Conference Realignment

[Oldgoldandwhite]

1. ESPN gets spun out of Disney and goes bankrupt
2. CFB programs across the country drowning in debt without the TV money
3. Gambling companies swoop in but in exchange for giving schools/conferences new $$$ broadcast deals they insist on more actual parity-encouraging measures

The surprise anti-hero we didn't know we needed?

First two May happen. I am doubtful on 3. Fans would lose what faith they had in the system.

 

[RamblinRed]

B12 may want to add 1 more P5 school to get to 14 before their new contract starts. AZ would be their top choice. If they have to add a G5 school UConn appears to be the only option they are really interested in.

Big 12 expansion: Conference prefers to add one more school after Colorado with Arizona seen as favorite

The Big 12 would ideally be a 14-team league once this round of conference realignment comes to a close

www.cbssports.com

 

[cpf2001]

1. I don't see ESPN going bankrupt. While they have overextended on TV contracts, there is still way too much demand for their product. There will be some lean years while they restructure their business model, but I think they will be around for the long haul.

True, I think if ESPN gets into big trouble they would go to the conferences and say something like “you can agree with us to cut this by X percent or you can take your chances getting anything close to that if we go bankrupt.”

The ability of people to not pay contracts and eventually get away with it was eye-opening while working at a declining company a while back.

 

[RonJohn]

I don't think any of those schools would sign the long ACC GOR. Modifying the ACC GOR would open the doors for more expansion by the Big10 and SEC. That would mean that the only way to get those schools into the ACC would be to set it up so that at least half of those schools would almost immediately leave the ACC along with 4-8 other teams leaving the ACC. There are probably some schools in the ACC that would want that result, but not enough to vote it through. The current ACC, plus those schools is a long shot.

I just saw the old GOR posted and looked through it again. Section 4 says that the conference will not admit any new member who does not agree to be bound by the GOR agreement.

 

[MaverickGT]

Clemson and FSU about to leave ACC

 

[Techster]

Clemson and FSU about to leave ACC

The penalty for exiting the ACC GOR is pretty clear and pretty air tight. Unless Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos is funding their buyout, it's more internet gossip than reality.

 

[RonJohn]

Clemson and FSU about to leave ACC

Since when have random people on Twitter been a reliable news source?

 

[awbuzz]

Yea, i would pay nil to the other teams the long snapper - and there goes the point spread

Since bettins out, how bout some other vice? Show them the money.

There are some spreads you can't bet against...

 

[Richard7125]

Clemson and FSU about to leave ACC

One of the reasons the SEC didn’t go to a 9 game schedule is because ESPN wasn’t going to pay them more money. That suggests ESPN has enough SEC content right now. Adding more teams to the SEC isn’t going to change that equation. Just because FSU or Clemson (or anyone) want to join, doesn’t mean they can.

 

[CEB]

Since when have random people on Twitter been a reliable news source?

Let em go! the math works in our favor… The two $40 million shares they’re walking away from will give the rest of us a $6.5million bump annually. I’m sure we’ll let them pay their buyout over 5 years, so that will yield us another $4 million each annually. $50-$52 million annually sounds pretty solid.

I am curious what they will do once they are $120 million lighter and have nothing to market for another conference, but I’m sure Twitter has that figured out too

 

[CEB]

One of the reasons the SEC didn’t go to a 9 game schedule is because ESPN wasn’t going to pay them more money. That suggests ESPN has enough SEC content right now. Adding more teams to the SEC isn’t going to change that equation. Just because FSU or Clemson (or anyone) want to join, doesn’t mean they can.

But the Internet rumor is even better than that… They are leaving for the Big Ten! So not only have they figured out how to work around the GOR, the Big Ten has also decided that they will look past the seven other ACC schools with AAU membership in favor of the two that havent attained it yet

 

[TooTall]

Hey go easy on folks who say F$U and Clempson are leaving the ACC... some guys also believe strippers like them for who they are.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Hey go easy on folks who say F$U and Clempson are leaving the ACC... some guys also believe strippers like them for who they are.

There just aren’t any meaningful relationships anymore are there.

 

[BilldGopher]

Here's the Clemson and FSU source. Yuk.

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-expansion-rumors-clemson-florida-state-oregon-washington

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

One of the reasons the SEC didn’t go to a 9 game schedule is because ESPN wasn’t going to pay them more money. That suggests ESPN has enough SEC content right now doesn't have enough extra cash to give right now. Adding more teams to the SEC isn’t going to change that equation. Just because FSU or Clemson (or anyone) want to join, doesn’t mean they can.

FIFY

 

[slugboy]

Here's the Clemson and FSU source. Yuk.

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-expansion-rumors-clemson-florida-state-oregon-washington

That’s the first source that isn’t a “no name” source. It’s Athlon saying that Barstool is hearing rumors.

We do have solid info that FSU has been looking for a way out. If it’s B1G, it’s CBS and Fox—so ESPN’s money issues aren’t as much of a factor.

 

[Techster]

Here's the Clemson and FSU source. Yuk.

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-expansion-rumors-clemson-florida-state-oregon-washington

B1G would have to pay for FSU's and Clemson's buyout...which would be in the hundred of millions PLUS B1G would not be able to televise FSU and Clemson's home games due to GOR. Don't see it happening for the ACC schools.

On a tangential note, when USC and UCLA left the PAC12 I said the B1G was planning to "cut the head" off other conferences. Look at what's going on with the PAC12. If Clemson and FSU leave, it would effectively kill the ACC. That strategy serves several purposes:

1. It kills the competition for the region B1G is trying to penetrate. They have effectively killed the PAC12's control of the West Coast. SEC has pretty much killed the Big 12 competition in the Southwest by taking UT Austin and Oklahoma.
2. It loosens the ties that keep teams together in a conference. ACC did it first with the Big East, and looks like the B1G and SEC will eventually do it with the ACC. B1G tried to take GT from the ACC in 2012, but through some bad decisions (by GT) and strong ties in the ACC, GT remained with the ACC. Well, if the B1G poaches 2 of the ACC's "heads", it loosens the ACC's grip on other targets (GT, UNC, UVA, Miami). Oregon and Washington would sell their kids to go to the B1G now.
3. It heads off any potential lawsuits from the "left out" members in the conferences they're targeting.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

PLUS B1G would not be able to televise FSU and Clemson's home games due to GOR

They could televise them, we'd just get the revenue generated by said game.

 

[g0lftime]

Let em go! the math works in our favor… The two $40 million shares they’re walking away from will give the rest of us a $6.5million bump annually. I’m sure we’ll let them pay their buyout over 5 years, so that will yield us another $4 million each annually. $50-$52 million annually sounds pretty solid.

I am curious what they will do once they are $120 million lighter and have nothing to market for another conference, but I’m sure Twitter has that figured out too

Let them go to the SEC and see how their fans like struggling to win half their games. The AD's will like the extra money for a while until the sidewalk fans leave them. The brashness of FSU is rather amusing in all this conference churn. It seems like they have wanted to exit the ACC for several years now.

 

[RonJohn]

They could televise them, we'd just get the revenue generated by said game.

That isn't the way the GOR is worded. The ACC owns the broadcast rights for all member schools. The ACC owns the copyright to all of the broadcasts, during and after the broadcast. The Big10 would not be able to negotiate the broadcast of the FSU nor Clemson home games, since the Big10, Clemson, nor FSU would own those rights to negotiate.

That said, there was a Twitter post that said FSU had negotiated a complete buyout for $300 million. I don't believe that to be real. The GOR would have to be modified to let FSU out of it. Any modification of the GOR requires every single member to approve it. There are some schools who are worried about the ACC collapsing and who are unlikely to sign it. There are some schools who would like to leave the ACC also, and they are unlikely to sign off on FSU getting out while they are still stuck. There will not be unanimous approval to allow FSU to leave. There especially will not be unanimous approval to let FSU to purchase their TV broadcast rights back for $150 million. ($300 million minus approx. $150 for the actual buyout amount)