Rixon Sports Report - Mon. May 19th, 2025

House Settlement goes to Judge Wilken's desk.

Brett Yormark gets paid.

Valkyries set record in debut.

WNBA investigating racist remarks.

49ers selling 6% stake.

Preakness sets betting record.  

Transcript

Good morning.  I’m Joe Rixon with the Rixon Sports Report, the fastest three minutes in sports business, for Monday, May 19th, 2025.

Starting off with college - the House settlement is now back on the desk of Judge Claudia Wilken with briefs from the legal teams this week on proposed changes to the a roster limit plan which would grandfather in any athletes who were previously assured roster spots.  No idea when Judge Wilken will make her decision, but I think we’re all hoping it’s soon.  The Athletic with more.

Sportico with the scoop on Brett Yormark, the Commissioner of the Big 12s compensation package for his first full year in 2023.  Yorkmark taking in over $4 million in total compensation, $2.5 million in base salary $1.25 million in bonuses.  Yormark recently signed a well-deserved 3 year extension to stay commissioner through 2030.  Yormark coming to the Big 12 by way of RocNation with a stop as leader of Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment.  This number exceeds compensation to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey the same year, making Yormark the highest paid commissioner in college football.

The Golden State Valkyries opened up their season in front of 18,000 fans Friday night Chase Center and in doing so set the record for most fans in attendance for their opening game.  Many big names in the crowd including Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Bucks coach Doc Rivers and WNBA commission Cathy Engelbert.  Valkyries lost 84-67 to the Sparks.  More at ESPN.com.

Sticking with the WNBA, the WNBA is investigating alleged racist comments made toward’s Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese during Saturday’s game in Indiana against the Fever.  The WNBA putting out a state strongly condemning the acts and said they are looking into the matter.  The IndyStar source’s told them a report was filed related to racist comments directed towards Reese by a fan, or fans in the crowd.  This coming on the heels of the WNBA’s new “No Space for Hate” initiative instituted after similar incidents in 2024.  

Sportico reporting that the San Francisco 49ers are finalizing a deal to sell 6% of the team to three Bay Area families with the deal expected to be formally approved at spring owners meetings in Minneapolis next week.  The sale would evidently show a franchise valuation of more than $8.5 billion dollars.  Owner Jed York has been open about the potential to sell up to 10% of it’s 97% ownership stake in the team, calling it a “family asset allocation decision.”

Front Office Sports with a breakdown of this past Saturday’s preakness stakes, with betting-favorite Journalism, runner up at the Kentucky Derby, winning the $1.2 million first place prize.  However, as Mike Tirico put it, Saturday’s race with the “one last time at Pimlico as we know it.”  The track approved my Maryland officials for a long-planned project that intends to modernize Pimlico, with the race scheduled to return to the track in 2027 if constructions goes as scheduled.  The 2026 version of the Preakness will be run at nearby Laurel Park.  Ratings will come out later but the Preakness saw a record betting handle of just over $67 million.