The Warriors, Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta, and Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert are among the new owners welcomed into the upper echelon of American esports by Riot Games, winning bids to join the reconstituted North American League of Legends Championship Series starting next year. Riot has announced the 10 winners of long-term slots in the league, which is doing away with relegation/promotion and promising revenue sharing beginning in '18. The winners beat out more than 100 other applicants, sources said, and will each pay $10M to Riot for the privilege. Newcomers are required to pay an additional $3M.

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FanDuel co-Founder & CEO Nigel Eccles is "stepping down to pursue other opportunities." Eccles helped found Fanduel in '09. Matt King, who served as the daily fantasy operator's CFO from '14-16, will "return to the company to replace Eccles as CEO" and join the BOD, "effective immediately." King spent the last year at insurance broker Cottingham & Butler. Before his time at FanDuel, he was a "director at global investment firm Kohlberg, Kravits and Roberts" (ESPN.com, 11/20).

The NFL said paid ticket sales are down 2% so far this year from '16, though that figure includes the Chargers’ move to L.A. The team left the 70,561-seat Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego for the 27,000-seat StubHub Center this season. NFL Exec VP/Communications Joe Lockhart cited the figure in response to a question today on a conference call with reporters about President Trump’s tweet that ratings and attendance were down. He did not dispute it, noting that TV ratings are down about 5%, though he pointed out declines are far sharper for other entertainment properties.

Auburn has appointed a "six-person advisory committee and a search firm" to help find a new AD to replace Jay Jacobs. The committee, chaired by school trustee Gaines Lanier, will include PGA Tour player Jason Dufner, women's golf coach Kim Evans, former gymnast Adrienne Lee, finance professor Beverly Marshall and trustee Quentin Riggs, a former Auburn football player. The university has retained Parker Executive Search to "assist in identifying qualified candidates." The committee will "analyze the applicants and make a recommendation" to Auburn President Steven Leath (AL.com, 11/20).

The BIG3 and Fox Sports today announced coverage plans for the league's second season, with live coverage on tap for the entire 10-week '18 slate. The games will air on Friday nights starting June 22, with six windows on FS1 and four windows on Fox' flagship network. Each week, the league will play four games back-to-back, three of which will be broadcast live by Fox Sports and streamed concurrently on Fox Sports Go. The championship match will air on Aug. 24 (Fox Sports).

Comcast today announced partnerships with 13 U.S. Winter Olympic and Paralympic athletes ahead of the Pyeongchang Games. Comcast is an official USOC sponsor through the '20 Tokyo Games, and it also recently signed a multiyear deal with U.S. Ski & Snowboarding (THE DAILY).

YouTube has greenlit an eight-episode basketball docu-series titled "Best Shot" from LeBron James' SpringHill Entertainment starring ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams. James will serve as a producer, with the show following Williams as he mentors a high school basketball team (THE DAILY).

ESPN’s Jimmy V Week kicks off Nov. 28, and this year will include a new campaign titled "Cancer Is," capturing several subjects' experiences as either a patient, caretaker or researcher affected by cancer (ESPN).

The NWSL today formally announced it has re-acquired FC K.C.'s membership interest in the league and immediately is ceasing operations of the club. Players currently on the roster will be transferred to the new Salt Lake City franchise before the start of the '18 season (NWSL).

Time Inc. will produce the first national broadcast of the annual SI Sportsperson of the Year awards as a one-hour special on Dec. 8 at 8:00pm ET on NBCSN (SI).

"I learned so much about the Vikings, I've never seen anything like it" -- Panthers TE Greg Olsen, sarcastically making light of the Vikings objecting to him joining the Fox booth for their game against the Rams yesterday (TWITTER.com, 11/20).

"Personally I wouldn’t be in a big rush to do it again" -- Patriots coach Bill Belichick, on how he would feel playing another regular season game in Mexico (TWITTER.com, 11/20).

Move over Steph Curry: @WebDotComTour announces that country music star @jakeowen will play in Nashville Golf Open May 24-27.

— Will Gray (@WillGrayGC) November 20, 2017

Must say that the @GoldenKnights have done an excellent job getting their logo and merchandise all over town. Good lesson in marketing in non-traditional market. Buzz about them is strong.

— Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) November 20, 2017

CBS and DISH are a day away from the expiration of their retransmission consent agreement. On the line: Thanksgiving #NFL action between the #Chargers and #Cowboys. $CBS has its PR push at https://t.co/sepUTxmRh8. $DISH pic.twitter.com/gKKWeXxxqA

— Alex M. Silverman🏒 (@AlexMSilverman) November 20, 2017

Terry Glenn caught Tom Brady's first ever TD pass, 10/14/01 vs The Chargers. RIP

— trey wingo (@wingoz) November 20, 2017

A new Gatorade ad titled "Sisters In Sweat" features Serena Williams addressing her infant daughter on the value of sports.

Warriors G Stephen Curry will appear on NBC's "The Tonight Show" at 11:35pm ET.

$80M -- Estimated amount ESPN is "poised to slash" in "salaries and other costs in coming weeks," according to sources. The net's "third round of layoffs in two years" is expected between Thanksgiving and Christmas (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 11/20).