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Start your morning with Buzzcast with Abe Madkour: Positive start to World Cup; UFC pulls off DC spectacle and The Swamp set for major makeover. Listen >>
There’s a vividness in Vanderbilt Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee’s retelling of the night the Commodores football slayed the giant, a 40-35 victory against Alabama.
The 2024 win was a start. Consider it a proof-of-concept moment for Lee, 46, an administrator hired amid the COVID-19 pandemic by a school that was part of the SEC but never really competitive. The Commodores football team now enters this fall off its only 10-win season in school history. Vanderbilt’s basketball teams won first-round NCAA Tournament games under head coaches hired by Lee. Hundreds of millions of dollars in facility projects have been completed during her tenure. And then, of course, there’s the more than $300 million fundraised through athletics, and the university’s broader efforts to modernize Vanderbilt’s infrastructure.
That lengthy recent résumé is why Lee was named Sports Business Journal’s 2026 Athletic Director of the Year. But those closest to her, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy writes, will tell you the accomplishments are about more than a singular moment or deal that crossed the line.
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1. UFC pulls off first White House sports event with Freedom 250: UFC pulled off the first pro sporting event at the White House with enthralling knockouts and almost no major logistical issues.
2. Hurricanes claim Stanley Cup, end 20-year drought: The Hurricanes on Sunday captured their first Stanley Cup in 20 years with a 3-0 win over the Golden Knights in Game 6.
3. Fox to acquire Roku at $22B valuation: Fox Corp. and Roku have “entered a definitive agreement” for Fox to acquire Roku for $160 per share that values the streaming company at approximately $22B.
4. U.S. Open week tees off at Shinnecock Hills: The U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills this week, and it will do so with a smaller capacity on site in Long Island than in recent years in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
5. Knicks set Fanatics sales record after winning NBA Finals: The Knicks became Fanatics’ top-selling overall sports champion ever in the period following the first 24 hours after clinching their title.
The GLOBE & MAIL went with the header, “Far removed from the pitch, David Beckham remains soccer’s biggest star.” Beckham has appeared in ads for Home Depot, Lay’s and Adidas throughout the World Cup. He is appearing at various stadiums. Nearly 15 years after retiring, he is still soccer’s “most reliable salesman.”
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