April 3, 2024

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Kansas City-area voters overwhelmingly reject a proposed tax measure to help fund stadium projects for the Chiefs and Royals. … Iowa’s victory to reach the Final Four is now the most-watched women’s basketball game ever. … The transformation of the MLB Players Association isn’t over yet. … It’s almost the Masters, and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur is teeing off. … Two former SportsCenter anchors are going back to the future. … And Rory McIlroy sounds off again.

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

Kansas City Stadium Plans in Doubt After Voters Reject Tax Measure [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Voters in Jackson County, Mo., delivered a stinging rebuke Tuesday of a proposed sales tax measure to fund a new ballpark for the Royals and improvements to the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, leaving the long-term future of both teams in the jurisdiction very much in question.

In an issue that had already sharply divided the Kansas City area, voters turned down by a whopping 58%-42% margin a proposal that would have created a new ⅜-cent sales tax mechanism over 40 years to generate as much as $2 billion. That money, in turn, was aimed at supporting the Royals on recently announced stadium plans [[link removed]] for a site near downtown and the helping the Chiefs conduct a large-scale upgrade to what is now the NFL’s third-oldest stadium behind Chicago’s Soldier Field and Green Bay’s Lambeau Field.

Instead, those facility plans are now very much in doubt.

Prior to the decisive vote, the Chiefs and Royals openly said [[link removed]] that they would “explore all options for where we will play come 2031,” when the teams’ current stadium leases expire, should a “No” vote prevail. Chiefs president Mark Donovan then doubled down [[link removed]] on that notion.

The teams’ next steps have not been disclosed. But initial fallback options could include pursuing their stadium plans in nearby jurisdictions such as Clay County, Mo.—where the Royals previously considered building—or Johnson County, Kan. Still, such a shift elsewhere in the Kansas City metro area will be jarring as both the Chiefs and Royals have been at the Truman Sports Complex for more than a half-century. If the Royals still pursue their new ballpark at the city’s Crossroads neighborhood, it almost certainly will not be in line with the original targeted opening in 2028.

“We are deeply disappointed,” Royals owner John Sherman said following the vote. “We will take some time to reflect on and process the outcome and find a path forward that works for the Royals and our fans.” Donovan added that the Chiefs will “look to do what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”

The Kansas City stadiums issue served as a new flash point in a long-running debate [[link removed]] on the wisdom of supplying taxpayer funds to wealthy owners of privately held teams. Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were among those appearing in ads in favor of the new tax measure, while Jackson County executive Frank White, also a former Royals star, opposed it.

D.C. Approval

The Washington, D.C., council unanimously approved, as expected, $515 million in funding over the next three years to improve Capital One Arena, solidifying a remarkable turnabout for the Wizards and Capitals in which parent organization Monumental Sports & Entertainment walked away from a proposed $2 billion development deal in Virginia to stay [[link removed]] at its current site.

Earlier this week, MSE chair Ted Leonsis said [[link removed]] on the Front Office Sports Today podcast that D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser “overcame, in an integrated way, all of our objections, and so it just felt natural to get there” on a deal. A final term sheet will now be developed over the next 45 days.

“Now, we will roll up our sleeves to reimagine a sports and entertainment experience that this region will call home for the next generation,” MSE said.

TUNED IN Absurd’ Caitlin Clark Draws Absurd TV Numbers For Iowa-LSU

The Des Moines Register

ESPN’s Elle Duncan called Caitlin Clark’s skill set “absurd” Monday night. So too, it seems, is Clark’s ability to super-charge TV audiences.

With Clark avenging [[link removed]] last year’s championship-game loss, the ESPN telecast of Iowa’s 94-87 win over LSU averaged a staggering 12.3 million viewers on Monday night. That made it the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record, far surpassing the previous mark: 9.9 million viewers [[link removed]] for the Tigers’ title win last April. It was also the most-watched college hoops game ever, men’s or women’s, on ESPN platforms.

The fact that this happened in an Elite Eight regional indicates that Clark is drawing both hard-core sports fans and casual TV viewers eager to find out what the fuss is all about. And it’s particularly impressive given the slow death of the cable TV bundle. ESPN’s distribution has fallen to 71 million U.S. households, from a broadcast network-like high of 100 million in 2012.

ESPN’s upcoming Final Four telecast of Iowa versus Connecticut won’t match the pregame drama of the Iowa-LSU rematch. But UConn has its own ratings draw in Paige Bueckers, plus the lineage of the winningest women’s college basketball program ever, with 11 national titles. With Clark being the biggest story in sports, TV ratings expert Douglas Pucci tells me he predicts Iowa-UConn to post another record, even with a 9:30 pm ET tip time.

If Clark advances, a dream title game matchup between Iowa and unbeaten South Carolina would pull more than 16 million viewers, Pucci predicts, perhaps even outdrawing the men’s championship. On the other hand, an Iowa-NC State title game, he thinks, would draw roughly 13 million. That would still be a women’s record, but probably not enough to top this year’s men’s title game. (And if Clark and Iowa are knocked out in the Final Four? He predicts the women’s championship-game viewership would plummet to 6.5 million viewers.)

For context: UConn’s blowout win over San Diego State in the men’s title game last year averaged 14.69 million viewers on CBS. Notably, though, the men’s national championship on April 8 will be shown on cable TV, across TBS, TNT and truTV. The most ratings-friendly men’s championship matchup would appear to be blueblood UConn versus NC State. Led by DJ Burns Jr., the Wolfpack’s upset of the Blue Devils on Easter Sunday drew 15.1 million viewers, the best number for a men’s Elite 8 game in five years.

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MLBPA’s Clark Sees His Salary Soar As Union’s Size, Business Grow [[link removed]]

Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The MLB Players Association appears to have survived its recent leadership crisis, at least for now, but a newly released annual report shows an organization still in the midst of significant transformation.

More than a week after the union became [[link removed]] enveloped [[link removed]] in an accelerating executive struggle [[link removed]]—in which a group of players pushed to oust deputy director Bruce Meyer and replace him with Harry Marino, a former MLBPA lawyer who was instrumental in the recent unionization of minor league players—no senior-level changes have been made. Momentum behind a potential shift has also faded since the union’s executive subcommittee, a group of eight among the MLBPA’s 72-player board—issued a statement in late March that appears to reject Marino.

The union’s annual financial report [[link removed]] filed with the U.S. Department of Labor, meanwhile, reflects a series of sizable changes that players will likely continue to grapple with in the coming years. Among the notable elements in the document:

Executive director Tony Clark (above) received $4.29 million in total compensation for 2023, nearly twice the comparable $2.28 million for the year before. Clark’s base salary last year increased to $3.25 million following a new contract signed in late ’22, and he then received a $1 million bonus following the completion of the latest labor deal with MLB. The union last year showed a 38% surge in licensing income compared to 2022 to $152.1 million, accelerating a multiyear growth trend in what remains by far the union’s leading source of revenue. Trading card manufacturer Topps led the way with $49.6 million in payments, up from nearly $46 million a year ago, followed by Fanatics ($44 million), OneTeam Partners ($28.6 million), and Panini ($10.2 million). Overall revenue for the year stood at $173.3 million, up 6%. Total MLBPA assets similarly rose by 39% to $206.6 million, boosted in part by an escalation in the value of investments held by the union.

Part of the Marino push to assume power within the union was his belief, and that of his supporters, that there is excess to be cut in MLBPA operations. Overall spending on MLBPA salaries stood at $16.6 million in 2023, up sharply from ’21’s $11.9 million. But the organization is also much larger following the recent inclusion of minor league players in the union.

Golf’s Newest Tradition Offers Early Peek at Augusta National [[link removed]]

The Augusta Chronicle

The Masters doesn’t begin until next Thursday, but the most famous course in American golf is already getting prepped for its annual spotlight this weekend thanks to a new tradition unlike any other.

On Wednesday, the fifth Augusta National Women’s Amateur tees off, ironically not at Augusta National. The 54-hole tournament featuring 72 of the best female golfers yet to turn professional plays its first two rounds at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

After that, all players get a practice round at Augusta National on Friday before the top 30 and ties that made the cut compete in the final round at the home of the Masters. That gives Augusta National a chance to extend its grip on the golf world to 10 days, from the first ANWA practice round to the final round of the Masters, while not putting too much extra stress on maintaining the course’s pristine nature. Tickets for the ANWA have annually sold out just as fast as they do for the Masters, and they are going for no cheaper than $500 on secondary marketplaces. The amateur tournament features most of the same concessions and merchandise options for fans on-site.

Going for the Green

Since debuting in 2019 (canceled in ’20), the amateur event has been a launchpad for champions like Rose Zhang (’23) and Jennifer Kupcho (’19), who have both gone on to win on the LPGA tour and have racked up a combined $5.7 million in career earnings. But the unique tournament features an array of talent, like ’22 winner Anna Davis (above), who captured her title at just 16 years old, and is back in this year’s field as she competes collegiately at Auburn.

The ANWA is also a chance for NBC to broadcast live action at Augusta National, as the tournament’s final round plays out on the network. NBCUniversal’s Golf Channel gets access to Augusta National during the Masters, but all live play is shown by CBS and ESPN. Last year’s final round was delayed until Sunday due to rain, drawing an audience of 747,000, down from 859,000 in 2022 during its regular Saturday slot.

AWARDS

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!

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Kevin Frazier and Trey Wingo Leap Into the Multiverse

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

That’s the premise of a new show from former ‘SportsCenter’ anchors Kevin Frazier and Trey Wingo (above). Their podcast, Alternate Routes, goes deep into rabbit holes that many fans—rabid or otherwise—have considered at some point. The two hosts are on our pod today to tell us how they came to embrace the multiverse, and what the fragmentation of sports media looks like now that ESPN isn’t the only game in town.

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

LOUD AND CLEAR Out of the Rough

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

“There needs to be a correction. I think what’s happening is not sustainable right now.”

—Rory McIlroy, during an interview with Golf Monthly [[link removed]], on the current divide in the professional game between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The No. 2 player in the world was originally severely opposed to LIV and funding from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, but he has since softened his stance and has repeatedly called for the best golfers to figure out a way to get back together.

Conversation Starters Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland has undergone a transformation, changing from an AHL rink to the court for the women’s Final Four. Watch [[link removed]]. In the past two years, JuJu Watkins signed with Nike, won Gatorade Player of the Year, became Klutch’s first high school player, and signed NIL deals with AT&T, Estée Lauder, and Celsius. On Monday night, despite her season ending, she became the NCAA’s all-time freshman scoring leader. [[link removed]] The Front Office Sports Rising 25 Award [[link removed]] celebrates the careers of the brightest young stars in the business of sports. Nominations for the class of 2024 are now open through May 17. SPONSORED BY INVESCO QQQ

The Pac-12 Conference established itself as a powerhouse in women’s basketball before facing challenges due to conference realignment. Schools like Stanford, Oregon, and UCLA had developed strong women’s basketball programs, attracting top talent and achieving success on the national stage. However, with the landscape of college sports changing due to conference realignment, the Pac-12 faces uncertainties regarding its future competitiveness in women’s basketball.

Check out [[link removed]] the Business of College Athletics hub to read the full article and stay up to date on all the action.

NCAA Has No One to Blame for Latest Women’s March Madness Transgressions [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]NCAA is still making avoidable mistakes three years after a complete overhaul. Cinderella Runs Are Great in the Moment. Then Things Can Get Messy [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Sustaining success can arguably be more challenging than beating Goliath. The Pac-12 Built a Women’s Basketball Powerhouse. Then Realignment Hit [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]The breakup is happening at the worst time for the sport. How to Make It in Basketball: Become a Manager at Indiana [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Inside the Hoosiers’ unglamorous, profoundly rewarding incubator for basketball’s biggest names. DISCLAIMER

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