Pac-12, Big 10, ACC to align in response to SEC expansion
LOS ANGELES >> The Pac-12, Big Ten and Atlantic Coast conferences are nearing an agreement to join forces to map the future of college sports, and an announcement could come as early as next week, a source familiar with the discussions confirmed to The Los Angeles Times.
The impending alliance, first reported by The Athletic, comes in response to the Southeastern Conference’s move to add the Big 12 Conference’s two powerhouse programs, Texas and Oklahoma. Fear quickly set in that the SEC’s bold strike to move to 16 teams would center too much influence in one of the “Power Five” leagues and lead to a wave of realignment similar to a decade ago.
This alliance featuring conferences that cover the entire country with behemoth brands such as Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Clemson and Notre Dame (the latter of which competes under the ACC banner in all sports but football) could theoretically squash those
fears in one fell swoop.
If those conferences agreed to begin scheduling intriguing nonconference matchups exclusively with each other, there would be little need to go pillaging one another — or adding any of the remaining Big 12 schools — for an edge in upcoming media rights negotiations.
AUBURN COACH HARSIN TESTS POSITIVE >> Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin said that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home.
Harsin said in a statement that he tested positive on Thursday but wasn’t experiencing symptoms.
The first-year Tigers coach said he will participate remotely in meetings and practices.
Baseball
BUCKS’ ANTETOKOUNMPO JOINS BREWERS’ OWNERSHIP GROUP >> One month after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA title in half a century, Giannis Antetokounmpo is teaming up with the city’s other major pro sports franchise by joining the Milwaukee Brewers’ ownership group.
Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio and Antetokounmpo said they finalized this agreement in May. Attanasio said Antetokounmpo is the first new individual investor who has been added to the Brewers ownership group since Attanasio purchased controlling interest of the franchise in 2005.
MLB TO END PARTNERSHIP WITH TOPPS >> Major League Baseball is ending a 70-year relationship with trading card company Topps after signing a new partnership with a rival company.
The loss of the MLB partnership immediately scuttled a deal announced earlier this year that would have made Topps a publicly traded company.
The special-purpose acquisition company Mudrick Capital Acquisition Corporation II said that its agreement to merge with Topps to take the company public was terminated by mutual agreement after it found out that MLB and the league’s players’ union would not be renewing their respective agreements with The Topps Co. when they come up for renewal at the end of 2025 and 2022, respectively.
Hockey
GOALTENDER LUNDQVIST RETIRES AT 39 >> Henrik Lundqvist, one of the greatest goaltenders of his generation, announced his retirement less than nine months after heart surgery.
The 39-year-old Swede starred for years for the New York Rangers, where he piled up 459 wins along with a 2.43 goals-against average and 64 shutouts in 15 seasons.
He is sixth in NHL history in wins.