Indiana Lays Claim to Hoops

Rick Carlisle used the line after the Indiana Pacers won the Eastern Conference title: “In 49 other states, it’s just basketball. But this is Indiana."

June 12, 2025

The Pacers Are in the NBA Finals. The Fever Have Caitlin Clark. In Indy, Basketball is Booming
AP News’ Tim Reynolds writes, “Rick Carlisle used the line after the Indiana Pacers won the Eastern Conference title earlier this month, the one that is the official motto for the state’s basketball Hall of Fame and surely has been uttered for generations.

“‘In 49 other states, it’s just basketball,’ said Carlisle, the Pacers’ head coach. ‘But this is Indiana.’

“It’s true: Basketball never loses importance here. But these days, the state — and Indianapolis especially — probably feels like the center of the basketball universe.”

“Indiana is the state that lays claim to Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson. It boasts the most recent team to finish an NCAA Division I men’s season undefeated in Bob Knight’s 1975-76 Indiana squad. It inspired the movie ‘Hoosiers,’ cheered Reggie Miller for the entirety of his Hall of Fame career and now has the talk of the women’s game in Caitlin Clark for the WNBA’s Fever — a team that might be playing for titles in Indianapolis before too long.”
^{AP News}

Social Media’s Most Popular U.S. Teams Share One Similarity
Sportico’s Jacob Feldman writes, “Sports teams looking to boost their social followings just need to do one thing: sign LeBron James.James’ current team, the Los Angeles Lakers, has more followers across social media than any other U.S. pro sports franchise, according to a new report from STN Digital, with 63.8 million between Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube.

“NBA teams dominate the top of the overall list, claiming the top seven slots, followed by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys (20.5 million), the NFL’s New England Patriots (17.9 million) and MLB’s New York Yankees (17.9 million). The Cowboys are still first in Sportico’s team valuations, at $10.3 billion, while the New York Knicks are fourth in franchise value despite being 18th in social following.” 
^Sportico

‘I know My Worth’: Bryson DeChambeau Opens on LIV Deal, Negotiations 
GOLF’s Nick Piastowski writes, “Bryson DeChambeau, two days before he starts his second U.S. Open title defense, said he will start negotiating a new contract with LIV Golf at the end of the year. What comes of those talks, of course, is the question. The subject was raised on Tuesday during DeChambeau’s pre-tournament press conference at Oakmont Country Club, where a reporter asked about his current deal’s status and whether he’d thought about life post-LIV.”
^GOLF

NFL, Genius Sports Extend and Expand Betting Data Partnership
Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen and Eben Novy-Williams write, “The NFL and Genius Sports reached a two-year extension for the London-based firm to continue as the exclusive distributor of real-time, official play-by-play and gambling data to sportsbooks and media companies around the world.

The deal includes expanded rights for Genius to monetize NFL IP in two new ways. Genius can now sell ad inventory on the NFL BetVision streams, which are the streams of live games in the sportsbook apps. Genius Sports also gains the right to sell ads across the NFL’s owned-and-operated digital empire, leveraging Genius’ FanHub platform.”
^Sportico

U.S. Cities Begin FIFA World Cup Prep While Facing Questions Over Fan TravelMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic directorMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic directorMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic directorMatt Elliott to be named Wendy Hensel's pick as new Hawaii athletic director
U.S. cities hosting next year’s FIFA World Cup faced questions about how to “reassure international fans concerned” by President Trump’s “immigration crackdown and travel ban” as the year-to-go countdown began, according to Amy Tennery of REUTERS via SBJ. Celebrities and soccer stars “were due to walk the red carpet” at the Fox Studio Lot in L.A., a host city, for the year-to-go event there, a day after Trump deployed Marines and the National Guard to “quell protests.” NY/NJ World Cup host committee CEO Alex Lasry said, “Soccer is the world’s sport and this is an opportunity for us to welcome people from all over the world.”
^{Reuters via Sports Business Journal}

Azteca Stadium to Feature Hybrid Field, Modern Amenities for 2026 World Cup
AP News Carlos Rodriguez reports: “A hybrid field, updated locker rooms, elevators and hospitality zones are among the new features of Azteca Stadium for the 2026 World Cup. Ollamani, the sports entertainment company that owns the stadium, also confirmed Wednesday that Azteca will reopen March 26, which will be 75 days before the start of the World Cup…

“The 83,000-seat Azteca, which recently was renamed, will host five games including the tournament opener. It also hosted the first matches in the 1970 and 1986 World Cups.”
^{AP News}

Former F1 Team Boss Guenther Steiner Eying MotoGP Team CEO Role, Confirms Investment Talks
The Athletic’s Alex Kalinauckas writes, “Former Haas Formula One team boss Guenther Steiner has confirmed he is in discussions to invest in a MotoGP team, which could lead to a new role as a squad CEO in the top category of global motorcycle racing.

Steiner was axed as Haas team boss at the end of 2023, eight years after its F1 debut in the 2016 season. Following his exit, he began working extensively as a television pundit in the sport. The Italian-American has also released a second book about his time working in F1 and is the co-owner of a North Carolina-based composites company.”
^{The Athletic}

Sources: NFL Losing Top Licensing Exec Ruggiero
The NFL’s top licensing executive is exiting the league. Industry sources said that Joe Ruggiero, head of the NFL’s multi-billion-dollar consumer products/licensing business, will officially depart by July 4. He has been SVP & Head of Consumer Products at the league since early 2020. Ruggiero gave no specifics as to his next job, other than to say it will be “broadly in sports and entertainment.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

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Everything You Need to Know About the NCAA House Settlement
Sportico’s Michael McCann writes, “U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken delivered another game-changer for college sports by granting final approval to the 10-year settlement between the NCAA, power conferences and current and former Division I athletes represented by the House, Carter and Hubbard antitrust litigations.

“Sportico answers 15 key questions about the settlement and the unresolved legal and business issues moving forward…”
^Sportico

Appeal Alleging House v. NCAA Settlement ‘Ignored’ Title IX Will Pause Back Pay Plans
Eight female athletes filed an appeal of the House v. NCAA settlement Wednesday in a California federal court, arguing that the landmark agreement violates Title IX. The appeal only addresses the back damages portion of the settlement, not the portion that establishes the system of direct revenue sharing with athletes.
^{The Athletic}

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