Val Ackerman on the future of college athletics & conference realignment

[freescooter]

The Pac-12 can't take a football only member until they find the final all-sports member they need to meet NCAA conference regulations, the initial discussions were for all sports, Memphis (and Tulane) wasn't (weren't) willing to jump without a known TV deal they were jumping too.

I think they have the required “all-sports” members now. 7 is the limit. They need 1 more football member to be recognized as an FBS conference. I think they would like 2-3. Then they don’t need to scramble I’d someone leaves. When the media deal is clear people can evaluate. I do think they would like to get some football members in the more eastern time zones. Gives them the opportunity for “day” games that don’t start too early in the local market. And avoid 11 pm eastern starts which get zero coverage in the major media markets east of the Mississippi. That was an issue for the original PAC and one Scott (I think his name was) tried to address with an east coast PAC office and holding the pre-season meeting in NYC one year. Didn’t work because the games were still at 11 pm but it was something they tried.

 

[freescooter]

They don’t want anyone.

And Memphis would not challenge anything. It’s barely an actual university.

Much like Seton Hall ( btw in the midst of its 3rd university presidential scandal in the last decade. The last 2 involved money. This one invoked sexual abuse coverups) DePaul, and a few others. I’ll grant you it isn’t Princeton for undergraduates. But it has several respected graduate programs. And unlike some NBE schools it doesn’t call itself a university because it has an a pseudo academic MBA program.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Kolumbo]

Val sounds very intelligent and knowledgeable about CR. She says the Big East has earned the right to be at the table given the success and investment.

Alliances and mergers - she has great relationships but didn't provide any insight as to what may be possible. Leads me to believe there isn't anything there. He does summarize her comments at the end of the podcast.

Talks about Title IX

"CR is basically a scheduling agreement." Natural limit to number of member schools.

 

[ZooCougar]

Memphis explored other options, including Big East in basketball, as Pac-12 situation played out | Report
Doesn't mention the BE prez's categorically saying no, but it's implied the fit wasn't good...where have we heard this before...?

That doesn’t mean they would accept. Exploring is just exploring.

Where do they put their football program?

 

[freescooter]

Val sounds very intelligent and knowledgeable about CR. She says the Big East has earned the right to be at the table given the success and investment.

Alliances and mergers - she has great relationships but didn't provide any insight as to what may be possible. Leads me to believe there isn't anything there. He does summarize her comments at the end of the podcast.

Talks about Title IX

"CR is basically a scheduling agreement." Natural limit to number of member schools.

The ACC and Big 12 thought they earned that right too. Big10 and SEC said “NAH.”

 

[Drew]

I appreciate that she goes out and does these types of interviews, the reality is the proof is in the pudding in terms of what the A4 leagues think of the Big East and their willingness (lack thereof) to include the BE in any peer level role moving forwards

 

[huskymedic]

I appreciate that she goes out and does these types of interviews, the reality is the proof is in the pudding in terms of what the A4 leagues think of the Big East and their willingness (lack thereof) to include the BE in any peer level role moving forwards

They’ll effectively continue to neuter the BE any realistic chance they get…

 

[Drew]

They’ll effectively continue to neuter the BE any realistic chance they get…

Yup. She has an impossible task - everyone’s concerned about 9 football conference games and a B1G/SEC collab and people expect her to be able to but into that and be like “…don’t forget about Xavier basketball!”

If and when we leave - Val needs to seriously explore adding enough teams to form a FCS football league. Dayton, Richmond, Davidson, etc could be added and form a FCS playing football league combined with some of the current BE football playing members while also adding the schools likely to opt into hoop revenue sharing that are in leagues where the full conference likely won’t be opting in.

 

[Kolumbo]

Yup. She has an impossible task - everyone’s concerned about 9 football conference games and a B1G/SEC collab and people expect her to be able to but into that and be like “…don’t forget about Xavier basketball!”

If and when we leave - Val needs to seriously explore adding enough teams to form a FCS football league. Dayton, Richmond, Davidson, etc could be added and form a FCS playing football league combined with some of the current BE football playing members while also adding the schools likely to opt into hoop revenue sharing that are in leagues where the full conference likely won’t be opting in.

Good idea. Some options

CAA - Villanova, Richmond, Maine, URI
Patriot - Georgetown, Holy Cross, Fordham, Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh, Lafayette
Pioneer - Butler, Dayton, Davidson, Marist, San Diego
NEC - CCSU, Duquesne
Indie - Merrimack, Sacred Heart
ACC - bcu

 

[noeynox]

Yup. She has an impossible task - everyone’s concerned about 9 football conference games and a B1G/SEC collab and people expect her to be able to but into that and be like “…don’t forget about Xavier basketball!”

If and when we leave - Val needs to seriously explore adding enough teams to form a FCS football league. Dayton, Richmond, Davidson, etc could be added and form a FCS playing football league combined with some of the current BE football playing members while also adding the schools likely to opt into hoop revenue sharing that are in leagues where the full conference likely won’t be opting in.

Why?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

They’ll effectively continue to neuter the BE any realistic chance they get…

Why do you think the P2 have not just killed everyone off yet?

 

[ScottVib]

Good idea. Some options

CAA - Villanova, Richmond, Maine, URI
Patriot - Georgetown, Holy Cross, Fordham, Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh, Lafayette
Pioneer - Butler, Dayton, Davidson, Marist, San Diego
NEC - CCSU, Duquesne
Indie - Merrimack, Sacred Heart
ACC - bcu

Georgetown (the only non-scholarship team left in the Patriot League) & Butler (well the entire Pioneer League, so both then Dayton and Davidson mentions) are non-scholarship. Zero chance that Villanova is jumping into a league that would not offer a bid into the FCS playoff or enough opponents to give them a schedule they could qualify with.

 

[ZooCougar]

Why?

Because FCS football is going to push us over the top! LOL

 

[ZooCougar]

Georgetown (the only non-scholarship team left in the Patriot League) & Butler (well the entire Pioneer League, so both then Dayton and Davidson mentions) are non-scholarship. Zero chance that Villanova is jumping into a league that would not offer a bid into the FCS playoff or enough opponents to give them a schedule they could qualify with.

Non scholarship FCS is basically a tick better than D3 too.

 

[noeynox]

Because FCS football is going to push us over the top! LOL

Sorry, I'm not a visionary.

If Val spends 1 second on FCS football shenanigans send her into outer space.

 

[noeynox]

Good idea. Some options

CAA - Villanova, Richmond, Maine, URI
Patriot - Georgetown, Holy Cross, Fordham, Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh, Lafayette
Pioneer - Butler, Dayton, Davidson, Marist, San Diego
NEC - CCSU, Duquesne
Indie - Merrimack, Sacred Heart
ACC - bcu

Bad idea. Next one please.

 

[ZooCougar]

Sorry, I'm not a visionary.

If Val spends 1 second on FCS football shenanigans send her into outer space.

Send her there anyways.

Seriously, she is all talk. She does nothing.

I know the Boneyard will say: “but what can she do”. Well that’s what she is being paid to figure out.

She is barely a caretaker.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[king conn]

In other words, she would actually have to work at her job

 

[huskymedic]

Why do you think the P2 have not just killed everyone off yet?

Kill shot isn’t necessarily needed when the threat has been neutralized.

 

[Patman]

"CR is basically a scheduling agreement." Natural limit to number of member schools.

that quote is something that you say when you're losing because its also about playoff access which is an entirely new phenomenon

 

[Kolumbo]

that quote is something that you say when you're losing because its also about playoff access which is an entirely new phenomenon

The "scheduling agreement" is missing some context starting at 29:00. She did say historically it was about schools playing each other to determine a conference champion which then becomes the automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament.

Send her there anyways.

Seriously, she is all talk. She does nothing.

I know the Boneyard will say: “but what can she do”. Well that’s what she is being paid to figure out.

She is barely a caretaker.

I get the sentiment and I don't care one way or the other about Val. It's OK to say "but what can she do" because no one knows what she could or should do. We like to bust balls but I'd like to see someone suggest something the Big East could do which it hasn't done yet. Plenty of coaches, administrators, consultants have more information than we have and no one has been able to make something happen.

Check that. The BE did lure Akron Men's Soccer. The other MAC members Bowling Green, Western Michigan, and Northern Illinois went to the Missouri Valley. Well done Val!

The Big East Conference may be the only conference where every member sponsors soccer. Plus 1. None of the P conferences can make that claim, not the American, not sure about the rest of the G5.

 

[Fishy]

Why?

Yup. She has an impossible task - everyone’s concerned about 9 football conference games and a B1G/SEC collab and people expect her to be able to but into that and be like “…don’t forget about Xavier basketball!”

If and when we leave - Val needs to seriously explore adding enough teams to form a FCS football league. Dayton, Richmond, Davidson, etc could be added and form a FCS playing football league combined with some of the current BE football playing members while also adding the schools likely to opt into hoop revenue sharing that are in leagues where the full conference likely won’t be opting in.

“We’ve just lost UConn, Val! What do we do?!”

“Add Dayton football….”

How much time elapses between the time an idea like that fires into your mind before you commit it to writing? It has to be a nanosecond because even a second of rational thought would have killed this idea in its crib.

 

[Patman]

The "scheduling agreement" is missing some context starting at 29:00. She did say historically it was about schools playing each other to determine a conference champion which then becomes the automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament.

I'd agree that traditionally a conference was a scheduling agreement of convenience. That the national playoffs are tied to that came later in development

 

[ZooCougar]

The "scheduling agreement" is missing some context starting at 29:00. She did say historically it was about schools playing each other to determine a conference champion which then becomes the automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament.

I get the sentiment and I don't care one way or the other about Val. It's OK to say "but what can she do" because no one knows what she could or should do. We like to bust balls but I'd like to see someone suggest something the Big East could do which it hasn't done yet. Plenty of coaches, administrators, consultants have more information than we have and no one has been able to make something happen.

Check that. The BE did lure Akron Men's Soccer. The other MAC members Bowling Green, Western Michigan, and Northern Illinois went to the Missouri Valley. Well done Val!

The Big East Conference may be the only conference where every member sponsors soccer. Plus 1. None of the P conferences can make that claim, not the American, not sure about the rest of the G5.

That Alton men’s soccer move!

You didn’t even know they existed until 72 hours ago.

 

[Drew]

“We’ve just lost UConn, Val! What do we do?!”

“Add Dayton football….”

How much time elapses between the time an idea like that fires into your mind before you commit it to writing? It has to be a nanosecond because even a second of rational thought would have killed this idea in its crib.

Fish - I’m actually curious to get your thoughts on this topic. UConn leaves and the Big East is back to 10 schools. What in your opinion should the league do from that point forward to ensure it’s best positioned into the future? Should it add teams? Should it remain as is in the status quo? How would you manage the go-forward approach if you were the Big East commissioner constrained by the realities of the current collegiate landscape?

 

[Ha Who]

Fish - I’m actually curious to get your thoughts on this topic. UConn leaves and the Big East is back to 10 schools. What in your opinion should the league do from that point forward to ensure it’s best positioned into the future? Should it add teams? Should it remain as is in the status quo? How would you manage the go-forward approach if you were the Big East commissioner constrained by the realities of the current collegiate landscape?

 

[Fishy]

Fish - I’m actually curious to get your thoughts on this topic. UConn leaves and the Big East is back to 10 schools. What in your opinion should the league do from that point forward to ensure it’s best positioned into the future? Should it add teams? Should it remain as is in the status quo? How would you manage the go-forward approach if you were the Big East commissioner constrained by the realities of the current collegiate landscape?

They can do nothing.

Ten schools is fine.

 

[ZooCougar]

They can do nothing.

Ten schools is fine.

The Big East should add Drake. They have a really good Mock Trial team.