Realignment, Alliance, and the Future of College Athletics

[ISUTex]

I'm not sure how bottom of Big Ten compares to SEC. Top compares to top for attendance, markets and eyeballs. It can't compete for recent titles but no other conference can and Ohio State and Clemson are the only individual non SEC programs recently that can throw their hat in that ring.

Do Kentucky, Miss St and Vandy really bring all this clout compared to Purdue, Indiana and NW? I'm guessing they are a draw too.

Yes.

 

[ISUTex]

Are WVU fans going to suddenly be Alabama fans or are the going to check out or focus on nfl.

Seems pretty obvious.

I’m not sure programs like Bama and Georgia can even grow much more interest than they already have? I mean who in Alabama or Georgia is waiting for bigger success or more tv coverage before they jump on the bandwagon? It’s virtually impossible.

What will kids who are still getting nap time at school, or who are still in diapers do?

 

[Mr Janny]

No it's not. There were plenty of ISU, Nebraska and Notre Dame fans when I went there (a long ass time ago). There was even a small group who were exclusive UNI fans. I think they must've been raised in Cedar Falls, or their parents were professors, or something.

What do you expect though? UNI is in EASTERN IOWA!. A lot of UNI students are from eastern/northeastern Iowa. Central and western Iowa do not exist in the eyes of the eastern Iowa media.

Nobody really cares that much about UNI sports either. Granted, I grew up in central Iowa, but the only time I had ever heard of UNI growing up was when they upset Missouri in 1990. Or, sometimes they would give Iowa or ISU a tough game up in the Dome.

Football? Barely knew they had a team until I went to school there.

I, myself, am a tavern-clone. Went to school at UNI. Although, I was an ISU fan before I ever went there, and I didn't ever really care much about UNI sports while I was there.

 

[CyCrazy]

I, myself, am a tavern-clone. Went to school at UNI. Although, I was an ISU fan before I ever went there, and I didn't ever really care much about UNI sports while I was there.

Welp we found the glitch in the system. UNI?

 

[Mr Janny]

Welp we found the glitch in the system. UNI?

They had a program that I thought I wanted to pursue at the time, and in addition, it may or may not have had something to do with a girl.

I'm just a man, sir! I'm weak! No more immune to the siren call of feminine wiles than your average red blooded hominid. Do you, sir, not also yearn? Do you not also pine?

 

[HFCS]

What will kids who are still getting nap time at school, or who are still in diapers do?

In examples like WVU or UVA/VaTech they'll be NFL fans or not football fans.

The idea that they are going to grow up as fans of a minor league football team in another state is ludicrous.

In examples like Nebraska or Alabama/Auburn it's ridiculous to think Nebraskans and Alabamans are going to care more than they've already cared because now they are in a 30 team division.

In examples like people who grew up in New York, Philly or Chicago they'll continue completely ignoring college sports like they always have and the fans in those cities will still be transplants...but transplants from 30 fanbases with big teams instead of transplant fans from 60-70 fanbases.

 

[BCClone]

They had a program that I thought I wanted to pursue at the time, and in addition, it may or may not have had something to do with a girl.

I'm just a man, sir! I'm weak! No more immune to the siren call of feminine wiles than your average red blooded hominid. Do you, sir, not also yearn? Do you not also pine?

You forgot that there were 15k other girls at ISU when you chased tail to UNI?

 

[Mr Janny]

You forgot that there were 15k other girls at ISU when you chased tail to UNI?

I was 17 when I enrolled. What the hell did I know?

 

[BCClone]

At least the female/male ratio was good at UNI.

 

[WhoISthis]

That's exactly why I don't think the split happens. Somebody has to go 2-10 and none of those egos can stand that regardless of how big the check they're getting is.

Their egos are more of the mindset “better to be 2-10, wealthy, and with our peers”.

UT couldn’t stomach seeing A&M in the premier conference while they hung out with also rans

The programs in the P2 aren’t leaving, and those of value outside the P2 will take the invite to double pay and prestige as soon invited. Whether that’s called a split or not, they are separating in what matters

Besides, a top-48 type split is far more harmful to ISU. Also far more likely

 

[farm85]

 

[cykadelic2]

The programs in the P2 aren’t leaving, and those of value outside the P2 will take the invite to double pay and prestige as soon invited. Whether that’s called a split or not, they are separating in what matters

Besides, a top-48 type split is far more harmful to ISU. Also far more likely

Multiple programs in the SEC and B10 will bolt if the future model involves non profit schools licensing the school name and running an independent business that’s engaged in pro sports. And there sure as hell won't be 48 of those schools operating under that model unless all of the for profit entities like Grand Canyon, Lincoln Tech and Univ of PHX get involved.

 

[isucy86]

Once we get relegated we can get some fun games against our new regional rivals Northern Illinois and Western Michigan in front of 20,000 people

That won't happen. If ISU is "relegated" we will be among a number of current P5 teams in the same situation. Based on a 30ish team Super League.

I would think Iowa State, KU, K-State, Okie State, Cincinnati, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue, Nebraska, etc. would not be invited to the Super League. Conference affiliation would not give teams an advantage. It's going to come down to football tradition and TV eyeballs. ESPN, FoxSports, etc. will have a voice in who makes the cut.

Schools like Minnesota and Illinois might not have strong recent football traditions, but could be invited to make sure the Chicago & Minneapolis markets have a team. Whereas schools like Nebraska and Iowa might better recent traditions, but don't bring a lot of eyeballs.

I am not convinced a Super League is a done deal. The key are recent/near future legal decisions. What the tiers look like will determine where schools fall. When the Notre Dame AD mentioned schools possibly licensing their names to outside sport organizations, he insinuated Notre Dame would not be part of such a structure. If that is the structure, there is the thought that other strong academic schools might not join such a structure. Private colleges with large endowments like Stanford, Duke, USC might be hesitant as well.

 

[dafarmer]

I’ve seen her run Colin’s show when he’s gone. Shes terrible. Honestly seems like her opinions are Colin’s and she doesn’t think for herself.

You actually listen?

 

[AlaCyclone]

Is this the first announced piece of the new "Alliance"? Pretty bad first announcement if so..

It's an old TRADITIONAL Rivaly, and I like it!
Sometimes a good home and home is just a good home and home.
Let's Go Orange!

 

[Rabbuk]

I don't understand how a group of 40 would emerge simultaneously from their league obligations that they're currently under. Would they all just take a bullet to get out at the same time or would like 10 leave one year and 15 join the next and so on.

 

[WhoISthis]

I don't understand how a group of 40 would emerge simultaneously from their league obligations that they're currently under. Would they all just take a bullet to get out at the same time or would like 10 leave one year and 15 join the next and so on.

USC and the Pac12 obligations are up in 2024. To get to 40, likely 5-6 ACC schools are included, which means you just need a few more to sell their dissolution vote to ESPN.

There’s also potentially huge fallout from Johnson vs NCAA. If it’s no longer amateurism, would previous agreements hold? Clemson can provide the ACC an amateur team while fielding a employee team for the high revenue league.

 

[StPaulCyclone]

56% of undergrads, or overall, are Iowans?


You bring up something that is very frustrating. The state of Iowa has a huge incentive to have two public AAU, high profile, including major athletic, universities. We are surrounded by states that only have one, or none. MN, WI, Ill, and MO all with larger populations. Many of these states will see their secondary state schools contract or a few even fold in the coming decades.

We should have been in the student import business. Preventing Iowa St’s profile from declining should have political support and be intentional.

Absolutely. On both the AAU and athletics fronts. Think about TTU, BU and TCU going to the TX state legislature last year to discuss the multi-million dollar impact if the B12 folded and they were relegated.

 

[StPaulCyclone]

I find Gene Smith’s idea interesting *especially* if it preserves something like the P5 and fixes CFB.

 

[CascadeClone]

I'm not going to be interested in seeing the big 12 becoming another Mountain West, while other schools like Vandy, Illinois, Rutgers, etc and the like get to stay in a super conference despite decades of sucking.

[/QUOTE]

I dont think that will happen. If a superleague happens, they arent going to bring rutgers and vandy along. It will be around money and brand, not conference.

If there is no superleague, then ISU will be just like rutgers and vandy, but with a lot less TV money.