It's always been about guaranteeing money but it's also about setting up the idea that some programs are more worthy than others. They aren't. A 19th ranked sec team shouldn't be protectedIt's all about unlocking a few extra dollars from the networks, while blocking off then chance that the other P4 leagues might somehow catch lightning in a bottle and be able to claim the Top 2 is really a Top 3.
Protect then number of bids for your conference, then increase the conference schedule and setup the collaborative out of conference games for the TV partners and some extra $$. Side benefit you no longer have room in the schedule for rivalry games with Big XII or ACC schools; so they can't use head to head to claim they're at the same level. Claim schedule strength to argue that your teams need higher seeds, despite less impressive records.
The SEC even in a down year had 6 teams in the top 15. That'll only get more common as the Big Ten & SEC isolate themselves and use the shield of "we play a much tougher schedule" to protect their teams as the best. Sure it protects the conference on the off-chance the 4th team slid past 14 or 16, but also clearly drawing the line between the Top-2 and Middle-2 conferences for recruits, media, etc. The Middle-2 will ultimately agree because it is protective to them (the Big XII only had 1 team in the top 16 this year) and hardens the line between them and the G5 schools.
Ultimately the SEC & Big Ten would likely be comfortable going with no-autobids. The end results this year would've granted the SEC an additional berth (at the ACC's expense) & better seeding for their conference member teams. With a 16-team tournament, the SEC & Big Ten would've claimed 10 of the spots (6 for the SEC & 4 for the Big Ten)
He is absolutely correct. When my son was a kid playing youth baseball, the top team always got the cream of the crop and the second team would get decent players to make it somewhat sporting. The other teams suckedDennis Dodd's take.......
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College football's credibility at stake as Big Ten, SEC aim to tighten stranglehold on playoff access
The two power leagues are seeking four automatic bids apiece as talks are scheduled to resume on Wednesdaywww.cbssports.com
One of the problems with these articles is that sportswriters do not have the slightest idea how the legal or business side works.
If any other industry formed a cartel with the largest players with the objective of boxing everyone else out, it would be a pretty open and shut case. Sankey's complaint about the timing of the Syracuse letter means that he views the Syracuse letter as a threat, and he is telling the other groups to buzz off. This is a really bad way for Sankey to play it, and it is possible that even his Presidents may decide they are not on board with this kind of power play. They could get in a legal mess that could dwarf the House settlement. Anti-competitive behavior and any kind of price fixing can have criminal penalties in addition to the civil ones.
Operating under the assumption that Petitti and Sankey are not reckless and stupid, there must be an end game that does not look like they used their cartel muscle to wipe everyone else out.
Attorneys for both leagues were present to avoid anything that might be construed as collusion. Petitti said that while the Big Ten and SEC are leading the future format decisions of the CFP, the NCAA governance conversations have been "incredibly collaborative and involves everybody."
In younger generations, the rates of playing and watching live sports are declining. This is why companies push sports video games like NBA 2K, Madden, etcCNBC did a story this morning on ESPN streaming app they will be introducing. Didn’t really care about this but the interesting thing was that young people. I believe Gen Alpha would rather watch an influencer talking about sporting event then actually watching the event. The guest said in 10 years after all the sports rights are up. He does not know what will be happening. The P2 could actually be screwing themselves if the end result is nobody gives a sheet
CNBC did a story this morning on ESPN streaming app they will be introducing. Didn’t really care about this but the interesting thing was that young people. I believe Gen Alpha would rather watch an influencer talking about sporting event then actually watching the event. The guest said in 10 years after all the sports rights are up. He does not know what will be happening. The P2 could actually be screwing themselves if the end result is nobody gives a sheet
Eventually the SEC and Big are going to be in court with different states suing them for Anti Trust violations and they will lose.Thinking things will continue to be the way they have always been is a common feature in failures. College sports is heading into a hurricane of headwinds (demographic cliff, declining interest in traditional sports), and the P2 seem to be trying to cut the market in half before it gets there. The Commissioners of the Big 10 and SEC could go down as two of the stupidest business leaders of the era if they follow through with their plans to eliminate the rest of the country from competition.
Only until they expect you to pay to watch.Sadly, I believe you are mistaken. Two of the biggest reasons for P-2 FB dominance are playing on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa (Georgia at Alabama). It probably will break a regular season TV rating record...
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ESPN, MLB to end broadcast partnership after 2025 season
ESPN's coverage of Major League Baseball games will conclude at the end of the 2025 season, it was announced on Thursday.www.espn.com
MLB is a terrible TV product. I love baseball, even if my team is terrible (my grandad got me into following ball and they were his team) but baseball just isn't a good TV product. It's fun to go to a game, have a beer and hot dog, heckle the batter, but I'd rather watch just about anything else on TV.But college sports is counting on growth to the moon.
zzzzzzzzzzzzz - boring.![]()
SEC, Big Ten accounted for 26 of 32 first-round picks
The first two picks of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft did not come from schools in the SEC or Big 10, but it soon became clear that those two conferences would dominate the night.www.nbcsports.com
When they want extra $, will you still watch their cartel?I want to agree with this, but the more programs are left out of the picture and the smaller the group of "haves" becomes, the greater the success has been for college football ratings overall. Ratings suggest that consumers overwhelmingly favor what's happening. If they didn't, wouldn’t the ratings drop?
Or shutting the boob tube off and exercising. Yes, I exercise in all but the coldest or snowy weather![]()
College Football Playoff embracing seeding change show SEC, Big Ten are running show
Big Ten and SEC are telling us what they're going to do with the College Football Playoff in move to straight seeding. It's time we start listening.www.usatoday.com