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Closing Bell

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Closing Bell

USGA officially renews media deal with NBCU through 2032, adds Versant…Report: Wyc Grousbeck won’t remain Celtics governor…TKO, Paramount stocks hit highs after UFC deal.

J.J. Spaun of the United States with his trophy speaks to the media after his win during the final round of the 125th U.S. OPEN
The USGA’s new deal with NBCUniversal and Versant runs through 2032. Getty Images

The USGA is officially sticking with NBCUniversal for its media rights in a deal that keeps consistency for one of golf’s biggest properties but also adds a few new twists. The USGA extended its agreement with NBCU, as well as the soon-to-launch Versant, in a six-year deal that runs through 2032. The USGA’s current deal, which originally was struck with Fox and then handed over to NBC in 2021, is slated to end after 2026. Puck first reported that the USGA was expected to stick with NBCU/Versant.

“We definitely put a value on a partner we knew,” USGA CEO Mike Whan told SBJ on Monday. “We trust NBC and Versant in how they showcase the brand and our vision.”

Under the deal, NBC stays as home of the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, which may get a boost in the coming years as Tiger Woods turns 50 later in 2025. Also in play now is Versant, which will have Golf Channel and USA covering USGA events. The U.S. Open and Women’s Open will be carried on USA, while Golf Channel will handle the U.S. Senior Open and the eight other USGA events in the package.

The U.S. Open will continue to have 25 hours minimum of coverage each year. But in a twist, the final hour of play on Thursday and Friday now will be carried on NBC. In recent years, the last hour of coverage was bumped to Peacock, with mostly qualifiers and lesser-name players completing their rounds. Now, select tee times for big-name players will be pushed back, meaning the top names will be completing their rounds as NBC wraps up coverage.

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Grousbeck will retain the CEO title and serve as an alternate governor. NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Wyc Grousbeck will “no longer stay on” as Celtics governor as part of the $6.1B sale of the team to Bill Chisholm, according to sources. Grousbeck had been expected to remain as governor and CEO of the club through 2028. However, sources said that the NBA BOG “was informed in recent days that Chisholm will now assume the governor title moving forward.” Grousbeck will retain the CEO title and serve as an alternate governor. The sale “is expected to be complete within the next week” (ESPN.com, 8/12). The transfer of governor duties to Chisholm reportedly “will be finalized soon” (BOSTON HERALD, 8/12).

There will be “new decision-makers at the top” of the team with Chisholm assuming the governor role. ArcelorMittal CEO Aditya Mittal is “reportedly the second-largest stakeholder of the Celtics group and is a potential name for alternate governor.” Other investors include current Celtics co-owner Robert Hale, Bruce A. Beal Jr. and private investment firm Sixth Street (MASSLIVE, 8/12).

On the heels of the new UFC media deal, TKO Group Holdings’ stock hit an all-time high on Tuesday — while Paramount stock was up over 10%. Michelle Farsi/Zuffa LLC

Wall Street is showing its approval to TKO Group Holdings of its new UFC media rights deal with Paramount, with the company’s stock hitting an all-time high during trading today. After increasing more than 10% yesterday on the heels of the announcement that UFC would be doubling its annual media rights revenue starting in 2026, TKO’s stock popped another 3.2% heading into the close of trading today. It hit an all-time high of $186.34 before paring those gains slightly to $185.87. The prior all-time high was $182.60. Out of 21 analysts covering TKO, seven have a Strong Buy rating, nine have a Buy, five have a Hold and none have an Underperform or Sell, according to CNBC Pro. The highest price target is $225, while the average is $189.55 and the lowest is $117.

Meanwhile, after Paramount Skydance Corp. investors had a tepid reaction initially yesterday, with the stock dropping nearly 4%, Wall Street was much more bullish today as its shares were trading up by 10.7% heading into the close at $11.20 a share. Guggenheim initiated coverage of Paramount on Tuesday with a Buy rating and said that it “is bullish on the combined company of Paramount and Skydance Media,” according to CNBC Pro. Guggenheim set its price target at $13 per share. Out of 26 analysts covering the company, one has a Strong Buy rating, one has a Buy, 14 have a Hold, seven have an Underperform and three have a Sell.

Masyn Winn #0 of the St. Louis Cardinals turns a double play against Nico Hoerner #2 of the Chicago Cubs
Cubs-Cardinals on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” averaged 1.97 million viewers, up 111% from the same weekend last year and keeping “SNB” on pace for its best season since 2017. Getty Images

ESPN had an impressive weekend on the diamond, with another big audience for “Sunday Night Baseball,” a record audience for the Little League Softball World Series, and big gains for the regional round of the Little League World Series.

ABC aired the championship game of the Little League Softball World Series on Sunday afternoon — Johnston (Pa.)-Floyds Knob (Ind.) — and it drew 1.44 million viewers, which is the most-watched Little League Softball game ever. That’s up 139% from the same game last year, which was also on ABC. The complete tournament averaged 347,000 viewers across all ESPN platforms, up 66% from 2024.

On the baseball side, the regional round for the Little League World Series wrapped up averaging 520,000 viewers across ESPN networks, the round’s best figure since 2022 and up 80% from last year.

Wrapping things up on “Sunday Night Baseball,” Cubs-Cardinals averaged 1.97 million viewers, up 111% from the same weekend last year and keeping “SNB” on pace for its best season since 2017. Including all MLB games for ESPN (Opening Day, other flex games), the network is averaging 1.69 million viewers, up 10% year-over-year.

MLB has dropped its previous plan to start the World Series early if both League Championship Series are short, announcing the Fall Classic will start Oct. 24. Getty Images

MLB has “dropped its plan to start the World Series early if both League Championship Series are short,” announcing today that this year’s Fall Classic will start on Oct. 24. MLB last year said that Game 1 would move up from Oct. 25 to Oct. 22 if the LCS “ended by Oct. 19, when both leagues were scheduled to be through Game 5.” NL Division Series will “have an extra scheduled off day” between Games 1 and 2, a format that allows a team to “have the same pitchers start Games 1 and 4, and Games 2 and 5 on normal four days’ rest.” All four best-of-three Wild Card Series are scheduled for consecutive days from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. The ALDS will start Oct. 4-5. Game 5s “would be Oct. 10.” The NLDS will start on Oct. 4, with an “off day followed by a game on Oct. 5, then switch to the other cities on Oct. 8-9.” After another travel day, Game 5s would be “played Oct. 11.” The ALCS starts Oct. 12 and the NLCS the following day (AP, 8/12).

Jump CEO Jordy Leiser stands with Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx co-owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who are also co-founders of the startup along with Leiser.
Jump CEO Jordy Leiser (center) with Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx co-owners Marc Lore (left) and Alex Rodriguez, who are also co-founders of the startup along with Leiser. Courtesy of Jump

Fan experience and ticketing platform Jump has closed a Series A funding round of $23M, bringing the total raise by the company to approximately $60M since its 2021 founding.

The round was led by Alexis Ohanian and Seven Seven Six, and included participation from Courtside Ventures, Will Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, and Drive by DraftKings. It also included a personal investment from Steve Malik, owner of the NWSL’s North Carolina Courage.

So far, 2025 has included the signing of its first client with the Courage and then moving into the NBA and WNBA last month as the exclusive fan experience and ticketing provider for the Timberwolves and Lynx. The pair of Minnesota franchises are co-owned by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who are also co-founders of Jump with company CEO Jordy Leiser.

“I think this is the biggest swing in the category right now,” Leiser told SBJ. “This is our first year in market, and so already having raised $60M is sort of a sign that we’re not going at something small. We’re going at something very big.”

LaLiga club Real Madrid said it “firmly rejects” a potential domestic league fixture between fellow clubs Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami. Getty Images

La Liga club Real Madrid said it “firmly rejects” a potential domestic league fixture between fellow clubs Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami and warned of “a turning point in the world of football.” Real Madrid said today that it has “taken action” to “keep the Dec. 20 match from happening, claiming it would hurt the ‘integrity of the competition’ and the ‘legitimacy of the results.’” The club also said that it has “asked FIFA, UEFA and Spain’s top sports body” to “not authorize the game.” The Royal Spanish Football Federation yesterday approved a request for the match to be played in Miami. UEFA and FIFA now “have to approve the request before it can be made official” (AP, 8/12).

The Labour Party is “fast-tracking secondary legislation to ensure the powers” of the U.K.’s new independent football regulator (IFR) “will be switched on” by November 1. Under a new bill, owners can be “stripped of their right to run clubs” and the IFR can “sanction takeovers at a price of their choice.” The authority is “yet to form a board to work with” IFR Chair David Kogan and has “distance to cover before it becomes fully operational.” But “progress has been made with the recruitment” of CEO Richard Monks, who spent 18 years at the Financial Conduct Authority, is “close to being announced and will begin in the role shortly” (THE ATHLETIC, 8/12).


Speed Reads…

Inter Miami has added honey-based fruit snack brand BEEUP as an official sponsor, and MF Benjamin Cremaschi will serve as a sponsor. NWSL Angel City F Sydney Leroux, another BEEUP sponsor, attended a launch event at Inter Miami’s academy. The BEEUP brand was co-founded by Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham (Alex Silverman, SBJ).

Clos du Bois has signed a multiyear sponsorship deal with the USTA that makes it the official wine of the US Open. The company will launch a sweepstakes to send two fans to the 2026 US Open men’s final and leverage the partnership through in-store signage and billboards (Rob Schaefer, SBJ).

MaxPreps has partnered with Modern Football Technology to launch a select automated stat sync for high school football coaches (MaxPreps).

Lake Superior State Athletics and Taymar have signed a multiyear agreement for the firm to handle revenue generation, including ticket sales, sponsorship sales and innovative partnerships (Taymar).

Men in Blazers Media Network announced Verizon as the group’s official telecommunications partner. Verizon will sponsor live events in partnership with MIBMN (Men in Blazers Media Network).

Rams QB Matthew Stafford will join the SiriusXM show “Let’s Go!” as a host for the 2025 NFL season, joining broadcaster Jim Gray. Raiders DE Maxx Crosby and journalist Peter King also return for their second season on the show (SiriusXM).

The Grand Prix of Arlington announced that PepsiCo will serve as an official partner for the inaugural race weekend taking place March 13-15, 2026 (Grand Prix of Arlington).


Quick Hits….

“The good news when it came to NBCU/Versant is they really wanted the whole package. They really wanted to make sure that they were covering the United States Golf Association championships, whether we were talking about a girls junior or whether we’re talking about the U.S. Women’s Open or the U.S. Senior Women’s Open and it made it nice for us” — USGA CEO Mike Whan, on NBCUniversal and Versant wanting the entire USGA package rather than USGA splitting the deal between several championships (“Halftime Report”, CNBC, 8/12).


Around the World….

Bundesliga International has signed a three-year media rights deal with Vietnamese telecom provider Viettel to serve as the German soccer league’s TV home in Vietnam. The agreement starts in 2025-26 and will see TV360 — Viettel Group’s OTT platform — exclusively carry all Bundesliga matches (Bundesliga International).

Sky Sports is “dedicating a single platform to simultaneously broadcasting as many as five matches on a single screen, with a dedicated commentator, director and producer helping guide the viewer to the main action.” It will be “rolled out at 2pm as part of Sky’s ‘Supersized’ Sunday, when its new broadcast deal will mean increasing the offering on that day from 36 to 63 matches a season” (London TELEGRAPH, 8/12).

The Red Bull Group has “taken full ownership of Newcastle Falcons rugby club” in a move “described as a ‘landmark moment’ for the sport.” The newly named Newcastle Red Bulls are “set to remain at Kingston Park.” Current Director of Rugby Steve Diamond will “continue in that position” (Newcastle CHRONICLE, 8/12).

Premier League club Crystal Palace said that the club is “seeking legal advice on possible next steps after the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the club’s appeal against UEFA’s decision to demote them from the Europa League to the Conference League” (REUTERS, 8/12).


Social Scoop….


Daily Download….

ESPN launched a pair of new PSAs encouraging youth sports participation as part of its ongoing Take Back Sports initiative, powered by Disney. Former NFLers Peyton and Eli Manning appear in one video along with Warriors G Stephen Curry to discuss challenges and opportunities in youth sports.


Daily Digit….

700% — Liverpool FC’s home kit has outstripped sales of last year’s launch by over 700% as the Premier League club has kicked off its new partnership with Adidas (Liverpool FC)

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Four repeat honorees highlight 2025 #SummitVB Academic All-League Team

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Four repeat honorees highlighted the 2025 Summit League Volleyball Academic All-League Team released by league officials Monday. There was a total of seven student-athletes named to the team that was voted on by the membership’s faculty athletic representatives and sports information directors.
 
South Dakota State’s Joslyn Richardson, a two-time Summit League Scholar of the Championship presented by JLG Architects, collected the second all-academic honor of her career. 

South Dakota’s Avery Van Hook also earned her second honor and was joined by teammates and first-time honorees Kamryn Farris and Amanda Loschen.

 

First team All-Summit Leaguer Kali Jurgensmeier of Omaha added a second all-academic award to her list of honors this season. 

 

North Dakota’s Lauren Perugini rounded out the quartet of repeat honorees while North Dakota State’s Ally Barth earned her first honor for the Bison.

 

To be eligible for the Academic All-League team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30 (on a 4.0 scale), completed at least one full academic year at the current institution and participated in 50 percent of their team’s competitions.

 

Nominations are brought forth by sports information directors from the league’s ten institutions and voting is conducted by both the SIDs and facility athletic representatives (FARs). The team is made up of the seven student-athletes receiving the most votes with all ties standing.

 

2025 Summit League Volleyball Academic All-League Team











 Name  School  Yr.  Pos.  GPA  Major
 Ally Barth  NDSU  Sr.  MB  3.94 Management Communication
 Kamryn Farris  South Dakota  Sr.  DS  3.75 Business
 Avery Van Hook**  South Dakota  Jr.  S  3.87 Kinesiology & Sport Management
 Kali Jurgensmeier**  Omaha  Sr.  OH  3.82 Biology
 Amanda Loschen  South Dakota   Jr.  MB  3.86 Medical Biology
 Lauren Perugini**  North Dakota  Jr.  OH  4.00 Dietetics
 Joslyn Richardson**  SDSU  Jr.  DS  4.00 Construction Management

 *Career Academic All-League honors
 
#SummitVB
 





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Wisconsin volleyball starter Una Vajagic enters transfer portal

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Dec. 22, 2025, 3:11 p.m. CT



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SLU Names Angie Simpson Head Beach Volleyball Coach

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HAMMOND, La. – Former All-American Angie Simpson has been named the new head volleyball coach at Southeastern Louisiana University, SLU Director of Athletics Jay Artigues announced Monday.
 
Simpson’s hire is pending approval from the University of Louisiana System’s Board of Supervisors.
 
“I’m extremely excited to be able to bring in a coach of Angie’s caliber,” Artigues commented. “She is well-renowned in the beach volleyball community and is a huge addition to our department. Angie is the type of coach that will make our program a consistent contender. We are very fortunate to have her in Hammond and I’m excited about the future of our beach volleyball program.”
 
Simpson is excited to be taking over a young Southeastern program that was established in 2020.
 
“Southeastern already has the infrastructure in place and the support from the administration to evolve into a nationally recognized program,” Simpson commented. “I’m eager to hit the ground running, because with the facilities, community culture and institutional support already in place, the expectation is to win the conference and earn an NCAA (Championships) bid.”
 
Simpson grew up in Muncie, Ind., where she helped Muncie Burris to three state championships during her prep career. The Owls were the No. 1 ranked team in the USA Today national high school ranks in three of Simpson’s four seasons and finished 162-1 during her time at MBHS.
 
Simpson played outside hitter on the indoor volleyball team at Penn State, where she was named an All-American as a senior and was a two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection. During her collegiate career with the Nittany Lions, Penn State made two Final Four appearances and won a pair of conference championships.
 
Simpson’s collegiate career was prior to the NCAA’s sponsorship of beach volleyball, but Simpson spent several years on the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) Tour. One of Simpson’s most frequent partners was Jennifer Kessy, who earned a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
 
“When I met with the team it felt so comfortable, because I’ve been in their shoes before,” Simpson said. “Our administration is dedicating a full-time coach to our beach volleyball program and we’re going to be in it together. I feel with my playing experience I have a unique knowledge base to share and pass forward with this generation of players and I’m completely committed to the process.”
 
Following her beach volleyball career, Simpson spent two decades working in the Biotech and health care leadership field in California. She kept involved in the volleyball community, serving as a broadcaster for Fox Sports Net, ESPN and other outlets.

Head Beach Volleyball Coach Angie Simpson as a Televison Broadcaster

 

As her son, Colby, a tight end signed to play football next fall at Tulane, reached high school, many of his friends requested Simpson come lend her vast knowledge to the Oaks Christian High School beach volleyball team. In her first season, OCHS won the CIF D2 championship and Simpson also led the program to back-to-back Marmonte League titles.

Oaks Christian High School CIF Champions under head coach Angie Simpson

 

“With my son finishing up high school and set to head off to college, I thought this was a perfect time to return to my passion of coaching volleyball,” Simpson said. “Once I started with Oaks Christian and we won that CIF D2 championship, I just thought ‘I’m back’.

 

“I feel really confident that I know how to win,” Simpson continued. “I’ve been winning on and off the court and throughout my professional career. I’m going to pass that knowledge on to this team.”

 

The Southeastern beach volleyball team will open the 2026 season in February.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

For more information on Southeastern Athletics, follow @LionUpAthletics on X and Instagram or like /LionUpAthletics on Facebook.

 

CLEAR BAG POLICY

Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.

 



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Assistant Director of Athletic Communications in York, PA for York College of Pennsylvania

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Established in 1787, York College of Pennsylvania is a private, four-year college located in the city of York, a hub of arts and industry between Baltimore and Philadelphia. Housed on 190 picturesque acres, the college is known for its focus on experiential learning and community engagement, serving over 4,000 undergraduate and 300+ graduate students in more than 70 baccalaureate majors, along with 20+ graduate and professional programs. Deeply rooted in the liberal arts and recognized for excellence in its professional nursing, business, engineering, and education programs, York is ranked among the nation’s top 50 Best Value Schools by U.S. News. The College’s robust recreation and athletics program is among the best in the region, and is home to 23 NCAA III Division sports teams and 30+ intramural sports. A Princeton Review Best Northeastern College, York prides itself on its experienced, engaged faculty; its high-impact and student-centric philosophy; and its long-standing commitment to affordability and accessibility.

York College is committed to building a diverse college community and encourages members of underrepresented groups to apply.



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Eva Travis commits to Wisconsin Badgers volleyball via transfer portal

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Dec. 22, 2025, 2:50 p.m. CT



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Gipple Named Acting Head Coach; Richards Set to Lead Adrian Track and Field After 2026 Season

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ADRIAN, Mich. – Adrian College Athletic Director Craig Rainey ’89 announced a leadership change for the track and field program following the resignation of head coach Kaylie Laskody due to personal reasons. Beginning in the new year, Matthew Gipple will serve as Acting Head Coach for the spring 2026 season. Following the conclusion of the academic year, Kirk Richards will assume the role of head coach for the Adrian College track and field teams.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Gipple and Coach Richards to Adrian College,” said Rainey. “Coach Gipple has demonstrated success as an assistant coach at Siena Heights, and we are confident in his ability to lead the program as Acting Head Coach. We look forward to welcoming Coach Richards to Adrian College at the conclusion of the 2026 season and wish him the best of luck in his final season at Siena Heights.”

Gipple has served as an assistant coach for the Siena Heights University cross country and track and field programs since 2024. During his time with the Saints, he has coached two conference champions, five national qualifiers, and one All-American. His athletes also include five All-Conference selections and one program record holder.

As a student-athlete at Siena Heights, Gipple competed in track and field and compiled an accomplished career. He earned four All-American honors, captured two conference championships, received 12 All-Conference selections, and qualified for seven national championships.

Richards brings extensive coaching experience to Adrian College, having spent 15 seasons at Siena Heights University coaching cross country and track and field. During his tenure, Richards coached 129 All-Americans, 94 individual conference champions, and 16 national champions. At the team level, he led the Saints to WHAC Outdoor Track and Field Women’s Championships in both 2016 and 2017.

Prior to his collegiate coaching career, Richards spent 18 years coaching at the high school level. He guided his teams to 14 regional championships and 42 conference titles while mentoring multiple state champions in events including pole vault, hurdles, distance, long jump, and sprint relays. Richards has also demonstrated strong local recruiting success at Siena Heights, with 25 of the program’s 28 athletes hailing from Michigan and two from northwest Ohio.

Gipple will begin his coaching duties at Adrian College immediately, while Richards will transition to Adrian College following the 2026 season.

 

 



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