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Morning Edition

August 12, 2026

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While the WNBA faces loud questioning about its gender eligibility guidelines, Alana Beard, a former WNBA star and the cofounder of the planned global basketball league Project B, told Front Office Sports exclusively how the upstart women’s league aims to prevent ending up in the same situation.

— Colin Salao [[link removed]]

First Up FedEx has pumped more than $1 billion of bonus money into the PGA Tour since launching the FedExCup in 2007, but its future with the golf circuit is uncertain [[link removed]]. A judge denied the NCAA’s motion [[link removed]] to stay the injunction that allowed all athletes who started college in 2022 to get a fifth year of eligibility. The NBA began rolling out its 2026–27 schedule with Sixers-Knicks being the opening night headliner [[link removed]] on Oct. 20. Tickets are already fetching roughly $2,200. CBS Sports has a bit of a different look to its 2026 NFL schedule, but network expectations remain high [[link removed]] after a banner season last year. Amid WNBA Saga, Project B Says It Will Launch With Olympic Gender Policy [[link removed]]

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

While the WNBA faces loud questioning [[link removed]] about its gender eligibility guidelines, an upstart rival women’s basketball league is slamming them for their handling of the issue—and aims to prevent ending up in the same situation.

Alana Beard, a former WNBA star and the cofounder of the planned global basketball league Project B [[link removed]], told Front Office Sports she’s disappointed in WNBA leadership for not taking a stand as non-basketball narratives dominate its discourse.

“Where’s the accountability, the integrity, the intentionality?” said Beard, who is also the league’s chief basketball officer. “All of it is needed right now, in what could become one of the most defining moments in the history of the sport.”

Beard added that Project B, which says it will launch in January [[link removed]], will focus on “creating joy and delivering the highest quality of basketball.” Project B has signed several WNBA stars [[link removed]], including Nneka Ogwumike, Jonquel Jones, and Sophie Cunningham.

Cunningham’s comments in an ESPN profile published in late July [[link removed]] have put an increased focus on the WNBA’s eligibility requirements. The Indiana Fever guard said she wants “to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

Those comments have met with support from groups [[link removed]] seeking to “protect women’s sports,” but also resistance from trans rights activists as well as some WNBA players and coaches [[link removed]].

The WNBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Getting Ahead of the Gender Eligibility Issue

Project B told FOS that as an international league, it will follow International Olympic Committee and FIBA gender eligibility guidelines, saying the decision is meant to provide “consistency and confidence for players and stakeholders.”

In March, the IOC announced [[link removed]] a new policy effectively banning transgender women from competing in female categories at the Olympics. The IOC explained the policy “protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category.”

FIBA announced in April [[link removed]] it would follow the IOC’s policy, though it is still “collecting basketball-specific data and transgender-related evidence to further evaluate the matter.” The federation said it is not “entertaining any transgender eligibility requests” while the review is ongoing, which is until the start of 2027.

On Friday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert sent a memo [[link removed]] to teams saying the topic of transgender participation will be discussed during an upcoming meeting with team executives this week. She called it a “complex and nuanced” topic that the league will discuss with stakeholders in the “weeks and months ahead.”

That same day, the WNBPA released a statement [[link removed]] denouncing hate against all, “including transgender people.” Ogwumike is the president of the WNBPA.

The WNBA’s eligibility rules are collectively bargained, though there is just one line in the new CBA surrounding eligibility based on gender, which reads: “Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” It does not provide information on identity or gender assigned at birth, though there has been no transgender player assigned male at birth that has ever played in the WNBA.

Project B told FOS its players are aware that the league will follow the gender eligibility guidelines of the IOC and FIBA.

Project B has announced 15 players [[link removed]], many of whom are international. More announcements are expected, including from countries like Korea, Serbia, and Belgium. (Project B has not answered questions from FOS about its league size, though it originally expected to build a 66-player women’s league [[link removed]], and is still expected to launch a men’s league.)

IOC Reinstituted Genetic Sex Testing This Year

The league would not say whether it will require its women’s players to undergo a genetic sex test to be deemed eligible to participate.

The IOC’s new policy requires female athletes to take a one-time genetic sex test to determine the presence of the SRY gene. A positive test will result in an athlete’s ban from female sports categories, barring rare exceptions.

FIBA said it is “awaiting further guidance from the IOC on the practical, legal, and operational aspects of implementation.” FIBA has not explicitly said it will do genetic sex testing, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

There are questions about the use of the SRY gene test in women’s athletics, including from Andrew Sinclair, the geneticist who discovered the SRY gene in 1990, who argued last year [[link removed]] that using the test is “misguided” and “overly simplistic.”

“Using SRY to establish biological sex is wrong because all it tells you is whether or not the gene is present,” Sinclair wrote. “It does not tell you how SRY is functioning, whether a testis has formed, whether testosterone is produced and, if so, whether it can be used by the body.”

The IOC’s decision to add genetic sex testing has already set a precedent that other leagues are starting to follow.

Last month, the WTA Tour announced that players would be required to take a genetic sex test, with star Jessica Pegula revealing that testing is expected to begin this week at the Cincinnati Open [[link removed]]. A source told FOS that the WTA’s policies were in response, in part, to the IOC’s latest policy update.

SPONSORED BY ELEVATE

NASCAR Chief Takes the Stage at Tuned In

At one of NASCAR’s most pivotal moments in its modern era, Steve O’Donnell is helping guide the sport into its next chapter.

After nearly three decades with the organization, O’Donnell was named NASCAR’s CEO in 2026—the first person outside the France family to hold the position. Throughout his career, he has helped drive innovation across the sport, from competition advancements and new technologies to elevating the fan experience at NASCAR’s most iconic venues.

At Tuned In [[link removed]] this October, O’Donnell will share his perspective on guiding a legacy sports property through transformation, building deeper connections with fans, and shaping the future of racing.

Don’t miss the insights, ideas, and conversations shaping the future of sports. Secure your seat now [[link removed]] before prices increase.

ONE BIG FIG Pinstripes Deal

Mike Segar-Reuters

$2.6 billion

That’s how much Apollo’s sports arm is plugging into the Yankees via a mix of credit and equity. Yankee Global Enterprises, the holding company of the New York Yankees, on Tuesday announced the financing agreement with affiliates of Apollo Sports Capital. The deal allows the team to refinance its existing debt. The Steinbrenner family will maintain “full control” of the Yankees, and Hal Steinbrenner will remain as the managing general partner of the team. Apollo Sports Capital, launched last September, also owns stakes in Wrexham and Atlético de Madrid.

“We are continually seeking ways to strengthen our positioning, and this partnership allows us to explore pursuing strategic opportunities. We look forward to a successful working relationship,” Hal Steinbrenner said in the press release [[link removed]].

DAILY SPORTS TRIVIA

Can you rank the top five active (not retired) NFL players by career receiving yards?

[[link removed]] LOUD AND CLEAR CBS Gives Romo Update

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“This is an evolving situation. Therefore, we’re still assessing.”

—CBS Sports president David Berson said at annual NFL media day in New York on Tuesday, regarding the future of the network’s lead NFL TV analyst, Tony Romo [[link removed]]. The former Cowboys quarterback was put on indefinite leave after his July 23 arrest in Wisconsin for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Berson said there’s still no timetable to bring Romo back to the network. J.J. Watt, CBS’s No. 2 game analyst, will replace Romo on the No. 1 team with play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson.

YOUR MORNING LISTEN

Knicks-LeBron tickets soar, Trump backs Infantino, Romo’s CBS future unclear, and more

Listen Now › [[link removed]] Editors’ Picks David Ross, Anthony Rizzo Rebranding Volume Podcast for MLB Talk [[link removed]]by Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]The revamped show will cover all of MLB, not just the Cubs. Desmond Bane Wants College Basketball to Add a Salary Cap [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Bane is TCU’s chief basketball officer. SEC Netflix Series Not Returning for Second Season This Year [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]The show chronicled 10 SEC football teams during the 2024 season. Question of the Day

Do you think the WNBA should take a similar approach as Project B on gender eligibility?

YES [[link removed]] NO [[link removed]]

Tuesday’s result: 43% of respondents think the Bills will resolve the new stadium issues by the home opener on Sept. 17.

Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Games [[link removed]] Shop [[link removed]] Written by Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Lisa Scherzer [[link removed]], Daniel Roberts [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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