Football Plans for 2026

🌍 Talking About the Future

When we talk about plans for the future, we use will + action.

The Pattern: Subject → will → Verb

Examples from the text:

• The NFL will show the schedule.
• Teams will play in Australia.
• Netflix will show five games.

Why this helps you (A2 Level): Instead of saying "I go to the store tomorrow" (which is common but technically wrong), use will to be clear about future events.

Quick Guide:

• Plan → will show
• Travel → will play
• Event → will be

The Magic of 'Connectors' for Fluidity

An A2 student speaks in short, choppy sentences: "The NFL has a plan. They want to grow internationally. They are using streaming."

To reach B2, you must glue these ideas together. Look at how the article uses specific words to create a professional flow.

1. Adding More Information (The 'Plus' Words) Instead of just saying "and," the text uses:

• Additionally $\rightarrow$ "Additionally, more international games... will be announced."
• Furthermore $\rightarrow$ "Furthermore, Notre Dame has confirmed its... schedule."

B2 Tip: Use Additionally or Furthermore at the start of a sentence to sound more academic and organized.

2. Explaining the 'Why' (The Logic Bridge) B2 speakers don't just state facts; they explain the reason behind them. Notice this phrase:

• Because... $\rightarrow$ "...because previous data showed that Friday night games were more popular."

3. The 'Shift' (Moving the Conversation) When the writer wants to change the topic from the NFL to College sports, they don't just stop. They use a transition phrase:

• At the same time $\rightarrow$ This tells the reader that while the NFL is doing one thing, another event is happening simultaneously.

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Vocabulary Upgrade: From Basic to B2

A2 Word (Basic)	B2 Word (from text)	Why it's better
Fixed/Done	Finalized	Sounds more official and complete.
Change	Redistributed	Precise. It doesn't just change; it's moved around.
Main part	Characterized by	Describes the nature of the situation.

The Architecture of Nominalization and 'Weight' in Administrative Prose

To transition from B2 to C2, a student must move beyond describing actions and begin conceptualizing processes. The provided text is a masterclass in Nominalization—the linguistic process of turning verbs (actions) and adjectives (qualities) into nouns. This is the hallmark of high-level institutional, legal, and academic English.

⚡ The Shift: From Action to Entity

Observe how the text avoids simple subject-verb-object patterns in favor of complex noun phrases. This shifts the focus from who is doing what to the systemic event itself.

• B2 Approach: "The NFL and Fox Sports have agreed on how they will schedule and broadcast games..."
• C2 Execution: "...have formalized the scheduling and broadcasting frameworks..."

By transforming the verbs schedule and broadcast into the nouns scheduling and broadcasting, the author creates a 'conceptual object' (a framework) that can then be modified by other adjectives. This allows for a density of information that is impossible in simpler prose.

🔍 Deconstructing the 'Heavy' Noun Phrase

C2 mastery requires the ability to manage end-weight. Look at this segment:

"...a tiered dissemination of specific matchups commencing May 11..."

Anatomical Breakdown:

1. Determiner: a
2. Adjective (Modifier): tiered (indicates a structured process)
3. Head Noun: dissemination (The C2 upgrade for 'sending out' or 'releasing')
4. Prepositional Qualifier: of specific matchups
5. Participial Modifier: commencing May 11

Instead of saying "They will release matchups in stages starting May 11," the writer treats the entire event as a single, complex noun. This creates a tone of objectivity and authority.

🛠 Sophisticated Lexical Substitutions for Systemicity

To mimic this style, replace common verbs with their nominal counterparts and pair them with 'institutional' verbs (e.g., formalize, articulate, nullify).

Common Verb (B2/C1)	Nominalized Concept (C2)	Institutional Pairing
To change	Reconfiguration	...undergoing a significant reconfiguration
To explain/say	Articulation	...has articulated its slate
To move toward	Strategic pivot	...the strategic pivot of media rights
To make global	Globalization	Institutional efforts to globalize

Pro Tip: When writing for C2, ask yourself: "Can I turn this action into a thing?" If you can turn "The league is changing how it broadcasts" into "The broadcast architecture is undergoing a reconfiguration," you have successfully breached the C2 threshold.