🏀$500M up for grabs in Big 12 partnership; TCU graduation plans being refreshed; Reports mixed on Bell Boeing V-22.

The Big 12 is expected to partner with Collegiate Athletic Solutions, a fund backed by RedBird Capital and Weatherford Capital, on a deal that could make up to $500 million available to its member schools in exchange for revenue sharing. CAS would put $25 million into an entity called Big 12 properties that would house some of the league’s commercial rights, then make hundred of millions more available for the league’s schools. Schools will be able to opt in, conceding future conference distributions for the upfront cash.

The office of the Texas Attorney General filed suit against five television companies for spying on Texans by secretly recording what consumers watch in their homes. Those sued are Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL. The latter two are based in China.

Joe Ely, a titanic figure in Texas music, has died at 78. Ely bridged the worlds of country and rock and served as a key figurehead in the rise of Austin as a creative focal point in the 1970s.

Less than a week from announcing he would run for Tarrant County Judge, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey has decided to stay where he is and finish his term in the House. 

Fort Worth-based Advanced Intralogistics and Dallas-based AlphaOne Robotics are partnering to deploy AI-powered robotic unloaders designed to modernize inbound receiving. The companies estimate the technology could cut labor and processing time by as much as 85%.

Texas Christian University, Mississippi State University and Australia’s Deakin University signed a memorandum of understanding establishing the Athlete Engineering Consortium -- a partnership dedicated to advancing human performance, technology integration and workforce innovation across athletic, tactical and industrial domains. The three institutions will collaborate on academic exchange, joint research projects and proposals and outreach events that facilitate scientific and industry exchanges.

Daily digit: 86% = Land in Texas that is used in "some form of agricultural production."

General Motors has a deal to bring the Apple Music app into Chevrolet and Cadillac models. The automaker will send it to vehicle owners with an over-the-air update.

Significant stat: Dickies Arena was ranked No. 4 on Billboard’s top venues with a 10,001-15,000 capacity. During 2025, the venue has grossed $74.3 million, and had more than 1 million attendees for the 118 shows hosted.

CenterPoint Properties has invested in a new Class A distribution facility at 15277 Heritage Parkway in Fort Worth. The fully leased building is the national industrial firm’s first in Fort Worth and eighth in the D-FW area, where its portfolio tops 2.3 million square feet. 

Franchise Equity Partners, a private investment firm, and Reliable Residential, the largest franchise operator in the Neighborly system, have acquired ACG Smith Texas, which includes Precision Garage Door Service locations serving Fort Worth, Dallas and Palo Pinto.

Gemini, who will win the AI war between the states and Feds? President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to block states from regulating AI companies.

The share of workers getting annual bonuses peaked at 43.7% in December 2021 and has fallen each year since to 39.7% in December 2024, according to a ADP analysis of 12 million employees of companies with 50 or more people from 2019-2024. The median bonus payout for U.S. workers has been shrinking, too, falling to $1,786 in 2024 from $1,857 a year earlier.

MP Materials, a Fort Worth manufacturer of rare earth minerals with huge contracts from Apple and the Department of Defense/War, has had a recent share pullback. Simply Wall St. takes a look at its valuation and potential. 

PayPal has applied with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions to establish a Utah-chartered industrial loan company.

ResProp Management has taken charge of the Flats at Brentwood, a 180-unit community in east Fort Worth at Brentwood-Oak Hills. It is pet-friendly and an all-utilities-included experience.

Trinity Habitat for Humanity has started building in Mansfield, and this time the non-profit is building a neighborhood -- 22 homes on Sayers Drive. The west-side neighborhood will be called Sayers Landing, built just off West Broad Street.

Fort Worth-based Lone Cypress Realty, founded by Steven Rawls, purchased a 118k-square-foot building at 15301 Spectrum Drive in Addison, according to the Dallas Business Journal. 

Dallas real estate investment trust Ashford Hospitality is exploring a sale, explaining it believes the stock is undervalued. Ashford owns two downtown properties -- the Hilton Fort Worth and the Marriott Le Meridien.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced more than $351 million in funding for Fort Worth.  The funds include an approved loan of $347 million from the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program and $4,817,344 million outright from the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant program.

The Government Accounting Office reports the Bell Boeing V-22 "serious accident" rate shot up in 2023 and 2024 on the same day the Navy released its report on the V-22, saying it was committed to the program.

Google launched a beta experience that lets you hear real-time translations in your headphones. It also is bringing advanced capabilities to Google Translate and expanding its language-learning tools in the Translate app.

Snippets:

• Ford scraps it's fully electric F-150 Lightning as mounting losses and falling demand hits EV plans.

• Clarke Elementary teacher goes viral on TikTok to save a Christmas holiday tradition for 400 Fort Worth students. CBS News has this story.   

Announcements: 

• Davey O’Brien Foundation: Selects former TCU football coach Gary Patterson its Legends Award recipient. Indiana University’s Fernando Mendoza is the foundation’s quarterback of the year.

• JPS Foundation: Elects officers — Chairman: Larry Anfin – K&L Enterprises; Vice Chair: Dr. Cynthia Montes – TCU; Treasurer/Secretary: Myra Savage – Bank of America. Joining the Board are Sarah LanCarte – LanCarte Commercial Real Estate; Nikki Morris – TCU Ralph Lowe Energy Institute; Neil Noakes – American Warrior Association R3; Allan Rodger – Zenith Roofing & Waterproofing; Jeremis Smith – CEO, Legacy Construction Solutions.

• North Central Texas Council of Governments: Announces 35-year leader Michael Morris is stepping away, but will remain in an advisory role to assist the search for his successor. 

• CORFAC International: Association for independent CRE companies names Joe Santaularia, EVP of Bradford Commercial Real Estate Services, its President, the youngest in its 36-year history.

• Enercon Services: Names Beth Miletello Sr. Business Development Manager.

• TND Geomatics: Appoints Cristian ArguetaSoto Vice President of Operations.

• JLL: Selects Torrey Littlejohn to lead its north Texas brokerage teams

• Wall Street Sand Co.: Hires Jade Tinner as Global Marketing Manager.

• American National Bank of Texas: Promotes Steve White to Chief Strategy Officer.

• Voyager Technologies: Hires Brandon Hassell as Business Development, Director. 

• Goranson Bain Ausley: Promotes Clayton Bryant to Partner and hires attorney Samantha Beirne as an Associate.

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