NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is poised to receive a contract extension at next month's Board of Governors meetings, according to people familiar with the matter. Bettman, whose six-year deal will expire at the end of the current season, remains the league's first and only commissioner after the role was created in February 1993. (Sportico)
Patrik Frisk, Under Armour Inc.'s president and CEO, will step down June 1 after taking over the chief executive position from founder Kevin Plank in January 2020, the company said. Chief Operating Officer Colin Browne will serve as the new president and CEO following the departure of Frisk, who did not provide a reason for his exit but is still expected to remain a company advisor through September 1. (CNBC)
The Pac-12 changed the criteria for qualifying for its football conference championship game, which will now see the league's two teams with the highest winning percentage qualify regardless of division. The new process, effective immediately with the upcoming 2022 season, follows the NCAA's removal of division and championship game requirements for conferences, which now have independence in deciding scheduling and championship game structures. (CBS Sports)
The New York Yankees released minor league outfielder and 2019 third-round draft pick Jake Sanford for allegedly stealing from teammates and trying to sell the items online. According to one source, a team investigation uncovered Sanford accepted money from prospective buyers but failed to send products, while a second source said Sanford's issues could be related to gambling debts. (New York Post)
COLLEGE SPORTS
Saban calls out Texas A&M for using NIL deals to buy players The Associated Press
Alabama coach Nick Saban called out Texas A&M on Wednesday night for "buying" players in its top-ranked recruiting class with name, image and likeness deals, saying Crimson Tide football players earned more than $3 million last year "the right way."
Division I Council waives initial counter scholarship limits in D-I football for two years Tom VanHaaren, ESPN
The NCAA Division I Council announced on Wednesday that it is waiving the initial counter scholarship limits for two years within Division I football. Previously, teams had been limited to 25 initial counters, or scholarship spots, per year from high school prospects and transfers.
