Conference Realignment

[Techster]

We can turn the boat around w A BUSINESS PRESIDENT but we need to have some big wins on the field. 6-6 w a dang we lost game and a.couple of w upset their axx games will show a basic change has occured. Homecoming verses UNC will be epic.

Our home is ATL. Thats big. AIRPORT, POPULATION, COOL STUFF, SEC HAS CHAMPIONSHIP, GREAT RE RUITING CROSS ROADS

In Angel I Trust TO ACT LIKE GT FOOTBALL NEEDS TO BE BOLD.

I love what Cabrera is doing. Haven't met him personally yet, but I have heard great things about him from multiple people that have spent time with him at lunches and meetings. First President in my lifetime as a GT fan that wants to put GT Athletics on the same plain as GT Academics. Not only is he preaching that, but he's doing things to put his money where his mouth is. He gets that both sides of GT can help the other.

My only concern is whether Cabrera came a decade too late. I 100% believe that if Cabrera were in charge back in 2012, GT would be in the B1G right now, and in a MUCH better place financially. He would have fully empowered Radakovich to do whatever was needed to transition to the B1G, and he would have coalesced the GT decision makers to follow suit. Cabrera gets the big picture, and he looks at things 10-20 years down the road. He has very little time for sentiment that could hold his vision for GT back. If Cabrera somehow gets GT into the B1G, it will be a very big feather in his cap. Hopefully, it won't be too late for GT.

 

[iceeater1969]

I love what Cabrera is doing. Haven't met him personally yet, but I have heard great things about him from multiple people that have spent time with him at lunches and meetings. First President in my lifetime as a GT fan that wants to put GT Athletics on the same plain as GT Academics. Not only is he preaching that, but he's doing things to put his money where his mouth is. He gets that both sides of GT can help the other.

My only concern is whether Cabrera came a decade too late. I 100% believe that if Cabrera were in charge back in 2012, GT would be in the B1G right now, and in a MUCH better place financially. He would have fully empowered Radakovich to do whatever was needed to transition to the B1G, and he would have coalesced the GT decision makers to follow suit. Cabrera gets the big picture, and he looks at things 10-20 years down the road. He has very little time for sentiment that could hold his vision for GT back. If Cabrera somehow gets GT into the B1G, it will be a very big feather in his cap. Hopefully, it won't be too late for GT.

TFPREZ is an engr who tried to manage a monster organization.

A & B know that over long term alumni donate based on fond memories they experienced while in school. I give a little to alumni but specifically give to gtaa because football players gave me training table food. Great memory when they let me tag along w them to an all u can eat chicken place where we ate free. Any way - this is first prez that wants students to have fun while at school.

I do think the big 10 would be a better fit for gt than SEC for seversl reasons.

 

[Techster]

TFPREZ is an engr who tried to manage a monster organization.

A & B know that over long term alumni donate based on fond memories they experienced while in school. I give a little to alumni but specifically give to gtaa because football players gave me training table food. Great memory when they let me tag along w them to an all u can eat chicken place where we ate free. Any way - this is first prez that wants students to have fun while at school.

I do think the big 10 would be a better fit for gt than SEC for seversl reasons.

If you want to know the difference in mindset between Cabrera and Peterson regarding GT sports, this article pretty much sums it all up. Very depressing to read given the stakes GT sports is facing with the inevitable formation of mega death stars of the B1G and SEC. If you read between the lines, it reads like Peterson was the death of GT going to the B1G...and it was his emphasis on "academics" of the ACC and his romanticizing of academics in college sports that kept him from moving GT to the B1G. To this day, I don't think Peterson knows just how valuable and big of a chip GT was during that time when media market size of Atlanta meant more then than it does now. He was disturbed by how college sports had become such a big business...even though he saw up close how important it was for athletic programs to thrive as a business and not a redheaded extension of a school.

Ex-President Bud Peterson revisits Georgia Tech’s role in last realignment frenzy

Former Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson continues to watch with interest and an informed perspective as this summer’s events seem to have increased the possibility of the SEC and Big Ten forming super conferences capable of breaking away from the rest of Division I.

www.ajc.com

That's an old article that's been posted on here before, with a tidbit about the SEC reaching out to GT as well when B1G reached out. I know there were some big donors that also chimed in about staying in the ACC because of regional proximity, so Peterson wasn't making the decision on an island. Radakovich pushed hard for the B1G, but he wasn't going to win over GT's President, important board members, and some big donors insistence that the ACC was best for GT.

 

[rfjeff9]

College-football-expansion-whats-next-power-5-conferences

 

[orientalnc]

College-football-expansion-whats-next-power-5-conferences

This doesn't paint a very rosy picture. More like something from Edvard Munch.

 

[Richard7125]

On the surface it would look that way, but some of us think there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. That seven or eight schools may have places they can land that they would rather be, not all in the same conference. Speculation as to where each would land, at least in certain of the seven or eight cases. The general consensus is that college sports comes out of all this with 3 major conferences, BIG 10, SEC, Big 12 totaling roughly 60 schools. The SEC being a regional conference built on competitive regional rivals, the BIG 10 built on National contests, media markets coast to coast. Big 12 a National conference, not sure at this time what else goes into their identity. I'm not the gospel, just been paying a lot of attention to this for a while now.

Big12? Really? They are about to lose their two marquise schools and their media rights are up. You think they are going to get more money after Texas and Oklahoma leave?

 

[slugboy]

College-football-expansion-whats-next-power-5-conferences

Ross Dellenger is a decent writer, even though it’s a short piece. While it’s a good piece, a lot of the story has been told before.

I think what FSU really wants is an uneven distribution of revenue. FSU was bluffing to get it, but Clemson, FSU, and Miami are getting desperate enough to try to leave for real.

Dellenger talks about a $120 million exit fee. I don’t know where that comes from.

I am morbidly curious whether FSU, Clemson, Miami, and a few others could try to exit, then find that the GOR is airtight. If that happened, the remaining members would see an increased payout because the media pie is cut in fewer pieces and the escapees would be $33 million per year poorer.

Spoiler: me venting about SI

20 or more years ago, that would have been the headline to the issue, and there would have been pages and pages of detail. There would be memorable quotes. It would have been all that a sports fan needed to know about conference realignment. It would have been a “30 for 30” about the conferences, but in print. Alas…

Dellenger tried here, though. The part about the resort is classic Sports Illustrated

 

[orientalnc]

I believe the ACC is on a path to dissolution with the so-called "merit based" distribution of ESPN money. If the ACC adopts that model I could envision GT (for example) claiming the ACC had breached the GOR agreement.

With unequal shares, it would not take much imagination to see the conference sink into two or three bickering groups. There already exists a fairly high level of discontent toward the NC schools and I think the GOR is the only thing holding Miami and FSU and Clemson in the fold. Maybe that also applies to us. We have not hidden our lack of agreement with Greensboro on a number of ACC related issues.

 

[SunBum]

I believe the ACC is on a path to dissolution with the so-called "merit based" distribution of ESPN money. If the ACC adopts that model I could envision GT (for example) claiming the ACC had breached the GOR agreement.

I wondered about that too. If some kind of un-equal revenue sharing system goes into effect, might that trigger some challenges to the original GOR agreement. Doubtful though, I guess.

 

[CEB]

I wondered about that too. If some kind of un-equal revenue sharing system goes into effect, might that trigger some challenges to the original GOR agreement. Doubtful though, I guess.

It’s a pretty reasonable assumption that any change to the GOR would also have to be by unanimous decision. Each member will have to go there somewhat willingly, even if there is a lot of arm twisting involved. I certainly would expect animosity after the fact, but I doubt anyone could claim there has been a violation since the change would have to be unanimously approved

ETA: if I am a school that is about to be left behind in all of this, I see 35 million a year for the next 13 years going right out the window. That’s over $450 million. If I agree to unequal revenue sharing, I’m conceding part of that if/win the conference calls apart. If I’m being paid to go away, a single payment has to be at least a $350 million range. The one aspect that might be intriguing is if ESPN would agree to honor a $30-$35 million annual payout to remaining Teams for the balance of the contract. That seems like a real longshot to me because they would be paying a premium for vastly diminished programming. In fact all of it seems a real longshot to me. I think any movement in the next 5 to 8 years is cost prohibitive.

 

[Techster]

I believe the ACC is on a path to dissolution with the so-called "merit based" distribution of ESPN money. If the ACC adopts that model I could envision GT (for example) claiming the ACC had breached the GOR agreement.

With unequal shares, it would not take much imagination to see the conference sink into two or three bickering groups. There already exists a fairly high level of discontent toward the NC schools and I think the GOR is the only thing holding Miami and FSU and Clemson in the fold. Maybe that also applies to us. We have not hidden our lack of agreement with Greensboro on a number of ACC related issues.

It's funny. Bud Peterson kept GT in the ACC because he thought the ACC members were more inclined to protect each other's interest versus other conferences. It's why the GOR was put into place. When it comes down to it, when the amount of money involved is as big as it is in the SEC and B1G, it's the age old story of money trumps everything. UNC/Clemson/FSU are going to do what's best for themselves (as they should). Romanticizing college sports is a losing proposition. College sports is a business...always has been, and always will be. Guys like Bud Peterson have no business (no pun intended) being in the sports business.

What GT needs most of all is a board that only views GT sports through the lens of a business first, everything else second. With NIL, the coming semi-pro state of Student Athletes, and conference expansion, it's more important than ever to have business minded people making decisions, not academic types who look at college sports with disdain.

 

[Ramble1885]

I hope the ACC stays together. I like the conference how it is now, as it seems that every member brings something to the table.

BC: Big city market and good academics.

Clemson: Rich history, brand recognition, and football juggernaut.

Duke: Rich history, good academics, and basketball power.

FSU: Passionate fanbase and usually a football power.

us (GT): Big city market, good academics, rich history, and up until TFG, decent at football!

Louisville: Passionate fanbase and rich history.

Miami: Big city market, rich history, and brand recognition.

UNC: Rich history, brand recognition, and usually decent at football, and almost always great in basketball.

NCST: Rich history and brand recognition.

PITT: Big city market, rich history, and good academics.

CUSE: GREAT journalism school (ACCN can use that), and a rich history.

UVA: LOADED with history, on and off the field. Also good at basketball.

VT: Rich history, great tradition, usually good at football.

WF: Good academics, and are in their best stretch of football in program history.

I hope it doesn't blow up. And if it does, I hope we aren't left in the dust.

 

[orientalnc]

I hope the ACC stays together. I like the conference how it is now, as it seems that every member brings something to the table.

BC: Big city market and good academics.

Clemson: Rich history, brand recognition, and football juggernaut.

Duke: Rich history, good academics, and basketball power.

FSU: Passionate fanbase and usually a football power.

us (GT): Big city market, good academics, rich history, and up until TFG, decent at football!

Louisville: Passionate fanbase and rich history.

Miami: Big city market, rich history, and brand recognition.

UNC: Rich history, brand recognition, and usually decent at football, and almost always great in basketball.

NCST: Rich history and brand recognition.

PITT: Big city market, rich history, and good academics.

CUSE: GREAT journalism school (ACCN can use that), and a rich history.

UVA: LOADED with history, on and off the field. Also good at basketball.

VT: Rich history, great tradition, usually good at football.

WF: Good academics, and are in their best stretch of football in program history.

I hope it doesn't blow up. And if it does, I hope we aren't left in the dust.

This is all good (and correct). But, none of it is relevant in today's conference realignment discussion. It (the ACC, PAC12, Big12 dance) is all about money and the need to survive the change that is inevitable.

 

[CEB]

nm

 

[Ramble1885]

This is all good (and correct). But, none of it is relevant in today's conference realignment discussion. It (the ACC, PAC12, Big12 dance) is all about money and the need to survive the change that is inevitable.

Yes, and it's sad to see.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

I love what Cabrera is doing. Haven't met him personally yet, but I have heard great things about him from multiple people that have spent time with him at lunches and meetings. First President in my lifetime as a GT fan that wants to put GT Athletics on the same plain as GT Academics. Not only is he preaching that, but he's doing things to put his money where his mouth is. He gets that both sides of GT can help the other.

My only concern is whether Cabrera came a decade too late. I 100% believe that if Cabrera were in charge back in 2012, GT would be in the B1G right now, and in a MUCH better place financially. He would have fully empowered Radakovich to do whatever was needed to transition to the B1G, and he would have coalesced the GT decision makers to follow suit. Cabrera gets the big picture, and he looks at things 10-20 years down the road. He has very little time for sentiment that could hold his vision for GT back. If Cabrera somehow gets GT into the B1G, it will be a very big feather in his cap. Hopefully, it won't be too late for GT.

Listen, no one is disagreeing with these thoughts. All I want to add is that actions are all that matter at this point. To now, Cabrera has used his words and public press conferences (JBatt, Key, Stoudamire) to turn the “feelings” around regarding GT athletics. That is a great start. But now ”actions” are required. Key has to win some games. Stoudamire has to win some games. And Cabrera needs to be roaming the halls in Chicago finding us a landing spot. Without these “actions” the words will grow stale. We can’t go a decade of empty rhetoric which is where we are heading since Johnson retired. Or just pay off the right people to get us an invite once the GOR is dead. I’m sure that’s what Clemson, FSU, and Miami are doing.

 

[RamblinRed]

Ross Dellenger is a decent writer, even though it’s a short piece. While it’s a good piece, a lot of the story has been told before.

I think what FSU really wants is an uneven distribution of revenue. FSU was bluffing to get it, but Clemson, FSU, and Miami are getting desperate enough to try to leave for real.

Dellenger talks about a $120 million exit fee. I don’t know where that comes from.

I am morbidly curious whether FSU, Clemson, Miami, and a few others could try to exit, then find that the GOR is airtight. If that happened, the remaining members would see an increased payout because the media pie is cut in fewer pieces and the escapees would be $33 million per year poorer.

Spoiler: me venting about SI

20 or more years ago, that would have been the headline to the issue, and there would have been pages and pages of detail. There would be memorable quotes. It would have been all that a sports fan needed to know about conference realignment. It would have been a “30 for 30” about the conferences, but in print. Alas…

Dellenger tried here, though. The part about the resort is classic Sports Illustrated

The exit fee was created after MD left.
I don't remember the exact calculation but it is something like a 3x ACC's operating expenses or something similar. So it goes up over time. It started at around $50M and is now estimated at $120M.
The exit fee was approved in a 10-2 vote back when MD left (I believe you need a 75% threshhold).

That is of course separate from the GoR, which no one has found a legal way around yet.

Conferences with an uneven revenue model have a poor history of holding together.

I think there are alot of anxious ACC schools right now but I don't really expect much movement for awhile because the timing doesn't work with the SEC and B10. I'm not expecting much movement until the B10's contracts are up at the end of the decade.

Neither the SEC or B10 is going to have interest in bringing in a school until legal issues are worked out and until they understand what value the school brings to the conference. If a school can't get out of the GoR then they are not going to be picked by any conference as it becomes a money losing proposition for them.

 

[George P. Burdell]

Listen, no one is disagreeing with these thoughts. All I want to add is that actions are all that matter at this point. To now, Cabrera has used his words and public press conferences (JBatt, Key, Stoudamire) to turn the “feelings” around regarding GT athletics. That is a great start. But now ”actions” are required. Key has to win some games. Stoudamire has to win some games. And Cabrera needs to be roaming the halls in Chicago finding us a landing spot. Without these “actions” the words will grow stale. We can’t go a decade of empty rhetoric which is where we are heading since Johnson retired. Or just pay off the right people to get us an invite once the GOR is dead. I’m sure that’s what Clemson, FSU, and Miami are doing.

With the recent CDI drive last year, GTAA got matching donation funds from the GT Foundation. I'm pretty sure that's never happened before and only happened because of Cabrera.

I have to believe that Cabrera and JBatt have already made back channel communications to both the SEC and B1G before this week. That said I don't expect anything to happen for years.

 

[Techster]

With the recent CDI drive last year, GTAA got matching donation funds from the GT Foundation. I'm pretty sure that's never happened before and only happened because of Cabrera.

I have to believe that Cabrera and JBatt have already made back channel communications to both the SEC and B1G before this week. That said I don't expect anything to happen for years.

The one thing I've always like about GT is how we handle things without going to the press. Cabrera and Batt have been EXTRA quiet about how they deal with things. Had it not been for some donors blowing up the coaching search, we would have never known about Chadwell or Fritz. Batt learned his lesson when we hired Stoudamire...and GT fans didn't know about him until it actually happened.

I'm 100% certain they've had discussions with other conferences. GT fans shouldn't mistake GT's silence for inaction.

 

[RonJohn]

I believe the ACC is on a path to dissolution with the so-called "merit based" distribution of ESPN money. If the ACC adopts that model I could envision GT (for example) claiming the ACC had breached the GOR agreement.

With unequal shares, it would not take much imagination to see the conference sink into two or three bickering groups. There already exists a fairly high level of discontent toward the NC schools and I think the GOR is the only thing holding Miami and FSU and Clemson in the fold. Maybe that also applies to us. We have not hidden our lack of agreement with Greensboro on a number of ACC related issues.

The 2013 GOR that is publicly available says absolutely nothing about the distribution of revenue. It only says that the ACC owns the broadcast/media/copyright of all of each schools sports. Changing the revenue distribution wouldn't affect the GOR.