O.T. Conference Shuffle ( OU and Texas inquire about joining SEC)

[Lord Elrond]

4 hours ago, thetorch said:

I think UCLA is with Cal, they are in the same university system so yes why would they screw each other, but your other examples actually compete with each other.

Like Mizzou and Mo St. They are not in the same university system and compete with each other. Mizzou holds down Mo St any way they can. Washington and Wash St are the same.

UCLA and Cal are governed by the same board. One article I read mentioned that the board may divert some money from UCLA’s B1G money stream to Cal to help pay down the massive debt the Cal Athletics Dept has run up (they call it “Calimony” in the article). Apparently Cal Athletics has managed to get $394 million in the hole, greatest debt of any athletic Dept in the nation (200 million due to stadium renovation at their football stadium). But that’s only because they fall under the same board. Many other athletic departments are in the same boat as Cal, but Cal has been the worst managed, they apparently weren’t financing the debt with the existing Pac12 money coming in, going to the Mountain West actually makes the financial situation worse because of the lower payout. Among those universities in a similar mess is the Illini, but at least they are still getting B1G money. If they ever got thrown out of the B1G, they would also be screwed.

[TheA_Bomb]

This is tangentially relevant to all the realignment and other CFB changes.   Baylor will start their own streaming service Baylor+ $7.99/mo.  I'm guessing that Court TV will produce a lot of their coverage. 

 

https://www.ourdailybears.com/ourdailybears-podcast/2023/8/10/23826750/baylor-announces-new-streaming-platform-baylor-plus

[HoosierPal]

Didn't our resident Troll say that UConn to the Big 12 was a done deal?  Plus an interesting quote from the link below, that basketball is undervalued.   

1. Big 12 basketball won’t add Zags, UConn

The Big 12’s been the best overall basketball conference the last few years, taking the top spot in KenPom’s rankings in all but two of the past 10 years. It’s produced two of the past three national champions and placed a team in the Final Four in five of the past seven tourneys.

It’s adding programs, too. Houston, Cincinnati, BYU and UCF join this season, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah arrive in 2024-25. Among the eight newcomers, two are bona fide powerhouse programs, while the rest have had an average ranking among the top 75 teams at KenPom over the last 10 years.

Then the chatter about Gonzaga and UConn potentially joining the Big 12 gained steam, and the thought of a powerhouse conference seemed possible.

Or not.

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark on the Marchand & Ourand Sports Media Podcast explains, "I did have conversations with UConn and Gonzaga, and unfortunately, things didn't work out, only because the dream scenario unfolded for us, so those conversations are no longer.

"I'm a big admirer of both of those programs. They're fantastic for all the right reasons, but I'm focused on the transition of those four [new schools] right now."

Also notable? Yormark called college basketball “undervalued,” a sentiment that many are glad to hear as college basketball’s best interests rarely get mentioned during realignment conversations.

[Lord Elrond]

1 hour ago, HoosierPal said:

Didn't our resident Troll say that UConn to the Big 12 was a done deal?  Plus an interesting quote from the link below, that basketball is undervalued.   

1. Big 12 basketball won’t add Zags, UConn

The Big 12’s been the best overall basketball conference the last few years, taking the top spot in KenPom’s rankings in all but two of the past 10 years. It’s produced two of the past three national champions and placed a team in the Final Four in five of the past seven tourneys.

It’s adding programs, too. Houston, Cincinnati, BYU and UCF join this season, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah arrive in 2024-25. Among the eight newcomers, two are bona fide powerhouse programs, while the rest have had an average ranking among the top 75 teams at KenPom over the last 10 years.

Then the chatter about Gonzaga and UConn potentially joining the Big 12 gained steam, and the thought of a powerhouse conference seemed possible.

Or not.

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark on the Marchand & Ourand Sports Media Podcast explains, "I did have conversations with UConn and Gonzaga, and unfortunately, things didn't work out, only because the dream scenario unfolded for us, so those conversations are no longer.

"I'm a big admirer of both of those programs. They're fantastic for all the right reasons, but I'm focused on the transition of those four [new schools] right now."

Also notable? Yormark called college basketball “undervalued,” a sentiment that many are glad to hear as college basketball’s best interests rarely get mentioned during realignment conversations.

Translation, the TV people said adding those schools and dividing the payout does not help us make more money per school.

[TheA_Bomb]

Yeah they know the #s.

I've been a big fan of Josh Pate "Late Kick" (YouTube and podcast).  He's said (which he may have gotten from an Athletic article) that the networks are running all this change and the fans they need are not the father son going to every home game in Corvallis OR and know everything and watch any game even if it's they're team vs NW Boone County PolyTech.  No it's the casuals in Brooklyn that will tune in for at least an hour if they recognize the schools.  Sadly there's more casual than die hards.   Also he's stated that the true fan backlash to all this is being noticed. 

I think UCONN and Zags were a fallback if the 4 corners schools didn't all move to B12.

[HoosierPal]

37 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said:

Translation, the TV people said adding those schools and dividing the payout does not help us make more money per school.

Yes. If you read the basketball is undervalued quote, the TV heads weren't going to up the take enough to make those two schools pay out for the Big 12.

[TheA_Bomb]

Smoke to ACC adding Stanford, Cal, SMU.

 

If SMU ends up in a P5 conference that is a Phoenix story.  I watched Pony Excess 30 for 30 last night. They can be as good as TCU.  Also watching made me realize how that death penalty probably led to their Soccer success. 

[brianstl]

56 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Smoke to ACC adding Stanford, Cal, SMU.

 

If SMU ends up in a P5 conference that is a Phoenix story.  I watched Pony Excess 30 for 30 last night. They can be as good as TCU.  Also watching made me realize how that death penalty probably led to their Soccer success. 

Weren't they really good in soccer before they got the death penalty in football?

[TheA_Bomb]

4 hours ago, brianstl said:

Weren't they really good in soccer before they got the death penalty in football?

I don't know, so don't ruin my narrative 

[MusicCityBilliken]

On 8/17/2023 at 12:47 PM, TheA_Bomb said:

Yeah they know the #s.

I've been a big fan of Josh Pate "Late Kick" (YouTube and podcast).  He's said (which he may have gotten from an Athletic article) that the networks are running all this change and the fans they need are not the father son going to every home game in Corvallis OR and know everything and watch any game even if it's they're team vs NW Boone County PolyTech.  No it's the casuals in Brooklyn that will tune in for at least an hour if they recognize the schools.  Sadly there's more casual than die hards.   Also he's stated that the true fan backlash to all this is being noticed. 

I think UCONN and Zags were a fallback if the 4 corners schools didn't all move to B12.

Sure, the networks don't want to have something like this:

https://www.si.com/college/2023/04/05/uconn-san-diego-state-national-championship-game-low-tv-ratings

[Bay Area Billiken]

5 hours ago, brianstl said:

Weren't they really good in soccer before they got the death penalty in football?

SMU was good in Soccer both before and after the Football ban. 

[slu72]

I was talking to a WF alum this week and he said the ACC wants to add Stanford and Cal largely because of their prestigious academics. He also expects FSU and Clemson to go SEC. 

[willie]

55 minutes ago, slu72 said:

I was talking to a WF alum this week and he said the ACC wants to add Stanford and Cal largely because of their prestigious academics. He also expects FSU and Clemson to go SEC. 

Story in the Post Dispatch this morning. The ACC wants to add both schools and possibly SMU for money. They have a contract with ESPN running thru 36. If they add teams ESPN will pay the league more money. The new teams would receive a lower pay out. Thus the existing teams will get larger payments. It’s always about the money. 

[Old guy]

3 hours ago, willie said:

Story in the Post Dispatch this morning. The ACC wants to add both schools and possibly SMU for money. They have a contract with ESPN running thru 36. If they add teams ESPN will pay the league more money. The new teams would receive a lower pay out. Thus the existing teams will get larger payments. It’s always about the money. 

Not always, you may have read the information I published about sports at Harvard and the IVYs. They go for "intellectual" athletes, read those that are going for the education, not the money. Students that want an education and a diploma from a high level University may not have money as their prime goal.

[wgstl]

On 8/26/2023 at 7:12 AM, slu72 said:

I was talking to a WF alum this week and he said the ACC wants to add Stanford and Cal largely because of their prestigious academics. He also expects FSU and Clemson to go SEC. 

ya, sounding like Clemson and FSU have a different mindset than the rest of the conference. Also if this happens, I wouldn't be too surprised if UNC leaves.  Would be a big pickup for whoever takes them, and they seem like a great fit for the B10

[Cowboy II]

51 minutes ago, wgstl said:

ya, sounding like Clemson and FSU have a different mindset than the rest of the conference. Also if this happens, I wouldn't be too surprised if UNC leaves.  Would be a big pickup for whoever takes them, and they seem like a great fit for the B10

-if UNC leaves the ACC how will we know when Rivalry Week is? holy cow,  this would be catastrophic

[BLIKNS]

ACC approves adding Cal, Stanford and SMU..  

Now the Pac-2,  I would expect a decision from Oregon State and Washington State soon... The Mountain West seems too logical .

Saint Louis being in the Atlantic 10 doesn't seem so silly any more

[brianstl]

So if the MWC merges with what is left of the Pac they would get the automatic birth in football playoff and all of the tourney credits left behind by the departing members, correct?

[Cowboy II]

10 minutes ago, brianstl said:

So if the MWC merges with what is left of the Pac they would get the automatic birth in football playoff and all of the tourney credits left behind by the departing members, correct?

-good questions, imo getting the tourney credits is more likely than keeiping the football playoff birth 

[Lord Elrond]

14 minutes ago, brianstl said:

So if the MWC merges with what is left of the Pac they would get the automatic birth in football playoff and all of the tourney credits left behind by the departing members, correct?

Quite possible the MWC gets nothing but two new members. I don’t think anyone actually expected a major conference to just disintegrate so there isn’t a blueprint on what that looks like. Stay tuned and see what happens I guess.

[wgstl]

11 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said:

Quite possible the MWC gets nothing but two new members. I don’t think anyone actually expected a major conference to just disintegrate so there isn’t a blueprint on what that looks like. 

Ya this is what Im thinking.  

[brianstl]

13 minutes ago, Cowboy II said:

-good questions, imo getting the tourney credits is more likely than keeiping the football playoff birth 

 

10 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said:

Quite possible the MWC gets nothing but two new members. I don’t think anyone actually expected a major conference to just disintegrate so there isn’t a blueprint on what that looks like. Stay tuned and see what happens I guess.

I was wrong about the Pac having an automatic bid.  The contract says the top 6 rated conferences will get an automatic bid.  

[Compton]

2 hours ago, brianstl said:

 

I was wrong about the Pac having an automatic bid.  The contract says the top 6 rated conferences will get an automatic bid.  

The CFP board met a couple days ago to discuss this, but no decisions were made as the Pac12/ACC situation was still up in the air. It sounds like decreasing the number of automatic bids to 5 or just going to 12 at-large bids could be on the table going forward though. The structure was designed to be "Power 5 + 1" automatic bids. Now that there's only a "Power 4" it will be revisited, because the new Power 4 won't want to give up a spot to the America, MWC, C-USA, ASUN, etc...

[Bay Area Billiken]

The question is if there will still be 6 CFP auto bids and 6 at larges (favored by the Group of 6) or 5 auto bids and 7 at larges (favored by the Power 5(4).  My prediction is the latter will happen. 

Cal and Stanford have found a home in the ACC, albeit with reduced TV shares, following heavy lobbying by Notre Dame.  SMU has bought its way into the ACC, foregoing TV money for a reported 7 years, while raising $200M in pledges from its alumni to cover the TV money forbearance.  SMU realized this was its last chance to get into a Power 5(4) conference. 

Re travel, the Cal Chancellor revealed an ACC plan to have teams from both Coasts meet in Dallas for games.  I could see that happening in olympic sports, but not in Football and Basketball.

Oregon State (currently ranked #18 nationally in Football) and Washington State are still out there, left behind.  The AAC has reportedly cut off negotiations, leaving either the Mountain West or trying to maintain the Pac-2 with expansion additions from the AAC and/or Mountain West.  The latter is possible, but less likely without Stanford and Cal. 

My opinion is the big winner today is Notre Dame, and the big loser is the B1G (from a CFB control aspect, albeit all the way to the bank, making the B1G a big winner from that aspect). Stanford and Cal preferred to join USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington in a Coastal Division of the B1G, but the Fox TV money was apparently not there.  You can't accept what you're not offered.  Notre Dame continues to get its cake and eat it too, with its affiliation with the ACC, Independent status in Football, ACC membership in the other ACC sports that ND plays, including Basketball and a full conference vote, and its NBC TV deal for its home football games. Notre Dame gets all this while residing right in the middle of the Big Ten footprint. The B1G wants ND, but not vice versa.

[slu72]

I’d add UConn to the losers list. Beast $$’s aren’t Big12 or ACC FB $$’s. And they’re gonna have trouble getting big FB games as the 4 conferences will likely play only 1 OOC game. I’d guess UConn’s FB dreams will have to be scaled back. Unless Clemson and FSU leave for the SEC, UConn is basically a hoops only school getting hoops smaller $$’s.