FirstBank picks up Vanderbilt's football stadium naming rights....MLBPA formalizes effort to unionize minor leagues....Serena Williams, Nike reveal U.S. Open fashion

Vanderbilt has signed a 10-year naming rights deal to rename its football stadium as FirstBank Stadium. The deal "will begin with the 2022 season" and also makes FirstBank the "official bank of Vanderbilt athletics." The naming rights deal came as a "way to generate additional revenue for facilities renovations connected to the Vandy United fundraising campaign." The deal also comes as Vanderbilt has "begun renovations on the stadium to build a new basketball facility in the north end zone" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 8/29). This is the "first time in the more than century of Vanderbilt football that the school has sold the stadium’s naming rights" (TWITTER.com, 8/29).

We’re excited to announce that @VanderbiltU and @FBFinancialCorp have signed a 10-year football stadium naming rights and campus collaboration agreement.#AnchorDown | #VandyUnited

The MLBPA confirmed it has launched an effort to unionize all minor league baseball players across the country. The announcement came after the MLBPA Exec Board voted overwhelming in favor of the plan in a meeting last night. Minor leaguers would have their own bargaining unit under the MLBPA umbrella, if successful. Any minor league player CBA would be negotiated separately from the recently completed MLB-MLBPA agreement. The MLBPA’s effort is supported by Advocates for Minor Leaguers, which has served as a resource and voice for the players since 2020.

“Minor Leaguers represent our game’s future and deserve wages and working conditions that befit elite athletes who entertain millions of baseball fans nationwide,” MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark said in a statement. "This organizing campaign is an investment in the future of our game and our Player fraternity."

OTHER VOICES: MLB Network’s Joel Sherman on the effort to unionize the minors: “I’ve always been surprised this hasn’t happened in the past. We’ve always heard that minor leaguers … are not treated great on a lot of levels. Some of that has improved as the minor leagues have consolidated.” MLB Net’s Jon Heyman said it is “shocking that it hadn’t happened previously.” But it “makes sense” and is a “likely scenario that this will happen” (“MLB Now,” MLB Network, 8/29).

Serena Williams and Nike have revealed a "series of elevated outfits and sneakers" that she will wear in the U.S. Open, which kicked off today. Williams will take the court in a "figure skating-inspired dress," with "cues and construction details drawing from the competition dresses often worn on ice." The skirt is "made with six layers," as a nod to her six prior U.S. Open wins. Williams also will wear a "diamond-encrusted special edition of the NikeCourt Flare 2." Along with the "diamond-laden swoosh along the heel," the black shoes also feature "solid gold lace deubré with 400 hand-set diamonds, created in conjunction with her Serena Williams Jewelry company." Nike also is providing Williams with a "matching jacket and tote bag to arrive to the court in." Williams has been with Nike since 2003 (ESPN.com, 8/29).

Williams graces the latest cover of Time Magazine ahead of the U.S. Open, which is expected to be her final Grand Slam before retiring as a player (Mult., 8/29).

Serena Williams graces the latest cover of TIME magazine. “The Greatest.” pic.twitter.com/vPMe0Dhxcq

The Hawks and Atlanta-based digital health company Sharecare reached a new multiyear partnership extension. The parties first partnered prior to the 2017-18 season as part of the NBA’s jersey patch pilot program and simultaneously launched the Sharecare Movement, a health-focused collaboration that earned the 2018 NBA Partnership of the Year Award. Sharecare also has been presenting partner of several of the team's community-focused events. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hawks Foundation joined Sharecare’s “Shots for Heroes” initiative, which provided immunity-boosting juice shots to local healthcare workers and first responders. Since the first year of the deal, Sharecare has seen its social engagements and TV exposure grow several times over. Sharecare will not keep the patch asset past the 2022-23 season (SBJ).

Jets rookie CB Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner revealed a "new, and very fitting, partnership" with Inspire Brands' Buffalo Wild Wings chain, which will introduce a limited-time signature "Sauce Sauce." It will be available beginning Wednesday "through the football season." The sauce is "described as a smoky, sweet and spicy BBQ sauce." Gardner announced the deal in a tweet "one day after the Jets confirmed that he'd be part of the starting defense" when the regular season begins (WLWT.com, 8/29). Sauce Sauce will be "available for dine-in, takeout and delivery through the Buffalo Wild Wings website and app" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 8/29).

Let’s gooo!! this football season @bwwings, everything's #betterwithsauce pic.twitter.com/8hHtsUk8yM

Jersey Mike’s is donating 20% of its 2,200 locations’ sales on Sept. 10-11 to the USTA Foundation. The funds will contribute to the foundation’s Rally For The Future campaign, which supports National Junior Tennis & Learning chapters providing free or low-cost tennis and education programming in nearly 300 communities nationwide. A national TV broadcast spot featuring tennis legend and USTA Foundation Chair Chris Evert and Jersey Mike’s founder Peter Cancro will run in the weeks leading up to the fundraising weekend.

August 29, 2005  -- Hurricane Katrina makes landfall near Buras-Triumph, La., as a strong Category 3 hurricane, leaving the state ravaged with damage. Most of the major roads traveling in and out of New Orleans are destroyed. Over 26,000 people who could not evacuate take shelter in the Superdome during the hurricane and flooding. The dome sustains significant damage with two sections of the roof compromised and the waterproof membrane peeled off from strong winds. The remainder of the Saints' home games are split between the Alamodome in San Antonio and LSU's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. The building is fully refurbished and reopened after $185M in repairs for the Saints' 2006 home opener.

BIG NEWS!! Panini America is excited to announce an exclusive Autograph and Memorabilia deal with global soccer icon, Kylian Mbappe! More details in the link below: VISIT: https://t.co/SM7n8qSyOL#WhoDoYouCollect @KMbappe #KylianMbappe pic.twitter.com/FH8lGqCWK1

Paris Saint-Germain F Kylian Mbappe signed an exclusive autograph and memorabilia deal with Panini America (Panini America). See more in SBJ Global.

Roofing materials and building products distributor SRS Distribution has signed multiyear sponsorships with North Carolina, Duke, Penn State, Texas A&M and the AT&T Red River Showdown (Learfield).

Kilani Jewellery has signed a three-year partnership to become the official luxury jeweler of the Raptors (Kilani Jewellery).

The Univ. of South Carolina's live rooster will now go by “The General” moving forward, after previously being known as Sir Big Spur. A new name "needed to be chosen" due to a "disagreement" between the bird's current owners and original owners, who hold the rights to the Sir Bug Spur name. The General will appear for the first time when USC opens its season on Saturday against Georgia State (Columbia STATE, 8/29).

“This is a walk in the park. After 2020, the first international event in the world to be staged with no fans, and we just didn’t know and understand the virus. That was the most difficult event in my professional life” -- U.S. Open Tournament Dir Stacey Allaster, on staging this year’s event as opposed to the last few years under heavier pandemic protocols (“Tennis Channel Live,” Tennis Channel, 8/29).

#SDSU AD JD Wicker and football coach Brady Hoke just got up and walked out of a news conference because they wanted to discuss Saturday's football game, not the many questions swirling around the Matt Araiza gang-rape lawsuit.

It’s an absolute privilege to be a member of the @PGATour where I have the opportunity to battle players like Scottie in front of the most incredible fans. Having the chance to do something no one else has done by winning three FedEx Cup titles is why I play this game. pic.twitter.com/kIHmC8XlGL

Wrapping up 8 years at our first @BespokeSE office. Thankful for so many great people and memories. So excited for our new home this week! pic.twitter.com/84OdB2RDcF

If MiLB unionization happens and a CBA is reached between MLB and that union, a key point to remember is that the only way MLB could contract MiLB teams (beyond the current 120) would be by getting that union to agree to the reduction of teams and player jobs.

HBO is coming out with a doc about Bishop Sycamore called "BS High" 👀🍿pic.twitter.com/lXJCd8QI5V

SportTechie offers daily updates and analysis on all the latest happenings that cross over between the sports and technology industries. Here are some of today's top headlines:

The pitch removal system at Real Madrid's new stadium is an engineering masterpiece 🤯 pic.twitter.com/L29fIE9C9b

Don't miss this week's issue of SBJ. College football crashes into the calendar just as the sport’s upheaval has leaders looking for answers around governance, media deals, the transfer portal and much more. Also in this issue: New USTA CEO Lew Sherr is re-energizing the organization; MLB.TV marks two decades of streaming; new sports documentaries add to a quality lineup on the small screen; and learn about the inaugural class of students in the Charlotte Difference Makers.

If you’d like to receive the print issue at your home office, update your delivery address at any time within your account settings here. If you have questions about how and where to receive your print copy, email help@sportsbusinessjournal.com.

11 billion  -- Minutes of watched content that MLB.TV is on pace to hit by September, "after reaching 10 billion minutes for the first time over the course of last season" (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/29 issue).

When we added the two that we added, it made sense. It had a lot of momentum behind it. I've not yet heard anything that would get me at Iowa -- I'm just speaking for Iowa -- excited to say, 'Let's continue to expand more.'

The U.S. Open's massive opening week; the Bears set... Read More

The U.S. Open's massive opening week; the Bears set to pull curtain back on Arlington Heights and the Braves continue to roll on the business side

SBJ's Bret McCormick and longtime Charlotte journalist Erik Spanberg... Read More

SBJ's Bret McCormick and longtime Charlotte journalist Erik Spanberg dig into the collapse of the Carolina Panthers headquarters project and look at what may come next for Tepper Sports. Spanberg: “There are a lot of bruised feelings, a lot of hurt egos, now that this thing is coming unraveled. The local parlor game is trying to figure out how this failure impacts negotiations going forward.”

With opening week quickly approaching, Ben Fischer, Reggie Walker,... Read More

With opening week quickly approaching, Ben Fischer, Reggie Walker, and Xavier Hunter were joined by Jabari Young of Forbes to preview the upcoming NFL season. Topics discussed included the Deshaun Watson suspension, Denver Broncos ownership, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, and the league’s advancements in media.

SBJ's Bret McCormick and longtime Charlotte journalist Erik Spanberg dig into the collapse of the Carolina Panthers headquarters project and look at what may come next for Tepper Sports.

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