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NEW ORLEANS — LSU and Caesars Sportsbook announced Friday that they have entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement, making Louisiana’s flagship state university the first in the Southeastern Conference to enter a financial partnership with a gambling company.

The value will be “multiple millions” of dollars, a person familiar with the agreement said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on condition of anonymity because the value of the contract has not been announced. The person also said there are no plans to place a sportsbook in Tiger Stadium or other LSU game venues included in the deal.

The deal comes as Louisiana, already home to several land-based or riverboat casinos, prepares to permit legal sports betting. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board is accepting casino applications for sports betting licenses.

The deal also comes as national rules governing college sports have begin to allow college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) without jeopardizing their eligibility. It remains unclear whether players older than 21 will be able to participate in any of Caesar’s advertising campaigns at LSU or around the state.

Caesars also recently bought naming rights to the Superdome, the home stadium of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, after the New Orleans sports venue’s previous naming deal with German automaker Mercedes-Benz expired over the summer.

As part of its deal with LSU, Caesars Sportsbook will receive naming rights for the new Caesars Sportsbook Skyline Club at Tiger Stadium, as well as signage throughout Death Valley beginning on Saturday, Sept. 18 for LSU’s home game against Central Michigan. Caesars also post additional signage at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (basketball), Alex Box Stadium (baseball) and have a presence on LSU’s mobile sports app.

“We share a clear vision of how athletics and entertainment can come together to enhance the fan experience,” LSU athletic director Scott Woodward said. “We are excited to join with Caesars to make that vision a reality.”

Caesars has been steadily expanding its business operations in Louisiana and is set to undergo “large-scale” renovations transforming Harrah’s New Orleans into Caesars New Orleans, as well as the Isle of Capri casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana, into Horseshoe Lake Charles.

In its announcement, Caesars said it is “committed to working with the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling, regulators and the community to provide responsible gaming resources to all eligible sports bettors in the state.”

It also stated that it will not market to students or fans under the age of 21 or “highlight gaming offers inside campus facilities.”

Caesars also has committed to creating an annual scholarship fund to support LSU students from Louisiana.

“LSU athletics programs have always exemplified excellence, and at Caesars, we couldn’t be happier to partner with such an iconic brand in college athletics,” said Chris Holdren, co-president of Caesars Digital. “We have a proud legacy in Louisiana, and bringing LSU fans and alumni closer to the sports they love while also offering scholarship opportunities will help us build upon that.”

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Sources: Yankees get 3B in Rockies’ McMahon

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Sources: Yankees get 3B in Rockies' McMahon

NEW YORK — The Yankees are acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Rockies in exchange for minor league pitchers Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday.

The Yankees will assume the remainder of 30-year-old McMahon’s contract, which includes approximately $4.5 million for the remainder of 2025 and $32 million over the next two seasons.

An All-Star last season, McMahon was batting .217 with 16 home runs and a .717 OPS in 100 games for Colorado in 2025. He hit home runs in the first two games after the All-Star break and another on Tuesday and is on pace to keep his four-year 20-homer streak alive.

While the production has resulted in a 92 OPS+, which suggests McMahon has been 8% worse than the average major league hitter this season, he still represents a significant offensive upgrade at third base for New York.

The Yankees have had Oswald Peraza, one of the worst hitters in the majors, manning third base nearly every day since the club decided to release DJ LeMahieu, another former Rockies player, earlier this month and move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base. Peraza, while a strong defender, is slashing .147/.208/.237 in 69 games this season. His 24 wRC+ ranks last among the 310 hitters with at least 160 plate appearances this season.

Defensively, McMahon is a Gold Glove-caliber third baseman whose four Outs Above Average is third in the majors this season. He joins a Yankees club that has been marred by sloppy defense, most recently on Wednesday when it committed four errors in a defensive meltdown against the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

Herring, 22, has recorded a 1.71 ERA in 89⅓ innings across 16 starts between Low- and High-A this season. He was a sixth-round pick out of LSU in the 2024 draft.

Grosz, an 11th-round pick in 2023, had a 4.14 ERA in 87 innings over 16 games (15 starts) for High-A Hudson Valley this season.

With third base addressed, the Yankees will continue to seek to acquire pitchers to bolster both their rotation and bullpen.

MLB.com first reported on the Yankees trading for McMahon.

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Mets trade for reliever in Orioles left-hander Soto

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Mets trade for reliever in Orioles left-hander Soto

The Mets acquired left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Orioles on Friday in exchange for two minor leaguers in what could be the first of multiple moves by New York to bolster its bullpen before the trade deadline Thursday.

The trade, which sent Class A right-hander Wellington Aracena and Double-A right-hander Cameron Foster to Baltimore, gives the Mets a hard-throwing left-hander to complement the club’s only lefty on the roster, Brooks Raley, who returned from Tommy John surgery last week.

Soto, who is 30 and was an All-Star with the Detroit Tigers in 2021 and 2022, has posted a 3.96 ERA with a 27.5% strikeout rate in 45 appearances this season. The Mets will be his fourth team since the 2022 season.

On Monday, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns plainly signaled that upgrading the bullpen for the stretch run is his top priority.

The need is clear. Injuries and overuse have depleted a relief corps that led the majors in bullpen ERA through May 31. Since June 1, the group has posted 4.52 ERA, good for 23rd in the majors.

Aracena, 20, is 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in 17 games for St. Lucie. The Orioles said he is one of two pitchers in the minors this season to have thrown at least 60 innings without surrendering a home run.

Foster, 26, is 5-2 with two saves and a 2.97 ERA while pitching at the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

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Fenway concession workers strike for Sox series

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Fenway concession workers strike for Sox series

BOSTON — Hundreds of Aramark workers at Fenway Park are on strike and planning to stay out for all of a homestand between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers starting Friday night.

Concession workers had set a deadline of noon Friday for Aramark and Fenway Park to reach an agreement with the Local 26 chapter of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island hotel, casino, airport and food services workers union.

The union went on strike at noon asking for “living wages, guardrails on technology and R-E-S-P-E-C-T!”

With the Red Sox and Dodgers scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m. EDT, union officials had a request for fans attending this homestand with food and beer workers on strike.

“We’re asking you to NOT buy concessions inside the ballpark,” Local 26 wrote on social media. “Tailgate before the games!”

Union workers walked the picket line wearing green T-shirts declaring “FENWAY WORKERS ON STRIKE.” They carried signs in the shape of a baseball proclaiming Local 26.

The Red Sox go out of town Monday with a game that night at Minnesota.

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