April 5, 2024

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

Venue-related issues continue to dominate the sports industry landscape, capping what has been an action-filled week. … An ESPN fixture for nearly four decades is abruptly finished at the network. … Some key players are missing from a proposal to create a college football “super league.” … Plus: More on the WNBA, the TCS New York City Marathon, SB Nation, and Florida State.

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

A Wild Week in Stadium News for the Coyotes, A’s, Royals, and Chiefs [[link removed]]

Arizona Coyotes/Gensler

A dramatic string of days in pro sports venue development—one that included a stinging voter rebuke [[link removed]] of proposed stadium funding for the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City and unanimous council approval of renovations to D.C.’s Capital One Arena—is ending with a flurry of additional facility-related events across the country.

Among the latest happenings:

Phoenix

The Coyotes are taking their last and maybe best shot at a long-elusive arena and mixed-use development in the Valley of the Sun, announcing plans to build on a public land auction for a 110-acre parcel of state-owned land in north Phoenix. After being previously rejected by voters in Tempe, Ariz., the NHL team began to focus [[link removed]] on the north Phoenix property.

The auction is set for June 27, with an initial appraisal price of $68.5 million, and that outlay would become part of what is now envisioned as a $3 billion, privately funded project in total.

In addition to the arena (above), the project would include a team practice facility and headquarters, a live music theater, a public plaza, retail space, offices, and about 1,900 luxury residential units.

The stakes are enormous. If the Coyotes fail to win the land auction, team officials have already said [[link removed]] that relocation becomes a very real option. Even before that, Salt Lake City had already made [[link removed]] its intentions known of having an NHL franchise there, and the NHL Players’ Association has also pushed [[link removed]] for a solution to the Coyotes’ arena problems that have stretched over many years.

Sacramento

Perhaps ironically, the Coyotes are now also serving as something of a model for the minimum three-year stay the A’s have planned at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, a minor league facility. The Coyotes are currently playing at Arizona State University’s 5,000-seat Mullett Arena—by far the NHL’s smallest venue—while it pursues that new arena, but they have still seen ticket revenue rise [[link removed]] compared to prior home games in Glendale, Ariz.

The A’s—along with new partner Vivek Ranadivé, who owns the Sacramento River Cats and Kings—are aiming for a similar dynamic playing in the 14,000-seat Sutter Health Park, and insist the team can quickly transform into a hot ticket. To that end, A’s owner John Fisher even went so far as to tout the forthcoming fan appeal of seeing his pitchers get lit up for home runs by their opposition.

“We’re excited to be here for the next three years playing in this beautiful ballpark,” Fisher said. “But also being able to watch some of the greatest players in baseball, whether they be Athletics players or [Yankees slugger] Aaron Judge and others launch home runs out of … the most intimate ballpark in all of Major League Baseball.”

Despite that novelty, the A’s still are by far MLB’s worst draw, averaging just 6,438 per game. That number could sink even further with the end in Oakland now solidified for the conclusion of the 2024 season, in turn lowering the bar for the A’s to clear at Sutter Health Park, which will receive a series of upgrades to adhere to MLB standards.

The shift of the A’s to the California capital, meanwhile, will also result in a still-undetermined number of job losses for both full- and part-time team staffers after the current season, as the A’s will lean on the River Cats for some front office and game operations duties starting next year.

Kansas City

There is still no defined alternate plan for the Royals to build a new ballpark or the Chiefs to renovate Arrowhead Stadium following Tuesday’s defeat at the ballot box. But momentum continues to build toward the teams not staying in Jackson County, Mo., following the early 2031 completion of their current stadium leases.

Marny Sherman, the wife of Royals owner John Sherman, gave voice to that notion in a Facebook post [[link removed]] strongly suggesting both teams will relocate.

“Unfortunately neither team will work with Jackson County again,” Marny wrote. “They had been working behind the scenes for two years attempting to get a location approved. … The lack of leadership has lost the city two treasured assets. I mean if you don’t support the Chiefs after three Super Bowl wins, why would they stay? We will be lucky if both teams wind up in Kansas. At least still in the area!”

Indeed, leaders across the border in Kansas are beginning to mount [[link removed]] their own pitches for the team. But Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas has not given up on retaining the teams, and he said [[link removed]] Friday, “I thank John Sherman of the Royals for a good conversation [Thursday] concerning continuing work with Kansas City about the future. We are committed to maintaining the presence of both teams in our community.”

TUNED IN Why Norby Williamson Is Out After 40 Years at ESPN

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The saying around ESPN was that if an atom bomb went off in Bristol, Conn., only cockroaches and Norby Williamson would survive. The ultimate survivor’s nearly 40-year run at the four letters came to an end Friday. According to an internal memo sent by president of content Burke Magnus and reviewed by Front Office Sports, it was the last day for Williamson, ESPN’s executive editor and head of event and studio production.

During his four-decade run at ESPN, Williamson survived multiple CEOs, layoffs, and management shake-ups. By the end, he ranked as the No. 4 or No. 5 executive at the company, overseeing the NFL, college football, Major League Baseball, the NHL, and SportsCenter.

Only a few months ago, new ESPN hire Pat McAfee publicly called Williamson a “rat” who was trying to “sabotage” his show. A decade ago, McAfee would have been suspended, or fired, for calling out a top ESPN executive. But there was no punishment. From that point on, the red light was blinking on Williamson’s long career at ESPN, say sources inside and outside of the network with direct knowledge of the change.

It’s easy to point the finger at McAfee for Williamson’s abrupt departure. But before the McAfee blowup, there were frequent rumors that Williamson, who started at ESPN in 1985, was going to retire. The real reason for his departure, say sources, was a “disconnect” between him and his direct boss, Magnus. Under previous ESPN bosses John Skipper and Connor Schell, Williamson was free to run his fiefdom as he saw fit. Magnus, on the other hand, was promoted above Williamson a year ago. He’s been more hands-on in overseeing content. That led to a clash of personalities between the two, who are both strong-willed.

Over the years, Williamson got perhaps the worst press coverage of any ESPN executive, influenced by talent and agents who loathed him. But that was due somewhat to his blunt style and his willingness to fire talent and dump struggling shows. He was particularly proprietary about SportsCenter, viewing it as the heart and soul of ESPN. That led to clashes with Jemele Hill and Michael Smith over their reimagined 6 p.m. SportsCenter, The Six, from 2017 to ’18. Williamson disliked the show, and both Hill and Smith ended up leaving ESPN. A victorious Williamson quickly changed the 6 p.m. SportsCenter back to its more traditional format.

“Norby was always the bearer of bad news—and people hated him for it,” said one former ESPNer. “But he also had to clean up a lot of messes, some of which were not his own.”

With tension growing between Magnus and Williamson, the public rift with McAfee finally put the ultimate survivor into a fight he couldn’t win. In his short time with ESPN, McAfee has grown tight with Magnus, chairman Jimmy Pitaro, and Disney chairman Bob Iger. With football season over, Magnus decided to pull the trigger and look for an executive who shared his vision.

In his memo, Burke said he will lead a search inside and outside ESPN for an executive or executives to fill Williamson’s many roles. Williamson himself sounded a hopeful note as he said goodbye to his colleagues. “I’d like to think we left our great company in a far better place than we found it.”

The New York Post [[link removed]] was first to report Williamson’s departure Friday. The paper said Williamson’s contract was supposed to run through 2027 after ESPN televises its first Super Bowl. As former ESPNer Keith Olbermann [[link removed]] tweeted Friday: “ESPN and Norby Williamson—who has made the place run for 40 years—part ways and 45 minutes later there’s an earthquake felt throughout the Northeast.”

SPONSORED BY ACURA

Energy That Drives

[[link removed]]

Acura has been a challenger since its beginning—raising the bar, rebelling against the norms, and redefining what it means to drive since 1986. Now, Acura’s making that same energy, electric.

Introducing the all-electric Acura ZDX [[link removed]]. Crafted using the same formula that brought us electrified supercars, the ZDX features a Bang & Olufsen® sound system, DC Fast Charging capability, and a high-performance Type S model with an estimated 500 horsepower, making the ZDX Acura’s most powerful [[link removed]] SUV to date.

Unlock the energy [[link removed]].

A New College Football League? Not So Fast …

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The idea of Division I college football breaking away from the NCAA and forming its own league is nothing new. As the landscape continues to shift, even the thought of some form of promotion and relegation has been proposed, as Front Office Sports first reported [[link removed]] last fall after the demise of the Pac-12.

On Wednesday, a report from The Athletic [[link removed]] detailed a new group of stakeholders exploring the possibility of a super league of sorts for all 130 FBS schools. While the plans that consortium has are barely in the beginning stages, and have plenty of theoretical speed bumps should they move forward, some of the names reportedly involved are quite notable:

NFL chief media and business officer Brian Rolapp: He is considered a candidate to succeed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and the report says the league is involved. Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment cofounder David Blitzer: His team ownership ranks extends to the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, Real Salt Lake, and more. TurnkeyZRG CEO Len Perna: His search firm has helped place many top conference commissioners. Also involved: Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud, West Virginia president E. Gordon Gee, and former MLS deputy commissioner Mark Abbott.

Big omission: Perhaps even more notable, though, is who is not yet involved. While the ACC board of directors heard a presentation from the group in February, key meetings with the Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12 have not taken place.

STATUS REPORT Two Up, Two Down

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

WNBA ⬆ Amazon has extended its media-rights deal for Prime Video to exclusively broadcast 21 games per season over the next two years. Beyond the league deal, Amazon is the local broadcast partner for the Seattle Storm; recently acquired [[link removed]] a minority stake in Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of regional sports network operator Bally Sports; and is considered a strong bidder for the NBA’s next set of media-rights deals.

TCS New York City Marathon ⬆ This year’s race will proceed as planned in November after state Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to stand down on a prior demand [[link removed]] of about $750,000 from the event’s organizer, New York Road Runners, to compensate for lost bridge toll revenues. Hochul was characteristically blunt on the matter, saying she “directed MTA to fix this mess and allow the marathon to move forward as it always has.”

SB Nation ⬇ The Vox Media–owned sports outlet’s podcast network is being shut down. In 2023, Vox laid off more than 10% of its staff, which looks to still be happening now [[link removed]].

Florida State ⬇ A judge in North Carolina denied [[link removed]] the school’s request to dismiss a lawsuit from the ACC as the Seminoles look for a way to leave the conference without paying hundreds of millions of dollars in exit fees.

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.

WEEKEND PRIZE POOL Big Purse in South Beach

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Front Office Sports tees up every weekend sporting slate with a ledger of the purses and prize pools at stake. Here’s what’s up for grabs this weekend:

PGA Tour, Valero Texas Open

When: Thursday to Sunday Purse: $9.20 million First place: $1.65 million

LIV Golf Miami

When: Friday to Sunday Purse: $25 million First place: $4 million (individual), $3 million (team)

WTA Charleston Open

When: Monday to Sunday Purse: $922,573 First place: $142,000

NASCAR Cup Series, Cook Out 400, Martinsville

When: Sunday Purse: $7.67 million First place: Individual payouts are no longer disclosed

SPONSORED BY ACURA

Peak Performance, Electrified

[[link removed]]

With its independent spirit and challenger energy, Acura [[link removed]] has consistently raised the bar. Since 1986, Acura has redefined the driving experience and now it’s doing it again.

Introducing the all-electric Acura ZDX [[link removed]], featuring a premium Bang & Olufsen® sound system, Google Built-In, and bespoke seating. Unlock a new kind of power with DC Fast Charging capability, up to a 313-mile range on a single charge, and a Type S variant with an estimated 500-horsepower motor.

The Acura ZDX. Iconic excellence, reimagined for the future [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters More on the A’s: Trademark attorney Josh Gerben reported the Oakland A’s filed [[link removed]] two new trademarks: Sacramento A’s and Sacramento Athletics. Can women’s college basketball keep its momentum up after Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese head to the WNBA? Hear what [[link removed]] FOS college expert Amanda Christovich thinks. Seton Hall won the NIT championship, defeating Indiana State on Thursday night. After the game, Pirates coach Shaheen Holloway shared a moment with Sycamores star Robbie Avila. Check it out [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks USA Field Hockey Rejects GOAT’s Olympic Tryout Request [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]USA Field Hockey hasn’t given a reason why. Bronny James Declares for NBA Draft and Enters Transfer Portal [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]He instantly becomes the hottest name in the transfer portal and draft. ‘Baseless Corporate Conspiracy’: Hedge Fund Heats Up Feud Between NBA Owners [[link removed]]by Dennis Young [[link removed]]The Mat Ishbia–Dan Gilbert feud has exploded into view this week. 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]], Michael McCarthy [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[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.

460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016