Some student-athletes at the University of Texas at Austin said they will no longer help recruit new players or attend donor events unless the school addresses a list of demands to make the environment "more comfortable and more inclusive for the black athletes and the black community," according to various athletes' socialmediaposts.
Why it matters: Protests in the wake of the George Floyd killing have sparked a nationwide discussion on racism, and college athletes are speaking out on social issues and driving the conversation in ways their predecessors could only dream about, writes Axios' Jeff Tracy.
Boxing returned on Tuesday thanks to the herculean efforts by promotion company Top Rank to create a "bubble" at the MGM Grand Convention Center in Las Vegas.
The big picture: Brad Jacobs, Top Rank's COO and the architect of their return-to-play protocol, told Axios, "First, I dissected our events line item by line item. Then I consulted with an infectious disease specialist and an emergency physician, and I depended a lot on these experts to figure out how to do this 100% properly."
This weekend, New Zealand's Super Rugby league will become the world's first major sports league to return from the shutdown without crowd restrictions.
The state of play: Some 20,000 fans are expected to be on hand in Dunedin when the Highlanders host the Chiefs, the first Super League game since mid-March.
The National Football League on Thursday announced a $250 million fund to fight systemic racism over the next 10 years, after fallout over the death of George Floyd.
Why it matters: The league recently acknowledged it was "wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier" on matters of racism and systemic oppression of black Americans. The turnaround in messaging was the culmination of years worth of behind the scenes efforts and player activism.
For the first time, a majority of Americans support NFL players kneeling in protest of racial inequality, according to the results of a Yahoo News/YouGov poll released Thursday.
Why it matters: Public sentiment had been rooted firmly in opposition to kneeling during the national anthem since Colin Kaepernick first took a knee in 2016. But in the wake of nationwide protests supporting Black Lives Matter, the tide has shifted in the other direction.
Arizona State slugger Spencer Torkelson made history when the Tigers selected him with the first pick in the 2020 MLB draft, making him the first college 1B and the first right-handed-hitting 1B ever selected with the top pick.
Worth noting: For the first time ever, the first seven picks were all college players. This is likely a result of high school seasons getting canceled, which made it nearly impossible to adequately scout teenagers.
After a three-month hiatus, the PGA Tour returns Thursday for the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
The state of play: No fans will be in attendance, production crews will be limited and players will be asked to adhere to health and safety guidelines released last month.
The U.S. Soccer Federation voted to reverse a rule that required players to stand during the national anthem, the organization said in a statement on Wednesday.
What they're saying: "The policy was put in place after Megan Rapinoe kneeled in solidarity with the peaceful protest inspired by Colin Kaepernick, who was protesting police brutality, and the systematic oppression of Black people and people of color in America," the Federation said.
