The potential departures come as North Texas prepares to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, placing the region at the center of some of the most consequential sports business conversations in the country. From franchise relocations and billion-dollar development projects to the future of college athletics and major event hosting, North Texas is undergoing a transformation that will shape its sports landscape for decades.
To explore these developments, The Dallas Morning News will host a panel discussion during a pop-up newsroom event at SMU’s Hughes-Trigg Student Center on Monday, June 29. The conversation will examine the biggest issues shaping sports and business across North Texas and feature Dallas Stars and college sports reporter Lia Assimakopoulos, sports business reporter Eric Prisbell, Dallas Mavericks and sports enterprise reporter Brad Townsend and sports columnist Kevin Sherrington.
The event is part of a larger effort by The News to strengthen its connection with North Texas communities and provide greater transparency into the reporting process.
Over the past year, The News has held monthly in-house listening sessions with residents, community events in neighborhoods across Dallas, pop-up newsrooms and news literacy workshops, connecting with more than 500 residents through trust-building initiatives.
“We’ve made building trust in the community one of the chief goals of our newsroom and that takes many forms,” managing editor Amy Hollyfield said. “Pop-up newsrooms help us meet the community where they are and give us a chance to show how we approach our work and share our expertise. We’re really excited to spend a few days on the SMU campus and host community conversations on the business of sports and higher education.”
Check-in starts at 5:30 p.m., and the panel begins at 6 p.m. on June 29. The News’ pop-up newsroom at SMU will be open from June 29 through July 1 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.