Sport & Story Daily April 3, 2024

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April 3, 2024

Good morning! Student-Athletes Find Voice

MAC Council of Student-Athletes Share Views to Congress
"The Mid-American Conference commends the diligent efforts of the Council of Student-Athletes in addressing the critical issue of the status of student-athletes,” said MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher. “The paper drafted by our student-athletes reflects their engagement and thoughtful consideration of this critical issue. It also highlights the vital role that student-athletes play in shaping the future of college athletics. Their commitment to advocating for their welfare and experience is commendable and serves as a testament to the importance of their voice in these discussions."
^{getsomemaction.com}

Jessica Pegula Hopes Any Saudi PIF Investment in WTA Avoids LIV’s Fate
Professional tennis is grappling with a future that may include a merged men’s and women’s tour, a Formula One–style world tour alongside the four Grand Slams, and possibly billions of investment dollars from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia or other entities. To break it all down, Front Office Sports caught up with Jessica Pegula in Charleston, S.C., ahead of the city’s WTA event this week.

“To have it be a women’s-only event where we feel like we get treated better almost than any other event is pretty cool for us,” says Pegula, the No. 5–ranked player in the world and daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres owners Kim and Terry Pegula.
^{frontofficesports.com}

Billionaire Mortgage Battle: Inside the Owner Rivalry of Cavs' Dan Gilbert and Suns' Mat Ishbia
"We're the No. 1 mortgage company in America," Ishbia repeated. "The No. 2 mortgage company is a sponsor here, which won't be lasting long." Laughter broke out among employees.

As ESPN’s Baxter Homes explains, “Ishbia, of course, was referencing Rocket Mortgage, another Michigan-based lending giant run by an NBA owner: the Cleveland Cavaliers' Dan Gilbert. (Both men declined interview requests for this story.) And, indeed, at the time, Rocket Mortgage held a sponsorship for the Suns worth roughly $490,000, a source with knowledge of the deal told ESPN.”
^espn.com

Judge Denies Northwestern Motion to Drop Pat Fitzgerald Case
"This matter is, in its simplest form, an employer-employee debate," Kubasiak wrote in his opinion Tuesday. "As Fitzgerald argues, and as the Court agrees, in every contract there is an implied doctrine of good faith and fair dealing, and that is yet to be determined in this matter."

As ESPN reports, Fitzgerald filed his lawsuit in October, claiming that Northwestern violated a verbal contract by firing him for cause after agreeing to the suspension following the conclusion of its own investigation. Fitzgerald is seeking 68 million that remained on his contract, which ran through 2030, as well as future earnings losses of approximately $62 million.
^espn.com

Silver Lake Acquires Endeavor, Will Take it Private
Per SBJ, Endeavor on Tuesday approved Silver Lake’s monthslong efforts to take the sports and entertainment conglomerate private. The deal will pay $27.50 per share to Endeavor stockholders and gives the company an equity value of $13B. Silver Lake was already Endeavor’s controlling shareholder, with 71% of its voting stock and two of its seven board seats. The deal is expected to close by the end of Q1 2025. Endeavor last year generated net income of $320M on $6B in revenue, which was up 13% over 2022.
^{sportsbusinessjournal.com}

Another Ratings Record Falls As Iowa Advances to the Final Four
According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data via Sportico, Caitlin Clark’s 41-point performance helped ESPN scare up 12.3 million viewers on Monday night, making this the most-watched women’s hoops telecast in history. The previous record, set in the dark days before the people meter era, was posted by CBS; its broadcast of USC’s 69-67 victory over Louisiana Tech in the 1983 title game averaged 11.8 million viewers.
^sportico.com

Jimmy Butler Talks New Hulu + Live TV Campaign Ahead of NBA Playoffs
Per SBJ, Heat F Jimmy Butler last month became the latest NBA star to be tapped by Hulu to promote Hulu + Live TV. In the ad, the All-Star is joined by his butler, played by Joseph Marcell, famously known for his role as Geoffrey the butler from TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” It has already launched across digital and social platforms before making its broadcast debut ahead of the NBA Playoffs this month. 
^{sportsbusinessjournal.com}

No Lease Agreement Reached Between A's, City, County
A's representatives met with the city of Oakland and Alameda County officials this morning at the team’s HQ in Jack London Square to discuss a possible Coliseum lease extension for the A’s beyond the 2024 season, but "no agreement was reached."

After the meeting, an A's spokesperson in a statement said, "We are far apart on the terms needed to agree on an extension.” A source said that the city and county are "not unified in their negotiations for the lease extension with the team"
^{sportsbusinessjournal.com via sfchronicle.com}

Arizona President Robert Robbins, Key Figure in Conference Realignment, Stepping Down From Post
As CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah reports, “Arizona president Robert Robbins, a major figure in athletics and conference realignment, will resign at the end of his current term. Robbins' contract expires in 2026, but he expressed openness to moving on sooner if the board appoints a successor. A national search for his replacement will begin immediately.” 

Robbins was one of the most vocal figures during the collapse of the Pac-12. His decision also comes less than a year after the university discovered an accounting modeling error that created a $240 million deficit in the university budget. Athletics have taken center stage in the scandal.
^{cbssports.com}

AAC is Reportedly Targeting Former Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti as the Next Commissioner
As Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger tweeted, “The American Athletic Conference is targeting Tim Pernetti as its next commissioner, sources tell @YahooSports. Deal could be finalized soon. A former Rutgers AD, Pernetti has strong business relationships from leadership experiences at Endeavor and IMG and in pro sports.”
^twitter.com

NCAA Has No One to Blame for Latest Women’s March Madness Transgressions
As FOS’ Amanda Christovich writes, “Lynn Holzman, NCAA’s VP of women’s basketball, and her team were tasked with operating a tournament with a smaller budget and men’s-centric sponsorship contract, and without ‘March Madness’ branding or a prize money distribution structure. Even the NCAA hierarchy was problematic: Holzman ranked below Dan Gavitt, her counterpart on the men’s side. Since then, the NCAA has done a complete overhaul involving multiple outside audits and major structural changes, among them a new media contract, a new branding strategy, and even a new president. As a result, women’s March Madness is bigger and more popular than ever.” 
^{frontofficesports.com}

NIT Confronts ‘New Reality’ As Leaders Mull Changes
As Sportico’s Eric Jackson writes, “Inside Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the National Invitation Tournament will crown a champion on Thursday night. While the winner of the once-storied event—either Seton Hall, Georgia, Indiana State or Utah—will be proudly hoisting the trophy, at least 17 teams reportedly passed on the opportunity to compete for it, up from just two teams who declined participation last year. It’s the latest conundrum for the NIT, which for decades has fought its reputation as a mere consolation prize for teams that didn’t make the NCAA Tournament.”
^sportico.com

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