Longtime Pacers exec Fuson promoted to CEO
The move is one of six high-level promotions and transitions announced Tuesday morning by Pacers Sports & Entertainment.
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NFL’s COVID-testing plan could fuel spread, experts say, but it’s ‘where society is going’
After dozens of players tested positive last week, throwing the league’s schedule into chaos, the NFL overhauled its testing strategy, saying it will no longer conduct regular testing of vaccinated players who show no signs of illness.
How pro sports leagues are handling the latest coronavirus surge
The NFL, NBA and NHL have all updated their coronavirus protocols amid an uptick in cases among players and team officials.
Larry Bird museum shooting for 2023 opening
The museum honoring the Hoosier basketball legend is budgeted for $1.5 million as part of a $28 million convention center project.
NBA, players’ union considering return to daily testing
There were 33 players known to be in the league’s health and safety protocols as of Wednesday evening, along with two head coaches—Indiana’s Rick Carlisle and Sacramento interim coach Alvin Gentry—and a number of other staffers.
Jimmie Johnson to run Indy 500, full IndyCar schedule
The seven-time NASCAR champion had been speeding toward the Indy 500 decision he finally announced Wednesday since he moved to IndyCar earlier this year.
New guidelines, Booster Day looming as COVID disrupts NBA
Players and coaches (including Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle) are again missing games due to protocols, underscoring what NBA officials have been saying for weeks: The pandemic is still very much a problem.
USA Gymnastics reaches $380M settlement with Nassar victims
A federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis on Monday confirmed the settlement between USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the hundreds of victims, ending one aspect of the fallout of the largest sexual abuse scandal in the history of the U.S. Olympic movement.
College football title game is also helping Indiana educators, students
When the College Football Playoff National Championship visits a new city, the game’s philanthropic arm, the College Football Playoff Foundation, makes a legacy investment in local teachers.
Al Unser, four-time winner of Indianapolis 500, dies at 82
Unser won the Indy 500 in 1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987, and is the only driver in history to have both a sibling and a child also win one of the biggest races in the world.
Pat McAfee lands reported $30M-per-year media deal from FanDuel
Indianapolis-based “The Pat McAfee Show” and online gambling giant FanDuel have agreed to terms on a massive new four-year sponsorship deal, according to media reports.
Study: NCAA basketball tourney had $47M direct impact on local economy
Hospitality officials had expected an economic impact approaching $100 million for the NCAA Final Four alone, but that estimate was made before the pandemic put severe attendance limits on the tourney.
Takuma Sato signs with Dale Coyne Racing for 2022
The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner spent the last four years driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing but was not retained for next season.
Big Ten football title game returning to Indy for 2022
The conference earlier this year quietly signed a one-year extension of its deal with the Indiana Sports Corp. to host the title game at Lucas Oil Stadium at the end of next season, marking the 12th straight year the event will be held in Indianapolis.
Lucas Oil Stadium to see $22 million in upgrades in 2022
The improvements will bring new, higher-definition video boards to the northwest and southeast corners of the bowl, along with new video-ribbon displays, an upgraded sound system, new carpet and furniture, and an area in the team’s locker room for female football personnel.
Sports betting ads: Industry weighs how much is too much?
Bill Miller, president of the American Gaming Association—the gambling industry’s national trade association—called the current level of sports betting ads “an unsustainable arms race.”
MLB owners lock out players in first work stoppage since 1995
Major League Baseball plunged into its first work stoppage in a quarter-century when the sport’s collective bargaining agreement expired Wednesday night and owners immediately locked out players in a move that threatens spring training and opening day.
Notre Dame set to promote Kelly assistant to head football coach
Defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman would become the second Black head football coach at Notre Dame after Tyrone Willingham (2002-04).
LSU, Kelly agree to 10-year contract worth at least $95M
The hiring of Brian Kelly—who has led Notre Dame for the past 12 seasons and eclipsed Knute Rockne for career victories with the storied Fighting Irish—was formally announced Tuesday in yet another blockbuster coaching move in college football.
LSU hires football coach Kelly away from Notre Dame
Brian Kelly became the winningest coach in Notre Dame history earlier this season, surpassing Knute Rockne. No previous head football coach has ever left the Irish to take a job at another school.