The NWSL has now sold $585 million in expansion fees in the past three years....

Haslams Pay $205M for NWSL Expansion Team in Columbus The NWSL is adding a Columbus expansion team, owned by the Haslam Sports Group, at a record $205 million expansion fee.

SCOOP: The Haslams have landed the latest NWSL expansion team. They've agreed to pay a record $205 million fee, separate from practice facility project and stadium upgrades.

More at @sportico.bsky.social w/ @jacobfeldman.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/business/tea...

LIV And Let... Live? Plus: The Iran war is impacting sports, Chelsea's risky financial gamble, and a shoe company's AI computing pivot.

Today's Club Sportico Pick Six is actually a Pick Seven! We're talking:

- LIV Golf's status ⛳️
- Chelsea finances 💸
- A shoe company's AI computing pivot 👟
- Tottenham on the brink 📉
- Bar viewing 📺
- & more 👇

club.sportico.com/p/liv-fundin...

LIV, NBA Europe: Has the Iran War Curbed Middle East Sports Spending? The Iran War is changing how Middle Eastern sovereign funds, like Saudi Arabia's PIF and Qatar's QIA, approach sports. LIV Golf may be the latest.

Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds reshaped global sports in the last ten years.

Now the war in Iran threatens to shake things up again.
www.sportico.com/business/fin...

On the women's side, the Big Ten earned 32 units, which will pay $6.4 million over the next three years. The SEC was second; the ACC was third.

So the Big Ten wins both the men's and women's titles, and takes home the biggest NCAA payday from both the men's and women's tournaments.

On the men's side, the Big Ten earned 30 units, which will pay about $60 million over the next six years. SEC second, Big 12 third.

Young Coaches Are I-Bankers Without the Money Plus: The hotel that NBA players hate, UCLA's ticket sales, and Tiger Woods' mugshot capsule collection.

Today's Club Sportico Pick Six:

- UCLA women's basketball ticket sales 🎟️
- The Tiger Woods DUI capsule collection 👕
- What's with the NBA Memphis hate? 🏀
- The rough career path for young college coaches 🧢
- More ⚽!

club.sportico.com/p/college-ba...

College Basketball’s Canaries Are Falling Ill As the nation’s best teams prep for the Final Four, others are waving the white flag. It’s a healthy surrender, even if some coaches and administrators can’t stomach it.

Today's Club Sportico essay:

As the nation’s best teams prep for the Final Four, others are waving the white flag. It’s a healthy surrender, even if some coaches and administrators can’t stomach it.

club.sportico.com/p/college-ba...

NFL’s Flag Football Backers Include Ariel, Sixth Street, Blue Pool The NFL's flag football investors include five institutional firms: Ariel, Sixth Street, Dynasty, Blue Pool and a group associated with Silver Lake.

SCOOP: The NFL has tapped five institutional firms--Ariel, Blue Pool, Dynasty, Sixth Street and Silver Lake--to be top partners in their new flag league, per sources.

TMRW Sports is operating partners. Smaller investors too. More at @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/business/fin...

The Sun Sets in Connecticut Plus: A European soccer mystery, the plight of the modern MLB umpire, and SWISH!

Today's Club Sportico:

- Why the WNBA's Sun are moving to Houston, despite bids from Boston and Hartford 🏀
- A Euro soccer mystery ⚽️
- ABS humor ⚾️
- SWISH! 🗑️
- TGL economics ⛳️
- A Big Ten flex 🎓

club.sportico.com/p/connecticu...

Here's a look at the NFL and NBA's ownership rules. And how that might play out if the Seahawks sell for $9 billion and the NBA expansion team sells for $8 billion.

For Sale: A Seattle Sports Empire If you have $17B lying around, you and your richest friends could buy the two most valuable teams, in the two most valuable leagues, in one of America’s largest cities.

There is only one NFL owner that owns an NBA team in the same city.

But there's an opportunity for another right now in Seattle. Today's @clubsportico.bsky.social essay looks at the process, the likelihood, and the many hurdles--primarily, the 💰.

club.sportico.com/p/for-sale-a...

Ohanian Buys 2nd $20M WTGL Team as Men’s Franchise Values Jump TGL golf club valuations have jumped to $90-$100 million as the first few women's teams sell for around $20 million, including one to Alexis Ohanian.

Some TGL business notes ⛳️:

- Women's teams are selling for about $20M
- Multiple teams have raised at $90+ million
- Atlanta Drive raised around ~$100 million
- multiple teams are cash flow positive in the seven figures

More at Sportico 👇

www.sportico.com/business/tea...

NCAA Sues DraftKings to Block Use of March Madness Trademarks The NCAA demands a restraining order to block DraftKings from using "March Madness," "Final Four" and similar marks to sell sports betting products.

The NCAA sues DraftKings for trademark infringement in use of "March Madness" and other tournament phrases. Super interesting case that combines worries about sports betting + usage of common terms.

On @sportico.bsky.social, @ebennovywilliams.bsky.social and I dive into the case:

Since this was made, the NCAA has added a units system for its women's tournament, and also added three more men's units for the national title game and victor.

One Shining Check - The Value of a March Madness Win YouTube video by Sportico

Every year, the NCAA distributes hundreds of millions to conferences based on their March Madness success.

The specifics are confusing, and widely misunderstood. Two years ago, we made this video to be the definitive explainer on NCAA "units."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTKa...

Macario is a big pull for the league, which is in an arms race with the top European teams for talent. The NWSL recently changed its salary rules to make big signings like Macario's more possible...

Cat Macario Signs Record NWSL Contract With San Diego Wave The USWNT star is joining the NWSL and set to earn nearly $8 million in guaranteed money with the San Diego Wave, the league's biggest deal ever.

BREAKING: Catarina Macario is joining the San Diego Wave on the largest contract in total dollars in NWSL history.

She'll be paid a shade under $8 million in fully guaranteed money over the next five seasons. More via @sportico.bsky.social 👇

www.sportico.com/personalitie...

Maryland Basketball Fans React to Disappointing Year: A Club Sportico Roundtable YouTube video by Sportico

And here's the full video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBKO...

For this @clubsportico.bsky.social story we convened a roundtable of five Terps fans, from four different decades of life, to talk about their relationship with the team.

Here's a snippet of that convo:

Maryland is the poster child for college basketball’s volatility era The Maryland men’s basketball team made the Sweet 16 last year 🙂. It just finished its worst season in 37 years 🙁. It has a Top 10 recruiting class incoming 🙂. Welcome to modern college basketball!

Maryland basketball just wrapped a historically bad season. Fans are frustrated with:

- Outsider coach
- No roster continuity
- No local players
- Conference realignment that killed rivalries

Sound familiar? Welcome to modern college basketball's mercenary era 👇
club.sportico.com/p/maryland-b...

A WNBA labor deal is finally (maybe?) close Plus: The war in Iran, the undefeated RedHawks, and college sports reform-mogging

In today's Club Sportico Pick Six, we're talking about:

- WNBA labor urgency 🏀
- WBC sponsors ☕
- The undefeated Miami Ohio basketball team 🦅
- College sports reform-mogging on Capital Hill 🏛️
- More!

club.sportico.com/p/sports-bus...

Grambling Scores ‘G’ Trademark as UGA, Packers Give Blessing The USPTO approves the "G" trademark for Grambling State after the school, Green Bay Packers and Georgia figured out a way each could use a similar G.

Grambling has secured a trademark for this G, with written support from the Packers and UGA.

With @mccannsportslaw.bsky.social, a rare story about similar looking logos that includes collaboration, not litigation 👇

www.sportico.com/law/analysis...

Dick’s will pay you pennies for your data In its quest to become more than a big box retailer for sports gear, Dick's is looking for information on how you work out.

In today's @clubsportico.bsky.social essay, we're talking about Dick's Sporting Good's push to become more than just a big box retailer.

And why your workout data is part of that future 👇
club.sportico.com/p/dicks-work...

Here are @sportico.bsky.social's most recent valuations for the WNBA and NWSL. #WNBA #NWSL

🟠 WNBA -- $269 million average
🔵 NWSL -- $184 million average

Dundon Sells 12.5% of Hurricanes at $2.66 Billion Valuation Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has sold 12.5% of the NHL team at a $2.66 billion valuation. It comes as he's buying the NBA's Trail Blazers.

SCOOP: Tom Dundon has agreed to sell 12.5% of the
Hurricanes at a $2.66 billion valuation. Comes as he leads a group buying the Trail Blazers for $4.25B.

More at @sportico.bsky.social 👇
www.sportico.com/business/tea...

Basically the entire #NWSL has a new control owner (or was an expansion team) within the last ~six years.

🔴 = expansion or new control owner

Yup. I consider her the control owner at this point.

Basically the entire #NWSL has a new control owner (or was an expansion team) within the last ~six years.

🔴 = expansion or new control owner

Marc Lasry Invests in NWSL’s NC Courage at $155M Valuation Billionaire Marc Lasry is buying a stake in the NWSL's North Carolina Courage via his Avenue Sports Fund. The deal values the club at $155 million.

SCOOP: Marc Lasry's fund is buying a large chunk of the NWSL's North Carolina Courage. He's putting in $40M at a $155M pre-money valuation.

This comes two years after Lasry tried to buy the whole team. More via @sportico.bsky.social 👇
www.sportico.com/business/tea...