A new week begins with all eyes in college sports on the ACC as the conference mulls expansion — a decision that will have ramifications for schools across the country.

No more bombshell moves have been solidified since five more teams left the Pac-12 on Aug. 4. But more movement could happen any day as the University of California, Stanford, Oregon State, and Washington State search for a new home. 

Since talks around the ACC adding Cal and Stanford heated up, multiple reports have indicated opposition from Clemson, Florida State, N.C. State, and North Carolina. Any new additions would need 12 approvals from the conference’s 15 voting members, which includes Notre Dame, meaning the four ‘no’ votes would be enough to block new schools.

It is unclear the exact reasoning for the four schools’ opposition to adding Cal and Stanford. FSU has been vocal about its frustration with current ACC revenue — the conference’s media rights are bringing in $240 million annually, which will be fourth behind the Big 12, SEC, and Big Ten in 2025.

Will The Pac-12 Carry On?

Oregon State president Jayathi Murthy released a statement pleading for the four remaining Pac-12 schools to stick together, which in his mind would lead to the best result for all involved.

One option could be a merger of sorts with the Mountain West, which would raise the question of whether that conference could then be considered one of the Power Five. But sources tell Front Office Sports a major media rights revenue gap will continue to exist with the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, and ACC no matter what.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is down to its final four teams, and whoever is left standing next weekend in Sydney is guaranteed to be a first-time winner — with a record prize sum.

Four countries have won the Women’s World Cup since its inception in 1991: The U.S. (4), Germany (2), Japan, and Norway. But Japan’s quarterfinal loss means a new country will lift the trophy, as Spain, Sweden, Australia, and England are left to compete for the title.

FIFA increased this year’s prize money to $110 million, up from $30 million in 2019. The winning country will receive $4.3 million, with a further $270,000 allocated to each player on the victorious squad. 

That additional revenue could go a long way if used properly. “I wish we had seized the opportunity when we won the World Cup,” said Haruna Takata, chair of Japan’s top-flight women’s competition, the WE League, of his country’s 2011 victory. “And invested more in the business side of it.”

By the time the 2027 Women’s World Cup begins — potentially in the U.S. — FIFA has said it wants to offer equal prize money for the men’s and women’s tournaments. This year’s $110 million is far less than the $440 million awarded to the men last year in Qatar.

Should FIFA reach that goal, an even greater financial opportunity will be available to soccer nations with the growing prize money as the sport continues to become more competitive on the women’s side.

Quietly, the Chicago Bears have made a design tweak that now downplays one of the NFL’s most iconic logos. 

The Bears’ newly updated brand guidelines now designate the bear head logo — which had been a co-primary mark — as the team’s single, primary mark and “the primary visual identifier of the Chicago Bears.” 

As a result, the legendary capital C (a.k.a., “wishbone C”) that has resided on the team’s helmets since 1962 has been downgraded to secondary mark status. 

That C will still be on the team’s helmets, as well as in the middle of Soldier Field. But the elevation of the bear head is designed primarily to aid team and league business partners, as that logo will also now be featured more in various game broadcasts and highlight shows.

“The bear head has been a co-primary mark for many years,” the Bears said. “It is unique to the Chicago Bears brand. This minor change simply provides clarity for retail, media, and other team and league partners to start the creative process with the bear head.”

Stadium Update

The shift arrives as the team remains on an extensive search to find a site for a new domed stadium and mixed-use complex. That search has involved at least a half-dozen municipalities in the Chicagoland area, with more likely to surface.

Most recently, three suburban school districts have inserted themselves into an ongoing tax battle between Arlington Heights, Illinois, and the Bears, with a new website that seeks to provide information on the dispute and its impact on the schools. The districts, however, said they are not seeking to “offer or sway opinions,” but want the team to move there “under terms fair to all.”

The logo change isn’t tied to these developments, the team said.

A $10 billion merger between Zee Entertainment and Sony’s TV operations in India has been given regulatory approval, helping pave the way for a sports, media, and entertainment giant that will focus particularly on upending broadcasting of cricket — by far the country’s most popular sport.

India’s National Company Law Tribunal has cleared the deal, representing a major step forward following nearly two years of various regulatory and legal hurdles, and objections from some investors. 

The pact will involve a massive asset pool including 75 linear TV channels, a pair of streaming services, a digital content studio, and a deep film and TV series library.

The Zee-Sony merger is also a further threat to Disney’s Star India television and streaming business, as the new entity intends to be a formidable bidder for media rights to the BCCI, one of India’s major cricket properties, coming to auction at the end of the month. 

Already, the devastating loss of Indian Premier League cricket streaming rights last year has led Disney to look for “strategic options” for that business. 

Global Growth

Though focused on domestic operations in India, the Zee-Sony deal also arrives amid rapid growth for cricket in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world. 

The 2023 IPL Final in May set a global streaming audience record for a live-streamed event, while investor interest in the IPL similarly grows, and cricket is looking for inclusion in the 2028 Olympics. 

America’s Major League Cricket began play last month utilizing a six-team, single-entity model backed by a group of investors including Microsoft executive chairman and CEO Satya Nadella.