Countless stadiums, arenas, golf tournaments and bowl games have sponsors in their titles. The world’s most prestigious soccer league was named the Barclays Premier League until 2016. Private equity firms currently hold ownership stakes in more than 60 North American sports franchises, according to Pitchbook, as well as many of the top soccer clubs in Europe.

But when news broke Thursday that the Big 12 is entertaining both a potential title sponsorship deal with insurance giant Allstate and a $1 billion private equity partnership, you could almost hear the collective reaction: “How dare they?!”

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Big 12 discussing PE investment, sale of naming rights to Allstate

Kirk Wakefield, a Baylor University marketing professor, had a much different reaction to the possible title sponsorship.

“You wonder why people haven’t done that already,” said Wakefield, who runs a research firm that studies sponsorship impacts for sports leagues and brands. “It’s such an obvious opportunity.”

USC sports business professor David Carter looks at the plight of the Big 12, which lags hundreds of millions a year in revenue behind the Big Ten and SEC, and sees private equity as a matter of Darwinian survival. To win national championships, Big 12 schools need to be able to spend like…

On Jan. 19, two days after he became the most coveted football player in the NCAA’s transfer portal, and mere hours after he welcomed Ohio State coaches for a recruiting visit, Caleb Downs announced his change-of-address plans. The freshman safety who’d earned second-team All-America honors at Alabama committed to the Buckeyes. Not long after, Downs and his father began relocating to Columbus.

Getting there was simple enough. Getting around was another matter.

Some wheels needed to be put in motion.

“I get a call from someone on the coaching staff and they said, ‘Hey, I’m here with Caleb and his dad now. Are you looking to add somebody else to your team?’” says Rick Ricart, the CEO and owner of Ricart Automotive Group in Columbus. “Would you be willing to do a car deal for him?’”

For decades, these were shifty conversations. Local car dealerships had long been conduits for the whispered inducements coaches or boosters promised talented players. When discovered, scandal erupted. Repercussions were often stark. Then came the seismic summer of 2021, when changes to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules allowed college athletes to earn money without fear of NCAA sanctions.

Car dealers nationwide quickly exchanged leases and keys for players boasting about their new…

The Women’s College World Series field is set with softball’s final eight teams heading to Oklahoma City, Okla., to continue the chase for a national title.

The field is led by defending champion Oklahoma. The No. 2 Sooners will be joined by No. 1 Texas, No. 4 Florida, No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 6 UCLA, No. 8 Stanford, No. 10 Duke and No. 14 Alabama. Oklahoma has won the past three championships and five of the past seven.

The WCWS opens play on Thursday: UCLA versus Alabama (Noon); Oklahoma versus Duke (2:30 p.m.); Texas versus Stanford (7 p.m.); Florida versus Oklahoma State (9:30 p.m.). ESPN will broadcast all four games.

The OKC 8⃣ #WCWS pic.twitter.com/4iFnwB1EKb

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 27, 2024

How did the teams get here?

Texas: The Longhorns pulled out Game 3 of their Super Regional series against rival Texas A&M on Sunday and did most of their work in that series late in games, scoring 16 of their 20 runs in the sixth inning or later. The teams combined for a Super Regional record of 39 runs.

Oklahoma: The Sooners’ dynasty continues as they punched their ticket to Oklahoma City with a 2-0 series win over No. 15 Florida State. This year marks Oklahoma’s 12th WCWS appearance since 2010.

Florida: It was a record-setting day in Gainesville, Fla.,…

(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)

Charles McClelland’s first vote as a member of the men’s NCAA Tournament selection committee was whether to cancel the 2020 event because of COVID-19. In his second year on the committee, much of his time was spent discussing protocols to play the tournament without fans in the Indiana bubble.

So now that McClelland is the 2024 selection committee chairman and has to lead the group in sorting out a chaotic season, he can put things in perspective.

“Debating bubble teams is so much better than saying, ‘If somebody catches COVID, will we allow that team to participate or not?’” said McClelland, who is also the SWAC commissioner. “We’re actually talking basketball now, which is what we all enjoy.”

The committee convened last week and talked a lot of basketball before releasing its initial top 16 seeds. “The only problem,” McClelland joked, “is that the teams then went out and played games.”

Nine of the top 16, including the No. 1 and No. 2 overall seeds Purdue and UConn, have lost since the reveal. But that’s the 2023-24 season in a nutshell. While the committee…

College softball is back. The season begins Thursday with a flurry of preseason tournaments, including the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge kicking everything off with a matchup between reigning champion Oklahoma and Utah Valley at 11:30 a.m. ET.

It all leads up to the Women’s College World Series, which begins May 30 and features the eight top teams in Oklahoma City. The final two will play a best-of-three series, with the national champion crowned on June 6 or June 7.

Before the action begins, here’s The Athletic’s preseason college softball top 25. Final 2023 rankings are based on the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25.

1. Oklahoma (2023 final rank: No. 1)

The Sooners are vying for their fourth consecutive national championship — and they’re well-equipped to do it. Oklahoma returns four first-team All-Big 12 selections from last season: INF Tiare Jennings, P Nicole May, C Kinzie Hansen and INF Jayda Coleman, the reigning conference player of the year. Though ace Jordy Bahl transferred to Nebraska, coach Patty Gasso struck gold in the transfer portal with the addition of Kelly Maxwell, a former Oklahoma State pitcher who led the Cowgirls to three consecutive WCWS appearances and shared 2022 Big 12 pitcher of the year honors with Bahl.

2. Stanford (No. 3)

The Cardinal are…

The Athletic has live coverage of Colorado’s move to the Big 12.

Colorado is planning to exit the Pac-12 to join the Big 12 in 2024, the school officially announced Thursday afternoon.

The university’s Board of Regents unanimously approved a resolution Thursday allowing Colorado to join the Big 12 effective for the 2024-25 academic year.

The Big 12’s board of presidents and chancellors had already voted unanimously on Wednesday night to accept Colorado as a member of the conference, a person familiar with the Big 12’s discussions confirmed to The Athletic.

The school would officially become a Big 12 member in the summer of 2024 at the conclusion of the Pac-12’s current media rights deal. With Colorado’s addition, the Big 12 would become a 13-member conference and the Pac-12 would be left with nine remaining schools.

It’s a significant achievement for Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark at the end of his first year leading the conference. USC and UCLA announced they would join the Big Ten one day after Yormark was hired last June. Since then, the Big 12 has aggressively pursued expansion candidates with a focus on adding Pac-12 members.

A statement from the Commissioner. pic.twitter.com/UtGgY5WnTf

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) July 27, 2023

The yearlong…

At the end of May, Brett Yormark flew to West Virginia to convene the Big 12’s spring meetings. The commissioner and his presidents, chancellors and athletic directors gathered at the swanky Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs.

During that three-day session, the leaders had extensive discussions about their expansion options. They walked away aligned on a strategy. Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec went so far as to say he’d never seen greater unanimity among the Big 12’s board of directors.

“We have a plan,” Yormark said on June 2.

They all agreed on step one: Go get Colorado. And now they’ve pulled it off.

The Big 12 board met again for a conference call Wednesday night and voted unanimously to accept Colorado as a new member for 2024, a person familiar with the Big 12’s discussions confirmed to The Athletic. Colorado regents then met Thursday afternoon and unanimously approved a resolution to join the Big 12.

What, then, is step two for the Big 12?

The next move may not happen instantly. These processes are complex. But at this point, Yormark is not looking to stand pat at 13 members starting in 2024. He hasn’t been shy about acknowledging he prefers a 14-member league moving forward after Oklahoma and Texas exit for the SEC, and conference sources…

The Big 12 will play basketball, women’s soccer and baseball games in Mexico beginning in December 2024 and plans to explore creating a bowl game in Monterrey, it said Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:

• The games, which will begin with Kansas and Houston playing men’s and women’s basketball games in Mexico City’s Arena CDMX, are part of the conference’s “international extension” into Mexico.
• Big 12 women’s soccer and baseball teams will play exhibitions against clubs in the region, the Big 12 said.
• If the conference is successful in creating the bowl game, which the Big 12 says would begin in 2026, it would be the first bowl ever held in Mexico.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Why is the Big 12 making this move?

Commissioner Brett Yormark has been aggressive in exploring ways to increase the Big 12’s national relevance, including efforts to add new members, emphasizing the league’s basketball strength and trying to alter the league’s image into “younger, hipper, cooler.” Hosting events in Mexico is another creative way to expand the league’s brand to attract eyeballs and revenue. That the launch pits longtime men’s basketball power and four-time champion Kansas with Big 12 newcomer Houston, a resurgent program with rich history and recent…

Two-time defending champion Oklahoma leads an eight-team field to Oklahoma City this week for the Women’s College World Series as the NCAA looks to crown a softball national champion.

The other seven teams in the field are No. 3 Florida State, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 5 Alabama, No. 7 Washington, No. 9 Stanford and No. 15 Utah. The action begins at noon ET on Thursday.

Oklahoma is the favorite

Chasing their third straight national title, the Sooners have dominated this entire season. They are 56-1 as they head to Oklahoma City, including an NCAA record 48 straight wins. They won their first four NCAA Tournament games by a combined score of 47-5 before beating Clemson 8-7 in nine innings Saturday to advance.

The Sooners are coached by Patty Gasso and led by outfielder Jayda Coleman, pitcher Jordy Bahl, infielders Grace Lyons and Tiare Jennings, catcher Kinzie Hansen and utility player Haley Lee.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐊𝐂 𝟖 #WCWS pic.twitter.com/EUqXjnCHA5

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 28, 2023

Who are the other teams?

Florida State is 55-9 (5-1 in the NCAA Tournament). The Seminoles’ coach is Lonni Alameda, and they are led by pitchers Kathryn Sandercock and Makenna Reid, outfielder Jahni Kerr, catcher Michaela Edenfield and infielder/outfielder…

The eight-team field is set for the Women’s College World Series, and it includes top-seeded Oklahoma yet again. Here’s what you need to know:

• The Sooners are chasing their third straight national title.
• Oklahoma set an NCAA record with its 48th straight win Saturday against Clemson.
• The other teams in the field are No. 3 Florida State, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Washington, No. 9 Stanford and No. 15 Utah.
• The WCWS begins play at noon on Thursday.

Just how dominant are the Sooners?

Oklahoma is 56-1 entering play in Oklahoma City, and its lone loss of the season came in a 4-3 decision to Baylor on Feb. 19. Oklahoma is 5-0 in the NCAA Tournament, winning its first four games by a combined score of 47-5 before beating Clemson 8-7 in nine innings Saturday to advance.

The Sooners have five players in their lineup (Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Alyssa Brito and Haley Lee) all batting better than .400 with double-digit home runs. — Shirley

𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 pic.twitter.com/xdBpGiKDZm

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 27, 2023

Who can beat the Sooners?

The easy answer is no one. But let’s take a look at No. 3 Florida State. The Seminoles were upset last year at home in the regional round, and…