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🏟️ Inside Northwestern’s bet on the future of college football stadiums: Fewer seats, zero nosebleeds As the Big Ten’s smallest institution, you have to think big to take on the giants. In this case, Northwestern is going smaller, but thinking big picture. While rivals Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State all boast stadiums that can seat over 100,000 fans, the new Ryan Field is reducing its capacity by 12,000. The reasoning? Optimize comfort, the TV viewing experience, and create a 1 of 1 experience for guests. Whether or not the stadium blows away the expectations of students, alumni, and visiting fans, you have to admire the ambition of the Ryan family — Northwestern’s largest benefactors by a long shot. Instead of increasing seat capacity just to squeeze more people in, they’re choosing to maximize the viewing experience for a more intimate overall experience. And this is regardless of whether Northwestern is actually playing good football. So even though fans will miss the breathtaking sights of Lake Michigan from Martin Stadium, no one will miss sitting in nosebleeds miles away from the action because there won’t be any. Each seat will be closer to the action than in any comparable college football stadium. The Athletic describes Northwestern’s vision and exactly how the new stadium will stand out.

⚾️ Marquee Sports Network Layoffs Spark Worry About Cubs’ Offseason Spending This headline is worrying to the Cubbies impatiently waiting for the front office to boost the roster and extend last year’s success. MSN is getting rid of the GM position, its content director, and reporter Andy Martinez. Not exactly moves that inspire hope for less stinginess by the Ricketts family and Jed Hoyer. The Cubs’ media branch will continue its focus on live game broadcasts as its primary content strategy. As one of the organization’s main revenue drivers, the cuts follow a disturbing trend for the franchise. The Cubs slashed their payroll last winter. Despite having $71 million in cap space, no big signings are on the horizon as of yet this offseason. They find themselves in a league where teams like the Dodgers are methodically outspending everyone to win championships. MSN’s cuts come amid its entry into Comcast’s most expensive programming tier in October and its failure to drive revenue from efforts by former GM Diane Penny. Cubbies don’t want to hear about tight budgets or reduced MSN revenue. If the Cubs regress after one of their best seasons in recent memory, the outcry from fans will be deafening. Find out other reasons behind the MSN cuts before the winter meetings.

🍔 Fire taps Levy to run food and beverage for new stadium There’s no playing around for the Fire. While other teams in the city have hit walls with their new stadium proposals, the Fire have taken yet another step closer to beginning construction next year. Although it awaits final approval from City Council, it has partnered up with local concession titan Levy to manage its concession offerings at the new stadium. Headquartered in the heart of the Mag Mile, Levy has been running for 47 years. It already manages concession options for Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, United Center, and Rate Field. There really wasn’t another company to consider for the job, with Levy being one of the most formidable and reputable hospitality partners nationwide. Once doors hopefully open in 2028, the Fire will have a stadium that lights up the South Loop and concession offerings that satisfy the fans. Crain’s discusses the partnership and other events Levy manages.

🏀 WNBA and players union extend deadline on collective bargaining agreement to Jan. 9 The war of words between the players’ union and WNBA has cooled down with the weather. After a heated back-and-forth for a while, a little space for the holidays can go a long way. Or not. The sticky points are still pretty sticky. Players want better retirement benefits, minimum standards for team facilities, and most importantly, more money. Regardless of exactly how the new CBA shapes up, the league will see seismic changes. The WNBA could see completely different power dynamics after a new CBA as star players test new waters in new cities. But that’s getting ahead of things. Unless negotiations go smoothly after the new year, there’s still the threat of an extended lockout that could disrupt the 2026 season. The Tribune reports on the latest developments between the WNBA and the players’ union.

🦃 Chiefs-Cowboys Thanksgiving Ratings Shatter NFL Regular-Season Record Turkey, stuffing, and football are what Americans were grateful for in spades this Thanksgiving. Previous highs were shattered all day, but the Chiefs-Cowboys took the cake pumpkin pie. As usual with ratings-buster NFL games, close games bolstered by its most popular teams kept viewers glued to their screens. The Cowboys, in particular, are featured in many of the all-time highest-rated Thanksgiving Day games. The Chiefs displaced them as the league’s most popular team to watch last year, so the matchup was bound to have a large viewership potential. There may be a bit of controversy behind football’s boost in ratings this season, though. Nielsen has changed its measurement methodology to reflect viewers' streaming-dominant habits better. Still, the NFL has once again proven all year that it’s unmatched in the ratings department compared to other major pro sports. Here are the number of people who tuned in to each Thanksgiving Day game.

👑 New York casino developments receive approval The Mets have struggled to get out of the Yankees’ shadow throughout their entire existence. If Hard Rock gets its way, the Mets will have effectively distinguished themselves from their crosstown rivals in ways that the Yankees wouldn’t be able to match anytime soon. The gaming giant’s casino proposal is one of three the New York Gaming Facility Location Board has endorsed. The Hard Rock Metropolitan Park would be an integrated casino resort and entertainment complex right next door to Citi Field. It would open in 2030, transforming 50 acres of land surrounding the stadium and creating jobs through a $5.3 billion capital investment. Steve Cohen, the Mets’ owner and richest in baseball, has been clamoring for a mixed-use casino resort for years. The first renderings released last September show a sprawling area that includes public green space and the proposed 5,650-seat entertainment venue in the backdrop. Once finished, it might make the Mets a more attractive draw than the Yankees… just not during baseball season. The Stadium Business describes the three proposals and what each comprises.