Techster
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UGA doesn't matter to the B1G or Big 12. Also, a LOT can change in 13 years.
Conference Realignment
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UGA doesn't matter to the B1G or Big 12. Also, a LOT can change in 13 years.
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The fact that ATL TV viewers prefer uga (by a lot) does though. We're probably the 4th or 5th most popular college football team in the area. More ATL people cheer for other SEC schools than cheer for us. Unless we see a major shift in our fortunes, I am not sure the ATL TV market is the crown jewel for us it used to be.
cpf2001
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I don’t know if I’d read anything more than ageism and penny pinching into ESPN firings of behind the scenes veterans, or even personalities. They definitely have a “we need to cut costs” perception as it relates to Disney shareholders, but that can happen well in advance of true financial problems actually manifesting.
SOWEGA Jacket
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I get that you in Chicago and I live in South Georgia. But that doesn’t mean that we can only speak on areas we live. Both of us have been college football freaks a long time. I became a fan in 1979 when I was 9 and moved from Maryland (where all I knew was Lefty) to Mobile where it was the Bear. Of course I choose Auburn as my team because I always side with the underdog. Attending GT was the perfect choice for me.
With that said, I do know the BIG and I hope GT joins that conference. But, I also know they have been a 1 team conference in football lately. Michigan is currently what UGA was which was the team who got close over and over. Maybe they’ll break through soon. I also know that Harbaugh upon becoming coach attended and started holding his own camps all over South Georgia because the players down south far outweigh his Midwest players. It’s probably the opposite for soccer and rugby recruiting but I don’t know. I’m a Penn State fan due to many cousins attending there since my parents are from PA so I know what they are - which has been disappoint after disappoint year after year. So yes, they’d be a top 4 ACC team but that’s not something to beat your chest about. Heck, under CPJ we were a top 4 ACC program with Clemson, FSU, and VT. Once you get past OSU, Michigan, and Penn State what do you have? You have the same mess of mid level programs like the ACC has. I’d put GT right now up against anyone in the BIG outside of OSU, Michigan, Penn State and we have no idea what GT will be this year. Just like we have no idea what Purdue, Minny, Indiana, Mich State, Northwestern, etc will be. Heck, I’ve been a fan of Wisky as the underdog type team but do we even know what they’ll be?
I think it’s a safe bet to say that the OSU/Mich winner will get smoked in the playoffs by 1 of the 2 SEC teams that make it. The ACC Champ will get whipped by the other SEC team. It’s a rigged sport right now.
Root4GT
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Rigged? The SEC just figured it out first and was willing to spend what it took to win. When a coach who won a NC at FSU left for A&M that said a lot. When ND’s winningest coach left for LSU it said a lot. When a highly successful coach left Wisconsin for Arkansas it said a lot.
The Universities in the SEC care more about football than any other conference. There is very little competition from the NFL in SEC Land and the NGL Teams there don’t have the history the Midwest teams have.
Vespidae
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When were you in Mobile?
As to a rigged game, CFB is a business now. It’s not “athletics”, it’s money. And increasingly concentrated into a handful of teams. Sixteen teams now have 50% of the total college football fanbase.
Papa Foxtrot
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FWIW
Vespidae
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Auburn has spent $35 million on buyouts. And that doesn’t even include assistants. Winning is important.
Why? Auburn isn’t a city, it’s a village. And 90% of the tax base is earned during football season. Sales taxes, business profits, real estate value ALL depend on athletic success.
A coach who doesn’t win drags everyone down with him. That’s ultimately why Malzahn was fired.
Right now, enthusiasm is at an all time high. Everyone is expecting Freeze to win. New stores, new construction… it is all driven by on field success.
That‘s the SEC. Small towns mostly dependent upon the university. Economically, winning is really a big deal. That’s not true everywhere but … it is here. The town dies without it and everyone knows it.
GoJacketsInRaleigh
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Pretty clear they aren't targeting the 40-60 year olds that are committed to sports and they are targeting the younger crowd that don't give a rip anyway. The NFL pregame show with Ryan Clark and RG3 was a mess tonight. They just aren't very good.
Diana Russini just left and join the Athletic too. Good people see the writing on the wall and are jumping off. I bet Fitting ends up with Fox or CBS. He's really good
RonJohn
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ATL TV viewers don't matter (at least as a regional base), but ATL TV households would matter to the Big10 Network and it does matter to the ACCN. If a team had 5 million regular viewers, it wouldn't matter where they are located.
The importance of the market area is dwindling as TV subscriptions go down, but it is still a lot of money. Estimates from several years ago estimate the difference to SECN, ACCN, and Big10 Network to be about $1 per subscriber for every subscriber in a market with a conference team vs in a market without a conference team. So, Big10 network would get an additional $1 per month for every Cable/Sat/streaming broadcast service subscriber in the Atlanta market, and probably the entire state of GA if GT were in the Big10. That is before any viewers actually watch any games involving GT. I don't know how many linear TV subscribers there are in GA, but that could be $3-5 million per month currently. Not enough to make up $100 million per year in revenue, but a decent start.
I do understand that subscriptions to linear TV is going down. However, it still is important to the conference money calculations and it will be for at least several more years. Twenty years from now, it probably won't make any difference. Three years from now it still will. Where that cutoff is is not clear to me.
forensicbuzz
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The B1G is like the SEC. They have a bunch of decent teams that rise and fall from average to good to great and back to average year after year. When these big schools get BIG COACHES, they rise to the top. When they have average coaches, they are average. That's what happens in the SEC, PAC12, Big12, B1G, and ACC. In college football, it's about the coaching staff; their ability to recruit, their ability to coach up; their ability to game manage. If we spent $15MM on coaching, we'd be a Top10 team, year after year.
I just don't think the SEC is all that. Are they probably the top conference RIGHT NOW, yeah, probably. But not by the large margin they want people to think they are.
Edit: Side Note - One of my son's friends went to Wisconsin. Apparently, alumni kind of roll their eyes at people who call it Whisky. No one calls it that. It came up in conversation when I called it Whisky and he snickered. I then did a little internet research and found that he was correct.
ThatGuy
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This is a great point, and one that I keep considering. GT is worth a lot now due to linear TV contract arrangements. As you said, it's worth a lot, just based on the surrounding population - even before viewership. That's huge, and a big reason why the Big 10 approached us 10 years ago. (And also a reason why they went after the west coast).
But you're also right re: an inflection point coming. Some analysts are saying it's already passed. So our value at some point will be tied to viewership. And while it's frustrating that companies like ESPN and FOX create self-licking ice cream cones on the viewership front (FSU, the entire SEC, etc, all getting prime time slots even when not good), we have to play the hand we're dealt.
There's definitely short term n=money on the table for someone to pick up GT. Will that money still be available when the Grant of Rights expires? Remains to be seen, but I'm leaning towards 'no.' Which means we're officially at "make or break" time. I think Key can do it, but proof is in the pudding. I don't expect a miraculous turnaround, but I do expect to see consistent improvement under his leadership. We'll see a glimpse of what's in store in a week and a half...
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I got an interesting text from my UNC friend last night in response to my "what happened?" text.
He said, in effect, that ACC presidents met last Friday and decided they needed additional information before having a formal vote. He is not sure what info they needed. All this is coming from UNC. The meeting called for today is to vote up or down. Still not sure if SMU is included.
My question in this, which he has never answered, is what role is Phillips playing in these discussions? The ACC office has been eerily quiet at a time when the future of the conference is being discussed.
He said, in effect, that ACC presidents met last Friday and decided they needed additional information before having a formal vote. He is not sure what info they needed. All this is coming from UNC. The meeting called for today is to vote up or down. Still not sure if SMU is included.
My question in this, which he has never answered, is what role is Phillips playing in these discussions? The ACC office has been eerily quiet at a time when the future of the conference is being discussed.
stech81
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I'm sure we will keep waiting till we see another conference invite them.
Papa Foxtrot
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The entire DIS organization is a disaster right now. ESPN knows that they have a dying business model and are trying to cut costs wherever they can. They had overpaid much of their on-air talent(cough:david pollack), so they've cut down the middle tier. Both top line revenue and profit are dropping fast as more people cut cords and those subscriber fees dry up. They need to transition to a different distribution model, but can't seem to figure out what that will look like. I think DIS+ was supposed to be the template, but that's losing money also. They're holding a lot of overpriced broadcast rights with no idea how to monetize that product in the future.
Oldgoldandwhite
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My question is what roll does ESPN, other networks, and outside influences play in this?
LT 1967
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Strictly my guess, but ESPN will play the largest role due to the money they will cough up for SF Market. Notre Dame next---Will ND be willing to go to 6 ACC games?
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Now would be an ideal time to extract some consession from ND. They are pushing hard for Stanford and California to be members.
Techwood Relict
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I'd say this has been the holdup in the next round of voting. How much squeeze?
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I'm with others that now would be a good time to push ND for concessions. I'd ask if ACC adds Cal and Stanford that they be willing to play 6 games against ACC teams each year and ACC will guarantee one will be against Cal or Stanford. Knowing that they will play Stanford every year that means some years they will play 7 games against ACC teams (When they play both Cal and Stanford) and other years will play 6. (My assumption is any year Stanford is an ACC scheduled game they will schedule them as a 'non-conference' game). Every additional game ACC plays against ND brings in more value for ESPN.
Also, many are underestimating the value of the ACC. ACC is a clear #3 behind the Big 2 and will remain that way for some time. B12 has no schools that are appealing to SEC or B1G and in less populated areas. As long as ND has a deal with ACC it will always remain #3. If ACC adds Stanford and Cal then imo even if a handful of teams were to eventually leave ACC would still remain in a stronger position than the B12. I don't see a scenario where the B12 gobbles up the ACC.
I don't see a way for the ACC to close the gap with the Big 2 - there are things it can do where it would be easily the #3.
The fact is there are multiple tiers in CFB and ACC (along with B12) are in Tier 2 with SEC and B1G in Tier 1 and the G5 conferences basically being Tier 3. The only question is whether the Big 2 will try to make those tiers official or keep it like it is now.
Also, many are underestimating the value of the ACC. ACC is a clear #3 behind the Big 2 and will remain that way for some time. B12 has no schools that are appealing to SEC or B1G and in less populated areas. As long as ND has a deal with ACC it will always remain #3. If ACC adds Stanford and Cal then imo even if a handful of teams were to eventually leave ACC would still remain in a stronger position than the B12. I don't see a scenario where the B12 gobbles up the ACC.
I don't see a way for the ACC to close the gap with the Big 2 - there are things it can do where it would be easily the #3.
The fact is there are multiple tiers in CFB and ACC (along with B12) are in Tier 2 with SEC and B1G in Tier 1 and the G5 conferences basically being Tier 3. The only question is whether the Big 2 will try to make those tiers official or keep it like it is now.