Women’s sports will conquer new territory in 2026: the classroom. Simmons University in Boston makes history this fall with the first cohort of its Women’s Sports Business Program. Matriculated students will earn a Master of Science in Management (MSM) with a Business and Leadership in Women’s Sports Concentration, the first of its kind. The development is unsurprising for the historically female institution. At the time of its founding in 1974, the Simmons School of Management (SOM) offered the world's first MBA program designed specifically for women, and over 50 years later, Simmons is making way for even more progress.

Budget-friendly retailer T.J. Maxx has been stepping up its women’s sports sponsorship game in recent years, partnering with ESPN, Boston Legacy FC, and over 55 women athletes, coaches, and broadcasters. At this year’s ESPYs, it doubled down on visibility with one of its top athlete ambassadors: rugby star Ilona Maher.

You’ve heard of mega-agencies serving hundreds of athletes, boutique ones catering to a select few, and emerging ones focusing on women athletes only. Last month, industry veteran Misha Sher launched his own agency, One of Not Many (ONM), after seeing gaps in the way women athletes build their careers after hanging up the cleats. Sher chatted with us last month about why he launched ONM and how he plans to make his roster of four athletes — which includes former USWNT and NWSL standout Ali Riley and Arsenal forward Alessia Russo — stars in their next chapter, too.

🏈 ICYMI: Iconic quarterback Diana Flores is still that girl. The Invisalign® Game Changer is the driving force behind a global movement, and she has tons of reasons to smile.

Today, sports data leader Genius Sports (which acquired Sports Innovation Lab in 2025) published the fifth edition of The Fan Project, Sports Innovation Lab’s long-running report series that examines the economic value of women’s sports fandom. The latest release, “Turning Culture Into Commerce,” shows how the culture of women’s sports is shaped by athlete entrepreneurs.

Many cities have multiple sports teams, but few gather fans together quite like Toronto’s Exhibition Place. The district houses BMO Field and Coca-Cola Coliseum, which is now home to NSL, PWHL, and WNBA teams — all of which have joined the fold within the past three years. In May, we spoke with Exhibition Place CEO Don Boyle about why he’s keen on bringing women’s sports teams to the area and the distinct value of women’s sports fans.

Dallas Wings star Azzi Fudd spoke with The GIST last week about her recent community court activation brought to life by Cash App. Last Tuesday, the payment app hosted a community basketball clinic and donated $35K to a local nonprofit that provides sports equipment and programming for young girls.