NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman today said that the league will resume play under a 24-team playoff format when the “go-ahead from medical experts and relevant government authorities is given.” The remaining seven teams “will enter the draft lottery.” Bettman -- in an announcement that aired on NBCSN, NHL Network, TVA Sports, Sportsnet and league digital platforms -- said the NHL will “conduct the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs in two hub cities” to be announced at a later date. Each hub city -- one for each conference -- will have “secure arenas, practice facilities, hotels and local transportation for our players, coached and essential staff.” Bettman expects clubs “will be permitted to travel a maximum of 50 personnel to their hub city.” Comprehensive testing “will be in place” in both cities.

Clubs going to hub cities would mark Phase 4; the league expects Phase 2 (end of self-quarantine) to begin in early June and Phase 3 (opening formal training camps) to start no sooner than July. For the purpose of statistics, records and awards, Bettman said the ’19-20 regular season “has been deemed to be completed” (NHL.com, 5/26).

Over the weekend, the league released a memo stating guidelines for Phase 2, which inluded requiring all teams to appoint a Facility Hygiene Officer. According to the weekend memo, he or she “will be responsible for overseeing, implementing and ensuring compliance with all aspects” of Phase 2. Others leagues like the NBA have adopted a similar practice. Each team must inform the NHL and NHLPA by this Friday who its Facility Hygiene Officer and infectious disease expert are (Mark Burns, Staff Writer).

Vince McMahon said under oath that he has no intention of buying back the XFL out of bankruptcy as some creditors alleged last week, but he confirmed he had been considering it and only made up his mind after the creditors went public with their suspicion. “I’m not ... trying to buy the XFL. I’m not going to be a bidder,” McMahon said in a deposition referenced in a court filing in the bankruptcy case today. Last week, a committee of XFL creditors accused McMahon of setting up the entire bankruptcy to facilitate a plan for him to re-acquire the league at a bargain-basement price, free of liabilities such as staff and coach salaries and venue deals.

In arguing for a quick sale, the XFL’s investment bank Houlihan Lokey says it is in “active conversations with dozens of potential purchasers of the league.” In a sworn statement, Managing Dir William H. Hardie III said 20 possible buyers had executed non-disclosure agreements tied to deep due diligence about a purchase, and another six were preparing those documents. All of them want to run an XFL season in '21, he said, lending urgency to the sales process. Final bids for the XFL’s assets are due by July 6 under the original schedule, with letters of intent due June 12. However, the court still must rule on the creditors’ request for a delay.

Talladega Superspeedway has signed a new deal with Alabama-based lumber company YellaWood, which will entitle the track's fall NASCAR Cup Series playoff race this year and next year. The Talladega pact is part of a wider new deal with NASCAR that also includes activation at Daytona, Kansas and Martinsville. In addition to entitling the YellaWood 500, the company will get assets across track, digital/social, radio and TV platforms, using the assets in part to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year.

Meanwhile, Bristol Motor Speedway announced that longtime spring race title sponsor Food City will change the name of this weekend’s event to the Supermarket Heroes 400 to salute the grocery store workers across the country who continued their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.

Many USWNT players are "uncertain about participating" in a possible return of the NWSL this summer due to "health concerns." A source said, "Most women’s national team players haven’t decided whether to attend and are considering the plan given the serious challenges and health risks that are associated." The absence of several popular players "would be a serious blow to the league, which is aiming to take advantage of the team sports void in the United States" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/26).

The ESPY Awards will feature "three hosts in remote settings and a changed focus" celebrating "heroism and humanitarian aid." Three Seattle-area athletes -- Russell Wilson, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird -- "will preside over the two-hour broadcast airing June 21 on ESPN." The show was rescheduled from its "usual July date during baseball's All-Star break." The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and Jimmy V Award for Perseverance will be presented, but there "won't be the usual acceptance speeches read off the teleprompter" (AP, 5/26).

The DC Lottery said that its online sports betting platform, GambetDC, "will launch by the end of the month and gamblers will be able to place bets via the GambetDC app in early June." The lottery had "hoped to launch its betting platform last September," but with the city facing a lawsuit over its mobile betting contract with Intralot, a judge "temporarily blocked" the launch. Adults are "permitted to place bets on the GambetDC platform within city limits, except for federal enclaves or within two blocks of Audi Field, Capital One Arena, Nationals Park and the Entertainment Sports Arena" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/26).

Churchill Downs Inc. will pay more than $120M as part of a "settlement of two class action lawsuits related to Big Fish Games." Churchill in an SEC filing today said that it has "entered an agreement in principle with Aristocrat Leisure Limited" to settle the lawsuits by creating a $155M settlement fund. CDI will pay $124M into the fund, while Aristocrat will pay the remaining $31M. CDI sold Big Fish, a Seattle-based mobile gaming company, to Aristocrat in a $990M deal that closed in January '18. One lawsuit was filed in '15, the other in '19 (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/26).

REP1 Baseball and veteran MLB player agent Paul Kinzer today announced that they will be parting ways at the end of the month (Liz Mullen, THE DAILY).

Monkey Knife Fight has reached a deal with the Padres to become the club's official fantasy sports partner. MKF will be prominently displayed on signage at Petco Park and on Padres social media outlets (MKF).

San Jose State and The Aspire Group reached a multiyear contract extension, adding standalone donations to Aspire’s scope of work with SJSU (The Aspire Group).

The Golden Knights will unveil the name and logo of their AHL team at 7:00pm PT Thursday on KSNV-NBC. It will also be "live-streamed via the team’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Twitch platforms" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/26).

"We’re at the precipice of what we need to do to play baseball in the summer of 2020. I think we’re going to" -- Brewers Owner Mark Attanasio, on Miller Park being prepared to have the MLB season take place (TWITTER.com, 5/26).

"If we come back and they're just like, 'We're adding a few games to finish the regular season,' and they're throwing us out there for meaningless games and we don't have a true opportunity to get into the playoffs, I'm going to be with my team because I'm a part of the team. But I'm not going to be participating" -- Trail Blazers G Damian Lillard (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/26).

"Our business office ... has done an incredible job preparing for a rainy day. And this qualifies as a monsoon" -- Charlotte AD Mike Hill, on the school's athletics department not planning to cut any sports amid the pandemic (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/26).

Terrible news. Longtime @latimes sportswriter Chris Dufresne died last night, per a staff memo. Chris was a gentleman, devoted father and a cornerstone of the Times' sports department for more than three decades. He will be missed.

— Nathan Fenno (@nathanfenno) May 26, 2020

It feels great to reopen The Trading Floor, but this is only the beginning.

I look forward to the day when it is safe to welcome back the entire floor community.

— Stacey Cunningham (@stacey_cunning) May 26, 2020

Players: our union has not agreed to any reopening plan. Any reports about coming back to work are hypothetical. You will hear from the NFLPA when there are new developments.

— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) May 26, 2020

Tough news in Boone: One of my son's best friends plays soccer at App State. They have just been notified that soccer is being cut.

— Michael Smith (@SmittySBJ) May 26, 2020

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

CBS is leaning on archival content for its new series highlighting sports-related content from "60 Minutes."

CBS Sports looks back at unforgettable stories with 60 MINUTES SPORTS: TIMELESS STORIES.

18 stories from 60 Minutes Sports. 6 episodes.

Begins May 30 on CBS.https://t.co/1R1on3KEf4 pic.twitter.com/7poJPwWvkd

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) May 26, 2020

$1,500 -- Price to rent Blue Wahoos Stadium for a night via Airbnb. The Double-A Southern League Pensacola Blue Wahoos, a Twins affiliate, are "using the downtime" caused by the pandemic to "offer an opportunity to fans who crave their own ballpark." The rental is for up to 10 guests (BLEACHERREPORT.com, 5/23).