Sports

The Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Cale Makar to an eight-year, $163.2 million extension on August 28, 2026, setting new NHL records for both total contract value and average annual value at $20.4 million per year. The agreement was executed before the September 16, 2026, effective date of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which reduces the maximum same-team extension term from eight years to seven. Year-by-year salary figures, signing bonuses, and any trade protection clauses have not been publicly disclosed.

Tampa City Council and Hillsborough County Commission have both approved the Tampa Bay Rays' $2.36 billion ballpark agreement, with the Rays committing approximately $1.37 billion and absorbing all cost overruns against roughly $876 million in public funding. The approvals unlock the bond and funding validation process, but groundbreaking still requires court validation of public financing, execution of a Ballpark Operating Agreement, and several additional pre-funding conditions. The team is targeting site work in September 2026 and project completion by March 31, 2029, though no construction had been confirmed as started at the time of reporting.