The GIST

Overtime’s first-of-its-kind UConn partnership heralds a new era of NIL brand integration

This month, Gen Z–focused basketball media company Overtime (OT) announced a content partnership with UConn women’s basketball — a first-of-its-kind deal for college sports. While embedded content studios aren’t new, head of OT Select and women’s basketball Sascha Malas told us earlier this month that universities haven’t partnered directly with media companies before.

March 28, 2026

Reliving the first half of the men’s Sweet 16

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Time flies when you’re dancing — just ask the four teams that have already shimmied their way into the men’s Elite Eight. The second half of the field will be decided today with the Final Four locked in before the end of the weekend.

March 27, 2026

Breaking down every women’s Sweet 16 matchup

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Turns out New Jersey produces stellar hoopers. Vandy’s Mikayla Blakes, the nation’s leading scorer, and ND’s Hannah Hidalgo, one of the best two-way players in the game, both hail from the Garden State. There must’ve been something in the water.

March 27, 2026

Your 2026 men’s Sweet 16 preview

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Texas is on an absolute heater, winning a nail-biter in the First Four, then upsetting No. 6 BYU and No. 3 Gonzaga in the span of five days. But this tournament only gets tougher — enter: the also scorching Boilermakers.

March 26, 2026

Denver Summit FC arranges a $40M private placement in historic first for women’s sports

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On Monday, Mesirow Capital Markets — an independent, employee-owned financial services firm — arranged a $40M private placement (or private bond financing plan) for Denver Summit FC, the Denver-based NWSL expansion club set to break attendance records at its home opener this weekend.

March 26, 2026

The top storylines to follow this MLB season

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A season that spans 162 games from March to September provides plenty of opportunity for pondering. The introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS, more on that below) is undoubtedly the biggest shakeup of the season, but first, here are the other major storylines we’re following before first pitch.

March 25, 2026

Breaking down baseball’s biggest plot twist: The ABS Challenge System

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This year’s campaign features an intriguing plot twist: The introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, which will allow players — specifically the batter, the pitcher, and the catcher — to challenge an umpire’s ball or strike call. From how it works to the unexpected fallout , here’s everything you need to know.

March 25, 2026

Kim DeCarolis and Terése Whitehead explain the power of women athletes in NIL marketing

Sports Business

Kim DeCarolis and Terése Whitehead explain the power of women athletes in NIL marketing

March 24, 2026

With March Madness finally here, we spoke with Terése Whitehead and Kim DeCarolis, who lead NIL and commercial strategy at Michigan and Georgia, respectively. Both are embedded on campus through their work with Altius Sports Partners, which launched in 2020 and has quickly become a leading strategic advisor for college athletic departments.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #541

Did NIL ruin March Madness?

March 24, 2026

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No glass slippers here.

For the second straight year, there aren’t any true Cinderella squads in the men’s March Madness Sweet 16, as every team remaining hails from an NCAA power conference. What gives? On today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Steph Rotz and Lauren Tuiskula explore the 2024 rule change that changed March Madness forever — and maybe not for the better.