Here’s a bombshell

[djct1999]

There is nothing else like NCAA football or NCAA basketball anywhere in the world in the sense that other countries do not have college athletics that millions of people care about. There are many reasons why those two sports are so popular and lucrative and other minor leagues are not, but any list has to include 1) the fact that most of the country is connected to a major school athletic program in some way, either directly as an alumni or as a family member or friend of an alumni, and 2) the NFL and NBA leave money on the table by not doing the minor league themselves.

Now college sports wants to break that fan connection, while also make it easier for the major leagues to step in front of them and become the sponsor of the minor league.

Or do you think that all those ACC, Big 12 and PAC 12 fans, plus all the G5 fans and others interested in college sports, will drop what they are doing every Saturday to watch Missouri/Mississippi State or Iowa/Minnesota because now all of their teams have been made irrelevant?

Pro sponsorship is actually an intersting concept. There is no way this current configuration or the potential of two super leagues is sustainable. If all of this is about tv money, the ratings are already plummetting and most of America won't even care about college football. Most are already tuning out so I can't imagine the tv rating for Clemson vs Alabama for the 13th time. So why not have pro teams link with college programs? Why can't the NFL draft move more towards the MLB model. Draft a prospect out of high school, and place him at an affiliated university. For example, have all the Detroit Lions draft picks play at Michigan for 3-4 years?

 

[UConnJim]

I can’t believe the Big 10 is done expanding. They have to add 2 or three more teams from the West to create pods as the travel for USC and UCLA will be terrible. If you add 3 teams from the West plus Notre Dame, you could go to 4 five team pods in which you play the other 4 teams in football every year and twice in basketball and do something similar in other sports. Then, the western expansion makes sense.

 

[UC1995]

Kansas has no imminent plans to leave at least until they see who wins the war between P10 and Big 12. If left behind then I would say the move to Big East dramatically goes up.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I can’t believe the Big 10 is done expanding. They have to add 2 or three more teams from the West to create pods as the travel for USC and UCLA will be terrible. If you add 3 teams from the West plus Notre Dame, you could go to 4 five team pods in which you play the other 4 teams in football every year and twice in basketball and do something similar in other sports. Then, the western expansion makes sense.

They aren't done. The end game will be four divisions of six schools or four divisions of seven schools. This could take a decade or so to unfold.

 

[metsfan2323]

Kansas has no imminent plans to leave at least until they see who wins the war between P10 and Big 12. If left behind then I would say the move to Big East dramatically goes up.

They won't be left behind.

 

[CL82]

The same vague language that people think the ACC will use to keep schools locked in will be what the schools and their lawyers will use to weasel their way out.

Plus, SEC is an ESPN property so presumably any school defecting for them would have an easier time negotiating with ESPN. Who also probably sees the writing on the wall that the ACC is dead, and will want to protect their own butts.

That’s a really interesting point regarding the SEC.

 

[aburks41]

ESPN doesn’t have the rights for B1G basketball right? I’m pretty sure their games are all on BTN or FOX/FS1. If that is the case, there is zero chance Duke and UNC end up in the B1G. ESPN will never let that happen. They would only steer them towards the SEC along with Clemson and FSU/Miami

 

[shizzle787]

They won't be left behind.

They are unlikely to get an SEC or B1G invite, even if both go to 24.

 

[Storrs South]

The same vague language that people think the ACC will use to keep schools locked in will be what the schools and their lawyers will use to weasel their way out.

Plus, SEC is an ESPN property so presumably any school defecting for them would have an easier time negotiating with ESPN. Who also probably sees the writing on the wall that the ACC is dead, and will want to protect their own butts.

That's probably what starts this. ESPN could offer an incentive to schools not named UNC, UVA, FSU, Miami that they let those schools walk to SEC and they get some type of financial security in the ACC for X number of years and guarantee in CFB playoff or else they walk for nothing in a couple years.

Big 10 being under FOX probably doesn't get an opportunity to swoop in until way later letting ESPN get pick of litter for better product on SEC and continue getting ACC for much smaller amount but still way better than G5 since ESPN needs content.

 

[superjohn]

Football runs the bus and money and greed has ruined everything in college sports but there's still just 12 games in College Football regular season and 33 games in College Basketball regular season. People still love College Basketball, the Big East Tournament and the NCAA tournament.

The 2 power conferences are going to continue picking off football schools remaining in the other conferences. Big East and ACC need to be talking to each other about creating a basketball mega conference. UConn, Duke, Cuse, UNC, Kansas etc. all need to be having serious discussions.

 

[metsfan2323]

They are unlikely to get an SEC or B1G invite, even if both go to 24.

The point is Kansas will join forces with the likes of Syracuse, Louisville, West Virginia, Cincy, Iowa State, NC State, Houston etc. before they join the Big East. Unless you think all of these schools are dropping football. (They won't be)

BTW Kansas currently has one of the best football coaches in the country.

 

[metsfan2323]

Big East and ACC need to be talking to each other

Different TV networks.

 

[upstater]

They won't be left behind.

They could easily be left behind. I don't think the B1G or the SEC will add them.

They already find themselves allied with UCF, Houston, BYU, TCU, Baylor and Cincy. None of these teams were P5 20 years ago.

 

[McLovin]

Here is something worth pondering… if ND leaves the ACC, they would have 14 schools for Football and BBall. Would they add 2 teams to get the league to 16?

UConn + Kansas (better BBall add) / WVU (better football add)

 

[CL82]

Football runs the bus and money and greed has ruined everything in college sports but there's still just 12 games in College Football regular season and 33 games in College Basketball regular season. People still love College Basketball, the Big East Tournament and the NCAA tournament.

The 2 power conferences are going to continue picking off football schools remaining in the other conferences. Big East and ACC need to be talking to each other about creating a basketball mega conference. UConn, Duke, Cuse, UNC, Kansas etc. all need to be having serious discussions.

Maybe, they have been. Perhaps that’s what Benedict and Jim Mora have been alluding to.

 

[superjohn]

Different TV networks.

I think everything is going to change where there's going to be 2 mega conferences of football schools which are going to break away from everything else.

Pac and Big 12 already look nothing like they used to and will look even less like they used to when SEC and Big 10 pick off the remaining football schools, same goes for ACC...The great basketball schools who have never been good in football are going to continue to never be good in football, put them together in a basketball mega conference. The schools who are most closely aligned at what they're great at need to get together.

I don't know the ins and outs of the contracts but I know contracts don't seem to matter much in this day and age. I know the numbers look huge but cable TV is dying and quality of content is more important than quantity of content. People want to see Texas v. Ohio State in football, Duke v. UConn in basketball.

 

[superjohn]

Maybe, they have been. Perhaps that’s what Benedict and Jim Mora have been alluding to.

I heard this mentioned before but haven't looked it up. Can you point me to Benedict and Mora's comments?

 

[huskymedic]

Maybe, they have been. Perhaps that’s what Benedict and Jim Mora have been alluding to.

I heard this mentioned before but haven't looked it up. Can you point me to Benedict and Mora's comments?

Mora’s conference realignment commentary came in this interview @ the beginning of June:

New! Just released pod with Coach Mora

Hi all, Got some time with Coach Mora for The Connecticut Scoreboard Podcast. We talk about his first few months on the job, navigating the portal, connecting with CT HS FB coaches, and more. Tune in!

the-boneyard.com

 

[superjohn]

Mora’s conference realignment commentary came in this interview @ the beginning of June:

New! Just released pod with Coach Mora

Hi all, Got some time with Coach Mora for The Connecticut Scoreboard Podcast. We talk about his first few months on the job, navigating the portal, connecting with CT HS FB coaches, and more. Tune in!

the-boneyard.com

Thanks

 

[huskymedic]

Thanks

Passing comment about independence/schedule/positioning starts @ 9:00 +/-

 

[uconn13]

I figured I was going to open this thread and see a buxom blonde.

Nope, just more conference realignment talk completely upending college sports as we used to know it.

 

[aburks41]

Football runs the bus and money and greed has ruined everything in college sports but there's still just 12 games in College Football regular season and 33 games in College Basketball regular season. People still love College Basketball, the Big East Tournament and the NCAA tournament.

The 2 power conferences are going to continue picking off football schools remaining in the other conferences. Big East and ACC need to be talking to each other about creating a basketball mega conference. UConn, Duke, Cuse, UNC, Kansas etc. all need to be having serious discussions.

This is hopefully the end game, but the issue is convincing UNC/Duke/Kansas to put all their eggs in a bball mega conference and give up the dream of a B1G/SEC invite. Those 3 schools are the top of the pecking order if either of the P2 decides to beef up their basketball and go for total domination before they break away from the NCAA.

 

[microfich]

View attachment 77338

Brings me back to Busty Heart at Whaler games.

 

[Big Loubowski]

They might not agree what is a fair share, or other schools might not agree to do it. Not sure but I think that the Big 12 did this and it caused a big problem in the conference.

No need to talk to Uconn or others until some of the teams leave.

 

[UCFBfan]

Have to figure the B1G would want Clemson and FSU and cut into the south for TV/Recruiting..? Thoughts?

I think the B1G and SEC have a silent agreement to stay in their respective locales. The B1G has the northern and Western part of the country. The SEC will take the south/southeast. So when FSU and Clemson become available, they will be SEC bound.

I'm seeing this play out where your two conferences will be North and South instead of NFC and AFC.