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Morning Edition

December 4, 2024

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Good morning. With conference championships looming, the race for the 12-team College Football Playoff is heating up. The latest rankings have solidified Big Ten and SEC dominance, while key matchups this weekend could decide the final spots. We look at the top contenders and what’s at stake.

Now that the CFP rankings are out, reply to this email with your best take on them. The best reply will win FOS merch and a shout-out in next week’s newsletter!

— David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Big Ten, SEC Dominate; Alabama Ranks 11th As CFP Picture Sharpens [[link removed]]

Syndication: The Montgomery Advertiser

The penultimate College Football Playoff rankings of 2024 have revealed the clearest picture yet of which schools could and should be in the first 12-team postseason bracket [[link removed]]—and who is likely on the outside looking in.

Here’s how many teams each conference would have, based on the projected bracket [[link removed]] heading into conference championship weekend, which features conference newcomers in all Power 4 title games [[link removed]].

Big Ten: Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State, Indiana SEC: Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama ACC: SMU Big 12: Arizona State Mountain West: Boise State Independents: Notre Dame

The ACC and Big 12 championship games may be win-or-go-home contests for Clemson/SMU and Arizona State/Iowa State, respectively. Participants in the Big Ten title game (Oregon and Penn State) and the SEC’s (Texas and Georgia) look to be Playoff-bound even with a loss, with the winner earning a coveted first-round bye.

Conferences will split $116 million [[link removed]] based on the teams that qualify, starting with $4 million for each school that makes the CFP and for each school that reaches the quarterfinal.

Making a Case

Even before Tuesday night’s rankings were revealed, campaigning for the final Playoff spots had already begun.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips made the case for his conference to potentially have multiple bids—particularly if SMU, now ranked No. 8, were to lose to Clemson in Saturday’s championship game.

“If you’re inside of that top 12 or so, and you’re projected to be in, it would be very alarming for you to be moved out because you played an extra game while everyone else is sitting home,” Phillips said during an interview on SiriusXM [[link removed]]. “You cannot and should not be penalized for having to play a 13th game after a very long season.”

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin tweeted a lengthy note [[link removed]], in which he tagged the official CFP account, laying out his reasoning for why the Rebels should make the postseason over Alabama and South Carolina. “Clearly Ole Miss should be in the playoff over Alabama,” he wrote, “but Bama is the bigger brand and more than likely will get in over Ole Miss.”

U.S. Firm Makes $310M Bet on Soccer by Forming Superagency

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U.S.-based investment company Bruin Capital is making a major play in international soccer, buying three player and coach representation firms in Europe, nearing a deal for a fourth in the United Arab Emirates, and rolling them up into a newly formed agency it will call As1.

The series of agreements—further showcasing the accelerating change in the sport—involves Bruin acquiring Nomi Sports, Positionumber, and Promoesport in now-closed deals, while an agreement is in place for Football Division Worldwide, as well. Collectively, the companies represent more than 300 players and coaches from 35 countries, including Liverpool star Luis Díaz, Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, and that team’s newly hired head coach Ruben Amorim.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but industry sources said the agencies have a combined enterprise value of $310 million.

Bruin, which has several other companies such as marketing agency Engine Shop and golf simulator Full Swing in its portfolio, has eyed a large-scale entry into the representation space for some time. But it now is happening as the entire sport is rapidly taking on a greater international profile [[link removed]] and newer entrants, such as the Saudi Pro League, are radically reshaping soccer’s financial profile [[link removed]].

“The industry is evolving in our new creator economy where every athlete can become a global brand or enterprise, and that’s how we are going to approach things from the very beginning,” said Bruin founder and CEO George Pyne, who will also chair the new agency. “Given our background, network, and track record, we believe this new platform can become something special.”

As1 will now also be part of Legion Sports, a new holding company created by TJC, a key financial backer of Bruin. This structure, among other advantages, also avoids a conflict of interest for private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, another strategic partner of Bruin’s that also has equity holdings with LaLiga and France’s Ligue de Football Professionel.

Ignacio Aguillo, who has a lengthy background in investment banking in addition to stops with sports entities such as Atletico Madrid and the World Padel Tour, will be CEO of As1, which will be headquartered in London.

For Pyne, meanwhile, this deal brings him back to the core of his own background. Before starting Bruin, he served as president of sports and entertainment for IMG, leaving there soon after Endeavor’s 2014 acquisition of the famed agency.

SPONSORED BY UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Marketing to the Masses

The biggest constant in sports marketing is change. Recent trends in college and pro sports—from the rise of NIL (name, image, and likeness) and conference realignment, to the transfer portal and the entrance of private equity, to the explosive growth of women’s sports—have created an entirely new playbook for marketers. But that doesn’t mean throwing out the old ways completely.

On Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. ET, tune in to Future of Sports: Marketing [[link removed]], presented by SponsorUnited and supported by Genius Sports and the United Football League.

This summit will gather sports marketing professionals to discuss new branding strategies in sports, how to get fans on your side, and how to expand your reach globally while addressing trends in the space.

Register now [[link removed]].

Clark vs. Reese, Valkyries Debut Highlight WNBA Schedule Release [[link removed]]

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The WNBA is following up a banner year with a record-long regular season and the addition of a 13th franchise.

On Monday, the league announced the 2025 WNBA season schedule, which will feature 44 games per team—up from 40 last season—the most in history. The season kicks off May 16 and ends Sept. 11.

The Golden State Valkyries [[link removed]] highlight the opening-day tripleheader as they host the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center. The Dallas Wings, who hold the first pick in the 2025 WNBA draft expected to be UConn star Paige Bueckers [[link removed]], will welcome the Minnesota Lynx.

The Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark, who drove the WNBA to record national TV viewership [[link removed]] last season, will open their year—led by new head coach Stephanie White [[link removed]]—on May 17 in a rivalry game against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.

The New York Liberty, who beat the Lynx in the Finals in October, will raise their first championship banner [[link removed]] at Barclays Center on May 17 against the Las Vegas Aces, a rematch of the 2023 Finals.

The national TV schedule has yet to be announced, but it’s likely Clark and the Fever—who had 36 of 40 games on national TV last year—will be heavily featured. Last year, 22 WNBA regular-season games averaged at least one million viewers, and 19 of those games featured the Fever. The two most-watched games were between the Fever and the Sky, with both drawing at least 2.25 million viewers.

Expansion Draft Details

The Valkyries announced their head coach, Natalie Nakase, in October [[link removed]]—and less than two months later, she and GM Ohemaa Nyanin will finally be able to build a roster.

The expansion draft for the Valkyries is Friday. The 12 other teams were given a deadline of Nov. 25 to submit six players who will be protected in the expansion draft—though a source told Front Office Sports that the list of protected players is not expected to be made publicly available until the draft itself, barring any changes.

Golden State will have the contract or negotiating rights to one player per team—though it is allowed to pass on a team if it wishes to leave extra roster spots open for free agency, which begins Feb. 1. The Valkyries will also have the No. 5 pick in April’s draft.

ONE BIG FIG Stiff Punishment

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3

Number of games the NFL is suspending Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, without pay, for his hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence during Sunday’s game. Al-Shaair will miss out on $514,705 [[link removed]] of salary and per-game bonuses, according to Spotrac.

“Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL,” the league’s VP of football operations, Jon Runyan, wrote in a letter to Al-Shaair.

SPONSORED BY CISCO

From Defense to Digital: New Career Paths

For retired NFL linebacker Josh Carraway and Air Force veteran Janette Suarez, Cisco’s Networking Academy [[link removed]] provides the answer to new challenges after their first career ends.

By teaching IT and cybersecurity skills, the program helps former athletes and veterans leverage their unique traits for a second career. From securing Super Bowl networks to guiding others into tech, Carraway and Suarez are proving the transition is possible—and impactful.

Discover how Cisco and the NFL are rewriting the playbook for what’s next.

Read the full article [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters TNT Sports is launching an NBA 2K25 alt-cast on truTV and Max during the knockout rounds of the Emirates NBA Cup 2024, which will feature a shot meter, shot probability, and player tracking. Take a look [[link removed]]. Colorado wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. had no one to walk him out on Senior Day because his father is incarcerated, so head coach Deion Sanders joined him instead. Watch it here [[link removed]]. Stephenville High School, which educates 1,100 students in Central Texas, is building a 7,500-seat football stadium worth $40 million set to be completed in 2025. Check it out [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Every Power 4 Championship Game Will Have a Conference Newcomer [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]Oregon, SMU, Texas, and Arizona State will all play for titles. Can Elon Musk’s X Fix Its Rampant Fake Sports News Problem? [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]Little is known about how X will enforce its new policy aimed at parody accounts. Roger Goodell, Josh Harris Lobby Senate on Behalf of RFK Stadium Bill [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]The team wants a new home by 2030. Could it be D.C.? Question of the Day

Do you think the best 12 teams have been correctly identified by the College Football Playoff rankings?

YES [[link removed]] NO [[link removed]]

Tuesday’s result: Only 7% of respondents subscribe to an athlete’s channel on YouTube.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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