Interest in a post realignment world

[billga99]

I think the Big 12 would take us though most are not in favor. The SEC owns Georgia and plays their championship here. The only reason the SEC to consider would be to keep the Big Ten out of the Atlanta market. I think that is a long shot. Going to the Big Ten is a possibility but that would probably lock us into mediocrity forever...look at MD, Rutgers and Nebraska. I think if the Big Ten takes FSU, I would think they would take at least 4 teams..the question is which teams

 

[billga99]

I think the Big 12 would take us though most are not in favor. The SEC owns Georgia and plays their championship here. The only reason the SEC to consider would be to keep the Big Ten out of the Atlanta market. I think that is a long shot. Going to the Big Ten is a possibility but that would probably lock us into mediocrity forever...look at MD, Rutgers and Nebraska. I think if the Big Ten takes FSU, I would think they would take at least 4 teams..the question is which tea

 

[forensicbuzz]

I just don’t see SC and Florida wanting Clemson and FSU, but they may get outvoted. Lot of SEC schools recruit Florida, so that may be a no also. Don’t see NC and VA politicians allowing those two schools to leave by themselves.

I'm arbitrarily choosing your post to respond to because it's relevant and I've been thinking about this lately. This will not happen, but at some level it makes sense to me.

The SEC wants to own the Southeast, where College Football is king over any other sport. The states they're in now, and where they could want to be with their in-state rivals. Conference of 24 teams that basically puts a fence around the Southeast (plus TX, OK, and MO).

Texas: UT and TA&M
Oklahoma: Oklahoma
Louisiana: LSU (only 1 major team in LA)
Arkansas: Arkansas (only 1 major team in AR)
Missouri: Missouri (only 1 major team in MO)
Mississippi: Ole Miss and Miss St.
Alabama: Alabama & Auburn
Tennessee: Vanderbilt & Tennessee
Georgia: GT and uga
Florida: FSU and UF
South Carolina: Clemson and South Carolina
North Carolina: UNC & NC State
Virgina: UVa and VPI
Kentucky: Louisville and Kentucky

I don't see this happening or anyone really wanting this to happen, but I could see it being explored once CFB blows up. You're tying up the two biggest programs in each of the states of interest. This maintains the regionality without reducing the product. Schools that don't want this: Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Six team pods (leaving out Miami and Ok. St.)

Florida/Georgia/South Carolina
North Carolina/Virginia/Kentucky
Alabama/Mississippi/Tennessee
Texas/Oklahoma/Missouri/Arkansas/Louisiana

There are enough good teams, medium teams, and lower level teams that it's not just crushing every week. It would make for compelling match-ups and good football.

Hey, it's the off-season. CFB is going to blow up and conferences as we know them will be a thing of yesterday.

 

[AUFC]

It’s plausible we establish ourselves as a basketball school in the not-so-distant future and the Big 12 jumps at taking us. Damon Stoudamire is really stacking talent over on the northeast corner of campus. I think this year’s team sneaks in the NCAA Tournament (possibly the First Four).

 

[gtbb]

My preference, in order: 1) ACC with no changes; 2) SEC; 3) B1G; 4) B12

I think the current ACC suits us well, if we have our act together as a football program. However if FSU leaves, that will start the dominos falling, and I don't want us left behind in a diminished conference. If that occurs, then I prefer the SEC, because that's geographically our best place. But I realize we likely won't get an SEC invitation ever. So, if the ACC falls apart, I hope the B1G maybe likes our location & our AAU status, and our football program is competitive enough by then to make us attractive.

 

[MusicalBuzz]

Six team pods (leaving out Miami and Ok. St.)

Florida/Georgia/South Carolina
North Carolina/Virginia/Kentucky
Alabama/Mississippi/Tennessee
Texas/Oklahoma/Missouri/Arkansas/Louisiana


Hey, it's the off-season. CFB is going to blow up and conferences as we know them will be a thing of yesterday.

I like this. A lot. And particularly if the plan goes with the 6-team pod model — which effectively brings back or re-establishes consistent regional rivalries. And on that note, it seems to me that the larger the “conferences” become the more likely this happens as it seems logical to create smaller, sub-regional divisions among 20+ schools.

 

[Vespidae]

Matt Brown from extrapoints.com, opined that in 5 years … there will be no NIL, players will be employees, and coaches salaries will plummet, as you can’t pay players AND coaches. Rivalries will be irrelevant… it will hang on matchups, ratings, share.

He suggested that CFB is and will be, a two conference sport. Another round of realignment will likely occur in 5 years after which … those not in either of the Two will fade away.

He also indicated that many sports funded by football (e.g., soccer) will collapse.

 

[4shotB]

Matt Brown from extrapoints.com, opined that in 5 years …

He also indicated that many sports funded by football (e.g., soccer) will collapse.

Question: is this a person whose opinion has any merit as far as you know? I haven't heard of him but that is really not of significance.

Regarding the second sentence in the quoted post...amen to that. I have absolutely no issue with sports that can not support themselves going away or perhaps, better yet, dropping to club/intramural status. And this applies to ALL sports fwiw not just the ones that I like to follow. I am an equal opportunity capitalist by nature.

 

[Vespidae]

Question: is this a person whose opinion has any merit as far as you know? I haven't heard of him but that is really not of significance.

Regarding the second sentence in the quoted post...amen to that. I have absolutely no issue with sports that can not support themselves going away or perhaps, better yet, dropping to club/intramural status. And this applies to ALL sports fwiw not just the ones that I like to follow. I am an equal opportunity capitalist by nature.

I would say MB has merit. He’s at all the conference and AD meetings and is engaged more than most. He speaks to the decision makers directly… I would encourage anyone involved in college sports to follow him.

100% re club sports. That’s what’s going to happen as the profit gap narrows in the revenue sports. Twirl Dancing is toast.

Extra Points

Coverage of the off-the-field forces that shape college sports

www.extrapointsmb.com

 

[Bogey]

It looks like there are about 260% voting?

The total votes is not updating as votes are cast, stopped updating. Total votes is ~242 rather than 91 causing %s to be way wrong.

 

[Southern psu fan]

College football is changing and I believe Ohio St, Penn St, Michigan, USC, Oregon and teams like Wisconsin would put fans in the stands and sellout GT games at home. There’s a lot of different fans bases around the Atlanta area. Some of this stuff is way above my head but I’ve heard the big 10 pays big money and I’ve also heard GT would be a good fit for the big 10. Could the big 10 be what GT football needs to help with the money issues? Please understand I’m just a regular GT football fan but I do listen to what you folks say on here about money issues at GT. Brent Key getting this football team back winning again will also help.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I think the Big 12 would take us though most are not in favor. The SEC owns Georgia and plays their championship here. The only reason the SEC to consider would be to keep the Big Ten out of the Atlanta market. I think that is a long shot. Going to the Big Ten is a possibility but that would probably lock us into mediocrity forever...look at MD, Rutgers and Nebraska. I think if the Big Ten takes FSU, I would think they would take at least 4 teams..the question is which teams

Lock us into mediocrity? Hmmm, because our media market is comparable to Nebraska? Because Maryland is a recruiting hotbed just like Georgia? Because our traditions and history aren’t any better than Rutgers?

I think if you are a southern athlete you are either an SEC sycophant or you are looking for something different in an education. If you want to be in the SEC you probably want the total SEC experience which is more like Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss or Auburn, not Tech. I think at this point in history, joining the SEC would definitely lock us into mediocrity.

 

[Vespidae]

College football is changing and I believe Ohio St, Penn St, Michigan, USC, Oregon and teams like Wisconsin would put fans in the stands and sellout GT games at home. There’s a lot of different fans bases around the Atlanta area. Some of this stuff is way above my head but I’ve heard the big 10 pays big money and I’ve also heard GT would be a good fit for the big 10. Could the big 10 be what GT football needs to help with the money issues? Please understand I’m just a regular GT football fan but I do listen to what you folks say on here about money issues at GT. Brent Key getting this football team back winning again will also help.

Improvement of the football team is a drawing factor for many fans, no question. So is scheduling.

NCAA data on attendance shows that attendance (in addition to the two already mentioned factors) is heavily driven by the density of alumni within 5 miles of the stadium. In urban areas like Atlanta, cost to attend is a significant factor. Even value season tickets can still be cost-prohibitive for young alumni in or around metro Atlanta, where the median rent is over $2,000.

Tech has one of the oldest fan bases in the country and Stansbury tried to address this. Still, if you want a full stadium, Tech has to get fans interested AND make it affordable. Which makes getting into a better media arrangement even more important.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Question: is this a person whose opinion has any merit as far as you know? I haven't heard of him but that is really not of significance.

Regarding the second sentence in the quoted post...amen to that. I have absolutely no issue with sports that can not support themselves going away or perhaps, better yet, dropping to club/intramural status. And this applies to ALL sports fwiw not just the ones that I like to follow. I am an equal opportunity capitalist by nature.

I hear you but universities did not start out as capitalist ventures exactly. We may evolve into that but a lot of changes would have to happen along the way. I have not a clue as to how all this will eventually play out but my gut feeling is that the college experience would be greatly diminished if “non revenue” sports are lost.

 

[MacDaddy2]

I hear you but universities did not start out as capitalist ventures exactly. We may evolve into that but a lot of changes would have to happen along the way. I have not a clue as to how all this will eventually play out but my gut feeling is that the college experience would be greatly diminished if “non revenue” sports are lost.

Agree BUT the impact to GT would be greater if football ceased to exist in its current P4 state.

 

[stinger78]

You can also downsize your stadium and work to create alternative income streams. Perhaps some type of on-demand PPV with a knowledgeable insider as host, etc.

 

[Vespidae]

I think if you are a southern athlete you are either an SEC sycophant or you are looking for something different in an education.

I can state with certainty and personal experience that student athletes attending SEC want one thing: A path to the League. That‘s it. (Education is not even on the list.)

IMO, the future of Tech is recruiting quality athletes through the portal that are disillusioned with any of the major schools and offer a noble alternative (playing time+education). Haynes King may be an example of that (but I don’t know enough about him to say that with certainty.)

 

[4shotB]

I hear you but universities did not start out as capitalist ventures exactly. We may evolve into that but a lot of changes would have to happen along the way. I have not a clue as to how all this will eventually play out but my gut feeling is that the college experience would be greatly diminished if “non revenue” sports are lost.

I tend to agree with this so I amended my comment a bit. I see a place for them but at the club level status or even intramural status rather than disappearing altogether. Let them exist at the level that we currently support lax, rugby or ice hockey...all of which are relatively competitive regionally from what I understand. I think the student athlete experience nor the school is not diminished overall by taking a van full of athletes who are playing bc they love their sport to play Mercer or West Ga. vs. flying the same group on scholarship to play the very same games against Syracuse or Miami.

 

[4shotB]

IMO, the future of Tech is recruiting quality athletes through the portal that are disillusioned with any of the major schools and offer a noble alternative (playing time+education). Haynes King may be an example of that (but I don’t know enough about him to say that with certainty.)

I couldn't agree more with you on this. This should be fertile territory going forward especially if we can continue to build the program. As an aside, it would be fun to have a beer (legal disclaimer: assuming they are old enough to do so) with the guys who did transfer in from TA&M, Uga, Michigan, Auburn, etc. to compare and contrast their experiences here vs. at one of the so-called "factory" schools.

 

[UgaBlows]

I don’t think getting into the SEC or BIG will lock us into mediocrity any more so than we are now. The alternative is to essentially be relegated to G5 status or worse. The ACC (if it survives) and Big12 are going to get left behind moneywise, and will possibly eventually get locked out of the playoffs. If GT gets a seat at the table with either of the big boys, it will allow us to pay off our debt, make fan friendly improvements to the stadium. Recruiting will be better funded and will absolutely get better in the BIG or SEC. We will be able to afford top-level coaches, analysts, and assistants and keep them. We are not freaking Rutgers, Vandy or Maryland we can hold our own anywhere with the right coaches, the proper administrative support and better fan support.