June 8, 2023

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Inter Miami lands Lionel Messi, the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers are playing for titles — is South Florida the center of the sports universe? Fort Lauderdale mayor Dean Trantalis joins Front Office Sports Today to discuss the economic and cultural effects of the region’s recent success. Plus, former Miami Marlins president David Samson shares his thoughts on the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger.

Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], and Spotify [[link removed]].

Wildfires Play Havoc With Belmont Stakes, MLB Games [[link removed]]

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Poor air quality originating from the Canadian wildfires continues to disrupt sporting events in the northeast U.S. on Thursday.

The New York Racing Association canceled live racing at Belmont Park two days ahead of the 155th Belmont Stakes. PETA had been among the voices dubbing the current conditions unsafe for the horses and calling for Saturday’s race to be canceled.

But less than 20 miles west of Belmont Park, the New York Yankees are moving forward with a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox — less than 24 hours after Wednesday night’s game was postponed.

New York City’s air quality improved on Thursday but is still mostly in the “unhealthy” category.

The NYRA is planning to resume live racing on Friday, with the first scheduled for 12:50 p.m. ET. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said [[link removed]] that air-quality numbers will determine if the horses run on Saturday. Levels exceeding 200 would cancel the race, while levels of 150-200 would require horses to pass a pre-race veterinary exam in order to compete.

In Washington, D.C., the Washington Nationals postponed Thursday afternoon’s 1 p.m. game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. On Thursday night at 6 p.m., the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers are scheduled to make up Wednesday night’s postponed [[link removed]] game.

Major League Baseball makes the final decision on whether games are played.

Notre Dame Athletics Tapping Into Trend With New AD [[link removed]]

Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports

In a dramatic executive shift destined to shake up both sports media and college sports, NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua will succeed Jack Swarbrick next year as Notre Dame’s director of athletics.

Bevacqua will start July 1 as a special assistant before assuming leadership in early 2024.

Since taking the post in 2008, Swarbrick has been a major power broker across college sports, particularly in an era of historic change regarding conference reconstruction and the advent of NIL rights for student-athletes. Under Swarbrick, Notre Dame staunchly remained an independent in football.

“At this time of great chaos and disruption in college athletics, it will be invaluable to have Pete join Jack and me in charting a future for Notre Dame athletics,” said Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president.

Like Swarbrick, Bevacqua is a Notre Dame alumnus. He will depart NBC Sports after five years, while that network looks to reshape itself in a media landscape also experiencing unprecedented transformation.

Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, will manage Bevacqua’s direct reports in the near term, but a broader transition remains to be finalized — and will be pivotal with the Paris 2024 Games just 13 months away. Bevacqua oversaw NBC Sports’ rights including the NFL, Olympics, MLB, Big 10 Conference, Notre Dame football, and USGA.

The Notre Dame move furthers a trend of college sports entities turning to leaders with high-profile media experience, such as the Big 10 with Tony Petitti [[link removed]], Pac-12 Conference with George Kliavkoff, Big 12 Conference with Brett Yormark, and Syracuse University with John Wildhack.

SPONSORED BY FIVE IRON GOLF

A New Era of Golf Has Arrived

Golf is changing.

For the first time in history, off-course golfers in the United States have outnumbered those who exclusively play on traditional greens.

Few companies have been as instrumental in this shift as Five Iron Golf [[link removed]].

In the last six years, Five Iron’s growth has exploded expanding to 18 domestic locations across 11 major U.S. cities, helping both casual golfers and dedicated pros “play the way they want”

Now, Five Iron is entering its next stage of growth — offering franchise opportunities for single and multi-unit development.

Read the full story [[link removed]] to learn more about how Five Iron is redefining the future of golf.

Confusion Remains On Pac-12’s Media-Rights, Revenue-Sharing Future [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As the Pac-12 prepares to find a new media-rights partner — with USC and UCLA leaving for the Big Ten in 2024 — University of Arizona president Robert Robbins has thrown cold water on reports that the conference has finalized a new Grant of Rights agreement.

Multiple reports claim the remaining 10 schools will be following the ACC’s lead [[link removed]] in moving to a performance-based payout system for postseason revenue when the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams in 2024, while still sharing media-rights revenue equally.

“I have not been informed about any of the information,” Robbins told “The Paul Finebaum Show.” He added that he was “looking forward to hearing from my own commissioner” if there’s a deal.

The reported agreement could keep big Pac-12 brands like Oregon and Washington happy as conference realignment continues to disrupt college sports, as seen in Colorado’s strong links [[link removed]] toward joining the Big 12.

With the Pac-12 currently receiving $250 million annually from ESPN and Fox, schools reportedly want to see that number increase [[link removed]] to $300 million in order to rule out leaving the conference. The Pac-12 most recently brought in $580.9 million in total annual revenue [[link removed]], ranking fourth among the Power 5 conferences.

The impending Grant of Rights agreement, which wouldn’t take place until a new media partner is signed, also reportedly lays out details for how the Pac-12 plans to split up selling sponsorships on a conference level and on a school-to-school basis.

Conversation Starters TGL — the new golf league backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy set to launch in January 2024 — sold its first team [[link removed]], Los Angeles Golf Club, to Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian. Adidas is helping [[link removed]] employees pay off student loans. Under the company’s new Student Loan Support program, full-time employees are eligible for $100 a month. ESPN is launching [[link removed]] Formula 1 alternate telecast “The Grandstand” with Daniel Ricciardo and Will Arnett on June 18. Will you tune in? Cast your vote [[link removed]].

SPONSORED BY NIELSEN

Making Moves With Sports Partnerships

[[link removed]]

Mark your calendars for Nielsen’s Sports Sponsorship Webinar [[link removed]] on Wednesday, June 14th at 10 a.m. ET.

In an era where brands globally are investing billions in sponsorships, understanding and optimizing ROI is critical.

Nielsen’s webinar will shed light on current trends [[link removed]] in sports sponsorships, examine how to maximize returns on these investments, and spotlight the importance of sports in a brand’s comprehensive marketing strategy.

Register [[link removed]] to secure your spot today.

Editor's Picks Could Phil Mickelson Become The Next Great Golf TV Analyst? [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]

PGA Tour-LIV Golf could position Phil Mickelson as top golf TV analyst.

Forthcoming Negro Leagues Film to Get AMC Theaters Showcase [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

A forthcoming film chronicles the history of baseball’s Negro Leagues.

The Big 12 Is Officially Expanding To Mexico [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]

It’s the first to build a fortified presence outside U.S. borders.

Every Women’s World Cup Player to Receive At Least $30,000 [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

Plan advances goal of full pay equity by the 2026 and 2027 World Cups.

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