Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[CL82]

Stewart McKinney died of AIDS 40 years ago.

Wow, given that he's been dead for 40 years he had a remarkable grasp of the issues.

 

[RSTuthill]

Stewart McKinney died of AIDS 40 years ago.

Humblest apologies. John McKinney, former CT House Minority leader. I was switching back and forth and got shunted down memory lane.

I also misspelled Liz Kurantowicz's name. Former member of the Stefanowski campaign.

 

[jostar1]

 

[businesslawyer]

Why does anything else matter for an athletic conference/association? I don't really understand this logic. Fox and ESPN aren't going to pay an athletic conference more money because of how big its members' libraries are or how many PhDs it cranks out.

Because universities have bigger fish to fry than how much money their athletic departments make.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Because universities have bigger fish to fry than how much money their athletic departments make.

I'm sure they do, but we're talking about conference realignment here not debating the mission of the higher education system in America. IMO money is the only thing that matters. It's what all the infighting in the ACC is about and why the search is on for a way out of the GOR. It's why some Pac12 schools are looking to jump ship, and why everyone is trying to get into the B1G or $EC. It's why even our athletic director tweets about our AD's financial state from time to time.

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm sure they do, but we're talking about conference realignment here not debating the mission of the higher education system in America. IMO money is the only thing that matters. It's what all the infighting in the ACC is about and why the search is on for a way out of the GOR. It's why some Pac12 schools are looking to jump ship, and why everyone is trying to get into the B1G or $EC. It's why even our athletic director tweets about our AD's financial state from time to time.

Universities view athletic departments as a means to an end. Not as the end itself. The goal is for the athletic department to help the university achieve its goals, not just to produce more revenue.

Assuming, of course, that the University isn't Auburn, LSU or 'Bama.

 

[don356]

Where’s he going to go? PC? Hall? Bc?

Michigan.

 

[BoukofJames]

From Thamel’s ESPN article today. This “notion bubbling up” is concerning, but who knows what’s going on…

 

[Drew]

View attachment 88933
From Thamel’s ESPN article today. This “notion bubbling up” is concerning, but who knows what’s going on…

I mean.. absolutely love the sound of that

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'm sure they do, but we're talking about conference realignment here not debating the mission of the higher education system in America. IMO money is the only thing that matters. It's what all the infighting in the ACC is about and why the search is on for a way out of the GOR. It's why some Pac12 schools are looking to jump ship, and why everyone is trying to get into the B1G or $EC. It's why even our athletic director tweets about our AD's financial state from time to time.

I think it is irrelevant. I don't think the Big XII has interest in SDSU. They'd join SMU as backfill in the Pac12. If Colorado jumps, the Pac12 will need more backfill. But given the choice, I think SDSU would choose the Pac12 anyway.

The Thamel post above aligns with my thoughts. Big XII wants Colorado #1. Arizona #2. The other corner schools maybe 3-4, UConn possibly tied at 4. If they think the ACC implodes, they'd want some of those schools. Loading up now with the likes of SDSU? Hell no. Why would they? The Pac12 would, because they have no choice. That's probably how Big XII felt when brining in the most recent 4 schools, there were no options. I am sure they'd kick UCF and BYU to the curb if they could and thought they could get more Pac12 schools or ACC schools.

 

[jostar1]

 

[History Geek]

Interesting

 

[CoastAtlantic]

 

[The Viking]

I don’t get the whole waiting game until the ACC implodes instead of taking UConn now.

You can do both. (Regarding Tramels article)

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I don’t get the whole waiting game until the ACC implodes instead of taking UConn now.

You can do both. (Regarding Tramels article)

I can see how waiting does provide benefits to the Big12:

1. You on-board your 4 new schools coming in
2. You let UConn show a bit more football progress with Mora at the helm.
3. You let Colorado show improvement under Sanders (it's still an unknown)
4. You keep more of the increasing CFP monies that is looming from the expanded playoffs
5. You see how the PAC shakes out
6. You see if/how anyone might be able to break out of the ACC GOR

Lots of reasons why waiting could be the best path for them.

 

[noeynox]

Yeah ACC is not imploding no time soon, and the B1G and SEC have 1st dibs anyway.

 

[Forte]

I don’t get the whole waiting game until the ACC implodes instead of taking UConn now.

You can do both. (Regarding Tramels article)

Simply put, it's all about football.... UConn's is widely looked down upon ... by its own Bball fan base especially. Other programs like Kansas, and even Colorado have had years upon years of horrible football products and empty stadiums with the luxury of P5 money to prop their egos....UConn has had to use alternative revenue sources to keep spending on par with P5 athletic programs ... P5 old money doesn't respect that. What I find most interesting in all this is how much UCF and Cinci thumb their noses at UConn athletics. Perhaps they have earned it but talk about entitled fanbases forgetting where they came from.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

https://twitter.com/PeteThamel?ref_...^1668649352359706625|twgr^|twcon^s1_&ref_url=
Pete Thamel
@PeteThamel
"Latest on the realignment landscape, touching on all five conferences ..."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Blah, blah, blah. When legitimate, documented actions are announced, e.g., Pac 12 media contract, Pac 12 GOR, possible resulting Big XII invitations agreed and announced, etc, or 6/30 passes into 7/1 occurs (or, is it 7/1 to 7/2?), then "Key Tweets" may occur. Until then, more ado about nothing.

 

[DGB]

Yeah ACC is not imploding no time soon, and the B1G and SEC have 1st dibs anyway.

Exactly. The "wait for the ACC to implode" is a strawman. Over the next 10 years or so, here are the teams that may become available to the Big 12:

UConn, SDSU, Colorado, Arizona, ASU, Utah, Washington State, Oregon State, Louisville, Syracuse, BC, Pitt, Wake Forest. Everyone else is likely too valuable to the B1G or SEC for the Big 12 to have a shot.

None of the ACC teams are as valuable to the Big 12 as UConn, as none command the attention of an entire state. Cuse likely has the best case for value, followed by BC, because they both have some draw in NYC and Boston respectively. They are also decent brands. But UConn matches Cuse for NYC draw (along with a whole state), and BC only has a couple of neighborhoods in Boston. Louisville is an ok brand with no real market...and seems to be held together by duct tape and fraud. Pitt and Wake are simply non-factors at any level you want to slice this.

Washington State and Oregon State from the PAC are clearly behind UConn, as they are little brothers in medium sized markets with no real brand appeal. ASU has a little more brand pop, but basically the same story. Utah is interesting, but the Big 12 has a bigger Utah brand already in BYU.

That leaves Colorado, Arizona, UConn, and SDSU. I could easily make an argument for any of these teams being the top target or the fourth target for the Big 12...but i don't think it matters. In my opinion the Big 12 would take any of the four by itself, or with one, two, or three of the others. They are all valuable.

I realize the fanbase has been kicked in the dick so many times that we always expect another rule one groin shot. But there are no big brand football teams available...big state schools and brands like UNC, UVA, Ga Tech, FSU, Cal, Stanford, UW, Oregon, etc., aren't going to the Big 12, and most aren't available for a decade.

UConn is probably the best brand available to the Big 12...and they seem to know it.

 

[The Viking]

What I meant is they have either have some level of interest in UConn or not, but it read like they may push us aside in order to wait and see what happens with the ACC 10 years down the road.
If they don’t take us I can’t imagine that is the reason. In fact if they have foresight and think about really becoming the official number 3 team, they’d take us now and wait for the other eastern conference schools to shake free in 10 years. If they believe our football program under Jim Mora would be helped by being in a quality conference (which it would)
But who knows.

 

[hardcorehusky]

https://twitter.com/PeteThamel?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1668649352359706625|twgr^|twcon^s1_&ref_url=
Pete Thamel
@PeteThamel
"Latest on the realignment landscape, touching on all five conferences ..."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Blah, blah, blah. When legitimate, documented actions are announced, e.g., Pac 12 media contract, Pac 12 GOR, possible resulting Big XII invitations agreed and announced, etc, or 6/30 passes into 7/1 occurs (or, is it 7/1 to 7/2?), then "Key Tweets" may occur. Until then, more ado about nothing.

Let's see - an ESPN article and a reporter who really isn't connected to realignment. Article makes perfect sense.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Exactly. The "wait for the ACC to implode" is a strawman. Over the next 10 years or so, here are the teams that may become available to the Big 12:

UConn, SDSU, Colorado, Arizona, ASU, Utah, Washington State, Oregon State, Louisville, Syracuse, BC, Pitt, Wake Forest. Everyone else is likely too valuable to the B1G or SEC for the Big 12 to have a shot.

None of the ACC teams are as valuable to the Big 12 as UConn, as none command the attention of an entire state. Cuse likely has the best case for value, followed by BC, because they both have some draw in NYC and Boston respectively. They are also decent brands. But UConn matches Cuse for NYC draw (along with a whole state), and BC only has a couple of neighborhoods in Boston. Louisville is an ok brand with no real market...and seems to be held together by duct tape and fraud. Pitt and Wake are simply non-factors at any level you want to slice this.

Washington State and Oregon State from the PAC are clearly behind UConn, as they are little brothers in medium sized markets with no real brand appeal. ASU has a little more brand pop, but basically the same story. Utah is interesting, but the Big 12 has a bigger Utah brand already in BYU.

That leaves Colorado, Arizona, UConn, and SDSU. I could easily make an argument for any of these teams being the top target or the fourth target for the Big 12...but i don't think it matters. In my opinion the Big 12 would take any of the four by itself, or with one, two, or three of the others. They are all valuable.

I realize the fanbase has been kicked in the dick so many times that we always expect another rule one groin shot. But there are no big brand football teams available...big state schools and brands like UNC, UVA, Ga Tech, FSU, Cal, Stanford, UW, Oregon, etc., aren't going to the Big 12, and most aren't available for a decade.

UConn is probably the best brand available to the Big 12...and they seem to know it.

This seems unrealistic about the reality of UConn's situation. We'd probably fall behind every ACC school other than Wake Forest and maybe Syracuse as a potential addition to the B12. Pitt would be very appealing to WVU and Cinci, as would Louisville. BC is a much bigger football name with much more history and a better market. Remember, a big part of this is recruiting HS kids to go to your university.

That said, they only two schools I think would consider going to B12 are Pitt and Louisville. More likely, the ACC tries to poach WVU and Cinci. This notion that the B12 is in stronger shape than the ACC is a myth. I'd agree WSU and OSU aren't appealing at all to the B12. Stanford or Cal move not to the B12. UDub and Oregon wouldn't either. It's just the corner schools.

Our option is simple, an odd number of Pac12 schools, among the corner schools, go to the B12. That's it.

 

[CL82]

This notion that the B12 is in stronger shape than the ACC is a myth.

Disagree. The ACC is set to fail, at least in its current incarnation. The SEC has just publicly stated that they are interested in FSU and Clemson and suggested that they "might" be interested in UNC. The Big Ten will undoubtedly consider the value of ACC schools that are also AAU. So, Virginia, UNC, GT and Miami are possibilities for them.

The ACC is also locked into a contract through 2036. The Big 12 just got a new deal in negotiates again in 2030. That likely puts them at a very substantial advantage over the ACC.

Finally, ironically, what are the big 12's biggest advantages is its members have nowhere else to go. They're unlikely to get bids to either the Big Ten or the SEC. That gives them stability and stability has value.

 

[Exit 4]

Even if the P12 fully holds - we are still a great add as a one off or with SDST. Adding UConn gives the B12 big footprint coverage - and a much needed fourth team in the eastern time zone. Since Fox knows are numbers well as the BE media partner, they much nudge us along once the dust settles on the P12. Every ACC demise scenario means the B1G and SEC get bigger too giving the B12 cover on the matter of conf size.

 

[mike012]

Most important thing is once you get into a P5 you’re part of the club and looked as an equal. Washington st, Oregon st, Kansas st, have done nothing for eons. Yet are considered P5 because they are there.