January 19, 2024

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

The anticipation for FIFA’s choice of the 2026 World Cup Final venue reaches a fever pitch. … Texas reports record athletics revenue, with even more financial growth on the way. … The Oakland A’s expand the field of candidates for a temporary home during the 2025-27 seasons. … And it’s a particularly dark day in the long history of Sports Illustrated.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

World Cup Final Anticipation Shows U.S. Rise As a Soccer Market [[link removed]]

The Enquirer

How much has the U.S. become a soccer country? Enough for an unconfirmed rumor about the host venue for the 2026 World Cup Final to become a viral sensation in just a few hours.

A report [[link removed]] from The Sun—a tabloid in London—reporting T&T Stadium in North Texas beat out MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the final tournament match swept across the American media landscape and was almost immediately picked up by dozens of other news outlets. The problem: FIFA insists it has not finalized its choice, and the match schedule for the upcoming World Cup won’t be announced [[link removed]] until Feb. 4.

“We continue to work with FIFA leadership to lay the groundwork as we prepare to host the largest FIFA World Cup to date and are eager, like the other host cities, to find out what matches will be assigned to us,” said Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a passionate advocate [[link removed]] for the MetLife Stadium bid, also said this week he believes that the venue remains in the hunt for the coveted final, with no notification either way made from FIFA.

“I think our odds remain about where they’ve been. I would put it plus-or-minus 50/50,” Murphy told The Bergen Record.

As the anticipation for FIFA’s decision mounts, both markets continue to do everything they can to tip the scales. Dallas is leaning into an unprecedented multi-venue, festival proposal [[link removed]] that would incorporate the neighboring Texas Rangers ballparks, both past and present, in addition to AT&T Stadium. MetLife Stadium is removing [[link removed]] seats in an effort to accommodate FIFA’s wider field requirements.

The battle for the World Cup Final also involves many of the sports industry’s most prominent figures, including Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and FC Dallas president Dan Hunt.

EXCLUSIVE

Sports Illustrated’s Future in Doubt After Staff Gutted Again

According to an email obtained by Front Office Sports, the staff of Sports Illustrated was notified on Friday of massive layoffs. Authentic, the licensing group that owns Sports Illustrated, terminated the agreement it holds with The Arena Group to publish SI in print and digital. The Arena Group missed a $3.75 million payment to Authentic, leading Authentic to sever the deal.

Read more [[link removed]] from Front Office Sports senior reporter A.J. Perez.

Texas Reports Record NCAA Revenue, With More to Come [[link removed]]

Austin American-Statesman

Is Texas back?

The Longhorns were one play [[link removed]] away from reaching their first national championship game in the College Football Playoff era. But while there’s still at least some work to be done between the white lines, Texas continues to make its mark off the field. The university’s athletic department reported an NCAA record $271 million in operating revenue during its 2023 fiscal year, according [[link removed]] to USA Today. That’s nearly $32 million more than the school’s 2022 revenue and more than the previous high of $251.6 million reported by Ohio State in 2022.

That time period ended June 30, 2023, so it doesn’t include this past season’s Big 12 championship and playoff appearance. During the 2022-23 athletics seasons, Texas opened a new $375 million basketball arena, the Moody Center, and advanced to the Elite Eight in the men’s NCAA Tournament.

The school’s revenue should continue to grow when it reports figures from the ongoing 2024 fiscal year, thanks to the football team’s success. And this summer, Texas will move to the SEC, along with Oklahoma, where the schools will see an uptick of more than $20 million in media rights revenue.

Success in the SEC

The 2023 fiscal year was also a record-breaking one for the athletic departments at LSU and Tennessee, which both topped $200 million in revenue for the first time. LSU’s revenue [[link removed]] was $200.46 million, while Tennessee’s came [[link removed]] in at $202.09 million.

SPONSORED BY AUTOTRADER

ACC-FSU Clash Deepens

The ACC is trying to strip Florida State of its voting power on conference issues while the two sides are locked in a legal dispute. Front Office Sports breaking news reporter Margaret Fleming joins the podcast to break down why the two are battling it out—including FSU’s discontent over the ACC’s media deal and the lack of conference competition that contributed to the school being left out of the College Football Playoff.

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

Where Will A’s Play in 2025? Salt Lake City, Sacramento On the Table [[link removed]]

Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Athletics are touring ballparks this week from Sacramento to Salt Lake City in search of a temporary home.

The A’s contract with the Oakland Coliseum expires at the end of the 2024 season, and its new stadium in Las Vegas isn’t set to open until 2028.

In the meantime, team executives toured Sutter Health Park on Thursday, the home of the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate Sacramento River Cats. Officials will also check out Smith’s Ballpark, home of the Los Angeles Angels’ Triple-A affiliate Salt Lake Bees, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal [[link removed]]. Also under consideration is Greater Nevada Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate Reno Aces.

Team president Dave Kaval had previously said likely options would be to share Oracle Park with the Giants, head to the Las Vegas Ballpark of the A’s Triple-A affiliate Aviators, or extend the lease at the Coliseum. All of those scenarios are still possible, the Review-Journal reported. Staying in the Bay Area would allow the A’s to keep their local media rights [[link removed]] deal with NBC Sports California.

A possible reason the team is expanding the search to other minor league parks is the downside associated with each of their original options: The Las Vegas ballpark is outdoors in the desert heat, sharing with the Giants could get complicated, and the team is eager to get out of Oakland.

The A’s will need approval from the MLB and the MLB Players Association before settling on their next move.

MLB owners unanimously approved the team’s move to Las Vegas in November after years of failed attempts [[link removed]] to build a new ballpark in the area, worsened by recent low attendance and back-to-back last-place finishes in the AL West.

Conversation Starters Inter Miami and Lionel Messi kicked off their month-long, 23,000-mile world tour with some predictable pandemonium. Check out [[link removed]] the scene as Messi’s bus arrived in El Salvador. Dusty Baker has joined [[link removed]] the San Francisco Giants’ front office as a Special Advisor to Baseball Operations. Deion Sanders says every player in the portal comes with a price tag [[link removed]]: “$50,000 will get you a walk-on these days.” SPONSORED BY AUTOTRADER Welcome to The Business of Football, where cutting-edge strategies and high-value partnerships converge. Explore transformative deals and strategic maneuvers as our analysis guides you through the intersection of football and business for a nuanced understanding of the game outside the lines. Tuned In: Cowboys Agony Proves Ratings Gold For ESPN [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Stephen A. Smith’s 'First Take' draws a massive 1.5M viewers. Jim Irsay Incident Brings Up NFL Ownership Succession Questions [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Report: Jim Irsay was found unresponsive in his home in December. Forecast for Next Round of NFL Playoffs: More Havoc [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]The Buffalo Bills could have practices disrupted by inclement weather. SURVEY

Want a chance to win $250? We want to get to know our audience better and improve our coverage. Fill out our new survey [[link removed]] for a chance to win a $250 Visa gift card or free FOS merch!

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]], Margaret Fleming [[link removed]] Edited by Brian Krikorian [[link removed]], Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2024 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

80 Pine Street Suite 3202 New York, NY 10005