see post #41...
Conference Realignment
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And the division winners could play for the championship in the Rose Bowl.
mattcoldagelli
- The Transfer Portal with Do Not Contact Tag
@ChiefGritty is correct that TV markets are not really a determining factor anymore (or at least not a primary one) because carriage costs aren’t money printer that they once were. FSU might make sense, but not because they “bring” a market, or at least in the geographic sense of that term.
To paraphrase Marko Ramius, we all remember the heady days of BTN and Jim Delany. The world once trembled at our control of the TV markets. Now they must tremble at the lure of our content.
Kramerica Industries
- Greenville, SC
College Football Viewership By Team
College football viewership by team was the highest for Ohio State Buckeyes with 70.3 million viewers. Michigan Wolverines had 70.1.
Remember when the Big Ten champ played the Pac Ten champ in the Rose Bowl every year, and polls determined the national champion? Yeah, that was pretty great.
First, I believe that any school that would accept a partial payout to join the Big Ten isn't good enough to join today's Big Ten.
Second, CBS/NBC/FOX, the big money, have 3 primary games and the Big Ten have I would say 4 top tier schools USC,OSU,MICH,PSU, plus other matchups between whoever is good in a certain year. I don't see Clemson, Oregon, FSU, or whoever being so good that those networks would pay more money to add them. They aren't a tier above the current conference inventory.
Third, the Big Ten has inventory of 7-8 conference games/year with byes with 16 teams. Likely 1 game for CBS/NBC/FOX, a Big Ten Network tripleheader, then the last 1-2 are flexed between Fox/FS1. If you add more teams, you'd need to either get another FS1 timeslot, which Fox already sold to the B12, or use BTN overflow which I don't think anyone wants to be on.
Fourth, there is still money out there that the Big Ten and SEC don't monopolize which is the college football playoff. I can't see more expansion unless the Big Ten and SEC breakaway with the remaining few power schools, form a NFC/AFC type schedule, and crown their own champion with their own playoff. NCAA tourney can stay the same.
Fifth, UCLA/USC travel is their problem. Adding a team in Eugene or Seattle is still really far away for everybody, and quite a few sports like cross country, track, swimming you can just travel once for a conference meet if you want to.
Sixth, the top tier schools will break away and form their own new conference before anyone gets kicked out or relegated.
Seventh, media markets only mattered because of the cable tv bundle. And the cable tv bundle is collapsing more every year.
Second, CBS/NBC/FOX, the big money, have 3 primary games and the Big Ten have I would say 4 top tier schools USC,OSU,MICH,PSU, plus other matchups between whoever is good in a certain year. I don't see Clemson, Oregon, FSU, or whoever being so good that those networks would pay more money to add them. They aren't a tier above the current conference inventory.
Third, the Big Ten has inventory of 7-8 conference games/year with byes with 16 teams. Likely 1 game for CBS/NBC/FOX, a Big Ten Network tripleheader, then the last 1-2 are flexed between Fox/FS1. If you add more teams, you'd need to either get another FS1 timeslot, which Fox already sold to the B12, or use BTN overflow which I don't think anyone wants to be on.
Fourth, there is still money out there that the Big Ten and SEC don't monopolize which is the college football playoff. I can't see more expansion unless the Big Ten and SEC breakaway with the remaining few power schools, form a NFC/AFC type schedule, and crown their own champion with their own playoff. NCAA tourney can stay the same.
Fifth, UCLA/USC travel is their problem. Adding a team in Eugene or Seattle is still really far away for everybody, and quite a few sports like cross country, track, swimming you can just travel once for a conference meet if you want to.
Sixth, the top tier schools will break away and form their own new conference before anyone gets kicked out or relegated.
Seventh, media markets only mattered because of the cable tv bundle. And the cable tv bundle is collapsing more every year.
the national
- the Front Range
To be honest, I'd prefer this again. College football is trying to recreate March Madness or the NFL playoffs. Growing up I'd much prefer a Rose Bowl championship to a #1 ranking at the end of the year.
What's next in college sports conference realignment? Here's where the shaky landscape stands
The Pac-12 appears to be on life support. A decision from one of the four-corner schools could prove as a lifesaver or a death knell. College athletics is on fragile ground.
Looks like changes may come to the ACC. Much faster than I thought. A threat to Washington and Oregon to the B1G, IMO. It does open the door for some ACC/PAC potential merger.
www.sportskeeda.com
$300 million buyout in line for FSU leaving ACC, Noles to reap 2x profits if the program joins Big Ten or SEC: Reports
Florida State's attempt to exit the Atlantic Coast Conference is reportedly gaining momentum.
www.sportskeeda.com
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
here's a very good (and very long) take on how it's going down:
300 million over 10 years...not sure this is real; seems like not only ACC would need to agree, but also ESPNLooks like changes may come to the ACC. Much faster than I thought. A threat to Washington and Oregon to the B1G, IMO. It does open the door for some ACC/PAC potential merger.
$300 million buyout in line for FSU leaving ACC, Noles to reap 2x profits if the program joins Big Ten or SEC: Reports
Florida State's attempt to exit the Atlantic Coast Conference is reportedly gaining momentum.
...I could see FSU taking this deal if they have an open invite to B1G or SEC; they would make enough more to cover the 30 million & long term gets them to a stable spot.
...the B1G might be an ESPN problem since ESPN might be less likely to let this happen to send them to FOX...sending them to SEC probably doesn't bother them much
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
Humongous buyout (FSU) is literally the last resort. Much more likely is getting 8 schools (majority) to dissolve the league. They already have 5. FOX (and the BIG?) could probably easily orchestrate 3 more, really sticking it to ESPN. The tweet by Ramon Capra lays this option out:
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Ding ding ding.
The "if there's no ACC then there's no Grant of Rights" thing is debunked nonsense, fwiw. Even if they had the votes, which they don't.
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Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
source?
Definitely not buying Miami or ASU to the Big10.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
First of all, LOL given the start of this as "boy, BonerJamz08 on Twitter has a great breakdown of the situation"
Second, the GOR was signed individually by all the schools:
But then third even that's not thinking about it quite the right way. The horse is out of the barn, ESPN owns the rights to broadcast the home games of each current ACC member until 2036, for which those schools are entitled to a certain amount of money.
The question has nothing to do with the procedures or politics of any school or conference. The question is what it would take to convince ESPN to sell back the broadcast rights they own.
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
Asking for a source merits a condescension? Classy.
Everyone knows the schools signed away GOR. What I'm want to know is if the conference dissolves, does that void the GOR? Guessing not, but am not a lawyer.
Did ESPN purchase the GOR from the ACC or from each school? Maybe it doesn't matter, maybe it does.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Note the language of Section 1 on Page 2, emphasis mine:
"Each of the Member Institutions hereby (a) irrevocably and exclusively grants to the Conference during the Term (as defined below) all rights (the "Rights") necessary for the Conference to perform the contractual obligations of the Conference expressly set forth in the ESPN Agreement, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH MEMBER INSTITUTION REMAINS A MEMBER OF THE CONFERENCE during the entirety of the Term, and (b) agrees to satisfy and perform all contractual obligations of a Member Institution during the Term that are expressly set forth in the ESPN Agreement."
What conference anyone is in doesn't matter. The right to broadcast Florida State football games until 2036 is the legal property of ESPN.
KBLEE
- Montgomery, IL
"The Conference" is defined as the Atlantic Coast Conference. The rights are "irrevocably and exclusively" granted to "the Conference". If "the Conference" ceases to exist, wouldn't that make the granting of those rights null and void?
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
yeah, I think the GOR contract is crystal clear. what is not crystal clear is what happens to the GOR contracts if the ACC no longer exists. guessing its moot, but way above my expertise. IOW, the ACC isn't a GOR party, it's between the schools and the rights holder, ESPN. The conference was merely a conduit for getting the GOR contracts done.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
I mean, as an actual lawyer in a somewhat adjacent space, I am compelled to note that we don't have all the information we would need to take the full view of this situation. The answer any good lawyer will give you on any question is "it depends". (The opposite of a message board poster)
That said, I think three broad things are clear.
1. It was the express and essential purpose of both the GOR and the ESPN TV deal that it created a legally binding commitment for the applicable TV rights to be granted to ESPN for the full term, disallowing the ability for members to leave for better deals. This isn't an ancillary consequence of these deals, it's their core reason for existing, contemplating exactly the scenario we are now in. All contractual agreements are subject to what's called an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, which requires parties to a contract not to act in a way that would defeat its essential purpose. Courts don't like "one weird trick" solutions to contractual issues, put it that way.
2. Any attempt to wriggle out of the ACC's commitments without ESPN's approval is going to mean litigation. A lawsuit against the Walt Disney Corporation is going to be a colossal expense (not to mention a severe political problem in the industry) for anyone involved. And making money (and maintaining good standing in the media industry) is the whole reason we're here in the first place.
3. Any doubt about the ACC being screwed and the best ACC schools being desperate to jump was gone once the USC and UCLA moves happened. You will recall that there was a lot of discussion around this GOR a year ago. If this could be done it would have been done already. Nothing has changed.
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