Conference Standings
- Thread starter mike012
- Start date
- Status
The question was about stability and longevity. So let's consider the facts:
-Within the last 3 or so years the Big 12 lost 4 schools. When those defections happened, there was a lot of talk about Texas and OU flirting with other conferences. The general consensus was, and still is, that if Texas and OU leave the Big 12 conference will fold. The conferences they talked to were not willing to allow Texas to keep the same arrangement they currently have with the Longhorn network, and as a result Texas stayed in the Big 12. OU followed suit. They signed a GoR and the Big 12 is stable for the time being. In order to partially fill the void created by those 4 teams leaving, the Big 12 was forced to reach halfway across the country and take WVU.
-The ACC is about to lose Maryland. This is the first school to leave the ACC in 42 years. This was the result of their old AD basically bankrupting their athletic dept. Their new AD, who has no ties to Maryland or the ACC, was forced to make a hard decision because so many sports were being cut due to the previous AD's incompetence. It is a pretty unique situation among ACC schools. After this news was announced, there was a lot of talk about the ACC getting raided. But most of that chatter seemed to originate from blogs and sports boards (I think the traffic on WVU boards probably tripled during this time.) The ACC presidents unanimously approved a GoR, and the conference is stable for the time being. In order to fill the void left by Maryland, the ACC grabbed Louisville. While they are not located in the current ACC footprint, they are at least in a state (KY) that borders a state (VA) with two current ACC teams.
-The ACC is working with ESPN to launch an ACC-ESPN network. Due to the location of ESPNU studios in Charlotte, NC the start-up costs for this network are going to be far less than those for the other major conference networks. The ESPNU studios and broadcast facilities will be a big help in the infancy of this new network. The ACC's footprint covers more television viewers than any other conference. ESPN has proven successful at shoving new networks on cable/satellite providers over the years.
-The Big 12 has no plans to launch a network of their own. They can't because all of Texas's tier 3 rights are tied up in the Longhorn Network. There is no market for a Big 12 network that doesn't feature Texas. Even if they somehow convinced Texas to give up the Longhorn Network, the footprint of the Big 12 as it currently stands is rather small in terms of size and television sets. So of the 5 so-called "major conferences" the Big 12 is the only one that won't have their own conference network within the next few years.
-The ACC lost Maryland and replaced it with Louisville. From an athletics standpoint, Louisville is an upgrade in most sports over Maryland. Their athletic department is clearly in better financial shape than Maryland's. Their facilities are better than Maryland's facilities too. The one area in which losing Maryland hurts the ACC is the loss of the DC television market.
-The Big 12 lost Texas A&M, Missouri, Nebraska, and Colorado. They replaced those 4 schools with WVU and TCU. I'm not sure there is anything about that trade-off that can be considered a positive for the Big 12.
-The Big 12's current GoR is set to expire about 2 years before the ACC's GoR does. Meaning that the Big 12 will have to once again deal with the question of whether or not Texas and OU will leave and destroy the conference, while the ACC is still bound together by their GoR.
You can draw your own conclusions from those facts. But a couple years ago the Big 12 was very close to falling apart. The ACC has never been in that situation, except in the minds of a few WVU fans with very big imaginations.
I think conference rankings could be broken down into three categories: Stability/Longevity, Financial Benefit, and Football/Basketball Product (with football product being weighted because it drives realignment more than basketball). I think you can further rank the conferences in present day and when the GOR start to expire. He is how I see the big 5 conferences and why.
Present Day (After Expiration of GOR)
Stability/Longevity - The PAC 12 clearly has more stability and longevity because of its location and its inclusion of a few football powerhouse schools. The B1G and SEC are tied for 2nd and 3rd because both are very stable but both include a few teams that could jump ship. Although I do not believe anyone will leave the B1G, Nebraska and Penn State are both teams that will be talked about until the B1G renews its GOR. The SEC is in a similar position as the B1G, with Missouri and possibly Vandy considering other options but I think highly unlikely. Either way, both the B1G and SEC will still exist in almost current form even if a few teams deflect. The ACC edges out the Big 12, mainly because of the Texas and WVU situation and the newly signed ACC GOR. Although I do not believe the GOR locks any team down, it does put the ACC and Big 12 on the same playing field for teams trying to leave before the GOR expire. Once the GOR expire, I think teams like Texas, OK, Kansas, and WVU (if anyone will take them) will be more interested in joining another conference than teams in the ACC.
1. PAC 12 (Pac 12)
2/3. B1G / SEC (B1G / SEC)
4. ACC (ACC)
5. Big 12 (Big 12)
Financial Benefit - I think the B1G clearly has the best finacial benefit from athletics and research grants. The B1G contains large land grant universities that have a huge following in major cities and the research funding these universities bring in far greater than other conferences. The SEC may have a better football product and very strong following, but I believe the financial benefit is a close second to the B1G. The PAC 12 is what it is. Its the only major league in the West and does not have to compete. The Big 12 and ACC seem to be very on par with each other with neither having a large benefit over the other.
1. B1G (B1G)
2. SEC (SEC)
3. PAC 12 (PAC12)
4/5. Big 12 /ACC (Big 12 / ACC)
Football Product - Its the SEC and then everyone else. I think the B1G has a few teams that can compete with the SEC on a yearly basis but violations at those schools have hurt the B1G in recent years. I think you can say the same thing for the Pac 12. The Big 12 has Texas and OK. The ACC has FSU, VT, and Clemson. The football product in the Big 12 and ACC gets too watered down by the SEC and B1G
1. SEC (SEC)
2/3. B1G / PAC 12 (Big 12 / ACC)
4/5.Big 12 / ACC (Big 12 / ACC)
As for realignment, Football is driving it as of today. But 5 years, 10 years, or 15 years from now it may be basketball. Football is walking a fine line with concussion injuries and I believe another sport may take over during my generation. Or maybe common sense will prevail and schools will align based on geography and acedemics.
Present Day (After Expiration of GOR)
Stability/Longevity - The PAC 12 clearly has more stability and longevity because of its location and its inclusion of a few football powerhouse schools. The B1G and SEC are tied for 2nd and 3rd because both are very stable but both include a few teams that could jump ship. Although I do not believe anyone will leave the B1G, Nebraska and Penn State are both teams that will be talked about until the B1G renews its GOR. The SEC is in a similar position as the B1G, with Missouri and possibly Vandy considering other options but I think highly unlikely. Either way, both the B1G and SEC will still exist in almost current form even if a few teams deflect. The ACC edges out the Big 12, mainly because of the Texas and WVU situation and the newly signed ACC GOR. Although I do not believe the GOR locks any team down, it does put the ACC and Big 12 on the same playing field for teams trying to leave before the GOR expire. Once the GOR expire, I think teams like Texas, OK, Kansas, and WVU (if anyone will take them) will be more interested in joining another conference than teams in the ACC.
1. PAC 12 (Pac 12)
2/3. B1G / SEC (B1G / SEC)
4. ACC (ACC)
5. Big 12 (Big 12)
Financial Benefit - I think the B1G clearly has the best finacial benefit from athletics and research grants. The B1G contains large land grant universities that have a huge following in major cities and the research funding these universities bring in far greater than other conferences. The SEC may have a better football product and very strong following, but I believe the financial benefit is a close second to the B1G. The PAC 12 is what it is. Its the only major league in the West and does not have to compete. The Big 12 and ACC seem to be very on par with each other with neither having a large benefit over the other.
1. B1G (B1G)
2. SEC (SEC)
3. PAC 12 (PAC12)
4/5. Big 12 /ACC (Big 12 / ACC)
Football Product - Its the SEC and then everyone else. I think the B1G has a few teams that can compete with the SEC on a yearly basis but violations at those schools have hurt the B1G in recent years. I think you can say the same thing for the Pac 12. The Big 12 has Texas and OK. The ACC has FSU, VT, and Clemson. The football product in the Big 12 and ACC gets too watered down by the SEC and B1G
1. SEC (SEC)
2/3. B1G / PAC 12 (Big 12 / ACC)
4/5.Big 12 / ACC (Big 12 / ACC)
As for realignment, Football is driving it as of today. But 5 years, 10 years, or 15 years from now it may be basketball. Football is walking a fine line with concussion injuries and I believe another sport may take over during my generation. Or maybe common sense will prevail and schools will align based on geography and acedemics.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2012
- Messages
- 3,333
- Reaction Score
- 5,054
hypothetically, if TX and OU leave for Pac-12, they probably take Texas Tech and OK State.
If that happens, what happens to the TV deal? That would go a long way in determining what happens next.
Kansas, K-State, WVU and Baylor would be nice additions to the AAC for 16.
If that happens, what happens to the TV deal? That would go a long way in determining what happens next.
Kansas, K-State, WVU and Baylor would be nice additions to the AAC for 16.
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2013
- Messages
- 149
- Reaction Score
- 382
B1G #2??? lol
The Big Ten is just as stable, if not more stable than the SEC.
PAC as well. There are those three, and there is everyone else. Who the hell is leaving the PAC or B1G? Please.
And, the B1G and PAC aren't a bunch of clown colleges that happen to be good at foobaw foobaw foobaw!
MICH and WISCO spend more each year on research than the total Endowments of 11 SEC schools (exceptions being Vandy, A&M, and FL.)
Big Ten #2...hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha....
The Big Ten is just as stable, if not more stable than the SEC.
PAC as well. There are those three, and there is everyone else. Who the hell is leaving the PAC or B1G? Please.
And, the B1G and PAC aren't a bunch of clown colleges that happen to be good at foobaw foobaw foobaw!
MICH and WISCO spend more each year on research than the total Endowments of 11 SEC schools (exceptions being Vandy, A&M, and FL.)
Big Ten #2...hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha....
- Status