Sport & Story Daily June 26, 2024

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June 26, 2024

Good morning! Olympic Track & Field Glow-Up

Olympic Track and Field Seeing Dollar Signs With Splashy Cash Infusions into the Sport
As AP News’ Eddie Pells and Pat Graham write, “In a move that many in track — and the Olympic world, in general — felt was long overdue, World Athletics, the governing body for track, announced earlier this year that there would be a first-of-its-kind cash prize available for all of track and field’s winners in Paris. That’s a prize pool of $2.4 million spread across 48 events.

“That move, combined with the recent rapid-fire introduction of track meets featuring enhanced prize pools — and even a new track league fronted by sprinting great Michael Johnson — represents the biggest publicly touted cash infusion into the sport in decades.”
^{AP News}

NBA Draft: 5 Electric Storylines to Watch
As Yahoo! Sports’ Krysten Peek writes, “The NBA Draft kicks off Wednesday night in New York, and unlike years' past, there is a lot going on. Teams are working overtime trying to figure out what other teams are doing and what possible trades are on the table, moving up or down the draft board.

“Here's a look at five main storylines to watch heading into the NBA Draft on Wednesday and Thursday…”
^{Yahoo! Sports}

Diamond Baseball Holdings Buys Charlotte Knights
Per SBJ, Diamond Baseball Holdings is acquiring the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the White Sox. The Knights are being sold by local businessman Don Beaver, who has owned the team since 1997.

Financial details of the transaction were not immediately available, though other recent Triple-A team sales have been valued in the high eight figures.
^{Sports Business Journal}

USA Track & Field Trials Has Best Audience Since ‘12
Per SBJ, NBC delivered the best audience for a U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials telecast since 2012 on Sunday night. The network averaged 5.2 million viewers in primetime (8:37-11pm ET). NBC peaked at 5.7 million during Noah Lyles’ win in the 100 meters at 10:45pm. The Sunday night program also featured commentary from Snoop Dogg.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Latest Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Meeting Sets Another WNBA Viewership Record
According to ESPN via Yahoo Sports, 2.3 million people tuned into Sunday's matchup, which saw Reese score a career-high 25 points and 16 rebounds, Clark net 17 points and 13 assists and the Sky overcome a 15-point deficit to earn the victory.

The previous meeting between the teams drew 2.252 million average viewers with the game peaking with close to 3 million viewers, according to CBS Sports.
^{Yahoo! Sports}

Stanley Cup Final Game 7 Soars With 7.66 Million Viewers
According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, Game 7 of the back-and-forth series between the Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers averaged 7.66 million viewers Monday night, marking the biggest TV turnout for an NHL game since the deciding frame of the 2019 St. Louis Blues-Boston Bruins final.
^Sportico

Their Podcast is Over. New Lakers Coach JJ Redick Still Hopes to Create Great Content With LeBron
JJ Redick says his extraordinary hiring as the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach means the end of his podcast with LeBron James. Redick hopes they’ll be able to produce much more compelling content next season in a new incarnation of their partnership, chasing a championship together with the Lakers.

Charlotte Doles Out Over $700 Million In Upgrades for Pro Sports Teams
As FOS’ Alex Schiffer writes, “The Carolina Panthers have struggled for the last half-decade. Monday night, Charlotte local elected officials agreed to a deal to keep its NFL team in town for the next two decades.

“The city council approved $650 million in renovations to Bank of America Stadium in a deal that keeps the Panthers and MLS team Charlotte FC in the city for the next 20 years.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Alex Meruelo Backing Out of Ownership of Coyotes After Land Auction Shelved, AP Source Says
As the AP News’ John Marshall reports, “Alex Meruelo is walking away from ownership of the Arizona Coyotes, putting hockey’s future in the desert further in doubt.

“Meruelo’s decision to walk away from the franchise comes four days after the Arizona State Land Department announced it was canceling an auction for a 110-acre tract of land in north Phoenix that had been targeted for a new arena.”
^{AP News}

Texas Baseball Hiring Jim Schlossnagle Away From Rival Texas A&M: Reports
Texas is expected to hire Texas A&M’s Jim Schlossnagle as its next baseball coach, according to multiple reports Tuesday.

As The Athletic’s Max Olson reports, “Schlossnagle just led rival Texas A&M to the College World Series finals, where the Aggies lost to No. 1 Tennessee in three games. Their 53-15 season included three weeks at No. 1 in the polls and was the best in program history at a school that had never played for a national title in baseball.”
^{The Athletic}

NCAA Pay Plan Challenged By Small D1 School
Sportico’s Michael McCann writes, “The D1 school formerly known as Houston Baptist University, which produced New England Patriots QB Bailey Zappe and Jacksonville Jaguars LB Caleb Johnson, motioned to intervene in the House litigation last Thursday.

“The reason: HCU says it wasn’t consulted during the deal-making and argues the terms will “adversely affect” its 2,300 undergraduate students and community.”
^Sportico

Atlantic 10 Conference Commissioner Bernadette McGlade Joins On the Fly Podcast to Discuss NIL, the NCAA Tournament, and Title IX
On the Fly by Playfly Sports Podcast Host Gene DeFilippo is joined by Bernadette McGlade, the Atlantic 10 Conference Commissioner, who shares her journey from a college basketball player at UNC to a coaching position at Georgia Tech and her eventual rise to commissioner.

The conversation delves into challenges facing mid-major leagues like securing competitive basketball matchups, the evolution of college athletics amid the name, image, and likeness (NIL) rulings, thoughts on expanding the NCAA tournament structure, the impact of Title IX on women's sports, and more.

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