Sports Business | The GIST

Racing Louisville FC’s future in doubt following unprecedented league growth

There are a lot of questions surrounding the future of Racing Louisville FC in the NWSL. While most clubs are making (or considering) major infrastructure investments and looking to capitalize on the bright future of women’s soccer, Racing Louisville is falling behind despite only being in the league for five years.

September 15, 2026

Disastrous Sydney Sweeney ad sparks empowering social response from women athletes

We said it once and we’ll say it again, that ad sucked. Whether it was intended as rage bait or just the most recent flop in a series of problematic sports adverts, it’s exhausting. Content creators are leading the backlash against said ad, and no one is doing it better, or more empowering, than actual women in sports.

September 15, 2026

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retire at end of the year

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ICYMI, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced her retirement on Friday after seven years in the position. Her last day on the job is December 31, 2026, with this epic 16 weeks’ notice launching a highly competitive job search that already has the rumor wheel spinning.

September 10, 2026

Minnesota Lynx seek new streaming partner after Victory+ folds

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Things have gone from bad to worse for Victory+ after its parent company announced the dissolution of the Dallas-based streaming service yesterday. Surprisingly, the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream kept their contracts until the end despite previous partners like the NWSL terminating its agreement earlier this summer.

September 03, 2026

Inaugural season of the Upshot League fills much-needed development gap

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While the NBA, MLB, and NHL have distinct talent developmental systems, the WNBA has…a major gap. To help change this, the Upshot League launched this May in hopes of creating more stateside opportunities for elite players.

September 01, 2026

Refurbished basketball courts breathe new life into community spaces

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With 27 Olympic gold medals between the men’s and women’s teams, USA Basketball knows a thing or two about cultivating talent. So what do they list as the number one value for their youth development program? Fun.

August 29, 2026

Backlash from disturbing golf ad opens door for new brands

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By now, everyone and their mother has probably seen the Callaway and Good Good Golf video where co-founder Garrett Clark shoved fellow golfer Alexis Miestowski to the ground and told her to never touch his new driver. After the ad went viral, the backlash was immediate and continues to grow.

August 27, 2026

Unrivaled reaches $650M valuation following successful Series C fundraise

Sports Business

Unrivaled reaches $650M valuation following successful Series C fundraise

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August 27, 2026

It’s Unrivaled’s world, and we’re just living in it. The upstart 3v3 women’s basketball league launched by superstars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart is thriving, announcing yesterday that it nearly doubled its valuation in just one year.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #589

NFL Week 1 overreactions

September 15, 2026

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Week 1 of the NFL season did not disappoint. The stars shined, the offenses scored a mind-boggling number of touchdowns, and most importantly, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson played absolutely terribly.

To celebrate one of our favorite times of the year, today’s episode of The GIST of It is dedicated to NFL Week 1 overreactions, from the team co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz think will win Super Bowl 61 to the players they consider MVP contenders after one outing.