The NBA's owners meet on Monday. The record Lakers sale is not up for a vote; two new teams and a suspended owner are.

The rest of the day

15 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

1. 02

   The SEC asks a court for the power to expel LSU

   The Southeastern Conference, a league of American universities, told a federal court in Alabama it wants the legal authority to expel Louisiana State University. [9][10] The fight is over Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, who signed NFL contracts this summer and then tried to return to college. [10] The other 15 members voted 15-0 for penalties on any club that plays a former professional; LSU abstained. [11] LSU left both players off its final roster, and the presidents did not hold the expulsion vote they had scheduled. [11][12] Georgia's president said on Friday the members now back the SEC writing its own rules, separate from the NCAA. [12]

   Why it matters — A conference can throw out a member by vote, and LSU backed down the week the vote was scheduled. The bigger move is the SEC's: a year of talk about leaving the NCAA is turning into a plan for its own rulebook and possibly its own salary cap. [12]

2. 03

   The biggest British fight fell apart over a venue

   Tyson Fury says his fight with Anthony Joshua is off. [13] Both men had signed contracts with Sela, the promoter, and Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, was paying for it. [13][16] Joshua's contract says the fight must be in Britain; Fury's does not, and the promoters wanted New York's Madison Square Garden. [13][14] Alalshikh wants a bigger share of the American market. [14] Fury then called out Oleksandr Usyk for November, and Usyk's manager said Usyk is not Fury's backup plan. [14]

   Why it matters — The man paying for the fight chose the country, and the two boxers' contracts did not agree on it. A fight British fans expected at Wembley stalled because the money wanted New York. [13][14]

3. 04

   A new promoter ran a fight it does not own

   Ryan Garcia was due to defend his WBC welterweight title against Britain's Conor Benn on Saturday night in Las Vegas, on a card promoted by Zuffa Boxing and shown on Paramount+. [15] Zuffa belongs to TKO and works with Alalshikh's money; Dana White, who built the UFC, is its lead promoter. [15][16] Garcia is still under contract to Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, yet Zuffa ran the event. [16] On the undercard, Jai Opetaia had been stripped of his IBF title for signing with Zuffa, and Noel Mikaelian defied his 95-year-old promoter Don King to take the fight. [15]

   Why it matters — Boxing has no single league, so the promoter with the most money sets the card. Zuffa is showing it can stage the biggest fights whether or not it holds the fighters' contracts. [16]

4. 05

   The WNBA looks for a boss who answers to the NBA

   The WNBA, the top women's basketball league, begins searching for a new commissioner this month, as Cathy Engelbert prepares to leave within months. [17][19] The hire is expected to be made by the NBA's commissioner Adam Silver, and to report to him, as Engelbert did. [17][19] A source told ESPN the league is open to someone without a corporate background, after Engelbert's strained relations with players. [17] Candidates named include Nneka Ogwumike, who led the players' union for ten years through two labour deals and retires as a player this season. [17][18]

   Why it matters — The job runs a league with billion-dollar franchises but still reports to a man who runs another league. Whoever is chosen will negotiate with the players on one side and Silver on the other. [19] The season resumes on 17 September, and the salary cap this year was $7m. [35]

5. 06

   The world's best player skipped the World Cup

   The United States and France meet in the women's basketball World Cup final in Berlin on Sunday, after the Americans beat Spain 76-66 on Saturday. [21][22] France won all five games by an average of 35.6 points and has eight current WNBA players on its roster. [21] A'ja Wilson, the WNBA's best player, withdrew from the American team days before it flew, to protect a sore back for her club, the Las Vegas Aces. [20] Under the league's new labour deal a champion earns $60,000 a player, and the season grows to 50 games by 2027. [20]

   Why it matters — The World Cup was moved earlier than usual, into the club season. [20] A national team used to be the biggest stage a women's basketball player had. Now the club pays enough that the calendar clash goes the club's way, and the rest of the world has caught up while it did. [20]

6. 07

   Duren may take $9.6m to be free next summer

   Jalen Duren, the Detroit Pistons' 22-year-old All-NBA centre, has until 1 October to accept a one-year qualifying offer of $9.6m, which would make him a free agent next summer. [23] Detroit's last offer was a five-year deal near $190m; he wants at least $200m and could be paid up to $287m. [23] Houston's Amen Thompson, who made neither All-Star nor All-NBA team, signed for $208m this month, which strengthens Duren's case. [23] The Sacramento Kings could make room to pay him the maximum next year, and Detroit can push the deadline to 1 March. [23]

   Why it matters — Detroit sits $46m under the luxury tax now, but big raises are due, and going over the tax three years in four brings a heavier repeater charge. A $10m gap in the price of one player is really a decision about the next three contracts. [23]

7. 08

   A Florida guard sues for a fifth year

   Denzel Aberdeen, a guard for the Florida Gators, has asked a court in Gainesville for an injunction giving him a fifth season of college eligibility. [24] The NCAA's new rule allows five seasons in five years, but his lawyer says the NCAA is not applying it to players who enrolled in 2022. [24] A federal judge in Colorado ordered that whole class eligible in July; an appeals court paused the order a month later, and Aberdeen became ineligible. [24] He played 12 games and 40 minutes as a freshman and never signed a professional contract. Florida's season opens on 3 November. [24]

   Why it matters — Eligibility in American college sport is now decided court by court, so a player's season depends on which judge hears him. LSU's two former professionals were the SEC's version of the same fight this week. [24][10]

8. 09

   Six cities line up to pay baseball $2.5bn

   Major League Baseball has not added a club in more than 30 years, and commissioner Rob Manfred wants two new cities chosen before he retires in January 2029. [25] The entry fee is expected to be about $2.5bn, after the Angels sold for $4bn and the Padres for $3.9bn. [25] A bid needs an owner, funded stadium money and a site. Salt Lake City has all three, including $900m of state money for half a stadium. [25] Nashville has none of the three; Portland has $800m of state money and a site but no owner. [25] The contest opens once a new labour deal is done. [25]

   Why it matters — The cities compete by promising public money for a stadium before the league has even opened the contest. The commissioner's retirement date sets the clock, and it favours the bid that is already complete. [25]

9. 10

   A Padre hid a torn hip for seven weeks

   Ramon Laureano, an outfielder for the San Diego Padres, reaggravated an old hip injury on 8 April and kept playing. [26] He did not tell the training staff how bad it was until 30 May, then had surgery on a torn labrum with a five-month recovery. [26] He was in the last year of his contract and batting first for a team short of outfielders; he calls the decision stupid. [26] In 2021 a doctor recommended surgery on the same hip; with a salary arbitration hearing coming, he chose an injection instead. [26]

   Why it matters — A player paid year to year has a reason to hide pain in the season that decides his next contract. Laureano made the same trade twice, five years apart, and lost most of a season to it. He puts his chance of playing in October under 5 per cent. [26]

10. 11

    The Seahawks' new owners promise to leave them alone

    The Khosla family gave their first Seattle news conference on Wednesday, after their $9.612bn purchase of the Super Bowl champion Seahawks closed on 3 September. [27] Vinod Khosla, 71, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems, is chairman; his wife Neeru is controlling owner; their son Neal, 33, is vice chairman. [27] Khosla said the best thing they can do is not mess with much, and that the people running the team should make the decisions. [27] The family will stay in the San Francisco area, and has talked with the club about using artificial intelligence, including in football operations. [27]

    Why it matters — A record price bought a team that had just won, so the owners' first promise is not to change it. The test comes with the first losing season. [27]

11. 12

    Flag football has to win its Olympic place twice

    The NFL says flag football, a version of American football that needs far less gear, is now played in more than 500 Australian schools. [28] Gerrit Meier, who runs the league's international business, says there is no commercial return and success is measured by how many children play. [28] Flag was added to the 2028 Los Angeles Games only, and must fight squash, cricket and others to be kept for Brisbane 2032. [28] Brisbane's organisers choose, and the International Olympic Committee signs off, likely later this year. [28] The league says more than 200 NFL players want to play in Los Angeles. [28]

    Why it matters — One Olympics was a favour to the host city; a second is a permanent place. The NFL is spending in schools now to have a vote go its way before 2028 arrives. [28]

12. 13

    A Browns cornerback buys into the Guardians

    Denzel Ward, the Cleveland Browns' cornerback, has become a minority investor in the Cleveland Guardians baseball team, joining Travis Kelce. [29] Ward, 29, grew up in a Cleveland suburb and signed a two-year $62m extension in July. [29] The Guardians' ownership is changing. David Blitzer, who co-owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, has an option to take control after the 2027 season from the Dolan family, who paid $323m in 1999. [29] Forbes values the club at $1.66bn, 26th of 30. [29]

    Why it matters — An incoming owner is adding local stars as small partners before he takes control; both players sat in his suite for the home opener. [29]

13. 14

    Chicago's coach measures eight minutes

    The Chicago Bears are judging quarterback Caleb Williams on the middle eight: the last four minutes of the first half and the first four of the second. [30] Head coach Ben Johnson tracks expected points added, a measure of how much each play changes the likely score. [30] In that window last season Williams averaged 0.07 points per dropback, below the league average of 0.10 and far behind New England's Drake Maye at 0.39. [30] Williams cut his sacks from 68 as a rookie to 24 last year, and the club thinks the middle eight is the next number to move. [30]

    Why it matters — A club is coaching its quarterback to eight minutes rather than to a season total. Chicago has never had a passer reach 4,000 yards in a season, and the coach says the passing game's efficiency decides wins. [30]

14. 15

    Dallas makes $19m appear

    The Dallas Cowboys restructured three players' contracts, turning salary into bonus money counted in later years, and created a little over $19m of room under the salary cap; they now have $33.6m free. [31] Owner Jerry Jones said it shows the club could make a trade before the 10 November deadline, most likely for defence. [31] Their receiver George Pickens is playing on a one-year franchise tag of $27.3m after the club refused to negotiate a long-term deal. [32] A second tag next year would cost 20 per cent more, $32.8m, and Stephen Jones has doubted the club can pay two top receivers. [32]

    Why it matters — The cap does not stop spending; it moves the bill into later seasons. Dallas has borrowed room from future years to shop now, while keeping its best young receiver on a year-to-year lease. [31][32]

15. 16

    Hockey's owners meet on 22 September about two cities

    The NHL's board of governors meets in New York on 22 September, when it expects an update on expansion bids from Houston and Austin. [33] The league also confirmed the 2027 draft on 25 and 26 June will again have no central draft hall, for a third year. [33] Its new labour deal takes full effect on 16 September and cuts the longest contract a club can give its own player from eight years to seven. [33][34] That gives Minnesota until 15 September to sign Quinn Hughes for eight years at up to $20.8m a season. [34] Anaheim's Cutter Gauthier and Tampa's Nikita Kucherov are also unsigned. [33]

    Why it matters — A rule change with a date creates a deadline nobody negotiated for. Three of the league's best players and their clubs are bargaining against a calendar rather than each other. [33][34]