Sports
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Essential sports industry news & intel to start your day.
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November 30, 2021
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Top Stories
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Louisiana State University is set to hire Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly to the same position under a 10-year contract worth more than $100 million with incentives, according to sources. Kelly’s exit from Notre Dame after 12 seasons and two College Football Playoff appearances is the second coaching bombshell this week following University of Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley’s departure for the University of Southern California. (The Athletic)
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Gatorade signed University of Connecticut women’s basketball player Paige Bueckers to a multiyear endorsement deal, the PepsiCo Inc.-owned sports drink brand’s first with a college athlete since the NCAA passed new rules allowing athletes to profit from the use of their name, image and likeness. The Gatorade deal is Bueckers’ second commercial partnership after she signed another multiyear agreement earlier this month with StockX, an online marketplace for sneakers and apparel. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Tiger Woods said he will never again be a full-time golfer on the PGA Tour following the single-car crash in February that left him severely injured, but that he hopes to play again on tour in a limited capacity. Woods will make his first public appearance since the accident at this week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, which benefits his foundation, and will hold a news conference today. (Golf Digest)
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Events Calendar (All Times Local)
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| A MESSAGE FROM MORNING CONSULT |
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What Else You Need to Know
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Bob Iger Would Love to Buy an NBA Team. Could the Phoenix Suns Be It?
Matthew Belloni, Puck News
Iger has told at least a couple friends that he’d love to front a bid for the Phoenix Suns if the hoops team were to become available, which it just might in the next couple months. To be clear, there haven’t been any formal conversations, and Iger’s Disney rep declined to comment.
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Scherzer, Seager get big-money deals ahead of CBA expiration
Ronald Blum, The Associated Press
Right-hander Max Scherzer agreed to a record-setting $130 million, three-year contract with the New York Mets and shortstop Corey Seager struck a $325 million, 10-year deal with the Texas Rangers on Monday as players and teams rushed to reach agreements before an expected lockout. The pair are among eight players who in recent days have agreed to contracts totalling $1.268 billion in guaranteed pay.
The Mets’ deal with Max Scherzer marks the arrival of Steve Cohen’s financial advantage in the open market
Tim Britton, The Athletic
New York on Monday agreed to a deal with Max Scherzer for three years and $130 million with an opt-out after the second year, a source confirmed. The $43.3 million average annual value in the deal is the largest in the sport’s history, far above the previous record of $36 million, held by the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole.
Cleveland city council approves Guardians lease at ballpark
The Associated Press
The Cleveland City Council voted Monday to approve a lease agreement that will keep the Guardians at Progressive Field through 2036. The team will also be able to begin planning renovations to the downtown ballpark, which will be upgraded as part of a $435 million project funded in a partnership between the Major League Baseball franchise, the city, Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio.
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Mario Lemieux to oversee hockey operations as Fenway Sports Group deal with Penguins almost done
Seth Rorabaugh, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
On Monday, it was announced Fenway had entered a purchase agreement for the Penguins. The sale, which has been in the works for months, must be approved formally by the NHL’s board of governors. That step, a mere formality, is expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year.
Canadiens owner Geoff Molson says running hockey operations will be 2-person job
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
One of the roles, the newly formed executive vice-president of hockey operations, was filled when Molson announced Bergevin’s dismissal and the hiring of former New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton. The other — Montreal’s now-vacant GM position — will eventually be occupied by a bilingual candidate following what Molson said would be an “exhaustive” search.
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UW Huskies hire Fresno State’s Kalen DeBoer as next football coach
Mike Vorel, The Seattle Times
UW athletic director Jen Cohen arrived in Fresno, California, on Monday to finalize a deal with Bulldogs coach Kalen DeBoer, multiple sources confirmed to The Seattle Times. DeBoer’s deal comes after the Huskies made a significant run at Matt Campbell, offering the Iowa State coach a contract worth roughly $7 million annually — according to two sources — before being rebuffed.
Boston College Eagles extend football coach Jeff Hafley through 2026 season
Andrea Adelson, ESPN
Boston College coach Jeff Hafley has received a contract extension through the 2026 season, the school announced Monday. Hafley, 42, has led the Eagles to bowl eligibility in each of his first two seasons.
Jacksonville State hires Rich Rodriguez as head football coach ahead of 2023 FBS move
Adam Rittenberg, ESPN
Jacksonville State hired UL Monroe offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez as its next head football coach, the school announced on Monday night. Rodriguez, the former coach at West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona, completed his first season at ULM under coach Terry Bowden.
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Lionel Messi Wins Record Seventh Ballon d’Or
Rory Smith, The New York Times
Messi, 34, effectively retained the trophy he last won in 2019 — controversially, the award was not handed out by France Football last year because of the coronavirus pandemic — after a year in which he ended his long wait for an international honor, winning the Copa América with Argentina, and left Barcelona, the club where he had spent all of his career, for Paris St.-Germain.
Bayern Munich set to play in empty stadium over coronavirus
The Associated Press
Bayern Munich will likely host Barcelona without spectators in the Champions League next week after the state governor said on Tuesday he will demand sports events in empty stadiums due to high coronavirus infection rates. Bavaria governor Markus Söder said his state would block fans from attending games even if there isn’t an agreement to do it nationwide.
Apax Revives Interest in Italy’s Serie A Football League
David Hellier et al., Bloomberg
Apax Partners has renewed its interest in investing in Serie A, the Italian soccer league that’s been frustrated in efforts to raise fresh funding this year, according to people familiar with the matter. The private equity firm is working to formulate a proposal that it could present to the league at the start of next year, one of the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information.
Soccer Star Calls for Boycott of Premier League LGBT Effort
David Hellier et al., Bloomberg
Qatar-based broadcaster BeIN Media Group found itself embroiled in controversy after one of its best-known commentators criticized the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign in support of the LGBT community, potentially lighting a tinderbox in the run-up to next year’s World Cup. Mohamed Aboutrika, a retired Egyptian soccer star who appears regularly on BeIN, described homosexuality as an affront to the Muslim religion.
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McLaren secures majority ownership of AMSP
Marshall Pruett, RACER
McLaren Racing, Sam Schmidt, and Ric Peterson have completed the contract that will see McLaren take a 75-percent ownership position in the Arrow McLaren SP team that competes in the NTT IndyCar Series. The collaboration that brought McLaren back to IndyCar in 2020 came with the team wholly owned by Schmidt and Peterson.
North Carolina budget includes $40M for three NASCAR tracks. Could that speed North Wilkesboro Speedway’s return?
Erik Spanberg, Charlotte Business Journal
As part of a recent budget agreement that includes allocations for billions of dollars in federal pandemic recovery funds, three NASCAR tracks will receive a combined $40 million for water, sewer and other infrastructure improvements. The three tracks are Charlotte Motor Speedway ($13 million), North Wilkesboro ($18 million) and The Rock Speedway ($9 million) in Rockingham.
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GGTech apoints Kathy Chiang as COO for NA department
Radina Koutsafti, Esports Insider
Tech company GGTech Entertainment has appointed Kathy Chiang as its new Chief Operating Officer for North America. Through her new role, Chiang aims to boost GGTech’s development and bring collegiate esports series University Esports to the region.
How ESL is bringing its tried-and-true esports event framework to the mobile space
Alexander Lee, Digiday
Mobile gaming is an ever-growing facet of the global esports market, and esports company ESL Gaming has adjusted its approach to competitive gaming accordingly. In 2021, ESL expanded its dedicated mobile esports vertical to prepare for a future in which mobile devices are the most popular way to game.
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NLL returns at last with new teams, new deals and new hope
Mark J. Burns, Sports Business Journal
Finally, what is believed to be the last North American-based pro sports league to return will do so this Friday, 635 days after its last game was played. There are now 14 teams across the United States and Canada, with an expansion club in Fort Worth starting play this season.
Miami’s 777 Is in Talks for a Controlling Stake in British Basketball League
David Hellier, Bloomberg
The investment firm 777 Partners is in talks for a controlling interest in the British Basketball League, according to a person familiar with the discussions. The Miami-based group has offered to pay 7 million pounds ($9.3 million) for a 45% stake in the league, the person said.
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov to expand his MMA promotion in the U.S. in 2022
Marc Raimondi, ESPN
Khabib Nurmagomedov told ESPN this weekend that his MMA promotion, Eagle FC, is planning an expansion into the United States. Nurmagomedov said Eagle FC will hold an event in January in Miami and there is another event being targeted for that city in March.
France tests “flying taxis” for 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris
Axios
French officials are testing “flying taxis” that they plan to roll out for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. American eVTOL manufacturer Joby Aviation will join other companies, including Volocopter, Airbus, Vertical Aerospace and Ascendance, to conduct tests at a hub site in Pontoise, in the northwestern suburbs of the French capital.
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