By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
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2026 Way-Too-Early Best-in-West CFB Power Rankings
Narratives, narratives, narratives.
The entire college football landscape is driven by perception and propaganda.
All season long, all we heard from ESPN was that the SEC is the most dominant league. But what did we get on the field? Another season with the national champion coming from the Big Ten.
At a certain point, you must concede the truth: The Big Ten is the best.
And in the context of the teams out West, the truth changes the power structure. The results of this year’s Playoff crystalized the pecking order.
There is a massive gap between the Big 12 and the Big Ten. Texas Tech getting embarrassed by Oregon was just the cherry on top.
And now, with a new year upon us, these rankings will reflect that gap.
Moving forward, the conference hierarchy is clear. It goes: Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, then the Mountain West.
The ACC, through Cal and Stanford, remains in the mix as well. The Bay Area schools will vary in hierarchical order depending on the individual success of each school.
With all that in mind, here’s my Way-Too-Early Power Ranking for the 2026 Season.
1. Oregon
The top team in the West remains the Oregon Ducks.
Consistently knocking on the door, it’s only a matter of time until they break through.
Curt Cignetti’s success with less talent potentially puts more pressure on Dan Lanning. But having gone 48-8 and built an enviable culture in Eugene over his first four seasons as a head coach, Lanning’s ceiling remains exceptionally high at age 39.
Cignetti, a crafty 64-year-old with 16 years of head coaching experience, went 34-12 in his first four campaigns, making his first subdivision national title appearance in Year Nine.
2. USC
There’s nothing more embarrassing than hyping up a USC team that ends up falling on its face.
That was the case too often during the Pac-12 era. But this is different.
The Big Ten has clearly established itself in the new college football landscape, and USC is trending up.
Recruiting is red hot, and Lincoln Riley runs a capable offensive system.
Don’t overlook the Trojans heading into the new season.
3. BYU
If Texas Tech was that far off, then what does it say about BYU?
Sure, the Cougars beat Georgia Tech in a close, meaningless game. It was a good win. But if Oregon did that to the Red Raiders, what would they have done to BYU?
Perceptions matter, but results matter even more. And the Big 12 is down bad.
If you think it was hard for BYU to get respect last year, the 2026 season is going to be even worse.
4. Washington
Credit the lawyers who drafted the contract with Demond Williams Jr. The language may have kept him in Seattle and saved Washington’s season.
The awkwardness of the situation will be a unique challenge to overcome. But success will make people forget.
And the Dawgs are poised for a strong season. The team still needs to get over the proverbial hump.
Yet, the foundation is in place.
5. Utah
It’s entirely possible that the Utes committed an all-time fumble by letting Kyle Whittingham go. How he does at Michigan will be telling.
But Morgan Scalley has been the coach in waiting for years, and the program has prepared for this moment.
Losing several coaches to the Wolverines was not a good look, though, and is less than ideal.
Still, coming off an 11-win season with your starting quarterback and top running back returning makes for a good situation.
6. Arizona State
The Sun Devils enter the season with new weapons on offense.
Kenny Dillingham crushed the portal at the wide receiver position and brought in quarterback Cutter Boley from Kentucky to lead the offense.
The 15-to-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio is not great, though, and Boley’s 1.3 average yards per rush doesn’t inspire confidence.
Even so, Arizona State did well in the portal and should be a fringe Top 25 team to start the year.
7. Arizona
Noah Fifita enters his redshirt senior season as the best quarterback in program history.
With a year of Seth Doege’s offensive system under his belt, the Arizona offense could be even stronger in 2026.
Tre Spivey III is one of the top wide receivers in the Big 12, and Gio Richardson is set for a breakout year. On the other side of the ball, Danny Gonzales is one of the top defensive coordinators in the country.
Expectations are growing in Tucson.
8. California
It’s a new era in Berkeley with Tosh Lupoi leading the program.
When he was hired, it was an open question whether Lupoi could attract talent in the portal the way Justin Wilcox did. But currently holding the nation’s No. 13 transfer class, per 247Sports, that question has been answered.
Miami’s success in the Playoff helped boost the ACC’s reputation, which has a mild benefit on the Bears.
But more importantly, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele returns for his sophomore year with high expectations.
9. Boise State
The Pac-12 era begins for Boise State in 2026. It’s a fresh start for one of the West’s marquee programs.
Yet, the world hasn’t forgotten about the blowout loss to Washington in the LA Bowl. The result was concerning.
The Broncos are very far off from what’s considered, frankly, a mid-tier team in the Big Ten. How does the transition to the Pac-12 change perceptions?
That’s what the upcoming season is all about. At the very least, it starts with a dose of reality.
10. New Mexico
There’s something brewing in Albuquerque. The performance in the Rate Bowl against a Big Ten opponent was respectable.
Jason Eck is quickly emerging as one of the top coaches in the West. Realistically, New Mexico was lucky that he didn’t get poached by a bigger fish.
Now entering Year Two in the Duke City with a fractured Mountain West, it’s easy to say UNM is a favorite to win the league.
Don’t forget about the Lobos.
Next Up: UNLV, Washington State, San Diego State
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
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PRESS REVIEW – Friday, March 27: We look at reactions in the Indian press after parliament approved a controversial law which critics say will curtail the rights of transgender people. The International Olympic Committee makes a landmark ruling to forbid transgender female athletes from participating in female events, beginning with LA’s 2028 Olympics. A bandaged Lindsey Vonn graces the cover of Vanity Fair and talks about her Winter Olympics ordeal. Plus: Japan’s viral Punch the monkey has found love!
India‘s parliament has passed a law that will roll back rights for transgender people. The move is sparking a lot of reaction. As Human Rights Watch explains, the bill amends the 2014 law in which the Indian government recognised transgender people as a third gender. Under the controversial legislation passed this week, it will now remove the right to self-identify and limit recognition to those defined by physical or biological traits. There are an estimated 2 million transgender people in India, although the real number is believed to be much higher.
Indian MP Derek O’Brien writes in the Indian Express that the bill will require the mandated reporting of gender-affirming surgery by the medical board and local authorities. He says this will violate the principles of personal liberty and essentially force people to disclose their transgender identity. Authorities say it will better protect them, but O’Brien argues that it will reinforce the conditions that make protecting them necessary.
The Hindu, another Indian paper, reports that the bill now awaits the approval of Droupadi Murmu, the Indian president. Amidst widespread protests, the All Indian feminist alliance penned a letter to her, urging not to sign it. They condemned the “undue and unjustifiable haste” with which the bill was passed.
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee has moved to ban transgender female athletes from competing in future women‘s Olympic events. The Guardian reports that Kirsty Coventry, the IOC president, said the landmark decision was taken because it is not fair for biological males to compete in the female category. The IOC’s decision will ban transgender women athletes from the female category of events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and future Games. Athletes who wish to compete in the female category will have to undergo a one-time SRY masculinity gene test. The decision also extends to DSD athletes, those with differences of sexual development such as Caster Semenya, the South African athlete who identifies as female but has some male chromosomes too.
The Guardian, in an analysis piece, calls the decision “seismic”. It notes that four and half years ago, the IOC was hailing the participation of Laurel Hubbard, the transgender weightlifter from New Zealand. Now with this decision, it has made one the most astonishing U-turns from a governing body in modern times. The decision also reflects a changed political climate.
Elsewhere, Vanity Fair‘s new cover features Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, just weeks after her horrific crash in Milan Cortina. She talks about the moments after that crash, the pain, nearly losing her leg to amputation, her long road to recovery and why she hasn’t ruled out a comeback.
Finally, a baby macaque at a Japanese zoo who went viral for cuddling a plush toy has reportedly found love. You might remember Punch the monkey – we talked about him here on the press review several weeks ago. He melted hearts with his cuddling of an orangutan plush toy after being rejected by his tribe. The Times of London says Punch’s many superfans can rejoice because it appears he has found love with another primate. He’s been seen getting cosy with a female macaque at the monkey mountain enclosure. In an Oedipal twist, it appears that his new lady looks a lot like his mother!
You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.
The traffic on the way to France’s World Cup tuneup against Brazil was a problem. Kylian Mbappe’s knee was not.
The former Paris Saint-Germain and current Real Madrid star showed no ill effects from his knee injury on Thursday when he broke free for a goal to give France an early lead on its way to a 2-1 victory in a friendly between two of the world’s top teams.
Mbappe missed almost a month with a left knee sprain for Real Madrid before coming on as a substitute in the last two matches. France coach Didier Deschamps started Mbappe but had him on a limit of about an hour; he came off for a substitute in the 65th minute.
“He has a lot of desire, a lot of soreness in his legs,” Dechamps said. “Beyond that – the quality to make to make a difference, he’s always had.”
With a crowd of 66,215 heavily favoring Brazil, Mbappe and Hugo Ekitike gave France a 2-0 lead on the same pitch where they will play their final group stage game of this summer’s World Cup, against Norway and Erling Haaland. Bremer cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 78th minute.
The friendly went off without any major hiccups despite the simmering feud between the town of Foxborough and World Cup organizers over almost $8 million in security costs. The sides reached an agreement two weeks ago in which the organizing committee promised to make the payment in advance and the town approved the necessary entertainment license.
That was expected to be the last remaining obstacle to the world’s biggest sporting event arriving in this 20,000-person suburb tucked between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, that swells to three times its size for New England Patriots games. To accommodate FIFA requirements, a grass field has replaced the artificial turf that had been used for the NFL’s Patriots and the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer.
“Good stadium. Good pitch. It was all OK to play good football,” Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “The atmosphere in the stadium was good – a lot of Brazilian supporters. Everything was fine, apart from the result.”
Deschamps said the biggest problem was the travel from Boston, about 25 miles away but part of it on a four-lane road with stoplights and tens of thousands of fans trying to get to the game.
“I am convinced that everything will be fine,” Deschamps said. “The most difficult thing are the trips that take a lot of time. … One hour and 15 minutes before a game is not easy.”
The crowd was the second-largest to watch a soccer match at Gillette Stadium, behind only a 2007 friendly between Brazil and Mexico. It was speckled with fans in Brazilian yellow kits, with just a few French flags waving to celebrate Mbappe’s goal. (The media dining room was more neutral, with madeleines, macarons and eclairs alongside Brazilian brigadeiro, pudim and mousse deo maracuja.)
Also in the house were coach Joe Mazzulla and players from the NBA’s Boston Celtics, with forward Jayson Tatum taking part in the pregame coin toss alongside Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.
The 2018 World Cup champion and 2022 Golden Boot winner, Mbappe sprained his left knee in December but played through January before sitting out almost a month. He said on Monday that his injury was “truly behind me.” (Reports that said the team examined the wrong knee were false, Mbappe said at a news conference in Foxborough on Wednesday.)
And he showed it in the 32nd minute when Ousmane Dembele delivered a through ball that left no one between the No. 2 scorer in French soccer history and the goalkeeper. Mbappe tapped it ahead once before chipping it over the keeper to make it 1-0.
France took a 2-0 lead in the 65th minute when Ekitike, Liverpool’s top scorer this season, converted a pass from Michael Olise in the penalty area. Mbappe left for a substitute immediately afterward.
After France’s Dayot Upamecano was sent off in the 55th minute for taking down a player with a clear path to the goal, a card that was upgraded from yellow to red on video review, Brazil cut the deficit to 2-1 when Bremer redirected a cross from Luiz Henrique past France keeper Mike Maignan.
The game also featured a mid-half “cooling break” that enabled players to rest and hydrate – even though the temperature in early spring New England was in the mid-60s Fahrenheit (15 Celsius). After a heat wave during last year’s Club World Cup, FIFA announced that all games in the 2026 World Cup would include the break, regardless of the temperature on the pitch.
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Brazil will play Croatia on Tuesday in Orlando, Florida, their first matchup since the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals.
“There are no friendlies for us,” defender Leo Pereira said. “Every game is a big game, and we have to play it as if it was a World Cup final.”
France will play Colombia in Landover, Maryland, on Sunday.
Kai Rooney’s mum, Coleen, has offered some intriguing insight into where her sons’ careers could head – and it may not be to follow in dad Wayne’s footsteps
Manchester United prospect Kai Rooney may be following in dad Wayne‘s footsteps at club level. However, the similarities in career path may end there after mother Coleen‘s latest reveal.
Rooney Jr, 16, is making the kind of moves to signal he’s got what it takes to fashion a career in football. He’s joined up with Darren Fletcher’s under-18 side this season and played a part in the squad that’s taken United to an FA Youth Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace.
But while he may be on the fast track at club level, it may not end up being his dad’s old England side – who face Uruguay this evening – Kai represents at international level. Not only that, but Coleen recently appeared on The Late, Late Show and confessed any of her four sons could be open to representing the Republic of Ireland instead.
“Obviously they’re so young yet,” she told host Patrick Kielty. “We haven’t got to that point, but I think they’d be proud to play for Ireland, yeah.
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“But I don’t know, they don’t know. Let’s let them make the decision.”
Both Wayne and Coleen have Irish heritage, and the former could have qualified to pull on the iconic green through his grandparents. It’s a similar case for Coleen, whose father Tony McLoughlin, a former bricklayer, also hails from Irish stock.
In the event he struggled to earn the attention of English selectors, Kai could therefore find a home across the Irish Sea. And the same might be said for any of his brothers should they chase a career in the sport, either.
Wayne and Coleen share three other boys in Klay, 12, Kit, 10, and Cass, eight. However, none among that trio have gathered nearly the same excitement as their eldest sibling in terms of sporting prospects just yet.
England’s 2026 World Cup kits
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England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code: ENGFREEDEL
Kai first started exciting scouts when he raked in 56 goals and 28 assists over the course of a campaign while playing for United’s under-12s. However, he’s still yet to really take off with Fletcher’s group just yet.
Coleen has revealed Wayne, England’s former top scorer, agreed to not attend Kai’s matches for a spell, simply because he gets mobbed by fans too often. However, he broke that treaty for United’s recent quarter-final win over Sunderland in the FA Youth Cup, though Kai was an unused substitute.
He’ll hope to set the record straight by making more of an impact in their upcoming semi against Palace on April 11. And a few more star turns may be enough to earn the attention of certain international setups, including the Republic of Ireland.
The former midfielder played under Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp in separate top-flight leagues
Thiago Alcantara confessed that the key differences between playing under Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola were “energy and control”.
The former midfielder left Liverpool alongside Klopp in 2024 after working under the German for four years. He spent three years with Guardiola at Bayern Munich before the Spaniard moved to Manchester City in 2016.
Alcantara will come up against a familiar foe in Borussia Dortmund this weekend as he takes part in Liverpool’s charity match on Saturday afternoon. Klopp will also return to the dugout for the same occasion.
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Alcantara spoke about the key differences between the two managers on the Coaches’ Voice and noted that Guardiola was more about controlling a game than allowing “chaos” to ensue.
He said: “With Jurgen, it was all about energy. With Pep, it was about control. Rules that we have to have before reaching the final area, that’s when freedom comes. It’s completely the opposite [with Klopp], it’s that ‘I want to be comfortable in chaos.’”
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Highlighting the difference under Klopp, the 34-year-old added: “We had a physical team, wanted to play the ball straight pass in front… we are generating more energy for the team.
“The benefit for the team regarding the energy we had, it’s about the pressure we did when we lost the ball. It was faster than ever I saw in my life, when we lost the ball, we were already making a cage.
“We were all the time putting traps, so when they had the ball we cover situations so we can go 1v1, or our attacking player was in a favourable position. These two players, number eight and number six, they are very linked. This player [the other midfielder] is the physical profile, he will enjoy more the attacking positions.”
Alcantara spent three years under Guardiola’s guidance, claiming three Bundesliga titles and three domestic trophies during that period. He also lifted the Champions League in Germany following the Spaniard’s departure, alongside four additional league titles and domestic silverware.
In comparison, the former midfielder won just two domestic trophies with Klopp – the FA Cup and Community Shield – before departing and ultimately retiring in 2024.
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FORT WORTH, Texas — Hannah Hidalgo had 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and the assist on the go-ahead bucket in the final minute, leading Notre Dame to a 67-64 victory over higher-seeded Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
The junior sparkplug made a leaping grab between two defenders and fed a bounce pass to Cassandre Prosper under the basket for a two-point lead with 22 seconds to go.
The sixth-seeded Fighting Irish (25-10) advanced to the Elite Eight in March Madness for the first time since 2019 in a matchup of two of the top three scorers in Division I, Hidalgo and Mikayla Blakes.
Notre Dame will play either top-seeded and undefeated UConn or North Carolina in the Fort Worth Regional 1 final Sunday.
Blakes, the national scoring leader, rallied from a rough shooting start to finish with 26 points for Vanderbilt, but lost the ball out of bounds on the dribble after Prosper’s go-ahead shot, then missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
The No. 2 seed Commodores (29-5) were in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.
In a game full of big plays from Hidalgo as she set an NCAA single-season record for steals, the biggest didn’t have anything to do with the categories in her unusual triple-double, the third of her career. Although it did lead to her team-leading seventh assist.
With a high-arching inbound pass coming down as she ran between two defenders, the 5-foot-6 Hidalgo soared to make the catch, came down and immediately found Prosper all alone at the rim.
After Blakes lost the ball dribbling toward the basket for what would have been a tying shot, the Commodores had to foul three times just to get Notre Dame to the free-throw line.
Prosper missed the first of two free throws to give Vanderbilt a chance. Standout freshman Aubrey Galvan, who was a big reason the Commodores were even in the game late, missed a 3 but got her own rebound and found Blakes.
The high-scoring sophomore who missed her first eight shots was off target from beyond the arc, completing a 7-of-26 showing for her as Vanderbilt matched its season worst at 35% shooting for the game.
Hidalgo needed four steals to break Chastadie Barrs’ mark of 192 set with Lamar in 2018-19. She got that in the first quarter and ended the game one shy of being the first with 200 in a season.
She’ll probably hit that milestone in the regional final.
Hidalgo was already just the second player to have at least eight steals in multiple NCAA Tournament games. She had eight in each of Notre Dame’s first two tourney wins, over Fairfield and Ohio State.
Three of Hidalgo’s steals came quickly against Vanderbilt midway through the second quarter.
She grabbed the ball out of Sacha Washington’s hands and went in alone for a layup, then stole a bad pass near midcourt. Her seventh steal soon after led to another easy layup for a 23-11 lead.
Hidalgo, the third-leading scorer in the country, had 16 points at halftime as the sixth-seeded Irish led No. 2 seed Vanderbilt 31-26.
Vanderbilt was 3-20 from the field and 0-9 on 3-pointers midway through the second quarter when Galvan hit consecutive shots behind the arc after a spectacular layup. She flipped the ball over her head as she turned away from the basket, part of a 12-2 run that erased most of a 12-point deficit.
The Commodores were down six early in the fourth quarter when Blakes converted a three-point play and Galvan hit a tying 3.
France said on Friday the International Olympic Committee’s decision to introduce gender testing to determine eligibility for the female category was a “step backwards”.
“We oppose a generalisation of genetic testing, which raises numerous ethical, legal, and medical questions, particularly in light of French legislation” which does not allow such tests, Sports Minister Marina Ferrari said in a statement.
“These tests, introduced in 1967, were discontinued in 1999 due to strong reservations within the scientific community regarding their relevance. France regrets this step backwards,” Ferrari said.
The IOC announced on Thursday only “biological females” will be allowed to compete in women’s events, preventing transgender women from competing.
It is re-introducing gender testing from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics onwards in a move that will also rule out many athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD), previously known as intersex athletes.
Donald Trump takes credit for transgender ban at LA’s 2028 Olympics
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Ferrari said the new IOC policy “defines the female sex without taking into consideration the biological specificities of intersex people whose sexual characteristics present natural variations, which leads to a reductive and potentially stigmatising approach”.
She said France would establish a national observatory bringing together sports bodies, scientists, legal experts and athlete representatives to develop recommendations aimed at ensuring sport is “fair, inclusive and respectful of human rights“.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry said on Thursday that athletes from countries where the gender test was banned would have to be tested in other countries.
“If it is illegal in a country, athletes will have the possibility when they travel to other competitions to be tested there,” Coventry said.
“This is also why we’re saying the policy comes into effect now, but will be implemented in LA 28. So we have time to walk through this process with everyone.”
Coventry added: “I do feel that this policy is a policy that is supporting equality and fairness and the protection of the safety on the field of play.”
The IOC said there may be “rare exceptions” for DSD athletes who do not benefit from the performance-enhancing effects of testosterone.
Eligibility for the female category will be decided by genetic testing, which will test athletes to see if they have the SRY gene that determines whether a person is biologically male.
The test will be carried out by a swab of the inside of an athlete’s cheek or blood samples and will only take place once in an athlete’s career.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
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IPL 2026 | ‘Ishan Kishan brings energy’: Vettori backs stand-in skipper amid Pat Cummins absence | Cricket News
Ishan Kishan and Daniel Vettori (PTI Photo)
BENGALURU: Sunrisers Hyderabad will be without their regular skipper and lead pacer Pat Cummins for at least the first two weeks of the IPL, with the Australian currently working his way back to full bowling fitness.Head coach Daniel Vettori moved to allay concerns around Cummins’ condition, stressing that the pacer’s overall fitness is not in question.
“His fitness has been exceptional. He’s been out of the game for an extended period, so he’s had time to put in a real block of work around strength and conditioning,” Vettori said at the pre-match press conference on Friday.The challenge, according to the former New Zealand captain, lies in rebuilding Cummins’ bowling workload.“The only issue has been his bowling loads. Once he got the all-clear from Cricket Australia, it’s been a bit of a painstaking process to build him up to where he feels confident and strong about bowling. Over the next couple of weeks, he’ll keep building, and hopefully we’ll have a clearer timeline in 10 to 12 days,” he explained.Vettori was all praise for stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan, who, apart from enjoying a purple patch at the T20 World Cup, also led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 title.“He was added to the group last year, and the leadership that he exuded throughout the season, particularly in the back half when he took over the wicket keeping, really brought energy to the group and set up our back half. When Cummins was unfortunately out of the initial stage of the tournament, we obviously had some decisions to make. His experience with his state team, in particular, had been so impressive, and he was in really good form. So between Abhishek (Sharma) and himself, we feel like we’ve got a really good leadership group to lead us this year.”Vettori also added that three young Indians, led by Karnataka southpaw R Smaran, are in contention for a place in the XI. The other two players are Aniket Verma and Salil Arora.
Amanda Anisimova and her coach, Hendrik Vleeshouwers, have officially gone their separate ways, and now we’ve heard from him.
After Anisimova confirmed the split, Vleeshouwers shared his own message reflecting on their time together:
“All good things come to an end, and today marks the closing of an incredible chapter.”
“Over the past two years, we’ve reached so many milestones, winning two [WTA] 1000s, making back-to-back Grand Slam finals, and reaching world number three.”
“I’m incredibly proud of what we built, but even more for the journey we shared along the way… the hard work, new experiences, the challenges, the laughs, and the moments that people don’t always see.”
“I will always carry these memories with me.”
And he ended it on a personal note:
“Amanda, thanks for all the good times and being you.”
“I wish you nothing but success and happiness moving forward, and I’ll always be rooting for you.”
The partnership delivered the best tennis of Anisimova’s career titles, finals, and a rise to world No. 3.
But 2026 hasn’t quite followed the same path, and now both sides are moving on. What an end to a chapter.
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Mexico’s iconic Azteca is set to reopen. That’s good news for sleep-deprived stadium director
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Félix Aguirre admits he’s been having trouble sleeping these last few months. On the eve of the reopening of the iconic Azteca Stadium, and with some work still to be done, the stadium director won’t be able to relax until kickoff on Saturday night.
After being closed since May 2024 for renovations in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, the stadium where Pelé’s Brazil and Diego Maradona’s Argentina won the World Cup in 1970 and 1986, respectively, will again open its doors to fans for a friendly match between Mexico and Portugal.
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It will be a crucial test for Aguirre and all the workers who have been racing against the clock in recent weeks to get the stadium ready, not just for that match but also for the World Cup opener on June 11, when Mexico plays South Africa.
‘We’re ready’
“It’s true that I’ve had trouble sleeping thinking about the project and making sure it’s the best it can be,” Aguirre told The Associated Press. “Today I can tell you that we’ve done it and we’re ready.”
The AP was given access to the stadium on Thursday when work appeared to still be underway in various areas, including the new locker rooms, where the smell of paint is noticeable.
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According to Aguirre, there are currently 2,200 workers on the project, working 24 hours a day.
With the renovations, the stadium, officially renamed Banorte, increased its capacity from 83,000 to 87,500 spectators. In addition, new seats, a new sound system with 250 speakers, two video screens, new locker rooms, and a hybrid pitch were installed, among other improvements.
To increase capacity, a lounge area located in the lower and central part of the stadium was removed.
“At some point we tore down the lower stands to put in boxes and some lounges that weren’t nice, now we’re bringing back those stands and that’s returning to the original Azteca,” Aguirre said.
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The stadium located south of Mexico City will host five World Cup games next summer. Opened in 1966, Azteca has undergone several renovations — the last one to accommodate NFL games in 2016.
“There were many areas for improvement, but some things we were obsessed with were enhancing the fan experience. To achieve this, we improved the audio, video, and internet, but we also improved the restrooms, entrances and exits, and everything related to the overall experience,” Aguirre said.
“It’s somewhat subjective, but I think we achieved it.”
All about soul
Aguirre was given a clear brief to follow.
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“Another thing we wanted was for it not to lose its soul,” Aguirre said. “This is a historic building that is part of the city; we couldn’t disrespect its essence. We simply had to enhance it, preserve its soul, and provide fans with a better experience.”
The exterior remains a familiar sight to fans. Debris can still be seen in some places, and there will be no car parking available for supporters for Saturday’s game. Authorities have asked fans to use public transportation or shuttles that will depart from public locations throughout the capital.
Aguirre’s mission is to hand over the stadium to FIFA a month before the June 11 opener.
If all goes well, then he’ll be able to sleep soundly.
“That’s what we hope,” he said with a laugh.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
The Hayes trio of Ben, Will and J D at Lindsay Park were downcast when their two fillies were excluded from the Golden Slipper lineup at Rosehill.
Emergencies two and three were Medicinal and Gin Twist for the country’s wealthiest two-year-old race.
Ben Hayes felt the sting of missing out on the field, as no horses scratched from the 16 entrants in last weekend’s Group 1 spectacle.
“It’s a shame we didn’t get in,” Hayes said.
“You win a Stakes race, and you normally get in, but this year it was just so open.
“They were taking their turns in winning and with the prize money so strong in New South Wales, we ended up just missing out.”
With Gin Twist as the third emergency into the Golden Slipper, the Lindsay Park team decided against a trip north.
On February 28 she won down the Flemington straight, and now she’s entered for Saturday’s Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) there.
Last week she ran third in an 800m heat during an easy jump-out at Flemington.
“We made the decision to not even send her up,” Hayes said.
“It didn’t look like she was any chance of getting a run, so we took the opportunity of giving her a jump-out at home instead.”
A filly by Home Affairs, the Golden Slipper-winning stallion, Gin Twist dominated her Listed 1000m victory down the straight on February 28.
“She’s had that experience down the straight and hopefully that will hold her in good stead on Saturday,” Hayes said.
Medicinal made the journey to Sydney seeking a late Golden Slipper berth, while Gin Twist stayed local.
Hayes mentioned Medicinal will trial in Sydney prior to the Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) on April 11 at Randwick.
View the best racing betting markets for the Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes via betting sites.
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