Non-Key Tweets

[KryHavok]

This is the dirty little secret of conference realignment. Consolidating valuable teams in fewer conferences reduces the cost of high value games. If you accept the logic of that and follow it to its logical conclusion, it means that The game of this process will be to call the weak teams out of the valuable conferences.

🤑😉

 

[buddy]

This is the dirty little secret of conference realignment. Consolidating valuable teams in fewer conferences reduces the cost of high value games. If you accept the logic of that and follow it to its logical conclusion, it means that the end game of this process will be to cull the weak teams out of the valuable conferences.

That will definitely happen once private equity groups take control of the conferences.

 

[Stinger92860]

That will definitely happen once private equity groups take control of the conferences.

The problem will be that some really good CFB teams will have losing records and the fan base is not use to this outcome.

 

[buddy]

The problem will be that some really good CFB teams will have losing records and the fan base is not use to this outcome.

That is true, but the problem is much more severe. I happened to watch a program on PBS about how private equity hedge fund has successfully destroyed many many local newspapers once they took over. I couldn't help but think what would happen when they start taking over college athletic conferences. Good bye bottom feeders!

 

[UConnJim]

That is true, but the problem is much more severe. I happened to watch a program on PBS about how private equity hedge fund has successfully destroyed many many local newspapers once they took over. I couldn't help but think what would happen when they start taking over college athletic conferences. Good bye bottom feeders!

It is hard to save something (newspapers) from death when they are already on their death bed. There are different types of private equity. The type of PE that would be focused on college sports is growth equity. They would be looking to grow the game as that is where the money is.

 

[uconnyankee]

That is true, but the problem is much more severe. I happened to watch a program on PBS about how private equity hedge fund has successfully destroyed many many local newspapers once they took over. I couldn't help but think what would happen when they start taking over college athletic conferences. Good bye bottom feeders!

This thing called the internet killed the newspapers

 

[cellocgg]

The 18th ACC team

 

[buddy]

This thing called the internet killed the newspapers

Actually, not true. Most newspapers have digital editions on the internet. The journalists are still there, but they have been significantly reduced once private equity took over.

 

[Hoophound]

Reducing the number of college teams to an elite few probably won’t work. I won’t watch, nor will millions of others. If you aren’t in on the dream of a natty, you won’t care. Those that do care will be fans of the chosen 30 schools or pathetic gamblers.

The average CFL team would crush Bama or Ohio St. It isn’t great football that brings fans, it’s the mass of schools and their alums. If they kill it, I’ll just watch the NFL and move on. I tell my buddies this and they either agree with me or they gamble way too much.

 

[Ha Who]

They are following the AT&T model

 

[CL82]

This thing called the internet killed the newspapers

Also, video killed the radio stars, or so I've heard.

 

[uconnyankee]

Actually, not true. Most newspapers have digital editions on the internet. The journalists are still there, but they have been significantly reduced once private equity took over.

Not true. The digital concept is the next evolution of newspapers but the profitability is minimal.
But the margins on digital are pennies vs print. Not even close.
Google, Facebook, etc control much of the marketing dollars now.

The equity you’re talking about was basically buying up distressed assets and liquidating anything of value while trying to maintain cash flows in the near term. This meant cutting costs to offset a 10% top line drop every year. Even so, they could still generate 30% margins on print. Of course this also meant the product was marginalized.

If anything PE keeps the papers going longer than they should have been. The newspapers were already distressed.

Case in point, how long can Burlington Free Press in VT last if the paper is printed in RI. That’s a 4 hour route everyday? That’s just one of many realities facing newspapers. News is two days old before reading about it. Can’t even cover sports.

 

[KryHavok]

The 18th ACC team

In the picture on the top right, there's a guy on the far left looking at his watch thinking "almost time to screw UConn, let's call no defensive pass interference on Syracuse"...

From the article:

Inside the operations center, 32 screens line two walls. At the front of the room, a 140-square-foot video board displays up to six games at once. Eight workstations, 33 screens, 24 communication lines — and a handful of replay officials obsessed with precision.

A bunch of screens seeing practically everything, yet they miss some key calls...guess the zebras aren't the only blind ones looking at the game. 😉

The impetus for transparency​

Two controversial finishes in Miami victories in 2024 spurred the ACC to make changes, allowing ESPN unprecedented access to their replay reviews this season.

If fans are confused, the ACC figured, why not let them listen in?

ACC Network executive Jeremy Michiaels described the ACC's decision as a "calculated risk to be innovative with the television audience" in an interview earlier this year with The Virginian-Pilot.

"We really have nothing to hide," said ACC football executive Michael Strickland.

Nothing to hide, ohhh, is that why a key on-field official quit after a game involving UConn, cuz of not wanting to hide anything??? Thank you for confirming that in not trying to hide something, you are hiding something that you said is not hidden.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

If you accept the logic of that and follow it to its logical conclusion, it means that the end game of this process will be to cull the weak teams out of the valuable conferences.

If you cull out the weak teams, someone else will become a weak team or everyone will be .500. You can't have all great teams, at least based on conference record. You need the BCs of the world to perpetually deliver Ws to the conference big dogs.

 

[jostar1]

Also, video killed the radio stars, or so I've heard.

 

[buddy]

If you cull out the weak teams, someone else will become a weak team or everyone will be .500. You can't have all great teams, at least based on conference record. You need the BCs of the world to perpetually deliver Ws to the conference big dogs.

That may be true, but will the weak teams stay when they are no longer making mega bucks? The BC's of the world will no longer be parasites of the big conference money. Will they be able then to sustain being in such a conference? We are seeing unequal revenue sharing beginning. Once private equity takes over, the BC's of the world are finished.

 

[Kolumbo]

Also, video killed the radio stars, or so I've heard.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

That may be true, but will the weak teams stay when they are no longer making mega bucks?

Even with unequal distribution, do you think a parasite/doormat BC will still make more than UConn in the BE/Independent? I assume they will, though without seeing numbers that is just a guess. It may not be mega bucks, but it should still be pretty good bucks for BC.

 

[CL82]

If you cull out the weak teams, someone else will become a weak team or everyone will be .500. You can't have all great teams, at least based on conference record. You need the BCs of the world to perpetually deliver Ws to the conference big dogs.

That's a fair point. The question is do you need to pay them the same amount that you pay the big dogs for them to come in and be the Washington senators. An alternative model would have a smaller conference of quality schools with more out of conference games. That way, the big dogs get the big bucks and essentially fill the rest of the schedule with buy games.

 

[Kolumbo]

That's a fair point. The question is do you need to pay them the same amount that you pay the big dogs for them to come in and be the Washington senators. An alternative model would have a smaller conference of quality schools with more out of conference games. That way, the big dogs get the big bucks and essentially fill the rest of the schedule with buy games.

This is what they are choosing to do. A bigger conference stacked with the best programs. It doesn't take a doctorate from MIT to figure out that they'll have an average or below average record some years. The bottom feeders should get paid the same but I'm sure they'll eventually accept a reduced payout to dance to Sweet Georgia Brown. The Generals....

 

[KryHavok]

...An alternative model would have a smaller conference of quality schools with more out of conference games...

And that's what we had in the 80's and 90's, and that sure made for some fun football.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

That's a fair point. The question is do you need to pay them the same amount that you pay the big dogs for them to come in and be the Washington senators. An alternative model would have a smaller conference of quality schools with more out of conference games. That way, the big dogs get the big bucks and essentially fill the rest of the schedule with buy games.

Maybe it should be performance based after the fact. Just look at FSU. They're getting extra dough, right? Now they're pooping the bed and not worth it. Nobody is on top forever.

 

[Husky25]

Reducing the number of college teams to an elite few probably won’t work. I won’t watch, nor will millions of others. If you aren’t in on the dream of a natty, you won’t care. Those that do care will be fans of the chosen 30 schools or pathetic gamblers.

The average CFL team would crush Bama or Ohio St. It isn’t great football that brings fans, it’s the mass of schools and their alums. If they kill it, I’ll just watch the NFL and move on. I tell my buddies this and they either agree with me or they gamble way too much.

100%.

Allegiance drives college sports, not the entertainment factor. The NFL offers better athletes with a higher game IQ, and delivers a better product. There is a reason NYD6 bowl games are played on Saturday or Monday, when New Years falls on Sunday. The NFL would crush college ratings. The Jets are 0-7 and comparatively terrible, but they would destroy Ohio State, Miami, or whoever is #1 this week.

 

[ZooCougar]

Not everyone in F1 land is crazy about being stuck behind a pay wall in the USA.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Not everyone in F1 land is crazy about being stuck behind a pay wall in the USA.

Someone mentioned this (I think in key tweets) but a niche sport cannot be putting its content behind a paywall. Maybeeee NFL can but even that would make the general public freak out.