A dental magnate and the owner of the nation’s largest personal injury law firm are among the financial backers of the effort hoping to lure Major League Baseball to Orlando.
Rick Workman, the founder of Heartland Dental, has committed to be the “anchor investor” of the Orlando Dreamers, the group confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel.
The Dreamers announced last week they’d raised about $2.5 billion toward the big league pursuit – about $1.5 billion toward acquiring a franchise and another $1 billion toward building a stadium – but hadn’t revealed who was bankrolling the bid, leading to some skepticism about their credibility.
“We think he’s an outstanding choice,” said Jim Schnorf, the CFO of the Orlando Dreamers, of Workman. “That was a very, very deliberate pick.”
Workman, a homeowner in Windermere, founded Heartland Dental in Illinois in 1997. Today it provides administrative services to more than 3,000 doctors in 39 states, according to its website, which claims it is the nation’s largest dental services organization. Schnorf would not say how much money Workman has promised, and Workman couldn’t be reached for comment before publication.
John Morgan, who founded the Orlando-based Morgan & Morgan law firm, also told the Sentinel he would commit “hundreds of millions” of dollars if the group was able to land a team and build the stadium at its desired site on 35.5 acres of county-owned land next to the Aquatica water park on International Drive.
Morgan said he was pitched on the idea by Pat Williams, the longtime sports executive who founded the Orlando Magic and started the Dreamers effort. Williams died last year.
Morgan also said he believes in the leadership of Barry Larkin, the Hall of Fame Cincinnati Reds shortstop who joined the Dreamers as its MLB Ambassador last year.
“Barry Larkin and I have been friends for years and I believe in him …his abilities….and his baseball knowledge,” Morgan said. “I never bet on the horse….I only bet on the jockey.”
Schnorf, a Certified Public Accountant who founded Wall Street Strategic Capital, declined to name other investors tied to the Dreamers. He said they’d be willing to take on more local money into the ownership group if the person was “additive.”
“If the right individual in the very near term presents a compelling interest and qualification, you can add a person to that control group,” he said.
Locally, political support for the endeavor is unclear. Several people working with Dreamers said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings’ staff is aware of their progress, but county leadership has said publicly it has had no meetings with the group. However, Schnorf said a county official originally showed Williams the piece of property where the Dreamers hope to build a domed stadium.
MLB also will require a public-private partnership for any city that hopes to land a franchise, Schnorf said. That could be direct funding, property-tax refunds, infrastructure improvements or another kind of a deal.
“We’re confident that piece of the puzzle is going to be satisfactory,” Schnorf said.
The Dreamers previously sought $975 million from Orange County in Tourist Development Tax money collected from hotel stays toward the stadium, but a county task force instead decided last year to commit about $2 billion toward five other projects.
Schnorf said the group is prepared to pounce if a team were to be put up for sale, or if MLB decides to add new franchises to the league, as has been rumored in coming years.
It’s easy to connect the effort to the Tampa Bay Rays. The team’s owner, Stuart Sternberg, has been reportedly under pressure from other owners and Commissioner Rob Manfred to sell the team, and he recently backed out of a deal to build a $1.3 billion ballpark in St. Petersburg.
The Tampa Bay Times reported the Rays are now free to discuss relocation with other cities to play home games after 2028. The team is playing its home games this year at the minor-league Steinbrenner Field in Tampa after its longtime home, Tropicana Field, was damaged by Hurricane Milton.
The Rays didn’t respond to questions related to selling the team, or to entertaining any meetings with the group from Orlando. MLB also didn’t respond to emailed questions related to the Dreamers.
Schnorf said they’re not going to interfere with clubs and other markets.
“We’re taking the most professional approach possible,” he said. “What we are doing is making all of the appropriate people and organizations aware that Orlando has made this substantial progress … and we’re well suited to host a major league franchise.”
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has said he wants the Rays to stay in the Tampa Bay area, and Gov. Ron DeSantis said the commissioner remains committed to the team remaining in Florida.
“He has given me assurances there’s no way they want to leave Florida, they’re committed to it working here,” DeSantis said in March.
HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth men’s and women’s track and field teams hosted the Ivy vs. America East Challenge, marking their final home meet of the indoor season.
Both teams had impressive finishes, placing first overall. The women wrapped up the meet with a final score of 73.83, while the men finished with a score of 63.
Andie Murray won the women’s 500m, finishing the race in 1:15.39. Emmy Thornton clinched the 800m with a final time of 2:20.65. Claire McDonald placed first in the 3000m with her 9:59.68 mark. Mariella Schweitzer won the 60m hurdles with an impressive 8.67 finish, as well as the long jump with a 5.97 mark.
Charlotte DiRocco secured points for Dartmouth after clearing 1.65m in the high jump, finishing in first place. Similarly, Ellison Weiner cleared 3.65m to clinch first place in the pole vault. As for the throws, Kylee Bennett and Zaneta Pivcova clinched the weight throw and shot put, with 15.41m and 14.54m marks, respectively.
Jack Rousseau won the 400m for the men with his final time of 50.13, followed by Noe Kemper clinching the 800m with a 1:54.31 finish. Michael Bueker, Keion Grieve, Jack Inglis and Jack Intihar clinched the men’s 4×4 with a 3:27.64 finish. As for the jumps, David Adams cleared 4.95m to clinch the pole vault for the Big Green, Intihar clinched the long jump 7.14m mark and Roy Leibovitz won the triple jump with a 15.45m mark, which is good for No. 14 in the nation.
Colton McMaster rounded out the meet for the men, clinching the shot put and weight throw with 17.53m and 19.17m marks, respectively.
The Big Green will return to action when heading to New Haven, Conn., for the annual Dartmouth-Yale-Columbia meet on Saturday, Jan. 17.
A brand-new track and field facility will open in Athens on Feb. 18, aiming to serve both the University of Georgia campus and the local community, according to its athletic department.
Located on South Milledge Avenue, the complex will feature a 400-meter, nine-lane Spec Towns Track with an infield long jump, a triple jump and a pole vault facility. The venue will have a capacity of 2,500 that can accommodate up to 4,000 for select events with a grandstand, a press box, an observation deck, restrooms and concession stands.
The new venue replaces the old one on South Lumpkin Street, which had not hosted an event for the Georgia men’s or women’s track and field team since April 2023. Now, the Bulldogs are slated to host the Spec Towns Invitational at the new complex this April, the Torrin Lawrence Memorial in May and the SEC championships in 2027.
High school competitions will also be held at the new facility with theClassic City Track and Field Invitational scheduled for March, making it the first competition on the venue’s calendar, and the GHSA state track meet in May.
The project, which cost $59.8 million, was funded exclusively by donations and gifts, and will become one of the “premier track and field destinations in the country,” according to the university’s director of athletics Josh Brooks.
“We are excited about the opportunities this facility will create for our athletes, our campus and our community,” Brooks said. “While it will support our student-athletes at the highest level, it will also create opportunities that will bring athletes of all ages to our campus throughout the year.”
The new complex will have a strong emphasis on strengthening ties between the university and local community, as public usage hours will give residents a new place to run and exercise, while big events can boost the local economy through hotel stays and visits to local businesses and restaurants.
“The Classic City Track and Field Invitational in March will mark the first competition in the new facility, bringing a regional high school meet to campus and expanding access to elite facilities for local student-athletes,” Alison McCullick, the university’s director of community relations, said. “In addition to competitions, the space will remain open for walking, running and everyday recreation, making it a year-round asset for the university and Athens.”
LONG BEACH, Calif. — In their collegiate debuts, Jackson Cryst and Jake Pazanti made immediate impacts for Long Beach State men’s volleyball, earning Big West Player of the Week honors following a dominant opening weekend. The Beach opened the 2026 season with two straight-set victories, defeating Lindenwood and McKendree at the Pyramid, as Cryst was named Men’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week and Pazanti earned Long Beach State Freshman of the Week recognition.
Cryst anchored the Long Beach State defense in his first collegiate action, averaging 1.50 blocks per set and totaling nine blocks over the weekend. His presence at the net helped limit opponents to a combined .157 hitting percentage and contributed to the Beach averaging 3.33 blocks per set across the two matches. Cryst also added seven kills on .462 hitting, showing efficiency and composure on both sides of the net.
Pazanti also impressed in his collegiate debut, directing the Long Beach State offense with poise and balance. The freshman setter recorded 58 assists (9.67 per set) while guiding the Beach to a .351 team hitting percentage in the opening weekend.
In addition to his setting responsibilities, Pazanti contributed six kills on .750 hitting, 16 digs, five blocks, and two service aces, impacting the match in every phase during his first career starts.
Long Beach State men’s volleyball returns to action this week with a three-game road stretch through the Buckeye State to face Central State, George Mason and Ohio State as the Beach continue early-season competition following a successful opening weekend.
WESTON, Mass. — Hannah Griffin, Zoe Kirk, and Justin Thuotte each represented the Pride this week in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) weekly awards. Kirk earned her second Rookie of the Week honor of the season, while Griffin collected her first career Track Athlete of the Week award. Thuotte was named Field Athlete of the Week, marking his first honor of the season and the fifth weekly award of his career.
Zoe Kirk continued her strong rookie campaign with a pair of top-10 finishes. She placed third overall in the high jump with a mark of 1.50 meters, setting a new indoor program record and surpassing the previous mark of 1.46 held by teammate Grace Micklon. Kirk also finished ninth in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 9.93.
Hannah Griffin captured the top spot in the 800 meters with a time of 2:44.36, edging her nearest competitor by nearly one second.
Justin Thuotte delivered another standout performance at the Wesleyan Winter Invitational, winning the long jump with a mark of 6.70 meters to set a new indoor program record, besting his own previous mark of 6.65 from the last meet. He also placed third in the triple jump at 12.99 meters and rounded out his day with a 10th-place finish in the weight throw, posting a personal-best mark of 13.59 meters.
Regis track and field stays close to home this weekend, traveling to Brighton, Massachusetts, to compete at the Suffolk Ice Breaker at The Track at New Balance.
MILWAUKEE – Ella Parker has been announced as the newest addition to the Milwaukee volleyball roster, head coach Susie Johnson announced on Monday afternoon.
Parker will join the Panthers this spring after spending the last three semesters at St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., where she was a member of the Red Storm for the past two seasons.
“We are excited to add Ella to our team this spring,” said Johnson. “Having played in the Big East Conference, she has match experience and will bring a lot to our program in the Horizon League. We’re excited that she not only can score points for us but defend as well.”
This past fall, Parker played in 16 matches for St. John’s and recorded 138 kills, along with 10 service aces, 26 digs, and 15 blocks. She posted a season-high 16 kills on Oct. 4 at UConn while hitting .361 and later recorded a season-best .692 hitting percentage with nine kills without an error against LeMoyne earlier in the year.
As a true freshman in 2024, Parker saw action in three matches before an injury ended her season.
Originally from Corrales, New Mexico, Parker was a three-year member of the Cougar volleyball team at Cibola High School in Albuquerque. During her prep career, she earned AVCA Girls High School All-Region honors as both a junior and a senior and was named to the All-American Watch List.
A multiple-time All-State, All-Region, All-Area, and All-Conference selection, Parker was also chosen for the New Mexico Red and Green All-Start Team. She set Cibola program records for both most kills in a season and most kills in a match.
Parker played club volleyball for Duke City Volleyball Academy and competed in beach volleyball with the Albuquerque Beach Volleyball Academy. Away from the court, she was also a competitive swimmer for more than 10 years.
Parker joins fellow transfer Kameron Stover, along with incoming freshmen Olivia Doerre, Emma Duffy, Kayla Landerud, and Hope Wagner as newcomers for the 2026 volleyball season.
PORTLAND, ORE. – The University of Alaska Anchorage had three Seawolves earn GNAC Athlete of the Week honors for indoor track and field.
Liv Heite was named the women’s track athlete of the week. Her top effort was a 60-meter hurdles time of 8.91 seconds, upping her name to third on the GNAC performance list this winter. Heite is the reigning GNAC silver medalist in the event from last season. She also ran 8.09 seconds in the 60 meters, 26.02 seconds in the 200 meters and ran a leg of a UAA 4×400 meter relay squad that posted 3:57.48 minutes to round out her productive weekend. Now in her third season at UAA, Heite is a four-time GNAC medalist earning silver in both the 2024 and 2025 100-meter hurdles (outdoor), silver in the 2025 60-meter hurdles (indoor), and silver in the 2025 400-meter hurdles (outdoor)
“Liv looks like she is ready to pick up where she left off,” said head coach Ryan McWilliams. “She started the season off faster than she did last year and ran consistently over the weekend. I think she is ready to take it to the next level.”
Sarah Dittman was named the women’s field athlete of the week. She kicked things off with a high jump mark of 4-11.75 feet (1.52 meters) and a long jump of 17-4.25 feet (5.29 meters), placing fifth in both events. Each of those marks slotted her fourth among GNAC competitors so far in the indoor season. Dittman also contributed on the track, running a 200 meters time of 26.79 seconds, a 60-meter hurdles time of 10.61 seconds and running a leg of UAA’s 4×400 meter relay unit that posted a time of 4:14.89 minutes.
“Sarah had an encouraging start to her college career,” said head coach Ryan McWilliams. “I am really looking forward to seeing where her growth and development over the course of this season is going to take her.”
Tyler Drake was named the men’s field athlete of the week. His weekend was highlighted by a third-place finish in the long jump, as he cleared 22-3 feet (6.78 meters). That stands as the second-best long jump by a GNAC athlete so far this season. On the track, he posted times of 23.55 seconds in the 200 meters and 8.36 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles.
“Tyler had himself a great start to his college career,” said head coach Ryan McWilliams. “He set personal bests in the hurdles and long jump and moved himself into the top-10 on UAA’s performance list. His long jump start is even more encouraging because of how obvious it is that he still has so much room to grow.”
