Sports

Track and Field Wrap up Regular Season; Sacha Moves up in Program All-Time Performances

Story Links NASHVILLE – SIUE track and field wrapped up their regular season yesterday with Vanderbilt’s Music City Challenge. The Cougars saw strong performances across the board. Konrad Sacha placed fourth in the men’s 400m at 47.44. This moves him from fifth to fourth in the programs all-time outdoor […]

Published

1 week ago

May 5, 2025

Your Sports Nation

NASHVILLE – SIUE track and field wrapped up their regular season yesterday with Vanderbilt’s Music City Challenge. The Cougars saw strong performances across the board.

Konrad Sacha placed fourth in the men’s 400m at 47.44. This moves him from fifth to fourth in the programs all-time outdoor performances.

Drew Tucker claimed first in the men’s high jump at 2.00m (6-6 3/4).

Taylor Lehman placed second in the men’s 400m hurdles at 53.35.

Vashanti Reynolds placed second in the women’s 100m hurdles at 13.88.

Grant Milbrath placed fourth in the men’s hammer throw at 58.65m (192-5). He also placed third in the men’s shot put at 15.98m (52-5).

Maryiah Menicucci places second in the women’s hammer throw at 45.08m (147-11). She also competed in the women’s shot-put placing sixth at 12.28m (40-3)

THROWS
Gabby Yaccino placed eight in the women’s discus at 39.96m (131-1). Also competing was Allison Sanders (14th/37.04/121-6) and Abigail Irvin (18th/31.78/104-3).

Also competing in the men’s hammer throw was Joel Degracia placing 12th at 43.78m (143-8).

Sanders also competed in the women’s hammer throw where she placed sixth at 45.96m (150-9) and was followed by Gabby Yaccino in seventh at 44.36m (145-6).

Abigail Irvin competed in the women’s shot put placing 19th at 8.63m.

JUMPS
Sheena Cumberbatch placed 10th in the women’s long jump at 5.35m. She also competed in the women’s triple jump placing 10th at 11.32m (37-1).

Zaria Searcy tied for seventh in the women’s high jump at 1.62m (5-3). Also competing in the women’s high jump was Harper Smith who tied for ninth at 1.50m (4-11).

SPRINTS & HURDLES
Jazmin West placed fourth in the women’s 100m at 12.24. Also competing was Darrell Rice (18th/12.97).

In the women’s 100m hurdles Kaylee Allen placed 11th at 12.29

Also competing in the women’s 100m hurdles was Mia Jackson, she placed fifth at 14.33.

In the women’s 400m hurdles was Megan Derrick who places 16th at 1:06.77 and Kennedy Williams in 18th at 1:08.30.

Also competing in the men’s 400m hurdles was Simon McClaine. He placed fifth at 54.25. McClaine also competed in the men’s 110m hurdles placing sixth at 14.87.

Mia Jackson placed 17th in the women’s 200m, crossing the finish line at 24.54. Following her was Kaylee Allen (25th/25.14) and Jazmin West (31st/25.33).

In the men’s 200m Konrad Sacha placed 11th at 21.63. Also competing was Chase Burston who placed 30th at 22.45.

Also competing in the men’s 400m was Chase Burston in 19th at 50.49.

DISTANCE & MID-DISTANCE
For the women’s 3000m Kinze Shea placed sixth at 10:21.10.

In the women’s 3000m steeplechase Mia Loafman finished in 12th at 11.43.76. She was followed by Courtney Anthonies in 15th at 12:54.76.

Tanner Emerson competed in the men’s 3000m steeple chase placing seventh at 9:41.79.

Emilee Franklin ran the women’s 1500m placing 41st at 4:54.67. Following her was Ana Keller in 44th at 4:56.53.

In the men’s 1500m D’Andre Watson finished in 34th at 3:59.89. Following him was Logan Luttrell (38th/4:12.62), Jackson Edwards (39th/4:12.03) and Tyler Guthrie (41st/4:15.98).

Sophia Harrison ran the women’s 5000m placing 20th at 17:53.62. Erica Woodard followed in 33rd at 18:53.50.

Harrison also ran the women’s 800m placing 47th at 2:26.41.

RELAYS
For the men’s 4x100m Konnor Bouman, Jonah Grawer, Simon McClaine and Chase Burston placed third at 43.24m.

UP NEXT
The Cougars prepare for the Ohio Valley Outdoor Championships. This will be a three day event starting May 15th and wrapping up May 17th.

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Sports

Swimming SA and private body in legal fight for soul of local water polo

A private organisation wanting to uplift water polo has told the Cape Town high court that Swimming SA (SSA) has failed to advance the sport locally, especially “at an elite level”. SSA, the national federation responsible for the aquatics disciplines of swimming, water polo, diving and artistic swimming, is seeking an interdict against newly launched […]

Published

52 minutes ago

May 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

A private organisation wanting to uplift water polo has told the Cape Town high court that Swimming SA (SSA) has failed to advance the sport locally, especially “at an elite level”.

SSA, the national federation responsible for the aquatics disciplines of swimming, water polo, diving and artistic swimming, is seeking an interdict against newly launched SA Water Polo (SAWP), an NPO.

SSA’s action, in which 14 respondents have been named, is being heard on Wednesday.

In heads of argument, SSA accuses SAWP, the first respondent, of trying to usurp its functions and interfering in the running of the sport.

It says its status as the only national aquatics authority is recognised by the National Sport and Recreation Act, the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) and the international governing body World Aquatics.

SSA also cited a legal precedent to bolster its argument that only a single federation could run a sport in the country. “[SSA] is the only national federation for the sport of swimming recognised locally as well as internationally.”

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Sports

US Ski & Snowboard lands 'US$100m' Stifel sponsorship extension

US Ski & Snowboard has extended its partnership with financial services firm Stifel in a deal described as the largest sponsorship in the national governing body’s history. Contract: New deal runs from May 2026 until April 2034 Stifel will continue as title sponsor of US ski team and exclusive financial services partner of US Ski […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

US Ski & Snowboard lands 'US$100m' Stifel sponsorship extension

US Ski & Snowboard has extended its partnership with financial services firm Stifel in a deal described as the largest sponsorship in the national governing body’s history.

Contract:

New deal runs from May 2026 until April 2034
Stifel will continue as title sponsor of US ski team and exclusive financial services partner of US Ski & Snowboard
Company’s branding will feature on team uniforms and signage at US events, as well as across digital and broadcast platforms

Context:

The financial terms of the deal have not been made public, but Reuters reports that the agreement is worth close to US$100 million, making it the most lucrative sponsorship in US Ski & Snowboard’s history.

The renewal comes after Stifel, which first partnered with US Ski & Snowboard in 2022, reported record revenues of US$4.97 billion for 2024, which also saw the company’s share price rise 56.4 per cent over the course of the year.

The extension ensures that Stifel will continue to be associated with the US ski team in the build-up to a home Winter Olympics in 2034, when the event is set to return to Salt Lake City. The partnership spans three editions of the Games in total, also including Milan-Cortina 2026 and French Alps 2030.

Comment:

“As we look ahead to three Olympic and Paralympic Games, including a home Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 Games, this extended partnership with Stifel represents a generational investment in our teams and our athletes,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, president and chief executive of US Ski & Snowboard.

“Stifel’s support has also enabled us to implement innovative new initiatives that are having a direct impact on the organisation. From World Cup podiums to grassroots development, Stifel’s belief in the power of sport and our athletes has been a game-changer.”

Coming next:

As part of the renewal, Stifel will also be launching a new performance bonus programme, which will reward athletes and coaches based on their results during the season.

Get access to richer content, exclusive reports, unparalleled business intelligence, and community benefits to help you navigate the next frontier of sport and make more informed decisions with a SportsPro+ Premium membership. Discover more here.

Sports

Minor League Transactions, April 26–May 11, 2025

This installment collects all transactions involving minor league players, i.e. those not on 40-man rosters, for the period April 26 to May 11. As always, transactions are conveyed by Major League Baseball. The abbreviation that follows player listings refer to minor league level: Triple-A (AAA), Double-A (AA), High-A (A+), Low-A (A), Rookie-level Complex League (R) […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Minor League Transactions, April 26–May 11, 2025

The abbreviation that follows player listings refer to minor league level: Triple-A (AAA), Double-A (AA), High-A (A+), Low-A (A), Rookie-level Complex League (R) or Dominican Summer League (DSL)

Arizona Diamondbacks
Signed: C Michael Perez (AAA)
Released: RHP Brandon Bielak (AAA)
Released: RHP Reinel Caicedo (DSL)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Scott McGough
Added to 40-man roster: LHP Jose Castillo
Designated for assignment: RHP J.P. Feyereisen

Athletics
Signed: RHP Andinson Ferrer (R)
Released: C Angel Rivera (R)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Carlos Duran

Atlanta Braves
Signed: RHP Ian Anderson (AAA)
Signed: RHP Jesse Chavez (AAA)
Signed: RHP Zach Thompson (AAA)
Signed: LHP Austin Cox (AAA)
Released: RHP Jorge Juan (AA)
Released: RHP Chad Kuhl (AAA)
Released: 2B Carlos Arroyo (A+)
Released: OF Jake Marisnick (AAA)
Added to 40-man roster: SS Luke Williams
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Ian Anderson
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Jesse Chavez
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Zach Thompson
Removed from 40-man roster: OF Eddie Rosario
Designated for assignment: RHP Zach Thompson
Elected free agency: RHP Jesse Chavez
Elected free agency: RHP Zach Thompson
Elected free agency: OF Eddie Rosario

Baltimore Orioles
Signed: OF Starlin Mieses (DSL)
Released: RHP Brayner Sanchez (A)
Added to 40-man roster: C Maverick Handley
Added to 40-man roster: 3B Emmanuel Rivera
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Matthew Bowman
Removed from 40-man roster: LHP Walter Pennington
Designated for assignment: LHP Walter Pennington
Transferred to full-season IL: RHP Eddy Alberto (A)
Transferred to full-season IL: RHP Yonatan Pineda (R)
Transferred to full-season IL: RHP Patrick Reilly (AA)

Boston Red Sox
Signed: RHP Jay Allmer (A)
Released: RHP Cristian Nunez (R)
Added to 40-man roster: 2B Abraham Toro
Acquired: RHP John Holobetz (A) from Brewers as player to be named for RHP Quinn Priester (AAA)

Chicago Cubs
Signed: RHP Tommy Romero (R)
Released: RHP Yovanny Cabrera (A+)
Released: RHP Carlo Reyes (A+)
Released: RHP Trevor Richards (AAA)
Released: RHP Jeral Vizcaino (A)
Released: LHP Angel Hernandez (A+)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Chris Flexen
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Cade Horton

Chicago White Sox
Signed: RHP Kevin Davis (R)
Signed: RHP Penn Murfee (AAA)
Signed: LHP Tyler Gilbert (AAA)
Signed: LHP Max Roberts (R)
Released: OF Greg Jones (AAA)
Released: OF Cal Mitchell (AAA)
Acquired: RHP Evan McKendry (AAA) from Brewers for cash considerations
Traded: 3B Edrick Felix (R) to Blue Jays for cash considerations
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Caleb Freeman
Added to 40-man roster: 1B Tim Elko
Added to 40-man roster: OF Nick Maton
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Penn Murfee
Removed from 40-man roster: 3B Bobby Dalbec
Removed from 40-man roster: OF Nick Maton
Elected free agency: 3B Bobby Dalbec

Cincinnati Reds
Signed: RHP Jefersson Marte (DSL)
Signed: LHP Iker Redona (DSL)
Traded: RHP Andrew Moore (AA) to Padres for OF Connor Joe (AAA)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Chase Petty
Transferred to full-season IL: RHP Shawn Guilliams (A)

Cleveland Guardians
Signed: RHP Jesus Luna (A)
Signed: RHP Triston McKenzie (AAA)
Signed: LHP Joey Cantillo (AAA)
Signed: SS Angel Abreu (DSL)
Acquired: RHP Matt Festa (AAA) from Rangers for cash considerations
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Matt Festa
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Vince Velasquez
Added to 40-man roster: LHP Kolby Allard
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Triston McKenzie
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Vince Velasquez

Colorado Rockies
Released: RHP Ruver Flores (DSL)
Released: LHP Lewis Valerio (DSL)
Released: IF Diego Felix (DSL)
Released: OF Wuilker Cumare (DSL)
Added to 40-man roster: LHP Ryan Rolison
Added to 40-man roster: SS Alan Trejo
Removed from 40-man roster: LHP Lucas Gilbreath
Designated for assignment: LHP Lucas Gilbreath

Detroit Tigers
Signed: RHP Ryan Boyer (AA)
Signed: RHP Pedro Garcia (R)
Signed: RHP Ryan Harvey (R)
Signed: LHP Nick Margevicius (AAA)
Released: LHP Andrew Chafin (AAA)
Removed from 40-man roster: OF Manuel Margot
Transferred to full-season IL: LHP Paul Wilson (A)

Houston Astros
Signed: RHP Tyler Ras (A)
Signed: RHP Cody Tucker (A+)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP AJ Blubaugh

Kansas City Royals
Signed: RHP Steve Nogosek (AAA)
Signed: RHP Trevor Richards (AAA)
Signed: OF Rudy Martin (AA)
Released: LHP Austin Cox (AAA)
Released: C Kale Emshoff (AA)
Released: OF Nick Gordon (AAA)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Taylor Clarke
Added to 40-man roster: C Luke Maile
Placed on full-season IL: RHP Isaiah Jackson (R)
Transferred to full-season IL: RHP Anthony Simonelli (AAA)
Transferred to full-season IL: LHP Tyson Guerrero (AAA)
Transferred to full-season IL: OF Connor Scott (AA)

Los Angeles Angels
Signed: RHP Buck Farmer (R)
Signed: RHP Sean Poppen (R)
Signed: RHP Hunter Strickland (AAA)
Signed: 3B J.D. Davis (AAA)
Signed: OF Liordanys Menendez (DSL)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Shaun Anderson
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Connor Brogdon
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Jose Fermin
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Hector Neris
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Touki Toussaint
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Carl Edwards Jr.
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Touki Toussaint
Removed from 40-man roster: 3B J.D. Davis
Elected free agency: RHP Carl Edwards Jr.
Elected free agency: 3B J.D. Davis

Los Angeles Dodgers
Signed: OF Nick Senzel (AA)
Released: RHP Jesus Luna (A+)
Released: OF Chris Alleyne (AA)

Miami Marlins
Released: RHP MD Johnson (AA)
Released: RHP Jean Reyes (R)

Milwaukee Brewers
Signed: LHP Bryan Hudson (AAA)
Traded: RHP John Holobetz (A) to Red Sox as player to be named for RHP Quinn Priester (AAA)
Traded: RHP Evan McKendry (AAA) to White Sox for cash considerations
Added to 40-man roster: OF Daz Cameron
Transferred to full-season IL: RHP Daniel Corniel (A+)
Transferred to full-season IL: LHP Brandon Knarr (AA)

Minnesota Twins
Signed: RHP Agustin Campusano (DSL)
Signed: RHP Matt Canterino (AAA)
Signed: RHP Cole Percival (A+)
Released: RHP Juan Mendez (A+)
Transferred to full-season IL: RHP Matt Canterino (AAA)

New York Mets
Signed: LHP Colin Poche (AAA)
Signed: C Yeider Mindiola (DSL)
Released: RHP Yoandri Gonzalez (DSL)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Ty Adcock
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Chris Devenski
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Blade Tidwell
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Jose Ureña
Added to 40-man roster: LHP Genesis Cabrera
Added to 40-man roster: LHP Brandon Waddell
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Jose Ureña
Elected free agency: RHP Jose Ureña

New York Yankees
Signed: RHP Jon Olsen (AA)
Signed: C Jose Lavagnino (DSL)
Signed: SS Emmanuel Orozco (DSL)
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Carlos Carrasco
Placed on full-season IL: RHP Jerson Alejandro (R)
Placed on full-season IL: RHP Jorge Luna (R)
Placed on full-season IL: RHP Sabier Marte (R)

Philadelphia Phillies
Released: RHP Jose Cuas (AAA)
Released: C Colton Bender (AA)
Traded: RHP Enrique Segura (R) to Rangers for RHP Daniel Robert (DFA)

Pittsburgh Pirates
Signed: RHP Angel Rosado (DSL)
Released: RHP Daviel Castillo (DSL)
Released: RHP Francis Reyes (DSL)
Released: LHP Jarlen De La Paz (DSL)
Released: IF Anthony Sosa (DSL)
Released: OF Solomon Maguire (A)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Tanner Rainey

St. Louis Cardinals
Signed: RHP Efren Alvarez (DSL)
Released: RHP Emisael Carrera (DSL)
Released: RHP Justin Hernandez (R)
Added to 40-man roster: SS Jose Barrero
Designated for assignment: RHP Ryan Loutos
Placed on full-season IL: RHP Brian Holiday (R)
Transferred to full-season IL: RHP Sem Robberse (AAA)

San Diego Padres
Released: RHP Andrew Bellatti (AAA)
Released: LHP Austin Davis (AAA)
Traded: OF Connor Joe (AAA) to Reds for RHP Andrew Moore (AA)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP David Morgan
Removed from 40-man roster: 1B Yuli Gurriel
Elected free agency: 1B Yuli Gurriel

San Francisco Giants
Signed: 3B Devin Mann (AA)
Signed: IF Dayson Croes (R)
Signed: OF Daniel Johnson (AAA)
Signed: OF Cal Mitchell (AA)
Released: RHP Daniel Blair (A+)
Released: RHP Cody Tucker (A+)
Released: LHP Tommy Kane (A+)
Released: LHP Enny Romero (AAA)
Released: OF Matt Higgins (AA)
Released: OF Rodolfo Nolasco (AA)
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Lou Trivino
Elected free agency: RHP Lou Trivino

Seattle Mariners
Signed: RHP Andrew Carson (R)
Signed: RHP Casey Lawrence (R)
Signed: RHP Noah Manning (R)
Signed: RHP Bryan Shaw (AAA)
Signed: LHP Jacob Denner (R)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Logan Evans
Added to 40-man roster: 2B Samad Taylor
Added to 40-man roster: OF Rhylan Thomas
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Sauryn Lao
Designated for assignment: RHP Luis F. Castillo
Designated for assignment: RHP Sauryn Lao

Tampa Bay Rays
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Connor Seabold
Added to 40-man roster: OF Travis Jankowski
Transferred to full-season IL: RHP Alfredo Zarraga (AA)
Transferred to full-season IL: 1B Brady Marget (A)

Texas Rangers
Signed: LHP Ty Blach (R)
Signed: C Kale Emshoff (AAA)
Signed: 2B Ezequiel Duran (AAA)
Released: RHP David Buchanan (AAA)
Released: RHP Hunter Strickland (AAA)
Released: OF Jose De Jesus (A)
Traded: RHP Matt Festa (AAA) to Guardians for cash considerations
Traded: RHP Daniel Robert (DFA) to Phillies for RHP Enrique Segura (R)
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Dane Dunning
Added to 40-man roster: C Tucker Barnhart
Added to 40-man roster: 1B Blaine Crim
Added to 40-man roster: OF Sam Haggerty
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Dane Dunning
Removed from 40-man roster: SS Nick Ahmed
Designated for assignment: RHP Daniel Robert
Elected free agency: SS Nick Ahmed

Toronto Blue Jays
Signed: RHP Jacob Barnes (AAA)
Released: RHP Ryan Boyer (AA)
Released: C Matt Whatley (AAA)
Released: SS Michael Turconi (AAA)
Acquired: 3B Edrick Felix (R) from White Sox for cash considerations
Added to 40-man roster: RHP Braydon Fisher
Added to 40-man roster: LHP Eric Lauer
Added to 40-man roster: 2B Michael Stefanic
Removed from 40-man roster: RHP Casey Lawrence
Designated for assignment: RHP Dillon Tate
Designated for assignment: OF Steward Berroa
Elected free agency: RHP Casey Lawrence

Washington Nationals
Signed: RHP Parker Dunshee (AAA)
Signed: RHP Euri Montero (R)
Signed: RHP Adrian Sampson (AAA)
Released: RHP Dawson Hall (A+)
Released: RHP Adrian Ogando (R)
Released: LHP Garvin Alston (AAA)
Released: C Jermaine Maricuto (R)
Released: OF Stone Garrett (AAA)
Removed from 40-man roster: LHP Colin Poche
Elected free agency: LHP Colin Poche
Transferred to full-season IL: RHP Brendan Collins (A+)

Sports

BACK-TO-BACK: Men’s Track & Field Wins 2nd Straight Outdoor Title, SWAC Track Trifecta

Story Links BATON ROUGE, La. – The Texas Southern men’s track & field team made history once again with its second consecutive SWAC Outdoor Championship Tuesday night. TSU won the title with 136 total points as they held off a late charge from Jackson State. With the win, TSU becomes […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Texas Southern men’s track & field team made history once again with its second consecutive SWAC Outdoor Championship Tuesday night.

TSU won the title with 136 total points as they held off a late charge from Jackson State. With the win, TSU becomes the first SWAC men’s track & field program since 2001-02 and 2002-03 to win back-to-back trifectas (cross country, indoor/outdoor track & field).

TSU started off day one (Sunday) strong as Jalen Walker won the hammer with a throw of 195-1 feet followed by Blaine Nunn’s personal-best and third-place mark of 177-1 feet. Trevon Hill would place seventh after a throw of 164-3 feet. Malachi Byrd finished third in the javelin as he threw 167-04 feet while Jaden Brooks placed fifth (164-03) and Hill seventh (160-0).

In the Sunday night distance run, Manuel Garza and Gael Flores placed fourth (32:52.57) and seventh in the 10,000 (33:46.57) to earn seven points.

On Monday, the throwing unit shined again as Walker (52-7.25), Hill (51-6.25) and Nunn (51-2.25) finished (2-3-4) in the shot put. Byrd returned to the podium with a second-place finish in the decathlon as he won the 110-meter hurdles while placing second in the shot put, pole vault, long jump, 1,500 and 400-meter runs. In the nightcap, David Livingston earned his first career SWAC Championship in the steeplechase as he ran 9:39.38. Jeremiah Barrera placed third in the event after running 9:53.60.

Adam Hines started off the third and final day of competition by winning his second straight SWAC Pole Vault Championship as the sophomore jumped 15-5.75 feet. Ian Charles (13-6.25) and Byrd (13-0.25) also picked up points as they placed fifth and seventh, respectively. Walker and Brooks placed fourth (154-01) and sixth (149-05), respectively in the discus while Braylon Carr finished sixth in the triple jump (49-05).

Brandon Adolphus finished fifth in the 1,500 with a personal-best time of 3:58.91 while Donyea Jarmon placed sixth (14.21) in the 110-meter hurdles. Isaac Henderson (10.44) placed fifth in the 100 while David Livingston (15:37.58), Manuel Garza (15:55.7) and Gael Flores (16:38.92) combined to earn 11 critical points in the 5,000 as they finished third, fifth and eighth, respectively.

Several individuals will await their next destination as the NCAA West Regionals will take place in College Station, Texas May 28-31.

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Sports

WNBA expansion and stars like Caitlin Clark fuel surge in women's sports interest

Those who follow women’s pro sports are more casual, tending to say they attend or watch games occasionally rather than frequently. WASHINGTON — When Meghan Sells heads to Providence Park to watch Oregon’s professional women’s soccer team, she finds herself among a fairly mixed crowd — groups of young women, dads bringing their children, youth […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

WNBA expansion and stars like Caitlin Clark fuel surge in women's sports interest

Those who follow women’s pro sports are more casual, tending to say they attend or watch games occasionally rather than frequently.

WASHINGTON — When Meghan Sells heads to Providence Park to watch Oregon’s professional women’s soccer team, she finds herself among a fairly mixed crowd — groups of young women, dads bringing their children, youth players checking out the Thorns’ latest match.

The physician’s assistant is a self-described lifelong sports fan and former softball player who “will watch any sport.” That includes both collegiate and professional sports for women, putting Sells squarely in a fan base that suddenly has more options than ever before and is seen as fertile ground for teams and advertisers eager to ride the rising interest in the women’s game.

About 3 in 10 U.S. adults follow women’s professional or college sports “extremely,” “very” or “somewhat” closely, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s lower than the share who follow men’s sports by the same measurements — about half — but it also shows that Sells is far from alone.

As interest and investment in women’s sports have picked up in recent years, so have the entry points for fans. The meteoric rise of Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa phenom-turned-WNBA star, helped bring wider attention to women’s basketball, and increased streaming availability, international success and name, image and likeness deals have elevated the value and viewership of women’s sports.

“Growing up, I feel like the only sports I was able to really see on TV were men’s — which is fine, I like men’s sports,” Sells said. “But I enjoy watching women’s sports more. … I think the more that you see it on TV, the more you’re going to have younger people interested in it.”

The poll found that women’s sports fans — those who follow women’s sports at least “somewhat” closely — are different from men’s sports fans. Fans of women’s sports, while not a majority-female group, are more gender balanced than men’s sports fans. Those who follow women’s pro sports also are more casual in their fandom than men’s pro sports fans, tending to say they attend or watch games occasionally rather than frequently. People who follow men’s sports, by contrast, are more likely to identify attachments to teams as opposed to players.

The survey was conducted just before the start of the 2025 WNBA season, an expansion year for the league. Coming off a season in which attendance records were set (and reset ), the league will debut a new franchise — the Golden State Valkyries — and up the number of regular season games from 40 to 44.

In 2026, two additional teams will join the league, including one in Portland, Oregon. Sells, who’s been in the city for about a decade, said she is prepared to get season tickets.

Different fan bases

Men’s sports at both the collegiate and professional levels remain more popular than women’s sports, the poll found. About one-third of U.S. adults said they watch, listen to or read about men’s collegiate sports at least “somewhat” closely, and more than 4 in 10 say they follow men’s pro sports. By contrast, about 2 in 10 say they follow women’s collegiate sports at least “somewhat” closely, and a similar share say they follow women’s pro sports.

A greater share of men than women say they follow professional or collegiate sports overall, but the gender balance was more even among women’s sports fans. Around half of fans of women’s sports are male, the survey found, compared with about two-thirds of fans of men’s sports.

This could be in part due to the overlap between the fandoms: About 90% of U.S. adults who follow women’s sports at least “somewhat” closely also say the same about men’s sports, though about half of people who follow men’s sports said they also followed women’s sports.

As women’s sports increase in popularity and accessibility, a relatively large share are casual fans. While close to 9 in 10 of both men’s and women’s pro sports fans say they frequently or occasionally watch, listen to or read about their respective professional sports, a higher percentage of women’s sports fans say they are only occasional consumers.

That includes people like Matthew Behr, 58, a lifelong fan of the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers in his home state of Wisconsin. He doesn’t watch a lot of basketball, he said, but when the sport crosses into news coverage, he will read up on it.

That’s how he started following Clark, whose final seasons at Iowa were credited with bringing new viewers to the sport and who now plays for the Indiana Fever.

“I was seeing it on MSNBC,” he said. “I don’t watch a lot of basketball. It’s not a men’s and women’s thing. If she was playing in a women’s football league, I’d probably watch that.”

Attending games

Men’s sports — with larger leagues, bigger TV deals and a more expansive media ecosystem — have a more fervent audience. About two-thirds of men’s sports fans said they “frequently” or “occasionally” attend a professional sporting event in person, compared with roughly half of women’s sports fans.

One possible reason women’s sports fans aren’t showing up at sporting events is they’re less likely to be attached to a specific team. Only about one-third of women’s sports fans said the teams they support or follow are “extremely” or “very” important to why they follow the sport. For men’s fans, the figure was around 50%.

However, nearly identical shares of men’s and women’s sports fans said that certain athletes they support were at least “very” important to why they follow women’s sports.

Bernard Seltzer, a high school administrator and math and science teacher in Tampa, Florida, considers himself a general sports fan and said he enjoys watching the most skillful athletes, regardless of their gender. Even at the high school level, he is impressed by the finesse he sees female athletes demonstrate.

“Sometimes it’s more impressive than watching masculine people banging their heads against the wall,” he said.

The AP-NORC poll of 1,260 adults was conducted April 17-21, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

Sports

Cecilie Moe Weinreich (DEN): Long-serving star Canoe Polo player – and coach

In the national team when 18, and now aged 30, Cecilie Moe Weinreich has been at the top of the tree in women’s Canoe Polo for a very long time. “From 2012 to 2015 I was a player, from 2015 to 2019 I was the captain and from 2020 to 2023 I was actually a […]

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3 hours ago

May 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In the national team when 18, and now aged 30, Cecilie Moe Weinreich has been at the top of the tree in women’s Canoe Polo for a very long time. “From 2012 to 2015 I was a player, from 2015 to 2019 I was the captain and from 2020 to 2023 I was actually a player and a coach at the same time,” she tells. “I was not ready to quit playing in 2020, so I balanced both roles for four years.”

“We have a coach on land this year, and I am very grateful to be able to focus on my playing, and interacting with the team solely as a team-mate.”

For Weinreich, pure enjoyment now carries high priority: “Not that I didn’t enjoy it previously – I did! But to prolong my time in the sport I try to absorb all the great things like the fun of a game, an important victory and maybe most importantly the social bond and the freedom. Playing Canoe Polo, I forget all else in life. I am just there, in the moment, giving all I have. I try to enjoy that feeling and just enjoy that my life dream, of competing in The World Games, is coming true.”

Denmark’s clear target for The World Games

With a Golden Goal win against Great Britain at the World Championships 2024 in China, Denmark’s women’s team secured 7th place and thereby the last qualifying place for The World Games 2025. The big target is to reach the semi-final. The seven other women’s teams competing in Chengdu are China, Germany, Iran, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.

“In 2023, my last year as a player-coach, we managed to get 5th at the European Championships, the highest ever placement for the team. We were very close to reaching the semi-final – and it is definitely within reach now,” says Weinreich. “Five years ago, it seemed impossible that we could ever qualify for The World Games. But here we are! A hard and solid team effort!”

“I’m proud of my achievements as a coach”

“Canoe Polo is a very small sport, and sometimes it can be hard to find qualified volunteers that can help for example with coaching. Combining playing and coaching was very tough, but also very rewarding. I am so grateful for all that I have learned about myself, team sports and coaching during this period,” says Weinreich.

“But it was also very taxing on a personal level, and it cost me a lot of energy to balance the role of playing and coaching at the same time.”

“Even though I know I made some mistakes from time to time, I always aimed to do what was best for the team, and therefore I am very proud of what I achieved with the national team as the player-coach.”

She is typical of the thousands of devoted individuals in small sports, who make great sacrifices because of pure love for the sport, despite no salary.

Team tactics matter

“For our sport, technique and tactics are very important. We can do technical drills both on land and in the kayak, and tactics are best studied on land by watching and analyzing games and situations – then using the analysis on water during our training sessions. We do spend a good amount of time talking tactics and practicing. It is vital to be a good team!”

“We do consider each opponent separately,” continues Weinreich, “but it is different from team to team and coach to coach how much the opponent is studied. When I was coaching, we tried to develop Excel sheets with statistics from other teams and players, so we could write down ‘Number 1 from Switzerland shoots like this – so we can block her shot like that’. That’s my own ideal approach.”

And so to Chengdu

“Our strongest opponents are probably the Dutch, Italian and Spanish teams,” concludes Weinreich.

“They are in our group, and we want a good start in the group, for a better quarter-final opponent. But I believe anything can happen at The World Games. It really depends on who shows up with the right mental game.”

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