"The NBA G League is thrilled to work with Hyatt and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission to bring the 2023 NBA G League Winter Showcase to Orlando. We’re looking forward to working with Hyatt on enhancing the experience for players and team personnel at one of the

NBA G League’s marquee events."

-Shareef Abdur-Rahim, President

NBA G League

Around The Horn.

• The NBA G League and Hyatt today announced a new multi-year sponsorship that makes Hyatt the Official Integrated Resort Partner of the NBA G League. The league will also bring on the Greater Orlando Sports Commission as a sponsor of NBA G League Winter Showcase to support the event at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, for the next four years.
• Orlando City SC's "Kick Childhood Cancer Night" presented by Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children returns this Saturday, Sept. 16 with kickoff set for 7:30pm. The match will honor those affected by cancer for the superheroes they truly are. Buy your tickets now!
• Former UCF football coach Gene McDowell and former school president John Hitt are among six former administrators, coaches and athletes named to the athletic departments’ 2023 Hall of Fame class. Kyle Bono (baseball), Marc Daniels (broadcaster), DeLaina Sarden (volleyball), Shelby Turnier (softball) and the 2007 national champion UCF cheer team will join McDowell and Hitt in the class.
• Orlando Sentinel Analysis: For USA Basketball, focus immediately shifts to Paris Olympics.
• The Orlando Solar Bears announced the club has agreed to terms with rookie defenseman Kenny Johnson, re-signing for the 2023-24 season. Keep up to speed with the Solar Bears roster updates from players past and present on the Orlando Solar Bears Off-Season Headquarters.
• UCF took home a win against Boise State last week and had fans on the edge of their seat. Knights fans, held their collective breath, waiting to see if their team could pull off another memorable moment for the program. The sophomore kicker, Colton Boomer was confident his kick would find its mark and send UCF to a perfect start in the 2023 season.
• Lake Mary High junior Ryleigh Knaub was playing high-level youth golf tournaments all over the country before she hit high school. The 16-year-old is now taking a trip like no other. Knaub is a member of two USA teams that will compete against European standouts in next week’s Junior Solheim Cup in Spain and the Junior Ryder Cup the following week in Italy.
• District matchups between top teams in the Orlando area highlight Week 4 of the high school football regular season. Unbeaten Edgewater (3-0), ranked No. 1 in the Sentinel Super 16, hosts No. 4 Jones (1-4) and No. 3 Seminole (2-1) plays at No. 12 Evans (2-1) in notable last Thursday night outings for Orange and Seminole county teams.
•  Facundo Torres scored late in the second half and Pedro Gallese made it stand up as Orlando City edged MLS-leading FC Cincinnati 1-0 on Saturday night. The outcome snapped a 13-game unbeaten streak FC Cincinnati held at its home stadium so far in the MLS regular season. The Lions have an MLS-best seven wins on the road.

In The News.

• Brightline will officially begin the long-awaited high-speed train service to Orlando next week. Trains will begin running between South Florida and Orlando International Airport on Friday, Sept. 22. 
• Orlando's first college of osteopathic medicine is preparing to launch in Horizon West. The Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine (OCOM) has been advanced to pre-accreditation status by the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. That allows the college — a unit of the Orlando Health Science — to start taking applications.
• Osceola County will use artificial intelligence in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion and improve safety, Chairwoman Viviana Janer announced Thursday at the State of the County address. The county received a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation to use AI bots that record traffic at nine intersections and collect data to improve safety and congestion.
• Disney Cruise Line revealed the names of what will be its seventh ship in the fleet as well as its new Bahamas destination opening next summer during presentations at the Destination D23 events at Walt Disney World on Saturday.
• MyRadar, an Orlando-based data company best known for its weather app, closed a $1.2 million crowd funding round on September 8 and has been awarded a National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) SBIR Phase II grant for $650,000, according to a recent news release. With that money, MyRadar plans to build on its Phase I NOOA project, further developing compact satellites designed to mitigate the impact of wildfires through early detection of indicators of fire as well as high-risk scenarios where fire is more likely. 
• Orlando fall festivals, corn mazes: Where to celebrate the season in Central Florida.

Stay Engaged.

• Visit Orlando’s annual celebration of Central Florida restaurants, Magical Dining is back now through October 1 with the most restaurants yet. The event features three-course prix-fixe meals for either $40 or $60 per person at more than 130 participating restaurants this year. This year sees the addition of 22 new restaurants including eight restaurants that were recently recognized by the Michelin Guide. Local nonprofit The Lifeboat Project was selected as the charitable beneficiary of this year's event.
• Country star Blake Shelton will be performing at Ole Red on Friday, September 29. The Voice star opened his Ole Red Orlando location back in June 2020, featuring some of his favorite selection of Southern-inspired cooking, cold drinks, and live music. The two-story restaurant features a large central stage that can be seen from every seat in the building, including the second-story balcony.
• The Creative City Project  is bringing two new immersive installations to Leu Gardens fall, from the end of September. The group responsible for the past few years of “Dazzling Nights” at the city-run botanical garden will be hosting “Happy Frights” and “Haunting Nights” from September 29-October 31 this year featuring fall-inspired encounters and scares.
• The Orange County Regional History Center will present a special series inspired by legendary Jazz icon, Sam Rivers, on Saturday, October 7, 2023, Sam Rivers 100, is being billed as a celebration of the 100th birthday of the jazz icon who spent the latter part of his life and career in Central Florida.
• Country Thunder is coming back on October 20-22, 2023! Keith Urban, Hardy and Cody Johnson headline three days of non-stop music and fun! Other artists include: Parker McCollum, Kip Moore, Lonestar, Parmalee, Jo Dee Messina, Megan Moroney, Tracy Byrd, Shane Profitt, Kip Moore, Hailey Whitters, Josh Ross, & The Reklaws. Check out the full lineup here!
• SeaWorld Orlando is again offering an extended Fun Card deal. Buyers now get unlimited visits to the theme park for the rest of 2023 and all of 2024. The price is $131.99. A version also includes admission to the Aquatica water park through the end of 2024, and it sells for $189.99.
• Florida Residents can save up to $65 on select multi-day tickets at Universal Orlando theme parks when buying online. Click here for current offers.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.

In The Community.

The Greater Orlando Sports Commission hosted our 5th annual luncheon for Celebrating Women in Sports yesterday. Thank you to our presenting sponsor Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, and to all of our event sponsors, award sponsors, and table sponsors for helping sell out the event at Addition Financial Arena!

Congratulations to our local award winners: Latria Graham (GLB Media), Uneeke Armani (Florida Citrus Sports), Sari Kitelyn (Full Sail University), Jennifer Lastik (Greater Orlando Sports Commission), and Betsy Hughes (Track Shack). They are pictured below along with Nisha Brice (Florida Blue, sponsor), featured speaker and Olympic Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, April Ernst (Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, presenting sponsor), and GO Sports President and CEO Jason Siegel.

GO Sports board member Robb Larson, General Manager of Osceola Heritage Park, presented at the State of Osceola County event this week.

GO Sports Executive VP Jennifer Lastik spoke on a panel at Orange Appeal's Orlando Women's Conference, along with Kay Rawlins (Orlando City Foundation), Shelly Wilkes (Orlando Magic), and Sharon Line Clary (AdventHealth).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the Valencia Gala this week, pictured here with GO Sports board member Ann Marie Hayward (Orlando Business Journal) and husband Jeff Hayward (Heart of Florida United Way).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Senior VP Michael Kalinich, along with board members Lawrence Hatch (First Horizon), Chris Mueller (Hilton Orlando) and Spencer Pylant (TECO Peoples Gas), attended the latest Orlando Touchdown Club event, sponsored by GO Sports, which featured UCF football standouts John Rhys Plumlee and Alec Holler.

GO Sports GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and wife Sarah Grafton joined Commissioner Maribel Cordero and other friends and partners from the community for a photo before the 5th annual Celebrating Women in Sports luncheon this week.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel joined board members Craig Borkon (Orlando Venues) and Caesar Lopez (Orlando City SC/Orlando Pride) for a photo with featured speaker Joan Benoit Samuelson.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel joined board members Ricardo Villar (Florida Cup) and Caesar Lopez (Orlando City SC/Orlando Pride) for meetings with Concacaf in Miami today.

GO Sports Board Chairman Sharon Line Clary (AdventHealth) joined the GO Sports staff for a photo with yesterday's featured speaker, Joan Benoit Samuelson.

New Corporate Partner.

For more information, visit

www.mearstransportation.com

Thank you for supporting sports tourism in Greater Orlando!

Fun & Games.



• First look: SeaWorld’s 2023 Howl-O-Scream haunted houses
• Universal: 5 Halloween Horror Nights burning questions answered