Ross Dellenger report on SEC spring meetings

[uthaman]

I just don't know if it will be that straight forward. There is WAY too much political and legal red tape for them to just separate.

I used to have faith that the political system would keep the NCAA, conferences and colleges somewhat in line. I no longer have that faith. Congress can't agree on anything, and it doesn't take that many of them to block and destroy anything of merit getting thru.

So, you are left with the legal red tape. And that means lawyers. So, basically we are forked.

 

[KidSilverhair]

Really, I kinda think the Big 12 and ACC should band all the g5 schools together and layout the terms to the Big10 or SEC otherwise we’re going to form our own league. Not being able to beat up on the g5 schools will make things seem tough for the Big10 and SEC.

There’s some leverage to that. While the B1G/SEC want all the TV money/playoff exposure, they don’t want to only play against themselves all season long. The threat of no longer having games against FBS opponents outside their conferences might have some impact.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

The auto bids are not to get more teams in the CFP, they are to get more money from CCG weekend. The problem with 2 is that you can’t really use that to create the conference championship weekend that the SEC and Big10 are planning to bring in even more revenue. They want to leverage those 4 spots to create two more games to play for the 3 and 4 spots. That’ll bring in a huge amount of money that the Big12 and ACC can’t with just 2. At the same time, that’ll devalue the Big12 and ACC CCG’s as they won’t have the exclusivity they get now because there will be SEC and Bug10 games all weekend.

All of this is true, but don't kid yourself, if the 3rd or 4th place team loses their game, they will then push to get those teams in, using one of the remaining spots. This is all about money and trying to come up with new ways to bring money into those two conference. It the only reason they will give the B12 and ACC two guaranteed spots. Most years the B10 and SEC are going to end up 9 to 10 of the spots, ND will get one and the P5 schools will get another one.

 

[SolterraCyclone]

I used to have faith that the political system would keep the NCAA, conferences and colleges somewhat in line. I no longer have that faith. Congress can't agree on anything, and it doesn't take that many of them to block and destroy anything of merit getting thru.

So, you are left with the legal red tape. And that means lawyers. So, basically we are forked.

I would not have that faith in our political system for any function of society, much less college sports.

 

[Clonehomer]

All of this is true, but don't kid yourself, if the 3rd or 4th place team loses their game, they will then push to get those teams in, using one of the remaining spots. This is all about money and trying to come up with new ways to bring money into those two conference. It the only reason they will give the B12 and ACC two guaranteed spots. Most years the B10 and SEC are going to end up 9 to 10 of the spots, ND will get one and the P5 schools will get another one.

But that would have likely been true with 1 auto-qualifier per league. This isn’t about the CFP. This is about dominating the CCG weekend to further relegate the Big12 and ACC championships. ESPN will pay more for the 3rd and 4th place SEC games than the Big12 championship. And since they’ll also get better exposure by their network, the TV numbers will back it up.

 

[Kinch]

I really don’t want to relegate the big 12 to further irreverence so the SEC can pay a football coaches bigger buyout.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Yeah let's be realistic. It keeps us from a 1 bid league and if there's a year where we have 3 teams all 11-1 or something, have a chance at an At-Large.

Really just need to win non-confs against other P4 teams and then need to make runs in the CFP. If ASU didn't get screwed by the refs they'd have beaten Texas.

Kind of what Jer was alluding to earlier in the thread: “do you want to be effed… or do you want to be effed where they at least use lubricant?” Neither is really a good option, just one MIGHT hurt slightly less.

 

[HouClone]

Really, I kinda think the Big 12 and ACC should band all the g5 schools together and layout the terms to the Big10 or SEC otherwise we’re going to form our own league. Not being able to beat up on the g5 schools will make things seem tough for the Big10 and SEC.

The problem is that the Big 10 and SEC are a monopoly. Instead of the normal $2 million or whatever the Big 10/SEC will pay the G5 teams to play them, they'll up the payout. They'll give these teams like $4 million until the Big 12 and ACC cave in. It is going to be hard for the G5 teams to turn down that money, let alone $2 million, since they need it for their survival.

 

[Chitowncy]

Really, I kinda think the Big 12 and ACC should band all the g5 schools together and layout the terms to the Big10 or SEC otherwise we’re going to form our own league. Not being able to beat up on the g5 schools will make things seem tough for the Big10 and SEC.

Agreed. It seems to be the only / best leverage we have. The ol ‘strength in numbers’ argument. I would think the Big 10 and SEC if they can’t poach anymore to join their super league will actually not want to have such a small league with nobody else to beat up on and there’s going to be downtrodden programs in the BIG and SEC that get tired of it.

The problem is that the G5 will want something for banding together with the ACC and Big 12.

 

[SCNCY]

Agreed. It seems to be the only / best leverage we have. The ol ‘strength in numbers’ argument. I would think the Big 10 and SEC if they can’t poach anymore to join their super league will actually not want to have such a small league with nobody else to beat up on and there’s going to be downtrodden programs in the BIG and SEC that get tired of it.

The problem is that the G5 will want something for banding together with the ACC and Big 12.

If you were to go this route, you’d have to treat everyone as equals. You probably still have conferences, but band the entire league for media deals. Split that revenue equally. Additionally, you’d also have your own playoff where the other conferences had better access to.

This route would take some time and effort to build the brand, but you’d have so many universities be apart of it that the market is there, the smaller schools may see increased viewers due to this arrangement.

 

[Cyclone06]

The sooner the better, let them go. They (big10 ans sec) can play each other on fields laden with dollar bills for a few years. They can get every single one of the best players for a few years.

Then eventually we will all be reminded, its enjoyable to watch kids turn to adults while playing amateur sports, without incredible money driving every single decision, and we can create a model with that as a main driver in decision making, ie whats best for the "kids."

 

[mj4cy]

Kind of what Jer was alluding to earlier in the thread: “do you want to be effed… or do you want to be effed where they at least use lubricant?” Neither is really a good option, just one MIGHT hurt slightly less.

Right....or on the other hand we can be in a conference that never has a seat at the table...pick your poison. All I know is I root for any team against any Big10 or SEC team now.

 

[ScottyP]

The future of college football will be determined somewhat by how much ego the SEC/BIG have. These two conferences think the college football world revolves around them.

 

[Kinch]

Since the Big 10 and SEC control what happens, right now the Big 12 and ACC’s only real options:
1. Cave for the two and do the Sankey’s dirty work for him.
2. Force Sankey to make the decision and have the SEC take a PR hit and makes it fairly unlikely that congress would be in a mood to act on anti-trust legislation.
The Big 12 can always opt out of the House settlement, I doubt if it does it.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

But that would have likely been true with 1 auto-qualifier per league. This isn’t about the CFP. This is about dominating the CCG weekend to further relegate the Big12 and ACC championships. ESPN will pay more for the 3rd and 4th place SEC games than the Big12 championship. And since they’ll also get better exposure by their network, the TV numbers will back it up.

Both can be true, this is nothing but a money grab by the B10 and SEC. By playing the 3-6 and 4-5 games both leagues will bring in more money to the conference. If either the 3rd or 4th place team loses, they have a better chance of making it in as an at large team than the 5th or 6th place teams, because of their record and conference finish.

 

[Jer]

The SEC needs the Big 10 to make these plans viable. Without the Big 10 they are just a regional conference. Money is there now but if much of the country doesn’t have a team in the same system as SEC then the value and viewership erodes over time.

To me this is the SEC grabbing power now that some of their “elites” aren’t elite in the NIL race.

I may be way off and probably am. But this is also just another reason my interest in college sports get less by the year.

But the problem is that the Big 10 voted quietly last week to endorse most of the SEC desires and are with them every step on venture capital and whatnot.

 

[Kinch]

 

[Kinch]

 

[BryceC]

I mean it sincerely they are quite close to losing me with all of this crap.

Chiefs/Royals/Pacers seems to be a pretty good fallback for me if college continues this way.

 

[JM4CY]

The future of college football will be determined somewhat by how much ego the SEC/BIG have. These two conferences think the college football world revolves around them.

Then the writing is clearly on the wall.