September 29, 2023

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Colorado was thrashed by Oregon last weekend, and facing No. 8 USC tomorrow, there’s a good chance of another big loss for the Buffaloes. But no matter — Boulder will still be the center of the college football universe on Saturday as a still-growing throng of celebrities will be at the game that is expected to generate another huge viewership number for Fox Sports, as win or lose, Coach Prime clearly draws a crowd.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

ESPN, Tiger-Rory Golf League Close To Long-Term Deal [[link removed]]

TGL/TMRW Sports

Marking the latest significant development in the virtual golf league co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, TGL is closing in on a major media rights pact with ESPN, sources confirmed to Front Office Sports.

The developing pact will give the upstart TGL sizable consumer reach given ESPN’s dominant status on the sports media landscape. It is not yet immediately clear whether the competition will be shown on linear or digital platforms, or both.

An announcement is expected in the coming weeks, in advance of TGL’s planned [[link removed]] season starting in January, but an agreement is not yet signed.

Majority owned by Woods and McIlroy through a shared investment vehicle, TMRW Sports, the tech-infused TGL will operate in partnership with the PGA Tour and feature competition on simulated courses in an arena-style environment.

TGL continues to bring in major star power to its ownership ranks with recent additions including New York Mets owner Steve Cohen [[link removed]], NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo [[link removed]], Atlanta Falcons and United owner Arthur Blank [[link removed]], Fenway Sports Group [[link removed]], and the pairing [[link removed]] of tennis superstar Serena Williams and husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

ESPN and parent company Disney, meanwhile, remain in the throes of significant transition of their own, including a recalibrating [[link removed]] cable bundle and ongoing efforts [[link removed]] to potentially bring outside investors for the sports media giant and perhaps sell [[link removed]] ABC and its other linear networks.

Colorado Has Become the Hollywood of College Football. This Weekend Proves It. [[link removed]]

Syndication: The Coloradoan

BOULDER, Colorado — If you thought the Coach Prime hype would be crashing back down to earth after last week’s 42-6 loss to Oregon, think again.

With No. 8 USC visiting Colorado on Saturday, Boulder is once again the Hollywood of college football.

LeBron James, Matthew McConaughey, and Jay-Z top a growing list [[link removed]] of celebrities rumored to be attending the game — Deion Sanders said [[link removed]] the number is probably three times higher than what’s being reported. The game will air in Fox’s coveted “Big Noon Saturday” slot and could break a Pac-12 viewership record.

For the general public, a nosebleed seat at Folsom Field will cost [[link removed]] at least $200 on the secondary market. Colorado sold out of tickets for the entire season for the first time in history, and is one of the hottest [[link removed]] tickets in college football all fall.

And while Colorado plans to roll out the proverbial red carpet for the A-listers, it is having to get creative to take care of everyone with its limited resources amid record demand.

“We haven’t told them no,” Alexis Williams, Colorado’s senior associate athletic director for external operations, said to Front Office Sports. “We don’t have suites — I think that’s the expectation, that we would have a suite to accommodate each one, and that’s just not what we have.”

Williams joked that she’s “trying to find somewhere for them to go,” but welcomes the growing celebrity interest. “We offer them our other premium spaces where there are not as many people — a little more reduced exposure to all the fans,” she explained.

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O’s New Lease Deal Continues Stadium-Centered Development Trend [[link removed]]

Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles and Maryland Stadium Authority plan to create a large-scale, mixed-use development around Oriole Park at Camden Yards on the heels of a new 30-year lease agreement [[link removed]] keeping the MLB club at the venerable ballpark.

Hours after the new deal was announced and the Orioles clinched the American League East Division and AL’s top seed, details of the agreement began to emerge. The pact is highlighted by a 99-year development rights agreement that allows the Orioles to bring in private investment to certain public areas around Camden Yards.

The Orioles will pay $94 million in rent over the full-term of that redevelopment agreement and lead efforts to bring in partners to remake areas around the ballpark including Camden Station and the B&O Warehouse.

Details of the planned complex — including projected costs and exact uses of the property — remain undetermined. But the effort seeks to bring the Camden Yards area much more in alignment with the growing number of other sports-centered urban developments around the country. To that end, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Orioles chair and CEO John Angelos traveled to Atlanta in March to visit Truist Park and The Battery — the $1.1 billion project that is now an industry model.

Other cities pursuing similar efforts include Denver [[link removed]], Cleveland [[link removed]], Kansas City, [[link removed]] Phoenix [[link removed]], and Las Vegas [[link removed]].

But prior to completing the deal for Baltimore, the Orioles and state officials had been divided [[link removed]] on how and when to pursue such a development.

“This will make Camden Yards best-in-class while driving new economic growth through some of the untapped potential surrounding the stadium,” said Craig Thompson, MSA chair.

Still Work To Do

The lease deal is still in the form of a signed — but not legally binding — memorandum of understanding, with plans in place to draft and certify a final, long-form agreement by the end of the year, when the current lease ends. Once that happens, the deal will open up $600 million in public bond funds to the Orioles for stadium upgrades.

In addition to the 30-year lease term, the Orioles have two additional five-year options to extend the agreement. The deal also notably transfers responsibility for operations and maintenance for Camden Yards from the MSA to the Orioles.

Conversation Starters Minor League Baseball has adopted a new logo. Check it out [[link removed]]. More fallout from “The Blind Side” saga: A judge is ending [[link removed]] the conservatorship agreement between Michael Oher and the Tuohy family — and was “disturbed” that such a deal was put in place. The San Antonio Spurs have a brand-new $500 million headquarters and training facility — and released images of “The Rock at La Cantera.” Take a look [[link removed]]. Editor's Picks ‘Toy Story’ Success Could Lead to More Disney-Branded NFL Kid-Casts [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]A successful ‘Toy Story’ game could open the door for other franchises. Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami Jersey Headlines 2023 MLS Sales [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]Messi had MLS’ top-selling jersey in his first season. Nevada Basketball Arena Centerpiece of $1B Private Investment in Reno [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]It's the largest private investment in the city's history. Taylor Swift Shaking Up Travis Kelce, Chiefs Prop Betting Market [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]Sportsbooks are capitalizing with Taylor Swift-themed prop bets. Facetime With Tony Reali

Win the chance to speak to and get a selfie with Around the Horn host and sports media personality Tony Reali!

We’re giving away TEN (10) chances to ask Tony Reali a live one-on-one question and snap a selfie with him. Enter here to win [[link removed]]! The contest ends on October 4, 2023. See full contest terms and conditions here [[link removed]].

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]]

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