Utah lawmakers voted to ban transgender youth from playing school sports on Friday, overriding Gov. Spencer Cox, who vetoed the bill earlier this week.
Why it matters: The bill, which goes into effect July 1, effectively prohibits transgender athletes from participating on girls' sports teams.
It's a great time to be a fan of a first-place NHL team.
Driving the news: All four first-place teams — the Panthers, Hurricanes, Avalanche and Flames — rank among the 10 least-expensive nights out per the newest Fan Cost Index (FCI).
NFL announcers have more leverage than ever — and are cashing in big time — thanks to increased competition for their services.
Driving the news: ESPN ("Monday Night Football") and new entrant Amazon ("Thursday Night Football") signed broadcasting teams to huge deals this month, reshaping the landscape entirely.
The top two overall seeds went down, Coach K's "Last Dance" got at least one more song, and Collin Gillespie's fifth year at Villanova — which, in some ways, feels like his 45th — continued on Thursday.
The big picture: It's been 25 years since a West Coast team won a men's college basketball national championship (Arizona in 1997). UCLA is now its only hope of breaking the curse.
MLB's antitrust exemption turns 100 this May. If Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) has his way, it won't reach 101.
Driving the news: Sanders on Tuesday introduced the Save American Baseball Act. If passed, MLB wouldn't have as much free rein to conduct business as it sees fit — particularly in the minor leagues.
New York City Mayor Eric Adamslifted the vaccine mandate for performers and athletes in local venues, allowing the Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving and some other unvaccinated athletes to return to competing in their hometown.
Why it matters: Adams has sought to roll back COVID restrictions as cases fall in the city. The mandate had led Irving to sit out home games.
This is the first March Madness of the NIL era, meaning athletes can monetize their fame during one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
State of play: Social media has been the most lucrative channel for athletes since the NIL era began in July, per marketing platform Opendorse. 34% of compensation has come from posting content, well ahead of signing something (18%) and licensing rights (14%).
