REPORT: Top 4 expansion candidates

D UP Clones

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Isn't it hard to say any of the options are "superior"? The Big Ten, ACC, PAC and SEC all went on an adding spree. None of the left overs were chosen.


This is completely false. Utah, Rutgers, Pitt, Louisville,....

The only one that didn't was the SEC.
 

fsanford

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The legislature in Kansas could say to any conference, "you take K-State or you don't get KU." It's happened in Texas.

Not if Kansas gets a Big 10 invite. Because Kansas and their budget issues need that Big 10 money more than the Big 10 needs Kansas.. KSU is not AAU they will never ever see the Big 10.

The state of Kansas is not the state of Texas. They don't have much leverage. This is about football not basketball, and when it comes to football KU carry's about as big a stick as ISU if that.. Basketball may help them but that does not trump having to include KSU.
 

laminak

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Superconferences are a mess...you don't get to build big rivalries...don't get to play most teams...don't get to travel to away games...have further to travel for conference championships...spread timezones which affects start/end times.

Since the main rush to expand to superconferences is strictly about money and tv markets, if the Big 12/ACC/PAC is looking at catching the B1G and SEC, instead of expanding with marginal teams, why don't they make an alliance with one of the other conferences? Have a channel dedicated to half of the country with many media markets and solidify it with annual conference challenge games? No massive realignment is needed and should make a more attractive cable deal.
 

CyPack

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My guess is they take Cincinnati and UConn, get back to 12 teams with a conf championship game while maintaining/increasing the average revenue for each school with the development of a stable conf network model (assuming they can get Bevo to sign off while still allowing them to keep all or most of their 15 mil tier 3 dollars). All the while biding their time until a potential raid of the ACC for at least 2 to 4 teams presents itself to be in a better position to be one of the 4 mega conferences left at the table if in fact that day comes. Obviously best case scenario but not completely far fetched either.
 

fsanford

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Superconferences are a mess...you don't get to build big rivalries...don't get to play most teams...don't get to travel to away games...have further to travel for conference championships...spread timezones which affects start/end times.

Since the main rush to expand to superconferences is strictly about money and tv markets, if the Big 12/ACC/PAC is looking at catching the B1G and SEC, instead of expanding with marginal teams, why don't they make an alliance with one of the other conferences? Have a channel dedicated to half of the country with many media markets and solidify it with annual conference challenge games? No massive realignment is needed and should make a more attractive cable deal.

Texas will not participate.

People think these networks will work anywhere. It really a simple model to determine if it will work or not.
The Big 10 if you look at the teams the vast majority sell out their games, in very large stadiums.
Same goes for SEC.

In the ACC, lots of empty seats at football games except for Va Tech, Clemson and Fla State.
PAC 12, most stadiums have empty seats, except maybe USC and Oregon. Any coincidence their network is not doing well?

SEC fans are bat **** crazy over football. Big 10 also very passionate, plus most their fans don't have a lot of outdoor activities from Dec to March so they can sit and watch reruns all night long.

Out here in California people like sports but does not consume their lives.

ACC country, Clemson and Florida State are passionate, Va Tech a good fan base, after that it pretty much is indifference.

In order for networks to work you gotta have a group of fans who over the top, and actually care enough to watch it.
I really do not see myself watching the Big 12 network that much and I consider myself an avid sports fan.
 

BCClone

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Not exactly sure.
Texas will not participate.

People think these networks will work anywhere. It really a simple model to determine if it will work or not.
The Big 10 if you look at the teams the vast majority sell out their games, in very large stadiums.
Same goes for SEC.

In the ACC, lots of empty seats at football games except for Va Tech, Clemson and Fla State.
PAC 12, most stadiums have empty seats, except maybe USC and Oregon. Any coincidence their network is not doing well?

SEC fans are bat **** crazy over football. Big 10 also very passionate, plus most their fans don't have a lot of outdoor activities from Dec to March so they can sit and watch reruns all night long.

Out here in California people like sports but does not consume their lives.

ACC country, Clemson and Florida State are passionate, Va Tech a good fan base, after that it pretty much is indifference.

In order for networks to work you gotta have a group of fans who over the top, and actually care enough to watch it.
I really do not see myself watching the Big 12 network that much and I consider myself an avid sports fan.


Wouldnt say vast majority of big ten sells out
 

fsanford

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Wouldnt say vast majority of big ten sells out
Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Ohio State all sell out.

That is the Big 10 and the ones who drive the Big 10 network the fan bases are enormous and live for sports
 
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dtISU

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Isn't expanding simply for the sake of expanding going to dilute the competition? I don't see four teams out there that would add much to the revenue pie. And I don't care what you say...it's going to take a long time to build up a rivalry with West Virginia, let alone Cincy or some other team from a million miles away. That's the fun of a conference - you see them every year and grow to hate them.
 

zarnold56

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The Big 12 needs to be more forward thinking than just getting a network. Isn't the Pac-12 network struggling to gain traction and the ACC network not even launched yet? I think the bubble on sports programming is going to burst with the downturn in subscriber tv. I am not sure what else can be done honestly. Maybe the power 5 need to consolidate and sell TV rights as a group.
 

BCClone

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Not exactly sure.
Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Ohio State all sell out.

That is the Big 10 and the ones who drive the Big 10 network the fan bases are enormous and live for sports


Been awhile since penn state has had consistent sell outs. Quickly googled and they were around 92% last year. So 5 out of 14 is far from vast majority.
 

surly

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BWRhasnoAC

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The Big 12 needs to be more forward thinking than just getting a network. Isn't the Pac-12 network struggling to gain traction and the ACC network not even launched yet? I think the bubble on sports programming is going to burst with the downturn in subscriber tv. I am not sure what else can be done honestly. Maybe the power 5 need to consolidate and sell TV rights as a group.

Pretty much where I'm at. TV is dead, people just don't know it yet. Give it 20 years and see how many people still pay for 'cable'. Youtube is already dominating most people under 30 for News, sports, music, etc. I can't even name a person my age that still has cable. All you need is a stable internet connection, and in the future that will only be more true. I completely agree there needs to be more forward thinking when it comes to this revenue bs. As it is now, its going to completely ruin what I loved about college athletics. Honestly I've already started to find better things to do with my time than watch college sports these days, which is sad in some ways and beautiful in others.
 

clonebb

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Central Florida, Houston, Memphis and Colorado State are lobbying to get in. FedEx would sponsor the championship game. Memphis will spend 500 million on academic and sports improvements.

Article on ESPN.
 

BWRhasnoAC

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Central Florida, Houston, Memphis and Colorado State are lobbying to get in. FedEx would sponsor the championship game. Memphis will spend 500 million on academic and sports improvements.

Article on ESPN.

I could live with that.
 

cyIclSoneU

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The Big 12 needs to be more forward thinking than just getting a network. Isn't the Pac-12 network struggling to gain traction and the ACC network not even launched yet? I think the bubble on sports programming is going to burst with the downturn in subscriber tv. I am not sure what else can be done honestly. Maybe the power 5 need to consolidate and sell TV rights as a group.

I think the Big 12 will have better luck getting to critical mass with its own network than the Pac-12 or the ACC. Texas cable networks are sure to carry it at a relatively high price and then it should snowball from there pretty well into Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, and West Virginia. Whoever we had to the conference could/should be able to add some more sets, i.e. the Cincinnati or Memphis metro or the state of Connecticut or Colorado. As with any network, the issue will be what we get DirecTV and Dish Network to pay for it as national carriers

I think your last sentence could come to pass one day if the Power 5 split from the NCAA, but I think the tax and regulatory implications of that make that less likely. The NCAA has a sweet gig as a huge money generator that is treated like it's just a few sophomores getting together to toss a football around at Wartburg every weekend. So I don't think the big boys will make a move that jeopardizes that.
 

yoteforever

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Last week on the radio show College Sports Today with Mark Packer, someone was on that apparently has a great deal of knowledge on all the conference TV deals plus the respective leagues TV networks, and said if the Big 12 didn't change its ways and expand with a football championship game, by 2025 the income received by Big 12 schools vs Big 10 schools or SEC schools there would be a $20 million difference PER SCHOOL.

If if that's correct, the Big 12 has no choice of they will get buried and be a minor league. Those are huge numbers. I can see Texas bullying the balance of the league, and if that happens, Oklahoma and probably Oklahima State would be gone. Oklahomans president has no time for Texas shannigans. If that happens, the Big 12 is dead. Period.