Axios

The ACC and Big 12 Conferences suffered COVID-related setbacks on Friday with announcements that the University of Virginia and University of Kansas' men's basketball teams had withdrawn from their respective conference tournaments, citing positive tests inside the programs.

Why it matters: The cancellations of the two semifinal games illustrate the continued threat the coronavirus poses to team sports, even as the country's vaccine campaign ramps up.

Alt, a new platform where collectors can invest in trading cards as easily and transparently as stocks, went live on Thursday.

How it works: Alt aims to make trading cards a more manageable asset by giving customers a simple way to buy, sell, track and store them.

The trading card boom that exploded in the early days of the pandemic has recently reached a fever pitch.

Why it matters: Seven of the 10 most expensive sports cards in history were sold in the past eight months — and the all-time record has been broken twice since August.

NBA Top Shot is a blockchain-based platform that allows fans to buy and sell officially-licensed highlights from NBA games.

Why it matters: The platform, which is a joint venture between the NBA, NBPA and Dapper Labs, could be the future of the collectibles market.

For nearly a century, investing was driven exclusively by ticker symbols. Now, there's more room for passion-aligned investing — and sports is at the forefront of that movement.

The state of play: Sports fans have always followed the players and teams they love. Now, there are more ways than ever to actually invest in them.

The International Olympic Committee will purchase coronavirus vaccines from China for all Olympic and Paralympic competitors ahead of this summer’s Tokyo Games and next year’s Beijing Winter Games, the organization's president announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The move aims to reassure the public that this summer's Games will not result in a super-spreader event. Polling in Japan is strongly leaning against holding this year's Olympics.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) on Thursday signed the first of over 40 bills introduced this year by lawmakers across the country to exclude transgender youth from sports that align with their gender identity.

Why it matters: A record-setting number of bills targeting trans children have been proposed this year, in what LGBTQ advocates say is an unprecedented push partially motivated by backlash to actions taken by Biden's administration.

The pandemic has been hard on everyone, but the impact on teenagers has been uniquely profound.

Why it matters: High schoolers spent much of the past year isolated and on the sidelines, and that lack of human connection combined with shortened or canceled sports seasons has taken a devastating toll.

A year ago today, Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert returned a positive COVID-19 test, triggering the sports shutdown of 2020.

The backdrop: During the week prior, the U.S. had surpassed 100 cases (March 2), the world had surpassed 100,000 (March 6) and sports leagues had closed their locker rooms to media members.