Just some thoughts on conference expansion

[AURex 2,262]

Mods -- move this if you think it is better in a different thread.

WTF is going on with continuing conference expansion?

Looks like Oregon and Washington are likely headed to the Big10. Colorado has already said it is jumping to the Big12. Same with Utah. Arizona and Arizona State are also likely going to the Big12 if Oregon and Washington go to the Big10.

That would leave Cal and Stanford, Washington State and Oregon State. Well, the latter two would surely be destined for a step down to the Mountain West conference (home of Boise State). Cal and Stanford are in a major market in SF and they are both elite academic institutions with great Directors Cup sports programs, so they could be attractive to the Big10.

That would increase the Big10 to 20 teams!

How would the SEC react? Only 14 teams. Yes, quality in football and basketball, but in terms of media market, certainly not in the same league as a 20 team Big10.

It's hard to figure out how the SEC could improve its media appeal. Because really, we are talking about money here. The SEC has already lost its CBS contract to the Big10.

I'd think Miami would be top of the list for the SEC to poach from ACC. It is a big media market. UNC would be a good option -- national brand in basketball, decent in FB, excellent academically. Ditto for Virginia. Clemson would really add very little SEC appeal -- they dominate ACC in football, but it's a weak conference in FB, and they have no big media marketability. NC State and West Virginia would fit in the SEC, but would they bring media appeal? Nah. FSU? Would their small market really contribute to SEC media dollars? I dunno.

Actually, I think the Big10 (future Big20) is out-maneuvering the SEC in terms of national media appeal. Sure, okay, going forward the SEC might still win national championships and attract prime recruits. Adding Texas certainly attracts a lot of eyeballs.

But in terms of conferences overall, it's about money. A Big20 could reap way more $ per school in media contracts than SEC. Locking at all of the big cities in the Midwest, plus all of the West Coast cities -- that is a lot of media eyeballs. The South just doesn't have a lot more eye-power it can add, even if it grabs some good ACC schools.

Just my amateur, off-the-wall perspective. Beat me up if you got it.

 

 

 

 

[AUwent 3,841]

Geography? Never heard of her.

[DAG 34,937]

Not about quantity , it’s quality. Otherwise the SEC would’ve accepted several other schools with no problems. 

[AUINSY 2,273]

It’s all about one word: dollar$

[AuburnWarVet 46]

I really think they are pushing to get to 4 super conferences

[TigerHorn 1,440]

Looking at it purely in terms of eyeballs, you could close out the Texas market with TCU and Baylor - small but wealthy schools that would get the rest of DFW's eyeballs and the fraction of the state that isn't Horns/Ags/Sooners. Baylor's new stadium is said to be nice. I don't think Texas Tech is worth the trip. Okie State? Maybe. 

Looking East, I'm not sure Miami is a fit, but SEC fans would at least fill their stadium, which their own fans don't do today. A lot of fanbases would like that roadtrip. Texas or OU at Miami in November? Oh yeah. LSU fans at a night game in the Orange Bowl? They just though this past Spring Break was bad.......Would the state of Georgia push to get Tech into the conference? Doesn't do much in football, but we could use some easier teams, does boost academic standing and BB. UNC is intriguing, as is Virginia, but don't be surprised if both try for the B1G. 

[RunInRed 18,479]

 

[TexasTiger 14,363]

2 minutes ago, RunInRed said:

 

 

And their math gets even worse.

[RunInRed 18,479]

[DAG 34,937]

Feel bad for those historical teams like standford and cal. Feel like this will really mess up the stnadford sports program. The pros and cons for big money sports 

[bigbird 60,941]

The rivalry and regionality that made college football what it is is quickly disappearing 

[AUloggerhead 2,529]

Another question:  what is the Goldilocks consideration on conference size -- can a conference be too big & what size is "just right?"  We weren't even playing all the conference members on a regular basis at 14.  Now we're adding OU & Tx to make 16 next season.  Do we really need to add any ACC members & what do any of them really bring to the table except diluting the current distribution payout?  FSU didn't want any part of expanding the SEC back in the 90s.  I still remember Bobby Bowden saying "he'd rather be a live coward (in the ACC) than a dead hero (in the SEC)."  Let them pay their way in, or go join the B1G Humongous conference.  We don't need them -- they need us.   

 

[augolf1716 21,979]

54 minutes ago, bigbird said:

The rivalry and regionality that made college football what it is is quickly disappearing 

I'll would add tradition....not going to stop it just be thankful we're part of "the haves" instead of have nots. I feel bad for the alum's of the 4 left overs of Pac 12 although I think Stanford will come out ok in the end.

[CR 2,466]

The SEC thought ESPN would throw more money at them by adding Texas and Oklahoma. Didnt happen. ESPN is in cost cutting mode and Iger is openly talking about Disney selling them off. Will the SEC be willing to add anyone else if its not going to increase their media rights? Schools would actually get less money by adding more teams if the TV money is fixed.

[Tiger 8,855]

Oregon and Washington to the Big 10 makes me SICK

[JDUBB4AU 5,304]

Big ten is reportedly going to pay out more per team.

[DAG 34,937]

So when are we getting Clemson, FSU, Miami and North Carolina state? 

[AUwent 3,841]

22 hours ago, augolf1716 said:

I'll would add tradition....not going to stop it just be thankful we're part of "the haves" instead of have nots. I feel bad for the alum's of the 4 left overs of Pac 12 although I think Stanford will come out ok in the end.

I do vastly prefer the new SEC setup over the 2012-23 setup. Lone Star Showdown is back, Arky and Mizzou have actual rivals again, no waiting 12 years to visit places, and yeah, more equity in scheduling.

That said, the 2002-11 setup is still my preferred. Even better would be the original 10 teams playing each other in a round robin.

The new Big Ten setup sucks hard, though.

Edited August 6, 2023 by AUwent

[IronMan70 3,322]

On 8/5/2023 at 1:08 PM, bigbird said:

The rivalry and regionality that made college football what it is is quickly disappearing 

That's true, except for the SEC which has maintained the contiguous regionality of the conference. That alone makes the SEC more valuable and it was already the premier conference in the country. The geography of the Big10 expansion is nonsensical and really devalues the conference.

[wareagle7298 133]

This realignment sucks. Football you are talking about maybe 6 travel games a year, but damn all the other sports, those athletes are going to get worn out flying across the country constantly (referring to the Big 10). 

[DAG 34,937]

Are the players smart enough to unionize and fight for the share of revenue money that these super powers  (ESPN,Disney,ABC) who are the puppet masters behind these realignments are making? Probably not. I would be remiss  to not be honest and say big money and greed are disrupting some of logical match ups that make college football special. 

[Gowebb11 9,943]

On 8/4/2023 at 9:26 PM, RunInRed said:

 

That realignment map for the Big 10 is terrifying. Everyone is focused on football, but imagine the costs and logistical issues of flying softball, baseball, and basketball teams across country all year long. And how are fans supposed to do that. This thing is set to completely implode in my opinion. 

[subterranean_jack 113]

Thoughts on Notre Dame potentially getting an invitation to join the SEC, especially if they could bring Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State. It won't happen today or tomorrow, but, when Notre Dame's contract with NBC expires, where are they going to go to get the most money possible?

I actually think the Big Ten adding USC and UCLA along with Oregon and Washington weakens the conference and makes it more difficult for the west coast schools to compete. Imagine USC players getting up for a late November game at Nebraska. Yeah, not so much.

Anyway, I'm just thinking outside the box and years down the line.

[RunInRed 18,479]

I saw this today which was a bit surprising …

 

[AURex 2,262]

The merger of Big10 with PAC12 does make sense in one way. Schools from these two conferences were playing each other every year anyway. So they already have a bond in athletics. It also makes a lot of sense for the PAC12 schools, because the PAC12 was about to sign off on a really devastating media deal that would have essentially erased PAC12 schools from most televisions nationally and offered much less in terms of $$ than any other conference. I'm sure these schools did the math and decided it made sense to jump.

Much different for the PAC12 teams going to Big12. There has never been a collaboration or ties between these schools and the Big12. Still, with 4 PAC12 teams jumping to the Big12, it at least makes more sense regionally.

As for Stanford and Cal-Berkley, boy they are in a bind. These are elite academic institutions, and although their top 2 sports have been up and down over the years, they are both really strong in Olympic and Directors Cup sports. So they'd be a natural fit in the Big10.

But as of the moment, the PAC12 has a guaranteed spot in the expanded CFB Playoff. If the 4 remaining schools stick with the PAC12 and then the PAC12 pulls in some of the better programs out there like Boise State, Utah State, Fresno State, San Diego State, UNLV ....... most likely Oregon State, Cal, or Stanford would reach the CFP every year.

Personally, I've always thought the private schools ought to form their own conference.
Northwestern
Duke
Vanderbilt
Stanford
Boston College
Tulane
BYU
TCU
Baylor
Wake Forest
That's a pretty good 10 member conference. Add in the 3 military academies and Notre Dame, that's a blockbuster conference.

Call it NERRD -- the National Elite Rock-N-Roll Division. hahaha You saw it here first!