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Orange County approves funding to lure Jaguars, other major sporting events

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County commissioners Tuesday voted 6-1 to approve recommendations from the Tourist Development Tax Sports Incentive Committee for approximately $29 million in funding to offset bid fees in an effort to bring five different sporting events to the area over the next six years. What You Need To Know Steve Hogan, CEO of […]

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Orange County approves funding to lure Jaguars, other major sporting events

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County commissioners Tuesday voted 6-1 to approve recommendations from the Tourist Development Tax Sports Incentive Committee for approximately $29 million in funding to offset bid fees in an effort to bring five different sporting events to the area over the next six years.


What You Need To Know

  • Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports asked commissioners to allow him to move forward with an $11 million bid to have the Jacksonville Jaguars call Camping World Stadium their home in 2027
  • Orange County commissioners Tuesday voted 6-1 to approve recommendations from the Tourist Development Tax Sports Incentive Committee
  • Hogan said he will formalize the bid sheet for the Jaguars and have a final conversation with them

Among them is hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars for their home games in 2027 as the team is planning for a new stadium in time for 2028.

In addition to football, there are thoughts about trying to lure events like the WWE’s Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. It’s a move that, if successful, local sports leaders believe will bring in millions of dollars to the area.

More sports in the area is exactly what Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports, is hoping for, as he asked commissioners to allow him to move forward with an $11 million bid to have the Jags call Camping World Stadium their home in 2027.

“Oh, I am ecstatic for this community to get support by the board commissioners for our bid. You know, we all want to win. I hope we’ll have an NFL regular season for the first time in our community in 2027, so I couldn’t be happier for Orlando as a destination,” Hogan said after the vote.

He estimates it could bring upwards of $200 million in economic impact to the area, as eight Jaguars home games could be played in the City Beautiful.

“Even conservatively, thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of about 30,000 fans per game will be from somewhere else and staying overnight in our community, probably tacking on a trip to Universal or Disney or SeaWorld, hanging out and spending money in restaurants for a few days and seeing a great NFL football game,” Hogan said.

Other bids that were funded included the 2025 AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships, the 2026 USA Fencing North America Cup and the Pride Cup. Jason Siegel, President of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, also made a pitch for $18 million to bid for three major WWE events over the next three years and to host WrestleMania in 2031.

“Sometimes the bid process takes five, six, seven years, sometimes the events don’t happen for another five, six, seven years,” Siegel said. “So you’re awarded an event and you still have time before you’re going to have to execute on it.”

Despite the millions of dollars requested for these bids, they all would get pulled from a $10 million allotment that Visit Orlando gets annually from TDT funds. However, commissioners went back and forth discussing if this was the best use for it.

Commissioner Mayra Uribe shared that at least for the time being, she believes that it is due to the visitors these events would bring in.

“Anything we can do to infuse our local economy, I want to support because our local folks need it,” said Uribe, who represents District 3. “We want to make sure people stay employed and we want to make sure businesses stay open, and we want to make sure revenue continues to function in this town.”

While this money will only be used if the bids are accepted, both Siegel and Hogan are confident the sporting world will see what the city has to offer.

“I always want to believe that Orlando is going to win, so I’m super positive,” Hogan said. “So let’s go get this.”

Hogan said he will now formalize the bid sheet for the Jaguars and have a final conversation with them. He shared that from there, there will be internal deliberations, and the NFL owners will make a decision at their owners meeting in May.

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No. 12 Men’s Track & Field at A-R-C Championships: Friday

Story Links INDIANOLA, Iowa– The No. 12 Wartburg men’s track and field team is in first place at the American Rivers Conference outdoor track and field championships with 96.25 points after Friday’s events.   Team Standings: 1            Wartburg                        96.25 2            Dubuque                        56 3            Loras                  […]

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INDIANOLA, Iowa– The No. 12 Wartburg men’s track and field team is in first place at the American Rivers Conference outdoor track and field championships with 96.25 points after Friday’s events.
 
Team Standings:
1            Wartburg                        96.25
2            Dubuque                        56
3            Loras                             54
4            Nebraska Wesleyan     36.25
5            Central                           34
6            Simpson                         25.25
7            Luther                             9.25
8            Coe                                  1
9            Buena Vista                     0
 

Event Wins:

Long Jump

1            Deyton Love                             7.32m 24-00.25

3000m Steeplechase

1            Lance Sobaski                           8:52.46

 

All-Conference Finishers:

10000m

2            Isaiah Hammerand                  30:40.15

3            Michael Goodenbour              30:50.41         

High Jump

2            Tyrell Adams                               1.99m 6-06.25

Long Jump

2            Elliott Bond                                  7.07m 23-2.50

3000m Steeplechase

2            Connor Lancial                            8:55.48

4x800m

2            Wartburg                                      7:42.70 (R. Martin. C. Cruise, A. Housman, B. Roussell)

 

Qualified for Tomorrow’s Finals:

400m Hurdles

1            Deyton Love                                53.45

6            D’Vaughn Hicks                           55.02

800m

2            Carter Cruise                             1:51.37

3            Rylan Martin                               1:52.20

4            Hutton Edney                             1:53.37

6            Aiden Housman                          1:54.22

400m

2            Jensen Clapp                              47.84

8            Ian Neyens                                  49.08

110m Hurdles

4            Deyton Love                                14.44

200m

6            Jensen Clapp                              21.91

 

Notes:

  • This is the 17th title in the 3000m steeplechase in program history
  • This is the fifth title in the long jump in program history
  • This is Love’s sixth career outdoor conference title
  • This is Love’s first career outdoor conference title in the long jump
  • This is Sobaski’s first career outdoor conference title
  • Sobaski’s 3000m steeplechase time breaks the meet record
  • At press time, Love’s long jump stands 10th on the TFRRS list for this season
  • At press time, Lancial’s 3000m steeplechase time stands 13th on the TFRRS list for this season
  • At press time, Mason Lobeck’s shot put (16.33m 53-07.00) stands 21st on the TFRRS list for this season
  • At press time, Cruise’s 800m prelim time stands 26th on the TFRRS list for this season
  • Lancial’s 3000m steeplechase time ranks third on the program’s top 10 list
  • Cruise’s 800m remains fourth on the program’s top 10 list, but he improves his time
  • Lobeck’s shot put ranks sixth on the program’s top 10 list
  • Clapp’s 400m remains sixth on the program’s top 10 list, but he improves his time
  • Daniel Zietlow’s pole vault (4.20m 13-09.25) ranks seventh on the program’s top 10 list
  • Zietlow’s decathlon score (5857 points) ranks eighth on the program’s top 10 list
  • Christian Nunley’s shot put (15.69m 51-05.75) ranks eighth on the program’s top 10 list
  • Martin’s prelim 800m time ranks eighth on the program’s top 10 list

 

Up Next

Events resume at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow in Indianola.

 

 



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Track & Field End Regular Season with Seven First Place Finishes

Story Links Billy Hayes Results Sycamore Open BLOOMINGTON, IND. – Southeast Missouri track & field team ended the 2025 regular season at the Billy Hayes Invite and the Sycamore Open, posting 13 top five finishes, with seven being first place […]

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BLOOMINGTON, IND. – Southeast Missouri track & field team ended the 2025 regular season at the Billy Hayes Invite and the Sycamore Open, posting 13 top five finishes, with seven being first place finishes.

Billy Hayes Results

Madelyn Gray crosses the line at a season best time of 4:31.22 to take the gold in the 1500m.

Cole Reinders timed in at 3:52.52 in the men’s 1500m to finish in sixth.

Clara Billing vaulted over a height of 12′ 11.50″ to claim first in the pole vault.

In the men’s long jump, Luke Hatfield Jackson cleared 24′ 5.75″ of sand for first.

Brianna Dixon cleared hurdles for 100m in 13.87 to stand alone atop the podium.

In the men’s triple jump Kenyon Johnson and Luke Busateri jumped three times for a final distances of 49′ 5.75″ (1st) and 48′ 0.5″ (2nd).

Sycamore Open Results

In the women’s javelin Kennedy Zgaynor ended with the bronze after a mark of 140′ 08″ and Ava Dumke finished in sixth (126′ 11″).

Josiah Kilgore takes the trophy in the javelin after throwing for a season best mark of 200′ 3″.

With a distance of 191′ 2″ Clay Alewelt was wearing the silver in the men’s hammer throw.

Makenzie Williams took the crown and a new personal record (164′ 06″) while Andreese Ortiz achieved a mark of 152′ 0″ for fourth.

In the men’s shot put Paden Lewis and Jehchys Brown placed third and fourth with marks of 59′ 2.25″ and 54′ 5.25″.

Ortiz posts a distance of 41′ 10″ in the women’s shot put for seventh.

Looking Ahead

The Redhawks will host the 2025 Outdoor Ohio Valley Conference track & field championships at the Abe Stuber Track Complex.





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UCLA women’s water polo finds second-half offensive momentum to defeat LMU

INDIANAPOLIS – It wasn’t Spieker Aquatics Center, nor was it the west coast the Bruins have grown accustomed to competing in across their season – but the Eight Clap echoed loud and clear as the team geared up for their first round of NCAA play. No. 2 seed UCLA women’s water polo (20-5, 5-1 MPSF) […]

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INDIANAPOLIS – It wasn’t Spieker Aquatics Center, nor was it the west coast the Bruins have grown accustomed to competing in across their season – but the Eight Clap echoed loud and clear as the team geared up for their first round of NCAA play.

No. 2 seed UCLA women’s water polo (20-5, 5-1 MPSF) took down Loyola Marymount University (20-11, 7-0 West Coast Conference) 11-8 in Friday’s NCAA quarterfinal at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis.

A characteristic of the rest of their games this season, the Bruins struggled to find their footing offensively across the first half of Friday’s match. With four minutes left in the first period, they had yet to register a goal – with multiple off-target shots and an attack that lacked the team’s normal rhythm.

“When you arrive at this part of the year, people have a tendency to treat it differently,” said coach Adam Wright. 

UCLA women’s water polo coach Adam Wright kneels next to the pool to speak to his team. Wright was named the 2025 MPSF Coach of the Year. (Anna Dai-Liu/Daily Bruin senior staff)

That deficit changed when redshirt sophomore utility Sienna Green finally broke through, flipping one in with the back of her hand to put UCLA on the board.

The second period proved different, as time trickled down on the shot clock and attackers struggled to find their target, with the Lions’ goal margin increasing to 4-2. 

Sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Steele held down the team’s defense across their scoring drought, with three saves compared to LMU’s Alyssa Barnuevo’s four. But the Bruins’ All-American wasn’t ready to call it quits yet.

​​Once again, the Bruins’ saving grace came from none other than junior center Bia Mantellato, who scored the team’s third goal to narrow the gap. Just minutes later, it was Mantellato again, notching the fourth goal with two minutes left in the second period.

“We just kept pushing and we kept emphasizing that we had to play our system and our defense,” Mantellato said. “We kept telling each other that we had each other’s backs and that was what gave us the win.”

Members of UCLA women’s water polo gather at the side of the pool for a huddle. The team garnered an 11-8 victory over LMU on Friday. (Anna Dai-Liu/Daily Bruin senior staff)

With under a minute remaining, junior utility Anna Pearson delivered the equalizer, tying it 5-5 and injecting a sliver of hope into the Bruins’ sideline. 

The quarterfinal had quickly become a game of inches rather than miles. In one swift move after the score leveled at 6-6, Wright subbed in nearly four fresh players – looking for any sort of edge. 

But each time the Bruins seemed to seize momentum, attacker Ruth Arino Ruiz, who collected five of the Lions’ total eight goals, would strike again. UCLA refused to fold, answering back with a goal of its own each time.

For the first time during the match, a goal from junior attacker Emma Lineback, who scored almost half of the Bruins’ total points, pushed the team into their first lead of the entire match

“I think Adam says it a lot,” Lineback said. “Your approach on the goal is the only thing that matters. I try to step into it with confidence and if it goes in, it goes in. If it doesn’t, I tried my best and I’m gonna keep attacking.”

Sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Steele extends her arm outwards to block the ball. (Anna Dai-Liu/Daily Bruin senior staff)

UCLA tacked on two more goals to extend its lead to 9-7, with just under a minute left in the third period.

A fourth-period resurgence was exactly what the Bruins needed to finally execute – and they delivered. With three consecutive goals, they held firm and protected their lead. Five focused minutes were all it took to extend the team’s NCAA journey and keep their opportunity at back-to-back championships alive.

“Like I told them at the half, ‘You can find a way and it can be painful or you can just focus on the things we are in control of,’” Wright said.

And although no more goals found the back of the net, the Bruins held their ground defensively for the remainder of the match, preserving their lead to advance to the Saturday semifinal at 11 a.m.

“We got to reset tonight and we know tomorrow we have to be a lot better,” Wright said.



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Women’s Water Polo Falls to USC In NCAA Tournament

Story Links INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Harvard women’s water polo fell to No. 4 USC by a score of 18-7 on Friday evening at the IU Natatorium in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, Harvard battled with the Trojans in a nationally ranked rematch but was […]

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Harvard women’s water polo fell to No. 4 USC by a score of 18-7 on Friday evening at the IU Natatorium in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

In the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, Harvard battled with the Trojans in a nationally ranked rematch but was unable to come out on top, closing out the most successful season in program history.

HOW IT HAPPENED

USC opened the scoring to take a 1-0 lead before Ruby Hodge netted Harvard’s first-ever NCAA Tournament goal from distance. The junior took it herself and beat the Trojans’ goalkeeper short side to tie the game early in the first quarter. USC would respond with three straight goals to lead 4-1.

Hodge added her second goal late in the quarter, picking the corner to cut the lead to two, but USC answered once again in the final seconds to make it 5-2 after eight minutes.

The Trojans extended their lead with five goals in the second quarter. Emma Gilbert scored the lone Crimson goal, a highlight-reel no-look shot after spinning around a defender, making it 10-3 at the half.

Hodge completed her hat trick in the third quarter, and Maya O’Dea added two goals to help Harvard close the gap to 13-6 heading into the final frame.

USC outscored Harvard 5-1 in the fourth quarter, with Erin Kim scoring the Crimson’s final goal of the game.

HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS

 
 



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Track & Field Completes Day Two of Sun Belt Championships

Story Links Harrisonburg, Va. – Coastal Carolina track & field continued the Sun Belt Championship with the a full day of events at Sentara Park on Friday.  Terrique Webb highlighted the day by claiming a silver medal in the men’s long jump with a score of 7.81 meters, the second-best mark in […]

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Harrisonburg, Va. – Coastal Carolina track & field continued the Sun Belt Championship with the a full day of events at Sentara Park on Friday. 

Terrique Webb highlighted the day by claiming a silver medal in the men’s long jump with a score of 7.81 meters, the second-best mark in school history

Amanda Kinloch ran the quickest time in the women’s 100 meter hurdles prelims with a time of 13.28 to secure a top starting position in Saturday’s final. 

Amilia Wise-Sweat and Trey Kraimer each placed second in the women’s and men’s 800 meter prelims. 

Through the first two days, the Chants place seventh in the scoring on both the men and women’s side. 

FULL RESULTS

The Sun Belt Championship concludes tomorrow with the first event starting at noon

For complete coverage of CCU men’s and women’s track and field, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalTFXC (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @coastaltxfc (Instagram) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at goccusports.com 



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Florida State University Athletics

BRIGHTON, Mass. – The top-seeded and No. 8 Florida State softball team (46-8) prevailed in a 3-2 win over No. 20 Duke (38-16) in the ACC Tournament Semifinals to advance to its 27th ACC Championship Game. FSU has now advanced to 27 of the total 34 ACC Championship Games in ACC history.  After two scoreless […]

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BRIGHTON, Mass. – The top-seeded and No. 8 Florida State softball team (46-8) prevailed in a 3-2 win over No. 20 Duke (38-16) in the ACC Tournament Semifinals to advance to its 27th ACC Championship Game. FSU has now advanced to 27 of the total 34 ACC Championship Games in ACC history. 

After two scoreless innings, Duke hit a two-out single and an error by FSU allowed the Blue Devils to get on the board first. 

FSU responded immediately as Krystina Hartley doubled down the right field line to immediately put a runner in scoring position for the Noles. Isa Torres laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line to put runners on the corners for the Noles. Jahni Kerr put a ball in play to the second baseman to allow Hartley to score. Kerr reached safely thanks to a poor throw. Katie Dack brought home Torres on a groundout to give the Noles the lead. 

After Julia Apsel got the start and went 2.2 innings and allowed just three hits, Jazzy Francik came in and shut down the Blue Devils in four innings of work.

Michaela Edenfield helped Francik out with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to provide some insurance for FSU. Duke threatened and had the tying run on third with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Danley came in and got the final out to earn her fourth save of the year. Francik earned the win to improve to 10-2 this season. 

FSU will play the winner of Virginia Tech and Clemson tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. 

For updates and exclusive content, follow the Seminoles on X (FSU_Softball), Instagram (fsusoftball) and Facebook (Florida State Seminoles Softball).



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