Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

[cycloneworld]

I don’t get the idea that the bottom schools in the ACC would just agree to disband the conference.

If you are the bottom 9-10 schools, the best possible deal you could get is to have 6~ teams leave, take their 100 million buyouts, and just distribute it to the remaining members along with whatever you could negotiate from their GoR buyouts. They’d make more on that than any TV rights. Then just continue as a 9-10 team league with your ESPN contract and a massive financial windfall.

If you aren’t a blue blood, you know your value now based on the Pac deal…~$20 mil. So the entire bottom half of the ACC is better off now than they would be if the conference blows up.

Too many of these teams think there is bottomless money because they see the Top 20 brands ability to move to get more money.

 

[GoldCy]

Correct. He at least wanted Iowa State to be the best Land Grant University in the Country in anything Iowa State did - including athletics. He (Martin Jischke) was definitely not anti-sports. He was the President (1991-2000) when Gene Smith, Tim Floyd and Dan McCarney were all hired - which were all solid hires that helped propel ISU forward athletically out of the malaise.

You can thank GS for a financial mess.

 

[FerShizzle]

Love it that iOwa is right down there with Oregon in all categories or lower even. It looks like iOwa doesn't fit the "big 10 model" either!

3 pac schools in every category slotted in above them. They may not even be second tier anymore in the big 10.

 

[KidSilverhair]

Too many of these teams think there is bottomless money because they see the Top 20 brands ability to move to get more money.

Quoted for truth.

 

[BCClone]

I know they are trying to build up negotiating capital with the media, but you think Yormark could have said, hey, you would have paid 10-12MM for these two schools, can you bump us 24 MM total? it would have given the 12 another 2 MM to yearly to work with.

 

[Cloneon]

Unless they kick out those type of schools to replace more branded ones.

The 'kick out' part has logistical nightmares. It'd be more likely, they work with the SEC kingpins to create a new conference. And, even then they'll be subject to antitrust scrutiny. That said, eliminating amateur status is probably more likely. But, even that brings on a whole new high level risk. I don't think, in the remainder of my lifetime, I'll see any of those.

 

[Cloneon]

If you aren’t a blue blood, you know your value now based on the Pac deal…~$20 mil. So the entire bottom half of the ACC is better off now than they would be if the conference blows up.

Too many of these teams think there is bottomless money because they see the Top 20 brands ability to move to get more money.

Exactly. That's why the next contract for the B1G won't be better than this one. They, effectively, diluted it. And unless the advertising dollar rises to meet that media debt burden, it could erode even more next time around. Fortunately, the B12 is not as bad for one simple reason: no blue bloods. If we rise to meet the advertising dollar, our next go around is going to be even better. I can't wait for the next contract negotiation. NOW is the time for the B12 to shine.

 

[joefrog]

He was a lot better for athletics, as i recall. At least he wasnt actively anti-sports...

Yes, but he also sold WOI unnecessarily, because Iowa was mad ISU had its own TV station and they didn't.

 

[KnappShack]

The 'kick out' part has logistical nightmares. It'd be more likely, they work with the SEC kingpins to create a new conference. And, even then they'll be subject to antitrust scrutiny. That said, eliminating amateur status is probably more likely. But, even that brings on a whole new high level risk. I don't think, in the remainder of my lifetime, I'll see any of those.

Or twist the knife and have unequal revenue sharing. Then it's almost like having a sub conference under the same brand.

A handful making almost NFL money and a set in line with the Big 12 and ACC

Looking at you, Rutgers

 

[CYDJ]

Yes, but he also sold WOI unnecessarily, because Iowa was mad ISU had its own TV station and they didn't.

I don't believe he sold WOI becuase of that reason. Pomerantz, President of the BOR did that. It was his wrangling on the BOR that fated WOI. Pomerantz, and his UofI cronies, was interested in making ISU a division of UofI basically and ISU having a TV station didn't fit that mold. At that time people were wondering why ISU had a business school, but there was no talk about UofI's "engineering" school. It was a bad time in BOR history.

 

[aauummm]

I don't believe he sold WOI becuase of that reason. Pomerantz, President of the BOR did that. It was his wrangling on the BOR that fated WOI. Pomerantz, and his UofI cronies, was interested in making ISU a division of UofI basically and ISU having a TV station didn't fit that mold. At that time people were wondering why ISU had a business school, but there was no talk about UofI's "engineering" school. It was a bad time in BOR history.

That's true. Neil Harl wrote the whole saga up in his book. I need to get around to reading it:

 

[SolterraCyclone]

Exactly. That's why the next contract for the B1G won't be better than this one. They, effectively, diluted it. And unless the advertising dollar rises to meet that media debt burden, it could erode even more next time around. Fortunately, the B12 is not as bad for one simple reason: no blue bloods. If we rise to meet the advertising dollar, our next go around is going to be even better. I can't wait for the next contract negotiation. NOW is the time for the B12 to shine.

It is absolutely crucial the Big 12 remains competitive these next 6 years, so networks have reason to bid on media rights next go-around and we maintain access to the CFP 2026 and beyond.

The existential threat to Big 12 now isn’t poaching from B10 or SEC (that’s the ACC’s problem) it’s getting another TV contract in 2031. Another existential threat will be access to the CFP. So, we need to have at least 2 teams in the 12-team playoff the next couple years and to make some noise so it doesn’t make financial sense for the SEC/B10 to shut the B12 out of the playoff.

 

[MartyFine]

 

[cycloneworld]

It is absolutely crucial the Big 12 remains competitive these next 6 years, so networks have reason to bid on media rights next go-around and we maintain access to the CFP 2026 and beyond.

The existential threat to Big 12 now isn’t poaching from B10 or SEC (that’s the ACC’s problem) it’s getting another TV contract in 2031. Another existential threat will be access to the CFP. So, we need to have at least 2 teams in the 12-team playoff the next couple years and to make some noise so it doesn’t make financial sense for the SEC/B10 to shut the B12 out of the playoff.

100% this. I think this new Big 12 will be more fun to watch than any other league. We don’t have Alabamas but we also don’t have Vandys, Rutgers, and Indianas (outside of KU which seems to have turned a corner).

We will truly see what viewers value over the next 5-7 years. Do they want to watch Top 20 brands (SEC, BIG) over and over go 12-0 and favored in 11 games per year or so they want to see fun matchups, solid football, and parity (Big 12).

History says the former but we have the chance to shift to the latter.

 

[SolterraCyclone]

100% this. I think this new Big 12 will be more fun to watch than any other league. We don’t have Alabamas but we also don’t have Vandys, Rutgers, and Indianas (outside of KU which seems to have turned a corner).

We will truly see what viewers value over the next 5-7 years. Do they want to watch Top 20 brands (SEC, BIG) over and over go 12-0 and favored in 11 games per year or so they want to see fun matchups, solid football, and parity (Big 12).

History says the former but we have the chance to shift to the latter.

Agreed. But competitiveness is key.

We could have two 6-5 teams play a triple overtime thriller and that would be fun. But if it doesn’t have playoff implications the casual fan won’t tune in.

If we have two 8-2 teams playing for a playoff bid (like TCU vs KSU last year and OSU vs Baylor the year before in the B12 title games), those games will rate very well and will be valuable to the networks.

 

[theshadow]

Pac-12 bowls theoretically up for grabs (in selection order):

Alamo vs Big 12
Holiday vs Big Ten
Las Vegas vs SEC
Sun vs ACC
LA vs MWC

 

[clonedude]

I really wish the Big 12 would have landed the Las Vegas Bowl instead of the B1G. Vegas is a great bowl trip, and nice stadium IMO. Especially now since the Big 12 has moved west.

 

[clonedude]

Pac-12 bowls theoretically up for grabs (in selection order):

Alamo vs Big 12
Holiday vs Big Ten
Las Vegas vs SEC
Sun vs ACC
LA vs MWC

I thought the B1G was already locked into the Vegas bowl?

 

[isucy86]

since Yormark came all I've read is how aligned our conference is... ASU via Crow does not sound very aligned at all. This dude seems to have strongly supported every bad decision the PAC made the last 20 years. I like the idea of the sun devils in our conference, but I do fear this guy having a voice within our conference.

But his voice will be 1 of 16 as a President. And it would seem Yormark is a pretty strong commissioner.

IMO ASU is still reeling from the Pac12's demise. They'll be fine once reality sets in. Crow and Amderson comments about travel in Big12 were silly. Games in Texas & Midwest will be no different than Oregon & Washington.

In a coast-to-coast conference that networks desire and are willing to pay money to televise, there will have a road trip to Morgantown. No different than USC to College Park.

 

[Raiders70]

What's Crows problem? From an Arizona State athletic departments perspective I would think he really needs to go.