Saturday will mark the start of my 20th year here at SBJ. Twenty years since I shifted away from a career as an attorney and into sports journalism — and I’ve never looked back.

Research. Data analysis. Writing. Editing. Podcast hosting. Moderating panels. Even playing beach volleyball in my suit jacket and pants alongside Olympian Kerri Walsh Jennings. I’ve tackled a number of duties and responsibilities at SBJ. Now, it’s time for my next role: sports media beat reporter.

As many reading SBJ Media will know, I’m no stranger to this area, having written about TV viewership for years. Now, I’ll formally expand on that expertise and take on all intersections of media and sports business.

I’m champing at the bit to start this next challenge. Thank you to so many in the business that have already reached out. I look forward to working with all of you!

And I want to hear from all SBJ readers. What are you paying attention to? Who do we need as a guest on the SBJ Sports Media Podcast? Got a tip? Email or call anytime.

SBJ remains the tip of the spear for those seriously tuned in to sports business, and I’m incredibly honored to be taking on this new role.

Let’s rock!

Montana State’s Champ’s Kids Club has announced a new partnership with The Future Fan, as the Bobcats prepare for the start of the 2025-26 sports season.

The Future Fan is a U.S. company based in Arkansas that partners with other colleges and professional sports teams around the country to fulfill their exclusive membership programs.

This season’s Champ’s Kids Club membership ($50) includes an exclusive club t-shirt, mini-pennant, stickers, lanyard, and credentials, along with free admission to all home volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball games, and men’s and women’s tennis events. An additional perk is discounts on birthday parties at volleyball or basketball games and exclusive kid’s club events throughout the year.

The Future Fan will ship Champ’s Kids Club kits directly to your home. Fans should expect their kits within two weeks of ordering. To sign up for Champ’s Kids Club, sponsored by Billings Clinic, go to msubobcats.com (Fan Info).

 

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), in conjunction with Visit Lincoln, is bringing the excitement beyond the court this summer with the AVCA First Serve Block Party, a free three-day celebration in Lincoln’s Railyard outside Pinnacle Bank Arena, Aug. 22–24, 2025. Fans can look forward to live entertainment, interactive activities, special guest appearances, and a festival-like atmosphere leading up to—and during—AVCA First Serve, the nation’s premier collegiate volleyball showcase.

The AVCA First Serve Block Party transforms the Railyard into volleyball central with attractions for fans of all ages, including:

• AVCA Merch Tent – Grab official event gear and show your volleyball pride.
• Photo Trailer – Snap Instagram-worthy shots with friends and teammates.
• Human Foosball – Take part in the oversized, action-packed version of the classic game.
• Face Painting & Poster Decorating – Perfect for younger fans and team spirit displays.
• Fitness & Yoga Sessions – Hosted by Good Life Fitness for an energizing start to the day.
• Vertical Jump Test – See how high you can soar.
• Meet & Greets – With USA Volleyball, Athletes Unlimited, LOVB, and the Omaha Supernovas.
• Food Trucks – Serving up local flavors all weekend.
• Main Stage Programming – Featuring live music, DJs, contests, interviews with current and former players and coaches, volleyball trivia, and ticket giveaways.

Check out this map with more info on the Block Party grounds and booths.

Daily Highlights:

• Friday, Aug. 22 – Pep Rally & Red Carpet Walk at 3:45 p.m. (CT), live music from Honeytown, and evening celebrations running until midnight.
• Saturday, Aug. 23 – Fitness Bootcamp, live music from the Chuck Briseno Band, and a full afternoon of fan activities from noon to 3 p.m.
• Sunday, Aug. 24 – Yoga session, more main stage entertainment, and closing celebrations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Volleyball fans won’t want to miss the Rally Towels Giveaway for the first 200 fans each day and ticket giveaways at every watch party located at the stage.

“Lincoln is known for its incredible volleyball community, and the Block Party is the perfect way to connect fans, athletes, and the sport in a fun, energetic setting,” said AVCA CEO Dr. Jaime Gordon. “We’re thrilled to bring the excitement outside the arena and into the heart of the city.”

For more information on AVCA First Serve, including match times, go here.

Barcelona’s domination of Real Madrid last season resulted in Los Blancos bringing an end to Carlo Ancelotti’s second tenure – even though he had delivered a league and European double a year previous.

Rumours rumbled for most of the season, after a low-key start at home and abroad, that former Real midfielder Xabi Alonso would be making the switch from Bayer Leverkusen to replace Ancelotti.

With their La Liga and UEFA Champions League defence over, the Madrid-based club wasted little time in announcing Alonso, conveniently at a time when Brazil cranked up their interest in Ancelotti.

All seemed well for a dignified departure for the Italian, club football’s most decorated manager, who now will lead the record World Cup winners into next year’s 2026 edition.

For the perfectly written script to continue, however, Alonso will need to make a strong start on all fronts. Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the new La Liga season.

When does the La Liga season begin?

The first match of the new Spanish campaign is on Friday, August 15 and sees Girona, who finished only a point above the relegation zone last season, entertain a Rayo Vallecano side that claimed ninth spot in La Liga last year.

Girona were the league’s surprise package two seasons ago when they finished third – only four points behind Barcelona.

When are Barcelona and Real Madrid’s first La Liga fixtures?

Barcelona kick off their La Liga defence on Saturday, August 16, when they make the trip to Mallorca.

Real Madrid are not in action until Tuesday, August 19, when they complete the first round of Spanish top-flight fixtures with a trip to Espanyol.

What transfers have Real Madrid and Barcelona made?

It has been a quiet transfer window for Barcelona, whose finances had been heavily in the spotlight last year with La Liga rules limiting spending on wages and transfers – complicating the registration of Dani Olmo.

The Spanish international arrived from RB Leipzig in Germany for a fee of $62.5m in the summer of 2024, but was nearly forced into a free transfer away from the Catalan club due to their dire financial situation.

The loan of Marcus Rashford, who made his debut in the 5-0 pre-season demolition of Como, from Manchester United is Barca’s only major addition in the off season to their ranks so far.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, have been quick to bolster a defence that has been hampered by injury and suspension throughout last season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was a much-heralded arrival at a snip from Liverpool for $11.3m. Little expense was spared, however, in the capture of Spanish defensive duo Alvaro Carreras from Benfica for $57.7m and Dean Huijsen for $67m from Bournemouth.

What were the results between Barcelona and Real Madrid last season?

Barcelona won all four El Clasico matches between the football clubs last season, including the decisive La Liga clash, a May 11 meeting in Catalonia. The 4-3 win all but sealed the title for Barca, and also ended any thought that Ancelotti may stay on as manager of Real.

A 4-0 demolition of Real in Madrid on October 26 kicked off the derbies last season, the first major warning signs that Los Blancos may have a turbulent ride ahead.

That defeat for Ancelotti’s side was compounded by a 5-2 hammering in the Spanish Super Cup final in January, before a 3-2 Copa Del Rey final win for Barca in late April left Real facing up to the prospect of a trophyless season.

Where will the spotlight focus on Barcelona and Real Madrid?

The lack of any major additions to Barcelona’s title-winning squad will throw doubt on whether manager Hansi Flick will be able to push the players to go again without further competition for places.

An early-season injury to Robert Lewandowski may mean an early opportunity for Rashford to make his mark in attack alongside Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. The England international has many questions himself to answer following his demise from his status as the star of Old Trafford.

Ferran Torres, the 25-year-old Spanish international, will also be a candidate to start in the place of Lewandowski in the early-season games.

With the resolution of Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s dispute, both the backlines and midfield appear well-resourced for Barca. Flick’s side will be fully expected to put up a stern defence of their La Liga title and to go all the way in the Champions League, a competition they were heavily favourites to win last season until their shock semifinal elimination by Inter Milan.

Real Madrid will have to cope with the loss of Luka Modric in midfield, only a year after the retirement of Toni Kroos – an absence believed to have heavily contributed to Real’s demise last season.

The link-up between the front three of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo was another area of concern for Real. Indeed, so much so that it affected the role of Jude Bellingham, who was forced to sit deeper in midfield following the arrival of the former.

Mbappe eventually silenced the critics. The French international’s tally of 40 goals in all competitions surpassed that of Cristiano Ronaldo in his first season with Madrid.

Nonetheless, the link-up between an attack and midfield, which is now missing both of its mainstays for more than a decade, will be the major problem for Alonso to solve.

Can Atletico Madrid challenge Real and Barcelona?

Atletico finished 14 points off top spot last season, but had offered hope at one stage, with a 15-game winning streak, that glory was on the cards.

Diego Simeone’s side finished sixth in the League Phase of the Champions League, but were eventually eliminated by Real, who themselves had to reach the knockout stage via playoffs. They did also have a disappointing group-stage exit at the Club World Cup, including a 4-0 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.

Simeone’s side are always based on a solid defence, and the permanent capture of Clement Lenglet following his loan from Barcelona last season ensures that is likely to continue.

An already formidable forward line is boosted by the arrival of Thiago Almada from Botafogo, for an undisclosed fee, following a season-long loan at Lyon last season.

The 24-year-old helped Argentina to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Copa America last year and was part of his country’s side at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Alongside fellow countryman Julian Alvarez, France and Atletico legend Antoine Griezmann, and Giuliano Simeone, the son of the manager, Almada could well sprinkle the magic needed to elevate Atletico to the top of the pile.

The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and ESPN announced today a one-year extension to their media rights agreement. ESPN will continue as the ASUN’s media partner through the 2025-26 academic year with expanded linear network coverage that now includes the Women’s Basketball Championship Final airing on ESPNU in March.

“Thank you to our tremendous teammates at ESPN for their continued commitment to Atlantic Sun Conference student-athletes, and for their interest in ensuring that ASUN Women’s Basketball is presented to a national audience as it deserves,” ASUN Commissioner Jeff Bacon said. “I look forward to the coming year and am grateful to Nick Dawson, Mallory Kenny and the entire team at ESPN as we head towards a new era under our Alliance with the Western Athletic Conference.”

The ASUN’s relationship with ESPN first began in 1989 with the airing of the league’s Men’s Basketball Final and grew exponentially through the conference’s ESPN3 On-Campus Initiative, which began in the fall of 2012. In April of 2018, the ASUN and ESPN announced 55 events to be streamed via ESPN’s then-new direct-to-consumer platform, ESPN+. That spring, six ASUN Championships were showcased on ESPN+ including the entirety of the Baseball, Beach Volleyball, Lacrosse, Softball and Tennis Championships. Since its inception, ESPN has collaborated with the ASUN to adopt the conference-wide on-campus production model.

In the 2024–25 academic year, ASUN and its 12 members produced 1,184 ESPN broadcasts. This number encompassed 14 conference championships including the Men’s Basketball Championship Final between Lipscomb and North Alabama which aired on ESPN2 and saw nearly 30,000 unique viewers watch the Bisons hoist the tournament trophy. The 2024-25 production total marked the third year in a row that the league has pushed out more than 1,000 broadcasts with 1,296 in 2023-24 and 1,155 in 2022-23.

About the Atlantic Sun Conference
The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN), founded in 1978, is an NCAA Division I conference sponsoring twenty-two (22) sports and championships.  Composed of twelve (12) destination-based institutions spread throughout the southeastern United States, ASUN members include Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, Tenn.), Bellarmine University (Louisville, Ky.), the University of Central Arkansas (Conway, Ark.), Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond, Ky.), Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers, Fla.), Jacksonville University (Fla.), Lipscomb University (Nashville, Tenn.), the University of North Alabama (Florence, Ala.), the University of North Florida (Jacksonville, Fla.), Queens University of Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.), Stetson University (DeLand, Fla.), and the University of West Georgia (Carrollton, Ga.).

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the No. 1 sports streaming platform, serving fans in the U.S. with exclusive access to more than 32,000 live sports events each year, an unmatched library of on-demand replays and acclaimed original content, and premium written articles by the top reporters and analysts from ESPN.com. Fans sign up for ESPN+ at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or in the ESPN App on mobile and connected devices.
For more visit the ESPN+ Press Kit.

All of ESPN. All in One Place. Coming August 21.
This fall, for the first time ever, ESPN will offer its full suite of networks and services directly to fans, along with an enhanced ESPN App that integrates game stats, betting information, fantasy sports, commerce, multiview options and a personalized SportsCenter For You. Designed to give fans more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, these new features and functionality will be available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a traditional pay TV package.
For more visit the ESPN DTC Press Kit.

Thoughtful potter offers class on tools Aug. 17

Published 3:45 am Monday, August 11, 2025

ILWACO — Ilwaco Artworks at 109 First Ave. N., in Ilwaco will host a class taught by Joe Hochman highlighting hand-made tools for ceramic work.

The class runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Aug 17. Cost is $85.

Hochman eschews store-bought tools and invites students to “walk away with a new trimming tool, the knowledge to make a variety of tools in your own studio, and the confidence to solve problems in the studio with your hands, not your wallet.” 

Hochman is an active-duty U.S. Coast Guard member and avid potter who has created, taught and exhibited in New Mexico, Illinois, Alaska, and North Carolina. With a background in philosophy, he values conversation about pottery, the communities it fosters, and the educational value it holds.

For details, contact Hans Miles at Ilwacoartworks@gmail.com.