Sport & Story Daily March 6, 2024

Stay Ahead of the Game

March 6, 2024

Good morning! Labor victory for Dartmouth basketball players has far-reaching implications

Labor Victory for Dartmouth Basketball Players Only Start of Path to a Union Deal
As AP News’ Jimmy Golen writes, “A ruling that gives the Dartmouth basketball team the right to unionize has far-reaching implications for all of college sports — from the quaint, academically oriented Ivy League to the big-money football factories like Michigan and Alabama.

The players voted 13-2 on Tuesday to form a union on the campus in Hanover, New Hampshire, after a bid by the school to reopen the case was denied.

But it’s not time to cut down the nets just yet.

Although a recent ruling by a National Labor Relations Board official put the players on the path toward a union, they have a long way to go — years, maybe — before they would be able to sit down with the school and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement. The bid is being closely watched.

‘We are excited to see how this decision will impact college sports nationwide,’ Dartmouth players Cade Haskins and Romeo Myrthil said in a statement after NLRB Regional Director Laura Sacks agreed that they are employees of the school. ‘We believe that other athletes will recognize the opportunities this ruling presents and will be inspired to follow suit.’”
^apnews.com

LIV Golfers Are Not Eligible to Play in the 2024 Presidents Cup
“It's just an unfortunate situation that we're in right now, and they are not eligible as of now,” international captain Mike Weir said. “I've been told they're not eligible; they're not going to be eligible. And hopefully going forward, maybe in Chicago in 2026, they are. It is a shame. I mean, we want the best players.”
^si.com

Caitlin Clark Record Draws Top In-Season TV Rating Since '99
Per ESPN, Caitlin Clark's record-setting game for Iowa against Ohio State on Sunday attracted more than 4 million television viewers at its peak and was the most-watched women's regular-season basketball game since 1999, Fox Sports announced Tuesday.

Clark scored 35 points and passed Pete Maravich as the NCAA Division I overall career scoring leader during the Hawkeyes' 93-83 win.

Average viewership was 3.39 million and reached a high of 4.42 million late in the second half. No women's regular-season game on any network had more viewers since 3.88 million tuned in for UConn-Tennessee in January 1999, according to Sports Media Watch.

The game was the second-most watched college basketball game of the season, trailing only the 5.18 million who saw the Michigan State-Arizona men's game that followed an NFL Thanksgiving game on Fox, SMW said.
^espn.com

EA Sports: Who’s in the Game? (Not Arch Manning, for One)
FOS’ Margaret Fleming reports: “It’s been a busy couple of weeks for EA Sports since the company released details about its upcoming college football video game, College Football 25, for which it will pay college athletes who opt in to allowing the use of their name, image, and likeness.

EA will send football players $600 and a free copy of the game, and provide NIL opportunities to college athletes (including nonfootball players) to promote the game—but players will not receive royalties for their participation. Some have viewed the arrangement as a win—after all, the 2014 lawsuit filed by former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon against EA essentially sparked today’s NIL revolution—but others, like those with the College Football Players Association, say the lack of royalties equates to college athletes “being treated like children.”
^{frontofficesports.com}

WWE Founder Vince McMahon Selling $400M in TKO Group Shares
As Sportico’s Brendan Coffey reports, “WWE billionaire Vince McMahon is selling more than $400 million of TKO Group shares Monday, less than six months after he sold the wrestling company to Endeavor Group Holdings, which combined WWE with UFC into a new public company.

McMahon filed to sell 5.35 million shares of TKO for gross proceeds of $411.95 million—or $77 a share—according to a Form 144 filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission Monday evening. That’s about a quarter of the shares the disgraced executive still owns in TKO.”
^sportico.com

Lowered Expectations? Fox’s CEO Tamps Down New Streamer Hype
Per Eric Fisher at Front Office Sports: “There have been all sorts of lofty expectations placed around the forthcoming sports-oriented streaming service from ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery. But apparently not so much from Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch.

Speaking Monday at Morgan Stanley’s technology, media, and telecommunications conference, Murdoch said he is targeting the service to reach five million subscribers by 2029, a point five years after the projected debut of this fall.”
^{frontofficesports.com}

TV Networks Eyeing Jason Kelce Following Retirement
Per SBJ, “Jason Kelce and CBS have already held talks about bringing him on as part of their NFL coverage. If newly retired NFLer Jason Kelce ‘wants to be on an NFL studio show, he will have options with NBC, CBS and ESPN the likeliest landing spots,’ according to sources.”
^{sportsbusinessjournal.com}

A's Unveil Renderings of Las Vegas Ballpark
The A's today released new stadium renderings of their planned Las Vegas ballpark. The $1.5B, 33,000-fan capacity ballpark is set to feature a fixed-roof and tiered seating to "allow for uninterrupted sight lines from every seat."
^{sportsbusinessjournal.com}

Sean Payton is Officially On the Clock After Releasing Russell Wilson From the Broncos
As USA Today’s Mike D Sykes, II writes, “The Broncos officially cut Wilson on Monday, leaving the team to navigate a historic $85 million cap hit. That’s how badly Sean Payton and company didn’t want the former Seahawks QB on the roster anymore.

This officially goes down as one of the worst trades in NFL history, by the way. The Broncos gave up so much for Wilson and essentially got nothing in return. During his first season in Denver he was a shell of himself. His second season was much better, but apparently not good enough to run whatever scheme Sean Payton wanted to run properly.”
^{ftw.usatoday.com}

Caitlin Clark Adds to Sponsor Roster With New Gainbridge Partnership
As SBJ’s Xavier Hunter writes, “Iowa G Caitlin Clark has agreed to a multiyear partnership with insurtech company Gainbridge to serve as a brand ambassador. The Indiana-based company adds to Clark’s portfolio of brand deals which includes Gatorade, State Farm, Nike, Hy-Vee, H&R Block, Buick, Bose, Shoot-A-Way, Topps, Goldman Sachs and The Vinyl Studio. Gainbridge is also the title sponsor of the Pacers’ and Fever’s home arena in Indianapolis. The company’s sponsorship roster features the Indy 500, the Billie Jean King Cup, the Annika, Andretti Autosport and Rev Racing.”
^{sportsbusinessjournal.com}

Men’s NCAA Tournament Expansion Likely Would Not Go Beyond 76 Teams: Source
As The Athletic’s Dana O’Neil reports, “With less than two weeks to go before Selection Sunday and the release of the men’s NCAA Tournament bracket, college basketball insiders are prepping for an expanded field in the very near future.

‘We’re not talking about 96,’ said a college administrator who was briefed on the conversations but who has not been authorized to speak publicly. ‘There is little to no appetite for 96 teams, or really even 80.’

While last-minute pivots are never out of the question — especially when some of the people included in the conversations are already working on expanding the College Football Playoff bracket before it’s even played — a 72- or 76-team field seems the most likely outcome.”
^{theathletic.com}

Oregon Denies ‘Any Control’ Over NIL Collective in Title IX Defense
As Sportico’s Daniel Libit reports, “The University of Oregon has told a federal court that it lacks “any control” or direction over NIL collectives, including the Oregon-focused Division Street backed by Nike founder Phil Knight.

In an 89-page answer filed Monday night, the university laid out its defenses against a class-action sex discrimination lawsuit filed late last year by a group of 32 current and former Ducks women beach volleyball players and rowers.

The plaintiffs are contending that Oregon has systematically deprived them of equal athletic financial aid and other resources, including those that empowered their ability to monetize their name, image and likeness. Their lawsuit is the first ever to invoke alleged discrepancies in NIL opportunities as the basis of a Title IX noncompliance.”
^sportico.com

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