April 1, 2024

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Tonight’s highly anticipated March Madness clash between LSU and Iowa certainly seems like another pivotal moment in the rapid escalation in women’s basketball, and the audience is expected to mirror the moment. … The A’s are making more progress in determining the club’s interim home while a Las Vegas ballpark is being built, but it’s not necessarily all good news. … A Cleveland city councilman looks to pump the brakes on the Browns’ potential move to the suburbs. … Plus: More on Minnesota State basketball, Indiana State star Robbie Avila, LPGA golfer Nelly Korda, and NBA rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]] and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

LSU-Iowa Clash Will Showcase Rising Value of Women’s March Madness [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Final Four of the women’s NCAA tournament isn’t fully set yet, but the dream matchup of March Madness—for fans, TV executives, advertisers, and ticket brokers alike—is finally here.

Monday night features a rematch of last year’s title game: College basketball’s biggest superstar, Caitlin Clark, will lead No. 1 Iowa against fellow name, image, and likeness standout Angel Reese, alongside one of the sport’s most outspoken coaches, Kim Mulkey, at No. 3 LSU. The Tigers’ 102–85 victory over the Hawkeyes last April drew a record 9.9 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched women’s college basketball game and the largest audience for any college basketball game—men’s or women’s—on Disney’s platforms.

Both schools are now vying for one of the last two spots in this year’s Final Four, joining undefeated top-seeded South Carolina and the surprise three-seeded NC State.

In Demand

But Monday’s matchup is bigger than just another step in skyrocketing viewership for women’s hoops. Disney says [[link removed]] ad sales revenue for women’s March Madness has already doubled last year’s haul. For advertisers, games with Clark playing are 7% more effective [[link removed]] than those without Iowa’s top player, according to research from TV outcomes company EDO. And watching Iowa-LSU up close and in person in Albany, N.Y., isn’t cheap. On the NCAA’s official ticketing website, the lowest price to get in the building is about $170.

No matter who wins Monday night, the game’s result will have a big impact on the rest of the tournament, off the court. An Iowa victory would keep the Caitlin Clark train alive into another Final Four, while an LSU win would deprive championship weekend of its biggest star, but welcome back the defending champs who have been making plenty of noise in recent weeks.

A’s See New Lease Terms in Oakland, but Fans Aren’t in the Mood [[link removed]]

Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

The good news for the A’s is there is further progress in the team’s lease extension talks with Oakland.

But staying at the Coliseum—where attendance is low and fan unrest is high—also could become very bad news for the beleaguered MLB club.

The city of Oakland is presenting the A’s with an updated version of its proposed term sheet for the club to stay at the Coliseum for the 2025–27 seasons while a new ballpark is being built in Las Vegas. That revised offer, according to ESPN [[link removed]] and San Francisco’s KGO-TV, includes:

A $97 million total extension fee that is a radical departure from the current $1.5 million annual rent the team currently pays A provision for the club to sell its 50% share in the Coliseum complex, allowing for future development to occur on the site A further provision for the A’s to bear the costs of field conversion when the United Soccer League’s Oakland Roots play at the Coliseum An elimination of previously stated demands by the city to retain the A’s name and team colors, and to have an MLB guarantee of a future expansion team A five-year term with an opt-out after three years, allowing both the A’s and the city to have flexibility should changes occur in the Las Vegas construction timeline

Despite the 57-year-old Coliseum’s state of increasing age and disrepair, the venue has existed [[link removed]] for weeks as the most likely temporary option for the A’s, in part because it is already approved for league use by the MLB Players Association and would not require significant modifications. Staying in the Oakland market would also preserve a local media-rights deal with NBC Sports California that paid the club $67 million last year.

The Coliseum lease issue is set for further discussion Tuesday when the A’s meet again with Oakland city officials.

Challenging Signs

The current mood among Oakland fans, however, is angry, and the A’s are now threatening to post attendance marks not seen anywhere in MLB in more than a generation. After the club’s Opening Day was marked by a large-scale fan protest [[link removed]] in the Coliseum parking lot, the team drew a total of 26,902 for the entire four-game, season-opening series against the Guardians (above), resulting in three losses for the A’s. That four-game total was less than what six other MLB teams each drew for just their Sunday home games, despite the day coinciding with the Easter holiday.

The current A’s attendance average of 6,726, if it holds for the duration of the season, will be MLB’s lowest non-COVID-19 total since Oakland averaged just 3,787 per game during the 1979 season.

MLB is aiming to settle the club’s temporary stadium issue in the coming weeks, in part to allow for the finalizing of the 2025 schedule and its release this summer.

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STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

The Indianapolis Star

Minnesota State ⬆ Over the weekend, the Division II school became just the third at any NCAA level to win [[link removed]] the men’s and women’s national basketball championship in the same year. UConn, which has done that twice, still has a chance to do it again if the women’s team beats Southern Cal on Monday night, while both of NC State’s squads are already in their respective Final Fours.

Robbie Avila ⬆ The Indiana State star (above), known for wearing goggles on the court, said [[link removed]] he is receiving a lot of interest from brands looking to strike a name, image, and likeness deal around his eyewear.

Nelly Korda ⬆ On Sunday, the golfer won her third straight LPGA tournament, the Ford Championship presented by KCC. For the three victories, Korda earned a total of $900,000.

Victor Wembanyama ⬇ The NBA fined the star rookie $25,000 for tossing the game ball into the stands after the Spurs beat the Knicks in overtime Friday.

AWARD

Every year, Front Office Sports’ awards program recognizes the best and most accomplished in the business of sports.

The 2024 Best Venues Award celebrates the venues that have met and exceeded the evolving demands of fans and that set the new industry standard for success.

🏆 Nominations are open through April 8. Submit your venue [[link removed]] now.

LOUD AND CLEAR Invoking Art

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

“I’m not calling for the Haslams to sell the team.”

—Cleveland city councilman Brian Kazy, who introduced proposed legislation that will require Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam to adhere to Ohio’s “Art Modell law [[link removed]],” which requires local pro teams playing in a taxpayer-supported facility wanting to move elsewhere to either reach an agreement to do so with the original jurisdiction or give at least a six-month window in which the political subdivision or area individuals have an opportunity to buy the team. The Haslams are considering [[link removed]] leaving Cleveland Browns Stadium (above) in downtown Cleveland for a newly constructed, domed stadium in suburban Brook Park. But Kazy’s proposal, invoking the late and much-debated former Browns owner, is clearly a move aimed at tilting the scales in favor of the team remaining in the city.

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Conversation Starters Kevin Keatts began his head coaching career at Hargrave Military Academy, where he not only coached but also took on responsibilities like driving the team bus and washing the jerseys. In 2017, NC State recognized his talent and hired him, despite his relatively short tenure as a college head coach. Now, Keatts has guided the Wolfpack [[link removed]] to their first Final Four in 41 years. Speaking of NC State, it’s also been a whirlwind [[link removed]] of success for DJ Burns. In the last two weeks, he’s helped the Wolfpack win the ACC tournament, tripled his Instagram followers, and secured multiple endorsement deals. Belmont Park, the home of the Belmont Stakes, is embarking on a grand $455 million redesign of its historic racecourse. The new-look facility will now accommodate up to 7,500 spectators and is scheduled for completion by the fall of 2026. Take a look [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks ‘SI’ Owners Sue Former Publisher Who Tried to ‘Burn Everything Down’ [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]Manoj Bhargava ‘behaved more like a gangster than a trusted business partner.’ Kim Mulkey Grabbed the Mic. Maybe That’s What LSU Needed [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]The Tigers look loose and hungry—and free of attention on them—coming into an Elite Eight game against Iowa. Baseball Writer Chelsea Janes on All the Big MLB Stories, From O’s to Ohtani [[link removed]]by Owen Poindexter [[link removed]]She sees change coming to Baltimore, a determined Shohei Ohtani, and, eventually, a labor ‘reckoning.’ Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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