Former Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority Chair MICHELE KELM-HELGEN while heading the agency overseeing U.S. Bank Stadium "waived more than $55,300 in rent for event spaces without consulting" the MSFA’s staff, Exec Dir or BOD. Among the 14 groups that got "free use of the luxury spaces at the state-owned stadium were the Twin Cities Dunkers, a local sports booster club, and the PGA of America." Meanwhile, some 350 other groups "paid thousands in rent to use space in the building for events from weddings to fundraisers" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/10).
SHOW ME THE MONEY: UConn has "locked up" women's basketball coach GENO AURIEMMA and men's basketball coach KEVIN OLLIE through '21 with contract extensions that total close to $31M. Ollie's deal is valued at $17.9M and Auriemma's at $13M. Auriemma signed with the school Oct. 4 and Ollie signed his new deal Nov. 10 (HARTFORD COURANT, 3/10)....Missouri "will pay" outgoing men's basketball coach KIM ANDERSON $650,000. In addition Anderson is "entitled to $300,000, which Mizzou has deposited into an annuity account for each year he coached" (K.C. STAR, 3/10).
PAYMENT PLAN: NCAA President MARK EMMERT has “paid off his overdue pledged donation” to the Univ. of Washington and “remitted the remaining $49,000 of the $100,000 promise he made” in ‘06. This comes after it was "reported that he hadn’t kept his promise and was being called out for it by a prominent university booster.” Emmert served as UW's president from ’04-10 (USA TODAY, 3/10).
NAMES: Inspired by CHANCE THE RAPPER, Seahawks DE MICHAEL BENNETT has "pledged to donate all of his endorsement money" for '17 to "causes that help rebuild minority communities and empower women of color." Bennett said that he "will donate" 50% of the proceeds from his jersey sales in '17 to support inner-city garden projects (ESPN.com, 3/9)....The tab in the wrongful termination suit of former San Diego State women’s basketball coach BETH BURNS is “likely will grow again, with the release of a tentative ruling Thursday that would compel” the California State Univ. system to pay nearly $2M for her attorney fees and expenses. That would “drive CSU’s total bill” in the case north of $6M (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/10)....The Red Sox Foundation has received a $500,000 grant from "Welcome Back Veterans," an initiative of MLB and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation that helps veterans and families of veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. The grant will support Home Base and the Massachusetts General Hospital Program (Red Sox)....Patriots coach BILL BELICHICK, former college football coach LOU HOLTZ and Boston College coach STEVE ADDAZIO are among those “scheduled to speak at Ohio State’s coaching clinic in mid-April” (CLEVELAND.com, 3/9).
