Conference Realignment

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#101      
My guess is that it may have something to do with travel. In the OVC, their furthest road trip for football would likely be to Tennessee Tech, which is just over an 8 hour drive from Macomb. It's nearly 10 hours to both of the North Dakota schools in the MVFC.
Yeah. I think this was all about travel for the non-football sports.

It sucks that they’re leaving probably the best FCS football conference, but this likely makes the most sense from a budget standpoint.
 
#102      
it’s so “weird” to me to think of the PAC being the red headed step child of big time college sports , because throughout the 1960’s - 1990’s , they seemingly were the #1 conference in all respects
It all comes down to football. When USC and Oregon were playing in Championship game almost every year PAC12 was golden. With USC gone you lose the best football program, with UCLA leaving you lose the best basketball program in PAC12, together you lost the SoCal TV market - 2nd largest in USA. This was a master coup by B10 to get USC/UCLA. Oregon and WA would jump in a second if offered. Issue is how can it be non dilutive (maybe the accept lower payouts for first few years).

I think Pac12 best opportunity is to merge with B12. You end up with nice footprint from TX to WA. Everything but the SoCal market.

Depending on future population growth remaining TV markets for B10 expansion
#11 Phoenix - ASU
#12 Seattle - WA
#22 Portland - Oregon
#30 San Diego - SDSU
 
#103      
Pretty sure the first nail was the final nail.
Yep ... say what you want about LA having fickle fans and the attendance being comparatively pathetic to Midwestern and Southern schools, but LA was holding that conference together. It was the only place where you had a big-time market combined with at least semi-passionate and numerous fans plus athletic success. The Bay Area should be a great asset, but Cal and Stanford both behave closer to Northwestern than UCLA or USC in sports, and the interest just never picks up. Conversely, Oregon has had great athletics and whatnot, but Portland was never going to move the needle back in the era where we were nabbing up schools like Rutgers and Maryland for markets. The Pac-12 seemed like a bit of a paper tiger even WITH USC and UCLA, but now it is just completely hollowed out, with a few good apples stuck.
 
#104      
2022 Pac12 football attendance

Arizona 44k
Cal 39k
Colorado 43k
Oregon 55k (sold out)
Oregon State 31k
Stanford 30k
Utah 52k
Washington 63k (capacity 70k)
Washington State 26k
----

UCLA 42k
USC 65k
 
#105      
It all comes down to football. When USC and Oregon were playing in Championship game almost every year PAC12 was golden. With USC gone you lose the best football program, with UCLA leaving you lose the best basketball program in PAC12, together you lost the SoCal TV market - 2nd largest in USA. This was a master coup by B10 to get USC/UCLA. Oregon and WA would jump in a second if offered. Issue is how can it be non dilutive (maybe the accept lower payouts for first few years).

I think Pac12 best opportunity is to merge with B12. You end up with nice footprint from TX to WA. Everything but the SoCal market.

Depending on future population growth remaining TV markets for B10 expansion
#11 Phoenix - ASU
#12 Seattle - WA
#22 Portland - Oregon
#30 San Diego - SDSU
San Francisco #8. It's hard for me to envision Cal and Stanford in the Big 12. The cultural fit doesn't seem there.
 
#107      

So where would NC State and VT go? I wouldn't be so confident if I was either of them.

Would the state of Virginia and North Carolina try and strong arm the B1G or SEC in taking both?

If that were to occur, I'd put all my chips into getting FSU and maybe Miami.

Would ESPN push for this to happen (a break up) if it really strengthened the SEC and not the B1G?
 
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#109      
Yeah. I think this was all about travel for the non-football sports.

It sucks that they’re leaving probably the best FCS football conference, but this likely makes the most sense from a budget standpoint.

Exactly. Heck, it's probably an easier trip for the conference hoops tournament in Evansville than in Sioux Falls (Plus it's more of a true neutral court than what they would have gotten in the Summit League).

As far as football is concerned, WIU has been down for awhile now. They haven't finished above .500 since 2017, which was also the last time they made the playoffs. The last time they won a conference title was in 2002, was when the conference was still known as the Gateway Football Conference.
 
#110      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
#111      
"Clemson, Florida State, Miami, UNC, NC State, Virginia and Virginia Tech have joined forces to meet with lawyers and determine whether it's possible to break free of the current ACC grant-of-rights."
And further more:

"But all of this is just speculation for the time-being. For all we know the seven schools will look at their options and find that staying in the ACC is best for their short- and long-term financial security."

They should be looking at options, but suspect all of their options suck & I don't see anybody throwing them a lifeline to get out of the GOR
 
#112      
So where would NC State and VT go? I wouldn't be so confident if I was either of them.

Would the state of Virginia and North Carolina try and strong arm the B1G or SEC in taking both?

If that were to occur, I'd put all my chips into getting FSU and maybe Miami.

Would ESPN push for this to happen (a break up) if it really strengthened the SEC and not the B1G?
I'm not saying the Big Ten will go after them or anything, but I think Virginia Tech is kind of underrated here. My aunt lives in the Virginia suburbs of DC, and she says that while it is a bit of a melting pot similar to Chicago, she sees significantly more Virginia Tech gear than any other team. In a similar fashion to Illinois being in Champaign while Northwestern is in a Chicago suburb, your physical location really doesn't matter quite as much as where you have fans ... and I think VT could deliver pretty good ratings in the DC market for a Big XII or whatever conference becomes the clear "third place" one.
 
#113      
So where would NC State and VT go? I wouldn't be so confident if I was either of them.

Would the state of Virginia and North Carolina try and strong arm the B1G or SEC in taking both?

If that were to occur, I'd put all my chips into getting FSU and maybe Miami.

Would ESPN push for this to happen (a break up) if it really strengthened the SEC and not the B1G?
I’d like to see FSU and,or Miami. Big Florida market.
 
#114      

This writer seems to think that Virginia, Virginia Tech, UNC, and Miami would be most likely to move to the BIG if the ACC breaks. Wouldn’t be upset by those additions at all. However, I’d imagine that the BIG would want to leave room for Notre Dame to join the party, and I doubt the BIG would jump past 20 schools.
 
#115      

This writer seems to think that Virginia, Virginia Tech, UNC, and Miami would be most likely to move to the BIG if the ACC breaks. Wouldn’t be upset by those additions at all. However, I’d imagine that the BIG would want to leave room for Notre Dame to join the party, and I doubt the BIG would jump past 20 schools.
It would be hilariously ironic if our conference got so big to the point where it was effectively like an NFC or National League, and the old Big Ten became a division, allowing us to just mostly play the old teams after all of this is done. :ROFLMAO:
 
#116      

This writer seems to think that Virginia, Virginia Tech, UNC, and Miami would be most likely to move to the BIG if the ACC breaks. Wouldn’t be upset by those additions at all. However, I’d imagine that the BIG would want to leave room for Notre Dame to join the party, and I doubt the BIG would jump past 20 schools.
Notre Dame will always have a spot, and I'd wager that when this shakes out, FSU comes to the B1G way before VT or Miami.
 
#117      
I actually think this idea of ACC breaking up before GoR ends, and that the PAC is going away is just the B1G running PsyOps on ND that the music is about to stop and they aren't going to have a chair. ND may always have a seat, unless they shrink into irrelevance... it's not impossible. If you told someone 10 years ago USC and UCLA would be in the B1G before ND, you'd have been laughed at.
 
#118      
USC and UCLA need more west coast teams to reduce travel.

I have to believe Oregon and Washington will eventually end up in B10 remember its all about football. They might have to take reduced share for first 5 years to be non dilutive but I bet it will still be more money than they get from a new PAC12 contract.

“We project the Pac-12’s valuation to fall within 10 percent of the Big 12’s agreement with ESPN and Fox, which will pay each school an average of $31.7 million annually starting in 2024-25,” wrote Wilner. “That places the Pac-12’s range as $28.5 million (per school) annually on the low end and $34.9 million annually on the high end. Our target number is $29.7 million.”

The Big Ten could pay its members at least $62.5 million annually from just its television deal. Conferences also distribute revenue from the College Football Playoff and NCAA men's tournament to its members schools.
 
#119      

Mr. Tibbs

southeast DuPage
I really dont know what to think anymore
but the ACC is going to break up , and ND isnt going to the SEC , so they will eventually go to the B1G
likely UNC and UVa and perhaps Stanford with them , the B1G needs the SF market and Cal sux
 
#120      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
I really dont know what to think anymore
but the ACC is going to break up , and ND isnt going to the SEC , so they will eventually go to the B1G
likely UNC and UVa and perhaps Stanford with them , the B1G needs the SF market and Cal sux

Agreed. Just a matter of time. FWLIW, I think the Borg (BIG) is going to add FSU and quite likely Miami too. The Florida markets are lucrative.
 
#121      

BZuppke

Plainfield
I'm not saying the Big Ten will go after them or anything, but I think Virginia Tech is kind of underrated here. My aunt lives in the Virginia suburbs of DC, and she says that while it is a bit of a melting pot similar to Chicago, she sees significantly more Virginia Tech gear than any other team. In a similar fashion to Illinois being in Champaign while Northwestern is in a Chicago suburb, your physical location really doesn't matter quite as much as where you have fans ... and I think VT could deliver pretty good ratings in the DC market for a Big XII or whatever conference becomes the clear "third place" one.
Can you please pass your aunt’s contact info on to the Big Ten offices? Just kidding but I understand the attractiveness of Va and UNC in terms of academics as well as athletic success.

As to the Big becoming like the NFC isn’t that where we’re headed? Big as NFC and SEC as AFC. The complete ruination of college football in the name of money. It’s inevitable and I hate it.
 
#122      
I really dont know what to think anymore
but the ACC is going to break up , and ND isnt going to the SEC , so they will eventually go to the B1G
likely UNC and UVa and perhaps Stanford with them , the B1G needs the SF market and Cal sux
Washington will be next to the B1G. Not sure Stanford ever makes it. Does anyone in the SF market actually watch college football?
 
#123      
Can you please pass your aunt’s contact info on to the Big Ten offices? Just kidding but I understand the attractiveness of Va and UNC in terms of academics as well as athletic success.

As to the Big becoming like the NFC isn’t that where we’re headed? Big as NFC and SEC as AFC. The complete ruination of college football in the name of money. It’s inevitable and I hate it.
But what if the “Central Division” is Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, MSU, Minnesota, Northwestern, OSU, Purdue and Wisconsin? 😎
 
#125      
But what if the “Central Division” is Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, MSU, Minnesota, Northwestern, OSU, Purdue and Wisconsin? 😎
It would be hilariously ironic if our conference got so big to the point where it was effectively like an NFC or National League, and the old Big Ten became a division, allowing us to just mostly play the old teams after all of this is done. :ROFLMAO:
Last year I suggested the Legacy and Newbies divisions. If they’re joining just for cash flow and not tradition, they can live with that name.
 
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