Big East & Big 12 talk merger

[nelsonmuntz]

That only happens if the schools want it to. If there is any chance that the ACC or B1G expand further (which there is, even if indications are that its not imminent), everyone in the new conference will be waiting for a better deal. Thus, I doubt that they agree to the fee. Like I said in another post, we should just call it the Prisoner's Dilemma Conference.

Parties typically worry more about the downside in these situations than the upside, and right now, the down side is pretty dire for all the Big East and Big 12 schools. It would be staggeringly irresponsible for a university president to stake their entire athletic program on the hope that another league will invite them in. If the worst case is really bad, you start by preventing that from happening.

 

[RS9999X]

The BE 12+ shouldn't have any exit fees except for reasonable costs and contract impairment.

If the SEC-14 or ACC-14 or BiG calls then a team is gone. They all know this. If the C-USA calls and a team leaves then slap them silly and let them go.

 

[upstater]

Once the ACC and pac get to 16 EVERY team in that league would be on their knees for the Big 10 and SEC. Mizzou, Kansas, WVU, Ville, UConn and RU would all have a shot at getting into 1 of those conferences. We would be in the exact same position. The weakest conference and one that is a sinking ship from day 1.

The one hitch to all this is the B10/Fox relationship which is unlike the relationship that ESPN has with the ACC or even its deal with the Pac16. ESPN is able to aggregate product by having superconferences on the coasts, but the Big10 is pretty fixed with its own network and wouldn't be lured by a TV network advising it to bring in Big12 BCS AQ wannabes as a means of further consolidating revenues into one conference. The Big10 would not be reliant on ESPN in the future for any TV negotiations whatsoever.

That doesn't mean the zBig10 won't expand. In fact, Missouri's TV sets might present value for the Big10 network, but if it happens, it won't be in the same fashion that the ACC and Pac10 did it. ESPN is clearly lurking behind the scenes in the moves to 16. Not so with the Big10.

As for the SEC, I wonder how they got saddled with that contract, and why they haven't developed their own network.

 

[upstater]

West Virginia is the interesting player in all this...maybe a bit under the radar...I've heard that Florida State really wants another football school, and is pushing for someone other than UCONN or Rutgers since neither really fits that role. West Virginia might though. On the other side, the Duke/UNC/Wake cabal in particular are opposed for many rreasons including market, academics and various other things and are saying "we gave you your football school last time in Miami and A: they never lived up to the billing; and B: have been nothing but an embassment to the league. Not this time, bunky."

The ACC basketball schools are looking at a revival of the old bball league. You'd have 7 ex-BEs in the league, 8 old ACCs, with one of them (Maryland) always grousing about the Mason_Dixon line, and probably quite willing to be affiliated with the north. This is very appealing for Tobacco Road.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The BE 12+ shouldn't have any exit fees except for reasonable costs and contract impairment.

If the SEC-14 or ACC-14 or BiG calls then a team is gone. They all know this. If the C-USA calls and a team leaves then slap them silly and let them go.

That would be the very apex of stupidity. No one will do business with an organization like that. Just because you work for Bank of America instead of Goldman Sachs, you don't tell the whole market that you think your firm sucks. Put another way, just because a company isn't the market leader the day you join doesn't mean you are better off being unemployed.

 

[RS9999X]

That would be the very apex of stupidity. No one will do business with an organization like that. Just because you work for Bank of America instead of Goldman Sachs, you don't tell the whole market that you think your firm sucks. Put another way, just because a company isn't the market leader the day you join doesn't mean you are better off being unemployed.

Punative exit fees are a joke. They are like non-compete clauses. Ask Bill Gates what they are worth to anyone but the lawyers. If the PAC-16 happens there are only 4 potential teams in play. And they are gone if offered. If the SEC gores to 16 and the PAC and the ACC then exit fees are meaningless. Who's going to rob them? The BiG?

 

[freescooter]

I tend to agree. Exit fees have never and will never prevent someone from leaving a conference. they are a negotiating ploy, just like 27 month exit clauses. On the other hand, you need to have a reasonable one, if only for public consumption. when it was written, the big East's $5 million seemed steep. Today, it is chicken feed. I owuld expect something less than the $20 million the ACC just adopted, but more than the big East's $5 million. $10-12 sounds about right.

 

[ctchamps]

http://espn.go.com/college-football...st-big-12-talking-possible-merger-sources-say

Multiple Big 12 sources told ESPN.com that the Big 12 would be the home, not the Big East, in any possible merger of the two football conferences.

The sources said that if Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State were to leave the Big 12 and the five remaining schools didn't have a landing in the ACC, SEC or Big Ten then they would move to absorb remaining Big East schools, not the other way around.

One Big 12 source said the reason it would absorb the Big East is the conference's ability to secure a television deal, currently with Fox, and three more years with ESPN/ABC -- although a new configuration could open it up to a new arrangement.

Wishful thinking by whoever made this statement. The remaining BE football schools, depending how the dominoes fall could have more cache for networks than the remaining B12 schools. When things settle there will be an uncomfortable alliance with the remnants of these two conferences and a lot of people praying they can come away with some decent revenue arrangements.

 

[businesslawyer]

Wishful thinking by whoever made this statement. The remaining BE football schools, depending how the dominoes fall could have more cache for networks than the remaining B12 schools. When things settle there will be an uncomfortable alliance with the remnants of these two conferences and a lot of people praying they can come away with some decent revenue arrangements.

It's not about Cache. It will be the Big XII because the Catholic Schools, especially if UConn and RU are gone, will have no interest in expanding the Big East west. Plus, while it will be renegotiated, the Big XII starts with the bigger TV contract to renegotiate from. And, by all accounts, we'd want Beebe rather than marinatto.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It's not about Cache. It will be the Big XII because the Catholic Schools, especially if UConn and RU are gone, will have no interest in expanding the Big East west. Plus, while it will be renegotiated, the Big XII starts with the bigger TV contract to renegotiate from. And, by all accounts, we'd want Beebe rather than marinatto.

Actually, the Big East starts with a blank slate, which may be the best place to be.

 

[ctchamps]

LOL. So now we have multiple opinions how the merger will evolve.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I'm hearing that if (not too big of an if) UT, TT, OU and OSU bolt for the P-12, the remaining seven (including TCU) BE football schools joining the B-12 (with a prewritten succession plan if/when some of these members move on to greener pastures) is pretty much a done deal but one issue is that the Fiesta Bowl doesn't want to view this as a BCS conference (with an auto tie-in the their bowl) if UT & OU leave.

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm hearing that if (not too big of an if) UT, TT, OU and OSU bolt for the P-12, the remaining seven (including TCU) BE football schools joining the B-12 (with a prewritten succession plan if/when some of these members move on to greener pastures) is pretty much a done deal but one issue is that the Fiesta Bowl doesn't want to view this as a BCS conference (with an auto tie-in the their bowl) if UT & OU leave.

That's not an issue -- that's a detail. The issue is preserving the BCS big (and my assumption is that they will look at the criteria for the new conference membership and apply it fairly).

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I realize that a lot of this is just posturing but supposedly a number of experts have said that the new B-12 (with the above stated merger) will not be able to keep a BCS bid and ESPN's article on it even has this quote:
http://espn.go.com/college-football...st-big-12-talking-possible-merger-sources-say

But the Big 12's BCS bid won't be a lock under a new configuration.

I hope that you are correct but it wouldn't surprise me if the Fiesta ended up working a deal where they had the choice of the B-12 champ or the MWC champ.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Plan A: Join ACC

Plan B: Join B1G

Plan C: Merge remaining schools with Big 12

East Division:
UConn
RU
WVU
USF
Cincy
Louisville

West Division:
Kansas
K-State
Iowa St
Mizzou (assuming they don't jump to SEC)
Baylor
TCU

That is a better conference than what exists today in 2011. The bigger question is.....will it be enough to maintain AQ status? Don't know.

 

[RS9999X]

As we thought --Mizzou is gone.

UCF or Nova?

 

[SAMCRO]

The more I've read, the Texahoma 4 is not as done of a deal as people believed it would be, and the P12 is taking a pause. What would really suck is if the P12 said no thanks, or the 4 decide to stay put, invite TCU, UL Cinci, and WVU to move back to 12 teams and a championship game. Long shot, sure, but not out of the realm of possibilities.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The more I've read, the Texahoma 4 is not as done of a deal as people believed it would be, and the P12 is taking a pause. What would really suck is if the P12 said no thanks, or the 4 decide to stay put, invite TCU, UL Cinci, and WVU to move back to 12 teams and a championship game. Long shot, sure, but not out of the realm of possibilities.

Agree. I think any approach of Texahoma to the Big East has to be on the basis of a merger.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

As we thought --Mizzou is gone.

UCF or Nova?

Huh? Where are you getting that from?

 

[SAMCRO]

Agree. I think any approach of Texahoma to the Big East has to be on the basis of a merger.

Hope so. Make it a super confernce including RU, UConn, USF, and one other to get to 16 teams. That is actually a league I could get behind (assuming OU,Okie Lite, and UT are in it). Good hoops on par or better than ACC definitely. Great football, better than ACC, P12, and B10, only behind the SEC. Could be worse I guess (as long as wee'e on the inside of it - assuming no ACC invite).

 

[jpm25]

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Hope so. Make it a super confernce including RU, UConn, USF, and one other to get to 16 teams. That is actually a league I could get behind (assuming OU,Okie Lite, and UT are in it). Good hoops on par or better than ACC definitely. Great football, better than ACC, P12, and B10, only behind the SEC. Could be worse I guess (as long as wee'e on the inside of it - assuming no ACC invite).

BYU or Boise would be the far superior choice for quality, but travel would be a nightmare.

 

[SAMCRO]

Yes, but all the toys on misfit island eventually found a home w/ good girls and boys, so.....