Conference Realignment

[CEB]

Mods delete if already posted. I say "meh" myself.

Sources: Big Ten has begun preliminary talks to potentially add Oregon, Washington, Cal and Stanford

The Big Ten has been reluctant to move to 20 teams, even if many in college athletics believe expansive superconferences are inevitable.

sports.yahoo.com

This is comical!
Not directed @BilldGopher ...

This realignment stuff is like college football reality TV at this point. So many people want attention that I can’t tell who to pay attention to!

 

[cpf2001]

A Big 10 that would be willing to take Oregon/Washington/Cal/Stanford seems like one that would be interested in GT if FSU shows a way to leave the ACC.

I live in CA and honestly it often seems like the midwest Big 10 schools are more popular here than at least 3 of those 4!

 

[slugboy]

I don’t understand how the northwestern schools add enough value to the B1G when they don’t reportedly add enough for the ACC

ACC officials reportedly 'disinterested' in adding Oregon, Washington - Saturday Road

ACC officials are not interested.

saturdayroad.com

If Oregon and Washington added $40 mil per school, they’d pull our average up slightly and the B1G average down significantly if they were added to either conference. Apparently, they don’t even pull the ACC average per school up.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Why would the ACC want 4 West Coast teams at all. The 10pm EST games would draw miniscule ratings. GT at Cal and 10pm EST in early November. No thanks! Having lived in Monterrey, CA and Tacoma, WA, football interest simply is not the same as it is in the Southeast. That's a big reason the PAC 12 couldn't get a decent contract. Add in most of the US isn't watching games at 10pm. No thanks to any West Coast tema!

Why would you think a game on the West Coast would start at 7 pm local time when they're playing an East Coast team? If it's a Noon local kickoff, that's 3 pm EST. If it's a 3:30 pm local kickoff, that's 6:30 EST. I don't see issues with those times. That being said, I'm not advocating to add West Coast teams.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I don’t understand how the northwestern schools add enough value to the B1G when they don’t reportedly add enough for the ACC

Part of the advantage the B1G has is that their TV deal is with Fox, CBS, and NBC. Those networks aren't in the financial bind that ESPN is in. Leveraging the increase across three networks is beneficial for everyone, whereas ESPN would be the sole fish on the financial hook if we added teams.

 

[RonJohn]

This is comical!
Not directed @BilldGopher ...

This realignment stuff is like college football reality TV at this point. So many people want attention that I can’t tell who to pay attention to!

I don't think the schools nor the conferences are seeking attention. On the other hand, Twitter people gonna do what Twitter people do. This week it is conference realignment. A few weeks ago it was a poorly designed submersible vehicle that imploded. A few months ago it was the British royal family. Something is always going to be the hotly talked about and argued about item. In a few weeks, the fervor for conference alignment will disappear and Twitter will be full of people talking about something else that makes no difference to everyday life.

 

[Root4GT]

Why would you think a game on the West Coast would start at 7 pm local time when they're playing an East Coast team? If it's a Noon local kickoff, that's 3 pm EST. If it's a 3:30 pm local kickoff, that's 6:30 EST. I don't see issues with those times. That being said, I'm not advocating to add West Coast teams.

Those times are are ready filled with current ACC Games. That’s one big reason the PAC 12 struggles for TV contracts. The other conferences SEC, B1G, ACC and B12 all play their prime games in those slots.

You just aren’t adding valuable TV content to the majority of America. Look at current OAC 12 game start times. Look at the start times for lower tier teams in the other P5 conferences.

 

[stinger 1957]

Speculation on my part, I'm guessing that we end up with a National CFB conference that evolves out of the Big 10 expansion over the coming years. I'm guessing it will include Miami, GT, UNC at some point. It probably will eventually involve many more to go to what size? I have no idea, but guessing it will involve schools that have good media mkts. I could see AZ. ST., S. FL at some point but probably not in the near future.

 

[cpf2001]

I don’t understand how the northwestern schools add enough value to the B1G when they don’t reportedly add enough for the ACC

ACC officials reportedly 'disinterested' in adding Oregon, Washington - Saturday Road

ACC officials are not interested.

saturdayroad.com

If Oregon and Washington added $40 mil per school, they’d pull our average up slightly and the B1G average down significantly if they were added to either conference. Apparently, they don’t even pull the ACC average per school up.

If I was the Big 10 I'd be looking at it as a "what does a league need to survive long-term" and I think geographical dispersion is an advantage. In thirty years, an SEC that's purely southeast+Texas seems to be a much less nationally-marketable product with a much lower potential population to pull subscribers from than a national Big 10.

But I think there's a definite short-term cost.

Part of the advantage the B1G has is that their TV deal is with Fox, CBS, and NBC. Those networks aren't in the financial bind that ESPN is in. Leveraging the increase across three networks is beneficial for everyone, whereas ESPN would be the sole fish on the financial hook if we added teams.

If they aren't yet I'd be shocked if they aren't soon. Paramount (CBS) is losing money. I think Fox is too, but I might be wrong about who owns which parts of that now. Comcast and Disney aren't, and Comcast has some advantages over Disney by owning a lot of cable infrastructure that's useful for internet even if people cancel cable, but they're still facing a big loss of that cable revenue soon.

But I think given how far behind Fox/CBS/NBC are in terms of overall sports content library compared to ESPN, it might still make a lot more sense for them to be aggressive rather than standing pat. If Disney wanted to throw more money at ESPN they could, but if they see it as a long-term-money-loser at today's media rights costs, then that would catch up with the others eventually too.

 

[forensicbuzz]

The ACC as we know it is done.

As the link above reveals, FSU is gone no matter what

Not sure I agree with them. Half a billion dollars is a bunch of money. Gone in 2036, sure. 2025..meh.

 

[slugboy]

There are reports that the B1G is offering partial revenue shares to the P12 candidates. Both more than they’re getting in the P12, but my guess is that it won’t cut much into anyone’s existing distribution. So, if Washington and Oregon bring $30 million of additional value to the contracts, that’s what they’re getting.

@Augusta_Jacket and @cpf2001 this seems to answer my revenue question

 

[CEB]

I don't think the schools nor the conferences are seeking attention. On the other hand, Twitter people gonna do what Twitter people do. This week it is conference realignment. A few weeks ago it was a poorly designed submersible vehicle that imploded. A few months ago it was the British royal family. Something is always going to be the hotly talked about and argued about item. In a few weeks, the fervor for conference alignment will disappear and Twitter will be full of people talking about something else that makes no difference to everyday life.

Absolutely... I didn’t intend to insinuate the schools were seeking attention!

Well... Except for FSU. At this point I think FSU is dying for a BIG / SEC invite and just whoring itself out. “The GOR is the last thing we’re worried about and it won’t prevent us from leaving,” is just their way of saying, “don’t worry, baby, I’m clean. I’ll show you a good time.”

 

[Billygoat91]

FSU needs to go the EPL route and get sponsored by Qatar Airways to leave to ACC GOR. The seem determined to leave so might as well sell your soul to do it.

 

[cpf2001]

FSU needs to go the EPL route and get sponsored by Qatar Airways to leave to ACC GOR. The seem determined to leave so might as well sell your soul to do it.

FSU's soul ain't worth half a billion anymore.

 

[Roswellgoldmember]

Absolutely... I didn’t intend to insinuate the schools were seeking attention!

Well... Except for FSU. At this point I think FSU is dying for a BIG / SEC invite and just whoring itself out. “The GOR is the last thing we’re worried about and it won’t prevent us from leaving,” is just their way of saying, “don’t worry, baby, I’m clean. I’ll show you a good time.”

This public BOT meeting is embarrassing.

 

[forensicbuzz]

It's interesting how much FSU thinks of themselves. They've been an also ran for the better part of the last 20 years (with 1 small blip).

 

[roadkill]

It's interesting how much FSU thinks of themselves. They've been an also ran for the better part of the last 20 years (with 1 small blip).

Agreed. I listened to most of the podcast. All the "noise" appears based on comments and interviews with FSU's BoT chair, Peter Collins. While he certainly is in a position to know what's going on, he plays the GoR issue close to the vest, not hinting at what FSU's strategy might be. All I can say is, talk is cheap.
The landing spot issue is key. Unless the GoR is broken, going independent gets FSU nothing.

 

[cpf2001]

I wonder if this is how outsiders felt about GT leaving the SEC. :|

 

[slugboy]

More paywall—it’s not revenue, it’s growth (or lack of it). ESPN is making money, it’s not accelerating fast enough though:

How ESPN Went From Disney’s Financial Engine to Its Problem

The sports juggernaut continues to earn billions of dollars for Disney, but profits are down and opportunities for growth have dwindled.

www.nytimes.com

 

[RonJohn]

I'll have to look back at the constitution and bylaws for the conference, but the GOR that was signed remains in effect whether the school remains a member of the conference or not. The ACC should kick FSU out of the conference, but not release them from the GOR. That would be an immediate increase of about $3.5 million in revenue per school.

FSU would claim that isn't fair, but apparently they have a president and a BOT that is solely interested in what is best for FSU so they already have a strong team helping their interests. The rest of the conference should look out for itself and do what is best for them, whether it is good for FSU or not.