NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is “tracking for a record year on attendance” and with two outdoor games set for MetLife Stadium, they "want to continue to create ways for fans to connect with our game and have a great experience.” Bettman, appearing on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” this afternoon, said the “attention that we’re getting, particularly from ESPN both for the promotion and production of our games and how they’re being carried and scheduled has been great” in growing the visibility of the sport. Bettman said of the outdoor games, “When you put 80,000 people outdoors together braving the elements it’s really taking the game back to its essential roots and people just love the experience.” Bettman touched on a number of different topics related to the league during his appearance:

• Bettman said the league is “going to try to make arrangements” so NHLers can compete in the Winter Olympics, but it’s a “logistical nightmare, it takes place in the middle of our season, it’s very expensive but it’s something we’re working on because it’s important to our players.”
• In terms of further expansion of the league, “we get expressions of interest all the time” from markets wanting an NHL team, including Houston, Salt Lake City, Atlanta and Quebec City. But “expansion isn’t on the forefront of what we’re thinking about” but he isn’t “ruling it out.” Bettman: “It’s not something we’re focused on.”
• Bettman said the Coyotes “needs a new arena. It’s that simple.” Bettman said Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo is "committed to getting what he needs done in order to get them a new arena and our hope is that sometime this season we’re in a position to announce that there will be a new arena for the Coyotes coming out of the ground.” Bettman said Phoenix is an “awesome market” and is a “place we want to be.”
• Bettman said wearing a neck guard has been an “ongoing discussion” in terms of safety equipment and “it will continue to be” a topic of conversation. Bettman: “Over time, as we continue to work with the players’ association, we’ll get there ... (but) there’s nothing to stop players from better protecting themselves”
• Bettman was asked about marketing the game’s stars, saying “historically the culture of our game was more team-centric” but the younger stars “understand the importance because they are Gen Zs and they are now putting themselves out there on social media more than ever before and it’s something we encourage.” Bettman: “In that respect, the culture of the game is changing and that’s going to help grow the game" (“The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN, 11/1).

The WNBA has "shelved plans to bring an expansion team to Portland" after discussions with local entrepreneur Kirk Brown "broke down at the 11th hour." While it was "not immediately clear what torpedoed the plans," multiple sources indicated that "uncertainty about a practice facility for the team was among the chief concerns." It is "no longer clear whether Brown remains involved in any efforts to get the discussions back on track" or "if that is even a possibility." The WNBA expansion fee would have been $50M, sources said, bringing it in line with the fee the new Bay Area expansion team paid. Portland was "widely seen as the favorite" to be the WNBA's next expansion city and, in fact, sources said that "the decision to expand to Portland had been made pending final details" (Portland OREGONIAN, 11/1).

The PGA Tour is "taking ownership of" the tournament formerly known as the Honda Classic, which has been tentatively re-named The Classic in The Palm Beaches. Event employees will be "kept on through at least this year’s tournament but will become Tour employees." The Tour also is "expected to name Cognizant as the new title sponsor" for the event. The Tour has played at PGA National Golf Club since 2007 -- and that "will continue into the future" -- when IGP Sports & Entertainment Group assumed management of the event. In 2013, IMG Worldwide acquired IGP, and has "run the event ever since" (GOLFWEEK, 11/1).

Getty Images

The Senators will forfeit the draft pick "for their role in the July 2021 trade" of Dadonov to the Golden Knights "and the subsequently invalidated March 2022 deal that would have sent Dadonov from Las Vegas to the Ducks." The Senators will forfeit the pick in one of the 2024, 2025 or 2026 NHL drafts, and "will make that determination within 24 hours of the conclusion of the draft lottery that season." The issue "surrounded Dadonov's limited no-trade clause" in his contract, which he signed in October 2020 with the Senators. The clause indicated that Dadonov "couldn't be traded without first submitting a 10-team no-trade list," which the Ducks were on (ESPN.com, 11/1).

The Rangers will hold a watch party at Globe Life Field tonight for Game 5 of the World Series. The Rangers have a 3-1 lead in the series and could clinch the title with a win over the D-backs at Chase Field. Admission into Globe Life Field will be $10, and seats will be "doled out on a first-come, first-served basis." Gates are set to open at 6:00pm CT. A select number of concession stands "will be open, as well as the team store" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 11/1).

Florida State AD Michael Alford said that independence in football is "not a true option" for the school as it continues to sort out its future in the ACC. Alford said that FSU is "still analyzing what our options are," but independence does not appear to be one of them. Alford: "I don’t think it’s an option because of scheduling and everything that comes along with that, and where media contracts are now. But I’m not going to lie to you and say I didn’t spend 10 minutes on it. … Is that a true option? No, it’s not a true option." Alford said his relationships within the ACC and with ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips "remain great," and that his peers "understand he is always going to push for Florida State’s best interests openly and candidly" (THE ATHLETIC, 11/1).

The JMA Dome’s mobile wireless network "won’t be ready for any users for the start of the basketball season," another "shift in the timeline for a project that is now more than a full year behind schedule." Syracuse Univ. said that "equipment delays have caused the latest change," which aimed to "improve the cellular experience of Verizon customers" by mid-October. JMA COO Andy Adams said that JMA’s equipment "had been installed," but the process "involves a complicated partnership" with wireless carriers. JMA’s previous target "aimed for Verizon to install its equipment by mid-October," with a goal to "have things in place for AT&T customers in November and T-Mobile customers by either December or the start of the spring semester." The school’s statement "did not indicate how the Verizon delay would impact those timelines" (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 11/1).

With “Podcast Picks” coming off a bye week, today’s selection offers fresh legs and engaging commentary on a variety of issues, including the NHL’s Heritage Classic outdoor game, which was well received, and then also the suspension Senators C Shane Pinto for gambling which has raised more questions and has the players looking for clarity. Then we delve into the world of sports broadcasting as a panel discusses the performance of Fox’s new No. 1 NFL announcing team of Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen, and end with the Giants signing Bob Melvin as their new manager and extending the contract of President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi.

The co-hosts of “32 Thoughts” got into a number of stories surrounding hockey, including the outside game Heritage Classic with co-host Elliotte Friedman noting “everybody really enjoyed the outside skate” because what “this game is supposed to do is break-up the drudgery of the season.” Friedman: “It added another level of enjoyment for everybody who was at the game.” In addition, Friedman said after Pinto was suspended for 41 games for violating the NHL’s gambling policy “players have been calling their agents, the players’ association, people in their organization, their general managers, the league (and asking), ‘What can we do and what can we not do?’”

BOOTH BUSINESS: The “Last Word On Sports Media Podcast” host T.J. Rives welcomed AwfulAnnouncing.com’s Ken Fang and DFW Sports Online’s Jay Betsill to the program where they discussed the Fox's Burkhardt and Olsen. Betsill said Burkhardt has “done a really good job stepping into that No. 1 announcer role, along with Greg Olsen.” But Rives noted, “Tom Brady is looming with a $10M+ contract to come in there.” Fang: “(Burkhardt) and Olsen have become a great, great team ... and I really do feel that Fox is kind of pigeonholing themselves here. They’ve said, ‘We signed Tom, we need to use him.’” But Fang said “we don’t know what Tom Brady is like” as an announcer.

STAYING STABLE: The “Locked On Giants Podcast” discussed the organization signing Melvin and giving Zaidi a three-year contract extension through 2026. Host Ben Kaspick said despite the Giants having two “disappointing seasons” the contract extension for Zaidi is a “good, healthy thing for the organization.” Kaspick: “I’m sure that this is going to make a lot of people mad ... and I understand the criticism when you talk about he’s entering his sixth season and they’ve had one winning season.” But there are “also a lot of positives to what Farhan Zaidi has done” and “stability is underrated to an extreme.”

Know of a podcast we should keep tabs on? Send an email to mboylan@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Also, check out SBJ's podcast home.

Pro Volleyball Federation has announced the match schedule for its inaugural season, with a total of 84 regular season matches on tap for the first campaign. Competition will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 24 and lead to the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship during the weekend of May 16-19, 2024. The location of the championship will be determined and announced later (PVF).

Golden Knights and Bournemouth owner Bill Foley is "interested in buying a minority stake" in Scottish Premiership club Hibernian FC. While the current Hibernian ownership, spearheaded by Kit Gordon and her son Ian, "do not want to relinquish control of the club, they have entertained the approach from Foley" (THE SCOTSMAN, 11/1).

“F1 is doing an incredible job of bringing in not only the foreigners, but high-end, big-spending international visitors” -- CNBC’s Contessa Brewer, on F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix bringing in high-end international visitors to Las Vegas, which was the “last segment to recover post-pandemic” in the city (“Squawk on the Street,” CNBC, 11/1).

🚨The sequel you didn't know you needed.....It's time to COOK Moore Hamann Bacon!#IowaPork #purchasemoorehamannbacon pic.twitter.com/vbM2z9J5HK

— Iowa Pork Producers (@IowaPork) November 1, 2023

Auston Matthews has signed with @LoganPaul and @KSI’s Prime drink brand 🔥

(via @PrimeHydrate) pic.twitter.com/3qH4g4pzFB

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 1, 2023

Harvick’s last ride. Raising a Busch Light to one heck of a career... @KevinHarvick, this one's for you. pic.twitter.com/cG2d2EABGU

— Busch Beer (@BuschBeer) November 1, 2023

Ford's body style change for Cup in 2024 will be the Mustang Dark Horse. pic.twitter.com/LpKqR4Toyk

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) November 1, 2023

Take a look at the new decor that just went up inside Fairleigh Dickinson’s arena today 👀 pic.twitter.com/pyolq9U3jV

— David Cobb (@DavidWCobb) November 1, 2023

Oops we did it again 🤭 https://t.co/n7GVSUa3Hw

— A'ja Wilson (@_ajawilson22) November 1, 2023

San Diego AD Bill McGillis has resigned, source told @ActionNetworkHQ. USD’s football program is under investigation for hazing allegations. McGillis came to USD in 2017 from Southern Miss. In June, McGillis was named by NACDA as 1 of 4 FCS athletic directors of the year

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 1, 2023

Agent news: Klutch Sports (@KlutchSports) has hired Venessa Hutchinson as its new Senior Director of Football Coaches and Executives after a stint at the NFL as Director of Football Pipeline Development. A key hire, she’ll help build their new division.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 1, 2023

Prime Video released the trailer for its upcoming film "Bye Bye Barry," the feature-length documentary that details the life and career of Pro Football HOFer Barry Sanders.

14,400,136 -- Number of social media engagements for the Univ. of Colorado football team through Oct. 31, the most of any team in college football despite not being ranked in the top 25 (X, 11/1).