The First Whistle: The End... Unless

The University of Tennessee and adidas announced a 10-year partnership beginning July 1, 2026, making adidas the official footwear, uniform, apparel, and sideline partner of UT Athletics. The agreement reunites the two sides for the first time since 2014 and includes major investments in NIL opportunities for all 20 varsity programs, positioning Tennessee as a flagship school within adidas’ roster. Leaders from both sides emphasized the deal’s role in supporting Tennessee’s athletic resurgence under AD Danny White, which has seen all varsity teams reach postseason play in consecutive years. The partnership will also preserve UT’s iconic uniform design through its Tennessee Creative team while introducing new adidas products for athletes and fans.

🟧 Read full University of Tennessee Athletics article here

Colleges are increasingly turning to corporate executives rather than traditional sports administrators to lead athletic departments, reflecting the growing complexity and business demands of college sports. Stanford’s recent hire of former Nike and PayPal CEO John Donahoe as their athletic director highlights this shift, with leaders in the space predicting more schools will follow. Institutions such as South Florida are even rebranding the role as “CEO of Athletics” to emphasize the need for enterprise-level leadership. Advocates argue business leaders bring strategic and financial expertise suited to this new landscape. Challenges, including lower pay compared to corporate CEO roles and the need to align with university stakeholders, remain as they explore this new approach. While most Power 4 athletic directors still come from traditional backgrounds, hires like Donahoe suggest a slow but notable trend toward corporate leadership in college sports.

👨‍💼 Read full Sportico article here

Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian has backed Jump, a ticketing and fan experience platform founded in 2021 by Marc Lore, Alex Rodriguez and Jordy Leiser. Jump recently raised $23 million in Series A funding led by Ohanian’s firm, bringing total investment to $58 million and valuing the company at over $100 million. The platform offers fans a unified system to purchase tickets, concessions, and merchandise while eliminating costly fees and adding features like group packages. Already partnered with four professional franchises, including the North Carolina Courage and Minnesota Timberwolves, Jump operates on a licensing and transaction-based revenue model. Early results show reduced costs and increased ticket sales for clients, fueling optimism that Jump can modernize game-day revenues and attract more teams. Leiser and investors see the platform as meeting a long-overdue need in sports business.

📈 Read full Forbes article here

The University of Oklahoma is introducing a new revenue stream through its “Sooner Magic Memories” program, which allows fans to purchase unique gameday experiences, including a seat at head coach Brent Venables’ postgame press conference. Other options include pregame photos on the 50-yard line, delivering the game ball, and joining the high-five tunnel. The initiative comes as athletic departments seek additional income to cover revenue-sharing costs tied to the House v. NCAA settlement, which requires schools to distribute about $20.5 million to athletes in the first year. Prices for press conference access vary by opponent, ranging from about $462 for the sold-out Illinois State opener to nearly $700 for the Michigan matchup. Availability is currently limited to the Sooners’ first three home games of 2025. While rare in college football, similar press conference access has previously been sold by organizations like WWE.

🏈 Read full Front Office Sports article here

A one-of-a-kind basketball card featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant from the 2007–08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection is expected to set a new record at Heritage Auctions’ Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction. The Dual Logoman Autographs card is the only one ever made with both players’ signatures and Logoman patches. It has already surpassed $5 million in bids, with the buyer’s premium pushing the current price to $6.1 million. Auctioneers anticipate it will sell for even more, potentially making it the most expensive basketball card ever sold at public auction, surpassing Luka Doncic’s $3.12 million record and multiple high-profile private sales, including Stephen Curry’s $5.9 million and LeBron James’ $5.2 million cards.

🏀 Read full Yahoo Sports article here

A new AthleticDirectorU survey of Division I college athletics administrators highlights widespread burnout, with respondents reporting exhaustion, disengagement, and high-risk scores on the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. Many administrators pointed to the growing strain of being asked to do more with fewer resources, noting stagnant or declining compensation as workloads expand. The survey revealed frustrations over the mounting pressures of NIL, revenue sharing, and conference realignment. While some administrators said the rewarding nature of supporting student-athletes keeps them in the industry, others admitted the financial and workload imbalance has driven colleagues to leave the profession.

📄 Read full Athletic Director U article here

Michigan football has been hit with major NCAA sanctions tied to its sign-stealing scandal under former coach Jim Harbaugh, including four years of probation, more than $20 million in fines, and a three-game suspension for current head coach Sherrone Moore. The ruling also imposed a 10-year show-cause penalty on Harbaugh and an 8-year show-cause on former staffer Connor Stalions. While the Wolverines avoided vacated titles or a postseason ban, the university announced plans to appeal and argued that parts of the decision misinterpreted NCAA bylaws and contradicted evidence. In a statement, Moore reaffirmed his respect for NCAA rules and his focus on the 2025 season, which opens Aug. 30 against New Mexico before a Week 2 matchup with Oklahoma.

💰️ Read full Yahoo Sports article here

⬆️ Paige Bueckers. Paige Bueckers scored 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks, tying the WNBA rookie single-game scoring record set in 1997 by Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. - Colin Salao 

⬆️ Premier League. The 2025–26 Premier League season opened with record U.S. audiences, as NBC Sports’ coverage of Manchester United vs. Arsenal averaged 2 million viewers, the most ever for a season-opening match. – Eric Fisher 

⬆️ Cam Newton. Auburn announced it will retire Cam Newton’s No. 2 jersey on Oct. 11 during its home game against Georgia, honoring the quarterback who led the Tigers to a 14-0 season, SEC Championship, and national title. – Justin Hokanson

⬇️ Anthony Richardson. The Colts benched quarterback Anthony Richardson on Tuesday, less than three weeks before the season opener. Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, has had just 15 NFL starts, far fewer than many of his peers. - Ryan Wilson