🏟️ A Major March Tradition Is About to Look Different

Welcome to this week’s edition of Sports Industry Weekly.
We’re breaking down the biggest headlines, boldest moves, and emerging trends shaping the business of sports. From major deals to industry shifts, here’s what you need to know. Let’s dive in.

The NCAA has officially approved expanding both the men’s and women’s Division I basketball tournaments from 68 to 76 teams beginning next season. The move comes after years of discussion and will introduce a new opening round format while keeping the remainder of the tournament schedule largely unchanged.

As part of the expansion agreement, CBS and TNT will provide the NCAA with an additional $50 million annually through 2032 via an enhanced corporate sponsorship arrangement. In return, the NCAA will open previously restricted sponsorship categories including beer, wine, spirits, and hard seltzer. The added revenue will help cover operational costs and fund increased tournament payouts to conferences through the NCAA’s unit distribution system.

The expanded format will replace the “First Four” branding with a broader “March Madness Opening Round,” featuring 12 games across the first two days of the tournament. The men’s games will be split between Dayton and another host site, while the women’s games will take place on campus locations. The decision reflects the NCAA’s continued effort to grow the scale and commercial value of its most important championships. (read more)

🏀 Swin Cash defended the WNBA’s 2022 equity sale as the league’s valuation and expansion momentum continue to rise amid rapid growth in women’s basketball.

🎾 Arkansas is shutting down its men’s and women’s tennis programs despite recent competitive success, as the athletic department reallocates resources amid growing financial pressures in college sports.

🏒 The NHL’s salary cap will rise to a record $104 million next season, signaling continued league revenue growth and setting the stage for increased player spending across hockey.

⚽ Atlanta has rapidly emerged as a major hub for U.S. soccer through the rise of Atlanta United, a new U.S. Soccer headquarters, upcoming World Cup matches, and an incoming NWSL expansion team.

🎾 TNT Sports is expanding the roles of Venus Williams and John Isner for its 2026 French Open coverage as the network continues building a modern, player-driven approach to tennis broadcasting.

🏀 Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull believes the growing number of women’s basketball offseason leagues could eventually merge as the WNBA expands and schedules become more demanding.

⚾ MLB’s revamped national TV partnerships with ESPN, Fox, NBC, and Netflix are helping drive a 44% increase in national game viewership early in the 2026 season.

🏀 NCAA investigators found LIU allowed more than 1,000 ineligible athletes to practice or compete across multiple sports, leading to probation, fines, and vacated records despite the school’s recent March Madness run.

🏟️ Most Big 12 schools are declining the conference’s new RedBird-backed $30M credit option as universities weigh private-equity involvement in college athletics differently.

📺 As live sports shift to streaming, advertising experts say fragmented inventory and reseller middlemen are creating growing concerns around misleading ad placements and potential fraud in the digital sports ad market.

🏈 The NFL is nearing a new labor agreement with referees that could avoid a repeat of the infamous “Fail Mary” replacement-officials controversy from 2012 while addressing officiating standards and accountability.

🎳 Lucky Strike is facing a lawsuit accusing the company of building a bowling monopoly through aggressive acquisitions that allegedly raised prices and reduced competition across the industry.

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