the issues I see are
1. "pe" will want dumb shit to make money (like stated just below my first post).....all type of crass/stupid shit that is anything to bring in another dollar
2. I think there is a thought that they will negotiate better, but I cannot see ESPN or anyone else giving a shit that private equity is suddenly at the table negotiating....in fact I can see them saying fuck off here is a low ball offer take it or leave it we control the channels
3. I think this is where private equity thinks they will have the upper hand.....they will try and go to an all streaming model and get some cheap ass streaming company with little overhead (or create their own) and "go directly to market"......but of course there will be quality issues.....there is the issue that a large % of the USA still has shit quality internet that does not support high quality video streaming, internet companies are not going to give a shit about catering to them
you also run into the no more "cramming" aspect of selling your produce....ESPN and the rest still make a shit tonne of money off of forced subscriptions to people that do not give a shit about college football or conference networks
4. the last part of the above is also the issue with "super conferences".....people do not give a shit about UH because they live in Houston.....(or in general)....that is not their "home town team" like with pro sports......people do not give up on their college team because they move to a city with another team or teams....in a few places (Arkansas, Louisiana, and maybe a couple of others) people do go crazy for the "state team", but it is not like 75% of the people in Texas, 50% in Oklahoma, 50% in Arkansas, and 25% in AZ being Cowboys fans.....and making the super conference will not change that and it will probably turn a lot of fans off from that
5. relegation will never work because of the long term scheduling issues, the massive issues that creates for fans and their scheduling to see a road game, and the overall issue of so many teams to move around each year and trying to make their new schedules on short notice.....plus the TV aspect with conferences having different media contracts.....that is a pro sports concept and belongs on the trash heap for college sports
6. if there was big new money still out there either the current (shit bag) media partners would be after it or conferences need to stop hiring dick heads for conference commissioners and hire someone that actually knows how to get that money for the conference instead of scraps up front for the conference and the meat for "pe".....tennis larry for the PAC 12 tried, but he was not good enough, could not fully sell it, was more interested in being a network executive, and the PAC 12 was scared to do things that the other conferences might look down or or that might have made the PAC 12 look like they gave a shit about sports instead of being so cheap with sports until they realized they were not competing and chased the money to the point that most of them are totally fucked