Santa Clara County Sports Digest

Santa Clara is being sued by Brian Doyle, its former city attorney, who claims officials fired him unlawfully as part of a hushed agreement with San Francisco 49ers owners.

In a sign of further fraying relations, the city is considering terminating a more than six-decade agreement with the Mountain View Whisman School District for the joint operation of campus fields.

A proposal to set up degree completion funds for California student athletes has met with stiff opposition from universities and the NCAA. College athletes could earn a share of the revenue they generate under the bill — as much as $25,000 for each year that they played their sport. But the bill’s author has delayed it until 2024 after opponents charged the fund would draw money away from less lucrative sports like gymnastics and swimming.

San Jose officials are making a renewed push to clear a path for a future professional baseball team in the city.

Harry Edwards, a towering figure in Bay Area sports history known for promoting athlete activism, has no plans to stop fighting against racism and injustice despite suffering from bone cancer. “I am very much aware of the severity of the situation I am in and the reality of the circumstance,” he said.

As thousands of scorned A’s fans lament what appears to be the imminent end of the team’s playing days in Oakland, the organization's many past dalliances with relocation have come under a renewed spotlight.

Santa Clara City Attorney Glen Googins commented on the status of obtaining documents needed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held at Levi’s Stadium: “I feel a heck of lot better than I did 45 days ago.”

Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, home to the San Francisco 49ers, will host Super Bowl 60 in 2026 a decade after it hosted Super Bowl 50.

Plans to revamp the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds into a sports and recreation facility have been progressing for more than a year, but it's unclear when shovels will hit the ground.

The San Jose Swim & Racquet Club, which has operated for nearly seven decades, appears likely to be sold, demolished and redeveloped with dozens of townhomes.

The 49ers want another run at hosting the Super Bowl less than a decade after bringing the championship game to Santa Clara.

Pickleball has been attracting a great deal of local interest since the city of Milpitas launched a pilot program for the sport nearly six months ago.

The winningest football coach in the university's history announced plans to spend time with his family.

The nine-lane running track will be built on a parcel at the SC County Fairgrounds; the finished project will cost nearly $30 million. SJSU hopes to revive the track and field legacy of Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos, whose statues are on the SJSU quad.

Northern California’s Cyril Derreumaux has become the second person to solo kayak from the American coast to Hawaii.

The Big Ten has reached seven-year agreements with Fox, CBS and NBC to share the rights to the conference’s football and basketball games. The deals go into effect in 2023, expire in 2030 and eventually will allow the conference’s soon-to-be 16 member universities to share more than $1 billion per year.

Women’s athletics at Stanford University have come a long way since Title IX became federal law in 1972. In honor of the law’s 50th anniversary, Stanford Athletics has nominated its first all-female class of inductees to its Hall of Fame. They will officially join in September.

Assemblymember Ash Kalra has requested $25 million from the state Legislature to use land at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds for the San Jose State University Speed City Legacy Center and Track and Field Training Facility. The 9-acre project will be a partnership with Santa Clara County and SJSU.

The Cougars’ Kingsley Okoronkwo (triple jump) and Melia Middleton (300-meter hurdles) earned berths to the CIF State Championships May 27-28, and they’ll be joined by para athletes Ashton Pluckhan, Ella Rodriguez, Isabella Browne and Sydney Saulo.

A local pickleball group is requesting designated courts from the city of Milpitas. The area currently has zero designated courts, as opposed to nearby San Jose, which has more than 50.

Brigham Young University defeated Santa Clara in penalties during a semifinal match. They will now advance to the College Cup finale being held in Santa Clara.

Viva Calle, an annual San Jose bicycle riding event, lengthened its routes this year to include Santa Clara and Sunnyvale. As cycling enthusiasm continues to grow, the South Bay is ready to welcome riders.

The firing of Santa Clara city attorney Brian Doyle leaves the city poised for major political changes, including a shift in its divisive relationship with the San Francisco 49ers.

The 37th annual Palo Alto Weekly Moonlight Run & Walk is moving back to its longtime home at the Baylands for in-person races on Sept. 17 following a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

When the Live Oak and Los Gatos football teams clash in Morgan Hill, they’ll be playing for something far greater in the first-ever football game to raise funds for Coaches Against Cancer, a nonprofit founded by Wildcats coach Mark Krail.

Veteran sports journalists Rick Eymer and Glenn Reeves are launching Peninsula Preps Playbook, a twice-a-week digital newsletter that will cover prep sports in the region.

Gilroy High football coach Tim Pierleoni, who returned to his alma mater after spending 11 seasons on the sideline as the Christopher High coach, said the team’s strengths revolve around its defense and quarterback.

Gilroy native Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero came out of retirement three years ago to compete for a championship belt. A win against Victor Ortiz in a 10-round welterweight boxing match on Saturday in Las Vegas would go a long way toward that goal.

Hundreds of bike enthusiasts will compete Sept. 25 in the first-ever Heart of Gold, a 55-mile gravel course race through the Gold Country aimed at raising awareness and funds for mental wellness programs for youth in Nevada County. The race, which begins in Nevada City, should draw as many as 400 racers from around the state.

Victoria Hayward, who was born in Toronto and moved to Mountain View at age 8, went through a lot to win her Olympic bronze medal as part of the Canadian women’s softball team.

San Jose Sharks trade goalie Josef Kolenar for Hill, a veteran of 49 games with the Phoenix based hockey team.

Gilroy is furthering a deal with the San Jose Sharks to create a 100,000-square-foot facility in Sports Park. Mayor Marie Blankley calls the proposed facility “a game changer.”