February 27, 2024

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Court-storming by fans in college sports rises to become a hotly debated—and often costly—issue. … Diamond Sports Group makes significant progress in its efforts to emerge from bankruptcy. … A bouncer and a part-time grocery delivery driver make some big money on pro golf circuits. … Plus: More on the Texans, Hornets, Commanders, and stadium development initiatives in Chicago.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

Dissecting the Great Court-Storming Debate. What’s Next? [[link removed]]

Cory Knowlton-USA TODAY Sports

With just a few weeks to go until March Madness engulfs sports fans, the court-storming debate has taken over the discord after Duke star Kyle Filipowski was injured when Wake Forest fans rushed the hardwood Saturday to celebrate the Demon Deacons’ 83–79 win.

What can schools do to prevent raucous college kids from celebrating big wins in often-compact arenas not equipped with enough security? Monetary fines and other punishments vary from conference to conference, but they haven’t seemed to make much of a difference. Recent fines for court and field stormings in men’s basketball and football include:

$100,000: LSU basketball (beat Kentucky on Feb. 21) $100,000: South Carolina basketball (beat Kentucky on Jan. 23) $5,000: Santa Clara basketball (beat Gonzaga on Jan. 11) $25,000: UCF basketball (beat Kansas on Jan. 10) $100,000: Ole Miss football (beat LSU on Sept. 30, 2023) $100,000: Missouri football (beat Kansas State on Sept. 16, 2023) $250,000: LSU football (beat Alabama on Nov. 5, 2022) $250,000: LSU football (beat Ole Miss on Oct. 22, 2022) $100,000: Tennessee football (beat Alabama on Oct. 15, 2022)

But in the two most recent instances of court-stormers putting star players at notable risk, no fines were given out. The ACC doesn’t have a policy for court-storming fines, so Wake Forest was let off the hook. In a separate incident, Ohio State wasn’t penalized when a fan bumped into Caitlin Clark while rushing the court after the Buckeyes’ women’s basketball team beat Iowa last month, because the Big Ten doesn’t fine until a third offense.

Reactions to the Wake Forest–Duke situation have ranged from ESPN analyst Jay Bilas suggesting [[link removed]?] court-stormers be arrested to Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne saying [[link removed]] home teams should have to forfeit the game. Whether any more incidents happen over the next few weeks, policy changes will no doubt be a major discussion point this offseason.

DSG Takes Steps Toward Recovery, But Rights Questions Remain [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The bankrupt Diamond Sports Group received court approval for two of the three main components of its attempted reorganization. But perhaps the most impactful part of the company’s rebuilding plan remains incomplete and could still present big changes for sports fans.

The Bally Sports parent, which has spent nearly a year in Chapter 11 protection, gained clearance from a U.S. bankruptcy court in Texas for $450 million in debtor-in-possession financing, certifying a restructuring that was first proposed [[link removed]] in mid-January.

Judge Christopher Lopez also signaled his intent to sign off on a legal settlement [[link removed]] in which DSG will resolve a $1.5 billion fraud claim [[link removed]] against its parent company, Sinclair Inc. That deal will see Sinclair pay DSG $495 million—a figure projected to be a net cost of about $250 million to $325 million after subtracting tax benefits and other management services payments paid by DSG back to Sinclair.

The refinancing and legal settlement represents a big turning point toward a recovery for DSG after many months of increasing expectations of a potential shutdown of the company, and it also signals that the debtor-in-possession financing will yield a greater return than a liquidation of assets.

To that end, the developments prompted Lopez to remark at the end of a Monday hearing that it was “a good day, a really good day, for Diamond Sports. … This is another huge step forward in the debtors emerging from Chapter 11.”

About That Amazon Deal

The last major—and still not finalized—part of DSG’s restructuring is $115 million in bankruptcy exit financing from Amazon, which will receive a 15% equity stake in the regional sports network operator. That deal also allows Amazon to invest an additional $50 million within the first nine months after bankruptcy and receive status as DSG’s “primary partner” to access the RSNs on a direct-to-consumer basis through Amazon Prime Video.

The Amazon agreement, however, is predicated in part on undoing prior deals DSG struck with the NBA [[link removed]] and NHL [[link removed]] that would return local media rights to those leagues after the 2023–24 season—pacts based on a previous assumption that DSG would be ceasing operations. It’s not yet certain what those leagues, or MLB, intend to do over the long term with their in-market rights currently held by DSG. As a result, how robust Amazon’s slate of live, in-market sports will ultimately be is also still very much an open question.

While all that has unfolded, DSG recently reached [[link removed]] one-year rights deals with MLB’s Guardians, Rangers, and Twins.

SPONSORED BY MAGNIFI

What’s Next for College Athletics

The business of college sports [[link removed]] is reaching new heights.

Historic media rights deals have networks and streaming paying billions for the privilege of broadcasting college football. NIL came along, let players get paid, and changed the entire culture on campus overnight. Women’s college sports are setting attendance and viewership records in rapid succession, not to mention the transfer portal and conference realignment.

Join us [[link removed]] on March 13 at 1 p.m. ET for the Future of Sports: College Athletics virtual summit, presented by Magnifi. This eye-opening conversation includes four panels designed to dive into the billion-dollar spectacle that encompasses everything from March Madness to the College Football Playoff and everything in between.

Register now [[link removed]].

ONE BIG FIG Big Day for Underdogs

The Knoxville News-Sentinel

$1,717,000

The combined amount of money won between golfers Joe Dean and Jake Knapp on Sunday. Dean, who is also a part-time grocery delivery driver for the U.K. supermarket chain Morrisons, tied for second place at the Kenya Open and called the moment “life-changing” [[link removed]] as he received a check for $217,000. Knapp (above), who was a bouncer at a nightclub in his home city of Costa Mesa, Calif., two years ago trying to save money and keep his PGA Tour dreams alive, won [[link removed]] the Mexico Open, took home a $1.5 million first-place prize, and earned a spot in this year’s Masters.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Texans ⬆ A prior intrafamily dispute [[link removed]] among the McNair family that owns the NFL team has been resolved as Robert Cary McNair Jr., son of Texans owner Janice McNair and the late Bob McNair, withdrew his bid to have permanent guardianship of his 87-year-old mother and her estate. The family matriarch had called the matter a distraction, and the settlement ends questions about the team’s ownership while also clearing the way for Houston to perhaps become the NFL’s next major ascendency story, following the Lions [[link removed]]. The Texans reached last season’s divisional playoffs and are one of eight teams that could potentially play [[link removed]] the Chiefs in the league’s 2024 season opener.

Hornets ⬆ New team owners Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall are looking to follow through on much-discussed plans [[link removed]] to build a new practice facility in downtown Charlotte, and city officials discussed [[link removed]] a revised plan Monday night that could involve between $70 million and $100 million in private funds in addition to $30 million in taxpayer money. A vote on the effort is expected to occur next month.

Commanders ⬆ Long-running efforts [[link removed]] to revive the site of RFK Stadium as a potential new home for the NFL team could take a big step forward Wednesday, as Congress is set to consider [[link removed]] a bill that would allow D.C. to enter into a 99-year lease on the federally owned land.

Chicago stadiums ⬇ While Chicago city officials are encouraging [[link removed]] new venues for the White Sox and Bears, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker threw some cold water on not only those two projects but also a potential facility for the NWSL’s Red Stars, saying [[link removed]] he is “a bit reluctant” on using taxpayer funds for them.

SPONSORED BY TEMPLE UNIVERSITY

Technology’s Impact on Sports Fandom

Everything you know about being a sports fan is going to change.

Join Front Office Sports and the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) at Temple University on March 6 at 1 p.m. ET for The Future of Fan Interaction [[link removed]]. In this one-hour, thought-provoking discussion, we’ll unpack the transformative impact virtual reality and the metaverse will have on how we watch and interact with sports.

Discover how this incredible new wave of technology is redefining the fan experience and opening up unprecedented opportunities for real-time, shared virtual spaces that take sports spectatorship to new heights.

Whether you’re a sports fanatic, a tech enthusiast, or simply curious about the future of fandom in America and across the globe, you don’t want to miss this event.

Register today [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart has signed [[link removed]] the first private-jet NIL deal. Nicholas Air will provide flight hours on a fleet for travel, training, and philanthropy as part of the agreement. The NWSL has undergone its first league-wide uniform refresh, and Nike provided a peek at the new primary and secondary kit combinations. Check it out [[link removed]]. MLB will play its first game at Rickwood Field in June, the country’s oldest pro ballpark and longtime home to Negro Leagues games. Ryan Howard hand-delivered invitations to the league’s players in Birmingham to be honored guests. Watch here [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks For Panthers, the Cost of a Two-Win Season Is a 4% Ticket Hike [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Lower-level tickets are going up an average of 7%. Sony to Lay Off 900 From PlayStation Team After Missed Sales Target [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Cuts come amid a tough stretch for the gaming industry. More Conference Realignment: UMass Reportedly Heading to the MAC [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]The Atlantic 10 loses a founding member. 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]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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