Florida State AD Stan Wilcox is leaving the school to join the NCAA, "replacing Oliver Luck" as Exec VP/Regulatory Affairs. Luck in June was named XFL Commissioner (TWITTER.com, 8/20). Wilcox two years ago agreed to a "contract extension that was set to expire June 30, 2020" (TALLAHASEE.com, 8/20). FSU President John Thrasher said that the school "will move swiftly to hire its new athletics director." Wilcox served in the position for five years (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 8/20).

NBC today named Mike Tirico the studio host for its Sunday night pregame show, "Football Night in America," a role previously held by Dan Patrick. Tirico will work alongside "FNIA" analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, as well as reporter Mike Florio. Tirico for the past two NFL seasons co-hosted "FNIA" from the site of the "Sunday Night Football" game. That role will now be filled by Liam McHugh. In addition, "FNIA" has added Rob Hyland as the show's coordinating producer (NBC Sports).

CBS Sports' Boomer Esiason, a Univ. of Maryland alumnus, "took aim" at school President Wallace Loh and AD Damon Evans during his CBS Sports Minute, which airs "once per hour on sports radio stations across the country." Esiason: "The heartbreak that I share over the McNair family's unspeakable tragedy has only been compounded by my disgust with the shameful lack of leadership displayed by University President Wallace Loh and Athletic Director Damon Evans. ... Why did it take two and a half months for them to do the right thing? ... Loh and Evans are reportedly on shaky ground. This would be a good time for both of them to exit" (THEFANDC.RADIO.com, 8/20).

The Sabres in '18-19 will offer a new option for sharing season-ticket packages through a partnership with SplitSeasonTickets. The online platform allows fans to share season plans by finding partners, effectively dividing tickets between them, and managing and tracking their supply. SplitSeasonTickets users can create a custom listing on Sabres.com with the number of games they wish to share, then connect with fellow fans to form a group and share a ticket package (Sabres). This will mark the "first time the Sabres have offered SplitSeasonTickets" to consumers, and it "comes after team officials heard the issue raised about selling off unused tickets" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/20).

Minnesota United have picked concessionaire Delaware North to handle food and beverage sales at Allianz Field, which is set to open next year. The 19,400-seat stadium will have a large brew pub at its north end with 96 taps. Delaware North also will handle F&B in the premium areas at the $250M venue. Buffalo-based Delaware North already handles concessions for the Twins at Target Field and at Minneapolis St. Paul Int’l Airport.

NBC Sports' Paul Tracy today called on IndyCar to "review safety standards" after a crash in yesterday's Pocono 500 left driver Robert Wickens in the hospital with "multiple injuries." Wickens suffered "two broken legs and injuries to his lung and spine on Sunday after his car was sent hurtling into the catchfence following a collision." Tracy, a former IndyCar driver, in an Instagram post said that IndyCar "should find an alternative to chain link fencing and posts around racetracks" (AFP, 8/20). Tracy "cites the fact that we've seen the untimely death of Dan Wheldon and retirement of Dario Franchitti because of high-impact collisions into walls and fencing, and the same could've occurred to Wickens" (SPORTSNET.ca, 8/20).

 

Long day and sleepless night , could not shut the brain down . So relieved that @robertwickens will be ok , but that again was too close for comfort . It’s long overdue for the racing industry to start looking into a new way of retaining the cars inside the track without poles , fence and cable . If it were me I would have much rather gone out of the park !!! We lost @danwheldon . @dario_franchitti and @robertwickens had a angel looking down on them . But it’s time as a community of racers and fans to push things to a higher level . I know racing is a dangerous game and we know the risks , but it can always be better . Kudos to @sbourdais for saying how it was and having the balls to get back in and have one of his best oval drives ever . . Sorry for the rant , I’m just thinking out Loud . Let’s all put our thinking caps on for the best solution and most cost effective one . Peace

A post shared by Paul Tracy (@paultracyblacklabelbaggers) on Aug 20, 2018 at 3:52am PDT

The Thunder renewed their partnership with Cumulus Radio in a multiyear agreement that keeps WWLS-FM as the team's flagship radio home (Thunder). 

The Int'l Tennis HOF for the first time in its 64-year history will let fans vote for its incoming class on atvote.tennisfame.com Aug. 27-Oct. 7 (Int'l Tennis HOF).

CBS Sports' "Four Sides of the Story" franchise will debut four new documentaries over the next four months that all highlight memorable moments from the past year. Titles include "Alabama Audible," "Mayweather vs. McGregor," "UMBC -- Bracket Busted" and "Holy Loyola" (CBS Sports).

The NFL Cardinals' new live streaming program "Cover 2" will debut today at 3:00pm PT via Periscope on the team's Twitter account. The year-long program will be a combination of news, analysis and storytelling every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Craig Grialou and Mike Jurecki host (Cardinals).

Houston-based Blue Sprig Pediatrics has pledged to donate $500 to Astros 3B Alex Bregman's AB for Autism charity for each home run he hits for the remainder of the MLB season (Blue Sprig Pediatrics).

"I like Chris and we are talking. We are going to see what we can do" -- ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro, on the net looking to bring back Chris Berman in an expanded role (NYPOST.com, 8/20).

"The PGA Tour is such a charitable organization. It puts so much money into charities and every community that we go and play. It's just a part of the fabric of the game" -- Golfer Rory McIlroy, on help from the Tour with Morgan Hoffmann's foundation to raise money for muscular dystrophy research ("Squawk Box," CNBC, 8/20).

Fans of @ryenarussillo: Multiple sources tell The Athletic that he’s going to re-up with ESPN shortly. New deal will likely include a podcast element and guest spots on studio shows. ESPN brass really liked his work on Get Up! last week.

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) August 20, 2018

How is the ACC Network not called ‘ACCess’

— Tate Frazier (@tatefrazier) August 20, 2018

I get that ESPN has had a lot of reporting the NFL didn't like but let's not act like ESPN was always engaged with war. They canceled Playmakers, pulled out of PBS Frontline doc, told @KeithOlbermann to tone down his commentary, had endless battles with @BillSimmons over Goodell.

— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) August 20, 2018

Heard @MikePereira on @SiriusXMNFL earlier and he said that if there are more concussions on kickoffs in 2018 than there were in 2017, the kickoff will be eliminated (ball placed on the 25)

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) August 20, 2018

And yes, Jim Nantz now writes a monthly column for @GolfDigest, in addition to announcing three sports, running a wine business and spearheading an Alzheimer's Research Hospital. The guy loves to work.

— Jeremy Schilling (@jschil) August 20, 2018

Here it is. This year our throwback is about my short track racing roots and my family’s sacrifices to get me to this point. Can’t thank @FedEx enough for doing this. pic.twitter.com/CXmS8CFTAD

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) August 20, 2018

Bernhard Langer, 2018 Payne Stewart Award Recipient rings the NYSE Opening Bell with Southern Company (NYSE: $SO) https://t.co/sqXmL6kVXY

— NYSE (@NYSE) August 20, 2018

MLB.com offers highlights and behind-the-scenes interviews from yesterday's Mets-Phillies Little League Classic, which drew rave reviews in its second year.

$25.9M -- Football ticket revenue for the Univ. of North Carolina in ’17-18, a new school record. That figure was up from $23.8M the year before (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/20 issue).