August 16, 2023
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We’re almost running out of superlatives for Lionel Messi as he continues to exceed the hype, racking up goals and wins. Now, the previously moribund Inter Miami could see new opportunities — and money — on and off the field.
Meanwhile, Diamond Sports Group reaches out for judicial help with the clock ticking to complete a reorganization plan, and the Big 12 Conference is now satisfied with its current state following the latest dizzying round of realignment.
— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]
Messi’s Goal Streak Drives Inter Miami Toward Lucrative Financial Future [[link removed]]
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Lionel Messi continues to pay off big for Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup, scoring nine goals in his first six games and leading the club to the final — and in the process, opening doors that were locked shut before his arrival by the team’s league-worst MLS record.
Beyond the potential $2 million prize [[link removed]] for winning the Leagues Cup — a new competition featuring MLS and Liga MX squads — Inter Miami’s performance has already secured the club a slot in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup. That competition will provide a crucial opportunity to qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup [[link removed]] — which is expanding to 32 teams and will be held in the U.S.
Inter Miami wouldn’t have been able to make next year’s Champions Cup — which offers a $5 million prize pool of its own — via MLS play, but now could automatically reach the Round of 16 with a Leagues Cup victory, while a second-place finish earns a slot in the opening round.
The winner of next year’s Champions Cup will earn one of the remaining two slots for Concacaf teams in the 2025 Club World Cup, where Messi — in Inter Miami gear — could compete against his former European foes on American soil.
Hottest Ticket In Town
Inter Miami vies for the Leagues Cup title at Nashville SC on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on Apple TV. Get-in ticket prices for the match at the 30,000-seat Geodis Park are already nearing $500 in some secondary markets.
On Tuesday, Messi helped attract a record [[link removed]] crowd for a soccer match of 19,778 at Philadelphia’s Subaru Park as Inter Miami beat the Union 4-1 in the Leagues Cup semifinals.
Big 12 Done Expanding For Now, But ACC’s Future Still Unclear [[link removed]]
Syndication: Arizona Republic
Following the SEC’s lead, the Big 12 plans to begin the 2024 football season with 16 schools — and no further expansion in the near future.
“Right now, we’re done,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said [[link removed]], noting that getting to 16 teams itself was a “dream scenario.”
The Big Ten will be the largest conference in 2024 with 18 universities. The ACC could join the Big 12 and SEC at 16 teams by adding California and Stanford, but there’s reportedly not enough support [[link removed]] among current schools to approve the additions.
During expansion discussions, Yorkmark also [[link removed]] said that he had conversations with UConn and Gonzaga, but those “didn’t work out” since the Big 12 was able to add Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah to bolster the conference when Texas and Oklahoma depart next summer.
Atlantic Coast Winds
Tuesday’s deadline for ACC schools to inform the conference of intentions of leaving in 2024 passed [[link removed]] with no moves, but Florida State could very likely still announce a plan to exit in 2025, according [[link removed]] to Sports Illustrated.
Giving several years’ notice has been the standard for other major schools, unlike the chaotic exodus from the Pac-12.
In 2021, Texas and Oklahoma announced plans to join the SEC in 2025 and ultimately settled on leaving early to join in 2024. In 2022, USC and UCLA informed the Pac-12 they would be leaving to join the Big Ten in 2024.
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Diamond Sports Group Seeks Legal Help In Fight For Survival [[link removed]]
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Facing a time crunch and with its survival increasingly in question, Diamond Sports Group is seeking legal assistance.
The bankrupt parent of Bally Sports asked a U.S. bankruptcy court in Texas late Tuesday for the immediate appointment of a judicial mediator to assist with “myriad issues they must confront on the path toward reorganization.”
Last week, that same court reset the deadline for DSG to submit a formal reorganization plan [[link removed]] from the company’s intended Nov. 9 to Sept. 30. DSG will have to determine which of its 27 total NBA and NHL team media rights it will keep [[link removed]], a decision that requires meaningful progress on distribution renewal negotiations with Comcast, DirecTV, and Spectrum.
“The debtors have been hard at work on an updated business plan to right-size their business and balance sheet given the tectonic shifts impacting the entire cable industry to increased subscriber churn [[link removed]],” DSG said in its motion. “The debtors believe that the time for appointment of a mediator or mediators is now.”
It is common for bankrupt entities across a variety of industries to seek help from outside mediators to assist with parts of reorganization, particularly those relating to multi-party disputes. That is certainly the case with DSG, as its creditors, the involved teams, leagues, and the distributors all have different objectives.
As the DSG turmoil continues to build, a variety of other linear and streaming entities have shown interest [[link removed]] in obtaining local team rights if available.
Conversation Starters YouTube has confirmed that it will introduce student plans [[link removed]] for NFL Sunday Ticket within the next week. Amazon announced a new documentary [[link removed]] following Eagles center Jason Kelce through the 2022-23 season and Super Bowl LVII. “Kelce” will premiere Sept. 12. Vanessa Bryant has selected [[link removed]] the University of Kentucky for the first “Mamba Program” in partnership with Nike. The Wildcats will wear exclusive UK-themed Kobe sneakers and apparel this season.
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Editor's Picks Commanders Revenue Continues Rebound Under New Ownership [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]In his first month as owner, Josh Harris has made moves to turn around revenues. NFL’s Darren Waller on Running Back Situation: ‘Nobody Has The Answer’ [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]Waller sees "truth in both sides" of running back deals. Spain, England Fight for $4.3M Women’s World Cup Final Prize [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]Sunday will be the first all-European Women’s World Cup Final since 2003. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]
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