The National Collegiate Athletic Association updated its COVID-19 guidelines for the winter athletic season, revising the definition of "fully vaccinated" and outlining new testing and quarantine requirements, the organization announced Thursday.
Driving the news: The changes reflect new guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week.
Novak Djokovic, the world's No. 1 tennis player, was denied entry to Australia over an issue with his visa application, the country's health minister confirmed.
The latest: The player, who was slated to play in the Australian Open later this month, has appealed the decision. He is expected to remain in immigration detention until at least Monday as he awaits a hearing.
The NFL and Cowboys are reportedly in talks to make AT&T Stadium an emergency backup venue for Super Bowl LVI, which is set to be held at Los Angeles' Sofi Stadium on Feb. 13.
Why it matters: This is standard operating procedure for the league, but it has become more noteworthy amid L.A.'s COVID surge, which has led to increased restrictions and major events being postponed.
Call it whatever you want, but free agency has come to college football.
By the numbers: More than 3,000 football players across all NCAA divisions have entered the transfer portal since Aug. 1. That includes over 1,400 FBS players — an average of 11 per team.
NASCAR has rejected a sponsorship deal between driver Brandon Brown and the meme cryptocurrency LGBcoin, which is a reference to the "Let's Go Brandon" chant meant to represent a veiled insult against President Biden.
Details: Brown's team Brandonbilt Motorsports was informed of the decision on Tuesday, a NASCAR official confirmed to Axios on Wednesday.
Driving the news: Before Tuesday — when Joe Ingles entered COVID protocols — the Jazz were the only NBA team that hadn't added a player to that list this season.
Fanatics has acquired Topps' trading card and collectibles business for roughly $500 million, according to people familiar with the deal.
Why it matters: Fanatics, the world's largest seller of licensed sports apparel, is now the dominant player in the booming trading card space, and home to the hobby's most iconic brand.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal is out at MLB Network after more than 12 years, reportedly due to critical stories he wrote about commissioner Rob Manfred.
The backdrop: In the summer of 2020, Rosenthal's columns for The Athletic analyzing the stalemate between MLB and the MLBPA "featured some light criticism" of Manfred, writes NY Post's Andrew Marchand.
