NIL > NBA, According to Players

Men's basketball prospects are choosing college over the NBA at a record rate.

May 29, 2025

Prospects Picking College Over NBA Draft At Record Rate
FOS’ Alex Schiffer writes, “The NBA Draft is down on participants. Only 106 players entered the draft this year, according to the league, which marks the lowest number of early entrants since 2015. The number of early draft entrants peaked in 2021 with 363, which came months before college athletes were able to monetize their name, image and likeness.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Haliburton, Clark Push Parent Company to New Financial Heights
Sportico’s Eric Jackson writes, “A notable season-ticket holder was seated courtside during the Indiana Fever’s last home game. It was Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has become a regular at Fever games where he watches his friend and colleague Caitlin Clark shine on the same floor where he makes his coin.

“A day later, the WNBA sister team returned the favor as Aliyah Boston, Makayla Timpson and other Fever players attended the Pacers-Knicks playoff matchup on Sunday night. The back-and-forth cheer-a-thon is the latest example of the organic support system between the pro basketball teams, which play at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and operate under parent company Pacers Sports & Entertainment.”
^Sportico

Caitlin Clark, Fever Set Another Ratings Record Before Two-Week Injury
FOS’ Colin Salao reports: “The Indiana Fever and defending-champion New York Liberty drew 2.22 million viewers to their matchup Saturday afternoon on CBS, the second-most-watched WNBA game ever on the network. It fell just short of passing the most-watched game on CBS, which was a rivalry contest on June 16, 2024, between the Chicago Sky and Fever that drew 2.25 million viewers.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Welcome to Wrexham Documentary Series Renewed for Fifth Season
The Athletic’s Richard Sutcliffe writes, “Broadcast in the U.S. on FX and on Disney+ in the UK, the show has proved a huge hit since first airing in 2022. A fourth series is currently midway through it’s run, charting the 2024-25 EFL League One season that ends in Wrexham clinching an unprecedented third consecutive promotion.

“This latest success means Phil Parkinson’s side will be competing in the Championship come August, meaning the club will be just one level below the Premier League.”
^{The Athletic}

Braves Tap Ex-Thune Aides to Bat Down Tax Hike
Politico’s Caitlin Oprysko reports: “The Braves became the only publicly traded MLB franchise in 2023. Absent any changes, that will subject the club to a new tax provision limiting public companies from writing off the salaries of their highest-paid employees — which in this case would mean the team’s star players. Atlanta’s payroll is typically in the top third of the league.”
^Politico

PGA Tour’s $100M Playoffs Alter Bonus Payout for Tour Championship
FOS’ David Rumsey reports: “The PGA Tour’s $100 million playoffs are getting a major makeover that will drastically alter bonus money for the season’s top 30 players. The Tour Championship is eliminating its ‘starting strokes’ format that awarded a competitive advantage based on FedEx Cup points earned entering the season finale, including the top qualifier beginning the tournament at 10 under, with subsequent players starting closer to even par.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Caitlin Clark Injury Effect: Ticket Prices Drastically Fall With Indiana Fever Star Out
Ticket prices have drastically fallen since Monday's news of Clark's injury. For the four games Clark will miss, the average purchase price was 71% more expensive prior to the news than Tuesday, as the average has dropped from $137 to $80, according to TickPick data provided to USA TODAY Sports.
^{USA Today Sports}

Ronaldo Agrees to Sell Majority Stake in Spanish Club Real Valladolid
Ignite, a consortium headed by businessman Gabriel Solares and comprised of investors from the United States and Mexico, has agreed to buy Ronaldo’s majority stake in the club, who were relegated from La Liga this season.
^{The Athletic}

Cricket Legend Virat Kohli Invests in World Bowling League
Sportico’s Eric Jackson writes, “King Kohli is stepping into a new sports arena, but this time not as a player. Legendary cricket player Virat Kohli has become an investor in the new World Bowling League. The terms of the deal were not revealed, but the Indian international star is the latest celebrity to join the cap table following Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts in March. It remains uncertain if Kohli will also own one of the yet-to-be announced teams like Betts, who owns the league’s first franchise, Team OMG.”
^Sportico

Billionaire Mets Owner Steve Cohen’s $8B Citi Field Casino Bid Clears Major Albany Hurdle
New York Post’s Vaughn Golden writes, “Billionaire Mets owner Steve Cohen is one step closer to getting his long-desired casino next to Citi Field in Queens after a key vote in the state Senate Tuesday.

“The bill — approved in a 54 to 5 vote despite fierce opposition from local state Sen. Jessica Ramos — clears a procedural hurdle for Cohen’s $8 billion proposal. The measure would allow the hedge-fund manager to repurpose state parkland near the Mets ballpark as part of his casino plan, which will still require approval from city officials.”
^{New York Post}

Populous Set to Design OKC Stadium Development
Populous has been selected from seven competing firms to design the roughly 50-acre mixed-use development that will surround Oklahoma City’s planned new multipurpose stadium. Populous is also designing the stadium that’ll be home to professional men’s and women’s soccer teams when it opens in 2027 and likely cost more than $100M, though the final cost is still being pinned down.
^Sportico

Breeders’ Cup to Return to Belmont Park in 2027, Keeneland in 2026
The Breeders’ Cup will be returning to Belmont Park in 2027, while the 2026 event “will take place at Keeneland,” according to Bob Ehalt of BLOODHORSE. Belmont Park, which currently is being rebuilt, is “expected to re-open in September 2026.” The venue last hosted the Breeders’ Cup in 2005, while Keeneland last hosted in 2022.
^{Sports Business Journal}

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SEC’s Spring Meetings: The Future of College Sports is in the Balance at Florida Resort
AP News’ Eddie Pells writes, “Among the topics are the future of the College Football Playoff, the SEC’s own schedule, the transfer portal and the NCAA itself. All are influenced by the fate of a multibillion-dollar lawsuit settlement that hovers over almost every corner of college athletics.

“As a reminder of what’s at stake, a handful of football coaches detailed the uncertainties they faced with the start of practice closing in, one of which is still not knowing how many players they’ll be able to suit up for the upcoming season.”

“It’s challenging when you’re trying to figure out what you can do for football camp on July 30th, when we really don’t have much of a resolution of what that’s going to look like,” Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said.
^{AP News}

Amid CFP Debate, NCAA Tournament Expansion Hovers in Background
SI’s Bryan Fischer writes, “NCAA president Charlie Baker has openly advocated in the past about a move to a 72- or 76-team format and various committees have studied the topic dating back to last summer when the conversations took on a far more serious tone. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, even prior to his league getting 14 of 16 schools into the Big Dance this past season, has been a proponent as well and been kept abreast of the subject.”
^{Sports Illustrated}

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