As momentum builds behind the Big Tens idea of doubling the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, one critical question remains: Who wants to televise it?Fox has indicated it likes the 24-team idea, but embedded within that equation is the critical calculation of how much that network, or any broadcast partner, would pay for a new set of games involving second-tier teams that might not garner the same TV ratings as some of the biggest programs in the sport.The answer is less, but not nothing,'" said Ed Desser, a former NBA executive and media rights expert who co-authored a paper about the value of college football on TV with former ESPN executive John Kosner. There will be perceived value. It becomes a question of, on the margin, can you create good, meaningful games that enhance the value of the playoff? Or are you just kind of making people wait longer for the entree, for the game they really want?The CFP deal that starts this season with ESPN is worth $7.8 billion over six seasons. That network would have first dibs on the first two games added to any package. The rest are up for grabs.I want to see whoever is committed to making it work, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said this week when asked which TV partner he'd like to see jump in. I think it's about whoever has the commitment to scheduling it right and who's going to bring the right resources.Figuring the size of the playoff is a puzzle that continues to confound the sport. On one side is the Southeastern Conference, which has held steady to the idea of not expanding past 16 teams though commissioner Greg Sankey teased that some might come around to 24 at meetings next week.On the other is the Big Ten, which now also has backing from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences for a move to 24.The SECs idea would more or less keep the overall schedule where it is, including preserving the conference championship games that Petitti estimated to be worth a combined $200 million to the four power conferences. Sankey has said the league has contracts for its title game and it has to honor those contracts; Petitti didn't seem as tied to the title games, saying he thought the Big Ten could undo our championship games as soon as the 2027 season if needed. The conferences are already working on a plan in which the Power 4 would pool their non-playoff teams to feed a new system for a further diluted bowl system, The Athletic reported last week. A 24-team playoff would eliminate automatic qualifiers and render conference title games virtually meaningless. According to many in the Big Ten, they would give all programs what they crave more access to the playoff, and a reason for fans and boosters to keep bankrolling all those player salaries.I think if we went to 24 teams, there might be 24 teams that could win the national championship, said Illinois coach Bret Bielema, who is on the board of the American Football Coaches Association that also recently voiced support for the expanded field. I dont know if that was true 10 years ago.There is still the issue of paying for it.While popular, college football only captures a fraction of the viewers as the NFL. The 30.1 million who tuned into last seasons college final between Indiana and Miami would have ranked fifth on the NFLs list of most-watched regular-season offerings. The Super Bowl drew more than 125 million viewers.For the weeks when the CFP goes against NFL regular-season games first-round contests the past two years have taken place opposite NFL games on Saturdays the NFL games have drawn between 2.5 times and 5 times the viewers. Part of this is because the NFL games are over-the-air on Fox and the college games were on cable, TNT/TBS/TruTv.There is also the issue of how much networks or streamers will have to spend. The NFL's recent move into streaming and adding new broadcast windows for example, Christmas Day and the days before and after Thanksgiving has led to thoughts that the league will press for sooner renegotiations of its own deals that currently have an opt-out clause in 2029.While the league controls all its games, college football's rights are spread out among the individual conferences and the CFP. We dont feel that the current Balkanized state of college football lends itself to maximizing (revenue) across the board, Kosner said. Nor do I think that just doubling the CFP at this stage is going to be such a revenue motherlode that it's going to make a difference."Pettiti views filling the gaps from the lost title-game revenue differently. He sees an influx of on-campus games, which generate $6 million or more in ticket sales and other receipts, as part of the equation. The SEC, once seemingly in the majority in seeking a move to 16 teams, is now in the minority. Sankey said the league will have to do its own research to see how a bigger expansion would impact the college football calendar, the title games and, of course, the financial bottom line. I think there's going to be a lot of pressure on the commissioners to help make it happen," Kosner said. "I would kind of be surprised if, within two years, it hasnt happened. But Id also be surprised if it winds up being the sort of business boom that they might hope that it would be.___AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Inside the bowling alley, Woody Marks sized up the pins, lined up his feet and followed through with a powerful delivery.The Texans running back almost knocked down every pin during his first annual charity bowling tournament Sunday night at Lucky Strike as his charitable foundation raised money to benefit youth in Houston and Atlanta.Toro was in the house and rolled a strike on his first try, drawing a lot of applause.Its been a great event, just seeing everybody smile in the community, Marks told KPRC 2. Just being one year here, just seeing a lot of people come out and be happy. Thats what we do. Thats why were here.Marks was joined by his family, including his mother and brother, and his manager along with teammate David Montgomery, Montgomery and Marks are forming a new-look Texans backfield after Montgomery was acquired in an offseason trade from the Detroit Lions.Family is everything, Marks said. David, we hang out a lot. Hes been around this whole weekend.Running back Woody Marks @JoquaviousMarks on #Texans slate of games: 'It's a nice schedule. Big-time games. We're going to see where we get to. The thing is to get a bull on a ring, be the first team.' @KPRC2 @texanstor pic.twitter.com/PTeuYz53XI Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 18, 2026Marks grew up going to the bowling alley in Georgia that his brother worked for.Hes having a Texans customized bowling ball designed now. The custom ball will have his picture on it and his uniform.Got a lot of pin action, he said."A fourth-round draft pick last year from USC who led the Texans in rushing yards, Marks became inspired to pursue football while growing up in Atlanta when he met Falcons star linebacker Jesse Tuggle.I looked up to him, and it just made me want to go even more, Marks said. Jesse Tuggle was a great football player.The Texans have made the playoffs and reached the AFC divisional round each of the past three seasons. Theyre 0-7 all-time at that stage of the postseason and havent shied away from high expectations entering this season. Theyre talking Super Bowl.Its a nice schedule, got a lot of primetime games, big-time games, Marks said. Were just ready to kick it off. Were going to see what we get to. The thing is to get a bull on the ring, be the first team. Thats what were going to do this year.#Texans running back Woody Marks @JoquaviousMarks first annual charity bowling tournament tonight Lucky Strike to benefit his charitable foundation. Marks was joined by David Montgomery @MontgomerDavid @TexansTORO1 @houstontexans his family and several fans@trillburgers pic.twitter.com/85lMtJwt20 Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 18, 2026Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

Hull City are seeking legal advice over whether they should receive automatic promotion to the Premier League following Southampton's dramatic removal from the Championship play-off final.The Tigers had been set to face the Saints at Wembley this Saturday before the south coast club was expelled from the competition amid a spying scandal.Club officials are now in discussions with lawyers to determine if they have grounds to bypass the final entirely and secure top-flight football without kicking a ball.Turkish-British owner Acun Ilicali has confirmed his legal team believes there may be a case for direct promotion.The Humberside outfit last competed in the Premier League in 2017 and could return either through legal channels or by defeating Middlesbrough, who have replaced Southampton in the final.Ilicali has voiced his exasperation at the sudden change of opponent, revealing the extensive groundwork his squad had undertaken."Under normal circumstances, two teams have reached the final and one has been disqualified. Our lawyers' opinion is that we should go directly to the Premier League, but they're examining it right now," he told Turkish outlet Asist Analiz."We can't say anything definitive. It's a bit of a messy situation."The owner explained that his players dedicated ten days to analysing and preparing specifically for Southampton, with all tactical planning centred on the Saints."Tomorrow the players are off, Thursday is the last serious training session. We'll prepare for the new opponent with one training session," Ilicali added, highlighting the minimal preparation time remaining before Saturday's showpiece.Southampton's removal from the play-offs came after an EFL Independent Disciplinary Committee found them guilty of multiple breaches of league regulations.A member of the club's staff had been caught observing Middlesbrough's training sessions ahead of their semi-final clash, which the Saints won 2-1 on aggregate.The investigation also uncovered that Southampton had monitored training sessions of Oxford United and Ipswich Town during the regular season.As punishment, the club was thrown out of the play-offs entirely and handed a four-point penalty for the 2026-27 campaign.Middlesbrough, who lost their semi-final tie to Southampton, have now been reinstated and will face Hull at Wembley on Saturday.The match has been dubbed the "200m final" given the enormous financial rewards of Premier League promotion.Southampton lodged an appeal against their punishment, with the hearing taking place this evening.Club chief executive Phil Parsons has argued the sanction is grossly disproportionate compared to previous penalties in English football."Whereas Leeds United was fined 200,000 for a similar offence, Southampton has been denied the opportunity to compete in a game worth more than 200m," Parsons stated.He pointed to Derby County's 21-point deduction and Everton's six-point penalty as examples of lesser punishments for arguably more serious infractions."The Commission was entitled to impose a sanction. It was not, we will argue, entitled to impose one that is manifestly disproportionate to every previous sanction in the history of the English game," Parsons added.Hull have not dismissed the possibility of pursuing legal action after Saturday's final should they remain in the Championship.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

BBC correspondent Will Grant reports from Havana, hours after the US charged former Cuban leader with conspiracy to kill US nationals and other crimes.

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A tourist outing on the frozen edges of Siberias Lake Baikal ended in tragedy Tuesday after a hovercraft carrying travelers overturned in frigid waters leaving five people dead and sparking a large-scale rescue effort, according to Russias Ministry of Emergency Situations and as cited by local media Interfax and Komsomolskaya Pravda.Emergency officials said the vessel a Sever-750 airboat designed to travel across both ice and water capsized just offshore with 18 people aboard.Rescue crews managed to pull 13 survivors from the lake, including a child, while five others were pronounced dead at the scene.DELTA PILOT TELLS CONTROL TOWER 'WE LOST ENGINE' AS FLIGHT IGNITES RUNWAY FIRE"According to updated information, there were 18 people on board the hovercraft. Thirteen people, including a child, were rescued. Unfortunately, five people died," EMERCOM said in a statement to Interfax.The group had been traveling as part of a guided tour near Lake Baikal, the worlds deepest freshwater lake and one of Siberias most popular tourist destinations, according to Russian media outlets.Most of the passengers are believed to be visitors from Moscow, the outlets said.Authorities have not yet determined what caused the incident, but early reports suggest the hovercraft may have become unstable after moving onto thin ice near the shoreline.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERInvestigators are also looking into whether overcrowding played a role, local outlets reported.Russian media indicated that the hovercraft was built to carry no more than 10 passengers but was transporting 18 people along with heavy equipment at the time of the incident.Komsomolskaya Pravda reported the captain steered the hovercraft onto ice and jumped into the water shortly before it overturned.One survivor suffered a leg injury and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, local media outlets said.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIESThe hovercraft tragedy underscores the rapidly changing weather conditions, dangerous waves and strong winds associated with Lake Baikal, reports indicated.A local tour operator told Russian outlet Komsomolskaya Pravda that the model involved in the crash was poorly suited for the lakes rough conditions."These boats are known to be unstable on open water," the operator reportedly said, saying the vessel is more commonly used on rivers and calmer surfaces.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZLake Baikal, often described as an inland sea because of its enormous size, is notorious for sudden storms and icy conditions even during tourist season, according to National Geographic.Investigators from Russias transport prosecutors office and the countrys Investigative Committee have opened an inquiry into the crash as officials work to determine whether safety violations contributed to the deadly accident, several reports said.The Investigative Committee and the Buryat Transport Prosecutor's Office (BTPO) are investigating the hovercraft accident, according to Russian media outlets.Lake Baikal, located in southeastern Siberia, is considered one of the worlds most extraordinary natural landmarks. Recognized as the oldest, deepest and largest freshwater lake by volume, it holds nearly 20% of the planets unfrozen fresh water.Fox News Digital reached out to EMERCOM and the BTPO for comment.

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