The Athena Pledge, a first-of-its-kind, collaborative project between AT&T, Capital One, Cisco, and Deloitte, was announced last week with the aim to rally other brands to increase their women’s sports spend as well as to prioritize women’s sports in their own strategic planning.

Former University of Florida track star Parker Valby inked a deal with New Balance last week as she ramps up to her first year as a pro. In an interview with the GIST, Valby said she had a gut feeling New Balance was the right fit for her, opting not to re-sign with Nike after she became the first collegiate women’s runner to sign an endorsement deal with the brand in 2023.

Today’s special edition highlights the benefits of sports access as well as the barriers to play for girls around the world.

The GIST and PWHL continue efforts towards expanding the reach of women's sports and female fandom across the United States and Canada

It's the next step in the reshaping of college sports.

The Collective — the women’s sports research branch of talent agency giant Wasserman — published new insights yesterday on women sports fans globally. Its most recent findings indicate women are a growing demographic in sports fandoms, one that activates more keenly around brands — something The GIST knows very well. *winks*

The Pac-12 announced another key win in its fight for survival yesterday.

Last Thursday, women’s track meet Athlos NYC took off at Icahn Stadium in Manhattan, and seemed to be everything founder Alexis Ohanian billed it to be. As we wait for official viewership and attendance numbers, immediate IRL impressions suggest Athlos could be the next major event on the Big Apple’s sports calendar between the US Open and the NYC Marathon.

In an exclusive conversation with The GIST yesterday, pro track competition Grand Slam Track’s (GST) director of athletes and racing Kyle Merber shared that the new league recently signed three Olympic medalists. As the Diamond League raises its prize money and Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos happens tomorrow, GST’s additions prove the sport is ripe for development — it just needs a little repackaging.