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Chinese government officials have tightened COVID-19 restrictions in Beijing ahead of the Winter Olympics in response to 25 new local cases and 23 infections within the Olympic bubble, requiring residents in three area neighborhoods to undergo daily testing and stay confined to their residential complexes. (Financial Times) Meanwhile, at least five positive tests have been reported among Russian Olympic Committee athletes, and team officials are asserting that the vaccination requirement for the games does not extend to teenagers, including three of its women's figure skaters. (The Wall Street Journal) The Minnesota Vikings hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, vice president of football operations for the Cleveland Browns, as their next general manager, reportedly signing him to a four-year contract worth $12 million after interviewing eight candidates. Adofo-Mensah, who worked for eight years on Wall Street before nine in the NFL, was offered the job after fellow finalist Ryan Poles accepted the same position with the Chicago Bears. (The Minneapolis Star Tribune) All Super Bowl LVI attendees at SoFi Stadium will receive KN95 masks and be reminded to keep their faces covered at all times unless they are eating or drinking, said Barbara Ferrer, director of Los Angeles County's Department of Public Health. She added that the NFL plans to distribute more than 60,000 test kits to fans attending the NFL Experience at the LA Convention Center in the days leading up to the game and will encourage ticket-holders to test ahead of the event. (CNN)

COLLEGE SPORTS

Big Ten discussing potential elimination of divisions as part of future football scheduling plans Scott Dochterman, The Athletic The future College Football Playoff format could have a major impact on whether the Big Ten eliminates divisions or changes the number of its annual conference games, Iowa athletics director Gary Barta said. Louisville and basketball coach Chris Mack officially part ways Brett Dawson, Louisville Courier Journal It was a sudden end to a short stay for a coach long thought a logical fit to guide Louisville when the Rick Pitino era ended. Providence College promotes Steve Napolillo to replace Bob Driscoll as Athletic Director Bill Koch, The Providence Journal The Friars announced Wednesday afternoon that they've promoted Steve Napolillo, the department's chief fundraiser and a senior staff member since his 2003 hiring. Napolillo's previous title was senior associate athletic director for external relations. Inside look at plans for 2022 NCAA Tournament as March Madness returns to pre-pandemic format Matt Norlander, CBS Sports The 2022 men's tournament will go back to its customary format: a 68-team field played out across three weeks at 14 sites, starting with the First Four in Dayton, which will host tournament games for the first time since 2019. The women's field will expand from 64 to 68 this year as well. JMU To Join Sun Belt As Full Member For 2022-23 CollegeAD After announcing in the fall that James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss would join the Sun Belt Conference no later than July 1, 2023, sources now say JMU will join the league this summer. Oliver Luck goes deep on NIL collectives popping up Michael Smith, Sports Business Journal Like a lot of college administrators, Oliver Luck wonders how much longer the NCAA will permit donor collectives to facilitate NIL deals unchecked for the athletes — and Luck is in the business of starting collectives. The former West Virginia AD is a co-founder in the Country Roads Trust.

---Morning Consult
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