The Pac-12 is putting on a brave face amid the University of Colorado’s departure to the Big 12.

But what will be left of the Pac-12 after another potential wave of college sports realignment — and will it even remain in the Power Five?

Already scuffling to finalize a media deal and solidify its remaining membership, the Pac-12 said it would “embrace expansion opportunities and bring new fans, markets, excitement, and value.” Colorado regent Lesley Smith boosted that vague sentiment by wishing the “Pac-12, Pac-10, whatever it is in the future — all the best.”

But the Pac-12 could face further attacks on its already tenuous standing. The Big 12 is now reportedly seeking to add the other three “Four Corners” schools — Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah, all current Pac-12 members — to join Colorado. The ACC is also looking to boost its standing with expansion — a move that could further distance itself financially from the Pac-12.

The Big Ten led Power Five conferences last year with $845.6 million in revenue, followed by the SEC’s $802 million, ACC’s $617 million, Pac-12’s $580.9 million, and Big 12’s $480.6 million. With the pending membership shifts, those numbers are about to change significantly.

The Pac-12’s long-running attempts to close a media deal are now further clouded by the conference’s inability to tell prospective rights buyers exactly which schools will or won’t be members.

“It’s a fair point, but those late [TV] windows do still have value. It’s a key asset the conference is bringing to the table,” Patrick Crakes, a longtime sports TV consultant with Crakes Media, told Front Office Sports.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup hasn’t even progressed through group play, but FIFA is already projecting higher attendance numbers than expected for the tournament.

Ticket sales are now close to 1.6 million, according to soccer’s governing body, which would easily surpass the record 1.35 million fans who attended the 2015 WWC in Canada. FIFA had been expecting to break that record, but its latest projections were around 1.5 million.

The USWNT has enjoyed packed houses for its first two games in New Zealand and now returns to Auckland for a potential must-win game against Portugal to secure first place in Group E over the Netherlands. 

The Americans and Dutch drew 1-1 earlier this week on Fox in the most-watched group-stage game ever on English-language television with 6.429 million viewers.

New Zealand has been able to draw strong crowds of 42,000 and 32,000, despite concerns over the lack of overall interest in attending matches in the country. The Kiwis are surprisingly in second place in their group, while fellow co-host Australia will likely need a win over Canada on Monday to advance to the knockout round.

Infantino’s Missing Presence

As FIFA continues to fend off negative publicity, president Gianni Infantino has not been as present at this Women’s World Cup as he was in Qatar for the men’s event last year, according to Sky News. 

Infantino reportedly left the tournament less than a week after it began, thus far attending a few matches in New Zealand and none in Australia.

The CW is making its biggest push ever for live sports — nabbing the exclusive broadcast rights of the NASCAR Xfinity Series from 2025-2031.

Friday’s announcement comes on the heels of much smaller deals struck earlier this year for media rights to ACC football and basketball games and LIV Golf tournaments. 

The CW is shelling out $805 million to be the new home of the NASCAR circuit just below the Cup Series, per Sports Business Journal, taking over the rights from Fox and NBC, who currently televise the Xfinity Series as part of their overarching deals with NASCAR. 

The $115 million annual figure is bigger than the reported $85 million ESPN is paying for Formula 1 rights. 

NASCAR says Xfinity Series races draw approximately 1 million viewers per race each season on a mix of cable and network TV — but expects that number to grow with every race consistently available to a wider audience. It will broadcast 33 races per season.

Another sports target for the CW could be the Pac-12 — if the conference can remain intact beyond this upcoming academic year. 

It’s been a wild year for the network majority-owned by Nexstar Media Group — the CW had no exclusive rights to any live sport before 2023.