July 6, 2022

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The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is still 178 days away, but apparently it doesn’t matter which teams will be playing in that College Football Playoff semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on New Year’s Eve. The game is already sold out [[link removed]] — the earliest sellout in the game’s 54-year history.

UCLA Move to Big Ten Might Save Sports from Being Cut [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

UCLA’s decision to head for the Big Ten may have been out of necessity.

When the school announced it would depart the Pac-12, some fans didn’t understand the decision. As it turns out, the Bruins were on the brink of having fewer sports to cheer on.

UCLA’s athletic department racked up [[link removed]] $102.8 million in debt over the last three fiscal years, potentially forcing it to cut Olympic sports programs altogether.

The school has 25 teams and more than 700 athletes. It’s unclear how many teams would have been affected or when.

“When your program is in significant debt, it’s difficult just to maintain, never mind to invest,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said. “This not only preserves the programs now — which was not a given — but also will allow us to invest in them.”

In the Big Ten, UCLA could close that deficit if it earns $100 million per year from the conference’s projected $1 billion media rights deal in 2024. The conference’s current deal, worth $440 million annually, expires in 2023.

Apple has reportedly [[link removed]] restarted media talks with the Big Ten after UCLA and USC announced their plans. Fox Sports already has a deal for at least half the conference’s games, and CBS is reportedly eyeing a package that includes Saturday afternoon games.

Pac-Less-Than-12

Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah are reportedly [[link removed]] in discussions with the Big 12 about joining, with Oregon and Washington also potentially eyeing a Pac-12 departure. A Pac-12 and Big 12 merger hasn’t been ruled out, either.

Allen Says ‘No Timeline’ for Potential Seahawks, Trail Blazers Sale [[link removed]]

Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers de facto owner Jody Allen says the two franchises will eventually be up for sale, but not for at least another 10 years.

“There is no preordained timeline by which the teams must be sold,” said Allen. “Until then, my focus — and that of our teams — is on winning.”

The Blazers are the 13th-most valuable NBA franchise at $2.05 billion, per Forbes [[link removed]].The Seahawks are valued [[link removed]] at $3.5 billion, the 12th-most valuable NFL team.

Allen — who became owner of the two franchises in 2018 through a trust after the death of her brother, Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen — has received buyer interest in one of the teams.

In June, Nike co-founder Phil Knight and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Alan Smolinsky submitted [[link removed]] an offer to buy the Blazers for more than $2 billion, according to ESPN.

MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has also expressed interest.

Lucrative Opportunity

Allen’s decision to sell the two franchises at some point down the road should prove to be a lucrative one, as the value of professional sports teams continue to soar, particularly in the U.S.

Last month, a group led by Walmart heir Rob Walton agreed to purchase [[link removed]] the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion — the most ever spent for a U.S. team and second-most for any pro sports team. The top spot goes to Chelsea FC, which was sold in May for $5.4 billion.

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Oakland A’s $12B Ballpark Plan Won’t Have Public Vote [[link removed]]

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

The A’s are one step closer to building a new ballpark after the Oakland City Council voted against putting the team’s proposed $12 billion development project through an advisory vote.

“The Oakland City Council has provided clear direction in our negotiations with the A’s,” tweeted [[link removed]] Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf. “Oakland taxpayers will be protected from the costs of the ballpark and associated development. We have learned the mistakes of the past.”

An advisory vote would have allowed the public to weigh in on the team’s proposed project.

The Oakland City Council voted 4-2 against the advisory vote on November’s ballot.It allows the A’s to circumvent any potential approval delays [[link removed]] for the project.The voting process included an abstention by Oakland vice mayor Rebecca Kaplan.

Last month, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission voted [[link removed]] 23-2 to remove Howard Terminal’s “port use” designation — clearing a major hurdle for the A’s to start the development of their project, which includes a $1 billion, 35,000-seat ballpark.

It also features a 400-room hotel, 270,000 square feet of retail space, and 3,000 housing units.

Long Way to Go

The A’s plans for a new ballpark are still a long way from coming to fruition.

The team must agree to a deal with the city of Oakland, which has been an arduous process due to negotiations [[link removed]] regarding affordable housing.

The A’s could also move to the Las Vegas area, where management has selected two potential sites.

Conversation Starters In The Leadoff, the Premier League could ban gambling shirt sponsors, NBCUniversal is shuttering the Olympic Channel, the 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championship could draw record crowds, and Everton FC’s sale falls through. Click here to listen [[link removed]]. The White House has spoken [[link removed]] with WNBA superstar Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, assuring her they are working on her release from Russia as soon as possible. Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry’s jersey worn during his historic performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals has sold [[link removed]] for $203,330 at auction. The ACC and Pac-12 are reportedly discussing [[link removed]] a “loose partnership” that would see the two conferences play a “championship game” in Las Vegas, per CBS Sports.

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Book a stay at Hulu [[link removed]], and let your desires run wild. No judgements, no obligations, and no reason to stop.

Market Movers

U.S. stocks were mixed on Wednesday. Here’s a look at how sports-related stocks performed:

LVS [[link removed]]

Las Vegas Sands Corp

[[link removed]]

$34.66

[[link removed]]

+1.26%

[[link removed]] SIRI [[link removed]]

Sirius XM Holdings Inc

[[link removed]]

$6.17

[[link removed]]

-0.56%

[[link removed]] ARMK [[link removed]]

Aramark

[[link removed]]

$30.52

[[link removed]]

-1.20%

[[link removed]] COLM [[link removed]]

Columbia Sportswear Co.

[[link removed]]

$72.52

[[link removed]]

-2.13%

[[link removed]] MGM [[link removed]]

MGM Resorts International

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$29.52

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-2.38%

[[link removed]] (Note: All as of market close on 7/6/22) What to Watch

Watch some of the best soccer players in the world compete in Liga MX.

Last season, Atlas FC took home both the Apertura and Clausura championships. This year, the 17 other Liga MX clubs will look to claim the top spot.

How to Watch: Stream La Liga MX action on ESPN+ [[link removed]]*

*Sponsored content. Game availability differs by market, check your local listing.

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Written by Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]], Justin Byers [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]

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