SEC Floats Radical CFP Idea

The idea of play-in games has been floated since last fall, as part of a proposal where the SEC and Big Ten would get four guaranteed bids to an expanded 14-team Playoff field … But the SEC has discussed a more radical idea: four play-in games

February 19, 2025

SEC, Big Ten Discussing New Formats for Football Championship Weekend
The Athletic’s Seth Emerson and Scott Dochterman report: “The SEC is talking about ‘re-imagining’ its football championship weekend into a series of play-in games to the College Football Playoff. That includes the somewhat radical possibility of the eighth-place team getting a chance to earn a bid by knocking out the top seed.

“The idea of play-in games has been floated since last fall, as part of a proposal where the SEC and Big Ten would get four guaranteed bids to an expanded 14-team Playoff field. The most-discussed proposal has been to have the two top seeds meet in the SEC Championship Game as usual, both teams ensured a Playoff bid but playing for a bye, and two play-in games, matching the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds and No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. But the SEC has discussed a more radical idea: four play-in games, matching No. 1 and No. 8, No. 4 and No. 5, No. 2 and No. 7 and No. 3 and No. 6.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Inside MrBeast’s $100K, 100 Million View NBA All-Star Stunt
Sportico’s Jacob Feldman writes, “Nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard and Jaren Barajas—a fan chosen from the stands an hour before the game—took turns shooting from near half court at Chase Center. Barajas managed to make one shot before Dame could hit three, earning the local college student $100,000 (while $100,000 was also donated to two charities of Lillard’s choice).”
^Sportico

Report: 49ers Exploring Sale of 10% Stake
The 49ers are “exploring selling” a 10% stake at a valuation of more than $9B, according to sources. That valuation would make the franchise “one of the world’s most expensive sports teams.” It is unclear if the 49ers will choose to “seek a private equity firm to buy the stake, or other investors such as a wealthy individual or family.”
^{Bloomberg via Sports Business Journal}

NBA All-Star Game Ratings: Second-Least-Watched Ever, Down 13%
The midseason showcase averaged 4.7 million viewers across TNT platforms, down 13% compared to last year, according to FOS media and entertainment reporter Ryan Glasspiegel. It’s the second-least-watched NBA All-Star Game, ahead only of the 2023 All-Star Game (4.6 million).
^{Front Office Sports}

Daytona 500 Audience Up 13% With Sunday Finish
Another rain-impacted Daytona 500 saw Fox draw 6.8 million viewers on Sunday, which is up 13% from last year, when rain forced the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series race to run on a Monday (just under 6 million for that). The race number excludes close to 3 hours, 30 minutes of rain delays -- and that period alone drew 5 million viewers, which was bigger than the weekend’s NBA All-Star Game (4.7 million) and the U.S.-Canada game in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Sunday (4.4 million).
^{Sports Business Journal}

USA Swimming Appoints Delaware Athletic Director Chrissi Rawak As New CEO
USA Swimming has hired University of Delaware athletic director Chrissi Rawak as its new president and CEO, the first step in a leadership makeover after substantial changes in the aftermath of the Paris Olympics.

Rawak, a collegiate swimmer specializing in distance events at Michigan from 1988–92, has been the athletic director at Delaware for eight years. 
^{Sports Illustrated}

Churchill Downs Unveils $900M Expansion, Reno
This will be the largest expansion and renovation in the 150-year history of the racetrack where the Kentucky Derby is held annually.

The overall effort will rebuild and expand the Skye Terrace, which was built in the mid-20th century, replace temporary infield suites with a permanent building called The Conservatory, and create a series of permanent buildings for infield general admission fans.
^{Sports Business Journal}

How Far Will Steve Cohen Go to Get NY Mets a World Series Championship?
"I've always wanted to feel more measured in payroll growth, and then we get there, and it's never quite there," Cohen said of this season's payroll, which sits at an estimated $331 million, according to FanGraphs. "I have the ability to spend if I have to, and I want to win, and I want to put the best team I can on the field. There's certain things — free agency’s expensive. It's just the way it is, and it's always more expensive than you can imagine."
^{Sports Business Journal}

Chargers to Open 2025 Season in Brazil as NFL Returns to São Paulo
The Los Angeles Chargers will play their 2025 season opener in São Paulo, Brazil, the NFL said Wednesday. Los Angeles will be the designated home team for the second regular-season game in the South American country. Last season, the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers opened the season in São Paulo at Corinthians Arena.
^{The Athletic}

Cosm to Show the Players in Shared Reality
Cosm and the PGA Tour have a deal for Cosm to produce and present three days of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in its immersive venues in L.A. and Dallas this March. On March 13, 14 and 16 -- the first, second and fourth rounds of competition -- Cosm will show immersive angles of holes 16 through 18 in its wraparound LED domes, and live feeds of the rest of play in its venues' Hall spaces, which contain 155-foot programmable displays.
^{Sports Business Journal}

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Georgia Baseball Player Latest to Sue NCAA for More Eligibility
University of Georgia baseball player Dylan Goldstein is suing the NCAA in order to receive a waiver for an extra year of availability due to his time in junior college. The outfielder is aiming for a similar injunction to the one given to Vanderbilt quarterback Diago Pavia late last year.
^{Front Office Sports}

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