I never said Texas fans would stop watching Texas. I'm talking about Texas' national brand. That's a different thing.
Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)
- Thread starter ISUcyclones11
- Start date
Why? In the current environment, there are 24 or so high caliber programs. There are 40 or so mediocre programs. These high caliber teams are playing the same league of mediocre teams. So it’s similar to having AAA teams playing in the same league as the MLB teams.
What I and many here are suggesting is the future is trending to having these 24 or so teams form their own league. This will then actually increase their branding since they will not be playing these minor league teams.
Quite a valid comparison
Edit: While I see this as a possibility, I hope it doesn’t happen. I prefer regional conferences. But again, $$ is the primary factor in these realignments. Until that changes, a trend towards one super conference will continue
I would rather watch USC play Ohio State than watch USC play Cal. Am I doing this right?
But I don’t really care about either and would rather watch Kansas play Texas Tech. Because those 2 exist in an orbit with my main rooting interest.
But I don’t really care about either and would rather watch Kansas play Texas Tech. Because those 2 exist in an orbit with my main rooting interest.
I think I am going to watch way more Big 12 football than any other conference. I didn’t used to be like this but I expect I will even watch some Arizona-Kansas ESPN+ game over an SEC game of the week, especially if UA or KU are on ISU’s schedule to come that season.
I love college sports. And typically watch 9-12 hours of college football on Saturdays.
If Iowa State (and thus Big12) aren't a big part of a CFP, I would have very limited interest in Super Conference games.
I'd find other hobbies, binge a series or watch a movie, read a book- a lot of activities than watch Texas vs USC.
No it’s not.
1. Reasons why people watch college sports and have rooting interests is very different than pro sports.
2. Texas and Kansas are in the same leagues and play each other because of that. A AAA team and MLB team are not in the same leagues or the same levels.
3. If there is a new separate super league, then there would be no games between the top teams and lower division teams. This would cause fans of lower division teams to lose interest. This is different than pro sports where AAA is a farm system of MLB.
So, the irony of this is I remember watching the Texas @ USC football game a few years ago in a bar in Columbus, OH after watching the Buckeyes play somebody. Cannot remember if OSU played Army, Indiana or some other fodder team that day, but by god I remember the Texas @ USC game on TV! FWIW, I have no interest in a super conference. Part of what made the Texas @ USC game special was that they rarely play each other.
Well first, using that comparison you're basically calling the Big 12 FCS-level competition. No, I'd not rather watch the Cardinals play a AAA club. But I also don't regard the difference between Texas and the rest of the Big 12 as being the same as a major league club and a minor league club.
But the bigger problem with your approach here is that you're equating preferences in single game viewership with national brand perception. I'd rather watch Iowa v. Utah St. than tOSU v. Michigan. That doesn't mean I regard Iowa or Utah St. as bigger national brands than tOSU or Michigan.
What is going to get a casual fan to watch more likely to watch a game:
2 Top 10 teams coming in at 9-1 or two Top 10 teams where both have 3 losses?
Or how about a Top 25 matchup between 4-5 Texas and 3-6 Nebraska? That will get very high ratings.
2 Top 10 teams coming in at 9-1 or two Top 10 teams where both have 3 losses?
Or how about a Top 25 matchup between 4-5 Texas and 3-6 Nebraska? That will get very high ratings.
There used to be a time where it used to be pure joy to watch Nebraska lose. Now it’s so common that I don’t even care to watch anymore. That is what will happen to some of these programs.
You simply don’t understand the disparity between schools/conferences. It’s growing with every realignment. Iowa isn’t immune to future realignment, so long as $$ is the driving force
Let’s talk about something less controversial…..how should the pods be set up in this hypothetical super league….??
Now we are talking. We should draft a letter to JP.
Another interesting pivot.
I do agree that nobody really knows what's going to happen 20 years down the line.
When is the last time 60k people attended a AAA baseball game? Yet ISU is in one of those conferences that you are claiming has that disparity. Your analogy does not hold water.
The real litmus test is going to be what happens on future contracts that have plateaued or have peaked and begun going down. When there's less of a pie to split X ways is when we will find out just how benevolent the likes of Michigan, Ohio St, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas will continue being toward the rest of their conference.
Depends - is the top ten matchup on a platform not easily accessible, like Apple TV?
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Attendance at football games doesn’t matter for these media contracts. People at the game are not watching it on tv
