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Facility Notes

The Villanova BOT yesterday announced plans for a $60M "makeover for the Pavilion, the arena for the school's basketball teams." In Philadelphia, Mari Schaefer noted the renovation of the 31-year-old building will be "funded entirely by donors" and begin in June '17. When it "reopens, the facility will be known as the Finneran Pavilion." Men's basketball home games will "likely be played" at Wells Fargo Center during the renovation, while women’s home contests will be "held on campus in the Jake Nevin Field House" (PHILLY.com, 2/14).

A CHANGE IS GONNA COME: In Minneapolis, Rochelle Olson reports the Minnesota House Government Operations Committee yesterday "voted overwhelmingly" to overhaul the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which operates U.S. Bank Stadium. The bill seeks to exercise "more control" over the MSFA in the "aftermath of reports that its commissioners and staff were using two taxpayer-owned luxury suites to entertain family and friends after the stadium opened" last August. The bill would "increase from five to seven the number of people on the board and disburse the appointments more widely." It also would "eliminate the position of full-time chair, making it a mostly volunteer job." Michele Kelm-Helgen currently serves as MSFA Chair (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/15).

BUILDING MOMENTUM: Univ. of Miami AD Blake James said that the school has raised $31M for its indoor football practice facility, and plans "continue to be refined." James: "I'm very pleased with the progress." In West Palm Beach, Matt Porter noted James "would be happier" if donations reached $34M, which is the amount that will "put shovels in the ground." James said, "We're getting toward the end of having that building completely funded. I'm confident we'll get there. We're still needing some gifts, need everyone that bleeds orange and green and white to step up and make it a reality" (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 2/14).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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