Sports Business Journal

This is a look inside the $100M home of Vandy's MBB & WBB facility. Vanderbilt's Huber Center is the largest college basketball facility in the country, which is built inside a football stadium. (via Sports Dissected)

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is becoming one of the biggest conversations around dynamic pricing in sports 💰 As ticket prices continue to fluctuate across both primary and secondary markets, the tournament is emerging as a major test of how much fans are willing and able to pay for a chance to witness sports history. The debate comes as fans paid $6,652 for the cheapest Super Bowl 60 seats and $1,588 for 2025 World Series Game 7 nosebleeds, while some World Cup group stage tickets were reportedly selling for hundreds of dollars, roughly three days’ pay for the average American worker. The conversation also arrives amid rising gas prices, inflation and growing concerns around affordability. Via USA TODAY | https://ow.ly/5Fph50Z2kZa

“Sports is good business.” 🏀 After exploring the WNBA market as far back as 2002, Larry Tanenbaum believes the timing for Toronto is finally right. Increased summer activity, a stronger sports culture, and growing demand for women’s sports have transformed the city into a viable expansion market. The Tempo’s ownership group approached the bid as a stand-alone business model, emphasizing investment in infrastructure, player experience, and long-term sustainability. That included plans for dedicated facilities and a first-class operational structure — key differentiators during the WNBA expansion process. MORE: https://ow.ly/zTyj50Z3fwF

Canada’s first WNBA franchise is already setting a new benchmark for league expansion. Backed by nearly $150M in total investment, the Toronto Tempo debuted this season with sellouts, strong national broadcast distribution and one of the league’s most aggressive commercial strategies. Owners Larry and Judy Tanenbaum committed beyond the $50M expansion fee — investing $25M to modernize Coca-Cola Coliseum and funding a nine-figure, world-class training and community performance center set to open in 2028. The Tempo are positioning themselves not as a city team, but Canada’s team — playing regular-season games in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, and leveraging a nationwide media deal with Bell Media to maximize reach and sponsorship value. MORE via Richard Deitsch: https://ow.ly/ECjW50Z3hsY

𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗗 🚨 Training facilities are continuing to evolve far beyond practice courts and weight rooms. From player development and recovery to recruiting, revenue generation and community-facing spaces, these newly opened projects showcase how pro and college teams are redefining athlete performance infrastructure in 2026. MORE: https://ow.ly/RwR650Z1EGw University of Pittsburgh Athletics | U.S. Soccer Federation | Chicago Blackhawks | New England Patriots | Red Bull New York

FOX Sports has officially sold out ad inventory for this year’s Indianapolis 500 🏎️ Key numbers driving the story: ▪️ 73% YoY cash increase ▪️ National ad rates climbing above last year’s reported $100K per :30 spot ▪️ 50+ national ad placements expected during race coverage Double-box advertising will again play a major role during the broadcast. The Indy 500 remains one of live sports’ premier advertising platforms, and the marketplace response shows the continued power of appointment viewing in motorsports. https://ow.ly/EjX550Z39b4

NTT DATA is staying on as the title sponsor of the IndyCar Series. The renewed agreement shifts the partnership's focus toward artificial intelligence. The Japan-based telecommunications company, along with its Dallas-based NTT Data subsidiary, has held the IndyCar entitlement since 2019, when it replaced Verizon, and last renewed in 2023. The exact length of the new term was not disclosed. The announcement comes ahead of Indy 500 Carb Day. https://ow.ly/wIsl50Z38RQ

𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀-𝗦𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹 ranked No. 5 in SBJ’s Best Sports Business Cities study, with executives praising the friendliness and progressive thinking of the Twin Cities sports stakeholders 🌟 The area’s event résumé includes a Super Bowl, MLS and WNBA All-Star Games, the Summer X Games, Men’s Frozen Four and Women’s Frozen Four. Coming soon are the Special Olympics USA Games and WWE SummerSlam. The city’s venues also received top reviews, including upgrades to Target Field and the opening of the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul. MORE: https://ow.ly/uziC50Z15z5

The latest generation of training centers reflects a broader shift in sports, where performance, revenue, recruiting and real estate increasingly share the same campus 🏗️ From mixed-use developments and public-facing spaces to recruiting amenities and sponsorship opportunities, teams and universities are rethinking what a modern training facility can be. In this week’s SBJ, Bret McCormick compiles a list of newly opened sports facilities and projects currently under construction: https://ow.ly/QIs250Z2oGf

Georgia Institute of Technology Athletics officially unveiled the 108,000-square-foot, $90 million Thomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center 🚧 The facility includes the school’s first sports science lab, expanded sports medicine facilities, upgraded strength and conditioning areas, nutrition and dining spaces, and football meeting and office space. MORE: https://ow.ly/zEmW50Z18p6