Conference Realignment

[orientalnc]

I don’t see ND on the AAU school list. Does the B1G 10 consider AAU membership a prerequisite or is membership a wish list item? Maybe membership would be easy for them to attain.

When Nebraska joined the Big Ten they were an AAU member, but are not now. At that time the conference said any new B1G member would have to be an AAU member, except that ND would be accepted w/o AAU membership.

 

[GT_05]

Eggsackley. There's no reason in creation for Clemson or FSU (provided that they can actually get their program sorted out) to leave the ACC.

If the ACC is seen as having the lower tier teams then there will be a cost associated with staying in the ACC; the money they are making versus the money they could be making by leaving. Not to mention that the big stars will want to go to the upper tier schools. I’m not saying this will happen but it looks like the B1G and SEC are trying to lock down the major markets.

 

[takethepoints]

If the ACC is seen as having the lower tier teams then there will be a cost associated with staying in the ACC; the money they are making versus the money they could be making by leaving. Not to mention that the big stars will want to go to the upper tier schools. I’m not saying this will happen but it looks like the B1G and SEC are trying to lock down the major markets.

1. Personally, I don't think that would make much difference. Good teams are going to be good tv and it is unlikely, imho, that scheduling would be done in ways that would inhibit that, no matter how the baskets shuffle out. Besides, why shift to an environment where you have maybe two opponents a year who could cause you trouble to one where you have 5 or 6? If I was an AD there would have to be a pile of money roughly the size of the Great Pyramid on the table to justify that choice.

2. So what else is new? "Big stars" already want to go to "upper tier" schools. Except, that is, when they don't. That can depend on a raft of other factors. Having more of them is a good thing but under some circumstances (see Tech from 2008 - 18) it isn't decisive.

But we'll see. Maybe that Pyramid will show up after all.

 

[CuseJacket]

When Nebraska joined the Big Ten they were an AAU member, but are not now. At that time the conference said any new B1G member would have to be an AAU member, except that ND would be accepted w/o AAU membership.

At that time too, if I remember correctly, the B1G also wanted a contiguous footprint of connecting states. That requirement is no longer.

 

[CuseJacket]

Pac-12 eyeing expansion after UCLA, USC exit

Pac-12 presidents and chancellors were authorized Friday to "explore all expansion options" for the conference after USC and UCLA decided to join the Big Ten in 2024.

www.espn.com

One source in the conference told ESPN on Friday "it's wide open" as far as who the Pac-12 would consider inviting, but added the Big 12 and ACC are worth exploring. While there has been speculation about Oregon and Washington wanting to follow USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, there has been no official indication in the league of their intentions.

Feels like they could go the Ok St, Kansas, KSU route, or thereabouts, and as a byproduct also tank the B12's P-5 status.

It wouldn't backfill for the P12's losses, but it would keep them a little more viable in the short term.

 

[JacketFan137]

Pac-12 eyeing expansion after UCLA, USC exit

Pac-12 presidents and chancellors were authorized Friday to "explore all expansion options" for the conference after USC and UCLA decided to join the Big Ten in 2024.

www.espn.com

Feels like they could go the Ok St, Kansas, KSU route, or thereabouts, and as a byproduct also tank the B12's P-5 status.

It wouldn't backfill for the P12's losses, but it would keep them a little more viable in the short term.

would imagine that would lead to some big 12 teams joining the acc. wouldn’t mind ucf and wvu joining if that ends up happening

 

[slugboy]

I don’t think Mandel is accurate in her forecasts, but I think this is the likeliest outcome:


Not writ in stone, but more likely than not.
{Worse yet, Feinbaum is in the thread. How did I get here?}

 

[forensicbuzz]

This is not how it works. Excluding bowl games, the entire SEC/ESPN contract is divided equally among the member schools. If Clemson jumps to the SEC, the ACC would get the $54 million share that was Clemson's part of the distribution. It would not matter who was the home team.

Right. But ESPN would collude and force the ACC to renegotiate.

 

[iceeater1969]

I will state upfront I do not know the contractual agreement..if any.. between the ncaa and FBS football. I also don't know the rules of how many schools need to agree to a rules change.

But what if the NCAA proposed a 16 team FBS playoff. They have championships in almost every other sport including football below the fbs. Teams that signon for this would have access to all NCAA championships...read all sports including football. Teams that don't signon would be excluded from all NCAA championships.

I am betting most Teams outside of the B10 and SEC would consider this. Outside of football, there are many more schools involved with other sports.

Why would the NCAA take the risk of losing access to 40 schools? To get a share of the biggest revenue pool...football. Why would other teams consider giving up some control to the NCAA? Fighting off the big 2.

I think something dramatic has to happen to keep 2 conferences from taking over football.

American college Football League (AcF L)
National college Football League (NcFL).

Then they like the pros will regulate number of scholarships by penalizing the top teams to prevent top talent being hoarded.

 

[GoJacketsInRaleigh]

ESPN is the only that can save the ACC by paying the schools more. So they can try to force a merger of the ACC with the best of the PAC-12 and pay better to prevent the B1G (and Fox) from eventually taking more teams.

Or they can take who they want to the SEC and dump the rest of the conference.

I don't think there's a snowballs chance the ACC is around in 5 years. The GOR will be negotiated and teams will get out of those agreements if there is a large block ready to go somewhere.

 

[WreckinGT]

ESPN is the only that can save the ACC by paying the schools more. So they can try to force a merger of the ACC with the best of the PAC-12 and pay better to prevent the B1G (and Fox) from eventually taking more teams.

Or they can take who they want to the SEC and dump the rest of the conference.

I don't think there's a snowballs chance the ACC is around in 5 years. The GOR will be negotiated and teams will get out of those agreements if there is a large block ready to go somewhere.

There is one way out that I can see. ESPN finds a suitable landing spot for most of the conference and they vote to dissolve. That seems unlikely for the time being. Seems like the more likely outcome is that the ACC will expand and become the third power conference, well behind the front two but still viable.

 

[stinger 1957]

The money difference collapses ACC, not sure how it actually comes about but it will happen, too many schools that think they can do better being in one of the two big conferences will wield power some how, probably collectively even if it is behind the scenes.
Those that think the big metro TV areas are not important to "BIG" need to look at where USC and UCLA are located. I believe the ATL is our only chance at survival in major CFB, have thought so for a long time now. Not saying it happens, just our only chance IMO and I gather in the opinion of others on here.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

The money difference collapses ACC, not sure how it actually comes about but it will happen, too many schools that think they can do better being in one of the two big conferences will wield power some how, probably collectively even if it is behind the scenes.
Those that think the big metro TV areas are not important to "BIG" need to look at where USC and UCLA are located. I believe the ATL is our only chance at survival in major CFB, have thought so for a long time now. Not saying it happens, just our only chance IMO and I gather in the opinion of others on here.

You are correct in all those. The unknown is if the BIG wants a physical presence in Atlanta? In reality with TV and/or streaming anyone can watch any game anywhere these days so a physical presence is not nearly as important as it use to be. I’m sure every BIG fan in or near the 404 has the ability to watch their team every Saturday. I’m down in the most rural area of this state and I watch any team from GT to Penn State to USC every weekend. I just don’t think the powers at GT are up to selling themselves to the BIG. I hope I’m wrong. I think those that run GT are fine with us being relegated with the Wakes and Vandys to a league with real student athletes.

 

[GTBandit22]

Some ways Tech ends up conference wise in order of preference:
1.)invite to B1G or SEC, a seat at the table, and at least money is good while we try to not be Vandy.
2.) The ACC doesn’t fold, and GOR keeps teams put or at least most, then they add the carcasses that the B1G and SEC leave behind and become the 3rd power conference and ups their payout.
3.) The ACC dissolved and the non-leaving members split a large payout before joining with some left coast teams to form a new league. I would mind playing some games in Arizona, Texas and California. We already have worse in conference and the tradition is dead, might as well have some nice away games.

4 and beyond.) Leaving members get out of paying and Tech isn’t one of them. 3-6 of the better teams get poached leaving Tech and the Big East teams to pick up the pieces. Big 12/PAC get a big jump on backfilling, leaving the ACC with weaker programs,

1-3 are acceptable. 4 is the dirt on our football carcass, and sadly a very possible ending for the current situation.

 

[gameface]

On a lighter note, here is a quote from the Wall Street Journal on the B10 expansion: "USC and UCLA won’t be the last institutions to bolt to conferences that make no sense. Hold on for Oregon to the Big East. The Sorbonne to the WAC. Vineyard Vines to the Ivy League. Notre Dame to heaven…where they’d still lose in the playoff." The article is on the first page of the WSJ.

 

[MWBATL]

I think it's easy to forget why Ga Tech exists. It isn't for football.

It's what this message board is all about though...

 

[MWBATL]

From the outside looking in, looks like there will be three strong conferences when the dust settles with the ACC being third. If we could lock up ND, I’d be fine with that. And i can’t imagine FSU, Clemson, or anyone else jumping out of a small pond to get eaten in the big pond.

Notre Dame to the ACC? Fuhget about it!

 

[MWBATL]

I think it's easy to forget why Ga Tech exists. It isn't for football.

An article posted by @RamblinRed made an excellent point. For the first time in history, University Presidents will be in charge of not only their universities, but large for-profit corporations (their AA's) whose numbers are exploding exponentially and much faster than the academic side. Like it or not, it is in fact correct that the world has changed and it DOES exist for both reasons now.

It could choose, like the Ivy Leagues, to change the emphasis and turn its back on the money. But the Ivy Leagues are unique on that their academic side have such HUGE endowments they can afford to ignore the money in college sports and turn their noses up at it.

 

[MWBATL]

I am actually curious to see how this might eventually filter down to and affect other collegiate sports like basketball where historically the NCAA has controlled things (including the $$$).

 

[g0lftime]

Forget travel to away games except maybe well heeled family members. How many fans will attend games in California. Maybe one time but not every other year. The budgets for these conferences will be enormous. MBB, WBB, Baseball, tennis, swimming, lacrosse, field hockey, gymnastics, soccer, in addition to FB will require lots of travel and travel to the west coast takes time away from school. Maybe the model morphs into the ND model with FB only conferences and other sports play in secondary arrangements that don't require as much travel.
The travel in the ACC is bad enough as it is with ND Syracuse Boston. Imagine throwing in the west coast. A few schools may have some alums in those places but how many will care to attend games. It's becoming a made for TV model and to heck with the fans. It's all about the TV contracts.