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The BCCI has opened the tender process for the next cycle of IPL television and digital rights beginning in 2018, and will accept bids until October 25. Andre Ethier Jersey . The television rights are currently held by Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) and expire after the 2017 IPL season. Star India are in possession of the digital rights and the overseas media rights, except in the UK and the US, all of which also expire after IPL 2017.Interested parties will vie for television rights for the IPL in the Indian subcontinent until 2027, digital rights in the same region until 2022 and media rights for the rest of the world until 2022 as well. Bidders may bid for any combination from the above, a BCCI press release said.The open-tender process, BCCI president Anurag Thakur said, would ensure there was transparency: We dont want anything where anyone can point a finger at us.Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, Thakur said the process did not contravene the Lodha Committees recommendations on transacting official business. Where does this action say it defies the court order? I havent seen that.This is routine process, routine working of BCCI. I think the AGM on 21st is not far away; you will have to wait for three days to understand what business we can adopt and what actions will be taken during that time.One of the eligibility criteria for the bidders is to have no litigation with BCCI. Thakur said the board has lost a lot of money in legal battles in the past did not want a repeat of that. In 2015, the BCCI was directed to pay INR 12 crore ($1.8 million) to Nimbus communications for wrongful termination.We have been into litigation in the past where certain broadcasters have bid. In the first few years the rate is less, in the last few years the rate is more, he said. There is more litigation with them and BCCI has lost a lot of money in litigation as well as money which was supposed to be used for promotion of game. Broadcasting rights money is the major source of income for the cricket board.The existing contract, with SPNI, allows them the first right of refusal as well as the right to match a counter-offer. Their reaction to the IPL rights going up for bidding remains to be seen, although inside sources suggested they felt the BCCI was not honouring the original agreement.Thakur said he had invited SPNI to the bidding process. We have made it very clear that anyone who wants to participate, they have to come and participate. We believe in transparency, accountability as well as professionalism. Sony has been asked to participate in this. We were supposed to offer - this is our offer to them. Our offer is to come and participate in the bidding process.As far as IPL is concerned, we are very happy with Sony, Thakur said. They have been a good partner and have also put in a lot of effort to make the IPL the worlds most popular cricket league. In a way, we dont want any litigation and we dont want to deal with anyone who is already into litigation with the BCCI.BCCI chief executive Rahul Johri said the board was under no obligation to accept the highest financial bid. Two people can put similar amount of money but the value could be different, he said.Sometimes we get very similar bids but when the financial advisors look at what is the value of it, how it is spread over 10 years, the final definition of the best offer for the BCCI has to be left to the financial advisors.Johri said the financial due diligence of the process would be handled by Deloitte, and the legal due diligence would be handled by Amarchand Mangaldas.Asked why the television rights for the Indian subcontinent were awarded for ten years, Johri said the BCCI wanted to replicate the current cycle, which gave SPNI the rights from 2008 to 2017. In our country television is very well established, he said. If you look at most cricket tenders, eight years-ten years have been the norm. Thats why we went for 10 years. The area where trends are changing very fast is digital, thats why we have reduced digital to five years.The Invitation To Tender document will be available from Monday. While the last day for purchase has been set for October 18, parties interested in the bid could seek clarifications from the BCCI on the tender process till October 4.ESPN has a long-term collaboration with Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) for the launch of SONYESPN-branded television channels and digital assets in India and the subcontinent Sandy Koufax Jersey . JOHNS, N. Yasmani Grandal Jersey . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. http://www.dodgersteamproshop.com/Dodgers-Julio-Urias-Kids-Jersey/ ;. 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. The schools not from Power Five conferences are making the most of their inclusion in the New Years Six bowl lineup.Boise State of the Mountain West Conference earned the Group of Fives invitation two years ago and beat Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl. Houston of the American Athletic Conference followed that up last year with a win over Florida State in the Peach Bowl.The Group of Five -- conferences that arent part of the Power Five (the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conferences ) -- includes the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference Mountain West Conference and Sun Belt.Schools from the Group of Five will try to win a New Years Six bowl for the third consecutive year. Heres an alphabetical rundown of some teams that have shots at earning the Group of Fives one guaranteed invite to a Years Six bowl, which includes the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar.---APPALACHIAN STATE: On the surface, this ones a long shot. The odds of a school from the Sun Belt Conference getting in the New Years Six are pretty stiff. But Appalachian State does have a path to that invitation, narrow as it may be. The Mountaineers return the nucleus a team that went 11-2 and won the Camellia Bowl last season. Taylor Lamb threw 31 touchdown passes and only nine interceptions a year ago, while Marcus Cox rushed for 1,423 yards. Appalachian State visits Tennessee and hosts Miami in two of its first three games. If Appalachian State manages to split those two games and wins the rest to go 11-1 -- and all the American and Mountain West teams have at least two losses -- thats one way a Sun Belt team could end up in the New Years Six.BOISE STATE: The Broncos went 9-4 and failed to reach the Mountain West championship game last season, but their 55-7 blowout of Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl should allow them to head into this season with plenty of momentum. Quarterback Brett Rypien is back after throwing for 3,353 yards as a freshman. Thomas Sperbeck also returns after catching 88 passes for 1,412 yards last season. A manageable schedule gives Boise State a reasonable chance of winning all its games. Boise States nonconference games are home matchups with Washington State and BYU, plus trips to Louisiana-Lafayette and Oregon State.HOUSTON: The 15th-ranked Cougars are the clear favorites to get the New Years Six bid from the Group of Five. Tom Herman enters his second year at Houston as arguaably the nations hottest coaching prospect after leading the Cougars to a 13-1 record last season. Matt Kemp Jersey. Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. and Clemsons Deshaun Watson were the only Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks last season to combine for over 1,000 yards rushing and 2,000 yards passing, and Houstons only loss last season came to Connecticut in a game Ward didnt start due to injury. Houston gets an early chance to make a statement Saturday when it faces No. 3 Oklahoma at NRG Stadium, home of the NFLs Houston Texans.SAN DIEGO STATE: The Aztecs have one of the nations most underrated players in Donnel Pumphrey, who rushed for a school-record 1,867 yards in 2014 and 1,653 yards last season. San Diego State was a unanimous pick to win the Mountain Wests Western Division in the leagues preseason poll. The Aztecs have the Mountain Wests preseason offensive player of the year (Pumphrey), defensive player of the year (cornerback Damontae Kazee) and special teams player of the year (kick returner Rashaad Penny). Kazee had eight interceptions last season. San Diego State ended the 2015 season on a 10-game winning streak and finished 11-3 with a 42-7 Hawaii Bowl blowout of Cincinnati.SOUTH FLORIDA: This team could emerge as Houstons biggest challenger in the American Athletic Conference. USF returns seven starters on offense and seven more on defense from a team that went 8-5 last season, a marked improvement from a 4-8 campaign in 2014. Quarterback Quinton Flowers threw 22 touchdown passes and rushed for 991 yards and 12 scores last season. Marlon Mack has led the American in rushing each of the last two seasons. He had a school-record 1,381 yards rushing last season and reached the 100-yard mark nine times.WESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos are the Mid-American Conference preseason favorites according to the leagues media after going 8-5 and winning the Bahamas Bowl last season. Western Michigan has a chance to make an early statement, as it visits Big Ten programs Northwestern and Illinois in two of its first three games. The Broncos have a dynamic passing combination in Zach Terrell and Corey Davis, whose 3,785 career yards receiving lead all active FBS players. Western Michigan also returns Jamauri Bogan, a 1,000-yard rusher as a redshirt freshman last season.---Online: AP College Football: http://collegefootball.ap.org