COLUMBUS
Ohio State partners with Navigate
Navigate Research agreed to a deal with Ohio State University. The deal gives the school access to all of Navigate’s services, including sponsorship research, support and valuation, to aid in making campuswide partnership decisions.
EAST LANSING, MICH.
Spartan Stadium approval expected
Michigan State University by May of next year should have completed a $20 million Spartan Stadium renovation, according to a Detroit Free Press report. The MSU Board of Trustees is scheduled to have a retreat and meeting June 19-21 during which time construction is expected to gain final approval. The project would start immediately upon approval. Plans calls for a two-level building at the north end of the stadium, including locker rooms for teams and coaches, a locker room for officials, an equipment room, and a media center.
EDMONTON
Oilers’ arena funding gets green light
A request for provincial funding for the Edmonton Oilers’ proposed $475 million downtown arena project was approved by the Capital Region Board, according to an Edmonton Sun report. The board voted 17-7 to approve in principle a collaborative grant application for $24.7 million for the arena project, which requires additional funding approvals before fully proceeding.
DURHAM, N.C.
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Under the new financial model, the Bulls will be responsible for repairs and utilities.
Photo by: BRIANFLEMINGPHOTOGRAPHY.COM |
City renews ballpark agreement
The Durham City Council renewed and restructured its operating agreement with the Durham Bulls and Durham Bulls Athletic Park, according to a (Raleigh) News & Observer report. The agreement, which runs until 2033, is projected to save the city about $7.4 million over the life of the lease and restructures each party’s financial obligations, making operating costs and expenses the responsibility of the team. The Bulls are the Class AAA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
INDIANAPOLIS
Governor signs IMS funding bill
Gov. Mike Pence signed off on a bill providing a $100 million financial package for upgrades at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, according to an Indianapolis Star report. The IMS assistance package will help the track pay for improved seating, better access for the disabled, new video boards, and lights to potentially allow for night races.
LAKEWOOD, N.J.
All-Star Game getting carnival attraction
The Lakewood BlueClaws are adding a feature to FirstEnergy Park for the Class A club’s hosting of the South Atlantic League All-Star Game next month. A 50-foot-high Ferris wheel will be erected outside the ballpark in advance of the June 17 celebrity hitting challenge and the June 18 All-Star Game.
MEMPHIS
MIR gets Rusty Wallace franchise
Memphis International Raceway reached a five-year agreement with the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience. The company provides personal driving opportunities on the track’s three-quarter-mile paved oval.
MILWAUKEE
Fans naming exclusive Brewers beer
The Milwaukee Brewers are working with Wisconsin-based brewer Leinenkugel’s to create and name a beer that will be served exclusively at Miller Park this year. Fans 21 years and older can visit Brewers.com/newbrew to vote for the beer’s name. Voting ends Tuesday, and the winning name will be announced Wednesday.
NEW YORK
Giants extend flagship radio deal
WFAN-AM signed a multiyear deal with the New York Giants, extending the station’s exclusive rights to broadcast preseason, regular-season and postseason games. WFAN has been their flagship station since 1997.
Michigan-Stanford set for Brooklyn
Michigan will face Stanford to headline the second annual Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational presented by Adidas on Dec. 21 at Barclays Center. The men’s college basketball tripleheader will also feature LIU Brooklyn vs. Temple and Manhattan vs. Buffalo.
NEWTON, IOWA
Senate OKs Iowa Speedway funding
The Iowa Senate approved an appropriations bill that would give $8 million to Iowa Speedway over the next four years to upgrade its facilities in an effort to bring a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race to the track, according to a Des Moines Register report. The bill must still be considered by the Iowa House.
PHILADELPHIA
Union’s first 50/50 draws $17,230
The Philadelphia Union held its first 50/50 raffle at PPL Park this month. The total jackpot of $17,230 was split between the Philadelphia Union Foundation and a Lansdale, Pa., man attending his first Union game. Earlier this year the NHL Flyers became the first Philadelphia sports team to hold a 50/50 raffle after Pennsylvania lawmakers passed legislation allowing such games of chance to be used to raise money for nonprofit organizations.
SAN DIEGO
SDSU games shifting stations
Learfield Sports, which holds the multimedia rights to San Diego State University athletics, exercised an opt-out clause in its contract with Clear Channel Communications and switched to BCA Radio, according to a San Diego Union-Tribune report. The move means SDSU football and men’s basketball games will move from KOGO-AM to XEPRS-AM.
SONOMA, CALIF.
Track goes local for beer garden
Sonoma Raceway added Morris Distributing as an official sponsor and host of its new Nor Cal Craft Beer Garden. The beer garden will feature some of Northern California’s most popular craft beers, ales and hard ciders. Brewmasters will be on hand to talk with fans and answer questions.
COAST TO COAST — BEYOND THE COASTS
BREMEN, GERMANY
Team extends with tourism firm
Bundesliga club Werder Bremen extended its sponsorship deal with Austrian tourism company Zillertal Tourismus GmbH for another three years, through 2015-16, according to a New Business report.
LONDON
QPR reduces season-ticket prices
Newly relegated EPL club Queens Park Rangers announced a cut in season-ticket prices for next season, according to a London Evening Standard report. This season, prices ranged from $766 to $1,450. Next season, when QPR is back in the second tier, prices will range from $674 to $1,050.
RIO DE JANEIRO
Court unblocks stadium privatization
A Rio de Janeiro court overturned the suspension of a contract that gave control of Maracanã stadium to a group of private companies, according to a BBC report. The group includes AEG, Brazilian construction group Odebrecht, and sports and entertainment company IMX. The stadium was privatized earlier this month, but a judge suspended the process, saying the bidding was illegal. Last week’s ruling reversed that decision, with the court saying that suspending the contract would cause damage to Brazil.
SALVADOR, BRAZIL
Caxirola banned from stadium
Police in Brazil banned the use of the caxirola noisemaker from a 2014 World Cup stadium amid safety concerns. The type of maraca was prohibited from a local match at Salvador’s FonteNova stadium this month after hundreds of the plastic objects were thrown onto the pitch by fans during a match last month. FIFA officials are still considering whether to allow the devices inside venues at next year’s World Cup.
TIANJIN, CHINA
Samaranch building opens
Former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch’s name now graces the Samaranch Memorial Center, inaugurated last month near Beijing, according to an El Periodico report. The circular-shaped, 1.55-million-square-foot museum honors the man who led the International Olympic Committee from 1980 to 2001.
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