Saudi Arabia is planning on crashing Europe’s top soccer competition in its latest effort to increase its sports presence and relevance.

The Saudi Pro League is exploring ways to gain a spot in the UEFA Champions League, according to one of the SPL’s top executives. The SPL currently competes in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League, where it has four entrants this year.

While unconventional, the European move wouldn’t be unprecedented. UEFA’s membership includes transcontinental countries Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan, as well as Israel, Cyprus, and Armenia.

Having its clubs compete in the UCL — widely regarded as the world’s top club tournament — would give further credibility to the SPL, which has already lured stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar with a spending frenzy that has reached into the billions. 

More top European players could be interested in joining Saudi clubs if they knew there would still be a chance to compete in the UCL. It could also raise the domestic league’s competition level, whose best teams would be playing for a highly coveted berth.

Already, the SPL is expanding its reach internationally — the league has new deals to air this season’s matches on Fox Sports in the U.S. and DAZN in the U.K. However, despite the recent additions, the SPL is still broadly ranked outside of the top 50 soccer leagues in the world.

Thanks to Fenway Sports Group, another franchise is close to owning the rights to broadcast its own games.

The parent organization of the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, and NESN is nearing a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports to acquire AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, the regional sports network that airs both the Penguins and MLB’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but for the past six months, Warner Bros. Discovery has actively sought to exit the RSN business, one under significant stress — as highlighted by the ongoing bankruptcy of Bally Sports parent Diamond Sports Group.

“With the recent changes at AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, Warner Bros. Discovery, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and NESN have been working collaboratively to ensure that fans have access to their favorite teams this fall,” said a joint statement from the Penguins and two RSNs. “Discussions are progressing well, and we expect exciting news in the coming weeks.”

Other Team Markets In Flux

The Penguins begin their 2023-24 regular season on Oct. 10, so a series of announcements on the team’s local broadcast plans are expected before that date. It’s still unknown whether the Pirates will remain in the FSG-led structure at the RSN, but club owner Bob Nutting holds a good working relationship with John Henry and Tom Werner, his counterparts in Boston.

Warner Bros. Discovery also holds ownership stakes of RSNs in Seattle, Denver, and Houston. A deal is in development to sell the Houston network to the MLB’s Astros and NBA’s Rockets, while the greater likelihood in Denver is that AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain will just shutter. 

Meanwhile, MLB’s Mariners have majority-owned Root Sports Northwest for a decade.

The Ottawa Senators are close to officially changing ownership.

The NHL’s executive committee has approved the $950 million sale of the franchise to Montreal Canadiens co-owner Michael Andlauer from the estate of the late team owner Eugene Melnyk. 

The deal, first announced in mid-June, has spent the last two-plus months in internal league review and due diligence on Andlauer and his partners. The agreement now goes before the full NHL Board of Governors, with approval expected to easily pass the needed two-thirds threshold. A timetable for that vote has not yet been finalized but could be days away.

The deal ideally opens up a range of new possibilities for a franchise that has missed the playoffs the last six seasons, regularly posted operating losses, ranked 25th in average attendance last season, and plays in one of the league’s smallest markets.

Most notably, the Senators aim to build a new arena in Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats to supplant the 27-year-old Canadian Tire Centre — located about 16 miles from downtown Ottawa — and transform the team’s revenue-generating power. 

Up Next For Andlauer

Andlauer is expected to appoint new executive leadership in both business and hockey operations.

He is already scheduled to be the featured speaker on Sept. 14 at a high-level business conference in Ottawa hosted by mayor Mark Sutcliffe. That session would be canceled if the transaction isn’t finalized by then — but that isn’t expected to be an issue, and Andlauer is already being touted as the new owner of the Senators.

As has been expected, a final decision on ACC expansion could be determined within days — just in time for this week’s start of the 2023 college football season.

Conference presidents were reportedly scheduled to meet Monday night to discuss and potentially vote on the additions of Stanford, California, and Southern Methodist University. However, the meeting was postponed due to the deadly shooting at North Carolina, which saw the Chapel Hill campus go on lockdown.

Clemson, Florida State, UNC, and NC State had reportedly opposed adding new schools, but recent reports had indicated potential financial concessions were making expansion more likely.

Amid the ongoing conference realignment saga, College Football Playoff leaders will meet on Wednesday to discuss potential changes to how schools will be able to qualify for the expanded 12-team format in 2024. 

As of now, the six highest-ranked conference champions and six other highest-ranked teams would qualify for the CFP. But without a clear Power Five following the dissolution of the Pac-12, questions have been raised by leaders like SEC commissioner Greg Sankey as to whether there should be a new qualifying format.

More Changes For Big 12?

When the Big 12 expands to 16 teams in 2014, don’t expect the conference to change its name.

“The Big 12 is a good brand. We’re not going to rename it,” Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor said. “We might rebrand it.”

A rebrand could include a new logo and conference slogans. The Big 12 includes 14 teams this season and operated with only 10 from 2012-2022.