MLS is targeting early March to begin the '21 season, according to MLS President & Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott. The target date is in line with the league’s typical late February or early March start time. A source said the current plan is to play in local markets with some fans, based on guidelines provided by local officials and health authorities. The current plan is to play a full season next year, said the source. Since clubs returned to local markets on Aug. 12, 11 of the league’s 26 teams have hosted some fans in their respective home markets.

Commissioner Don Garber has previously said the league and its clubs will suffer a $1B revenue hit due to the pandemic, in large part attributed to the inability to have full capacity venues. Abbott in a statement said the league is "concerned" about attendance restrictions "continuing for a second year and are continually evaluating how to manage through the impact of the pandemic in 2021.”

College athletes would "gain new and significant abilities to make money from the use of their name, image and likeness, beginning Aug. 1, 2021 under a series of specific proposals" for D-I reforms unveiled Friday. The proposed rules were listed in a document "outlining changes that are scheduled to be voted on by the NCAA Division I Council during the association’s convention in January." Athletes would be allowed to "make money for signing autographs and for providing instruction lessons," or to "sell memorabilia once they have completed their eligibility." They also would be able to "use crowdfunding sites to raise money for educational expenses that exceed the cost of attendance" (USA TODAY, 11/13).

The NFL cut another live event from Super Bowl LV week in Tampa, another sign that the worsening pandemic will not allow anything close to the usual festivities. The league announced on Friday that its sixth annual “1st and Future” technology startup pitch competition will be televised on the NFL Network in prime time in the days leading into the Feb. 7. Last year, the finals were held at the Miami Beach Convention Center two days before the game in conjunction with the Univ. of Miami.

The event includes two separate competitions: Innovations to Advance Player Health and Safety Competition, which will seek startups with good ideas for products designed to improve player healthy safety. The second, the NFL Computer Vision Competition, will seek submissions from data scientists on how to develop a computer vision system for detecting on-field helmet impacts. Each event will have $75K prize pools. Click here for competition details. Because of the pandemic, the NFL has already told business partners it will cut the NFL House entirely, and shift the Opening Night and NFL Honors award show to virtual-only or TV productions, though more consumer-facing events like the NFL Experience will go on.

SEC presidents and chancellors have "approved Dec. 19, which is the day of the SEC championship game, as a makeup date for other games that have been postponed this season because of COVID-19," according to a source. The league's presidents and chancellors "met on Thursday in a regularly-scheduled meeting to discuss the Dec. 19 option." At this point, it "appears adding Dec. 19 as an option is necessary if the league is going to play all 70 games this season." Forty have already been played, and it is "too early to tell what matchups would be rescheduled for the final day before the College Football Playoff selection committee announces its final ranking of the season on Dec. 20" (ESPN.com, 11/13).

A few changes have been made within Anheuser-Busch Sports, according to a memo sent on Friday from ABI VP/Partnerships, Beer Category & Community Nick Kelly. "As we continue to navigate the day-to-day uncertainty surrounding the impact of Covid-19 on our personal life, work and the entire sports industry, the one thing that remains constant is change. We have changed the way we activate, the way we reach fans, and most importantly the we plan for future change," the memo read.

The company’s experiential marketing managers will move from within regional sales to ABI’s Marketing Partnerships Team under Matt Davis, who heads U.S sports marketing. Also, Kody Babb moves from Senior Brand Manager for the LandShark and Presidente brands to a position heading sports for the Budweiser and Busch brands. LaToya Mixon joins Kelly’s group in a financial planning role from Moet Hennessy, where she had been Finance Manager, with an eye toward "greater accountability and visibility to our financial policies and (to) improve our processes and platforms."

Kelly said, "As we prepare for the return of live events with fans, in stands, with beers in their hands, we believe these changes will position us to help you welcome your fans back."

The Pelicans on Friday revealed their City Edition uniforms, and the team "switched things up," as it "phased out the Mardi Gras-inspired jerseys in favor of ones that resemble the New Orleans flag." The new threads feature a "red stripe at the top, three fleur-de-lis across the chest and a blue stripe on the shorts." The word “NOLA” is "stitched across the shorts in gold." The uniforms "will be available for purchase on Dec. 3 at pelicansteamstore.com as well as at the Pelicans Team Shop inside Smoothie King Center" (NOLA.com, 11/13).

Passionate. Resilient. Unparalleled.

There's only one New Orleans. ⚜#WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/WzigGHRVvd

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 13, 2020

The World Series of Poker will have a '20 Main Event, adopting a hybrid online live version of the $10,000 buy-in competition. It will begin for international players Nov. 29 on GGPoker.com, and domestically on Dec. 13 on WSOP.com. After the early rounds, it shifts to a live setting -- with ESPN coverage -- for final tables at the Rio in Las Vegas on Dec. 28 and at King’s Casino in the Czech Republic on Dec. 15. The winner of each tournament will face off in a Heads-Up Finale at the Rio, with the victor taking home an added $1M. U.S. contestants can play only in Nevada and New Jersey (WSOP).

Jack Link’s Beef Jerky has a new sponsorship deal with the Call of Duty video game franchise, which on Friday released its newest edition, Black Ops Cold War. Terms are unknown for the partnership, but Jack Link’s is using COD imagery and marks on packaging and in-store point-of-sale displays and it becomes the official protein snack of Black Ops Cold War. The COD-customized packaging has codes on them to receive in-game items, and Walmart is among the retailers carrying them. Jack Link’s also has a deal in esports with Envy Gaming, which owns the Dallas Fuel in Overwatch League and '20 season champion Dallas Empire in Call of Duty League. COD is published by Activision Blizzard, which also owns OWL and CDL.

The K.C. Star is "vacating its office/printing facility" in the city's urban core, and the move has "kicked off at least some talk about its viability as a future home of the Royals." Ambassador Hospitality principal Rosana Privitera Biondo "raised the possibility that the building could be razed" and indicated that a ballpark there "could link the Crossroads Arts District" with the K.C. Power & Light District. Biondo "declined to say whether she had spoken with Royals officials." The Kauffman Stadium lease expires in '31 (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/13).

This year’s Duke’s Mayo Classic featuring Notre Dame-Wake Forest will be played at Wake’s Truist Field on Saturday, Dec. 12, in Winston-Salem, N.C. The matchup, first scheduled to take place at Bank of America Stadium, was postponed from its original date of Sept. 26 due to COVID-19 (Charlotte Sports Foundation).

Saturday's game between Arizona State and Cal "has been canceled because the Sun Devils do not have the minimum number of scholarship players available due to the coronavirus." Among those who "tested positive for COVID-19 within the ASU program is head coach Herm Edwards" (ESPN.com, 11/13).

ESPN’s “The Woj Pod” will debut three-part narrative podcast series -- “The Giannis Draft” -- on Monday ahead of next week's NBA Draft. Host Adrian Wojnarowski landed access to Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo and the '20 MVP's agents, Alex Saratsis and Giorgios Panou, among other execs (ESPN).

Organizers of the early-season Maui Invitational collegiate basketball tournament unveiled plans for the Maui Esports Invitational. The tournament, set for November, will feature "20 collegiate esports teams" competing in Psyonix’s Rocket League. The event, "sponsored by goPuff," will air on delay on ESPNU Nov. 22 (ESPORTSOBSERVER.com, 11/13).

DFS brand PrizePicks signed a strategic partnership with esports franchise Ghost Gaming. The two Atlanta-based organizations will partner on integrations ranging from contests and apparel to talent utilizations and digital assets (THE DAILY).

“We continue to feel that golf has the audience, interest and following to become one of the leading in-play betting sports globally” -- PGA Tour Senior VP/Media & Gaming Norb Gambuzza, who is looking to develop a deeper, more "live" experience for sports bettors (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/13).

“Every time I go somewhere, especially in Boston, or even in opposing arenas, people call me ‘The Little Guy’ and that’s from him. Not everybody has a nickname from such a legendary commentator, legendary person, legendary basketball player” -- Former Celtics G Isaiah Thomas, on the moniker given him by the late Tommy Heinsohn (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/13).

The entire Pro Football HOF family mourns the passing of Paul Hornung. He was an outstanding player and an incredible man. Known as "The Golden Boy," Paul was above all a leader to whom the Packers looked for the big plays in the big games.#HOFForever | @packers pic.twitter.com/DDYI6d04h2

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) November 13, 2020

I was going to type some emotional tweet about how I’m thankful to be back on NFL coverage this week and I am but most of you don’t care and that’s fine.

I’m 33 and healthy and I got COVID and it sucked. It sucked feeling like a truck hit me and having no life in my body.

— Adam Amin (@adamamin) November 13, 2020

Odessa and Augusta may be home to the two most famous Waffle Houses in the United States of America, however.

— Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) November 13, 2020

PLL x @methodman

"It's full circle for myself to be the guy to step up in the forefront as far as music and back lacrosse.”

🗓 Collection releases Tuesday pic.twitter.com/dSNF2DhlSV

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) November 13, 2020

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

This video shows USA Wrestling's ties to Elk Grove Village, Ill., which committed $50,000 to the NGB this year as part of an expanded sponsorship program.

8 -- Number of Tennessee football staff members who "rejected pay cuts that were proposed by the athletic department to help combat financial losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," documents show. Of all the athletic department employees who were "asked to accept a pay cut," only those eight declined. Tee Martin and Jay Graham are the "only football assistants who have accepted pay cuts" (KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL, 11/13).