Cracks in the B1G?

One word: Money

TV networks want prime matchups week in and week out. The viewership for these games are very high. Texas-OSU drew 16 million viewers. Now imagine matchups like this for each time slot.

Let's be honest... the TV networks are driving the realignment. If they feel they can consistently get many more eyeballs week in and week out and for longer stretches of the day, they'll find ways to do it
Like I mentioned the ENTIRE Big10 TV deal that the Texas vs. OSU game was part of pays the Big10 $1.1B annually. Whereas, the 11 team playoff pays $1.3B annually. For the networks and schools like Ohio State- a bigger playoff is where the money is.

But your 16M viewer example is based a marketplace where fans of the 66 P4 schools are pretty much still vested in watching the best games on TV. It's still a marketplace where OTA games get the most viewers. Go ahead and alienate fans of 44 schools, why would those fans watch the big Texas vs. OSU game. As a Cyclone fan, I wouldn't.

TV Networks are driving realignment. But a 20-24 team Super League isn't in their best interest. Much more likely we see the Big10/SEC grow to 20-24 teams each.
 
Like I mentioned the ENTIRE Big10 TV deal that the Texas vs. OSU game was part of pays the Big10 $1.1B annually. Whereas, the 11 team playoff pays $1.3B annually. For the networks and schools like Ohio State- a bigger playoff is where the money is.

But your 16M viewer example is based a marketplace where fans of the 66 P4 schools are pretty much still vested in watching the best games on TV. It's still a marketplace where OTA games get the most viewers. Go ahead and alienate fans of 44 schools, why would those fans watch the big Texas vs. OSU game. As a Cyclone fan, I wouldn't.

TV Networks are driving realignment. But a 20-24 team Super League isn't in their best interest. Much more likely we see the Big10/SEC grow to 20-24 teams each.
I’d be interested in the demographics of TX/OSU. I think millions didn’t have rooting interests for any college.

But again, it’s viewership. If networks feel they can drive viewership higher on a more consistent basis not only week to week but even on the same day with different time slots, they will find ways to do just that.

If it means a 20 team super league, and they throw enough cash to the elite teams, they’ll do it. Every realignment has followed this footprint.

Edit: will it and/or should this happen? I hope not. But it is a real possibility. I think the current structure is flawed. MI State fans shouldn’t have to stay awake until 2:30 AM to see their team finish a game. The entire system needs an overhaul, but SEC/B1G would never approve such an overhaul. It would take congress at this point to make sweeping changes needed to make college athletics viable for all schools long term IMO
 
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I’d be interested in the demographics of TX/OSU. I think millions didn’t have rooting interests for any college.

But again, it’s viewership. If networks feel they can drive viewership higher on a more consistent basis not only week to week but even on the same day with different time slots, they will find ways to do just that.

If it means a 20 team super league, and they throw enough cash to the elite teams, they’ll do it. Every realignment has followed this footprint.

Brands are starting to drive revenue more and more across all avenues.
 
Like I mentioned the ENTIRE Big10 TV deal that the Texas vs. OSU game was part of pays the Big10 $1.1B annually. Whereas, the 11 team playoff pays $1.3B annually. For the networks and schools like Ohio State- a bigger playoff is where the money is.

But your 16M viewer example is based a marketplace where fans of the 66 P4 schools are pretty much still vested in watching the best games on TV. It's still a marketplace where OTA games get the most viewers. Go ahead and alienate fans of 44 schools, why would those fans watch the big Texas vs. OSU game. As a Cyclone fan, I wouldn't.

TV Networks are driving realignment. But a 20-24 team Super League isn't in their best interest. Much more likely we see the Big10/SEC grow to 20-24 teams each.

I would still watch Ut and Osu play.
 
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I’d be interested in the demographics of TX/OSU. I think millions didn’t have rooting interests for any college.

But again, it’s viewership. If networks feel they can drive viewership higher on a more consistent basis not only week to week but even on the same day with different time slots, they will find ways to do just that.

If it means a 20 team super league, and they throw enough cash to the elite teams, they’ll do it. Every realignment has followed this footprint.

Superleague doesn’t necessarily mean separation

It just means bundled TV rights, more money, and more playoff berths for that premier league

As long as there’s better postseason access than historical for the have-nots, the ecosystem is strong as ever, with as much interest imo

The Big 12 has lost its top 4 football brands. The difference in revenue between Big 12 and BIG/SEC never greater. Yet interest has remained strong, with-in the conference and external, due to the intrigue of the race for the berth

Basketball is more likely to be negatively impacted, as there already is great access to postseason
 
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Abolish all conference media contracts. Individual games are bid by media each week. CyHawk game gets $10MM from Fox. Alabama - Georgia Southern gets $3MM from ESPN+. Good teams and good matchups are rewarded based on viewer interest. This will weed out the cupcake vs blue blood matchups. Maybe boxing or MMA has this setup now?
 
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Abolish all conference media contracts. Individual games are bid by media each week. CyHawk game gets $10MM from Fox. Alabama - Georgia Southern gets $3MM from ESPN+. Good teams and good matchups are rewarded based on viewer interest. This will weed out the cupcake vs blue blood matchups. Maybe boxing or MMA has this setup now?

No one wants that, paying/getting spot prices. Budgets need some type of certainty

The cupcake games occur largely because P4’s want as many home games as possible due to the uncapped spending/arms race

PE pooling most of P4 rights and implementing a spending cap would allow for P4 vs P4 only schedule.
 
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Oh you just know if this settles out with a change in revenue sharing the Fawkeyes will end up in the bottom of the upper tear. Still making massive undeserved money. All based upon "the wave", womens BB, and wrestling.
 
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Yeah whenever I see people talk about how much longer until the big ten trims the fat of northwestern and Purdue? Or will the SEC kick out Vanderbilt.

I think it is more likely that the top schools leave and form their own conference. No one wants to be the “bad guy” that kicks out a school. However, you can be the guy that leaves for greener pastures and spin it off letting the bottom feeders keep the name. Similar to the pac 12 in name only but no substance.

Honestly it’s better for them to stay in the conference as is, get unequal revenue, beat the crap out of the other teams, go 11-1 every year and make the playoffs. They need the patsies. If they get the unequal revenue too it will ensure the bottom 80% of the conference stays cannon fodder.
 
Honestly it’s better for them to stay in the conference as is, get unequal revenue, beat the crap out of the other teams, go 11-1 every year and make the playoffs. They need the patsies. If they get the unequal revenue too it will ensure the bottom 80% of the conference stays cannon fodder.
I honestly don’t think any of us know what will happen. I never envisioned people making millions off of videos where people watched them open toys…or play video games. If I had to guess; though, I would guess revenue would become unequal because whatever outlet is putting on the broadcast is going to be able to be more accurate with what revenue each team is actually bringing to the advertisers.
 
Yep totally get that now the this fanbase and have had a bunch of conversations like that before. The belief that since it happened here it has to happen everywhere is pretty strong but I understand why.

I would have been shocked if he shut the door because that would have just gotten him pushback from some of his fans and possibly alumni.

I agree on your point about first comment but I don’t know how often college presidents are asked this instead of AD’s
If your assessment is correct, what we can infer is the existence of some influencial group inside OSU athletics that want unequal revenue sharing. We don't know the extent of their pull except to note they have enough to affect public statements by the University President. That's not insignificant.

That would also tell me there is a greater than zero chance OSU will push for unequal revenue sharing. That's what makes this newsworthy.

Finally, I have no clue how this all plays out but those predicting unequal revenue sharing coming to the b1g are not wrong to point out the "testing the water" phase is the first step in implementing such a policy.
 
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I think some of these schools realize they need to beat up on the sisters of the poor in their conference to keep propping up their records. If you put 10 bluebloods in a conference together, 3-4 of them are going to quickly hate having a 500 or losing record.

I know OU had a nice win over Michigan, but I just think they're going to become the Nebraska of the Big 10. Nice brand, but not much for results.
 
I think some of these schools realize they need to beat up on the sisters of the poor in their conference to keep propping up their records. If you put 10 bluebloods in a conference together, 3-4 of them are going to quickly hate having a 500 or losing record.

I know OU had a nice win over Michigan, but I just think they're going to become the Nebraska of the Big 10. Nice brand, but not much for results.
Not if they can make more money. For those big schools, they think their team will be the one that continues to win.
 
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I think tOSU stays in the Big10 long term. But to do so I think they get major financial concessions. Things like keeping TV rights to a non-conference game they can shop around to setup a huge payday with a high profile neutral site game. Or having a portion of the CFP money go to teams that qualify. They’ll still be in the conference, but it won’t be while getting the same money as Northwestern.
 
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Not if they can make more money. For those big schools, they think their team will be the one that continues to win.

Yeah from the school standpoint I agree. However, at what point will the fans be sick of writing checks for no results...tho to counter myself, Nebraska still does it on false hopes apparently.

I just think there is something to be said for having crap teams to beat up on so to me seems unlikely of dumping them out of the top conferences.
 
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Yeah from the school standpoint I agree. However, at what point will the fans be sick of writing checks for no results...tho to counter myself, Nebraska still does it on false hopes apparently.

I just think there is something to be said for having crap teams to beat up on so to me seems unlikely of dumping them out of the top conferences.
If they’re making **** tons of money from networks and have their mega donors on board, they probably don’t care what most of their fans think.

I hate that the Big 10 expanded, but Wisconsin clearly (and understandably) didn’t care about my $250 yearly donation.

My view is we’ve already seen what schools/fans care about. If they cared about tradition/history, having an easy path to the playoff etc., Texas and Oklahoma would still be in the Big 12. USC, Washington, and Oregon would still be in the PAC-12. And that doesn’t mean there aren’t fans that are sad, but over I don’t think the schools or fanbases care about the move
 
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If they’re making **** tons of money from networks and have their mega donors on board, they probably don’t care what most of their fans think.

I hate that the Big 10 expanded, but Wisconsin clearly (and understandably) didn’t care about my $250 yearly donation.

My view is we’ve already seen what schools/fans care about. If they cared about tradition/history, having an easy path to the playoff etc., Texas and Oklahoma would still be in the Big 12. USC, Washington, and Oregon would still be in the PAC-12. And that doesn’t mean there aren’t fans that are sad, but over I don’t think the schools or fanbases care about the move

Yep....schools just must know most fans will still pay and deal with it. Greed is the reason Washington flies to play Rutgers vs playing Oregon ST.

I wish some huge entity with billions to spend would just buy out every conference, make it a league, and then reset divisions, but hey a guy can dream right?