAA of all FBS leagues.”
^{Yahoo! Sports}

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