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Good morning! The Big Ten is talking about adding you.
Conference Realignment
The Big 20? Sure
Before we get to the latest conference realignment diary entry, a simple, final plea: Can we please rename some conferences? Here’s our current setup for 2024:
- Big Ten: 16 members
- Big 12: 13 (though it’ll be 14 this season)
- Pac-12: 9
And lo, yesterday’s hurricane of news brought fresh worry that these numbers could change again. My brain is tired. The latest:
- The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach reported some Big Ten presidents have discussed more expansion, specifically poaching the most attractive schools from the languishing Pac-12. Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Cal are under consideration. This is in addition to the Big 12 circling the Pac-12’s Arizona, Arizona State and Utah.
- This comes after Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff presented the terms of a new media deal to members, which drew meh reviews. The revenue relies on driving subscriptions to Apple TV+, hardly guaranteed income. Since we’re still talking about Pac-12 schools leaving, evidently no one’s happy.
- Not to be outdone, Florida State is threatening to leave the ACC due to “revenue imbalance,” a fancy term for pointing out Big Ten and SEC media deals would pay those schools $30 million more per year than the ACC’s does. It makes sense. Could the SEC and FSU finally align? Seth Emerson says the conference has to consider it, but might prefer Duke and North Carolina.
Nicole, Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel tried to look ahead with an illuminating roundtable discussion about all the matters above, which is worth your time this morning. It’s wild that college football is three weeks away, and we’re talking about TV contracts.
World Cupdate
We’re almost there
The final games of group play, Morocco-Colombia and South Korea-Germany, are happening right now. Let’s catch up before the bracket moves on:
- It’s England and everyone else. We’ve discussed the United States’ bad looks, but at least the Americans made it to the knockout round. Canada and Brazil, two favorites to advance, are already home. England is now the clear Cup favorite after blazing through Group D with three wins and a plus-7 goal differential.
- Nigeria, Jamaica and South Africa are stunning successes after advancing to the knockout stage. Not many oddsmakers thought they’d get this far, but as Nick Miller writes, they received little help back home, too. Each team persevered through pure chaos to get here. They’re easy to root for.
- Jamaica deserves particular credit for becoming the first Caribbean nation to ever get this far in a Women’s World Cup. The Reggae Girlz eliminated giant Brazil, sending Cup legend Marta home much earlier than anyone expected. Tamerra Griffin took us inside the win, an unbelievable moment for an upstart program.
We get a day off tomorrow before the knockout stages begin Saturday. See the full TV schedule and odds here.
Briefs
It’s too easy
Lionel Messi recorded another brace last night, scoring two goals against Orlando City SC in Inter Miam’s 3-1 win. Messi now has five goals in three games since joining Inter, which happens to be on a three-game winning streak. He’s attracting stars like Rick Ross and Derek Jeter to his games. And he’s not just a goal machine; he’s lifting the play of everyone around him.
A mess in Iowa
Another day, another case in the ongoing college gambling scandal in Iowa. Hawkeyes backup kicker Aaron Blom is accused of placing illegal bets on Hawkeyes events, including 2021’s Iowa-Iowa State game. Just like Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers, Blom allegedly made the bets in his mother’s name to avoid detection. And then you realize suspended Broncos lineman Eyioma Uwazurike bet on Iowa State games in which he played. Yikes. You have to wonder if this is tip-of-the-iceberg stuff for every state. At least Blom (allegedly) made one smart move: betting Iowa unders.
Horan fires back
Carli Lloyd’s post-match comments continued to ripple through the soccer world yesterday, enough to earn a rebuke from U.S. star and former Lloyd teammate Lindsey Horan. “You have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes,” Horan said. Read her full comments here.
Things You Need to See
A memorable first K
You never forget your first strikeout. Diamondbacks rookie Slade Cecconi might have the best story to tell, though. Just look at how he earned big-league K No. 1:
You ever seen a strikeout this odd before?
This is how Slade Cecconi earned his first MLB K.
🎥 @Dbacks pic.twitter.com/IUd2HVb8yt
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) August 3, 2023
That’s a foul tip off the knob of the bat, directly into the crotch of catcher Jose Herrera. Still counts.
Pulse Picks
What does Syracuse basketball look like without Jim Boeheim? His departure did seem extended, but 47 years is a long, long time. Dana O’Neil fully introduces the Adrian Autry Era in a must-read story this morning.
Dan Snyder is gone. But what’s next for the women who stood up to his regime? Ben Standig has a great story on the real-life toll of the Snyder era in Washington.
Lost in all the Colts drama: What does Jonathan Taylor’s trade market actually look like? Jeff Howe gathered intel from executives around the league.
Boxing champ Amanda Serrano has signed with Jake Paul’s Professional Fighters League, which actually seems to be making good headway in changing combat sports for the better? Nando Di Fino’s interview with Paul this morning went a long way in swaying my opinion on the YouTube star-turned-fighter’s advocate.
These are the answers we really want: Who is the NHL version of “Oppenheimer”? Sean Gentille breaks it down in his latest mailbag.
It’s hard to keep up with everything Messi. The brand deals, the finances, his rivalry with Cristian Ronaldo — oh, and all those goals since joining MLS. Fortunately we have a new hub for Messi content here. Bookmark away.
NBA salaries continue to rise. Mike Vorkunov says we haven’t seen anything yet.
Jim Bowden has final MLB trade deadline grades for each team. Time to close the book for now.
The man always in win-now mode delivered again at the trade deadline. Chandler Rome writes about Astros owner Jim Crane, who “keeps his word.”
Chelsea could sign USMNT star and Leeds midfielder Tyler Adams.
The Wyndham Championship doesn’t normally have this much attention, but for big-name players — Justin Thomas chief among them — it represents a last chance.
We’re getting NFL football tonight: the Jets and Browns open the preseason in Canton, Ohio, for the annual Hall of Fame Game. See our running live blog for more.
(Photo: Louis Grasse/ Getty Images)
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