Trump and Sports Intertwined

WSJ Predicts Trump to Be “Most Sports-Focused President”; Sports Venue News

November 12, 2024

Good morning! Sports and politics may be more intertwined than ever before

Trump's Re-Election Could Have Major Impact on Olympics, Soccer, Golf
President-elect Donald Trump, the “most sports-focused president in modern U.S. history,” will reclaim the Oval Office at a moment when his administration “could leave its mark on some of thorniest and most polarizing sports issues,” according to Robinson, Beaton & Radnofsky of the WALL STREET JOURNAL via SBU. These issues include “questions around transgender athletes, a potential stake for the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia in the PGA Tour, and even the future of college athletics.” At the same time, the country is also preparing to organize “the two largest sporting events on the planet:” the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in L.A.
^{Sports Business Journal}

MLS Team Executives are Debating What Would Be a Seismic Re-Ordering of the League’s Calendar
SBJ’s Alex Silverman writes, “Ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America, MLS is seriously considering a shakeup that would bring its schedule in line with the rest of the soccer world for the first time.

“Currently, MLS begins its season in late February and plays through MLS Cup in early December. Nelson Rodriguez, MLS executive vice president of sporting product and competition, is leading a leaguewide due diligence effort to consider the potential effects of switching to a fall-to-spring schedule like the one followed by major European leagues.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

FedEx To End Nascar Sponsorship With Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin
As Forbes’ Joseph Wolkin writes, “Hamlin has been sponsored by FedEx since he made his Nascar Cup Series debut in 2005, making it the longest tenured partnership in Nascar at the moment. The ‘Thank you, FedEx’ video was posted to Hamlin’s Instagram page just one hour before the Nascar Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.”

Adam Stern of SBJ previously reported that FedEx was reevaluating its NASCAR investment, as the shipping firm had cut back its sponsorship from 30-plus races a year to 13 years in 2024, including the season finale at Phoenix.
^Forbes

Boston Celtics Docuseries Set At HBO From ‘30 For 30′ Producers
DEADLINE’s Denise Petski reports: “Production is underway on Celtics City, a multipart documentary series on the 18-time NBA champion Boston Celtics from HBO Sports Documentaries and 30 for 30 co-creators Bill Simmons and Connor Schell.

“Celtics City chronicles the history, cultural impact and extraordinary tale of the NBA’s winningest and most storied franchise, the Boston Celtics, the reigning NBA champions. The series contains extensive, never-before-seen archives and more than 80 interviews of past and present Boston Celtics legends—from Bob Cousy and Larry Bird to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.”
^DEADLINE

Tennis Analyst Pulled Off Air After Hot-Mic Comments About Barbora Krejcikova
A Tennis Channel analyst has been suspended indefinitely after making “unprofessional” remarks about female tennis player Barbora Krejcikova’s forehead while on air during the coverage of her match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

“As an athlete who has dedicated herself to this sport, it was disappointing to see this type of unprofessional commentary,” Krejcikova wrote in a social media post. “I’ve often chosen not to speak up, but I believe it’s time to address the need for respect and professionalism in sports media.
^{NY Post}

JuJu Watkins Lands Docuseries With NBC, Peacock
According to SBJ, USC G JuJu Watkins is "set to star in and executive produce" an upcoming documentary series for NBC and Peacock. The series, On the Rise: JuJu Watkins, will premiere its first two episodes on Nov. 23 at 3 pm ET on NBC, just ahead of the broadcast of the USC vs. Notre Dame women's basketball game. Episodes three through six "will be exclusive to" Peacock. The series, from Klutch Sports, Uninterrupted and 4.4.Forty, will "give people more insight into who I am, my values and my story," according to Watkins.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Ruud van Nistelrooy Departs Manchester United Following Interim Head Coach Spell
The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell reports: “Ruud van Nistelrooy has left Manchester United following Ruben Amorim’s arrival as head coach. The former United striker returned to Old Trafford in the summer to work under Erik ten Hag and was installed as interim head coach following his compatriot’s sacking on October 28.

“Amorim was named as Ten Hag’s permanent successor on November 1 and his first match will be the Premier League trip to Ipswich Town on November 24.”
^{The Athletic}

Lamb, Jones Discuss Glare Issue at AT&T Stadium
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb confirmed after yesterday's loss to the Eagles that the glare from the sun "interfered with his vision" when he had a chance to catch a touchdown pass in the first half and said that he was "in favor of curtains to block the sunlight." When asked how he could mitigate the effects of the sun, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones "downplayed the sun’s effects" and said it "affects every team that plays in the stadium.”
^{Fort Worth Star-Telegram via Sports Business Journal}

Facilities and Ticketing: Missouri’s Rock M Focused Stadium Renovations Represent the Ambitions of the Tigers and DLR Group
SBJ’s Bret McCormick writes, “DLR Group’s architectural design for the $250 million renovation of the University of Missouri’s Memorial Stadium north end zone was built around preserving the Rock M, an ‘M’ made of rocks that sits above the end zone as a nod to the site’s history as a granite quarry. Every Missouri football player takes a rock from the Rock M when he becomes a senior.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Something, Maybe Everything, is Amiss With the Jaguars Amid a 2-8 Start
[Owner Shad] Khan, who boasted in July that this was the most talented team assembled during his 12 years as owner, must decide if the duo is part of the problem or should be given another year to find solutions. Their contracts run through the end of the 2025 season, and with the team’s bye week looming after Sunday’s game at Detroit (8-1), it’s time for Khan to consider starting over.
^{AP News}

Rays Future Stadium Deal in Hands of Newly Elected Officials
FOS’ Eric Fisher writes, “Soon after Hurricane Milton ripped the roof off of Tropicana Field, leaving it likely unplayable for at the start of the 2025 season, this past week’s election brought victories for Republican challengers Chris Scherer and Vince Nowicki on the Pinellas County Commission. That body will be charged with issuing bonds that fund $312.5 million toward the planned stadium in a deal agreed to last summer. 

“‘Whatever was agreed to before needs to be looked at differently now, because we are dealing with a county where, you know, tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed, and our infrastructure that was inadequate to begin with has suffered a lot of damage,’ Scherer told The Tampa Bay Times.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Cooper Flagg Challenges ‘Status Quo’ With New Balance Deal
Sportico’s Eric Jackson writes, “Cooper Flagg trots around at Duke University as a once-in-a-decade talent. The 17-year-old isn’t the first five-star prospect and projected NBA star to arrive on campus with great fanfare. But he’s one of the first mega college basketball stars to take advantage of the evolving NIL landscape and sign deals that weren’t available in the past. Before he ever stepped on a college court, the Duke freshman had several shoe companies vying for his marketing services.”
^Sportico

Pending NCAA Settlement, Roster Limits Pose National Signing Day Uncertainty
ESPN’s Dan Murphy and Michael Rothstein report: “Leaders across college sports are rewriting myriad rules in preparation for implementing changes mandated by the $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement. Part of the pending agreement would set new limits for the maximum roster size of every Division I NCAA-sponsored sport, reducing D-I opportunities by at least 4,739 if the settlement is approved.

“The new maximum roster size for 19 of 43 NCAA sports would be smaller than the current average roster in those sports. A handful of sports, including football, baseball and women's soccer, would be disproportionately affected.”
^ESPN

Coming Soon: A Football Training Facility Worthy of USC’s Legacy
SBJ’s Bret McCormick reports: “USC broke ground on the $200 million Bloom Football Performance Center on Nov. 7. But a lot has happened since the school began planning the project in 2021. NIL was instituted (and collectives popped up in response), talk about paying college athletes has become serious, Jennifer Cohen replaced Mike Bohn as the Trojans’ AD and USC swapped the Pac-12 for the Big Ten this fall.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

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