MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM

Mercedes-Benz Stadium officials released renderings and more details this morning on The Home Depot Backyard -- an 11-acre tailgating and outdoor event space next to the venue. The green space is under construction on the former site of the Georgia Dome, which was demolished in November. Rubble from that demolition has been removed. New turf is being installed along with a 35-foot mirrored soccer ball sculpture. The “Backyard” will serve as a tailgating area before football and soccer games.

The stadium is partnering with Alabama-based Tailgate Guys, which will offer tailgate and entertainment packages to fans. The outdoor space will also host festivals, art shows and other events throughout the year.

Deandre Ayton, the projected No. 1 pick in this week's NBA draft, “signed a four-year, multimillion-dollar footwear and apparel endorsement deal with Puma.” The brand's return to the NBA “comes as part of a major investment to sign players and launch new products in the market this fall.” Puma has been “aggressive leading up to the draft, offering multiyear shoe deals to at least six projected first-round picks.” Ayton joins Marvin Bagley III and Zhaire Smith as Puma endorsers. Meanwhile, the brand is also “set to announce a renewed lifetime partnership with longtime brand icon” and Basketball HOFer Walt Frazier, who “launched Puma's first signature basketball shoe” in ’73 (ESPN.com, 6/18).

Univ. of Memphis today formally announced  a “five-year extension uniting Memphis athletics with Nike through June 30, 2023.” The university’s athletic department will receive $11.25M “in products from Nike over five years,” according to the terms of the latest contract the school “signed Nov. 13” and was approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The university’s “annual product allotment will start” at $2.05M during the ‘18-19 school year and increase to $2.25M by ‘22-23. It is an “improvement from the contract extension Memphis signed with Nike” in ‘13, when the school “received only” $1.5M annually in products from Nike. The new agreement is “comparable” to the six-year, $12.16M deal Boise State recently reached with Nike (COMMERCIALAPPEAL.com, 6/18).

Flies and mosquitos were "running rampant in the Russian city of Volgograd ahead" of today's World Cup match between England and Tunisia. Helicopters were "deployed to spray insecticide on the Volgograd Arena, which will host four games over the course of the tournament." The "swarms of bugs have caused some broadcasters to cancel live shots and are wreaking havoc in the city's fan zones" (USATODAY.com, 6/18).

As the FS1 broadcast aired coverage of Tunisia players warming up before kickoff, several players were waving and swatting away the bugs, including one who was clearly bitten by something. FS1's Rob Stone: “Those images are telling the story right now as they were already spraying on insect repellent and it didn’t seem to work too well. You get one of those stuck in your eye, this is going to be an issue throughout the game" (“FIFA World Cup Today,” FS1, 6/18). 

MLS today "released the official jerseys that will be worn" during the league's Aug. 1 All-Star Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The "re-styled jerseys are cream white, with red and blue chevrons on the sleeves, and the MLS mantra of 'Club, Country, Community' used at the back neck." There are also "four intersecting lines shaped into a railroad crossing, which is a direct nod to the rich history of Atlanta’s transportation structure." Because of the All-Star Game sponsorship with Target, the jerseys are "making their debut at 20 Atlanta Target stores" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/18).

Lacoste has struck a three-year licensing deal with the IOC to produce an exclusive “Olympic Heritage” lifestyle apparel collection celebrating past Games. The first products available in the collaboration will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ’68 Winter Games in Grenoble and ’68 Summer Games in Mexico City. The deal runs through the ‘20 Tokyo Games and will include a new collection each season. Lacoste will produce men’s clothing and accessories -- no word on a women’s line -- and will be available to start in Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea and the U.K., but not the U.S.

Astros GM Jeff Luhnow's contract has been “extended" to '23 and he has been "promoted to president of baseball operations” (TWITTER.com, 6/18).

The NFL has joined the Green Sports Alliance as a league member as part of a partnership that will see the Alliance support the league's sustainability efforts (Green Sports Alliance).

The Sharks inked a new five-year corporate partnership with cloud data and protection firm Druva. The partnership begins with the '18-19 NHL season (Sharks).

Xyience will return as the official sponsor and energy drink of the '18 Int'l Champions Cup (Xyience).

“In European countries, in major clubs, you see lots of African players. Now we need African coaches for our continent to go ahead” – Senegal coach Aliou Cisse, the only black coach at the World Cup, on the need for more in soccer (AP, 6/18).

There's a lot going on in the world, but we should spend 15 minutes or so making fun of the terrible typeface being used at the World Cup.

— Philip Bump (@pbump) June 18, 2018

Watching TSN’s World Cup coverage in Canada. Carl Robinson is an incredible analyst, giving great insight and fun banter. Not surprised after seeing him on the sideline. #WorldCup

— Julie Stewart-Binks (@JSB_TV) June 18, 2018

Puma paid up for Deandre Ayton because it wants instant presence in NBA. big gamble on a top prospect. best known active Puma athlete used to be Usain Bolt— these days it’s prob Rickie Fowler or Edelman? Puma trying to make some noise.

— Daniel Roberts (@readDanwrite) June 18, 2018

Got back to my desk this morning to a voice mail from a reader insisting the way to save baseball and fix its declining attendance is to "bring back steroids." This week is off to a great start.

— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) June 18, 2018

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

Former MLBer Dwight Evans will spend an evening with fans at a sunset barbecue at the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox' McCoy Stadium.

MSG Networks launches its first-ever "Rookie Week," a full week of programming to coincide with the upcoming NBA and NHL Drafts.

500% -- The increase in merchandise sales for the Mexican National Team following its upset of Germany in pool play at the FIFA World Cup on Sunday, compared to Saturday, according to data from Fanatics, which is El Tri’s official e-commerce partner (THE DAILY).