UEFA declares no confidence in Infantino and vows accountability for failed World Cup equity plan
GENEVA (AP) — UEFA says it has lost confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino and that “no option should be off the table” as it will pursue a full review of his now abandoned plan to sell stakes of the World Cup to private equity investors. Infantino was forced to scrap the plan early Saturday after his senior adviser who sat on a White House panel resigned and Asia’s soccer body joined Europe and North America in opposing it. Infantino had proposed creating a $20 billion company to run the World Cup with private investors, but drew backlash that grew every day since Tuesday’s announcement.
SEC, Big Ten add long-missing support to college sports bill and revive its chances in the Senate
The Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences have agreed to support a Senate bill that seeks to regulate college sports, ending a breakneck week of negotiations and pulling the bipartisan measure out of what looked like a certain death spiral. School presidents from both conferences voted to back the bill after receiving last-minute concessions over language regarding third-party name-image-likeness deals and the so-called “associated entities” that often make those arrangements. More details need to be worked out, but the headline is that the bill still has a chance to earn the 60 votes it needs to halt debate and head to an up-or-down vote before the Senate heads for summer break.
MLB trade deadline: Tarik Skubal is the big prize, but buyers have other options, too
Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is approaching, and several top pitchers could be on the move. Tarik Skubal, a two-time Cy Young winner, is a standout candidate. Despite recent surgery, he’s been performing well for the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are still on the periphery of the playoff race, which complicates trade decisions. Other pitchers like Freddy Peralta and Mason Miller are also attracting attention. Teams like the Yankees, Rays and Dodgers are clear buyers, while others remain undecided. The deadline is Monday at 6 p.m. EDT, and many teams are weighing their options as they consider potential trades.
Sophie Cunningham says she’s not concerned about being a distraction for the Fever
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Sophie Cunningham says she’s unconcerned that the rallies against transgender participation in women’s sports that have accompanied the Indiana’s Fever’s recent games are a distraction for the team. Cunningham made the comments before the Fever’s game against the Portland Fire. Outside, a group rallied for the second straight game in support of Cunningham and her comments about transgender participation in youth sports. Portland’s rally came after a similar rally for Cunningham earlier in the week before the Fever’s game at the Seattle Storm. Both rallies only attracted about two dozen participants.
Romo on leave from CBS Sports after arrest on suspicion of operating vehicle under the influence
Tony Romo has been placed on leave from his role as the lead analyst on CBS’ NFL coverage following his arrest last week on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence. CBS Sports announced Friday that the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was on leave “until further notice.” JJ Watt will join Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson as CBS Sports’ lead NFL team during Romo’s absence. Romo was arrested July 23 after he was stopped while driving south on Interstate 43 in Wisconsin.
New York sues prediction market platform Kalshi alleging ‘illegal gambling operation’
New York officials have sued prediction market platform Kalshi for potentially billions of dollars, calling it an “illegal, unlicensed gambling operation” as the state seeks to halt its operations and force the company to forfeit its profits. New York joins a growing number of states filing lawsuits against Kalshi and other companies in a dispute with President Donald Trump’s administration over who regulates the fast-growing prediction market. New York’s lawsuit was filed Friday in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. Kalshi and other platforms argue they are federally licensed and regulated, and states have no authority to govern them.
Infantino abandons plans to sell World Cup profits to private equity following massive pushback
GENEVA (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino is abandoning his divisive plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity after receiving pushback from all corners of the soccer world. Infantino’s decision came after his senior adviser who sat on a White House panel resigned and Asia’s soccer body joined Europe and North America in opposing it. Infantino had proposed creating a $20 billion company to run the World Cup with private investors including the Kushner family, but drew backlash that grew every day. UEFA’s 55-member nations agreed to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions over Infantino’s plan, followed by CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation.
Infantino abandoned his World Cup equity plan after seismic FIFA backlash. Here’s what to know
GENEVA (AP) — Gianni Infantino has abandoned his plans to invite investors to buy a stake in future profits from the World Cup and all FIFA events. Infantino was at risk of losing his job as FIFA president two weeks after seeming untouchable following a financial bonanza of a World Cup. Infantino’s proposal sought to create a subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise for the money-making parts of the not-for-profit soccer body’s work: Running tournaments like the World Cup, selling broadcasting and sponsorship, tickets and hospitality. Private equity and petrostate sovereign wealth money has been normalized in European club soccer yet they still seem unthinkable for many observers in the World Cup.
Courts hand NCAA major loss on five-year eligibility rule
DENVER (AP) — A federal court dealt a perhaps chaos-inducing blow to the NCAA’s new eligibility rule when it ruled all high school class of ’22 athletes who exhausted their fourth season of college eligibility this spring are eligible for a fifth season this school year. The ruling, which is expected to be appealed, undercuts the NCAA’s plan to have the so-called “five for five” rule go into play starting with athletes who enroll in college in fall 2027. It also has potential to wreak havoc on rosters across the country. It opens the possibility that an undrafted player in an NFL training camp could decide to try to head back to college for a fifth year this upcoming season.