Florida Sports Wire

JACKSONVILLE – Despite a Maximo Acosta home run and Jacob Berry RBI double on Saturday, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp fell to the Charlotte Knights 7-2 in front of 6,012 fans at VyStar Ballpark. The Knights (43-43, 7-4) struck first in the fourth inning on a homer by Tim Elko (16). Charlotte extended their lead to 4-0 in the fifth. Jacob Amaya (3) homered with one out. From there, Dru Baker singled, followed by a walk by Jason Matthews. Baker was thrown out at third on an attempted double steal. Matthews, who advance on the throw, then scored from second on a single by Korey Lee. Three consecutive walks pushed Corey Julks across the plate.  The Jumbo Shrimp (53-32, 6-5) responded in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Acosta (4) hit a solo shot. Bennett Hostetler walked, stole second, and scored on a Berry double to narrow Jacksonville’s deficit 4-2. The Knights pulled away in the ninth and took a 7-2 lead. A couple of singles from Matthews and Julks led off the inning. On a fl...

 ORLANDO -  UCF Athletics announced that its on-campus football venue—previously known as FBC Mortgage Stadium—will be renamed Acrisure Bounce House, effective July 1, 2025, in alignment with the rebranding of longtime partner FBC Mortgage to Acrisure Mortgage. The decision was formally approved at today’s UCF Board of Trustees meeting. The updated stadium name reflects FBC Mortgage’s transition to Acrisure Mortgage, a move that strengthens the company’s alignment with Acrisure LLC, a global fintech leader with operations in 23 countries and more than 19,000 team members. While the name is changing, the strong relationship between UCF Athletics and Acrisure Mortgage—and the shared commitment to excellence—remain unchanged. “Since the beginning of our partnership, the stadium has become an iconic symbol of the UCF football experience, and we’re excited to continue that tradition with Acrisure,” said UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir. “The Bounce House i...

 ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, are proud to welcome their parent club to the AdventHealth Rink at Kia Center when the Lightning host the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers in NHL Preseason action on Tuesday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m “We are thrilled to welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning back to the Kia Center for their preseason contest against the Florida Panthers on September 30,” said Solar Bears President Chris Heller. “We thank Julien BriseBois and the Lightning staff for being terrific partners and look forward to another fantastic experience hosting an NHL game.” Tickets for the Lightning’s preseason game at Kia Center will go on sale to the public at a date to be announced. Solar Status Half and Full season buyers and 6-pack buyers have this NHL preseason game included in their Solar Bears season ticket purchase. Exclusive pre-sales to Lightning, Solar Bears and Orlando Magic S...

 ORLANDO, Fla. - The ECHL announced on Wednesday that Maine Mariners Chief Executive Officer/Alternate Governor Adam Goldberg is the 2024-25 recipient of the Blake Cullen ECHL Executive of the Year Award. The award, which is determined in voting by the ECHL Board of Governors, is presented annually to the top executive in the League. In 2023, the award was renamed in honor of Blake Cullen, who, who was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2009. Cullen founded the Hampton Roads Admirals in 1989, and owned the team for seven seasons through 1995-96. During the 2024-25 season, Maine saw a 20 percent increase in aggregate total ticket revenue and a 16.7 percent increase in aggregate total revenue. Nearly a third of the home schedule saw sellout crowds, as 11 games reached full capacity, including five in the season’s final two months. Having never exceeded 6,000 fans prior to the 2024-25 season, the Mariners had five crowds over 6,000, including a team record 6,361 on April 13. Goldb...

 JACKSONVILLE  -The Atlantic Sun onference (ASUN) and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) announced a groundbreaking strategic alliance, set to commence in July 2026. The WAC will rebrand as the United Athletic Conference (UAC) and together the ASUN and UAC will form a consortium. The consortium will be led by Executive Director Jeff Bacon, current ASUN Commissioner.  “We are proud to launch this innovative Division I conference alliance, creating an environment where institutions can elevate their programs, leverage collective resources, and champion a new era of intercollegiate athletics,” Bacon said. “This strategic alliance reflects our dedication to empowering the next generation of leaders, both on and off the field, ensuring a legacy of success and impact for years to come.”  The alliance will serve both conferences through the formation of a consortium designed to significantly enhance operational efficiency, foster deeper collaboration, and drive innovatio...

 JACKSONVILLE – With Jacksonville gearing up for its first home playoff baseball games in 11 years, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are rolling out an International League Championship Series playoff ticket package that includes tickets to each game at VyStar Ballpark, as well as a commemorative Jumbo Shrimp postseason T-shirt. For just $65 (including fees, dugout reserved sections at VyStar Ballpark, 102-113) or $55 (including fees, field reserved sections at VyStar Ballpark, 101, 114-117), fans receive a ticket to the first two games of the potential best-of-three ILCS to watch Jacksonville try to win its first league title since 2014 and the city’s first International League championship since 1968, as well as a Jumbo Shrimp playoff T-shirt. Should the ILCS reach a decisive third game, fans who purchase an International League Championship Series package would receive a ticket to that game for free in the same seat as the first two contests. As International League First Half Cha...

  DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 2, 2025) – The LPGA Tour announced today the launch of the LPGA Collegiate Advancement Pathway (LCAP), a newly developed program that creates a direct route for top collegiate golfers to enter the LPGA’s system of professional tours. The top 10 players enrolled in LCAP will earn Epson Tour membership based on their end-of-season rankings through the program. “LCAP offers a new opportunity for top collegiate golfers to earn their way into the LPGA ecosystem,” said interim LPGA Commissioner Liz Moore. “We continue to see outstanding talent emerge from the collegiate ranks, and this program is designed to recognize those who have performed at a high level throughout their college careers. Building on the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP), which we announced last year, the LPGA is committed to providing opportunities and pathways for the world’s best golfers to compete within our system of tours — the premier tours in women’s professional golf.” LCAP Eligibi...

Special to Florida Sports Wire DES MOINES, IA- The Jacksonville Sharks came out on top while on the road against the Iowa Barnstormers, winning 58-40, improving their record to 9-4. With the playoffs quickly approaching, the Sharks are looking like strong contenders for a postseason run. The game began with Iowa settling for a field goal after the Sharks defense held strong on the opening drive. Quarterback Tyler Huff got the Sharks rolling with a key rushing first down, followed by a touchdown pass to Jaedon Stoshak, his 14th of the season. Kicker Dylan Barnas added the extra point and nailed a deuce to give Jacksonville a 9-3 lead. Iowa responded with a touchdown of their own and soon capitalized on a turnover on downs, scoring again to take a 17-9 lead. Tyler Huff answered with a rushing touchdown, and Barnas once again converted the extra point and added a deuce, swinging the lead back to Jacksonville at 18-17. Huff followed up with another 5 yard rushing touchdown to extend the S...