Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

This will never happen voluntarily and I would put the odds at very minimal of teams getting booted.

Unless there’s a 24 team super league or whatever, which I also put at low odds happpening.
Nobody booted. I hope for some brand defections (all or combination of FSU, NC, Miami, and Clemson) to the Big 10 or SEC in order to weaken the ACC. That will allow the Big 12 more leverage to poach at least 4 ACC schools to get to 20.
 
Cheer for a diminished ACC. It would be better for both conferences to be near equal. If the ACC has two brands left, it will be about equal. If they have 3 or 4 brands left, they may try to poach the four corners, Kansas, West Virginia, and/or UCF.

It would be better if the ACC and Big 12 work together such as a shared TV contract. But the ACC think that they are stronger even if they lose some brands due to their academics, tv channel, and reputation. Sounds like some conference we used to know? Thus, they have no interest in working with the Big 12. So I will take the lesser of two evils and hope for some brand defections to the Big 10 or SEC.

100% we MUST be anti-ACC. It’s existential for Iowa St

An ACC without losing top schools will be adding Big 12 schools come 2031 when the Big 12 deal expires

We need both P2 to go to at least 20, grabbing at least 6 ACC. Then espn offering a low rate in the ACC look-in to the remaining ACC

This would allow the Big 12 to add up to 8 of the ACC, hopefully leaving out BC, Wake, Syracuse, SMU, Cal, and Stanford …

If the P2 stop at 20, Stanford, with ND’s help, will try to hold the ACC together and backfill with USF to replace Florida for ACCN, then Big 12 in 2031

Stanford, Cal, Utah , AZ, ASU, CU, KU, TCU, SMU in the west. USF, GT, Pitt, VT, NC St, BC, Wake, Louisville, Syracuse in the east. Plus ND giving them 5 games. This is a popular contingency plan in ACC boards

Whether ISU, Ok St, KSU, TT, Baylor, BYU, WVU, Cincinnati could survive as a real peer is questionable. Likely seeing if Memphis $200 million is still on the table, and maybe keep Houston and UCF. It is a lose-lose for all, as the networks play the two M against each other.

But the P2 expanding past 20 would end this threat, particularly if Stanford or ND are included in that. With the P2 at 48, it’s much easier to consolidate to M1, without really changing the value imo
 
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I haven't stopped by the Megathread for a long time let's just see what's new...




Nothing. Nothing new. Exact same arguments and speculation as three years ago.
Nothing new except Big 12 deal through 2031, PAC liquidation, ACC settlement on GOR, public statements by schools about further P2 expansion, revenue sharing, alignment of CFP TV deal with NCAAT…an so on
 
Couple things:
  • The Big10 isn't "100% tied" to FOX. Fox might have a bigger voice due to equity stake, but NBC & CBS are heavily tied to the Big10 after the 2023 TV deal. In fact those two networks supply the Big10 with 66% of the Big10 TV rights revenue- around $700M annually.
  • For the TV market to be hot, Big10 and SEC revenue would have to grow about 10-15% annually beyond the current deal ($8B @ 7yrs).
  • The Big10 & SEC have one easy avenue to increase rights fees that the NFL doesn't. Adding game inventory by adding high media value schools. So over the next 15ish years the Big10 & SEC can continue to poach high media value teams from the ACC & Big12.
  • Pooling negotiations is a popular take because that's been successful for the NFL. But there is a big difference- the NFL has 32 teams! The CFB P4 has 67 teams. So I am hard-presssed to see how the Big10 & SEC benefit with pooling their TV rights with the ACC & Big12. Especially, when they can just poach elite brands from the ACC & Big12.
  • The other outlier are streaming giants like Amazon, Netflix, Apple, etc. If they become aggressive bidders then CFB TV rights revenue could heat up if we see the subscription based model replace OTA as the primary distribution of the best games.
Yes, the B10 is 100% tied to Fox for the foreseeable future. The NBC and CBS deals were sublicensed from Fox. Fox does own the B10 and BTN. Nothing changes relative to Fox and the B10 when the current deal runs out.

SEC and B10 revenue growth at 10%-15% annually is laughably far from "hot" as you suggest. Media rights pooling with bidding NFL-style would at least double SEC and B10 payouts. And that wouldn't involve additional poaching and relegation which has already destroyed Oregon St and Washington St. The Feds aren't going to tolerate more relegation and non-rev sports cuts.

There is industry consensus that media rights pooling with rational geographic realignment would at least double existing media revenues across the existing P4 and G5 and possibly triple them. And that is exactly why ESPN and SEC will fight media rights pooling to the fullest extent possible as they will continue manipulation and poaching of top ACC brands to the B10 and SEC at discount prices and keep the likes of Amazon, Netflix, Apple and CBS from bidding on inventory of top brands and block their access to CFP rights.

From Matt Hayes USA Today column: Currently, the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 earn an estimated $3 billion combined annually from media rights. But a high-placed industry official told USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity due to the nature of the subject that a single-payer system (pooled rights) could double the current value of the combined power conference deals.

From CBS Sports: America's second-most popular game still leaving billions on the table
 
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Yes, the B10 is 100% tied to Fox for the foreseeable future. The NBC and CBS deals were sublicensed from Fox. Fox does own the B10 and BTN. Nothing changes relative to Fox and the B10 when the current deal runs out.

SEC and B10 revenue growth at 10%-15% annually is laughably far from "hot" as you suggest. Media rights pooling with bidding NFL-style would at least double SEC and B10 payouts. And that wouldn't involve additional poaching and relegation which has already destroyed Oregon St and Washington St. The Feds aren't going to tolerate more relegation and non-rev sports cuts.

There is industry consensus that media rights pooling with rational geographic realignment would at least existing media revenues across the existing P4 and G5 and possibly triple them. And that is exactly why ESPN and SEC will fight media rights pooling to the fullest extent possible as they will continue manipulation and poaching of top ACC brands to the B10 and SEC at discount prices and keep the likes of Amazon, Netflix, Apple and CBS from bidding on inventory of top brands and block their access to CFP rights.

From Matt Hayes USA Today column: Currently, the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 earn an estimated $3 billion combined annually from media rights. But a high-placed industry official told USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity due to the nature of the subject that a single-payer system (pooled rights) could double the current value of the combined power conference deals.

From CBS Sports: America's second-most popular game still leaving billions on the table
Would it give the Big 10 and SEC more money to pool their rights together or to pool together with the current ACC and Big 12? I bet the Big 10 and SEC add 6 teams in 2030 and then pool their rights together.
 
100% we MUST be anti-ACC. It’s existential for Iowa St

An ACC without losing top schools will be adding Big 12 schools come 2031 when the Big 12 deal expires

We need both P2 to go to at least 20, grabbing at least 6 ACC. Then espn offering a low rate in the ACC look-in to the remaining ACC

This would allow the Big 12 to add up to 8 of the ACC, hopefully leaving out BC, Wake, Syracuse, SMU, Cal, and Stanford …

If the P2 stop at 20, Stanford, with ND’s help, will try to hold the ACC together and backfill with USF to replace Florida for ACCN, then Big 12 in 2031

Stanford, Cal, Utah , AZ, ASU, CU, KU, TCU, SMU in the west. USF, GT, Pitt, VT, NC St, BC, Wake, Louisville, Syracuse in the east. Plus ND giving them 5 games. This is a popular contingency plan in ACC boards

Whether ISU, Ok St, KSU, TT, Baylor, BYU, WVU, Cincinnati could survive as a real peer is questionable. Likely seeing if Memphis $200 million is still on the table, and maybe keep Houston and UCF. It is a lose-lose for all, as the networks play the two M against each other.

But the P2 expanding past 20 would end this threat, particularly if Stanford or ND are included in that. With the P2 at 48, it’s much easier to consolidate to M1, without really changing the value imo
LOL at your homer suggestion of including USF in a ACC that poaches B12 schools. That is some big time delusion on your end.
 
Would it give the Big 10 and SEC more money to pool their rights together or to pool together with the current ACC and Big 12? I bet the Big 10 and SEC add 6 teams in 2030 and then pool their rights together.
Revenues are maxed out with both pooling and rational realignment into 7 10-team conferences, not the BS of consolidating all the top brands in the B10 and SEC for the sole benefit of ESPN and Fox at continued discount payouts.
 
From Matt Hayes USA Today column: Currently, the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 earn an estimated $3 billion combined annually from media rights. But a high-placed industry official told USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity due to the nature of the subject that a single-payer system (pooled rights) could double the current value of the combined power conference deals.

From CBS Sports: America's second-most popular game still leaving billions on the table

This is exactly right. CFB as a whole could pull in more overall dollars if they worked together, pooled rights, and shared the media rights bonanza with all the schools.

However, if they did that, Ohio State and Alabama and Michigan and Notre Dame and Georgia would no longer be able to make millions and millions more than their “inferiors“ in the ACC or the Big XII, and we can’t have that, the blue bloods must pile up the billions and leave crumbs for the rest, that’s the American way
 
This is exactly right. CFB as a whole could pull in more overall dollars if they worked together, pooled rights, and shared the media rights bonanza with all the schools.

However, if they did that, Ohio State and Alabama and Michigan and Notre Dame and Georgia would no longer be able to make millions and millions more than their “inferiors“ in the ACC or the Big XII, and we can’t have that, the blue bloods must pile up the billions and leave crumbs for the rest, that’s the American way
As I previously posted, there would be some unequal revenue sharing of the total revenue pie based on TV ratings in the Cody Campbell plan.
 
Yes, the B10 is 100% tied to Fox for the foreseeable future. The NBC and CBS deals were sublicensed from Fox. Fox does own the B10 and BTN. Nothing changes relative to Fox and the B10 when the current deal runs out.

SEC and B10 revenue growth at 10%-15% annually is laughably far from "hot" as you suggest. Media rights pooling with bidding NFL-style would at least double SEC and B10 payouts. And that wouldn't involve additional poaching and relegation which has already destroyed Oregon St and Washington St. The Feds aren't going to tolerate more relegation and non-rev sports cuts.

There is industry consensus that media rights pooling with rational geographic realignment would at least existing media revenues across the existing P4 and G5 and possibly triple them. And that is exactly why ESPN and SEC will fight media rights pooling to the fullest extent possible as they will continue manipulation and poaching of top ACC brands to the B10 and SEC at discount prices and keep the likes of Amazon, Netflix, Apple and CBS from bidding on inventory of top brands and block their access to CFP rights.

From Matt Hayes USA Today column: Currently, the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 earn an estimated $3 billion combined annually from media rights. But a high-placed industry official told USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity due to the nature of the subject that a single-payer system (pooled rights) could double the current value of the combined power conference deals.

From CBS Sports: America's second-most popular game still leaving billions on the table

Your sources for the benefits of pooling are living in a fictional/hypothetical world. Don't believe everything you read on the web- bad takes drive clicks and make money for websites. Just because something works for the NFL with 32 teams doesn't mean it will work for CFB where there at 66 teams.

The Big10, SEC, Big12 & ACC all have media consultants on their payroll. Don't you think the Big10 & SEC would seriously explore doubling their media rights payouts if "doubling" was a reality? And pooling might eventually make sense with a 40-48 team P2, but bringing the entire Big12 & ACC into a pooled arrangement doesn't make sense if your Ohio State, Georgia, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, etc. and want to maximize per school annual media rights $.

As a math side-point, you seem to be very focused on defining "doubling" of rights fees as "HOT". You do understand that means less than 13% annual growth over the typical 6 year length of a Big10 TV media deal. Compounding is a beautiful thing! When the media reports it was a 7 year deal worth $8B, that's an average over the deal length. With less in the beginning and more in the last years.
 
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Maryland AD spills the beans, says possibly Utah to the Big 10.