Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
USC, UCLA to join the Big Ten in 2024
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ND never joins as long as it has NBC money in its wallet
Every time this kind of major realignment happens, schools get scared, and who could blame them? The difference in money between a premier conference like the BIG and SEC, and the rest is growing. Game of musical chairs for the 2nd tier conferences...
Why not? If it's about TV markets, the quality of the program, while important, is not the only consideration. The goal, I presume, is to have as wide a BTN presence as possible. Why cede the entire state of Texas? Pick up one big enough school and you get eyeballs, even if you'll never dominate the market share of the State.
I know the AAU membership is an issue and I like that the B1G has been selective in that regard. But there are only 63 AAU schools in the country, and a lot of them don't meet the athletic profile, so at a certain point it's going to be TV $ or AAU, and I think we can all predict what will win out when that happens.
I geninely don't know how much ND pockets. Would B1G revenue split 16-24 ways start to rival that?
sacraig
- The desert
He can be a genius at the business side and still a rube about the actual athletics side. Seems like a good chance that's the case.
sacraig
- The desert
You kicking out Purdue?
Three seven-team divisions with promotion and relegation. Do it, you cowards.
I so badly want an American league to adopt promotion and relegation in my lifetime, for no reason other than to see the anger and confusion that ensues for the first few years.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
The money, while important, is secondary. The whole deal with ND is having a viable path to the playoffs.
I also live in the Puget Sound and am really hoping the huskies make the jump. Don’t love the ND in the B1G but think they add a lot of tv viewer which is what is driving this train
I would have to think ND is the only non-AAU on the table. This is obviously driven by football $$$, but the gatekeepers are ultimately the univ. presidents and they see research $$$ (hence the Hopkins add) as well as future revenues based on demos. The beauty of this from a marketing standpoint is that they regionally isolate the SEC to the South. This will make them less appealing to other PAC schools for all sorts of reasons while at the same time forcing the Dukes, GaTechs, UVAs, and UNCs to look in the mirror and see how "SEC" they really are. And the obvious answer is that academically and athletically they are not.
Hey fellow Puget Sounder. I’m an Illini married to a Husky. She’s freaking out right now too. Alma mater for her could wind up in the Mountain West if they aren’t careful. Jen Cohen is about the last person you want as your AD. You know who I feel great having as AD though? Whitman. Illinois is ascending in revenue sports at the perfect time to keep becoming a nationally relevant school.
ND has always felt it is too good for the B1G. Perhaps with its old rival USC on board now it can come off its high horse a little.
My bad. Add them wherever you want and please remove NEB.
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
There's no way Washington is going to be spurned by the BIG. No flippin' way.
Unless the game involves UCLA. In that case, it's played at Lambeau. (So UCLA gets a treat, too!).
On second thought, all B1G championships played at Lambeau.
On third thought, not just football championships. All championship games in all sports.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
I think both parties have moved on from that idea
It made a lot of sense 25 years ago. Not as much today for various reasons
My wife is also a husky.
Could not agree more on Jen. She has been an unmitigated disaster for the program. It’s the biggest reason I’m worried she will find a way to screw this up. Absolute worse case scenario I can envision is Oregon joining the B1G but Jen refusing to leave the Cougs behind.
I cannot think of any financial motivation for the B1G to NOT go ahead a cherry-pick from the PAC-12 any team there that will help the B1G earn them more money. And the new B1G would be leaving so much money on the table by not absorbing all the most attractive west coast markets, especially since it makes so much logistical and scheduling and fan-preference sense to carve out a western division of some kind. To that end I’d have to think Stanford, Cal, Washington, Oregon are locks to join too. Why not Arizona and Colorado while they’re at it. What does not adding those teams get the B1G at this point?
To me the intrigue is not whether the PAC-12 gets dissected but whether this seismic realignment gives the B1G leverage on ND or open doors to raid the ACC too.
USC and UCLA would benefit all fans/alums on the west coast. An easy 5.5 hour drive on the I-10 and I could be there. (assuming I don't have any flashbacks from my last visit to the Rose Bowl, watching the Trojans rack up 633 yards of offense.)
I think it still makes sense. Reasons for B10 are obvious. Here's why it also makes sense for ND. As B10 and SEC consolidate and grow larger, I think there's going to be more financial pressure to expand conference schedule by reducing and finally eliminating nonconference games. That's going to squeeze ND and make their TV rights less appealing. While it may be more lucrative to go it alone short term, I think it's essentially suicide long term as the TV dollars continue to get consolidated in 2-3 mega conferences. I genuinely feel ND is going to have to join a conference sooner or later. They can do it now and have their pick, or do it later and risk being shut out of the big 2 or 3 conferences.
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