🗣️New Speaker Announced: Sara Arnold

🌟Corporate Partnerships, Chicago Stars

Sara Arnold is the Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the Chicago Stars FC, bringing extensive experience in sports business, sponsorships, and brand development. Originally from North Carolina, she spent 11 seasons with the Atlanta Braves before moving to Arizona, where she worked on major sporting events including Super Bowl LVII and the 2024 NCAA Men's Final Four. A passionate advocate for women’s sports and women in the sports industry, Sara previously served as president of the Women in Baseball Employee Resource Group and as a board member of WISE Atlanta. Today, she leads the Stars’ corporate partnerships team, driving revenue growth and building innovative partnerships while playing a key role in initiatives such as the club’s new Performance Center, brand transformation, and move to Evanston.

🎟️As a member you get 15% OFF any event. Use code: CSTW15 Get your tickets for CSTW: Chicago Sports Tech Week. Tickets are limited

Events include…

https://chicagosportstechweek.com/#tickets

🍻CSTW Bar Survivor Competition

The ultimate networking party meets bar games showdown! Teams compete in classic games like darts, pool, flip cup, and more while guests enjoy an open bar and unforgettable entertainment.

📆When: Wednesday, July 22nd, 2026

📍Where: Emporium Arcade Bar ~ (subject to change)

🏆Competition Format - Teams battle head-to-head in classic bar games like darts, pool, and flip cup

🌐Team-Based Fun - Form your team or join one at the event for networking & competition

🥂Premium Open Bar - Enjoy craft cocktails and drinks while cheering on competitors

Get your tickets today at: Chicago Sports Tech Week

👨‍⚖️Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg’s kids sue his widow over alleged mishandling of trust Ryno deserves better. This case adds to the long list of lawsuits filed after a celebrity’s death (think Prince, Lisa Marie Presley, and another Cubs legend, Ernie Banks). Regardless of who’s in the wrong, it tarnishes a piece of their legacy and reopens old wounds. In this case, it sounds like Sandberg’s widow, Margaret, is in the wrong. Ryno’s mental and physical state weren’t good in his final days. The old ‘last-minute’ change to the will comes up time and again and rarely fares well in court. Hopefully, the lawsuit doesn’t linger in court. Time doesn’t always heal old wounds, and contentious lawsuits have a way of ensuring the pain of a loved one’s death stays fresh. The Tribune reports on the lawsuit and the case Sandberg’s kids make against his widow.

❌The Chicago mayor who said ‘no’ to the World Cup – a dome on Soldier Field was the last straw There’s no questioning Chicago’s credentials to host World Cup matches. The sendoff game before the World Cup started, played at Soldier Field between Germany and the U.S., sold out as proof. So you might wonder, as World Cup fever has swept the nation, why Chicago isn’t hosting any matches. Rahm Emanuel was one of the few mayors to decline when the opportunity to host developed during his tenure. Emanuel saw the stipulations FIFA demands of host cities as too steep a burden on Chicago and its taxpayers. In his words: “We were on the front end of the bad side and the back end of the good side.” There’s no denying the upsides of hosting World Cup matches — a month-long influx of tourists spending money locally — but the mainstream headlines overlook the downsides. FIFA takes a massive cut from the revenue, yet leaves the burden of maintaining order during the influx of tourists solely on the host cities. Given the more-than-expected empty seats and high ticket prices so far, which have lowered overall revenue expectations, Emanuel’s decision looks wiser by the day. The Athletic explores the financial ramifications of hosting and gives Emanuel’s reaction to the dome ask.

🆕Jake Silverman Named University of Chicago’s Director of Athletics Let’s be clear: UChicago sports will probably never get as much prestige as its academics. But hiring Jake Silverman is a good step towards boosting its national sports profile. Silverman has developed a sharp acumen for sports operations and management over his almost 20-year career. In his previous position at Brown, he helped drive undergrad recreational engagement to a record 92% in 2024 and revamped the university’s recruitment structure. Silverman comes into a UChicago athletics program riding a wave of achievement across multiple sports (basketball, baseball, and track and field all had historic seasons this year) despite limited resources as a DIII school. UChicago will expect Silverman to continue the momentum of athletic achievement while bolstering its reputation on the national stage. Brown University announces UChicago's hiring of Silverman, paying homage to his accomplishments while at Brown.

🥊Filing says organizing of UFC White House event was unlawful Was Freedom 250 a grand celebration of a special birthday for America, or just another Trump spectacle? The Public Integrity Project, based in D.C., unsuccessfully pleaded the latter. It sought a preliminary injunction to stop the event, citing several violations in its organization. Chief among the allegations is that the event doesn’t meet standards for special events related to America 250 celebrations. It also claimed the claw structure built for the octagon needed congressional approval. Despite making its case, the injunction was denied because it failed to prove irreparable harm. As far as numbers go, the UFC took on the development costs of the production to the tune of $60 million, with losses estimated at $30 million. If taxpayer funds were at stake in the case, this case might’ve gone a lot further. ESPN reports on the Public Integrity Project’s case against Freedom 250.

🛜How Sports Became Ground Zero for AI Slop ‘Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see’ rings even truer in the age of AI Slop. The 24/7 sports news cycle only makes sports more susceptible to bad actors. In sports, AI slop has been used to mislead fans on images, quotes, and supposed breaking news. Generative AI tools make it effortless to fabricate quotes or images of sports celebrities. Generating a high volume of slop is the name of the game to make any money from spamming. Efforts to slow it down just become a game of cat and mouse. NFL teams’ PR departments are even spending real time and dollars disputing the craziest claims. Clickbait headlines people used to complain about now look harmless compared to the tidal waves of controversy caused by AI-generated slop. Front Office Sports highlights the frustrations of affected sports figures and features a quote from a UChicago associate professor on the landscape of AI slop.

🏈Eli Manning’s private equity firm acquires licensing company for NFL Flag in bet on youth sports It was only a matter of time before private equity trickled down into the youth sports ecosystem. Youth sports are notoriously fractured due to their decentralized nature. And they are estimated to be worth $40 billion. Eli Manning’s PE firm looks to unify some of the many apps and websites used to organize youth leagues. There’s a lot to be gained from it, but not everyone thinks youth sports should be open for grabs. The “Let the Kids Play Act” was introduced by Democratic members of Congress to keep private equity out of youth sports. Manning’s PE firm states it wants to make flag football more accessible and drive down costs. He is a staunch supporter of making flag football a nationally recognized high school varsity sport for boys and girls. If there’s anyone who can make a case for using private equity for good, it’s Eli Manning. CNBC describes RCX Sports, its impact on youth sports, and how Manning wants to improve it.

👠A real game changer: Women’s merch gets a makeover There was never a niche of apparel for women who refuse to sacrifice style for team loyalty. “Pink it and shrink it” has been the infamous model for women’s sports apparel. In the $36 billion sports merch industry, women's sports merch is estimated at $4 billion. But options have been seriously lacking until recently. Danielle Snyder launched DannijoPro after stumbling upon the question of what to wear to a Golden State Warriors game. Sports and fashion have been intersecting more lately, but this new wave of fashionable women’s merch is very nascent. Now that other brands are popping up to fill the void, women’s merch will continue to evolve. An underserved market, starving for options, is finally getting them. The Hustle lays out how Snyder founded DannijiPro and how much the company has grown.