U.S. gymnast Simone Biles will not compete in tomorrow's individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics, an event she had been heavily favored to win for the second consecutive Summer Games, due to mental health concerns after she withdrew from the team final following a shaky performance during the vault portion of the competition. USA Gymnastics said Biles, who will be replaced in the all-around by Jade Carey, will be evaluated before deciding whether she will compete in the individual events next week. (ESPN)
Barstool Sports signed a multiyear deal to become the title sponsor and broadcast partner of college football's Arizona Bowl and will move the game off of linear TV in favor of streaming on its website, app and social media channels. The game, which previously aired on CBS Sports Network and has featured teams from the Mountain West and Mid-American conferences, will be the first live college football game distributed by Barstool. (Sportico)
Gannett Co. Inc. forged a five-year partnership with Tipico USA Technology worth over $100 million that will see the newspaper publisher include sports betting odds from Tipico in its content and refer traffic to the company's betting platform. Tipico will also spend $90 million on advertising and sponsored content with Gannett, which owns USA Today, local newspapers published in 46 states and more than 200 sports websites. (Reuters)
COLLEGE SPORTS
Oklahoma Sooners, Texas Longhorns formally notify SEC of membership request for 2025 Heather Dinich, ESPN
Oklahoma and Texas have formally notified the SEC they are seeking "an invitation for membership" beginning July 1, 2025, according to a joint statement from the flagship programs of the Big 12. Sources said the SEC presidents and chancellors are meeting Thursday to consider OU and Texas for official membership in what would become the first 16-team superconference.
Pac-12 Leaders Suggest Realignment Response as SEC Growth May Compromise CFP Expansion Ross Dellenger, Sports Illustrated
Pac-12 leaders here at the conference's annual media day say Texas and Oklahoma moving to the SEC compromises the CFP expansion model and will almost assuredly delay its approval, even potentially resulting in wholesale changes to its structure. In fact, league administrators believe the SEC's chess move, while calculated and cunning, will start a responsive chain of significant changes across the landscape of American college sports.
NCAA Athletes' Suit for Back Pay Gains Steam After Alston, NIL Michael McCann, Sportico
Late Monday, attorneys for Arizona State swimmer Grant House, Oregon basketball player Sedona Prince and former Illinois football player Tymir Oliver filed a 115-page amended complaint in their ongoing federal antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA and Power 5 conferences. The three players, who recently added Jeffrey Kessler as co-counsel, hope their case becomes a class action lawsuit on behalf of different groups of current and former Division I college athletes who have competed since 2016.
Washington State Cougars head coach Nick Rolovich to follow all policies 'for the unvaccinated' Adam Rittenberg, ESPN
Washington State coach Nick Rolovich says the school's administration respects his decision not to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and that he intends to follow all policies "for the unvaccinated." Rolovich on Tuesday spoke at Pac-12 media day in Los Angeles from Pullman, Washington, via Zoom, since the event required all coaches to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
