Category Archives: Other sports

WNBA appears set on Cleveland

But Houston could be next in line, and soon. The WNBA is preparing to award Cleveland its 16th franchise, multiple sources have told SBJ, with an approximate bid worth a league record $250M. The sources put Cleveland’s expansion chances as … Continue reading

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World Cup preparations update

There’s a lot happening. Houston is officially 500 days from hosting its first FIFA World Cup in the 95 years of the globe’s biggest tournament. Representatives of the FIFA World Cup 26 Houston Host Committee held a joint press conference … Continue reading

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Comet alums unite in support of Fertitta’s WNBA bid

They’re getting the band back together. Cynthia Cooper did not get closure when the Houston Comets folded. One minute, she was a star player on Houston’s four-time championship-winning WNBA team. The next minute, her phone was blowing up with texts … Continue reading

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Replacing NRG Arena

Someone’s gotta pay for it. If NRG Arena were a car, it would be totaled. A 2019 assessment commissioned by the county found the arena, where the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo holds its horse show and auctions every March, … Continue reading

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Houston to get a pro volleyball team

Pretty cool. As far as professional volleyball goes, there isn’t much two-time Olympic medalist Micha Hancock hasn’t done. Hancock won gold with Team USA at the Tokyo Games and a silver medal at the Paris Games. She played professionally in Italy for … Continue reading

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“MLB for softball”

Awesome. For the first time since its founding in 2020, Athletes Unlimited (AU) is organizing a traditional team-based league meant to be “Major League Baseball for softball,” in the words of former Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng, the senior … Continue reading

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Austin’s pitch to the WNBA

Interesting. Fran Harris has a plan. The former Texas women’s basketball great has the financial backing, she insists. She’s got the support of the school administration and the city’s mayor and has had constructive conversations with the sports investment group … Continue reading

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New Sports Authority CEO

Not sure what to make of this. The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority on Friday fired CEO Janis Burke after 18 years with the organization, a high-profile termination that came hours after Mayor John Whitmire and Houston’s sports executives gathered at … Continue reading

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The Ted Cruz Curse continues

Sorry, Astros fans. Guess who was at the Astros game today? #Cruzcurse 😡 — Barbi (@Barbi__7) 10:00 PM – 02 October 2024 The Ted Cruz curse strikes (no pun intended) again. Allegedly. The Texas senator’s attendance at sporting events across … Continue reading

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PAC-12 adds Gonzaga, UTEP to MWC

Round and round they go. The Pac-12 is adding Gonzaga as a member in all sports the school plays starting in July 2026, the conference announced Tuesday. Gonzaga brings a rich basketball tradition to the refurbished Pac-12, as the Zags … Continue reading

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More on Fertitta and the WNBA

He does sound serious. The Houston Rockets are putting together a proposal to bring a WNBA franchise back to the city but are currently awaiting further instruction from the league’s representatives, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and president of business operations … Continue reading

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PAC-12 sues Mountain West over exit fees

Realignment season keeps heating up. The Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West over what it calls an unlawful and unenforceable “poaching penalty” that would cost the rebuilding conference more than $40 million for adding Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State … Continue reading

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Fertitta to bid on a WNBA expansion franchise

Rooting for him to succeed. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta on Thursday confirmed his intention to bid on an WNBA expansion franchise, a step toward returning the league to Houston at a time the WNBA is setting ratings and attendance records. … Continue reading

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PAC 12 lives again

Wow. The Pac-12 is poaching four Mountain West schools to join Oregon State and Washington State in an effort to preserve the league. Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State applied for Pac-12 membership and all have … Continue reading

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The NFL will use facial recognition for its ticketing at all stadia

The future is here, like it or not. It’s just a month away from the Cowboys’ season kickoff, and fans better stay on their best behavior once the stadium doors reopen. This year, the Cowboys and the rest of the … Continue reading

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NCAA has a March Madness expansion plan

I feel confident something like this is going to happen. College basketball moved one step closer this week to an expanded NCAA men’s basketball tournament. NCAA officials on Wednesday presented to Division I conference commissioners at least two models of … Continue reading

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Rice Stadium 2.0?

This was unexpected. Rice University might build a new football stadium soon, according to a new report. Although the Rice Owls football team’s home has already undergone improvements, Rice school administrators have stated that some significant changes are now required. … Continue reading

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Not just Fertitta wants a hockey team here

Do tell. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has company when it comes to bringing a pro hockey franchise to Houston. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed Tuesday that the league has received interest from other parties about a team in Houston. “Tilman … Continue reading

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A longer look at why we don’t have hockey in Houston

Some fascinating stuff here. “I think it’s surprising that if you look at the growth of the NHL and you see that Atlanta and Houston aren’t represented, that is sort of shocking given the size of those markets,” said Neil … Continue reading

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Let’s wait till 2031 for that Women’s World Cup

Maybe 2027 was too soon. U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) have withdrawn from the 2027 World Cup bidding process on Monday, only weeks before the public vote scheduled on May 17 at the FIFA Congress in Thailand. … Continue reading

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Don’t hold your breath waiting for the WNBA to come back to Houston

The WNBA will be expanding from 12 to 16 teams by 2028. Houston is not on their list of potential new locations. The WNBA is looking to continue growing in the next few years. The league intends to reach 16 … Continue reading

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Fertitta still interested in an NHL team

Also possibly a WNBA team. For the second time in more than a month, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has stated his interest in bringing an NHL team to Houston. Fertitta, in an interview Wednesday on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” was asked … Continue reading

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Once again seeking Comets 2.0

I would of course love to see this happen, but if it ever does it likely won’t be in the near future. Travis Scott was struck by basketball motivation in the middle of the night — crack of the morning? … Continue reading

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Are you ready for some World Cup cricket?

It’s here for you if you want to see it. The United States men’s national cricket team will play two series this spring at Prairie View Cricket Complex ahead of June’s historic 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The U.S. … Continue reading

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Clemson sues ACC over exit fees

Conference realignment is always in season. Clemson on Tuesday became the second ACC member to take legal action against the conference in hopes of potentially getting out of the league. The university filed a lawsuit in Pickens County, S.C., arguing … Continue reading

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Preparing for the World Cup

FIFA requires real grass for its World Cup stadia, so NRG will be installing grass in 2026. The World Cup won’t hit Houston for another 28 months, but NRG Stadium and city officials already are preparing for the seven matches … Continue reading

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Are we talking hockey in Houston again?

It appears we are. Billionaire restaurateur and casino magnate Tilman Fertitta sees a professional hockey team as the next building block for the downtown Houston economy. The owner of the National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets and the Golden Nugget casino … Continue reading

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Houston to get seven World Cup matches

Not bad. Houston will host seven matches in the 2026 World Cup. In the expanded 48-team tournament, NRG will host a Round of 32 match on June 29 and a Round of 16 match on July 4. The group stage … Continue reading

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Las Amazonas de Yaxunah

This is such a great story. Barefoot and draped in the colorful embroidery of traditional Maya huipil garb, 20-year-old Sitlali Yovana Poot Dzib steps up to the plate, wiggling her bat overhead as she faces the pitch. The field is … Continue reading

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Realignment roundup

You can officially put a bow on the PAC 12. Oregon State and Washington State have come to an agreement in principle with the 10 departing Pac-12 universities that will end ongoing litigation related to control of the conference, the … Continue reading

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Let’s host the Women’s World Cup, too

I’m all in. The United States and Mexico submitted a joint bid Friday to co-host the 2027 Women’s World Cup that, if successful, would see the North American neighbours stage global soccer’s two showcase events in back-to-back years. Belgium, Germany … Continue reading

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Installing the ice

Just in case. While Toyota Center undergoes several years of renovations, an upgrade that will not be immediately seen could prove to be among the most important. When listing plans for future phases of renovation, Rockets president of business operations … Continue reading

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The MOB versus Mike Miles

Presented for all the obvious reasons. Rice University’s marching band mocked state-appointed Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles during their halftime show at Saturday’s football game against Texas Southern University. The small band, known as The Mob, performed a brief “Austin … Continue reading

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ACC goes Pacific

Welp. The Atlantic Coast Conference is expanding from its Eastern roots. The ACC presidents and chancellors met Friday morning and voted to add three schools — Stanford, Cal and SMU, the conference announced. It will bring the league to 18 … Continue reading

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