September 8, 2023

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One of my favorite sports debates is whether a permanent NFL team in Europe could work. We might find out sooner than later, if Roger Goodell gets his way.

And with another full weekend of football upon us, is anyone planning on not watching Coach Prime’s home debut against Nebraska tomorrow afternoon?

— David Rumsey [[link removed]]

NFL Targeting More European Games, Potential Franchise [[link removed]]

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL opened its 2023 season in Kansas City on Thursday night, but Roger Goodell made it clear he is still focused on bringing pro football overseas.

“We really see football as a global sport,” the NFL commissioner told NBC ahead of the network’s broadcast of the Detroit Lions’ shock 21-20 upset of the Chiefs.

The defending Super Bowl champions will play in the NFL’s second-ever game in Germany this fall — which sold [[link removed]] out within minutes of tickets becoming available. It’s one of five [[link removed]] international matchups, including a second one in Germany and three in the U.K — but the NFL doesn’t want to stop there.

“We expect to do more games in the future,” Goodell said. “We’re looking at games around the world. We believe this is our next big frontier.”

Europe has been a major focus for the NFL, which has also played games in Mexico City and recently expanded [[link removed]] teams’ abilities to market themselves internationally. The Los Angeles Rams have even been linked [[link removed]] to a potential game in Australia.

Europe’s Permanent Potential

One of the hottest topics of debate around the NFL’s international expansion is the viability of a permanent franchise outside the U.S. — and Goodell didn’t shy away from the prospect on Thursday. “I don’t rule out anything,” he said. “I think it’s possible.”

Ideas for a European division picked up steam [[link removed]] earlier this year, but there still doesn’t appear to be a clear formula for tackling the logistics of an international club.

“The debate we’ve always tried to work on [is] can you do it competitively?” Goodell explained. “And do it in a way that’s going to be fair, not just to that team but every other team?”

A strong run of European games in 2023 could go a long way toward realizing Goodell’s international ambitions.

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Colorado Ticket Prices Still Rising On Eve of Coach Prime’s Home Opener [[link removed]]

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Coach Prime hype train delivered last weekend for Colorado’s season debut against TCU — and now, the Buffaloes’ Saturday sold-out home opener against Nebraska is one of the hottest tickets in the country.

Fox will broadcast Colorado-Nebraska at noon E.T. on Saturday, and on the secondary market, Deion Sanders’ first game coaching the Buffaloes in Boulder has a get-in price more than double that of Saturday night’s high-profile matchup, No. 11 Texas at No. 3 Alabama, according to data provided to Front Office Sports by StubHub.

The cheapest ticket to see Colorado is $293, while fans can buy a seat in Tuscaloosa for $122. That price is also more than five times that of the weekend’s other major inter-conference game, No. 13 Oregon at Texas Tech, which has seats available for $49.

Colorado-Nebraska’s average resale ticket price on StubHub is $427 — almost double [[link removed]] last week’s game at TCU.

The lure of seeing Coach Prime’s upstart squad in action will likely be in high demand throughout the fall. In the immediate days following last Saturday’s upset of TCU, Colorado sold [[link removed]] $430,000 in single-game football tickets for this season.

Place Your Bets

The financial benefits of the Coach Prime hype don’t stop at the box office — sportsbooks are feeling the impact [[link removed]], too.

On FanDuel, Colorado-Nebraska has had the second-highest handle of any football game this week behind only the NFL’s Chiefs-Lions opener. At Caesars Sportsbook, futures bets on Colorado winning the national championship and its star players winning the Heisman represent the sportsbook’s biggest liabilities.

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The team at Next League [[link removed]], the leading digital growth consultant and technology solutions organization working exclusively in the sports industry, is compiling their 2024 Sports Technology Industry Outlook Report.

They want to hear from you [[link removed]], sports business industry executives, on the top sports tech trends you think will be most relevant to the industry in 2024 and beyond. With technology evolving faster than ever before, it continues to become a more important part of the sports business every year. This report, once complete, will highlight the top sports tech trends they collectively think will be most important in the coming year.

Share your perspectives with them here [[link removed]]. By filling this out, you’ll receive the complete report before it is published.

Bears Revive Chicago Stadium Hopes As Season Kicks Off [[link removed]]

Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

As the Chicago Bears kick off the 2023 NFL season hosting the division-rival Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on Sunday, their fans can be newly optimistic about the team’s future in the city.

In a letter [[link removed]] to season-ticket holders, Bears president Kevin Warren said the team has reengaged with the City of Chicago, reviving an idea once believed to be dead — a new, indoor stadium complex in downtown Chicago.

With a capacity of 61,500, Soldier Field is among the smallest stadiums in the NFL. Last season, the Bears were next-to-last in average game attendance [[link removed]] (59,823), beating out only the Washington Commanders during Dan Snyder’s final season owning the club.

While other NFC North foes like the Detroit Lions celebrate [[link removed]] sold out their season tickets, all the Bears’ home games have face-value tickets available on the team’s official website.

It’s been a whirlwind year for the Bears, who lured [[link removed]] Warren from his post as commissioner of the Big Ten Conference to lead the team through its stadium journey.

A former executive with the Minnesota Vikings, Warren was bullish on the Bears’ stadium plans [[link removed]] in Arlington Heights until hitting a stalemate [[link removed]] with local officials in the Chicago suburb. Since then, a growing list [[link removed]] of suburbs have attempted to lure the Bears with stadium proposals, though none have gained significant traction.

In his letter, Warren acknowledged that Arlington Heights and other municipalities were still under consideration — but the focus was pointedly on the idea of building a new stadium in the city itself.

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Onwards and Upwards

No matter where you are in life, the next chapter is always one page away. For Coco Gauff, this means navigating life as a teenager while managing her rise to stardom in her tennis career.

In our original series, Now What [[link removed]], presented by Prudential, we highlight stories of athletes across the tennis landscape that are having big moments. Whether you’re starting a family, building a business, or taking off in your professional tennis career, Prudential is here to help you take your game to the next level.

Learn more [[link removed]] about Coco Gauff’s story.*

Conversation Starters The Dallas Cowboys have created [[link removed]] an AI Jerry Jones at AT&T Stadium. Fans can ask Jones about his life, the Cowboys, and more — and get lifelike responses. Joe Burrow went from asking how to get recruited to becoming the highest-paid [[link removed]] player in NFL history Pat McAfee is doing it all [[link removed]] these days. Over the past year, he has signed a multiyear extension with WWE, an $85 million deal with ESPN, joined the sports media giant’s “College GameDay” program — and brought his flagship show over to the network. Editor's Picks Deion Sanders’ Colorado Is the ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ for Sportsbooks [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]The Buffaloes are darlings for the sports betting public. Stephen A. Smith Adds Pat McAfee To ‘First Take’ Rotation [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Smith is upping the ante on ratings battle with Skip Bayless’ “Undisputed.” Oregon State And Washington State Take the Pac-12 To Court [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]They're trying to solidify control over the conference. Your Chance to Win in Winner-Takes-All

Front Office Sports is partnering with Splash Sports to bring you a Season Long NFL Survivor Contest [[link removed]].

This contest follows a winner-takes-all format, meaning only one participant will be declared the winner and receive the entire prize of up to $2,250. In the event of multiple winners, the prize will be divided equally among all the winners. The grand prize is dependent on the number of entries. Deadline to sign up is September 10, 2023.

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