The State Department reclassified WNBA player Brittney Griner as "wrongfully detained" by the Russian government following a 75-day detainment, which began after Griner was arrested in February for allegedly bringing illegal vape cartridges containing hashish oil into the country. Though it's unclear what led to the change in designation, which doesn't mean Griner is a hostage, U.S. authorities will now aim to negotiate her release through a process led by Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens. (ESPN)
Houston Astros' Dusty Baker became the 12th manager in MLB history to win 2,000 games and the first Black manager to reach the historical mark following a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners. The 72-year-old Baker, who has yet to win a World Series as a manager, started his managerial career with the San Francisco Giants in 1993, and became the first manager to lead five different teams to the postseason while also winning pennants with the Giants in 2002 and the Astros in 2021. (CBS Sports)
University administrators are finalizing additional guidelines to clarify that boosters and booster-led collectives around name, image and likeness ventures are prohibited from getting involved in recruiting efforts and inducing prospects with what many believe are "pay for play" deals, according to sources. In the first 10 months of the NIL era, the NCAA enforcement staff has made inquiries into a few programs, but the guidelines could prompt deeper investigations into the mechanics of some NIL payments. (Sports Illustrated)
The sale of Chelsea FC is reportedly in question after attempts to restructure a potential deal could see owner Roman Abramovich receive the 1.5 billion pounds ($1.88 billion) he previously loaned the team after initially stating sale proceeds would go to a charitable foundation for "all the victims of the war in Ukraine." Chelsea's government license to operate expires on May 31, which would see the soccer club go out of business unless a sale is approved or the license is extended. (Sky Sports News)
COLLEGE SPORTS
The top 5 most ambitious NIL collectives Eric Prisbell, On3 Sports
Now that donor-driven NIL collectives have become the norm in college athletics, it's not enough for your school to merely be affiliated with one. A collective's ambition - measured in its vision, scale and financial resources - will determine how impactful it is, how well and efficiently student-athletes are compensated through NIL activities and how much of a recruiting advantage it creates.
Big Ten aims to have new media rights deal, worth up to $1 billion, in place around Memorial Day Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports
Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren expects to have an agreement in place on a new media rights deal for the conference in about one month's time, he told CBS Sports on Monday. The new deal, which would begin in 2023, could be worth a record-setting $1 billion per season, according to Sports Business Journal, which reported that Fox Sports already has a deal in place to renew its part of the deal.
