Bet Caddy Names NBA's Pat Spencer Investor | Sports Technology $34.2 Billion Market by 2030

Get up to speed with latest news impacting the sports business landscape in Chicago and beyond. 🗞️ 

Bet Caddy Names Pat Spencer Investor and Advisor Bet Caddy is teaming up with Golden State Warriors point guard Pat Spencer in a union of underdogs. Bet Caddy, the homegrown mobile sports betting platform, was founded in 2023. In an industry dominated by titans like FanDuel and DraftKings, Bet Caddy has etched out a spot among the giants. If you don’t know about Pat Spencer’s story, he went from being one of the best lacrosse players in NCAA history → playing college basketball in his last year of eligibility → a few side stops playing basketball in Germany and the G-League → now playing primetime playoffs basketball with the Warriors. Spencer has gained some recognition for his hard work this season, especially during February’s NBA All-Star Weekend, so it’s perfect timing to announce the partnership. Since the Bulls are yet again missing from the playoffs picture, it’s great to see a local company making big moves nationally. Check out the X status announcing Spencer’s role and how he can help grow Bet Caddy’s brand.

Chicago State University names first football coach in school history College football is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and Chicago State University wants in. Last week, the school located in Roseland announced its intentions of launching its college football program in 2026. With the announcement, CSU became the second Illinois school in over a century to start a new football program from scratch. It will certainly be an uphill battle, but incoming coach Bobby Rome II seems suited for the job. In his previous tenure at Florida Memorial University, he led a team with zero conference wins before him to back-to-back conference championship appearances. Rome showed conviction during his introductory press conference that’ll be handy when recruiting players. CSU may need to focus on the basics before getting tied up in recruiting, like where it will play in 2026. Its options are all over the place: from Soldier Field to a high school stadium. It may seem minor, but these details matter when vying for recruits. Nowadays, the most valuable recruits can choose between schools with 100,000+ seat stadiums and/or fat checks. Fox 32 Chicago lists all the possible CSU football stadium locations.

Leila Rahimi named Dan Bernstein's permanent replacement on The Score's midday show It’s a shame one of the legendary voices of Chicago sports media didn’t get a chance to leave on his own terms, but Leila Rahimi is a more than worthy replacement. In replacing Bernstein, Rahimi becomes the first full-time female lead sports host during primetime in Chicago sports history. Rahimi’s been a vet of Chicago sports media, having moved here from Dallas in 2015 and working with NBC in sports for years. She’s been a contributor for The Score since 2017, so it won’t be a big adjustment for the show’s fans. It’s a monumental moment for Rahimi, but the lesson learned here is that whatever you do, stay away from internet trolls. Bernstein’s fall from grace was so sudden and rough, like the feeling of the blistering wind most of this winter when you first walked out of the house. In case you missed it, the Sun Times provides a recap of the situation leading to Bernstein’s firing.

Green Bay NFL Draft Drew Huge Crowds As Well As TV Ratings The NFL Draft used to be an afterthought for many football fans. Other than the obsessive, football-starved fan, most people would laugh at the idea of watching coverage of the NFL Draft for more than a few minutes. But once again, the marketing genius of the NFL has found a way to capture people’s attention no matter the occasion. Green Bay was projecting a modest turnout for the showcase of could-be NFL talent. Instead, it almost tripled its projections as 600,000 people descended on the league’s smallest market. 13.6 million viewers checked out the first round at home, the second-highest ever. The Shaduer Sanders drama boosted the NFL’s numbers after he slipped from a potential first-round pick to the fifth round. People stuck around to find out when he would get drafted. Still, the NFL pulls out all the stops when it wants to make a spectacle. Lil Wayne on a bike, the random mirror available for players to adjust the hat of their new team before walking on stage, and Seth Rollins trolling Packers fans as a loyal Bears fan are just a few examples of how the NFL looks to grab and hold your attention in different ways. Marketing specialists, take notes on the masterclass from the NFL on creating hype out of nothing. For more on the big ratings of the NFL Draft, click here.

NFL Rookie Signing Bonuses Jump Record 26% for 2025 Draft The NFL Draft class of 2025 benefits big time from the NFL’s new media rights deals and increasing salary cap. The media rights deals are worth $113 billion over 10 years. The NFL should hit $25 billion in annual revenue within a few years, all equating to higher rookie salaries. NFL rookies won’t get the same contracts that guys did under previous CBAs, where rookies would get massive contracts bigger than veterans without pro experience (think JaMarcus Russell). But they’ll still earn 26% higher signing bonuses than last year’s class. First-round picks will receive anywhere from $7.3 million for the 32nd pick to Cam Ward’s $32.2 million signing bonus as the top pick. If you’re bored, you can try to calculate how many millions Shadeur Sanders lost when he dropped from his first-round projection to the fifth round. His signing bonus was only $446,553, not chump change at all, but also isn’t life-changing like it is for first-rounders. To see how much first-rounders earn in their total contract and how much the salary cap has increased in recent years, check out Sportico’s deep dive.

NCAA to Sell Gambling Data to Sportsbooks Via Genius Sports At first glance, the headline would suggest the NCAA is being hypocritical to its previous stance against sports betting. Its president, Charlie Baker, testified before Congress a few months ago about reigning in prop bets in college sports. So why agree to finally sell some of its data to sportsbooks? Because it actually helps them get a tighter grip on how bets are placed. In its agreement with Genius Sports, a limit on ‘risky’ bet types will be imposed, including underperformance wagers and negative outcome bets. The NCAA is a lot like Trump: you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. There are very few mixed feelings about the institution. You can look at this gambling data move in a few ways: a slippery slope that only puts speed bumps up for the rapidly expanding sports betting industry. It could still influence how collegiate athletes perform and put them in danger from vengeful bettors down on their luck. Or you could see the move as necessary by the NCAA to protect its athletes from a more chaotic sports betting landscape. Read more on how much the NCAA made last year and what its agreement with Genius Sports will look like.

NBA Legend Jason Kidd Joins New Owners At Everton It’s not a new trend, seeing the people from the NBA world dabble in soccer ownership. Lebron James possibly started the trend when he acquired a 2% stake in Liverpool FC in 2011. Players like Kevin Durant and James Harden, and former players like Steve Nash, Magic Johnson, and Grant Hill have all purchased stakes in MLS and/or European clubs. What’s slightly unique about this announcement is that Jason Kidd is one of just two NBA coaches with ownership stakes in soccer clubs. Steve Kerr was the first after announcing his minority shareholder position with Spanish La Liga club RCD Mallorca in 2023. Soccer clubs, especially in Europe, represent potential valuable assets based on the sport’s popularity and the number of sponsorships they attract. For Everton, an English club in the heart of Liverpool, it’s a smart move. The club has been struggling to escape mediocrity for several years, and its new ownership group sounds like they want to break out of it. I’m not sure how much Kidd understands about the game of soccer or the landscape of European soccer, but it doesn’t hurt to have a Hall of Fame player and current NBA coach in one of the biggest leagues in the world helping your front office. Check out Everton’s press release for full details.

Sports Technology Market Global Forecast to 2030 AI and technology in general has transformed the sports viewing experience in just a few years. Anytime you’re watching a game and a commentator pulls an obscure stat out of you-know-where or see a 3D rendering of an in-game moment developed in minutes, it’s a result of the vastly expanding sports tech market. And it will only continue to grow. In this detailed press release, ResearchAndMarket.com talks about just how much the industry will evolve and who the major players are. For example, they predict the industry will double from the current level of $34.25 billion by 2030 and that the market for AI-based platforms will grow at the highest CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate). The report dives deep into all areas of sports tech, categorizing them by technology, sport, end-user, and region. The only question left unanswered is whether AI can help deliver another championship to Chicago in the future. I’d bet on it any day over what some of the city’s team owners have been doing with plenty of resources and time.