business briefs
• Hunter Baddour, co-founder/president of Knoxville-based Spyre Sports Group, has been named to Silver Waves Media’s 2026 list of the “100 Most Influential/Powerful People in NIL,” recognizing leaders making a significant impact on the evolving landscape of NIL and college athletics. Badddour is a graduate of Webb School of Knoxville and University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
• UBankcshares Inc., the parent company of UBank and Heritage Community Bank in Knoxville and Greeneville, recently announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which UBank and Heritage Community will merge in a cash and stock transaction. The combined company will operate under the UBank name with Heritage Community Bank offices operating indefinitely as “Heritage Community Bank, a division of UBank.”
