Pac-12’s request for expanded playoff rejected

The conference commissioners who manage the College Football Playoff have decided to stick with a fourteam format during the pandemic-altered season after the Pac-12 made a request to consider expansion.

College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock said Wednesday that Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott asked the rest of management committee to consider having eight teams play for the national championship this season. ESPN first reported Scott broaching the subject.

The request was made because of disruptions to the season caused by the pandemic. Conferences are not playing the same number of games, are starting play at different times and there are no interconference matchups between Power Five leagues.

Hancock said the committee, with 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, had a “civil and thoughtful discussion.”

“To do it now, it’s such a significant change with so many challenges, especially with the season started, they thought it was best to not make a change,” Hancock said.

Hancock added any decision on expansion would need the approval of the CFP’s presidential oversight committee after a recommendation by commissioners.

The playoff semifinals are scheduled for Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The national championship game is set for Jan. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

“In light of the pandemic and the varied schedules and reduced number of games — including no nonconference games for most teams — the committee will have to evaluate, I felt it was our responsibility and important to consider an expanded playoff that would include more teams and automatic qualifiers who are conference champions this year,” Scott told ESPN.

NHL

RANieRS WUY OUT LONiTIMe iOALIe LUNcQVIST >> The “King” of Madison

Square Garden has been deposed.

The New York Rangers bought out the contract of star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, parting ways with one of their greatest players in franchise history after 15 mostly spectacular seasons.

Since joining the team in 2005-06, Lundqvist has won the Vezina Trophy (2011-12), led the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final (2014) and been selected to the All-Star Game five times. He also helped Sweden win gold at the 2006 Turin Olympics.

Lundqvist played in 887 games, posting a 459-31096 record with a 2.43 goalsagainst average. The man referred to as “The King” was limited to 30 games this past season and had a 10-12-3 record with a career-worst 3.16 goals-against average. AVALANake, LIikTNINi eARLY 2021 STANLeY aUP hAVORITeS >> As Tampa Bay celebrated the return of the Stanley Cup with a socially distanced celebration Wednesday, the Lightning have already been installed as one of the favorites to win the Cup next year.

The Colorado Avalanche have the shortest initial odds at several sportsbooks, including being offered at +700 by SportsBetting.com.

That was slightly ahead of the Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights at +750.

The once-mighty Detroit Red Wings were by far the longest shots at +15000, with the Ottawa Senators at +10000 bringing the next longest odds.

Motorsports

NASaAR AccS cIRT TRAaK, MORe ROAc aOURSeS hOR 2021 >> After two decades of the same left turns at the same tracks over and over again, NASCAR finally upended its stagnant calendar with a 2021 schedule that is as radical as the sport has ever seen. Three new venues. A dirt race for the first time in more than 50 years. And a whopping six road courses for the elite Cup Series in an overhaul unveiled Wednesday that dumped some of the cookie-cutter oval tracks right off the list.

It is a true shakeup after a lack of imagination created the most predictable schedule in sports, one that favored new speedways — 1.5mile ovals that not only all looked the same, but raced the same, too. Not since Indianapolis Motor Speedway was added in 1994 had a Cup race been awarded to a track that was not part of an ownership group for an active speedway.

NASCAR’s annual trek to Sonoma is scheduled for June 6. The race was canceled this season because of the schedule changes caused by the pandemic.

Bristol will also experiment with a dirt race by filling the 0.533-mile bullring with dirt for the first race of its kind since 1970.

Soccer

KOeMANPRAISeSMeSSI hOR MAKINi aALL hOR UNITY AT WARaeLONA >> Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman praised Lionel Messi for making a call for unity at the embattled club.

Koeman’s comments came after Messi told the daily Sport newspaper that he wanted to put his dispute with the club behind him and said “we must unite” to help Barcelona succeed again.

“It’s positive when the captain of the team calls for unity,” Koeman said. “It’s very positive.”

Messi was forced to stay at Barcelona after telling the club he wanted to leave in the offseason. He openly criticized the club and its officials after having his request to leave denied.

Koeman said he will try to make Messi happy by making the team competitive.