The GIST

UEFA establishes second-tier club tournament as investment in women’s soccer deepens

In addition to sweetening the pot for Europe’s national teams, UEFA has been committed to creating a holistic ecosystem for women’s soccer at the club level. On Monday, the organization shared details around the Women’s Europa Cup, a second-tier club competition hoping to drive domestic investment in the women’s game across Europe.

December 18, 2024

Vermont men’s soccer wins its first national championship in epic comeback victory

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History made. Vermont men’s soccer defeated No. 13 Marshall 2–1 in overtime (OT) on Monday to claim its first national title in program history — and the school’s first championship in any team sport.

December 18, 2024

Marshall and Vermont, two unexpected teams, earn spots in the men’s college soccer championship game

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If you like an underdog, you’re gonna love this: No. 13 Marshall and unranked Vermont will play tonight for a National Title after both programs upset their way to the ‘ship. Marshall has one previous title, earned against Indiana in 2020, while Vermont is hoping to take home the trophy for the very first time.

December 16, 2024

Saudi Arabia awarded 2034 FIFA men’s World Cup despite history of human rights abuses

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While trying to distance themselves from a reputation of bribery and corruption, international soccer’s governing body FIFA is once again drawing significant flack after a controversial decision regarding the 2034 men’s World Cup (WC) tournament. Let’s dive in.

December 13, 2024

The men’s College Cup field is set, with the championship game set to take place on Monday

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From 48 teams down to four, the men’s College Cup semis are set for today, with two spots in Monday’s championship game on the line.

December 13, 2024

Women’s College Cup championship kicks off tonight, while men’s College Cup is officially set

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While the men’s College Cup final four was set over the weekend, the women’s field of 64 is down to two, with ACC foes No. 2 seed North Carolina and No. 2 seed Wake Forest facing off for the title tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

December 09, 2024

North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, and Stanford are competing for the women’s soccer College Cup

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At long last, the College Cup is about to kick off. ICYMI: The 64-team field has been whittled down to four, with No. 1 seed Duke playing No. 2 seed North Carolina, and No. 2 seed Wake Forest taking on No. 3 Stanford in today’s all-ACC semifinals.

December 06, 2024

Sports Business

Billionaire Marc Lasry and Avenue Sports Fund back out of NC Courage deal

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December 02, 2024

Per Sportico, billionaire sports investor Marc Lasry and his sports-focused private equity (PE) firm Avenue Sports Fund are no longer pursuing the purchase of the NC Courage, citing “NWSL restrictions for private equity investment as a control[ling] owner in teams.” With the NWSL being a sports league that uniquely allows PE investment, let’s dive into what we know.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #422

Volleyball's spotlight moment, plus a College Football Playoff primer

December 19, 2024

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Volleyball's spotlight moment, plus a College Football Playoff primer

Hello, hello!
Forget the holidays — it’s playoff season for a few fall college sports: women’s volleyball and football. On this episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz first preview tonight’s national volleyball tournament semifinals, where all four No. 1 seeds will be duking it out for a spot in Sunday’s championship. And volleyball is just getting started in the U.S., with major news about the Pro Volleyball Federation and League One Volleyball dropping this week.
Then in part two, it’s all about the College Football Playoff, which begins on Friday night. The gals dig through the revamped 12-team format before shouting out the top players to watch on the gridiron. Hut, hut.
A big thank you to Aflac for partnering with us on today’s episode! Add Aflac to your team to close the insurance gap today. Learn more at aflac.com/thegist.