For all the talk about meaningful wins and the relative strengths of their schedules, SMU has prevailed over Alabama in the bid for what amounted to the only up-for-grabs berth in the first 12-team College Football Playoff. The selection committee’s decision to promote the 11-2 Mustangs over the 9-3 Crimson Tide not only eliminates the …
NFL Drops Watson Assault Case, Guaranteed Contract Intact
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who in October reached an out-of-court settlement with a woman in Texas who sued him for sexual assault and battery, will not face punishment by the NFL. As a result, the matter is closed to the NFL, which in 2022 suspended Watson for 11 games and fined him $5 million for conduct detrimental. A …
College Football Bowl Schedule and Scores for This Season
College football has been wildly upended over the last few years by conference realignment, NIL and players transfers. Despite the changes, one of its oldest traditions endures: bowl games. These end-of-year games date back to 1902 when Michigan beat Stanford 49-0 in the Rose Bowl, which was originally dubbed “Tournament East-West football game.” The college football bowl game schedule looks …
Rays, A’s Win Crucial Stadium Financing Votes
Major League Baseball’s two murky stadium situations got a little more clarity on Thursday night. In Florida, the St. Petersburg city council approved to uphold its commitment toward the construction of the Historic Gas Plant District, which includes a new $1.3 billion domed stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. The 4-3 vote in favor approved …
NBA’s 2025 Return to China Aided by New Mavs Owners
The NBA is headed back to China for the first time since 2019 with a pair of preseason games in October 2025 in Macao between the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns, according to a league announcement. China was a major economic growth area for the NBA and a regular destination for preseason games, including 28 …
BYU’s Jewish QB Signs NIL Deal With Matzo Maker Manischewitz
Jake Retzlaff, the quarterback for 18th-ranked BYU, signed a sponsorship deal with Manischewitz, the first NIL deal made by the Jewish food brand. Retzlaff is the first Jewish quarterback to ever play for the Mormon university, as well as one of just three Jewish students currently attending the school, which enrolls nearly 33,000 undergraduates. As …
Messi Fueled 13% MLS Sponsorship Rise in 2024, Report Says
The Lionel Messi tide continues to lift all boats in MLS when it comes to attracting new sponsorships. Ahead of Saturday’s MLS Cup, SponsorUnited released its latest report on MLS marketing partnerships, which found sponsorship dollars for the league and its clubs rose to $665 million in 2024, up 13% from a year ago and …
Jordan’s NASCAR Suit ‘Baseless,’ CEO France Says in Court Brief
Disparaging the lawsuit brought by Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports as a “misguided attempt to dress up private business frustrations in antitrust garb,” NASCAR this week motioned a federal judge to dismiss the case altogether. NASCAR CEO Jim France, a co-defendant, separately filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that his inclusion is …
Souper Time: Commanders Make Campbell’s CEO Team President
The Washington Commanders hired Mark Clouse as their new team president after he spent the last five-plus years as the CEO of Campbell’s, the famed consumer products company that recently forged a sponsorship with the Commanders and other organizations affiliated with majority owner Josh Harris. Though Clouse does not have a sports business background, it …
Club Sportico: College Basketball Finally Has a New Villain
This week’s Club Sportico focuses on the college basketball’s “new villain,” UConn men’s coach Dan Hurley, who is drawing attention—and plenty of criticism—for his animated and often angry sideline demeanor. Hurley’s Huskies have won the last two national championships, but the team is struggling. UConn lost three straight games in Maui, despite being favored against Memphis, Colorado …
Yankees World Series Rings Remain Sticking Point in Giuliani Trial
Rudy Giuliani owns four Yankees World Series rings, one from each title that the MLB team won when he was mayor of New York City. Now he and his family are fighting to keep them. Giuliani is currently facing a handful of legal challenges, including bankruptcy and a defamation case that he lost last year …
Colorado’s Hunter, Sanders May Buck Trend by Playing in Bowl
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders suggested Tuesday that his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and two-way star Travis Hunter could participate in a college football bowl game this year despite being projected as high first-round NFL Draft picks. The Buffaloes are technically still in College Football Playoff contention because of the expanded field, though their 37-21 …
NFL Thanksgiving Matchups Won’t Spoil the Feast for Advertisers
The Morning Lead newsletter will pause for Thanksgiving and return next Monday. Click here to sign up and get it delivered straight to your inbox. Happy Thanksgiving! There are worse things than the New York Giants, although admittedly not a lot of them. Thursday’s main course is one example; turkey may be the clucking embodiment of a …
MLB Playoff Payout Hits Record $129M, Dodgers Get $477,441 Each
The World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers fueled a record postseason bonus pool of $129.1 million, according to the commissioner’s office. The tally was 20% higher than the previous high of $107.8 million set last year—it was $107.5 million in 2022 when the playoffs expanded to their current format. The …
Mountain West Urges Dismissal of Pac-12 ‘Poaching Penalty’ Lawsuit
The tumultuous relationship between the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain West Conference spawned an antitrust lawsuit in September, but in a newly filed motion to dismiss, the MWC says the Pac-12’s case is “little more than a gripe” and asserts the Pac-12 has confused antitrust law’s protection of “competition” with the conference trying to suppress …