Gonzaga to join the Big 12?

[jbhtexas]

I wonder if Yormark is plotting a very different future for the Big12. And this is step 1. Hear me out.

Eventually the NCAA will get kicked out of running the tournament, and many hundreds of millions of $$ will flow to the schools instead. It would rival the football money -- less, but not far off.

Big12 is an also ran for the football money. Why not make the B1G and SEC into the also rans for the basketball money? They get $100M annual for football, we get $50M. What if Big12 can get $70M annual for bball and they get $30M? You've closed the gap and made your brand #1 for bball.

So go get the Zags, the Big East, some ACC teams when that goes down, Arizona... put together a nationwide league with major basketball brands. People have talked about a football superleague... what about a basketball superleague? NBA-lite, like the G-League, except people actually care about it.

The Big12 will become a 2nd tier football conference with 12-16 teams. But the #1 basketball conference with maybe 30ish teams. Is that the vision? Yormark has a lot of NBA DNA.

Might not be the strategy, and it might not work regardless, but I think it is interesting.

What are the ACC teams that are playing MBB in the Big 12 going to do with their FB and other sports?

Basically this is duplicating professional sports at the college level. It seems that you would eventually have FB and MBB entities that are completely separate and unrelated to each other, and within those entities you would have superleagues, and the superleagues may or may not cooperate with each other for post-season play, academic/eligibility requirements, game rules, etc. Member composition of the superleagues would vary from sport to sport.

What about all of the other sports...what leagues are they going to play in? Would you have a separate league for each sport? It would seem to be an administration nightmare for the ADs.

In pro sports, superleagues didn't work out...the NFL and AFL merged, the NBA and ABA merged; they had to in order to survive economically. Why would college sports be different?

 

[cytor]

If adding Gonzaga is going to bump up ISU's annual share by another $5 million per year, then I'll take it. Other than that, the Big 12 does not need them.... the conference is already better than everyone else.

If the Big 12 is going to look to add non football schools to the conference, I would rather see some more wrestling schools get added.

 

[VeloClone]

I thought for the Big12 to get the full escalator any future Big12 adds must be current P5 teams.

Also, Yormark has repeated spoken about having Media Partners. That could be PR spin, but if he is true to his word he isn't going to pull one over on ESPN/Fox. I am convinced and teams we add to the Big12 will be approved by our Media Partners. They must add more $ for Big12 and add more $ for ESPN/Fox.

Considering how ESPN has played it screwing the Big 12 to the precipice of extinction screw them being a partner. If you can screw them back, you do it. I forgot about them being able to approve the programs.

Thanks for the thought out response...

 

[VeloClone]

If adding Gonzaga is going to bump up ISU's annual share by another $5 million per year, then I'll take it. Other than that, the Big 12 does not need them.... the conference is already better than everyone else.

If the Big 12 is going to look to add non football schools to the conference, I would rather see some more wrestling schools get added.

The Big 12 can add affiliate members in more than one sport so whether they add Gonzaga in BB has no impact on their ability to add more schools as affiliate wrestling members.

 

[JM4CY]

If adding Gonzaga is going to bump up ISU's annual share by another $5 million per year, then I'll take it. Other than that, the Big 12 does not need them.... the conference is already better than everyone else.

If the Big 12 is going to look to add non football schools to the conference, I would rather see some more wrestling schools get added.

Who would wrestling even add that would be of high quality other than like ASU which is a whole other ball of wax because they won't leave the PAC 12 right now?

 

[cykadelic2]

Do you have figures to report on?

Sure, check out the Class of 2023 MBB recruiting rankings keeping in mind that WeWill isn't the sole NIL funding source.

 

[KnappShack]

Considering how ESPN has played it screwing the Big 12 to the precipice of extinction screw them being a partner. If you can screw them back, you do it. I forgot about them being able to approve the programs.

Thanks for the thought out response...

No. No you don't.

They write the checks. We need as many people willing to write checks.

Don't **** around with ESPN or Fox

 

[I@ST1]

Sure, check out the Class of 2023 MBB recruiting rankings keeping in mind that WeWill isn't the sole NIL funding source.

That’s not what I asked.

 

[JM4CY]

The Big 12 can add affiliate members in more than one sport so whether they add Gonzaga in BB has no impact on their ability to add more schools as affiliate wrestling members.

Wrestling pretty much does its own thing anyway.

 

[cykadelic2]

That’s not what I asked.

Sorry if you can't conclude that MBB NIL funding isn't "horrible" from those rankings and the fact there are sources outside of WeWill that would never divulge the financial figures you are questioning.

 

[VeloClone]

No. No you don't.

They write the checks. We need as many people willing to write checks.

Don't **** around with ESPN or Fox

They will buy the product if it is good for their business or they will pass if it isn't. Just like we can't afford to turn down someone who is willing to pay (even a media partner who actively tried to end the conference), they can't afford to turn down the best deal for the product they can get.

They would smart from it and maybe try to screw with the Big 12 again in the future, but the Big 12 played nice before and that didn't stop ESPN from actively try to kill the conference in the past. I don't think getting caught in a contract loophole would result in them never bidding on a deal with the Big 12. They can't afford to do that.

It is a moot point anyway since they have a say in any conference adds anyway.

 

[I@ST1]

Sorry if you can't conclude that MBB NIL funding isn't "horrible" from those rankings and the fact there are sources outside of WeWill that would never divulge the financial figures you are questioning.

Can you name the outside sources?

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Wrestling pretty much does its own thing anyway.

You add every Cal Baptist you can find...

 

[cykadelic2]

Can you name the outside sources?

Billiew is engaged with an agency per DSM Register: "His personal coach, Tyler Sass, told me a couple weeks ago Biliew will sign with an independent agency for NIL opportunities". There are other presumed sources as well besides WeWill.

 

[cytor]

Who would wrestling even add that would be of high quality other than like ASU which is a whole other ball of wax because they won't leave the PAC 12 right now?

You are not wrong. It's a shame how many schools dumped wrestling, so there is not much to pick from.

 

[CascadeClone]

What are the ACC teams that are playing MBB in the Big 12 going to do with their FB and other sports?

Basically this is duplicating professional sports at the college level. It seems that you would eventually have FB and MBB entities that are completely separate and unrelated to each other, and within those entities you would have superleagues, and the superleagues may or may not cooperate with each other for post-season play, academic/eligibility requirements, game rules, etc. Member composition of the superleagues would vary from sport to sport.

What about all of the other sports...what leagues are they going to play in? Would you have a separate league for each sport? It would seem to be an administration nightmare for the ADs.

In pro sports, superleagues didn't work out...the NFL and AFL merged, the NBA and ABA merged; they had to in order to survive economically. Why would college sports be different?

It sure is. Look how much money there is, it's professional now. It's really about jockeying for position to be calling the shots in these leagues as they evolve. SEC/ESPN, B1G/Fox are driving the bus in football. Maybe Big12 can drive the slightly smaller bus for MBB.

The non-revs would likely stay in more geographically sensible leagues. Frankly, no one doing the jockeying for FB and MBB cares what happens to the non-revs; they will be an afterthought.

Is any of this good for COLLEGE sports and athletes? Not really, except for some of them that will get paid now.

 

[PickSix]

I thought for the Big12 to get the full escalator any future Big12 adds must be current P5 teams.

Also, Yormark has repeated spoken about having Media Partners. That could be PR spin, but if he is true to his word he isn't going to pull one over on ESPN/Fox. I am convinced and teams we add to the Big12 will be approved by our Media Partners. They must add more $ for Big12 and add more $ for ESPN/Fox.

There is no way that Gonzaga basketball isn’t additive to Big 12 basketball. There is no way that our media partners wouldn’t love to add more marquee basketball matchups to their platforms. Money can be negotiated. This would benefit all of our most important stakeholders.

 

[Jer]

Billiew is engaged with an agency per DSM Register: "His personal coach, Tyler Sass, told me a couple weeks ago Biliew will sign with an independent agency for NIL opportunities". There are other presumed sources as well besides WeWill.

I actually know NIL resources beyond WeWill and it is in fact at the bottom of the Big 12. That doesn’t mean we can’t compete for a player or two, but to be competitive on one would generally deplete most others. That’s just the reality whether people want to hear it or not.

Now, we have other things we can try and sell on - playing time right away, culture, fans, etc. but money isn’t generally one even against the Creightons, Gonzaga, and other smaller schools.

 

[snowcraig2.0]

Credible Source on Big 12 over other options. - GU Board Forums

I hear going around, and confirmed with a credible individual who knows, that Gonzaga did indeed communicate with the Pac-12 recently. Important details: Gonzaga was transparent with all parties and the Pac-12 showed increased interest once they found out the Big 12 was involved. Gonzaga...

www.guboards.com

 

[isucy86]

There is no way that Gonzaga basketball isn’t additive to Big 12 basketball. There is no way that our media partners wouldn’t love to add more marquee basketball matchups to their platforms. Money can be negotiated. This would benefit all of our most important stakeholders.

Sure Gonzaga is additive for hoops, but media rights is about football and basketball. So a basketball only school fills only part of the coffer vs what a football/basketball school would bring. I don't know what the media rights revenue split is between football & basketball. But the consensus is football is the driver.

So if I am prioritizing Big12 adds, Gonzaga would be behind any football add. If we add any Pac programs, then Gonzaga's fit in the Big12 increases.

I would be surprised if Gonzaga is only looking to move its MBB program from the WCC. I bet they want a landing spot for all their athletic teams. Gonzaga has also talked to the Pac and Big East also. So my take is, these are early on conversations.