Coast to Coast

BALTIMORE
Real grass coming to stadium
The Baltimore Ravens will be going back to natural grass at M&T Bank Stadium for the 2016 NFL season after playing on an artificial surface for the past 13 seasons, according to a Baltimore Sun report. It will be the same type of surface the Ravens practice on at the Under Armour Performance Center.

BUFFALO
Bills see surge in health challenge
Independent Health and the Buffalo Bills said more than 10,300 individuals — including 3,665 new participants — registered for this year’s Health & Wellness Challenge. Participants were challenged to integrate physical activity and good nutrition into their daily lives. The Bills and Independent Health are planning to add another round in spring 2016.

CHARLOTTE
Panthers sign official franks, sausages
The Carolina Panthers and Kayem Foods reached a sponsorship and licensing agreement, making Kayem the official brand of franks and sausages of the team and Bank of America Stadium through the 2017 season. Additionally, a Panthers Ultimate Fan Experience contest will award two suite tickets and pregame field and tunnel passes to the Jan. 3 game against Tampa Bay. Fans can enter the contest by purchasing Kayem products at Harris Teeter grocery stores.

CLEVELAND
Progressive Field getting new board
The Cleveland Indians selected Daktronics to design, manufacture and install a new high-definition display at Progressive Field for the 2016 MLB season. The project continues a long-standing relationship with the team that began when the stadium opened in 1994. The main video display will measure approximately 59 feet high by 221 feet wide.

Arkansas’ Blake Anderson is the first collegiate winner of the STMA award. Photo by: ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

FAYETTEVILLE, ARK.
STMA names mowing pattern winner
The Sports Turf Managers Association named Blake Anderson the winner of its third annual Mowing Patterns Contest. Anderson is assistant director of sports turf operations at the University of Arkansas. Anderson was selected via Facebook voting from Oct. 21 to Nov. 20 for his intricate design at Arkansas’ Baum Stadium. Student assistant Tyler Carr helped craft the mowing pattern.

LAS VEGAS
NHL practice facility pursued
Fidelity National Financial Chairman Bill Foley, who is leading the Las Vegas bid for an NHL expansion franchise, is pursuing plans to build a practice facility, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal report. Foley said he hopes to gain approval from Clark County in January and begin construction in June.

MIAMI
League backs Beckham’s new site
MLS owners expressed support for David Beckham’s recently proposed Overtown stadium site for his desired expansion team, according to a Miami Herald report. Beckham and his partners ended their pursuit of a Little Havana site next to Marlins Park in favor of a 9-acre site made up of a privately owned parking lot, a county-owned truck depot and a vacant lot.

New pregame shootaround shirts are helping to raise environmental awareness.

PORTLAND
Blazers playing Green Games
The Portland Trail Blazers are highlighting five areas of sustainability (one each in the coming months) to engage fans in the efforts to reduce the team’s environmental footprint. The five themes of the Green Games are energy, waste, food, water and transportation. The first activation came for the Blazers’ Dec. 3 game, with additional efforts slated for Jan. 4, Feb. 4, March 8 and April 6.

ROCHESTER, N.Y.
Frontier keeps naming rights    
Frontier Communications will remain the naming-rights holder for the city’s baseball stadium, home to the Class AAA Rochester Red Wings. The telecom provider has signed on for another 10 years, with the deal valued at $275,000 in its first year. Terms call for annual increases but with Monroe County, which owns the ballpark, returning $75,000 each year for Wi-Fi service at the ballpark.

SACRAMENTO
Bees win top award
The Pacific Coast League Salt Lake Bees were recognized as the top Class AAA franchise in Minor League Baseball with the Baseball America Bob Freitas Award. The award recognizes the Bees for their business success, operational practices and community involvement. The Bees are the Class AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels.

      COAST TO COAST — BEYOND THE COASTS


CAIRO
Squash event canceled
Security concerns led organizers to cancel this month’s World Team Squash Championship in Cairo, according to a Sydney Morning Herald report. Teams from England, France, Germany, the United States and Canada were among those that had announced earlier they would not be attending the Dec. 12-18 tournament.

LE MANS, FRANCE
Rolex extends with race
The Automobile Club de l’Ouest, organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and promoter of the FIA World Endurance Championship, reached a multiyear extension of the partnership it has had with Rolex for almost 15 years.

LONDON
Chelsea aims for new stadium
Chelsea FC submitted a planning application to redevelop its Stamford Bridge ground into a new 60,000-seat stadium, according to a Reuters report. The current ground, which dates to 1877 and has been home to the west London club since 1905, holds 41,600.

MANCHESTER
Man U eyes Caribbean growth
Manchester United agreed to a multiyear regional partnership with Cable & Wireless Communications. The deal covers the Caribbean and will see the pair team up to develop football within the region by hosting Manchester United Soccer School competitions and coaching programs in local communities.

NUREMBERG, GERMANY
Team wearing Umbro in new deal
Second Bundesliga club FC Nürnberg and Umbro signed a five-year deal. Umbro will be the official kit partner for the club from the start of the 2016-17 season. The team’s technical performance and sportswear products will be provided by Umbro.

RIO DE JANEIRO
Cooler heads prevail over AC issue
Olympics organizers changed course and will now provide air conditioning in 10,500 athlete bedrooms after initially planning to ask for payment as part of cost-cutting measures, according to a Bloomberg report. The local organizing committee is completing a budget review to stay within its $2 billion budget.

For more international news, visit www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/global.