Even mid-major conferences are getting increasingly involved in college football’s realignment drama.

Soon after the ACC accelerated its pursuit of Stanford and Cal, the American Athletic and Mountain West conferences will each deliver expansion presentations in the coming days to Washington State and Oregon State, the other two schools left without a conference after the dismantling of the Pac-12.

The expansions, if completed, would represent a sizable step up for either the MWC or AAC. 

The MWC and commissioner Gloria Nevarez have made no secret of their desire to become a more highly regarded entity. On Thursday, Nevarez appeared before a Washington State expansion advisory committee including university president Kirk Schulz and athletic director Pat Chun, in what was described as an “informing-gathering session.”

And after making history in 2021, when Cincinnati became the first non-Power Five team to reach the College Football Playoff, the AAC and commissioner Mike Aresco would also like a regular presence among college sports’ elite.

Oregon State and Washington State are located in more remote, smaller markets, but both schools’ football programs have been competitive on the field of late, have Power Five-level resources, and would likely aid either conference in future media rights negotiations. 

Preserving The Pac-12?

In the case of the Mountain West, discussions thus far about adding Oregon State and Washington State have also included bringing along the Pac-12 brand name and intellectual property — a far more complex endeavor, and one that could introduce both additional revenue and numerous legal hurdles.

The schools’ decision will rely in large part on Stanford and Cal. If the Bay Area schools ultimately reject the ACC or another conference — or are rejected — the momentum toward rebuilding the Pac-12 in some form will likely resurface.

Despite no shortage of suburban suitors, the Chicago Bears could ultimately stay in the city — and mayor Brandon Johnson is newly optimistic they’ll do just that.

“As they continue to produce good conversations, of course the expectation is the opportunity to figure out how we can actually allow our ends to meet collectively,” he told Crain’s Chicago Business. “Are we there yet? No. Are we moving in that direction in earnest? That’s what’s happening.”

Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren said the team plans to have “regular dialogue with Mayor Johnson” and added that the Bears have “embraced productive discussions since our first meeting.”

Johnson has made keeping the Bears a priority since taking office earlier this year.

Taxing Issues

A tax dispute with Arlington Heights — where the Bears own the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse — has kept the team from beginning construction on a new stadium in the Chicago suburb. Since then, Aurora, Naperville, Richton Park, and Waukegan have all thrown their hats in the ring to host the Bears.

If the Bears were to stay in Chicago proper, it would likely require a serious upgrade to Soldier Field — or a new stadium. Johnson’s predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, previously pitched the idea of adding a dome to the classic venue.

A bipartisan group of U.S. Congressmen has created a new caucus devoted to protecting college football stadiums —  a pointed response to an accelerating facility arms race within the sport. 

Led by Rep. Garret Graves (R-Louisiana) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin), the Historic Stadium Caucus will develop strategies to preserve and modernize facilities that in some cases are more than 120 years old, but in a historically meaningful way.

The group will particularly focus on security and safety enhancements, technological upgrades, and securing funding for infrastructure improvements.

Initially, 18 college football venues have committed to participate, including iconic facilities such as the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Yale Bowl, Beaver Stadium, and Camp Randall Stadium. More venues are expected to be added to the list, and Graves and Pocan are also seeking additional legislators to join the caucus.

“Historic stadiums like the Rose Bowl have been the backbone of American sports and entertainment for over a century, but their viability and continued operations are in jeopardy with the evolving landscape and expectations of modern-day sports and entertainment,” said Jens Weiden, Rose Bowl GM and CEO.

“History is the soul of these stadiums … We believe the launch of the caucus will be a crucial step forward in protecting these iconic venues from being overshadowed,” Weiden said.

The caucus arrives as at least a dozen schools from Power Five conferences are currently in the midst of large-scale stadium upgrades, along with a growing number of smaller-conference universities and independents. The cost of many of those projects extends well into nine figures.