The Masters Goes Boujee

As Front Office Sports describes it, The Masters has gone from “Green Jackets to Black Cards”

April 11, 2025

From Green Jackets to Black Cards: Masters VIP Arms Race Escalates
FOS’ David Rumsey writes, “Augusta National Golf Club may have fewer trees this year, but off the course, the home of The Masters Tournament has gotten even bigger in several major luxury areas. Map & Flag, what the club describes as ‘the official Masters hospitality experience,’ has debuted a second floor at the 26,000-square-foot venue that opened across Washington Road last year. 

“The Masters is an experience unlike any other for patrons on-site—especially for those who can afford luxury options around Augusta National.”
^{AP News}

Sources: NFL Revenue Passes $23 Billion in Latest Fiscal Year
SBJ’s Ben Fischer reports: “Teams have been told they will get a $416 million distribution from the league’s national media, sponsorship and licensing revenue, up 8.9% from last year’s $382 million, sources said (it’s also important to not compare these figures directly to numbers published each summer by the Packers, who won’t report this year’s figure for three more months and may account for this distribution differently).”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Milan-Cortina Olympics Organizers Announce Budget of 1.7 Billion Euros
Organizers of next year’s Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics announced an operating budget of “about 1.7 billion euros” ($1.9 billion) on Thursday, a 100 million euro ($112 million) increase from the previously stated amount.

The International Olympic Committee will also contribute about $1 billion in additional funding for the Feb. 6-22 Games, while the Italian government is funding more than $1 billion in infrastructure development to improve access to venues.
^{AP News}

Review: Belichick Book Focuses on Leadership, Not Juicy Tidbits
North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick’s new book -- “The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football” -- is not a “tell-all book,” but a “vehicle for Belichick to share his thoughts on leadership and team-building,” according to Ben Volin of the BOSTON GLOBE via SBJ. The book, coming out on May 6, “does not wade into the Brady vs. Belichick debate,” among other more salacious headlines.
^{Boston Globe via Sports Business Journal}

Hall of Fame Slugger Ken Griffey Jr. is Working as a Photographer at The Masters
The Athletic’s Amos Morale III writes, “Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. is on the course at Augusta National Golf Club this week. The 13-time All-Star isn’t in this week’s Masters Tournament field but is shooting alongside them, working as a photographer for Masters.com. Griffey Jr. has been taking photos since his days in the major leagues. He told Mornings @ the Masters that he initially started taking photos as a way to see his kids more often.”
^{The Athletic}

Top Candidates Emerge for LPGA Commissioner
A pair of high-ranking officials from both the PGA of America and PGA Tour have emerged as top candidates for the vacant LPGA commissioner position, sources told SBJ on Thursday. PGA of America COO Craig Kessler and Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin are now seen as the leading candidates to replace Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who stepped down from the position earlier in 2025.
^{Sports Business Journal}

FIA Deputy President Reid Resigns Over "Breakdown of Governance Standards"
“When I took on this role, it was to serve the FIA’s members; not to serve power,” [Robert] Reid said in a statement. “Over time, I have witnessed a steady erosion of the principles we promised to uphold. Decisions are being made behind closed doors, bypassing the very structures and people the FIA exists to represent.
^Motorsport

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Penn State Frozen Four Run Paved by $100M Pegula Donation
Sportico’s Eric Jackson writes, “The Pegula family amassed a fortune in the fracking business and is perhaps most known as the principal owners of the Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres (along with tennis success). But Terry and Kim are also power players in central Pennsylvania’s hockey community.

“The two have donated more than $100 million to Penn State hockey, helping Penn State go from club level to Division I varsity status in both men’s and women’s in a process that went official in 2012.”
^Sportico

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