Author: staff

Sports

What’s next for conference realignment?

The news of a possible defection by Pac-12 stalwarts USC and UCLA to the Big Ten Thursday sent shock waves throughout the college landscape. It’s the latest realignment move that could drastically change the look of college football in the future and it’s most likely not the last. Here are how several of the conferences stand after the latest round of realignment news:AdvertisementThe Big Ten could make the next move in conference realignment with the reported addition of USC and UCLA in 2024. What could be the ripple effect of that move? (Charlie Neibergall/AP)USC and UCLA could join the Big Ten by 2024, expanding the conference to 16 members and creating a footprint that extends from New Jersey to California. It includes lucrative television markets in New York, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. But some don’t believe the league is finished.With a new media rights deal in the works, now may be the time for the Big Ten to look to expand to 20 members. If so, there are a few choices, perhaps other Pac-12 schools like Oregon, Washington and Stanford or maybe the ultimate piece in Notre Dame. The school has relished its independence but could forgo it and join a conference.AdvertisementWhen Thursday’s news broke, the ink hadn’t even dried on new Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark’s contract. Yormark won’t have long to get settled in before he faces more concerns over realignment. The DNA of the league is changing with the addition of four new schools in BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF in 2023, even as the league is about to lose blue blood programs in Texas and Oklahoma in 2025. With a new media rights deal on the horizon, perhaps now is the time to get aggressive. The Pac-12 is on shaky ground at best and the Big 12 could provide more value to television partners by adding schools like Arizona and Arizona State. Or Yormark could shoot higher and propose a merger with the remaining Pac-12 members, forming a super conference with 20 or 22 members. When the SEC decided to invite Texas and Oklahoma to join the league, it started the first wave of conference realignment moves that have led to the Big Ten reportedly adding USC and UCLA. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America/TNS)The SEC started this process by inviting Texas and Oklahoma to join the league in 2025. It’s a move projected to pay each league member $117 million of revenue by 2029. That would be most in the Power Five conferences, ahead of the Big Ten’s projected $100 million. If the SEC wanted to continue to grow, it could look toward the ACC, where schools like Clemson, Florida State, Miami and North Carolina would fit its southern footprint. The only catch would be the ACC’s Grant of Rights, which runs through 2036. Although if eager to leave, the schools could try their luck through legal challenges. Realignment hasn’t been as real as it is now for the ACC. The league has several attractive member schools (See SEC) and if its Grant of Rights is nullified through the courts, it’s anybody’s guess what could happen. Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.That doesn’t mean the ACC could choose to stay pat. The league could pursue Notre Dame, trying to convince the school to join as a full-fledged member instead of just a partial member. The addition of the Fighting Irish football program could go far in solidifying the conference. If the ACC chooses to expand, it runs the risk of nullifying its Grant of Rights deal, which would open the door for schools to leave without penalty. AdvertisementPac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff thought forming the Alliance between the Big Ten and ACC would help solidify his conference standing. That’s clearly out the window with Thursday’s news. Barring a last-second Hail Mary by Kliavkoff to convince USC and UCLA to have a change of heart, the league’s standing is tenuous at best. Even with the two L.A. schools, the league was only projected to see its revenue per school grow to $62 million by 2029, and without them, that figure would surely be much less. The Pac-12 could stay put with its remaining 10 member schools, or it can add new schools like Boise State, Fresno State or San Diego State. But those wouldn’t provide enough cache to convince the other schools not to look elsewhere. If schools like Oregon, Washington and Stanford are convinced to join a league like the Big Ten, then all bets are off. It’s safe to say that the five non-autonomous conferences are playing the waiting game. What inevitably happens to the Pac-12 would have a ripple effect that could stretch into the G5 landscape. This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.

Sports

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles sells Kansas home for $685,000

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and his wife, Katie, on June 16 sold their five-bedroom, 3,182-square-foot house in Overland Park, Kansas, for its $685,000 asking price.In January, the Bears hired Poles, 36, to be the team’s general manager after Ryan Pace was fired. Poles had been with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2009 until 2021, rising to become executive director of player personnel.AdvertisementIn Overland Park, which is a large suburb of Kansas City, Poles and his wife bought the nine-room home in 2018 for $575,281, according to public records. Built in 2017, the house has 4½ bathrooms, two fireplaces, a kitchen with a custom island, a great room with built-ins and hardwood flooring, a formal dining room and a primary bedroom suite with a walk-in closet and a makeup vanity.Other features include a screened porch with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and TV area.AdvertisementThe couple listed the house on March 11.Listing agent Erin Peel previously declined to comment in detail on the listing, although she did acknowledge that the house had numerous offers.The house had a $7,822 property tax bill in the 2020 tax year.It’s not known yet where Poles and his wife have settled in the Chicago area.Bob Goldsborough is a freelance writer.Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news.