Beginning next year, high school baseball teams have the choice of using an 18-inch first base or a double first base. The larger base is presented as an alternative to the previously mandated double first base. This and other rules changes were recommended by the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee. Here’s what event owners and venues should know.

A hyper-local race trend involving running events spinning off other running events or programs is picking up pace and creating new and exciting events with a built-in brand while also increasing registration numbers and economic impact. Case in point: The Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO) has launched the PRRO-lific Finisher Program.

When the cancellation of the 2026 Maryland Cycling Classic was announced recently, it seemed to hit particularly hard. After all, enthusiasts pointed out, this was one of the last remaining pro cycling events in the United States. Two questions came to the fore: Why did Maryland fall apart this year — and why is cycling not gaining traction in the USA?

It's a fact: Spectators and families at sports events expect their facilities to be clean and usable, even at the height of the season. Also a fact: That’s a big challenge, particularly in the grip of a heat wave, in a World Cup host city. Here’s how one MLB stadium kept the Opening Day feel, even as it got ready to host the All-Star Game this summer.

While everyone was busy watching the FIFA World Cup, the IOC quietly added two disciplines to the Olympic program, and both stand to benefit event owners. Synchronized skating and freeriding (in both skiing and snowboarding) will be contested in the French Alps at the 2030 Winter Games. But there’s a big loss too, with Nordic Combined being removed.

We already know that sports tourism is a nearly $275 billion industry. We also know that everyone reading this has helped build that number. Don’t you want some recognition for your part in it? SDM is ready for its 2026 awards program, Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism. The application is live NOW so show us the events that make you proud!