Left Behind: A Quick Dose Of Post Big 12 Reality

[ABSR 5327]

48 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

So fucking dumb.

Big 12: “Texas and Ou we are sanctioning you from playing in the bowl games and playoff!!”

TX/OU: “Fuck off because we’re doing it anyway and by the way the networks want us to.”

Big 12: “ fart noises.”

No it’s dumb because the conference shares the bowl money equally.  So Big 12 is going to say they are going to turn down $10m or so of bowl money for all teams to share as a “punishment”.   Or even say a team that qualifies for Big 12 championship can’t play because….they are butt hurt.  So instead of getting a game with premier Texas or Oklahoma they tell TV partners they get the new premier team instead … Oklahoma State, or maybe Tech, or really any of the others that did not earn the right to be in the one true championship game.

Teams will be lining up to join the conference and TV networks will shower them with money and new contracts….or not.

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

35 minutes ago, lemonandaturd said:

I would never do it, but it would be funny as hell if Texas and OU fans chanted SECSECSEC at the kickoff in the Big 12 championship game.  

It’s going to happen at the Cotton Bowl in October. 

[Bevo14 8437]

10 minutes ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

It’s going to happen at the Cotton Bowl in October. 

[JimmyJames 12271]

12 minutes ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

It’s going to happen at the Cotton Bowl in October. 

I actually doubt that. If it does I will be embarrassed.

[ClubWhatever 12159]

Fuck that ape chant.  Never doing it.  Didn’t do it mock style after the Georgia game.

[conVINCEd 21474]

3 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

I actually doubt that. If it does I will be embarrassed.

I have changed my opinion on this in the last few days.  I was previously in favor of doing it once, the first time we beat aTm in our new conference, but the discussion that has followed has made me realize that it would probably become a thing with the utes.

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

30 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

I actually doubt that. If it does I will be embarrassed.

I don’t doubt it at all. First of all, it plays quite well with the OU crowd, and don’t think a bunch of rowdy, lightly inebriated 20-30 year olds on the UT side won’t join in. 

UT message boards are not UT fans at large. 

[JimmyJames 12271]

1 minute ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

I don’t doubt it at all. First of all, it plays quite well with the OU crowd, and don’t think a bunch of rowdy, lightly inebriated 20-30 year olds on the UT side won’t join in. 

UT message boards are not UT fans at large. 

Agree to disagree. Time will tell. I think not but I’m not Nostradamus. I know I’ll be there at the cotton bowl this fall and I sure as hell won’t be chanting it, although I think at this point joining the sec is the right move especially given the changes to NIL which eliminates the only real objection to joining the sec in the first place. It’s clearly the best move so SEC!

But never will I chant.

[Ignatius 4081]

Yeah I’m in favor of the move but no fucking way will I ever chant that shit under any circumstances…

[Surly Bevo 25529]

13 minutes ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

I don’t doubt it at all. First of all, it plays quite well with the OU crowd, and don’t think a bunch of rowdy, lightly inebriated 20-30 year olds on the UT side won’t join in. 

UT message boards are not UT fans at large. 

LIGHTLY inebriated?

[JimmyJames 12271]

I’m glad Texas is joining the sec because it is the best college football conference in the country. Only the B1G is comparable.

I previously opposed joining the sec because it had institutional cheating which UT joining would have made it at a functional disadvantage from day one. Not that UT is as pure as snow, but still. 

NIL has eliminated that concern. Completely. Therefore there is no longer a valid reason to oppose UT joining the SEC unless you’re an aggy. So I’m glad that the brass at both UT, OU, and the SEC has recognized the mutual benefits. 
 

Not sure what to say about those left behind but this:

There are only 2 major conferences now. In realty it’s always been that way. Even before the big 12 disintegrated. The ACC and pac 12 can pretend to be but in football they are really not. Basically there is the SEC, the B1G, and everyone else. Just try to be relevant in the rest of the conferenceS and secure the possibility of playoff spots. And you’ll be ok. 

 

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

1 hour ago, JimmyJames said:

Agree to disagree. Time will tell. I think not but I’m not Nostradamus. I know I’ll be there at the cotton bowl this fall and I sure as hell won’t be chanting it, although I think at this point joining the sec is the right move especially given the changes to NIL which eliminates the only real objection to joining the sec in the first place. It’s clearly the best move so SEC!

But never will I chant.

I don’t give a shit about conference pride. My in-laws are all LSU and will cheer on conference mates all season long. They’re a little dismayed that I don’t support Big XII teams like they their SEC brethren. 

Still, I think it happens. And much like you have trouble finding anyone who was booing during Garret Gilbert’s final UT implosion, it was pretty obvious that 70-80,000+ plus were jeering what was happening. I think the same happens in Dallas. The average guy posting on the message boards is not the average fan. More than a few in the stands are just there to party, and are often well greased for the process. That’s just the UT side. You can count on 40,000 or so mindless inbreds doing it for OU. 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Bobby_Batronic

[Murfdogg21 4488]

7 hours ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

It’s going to happen at the Cotton Bowl in October. 

I think it’d be funny if done in jest at the kickoff of this one game, but never as an actual conference-before-self chant. 

[Longboard Horn 40919]

Hoping ISU goes to the B1G, wishing y'all the best! Same for Okie State. Your hate for OU is greater than ours, so as the old saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Hoping Tech finds a good home as well. 

My stepmom is a TCU alum so I have no for hate them.

WV, KU and KSU... IDGAF where they go. 

Baylor? Fuck em! Nobody wants them and hopefully they'll go independent and become even more irrelevant. 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Longboard Horn

[Longboard Horn 40919]

Pacha(other Big 12 schools): What about us? What will happen to us?!

Texas and OU:

[The Hot Dog Buffet 1292]

10 hours ago, JimmyJames said:

I’m glad Texas is joining the sec because it is the best college football conference in the country. Only the B1G is comparable.

I previously opposed joining the sec because it had institutional cheating which UT joining would have made it at a functional disadvantage from day one. Not that UT is as pure as snow, but still. 

NIL has eliminated that concern. Completely. Therefore there is no longer a valid reason to oppose UT joining the SEC unless you’re an aggy. So I’m glad that the brass at both UT, OU, and the SEC has recognized the mutual benefits. 
 

Not sure what to say about those left behind but this:

There are only 2 major conferences now. In realty it’s always been that way. Even before the big 12 disintegrated. The ACC and pac 12 can pretend to be but in football they are really not. Basically there is the SEC, the B1G, and everyone else. Just try to be relevant in the rest of the conferenceS and secure the possibility of playoff spots. And you’ll be ok. 

 

The B1G really isn't comparable.

[Guest]

I’ve long said the NCAA should not be in ‘the business’ of college football.  The past 5-6 days have done nothing but reinforce the notion.  I love the game of football, and still do at the college level.  The ‘business of college football’ sucks ass.

[JimmyJames 12271]

27 minutes ago, The Hot Dog Buffet said:

The B1G really isn't comparable.

Maybe not on the field but as far as money, revenue and net worth it’s very comparable and up until yesterday probably exceeded the SEC. 

[Zeus 6480]

16 hours ago, Satchel said:

This wouldn’t be funny if Bowlsby had the balls to actually do this. No worries.

 

So go independent for a year until the SEC takes us in?

lulz

nuke us please oh mighty big12 push the button

[Zeus 6480]

12 hours ago, ABSR said:

No it’s dumb because the conference shares the bowl money equally.  So Big 12 is going to say they are going to turn down $10m or so of bowl money for all teams to share as a “punishment”.   Or even say a team that qualifies for Big 12 championship can’t play because….they are butt hurt.  So instead of getting a game with premier Texas or Oklahoma they tell TV partners they get the new premier team instead … Oklahoma State, or maybe Tech, or really any of the others that did not earn the right to be in the one true championship game.

Teams will be lining up to join the conference and TV networks will shower them with money and new contracts….or not.

Big12 : "we are santioning you from b12 ccg and bowls!"

Texas and BlowU: "ok we will just play exhibitions against each other and pocket the cash, good luck with TCU vs. Okie Lite ccg revenue"

[Armybrat 41005]

11 hours ago, Surly Bevo said:

LIGHTLY inebriated?

The White Claw crowd.

[The Hot Dog Buffet 1292]

20 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

Maybe not on the field but as far as money, revenue and net worth it’s very comparable and up until yesterday probably exceeded the SEC. 

Moving forward, "on the field" will matter more than anything else. TV sets will be less important than actual viewers, and I think the B1G will regret decisions like adding Maryland and Rutgers. 

[utee94 15883]

7 minutes ago, The Hot Dog Buffet said:

Moving forward, "on the field" will matter more than anything else. TV sets will be less important than actual viewers, and I think the B1G will regret decisions like adding Maryland and Rutgers. 

The cable subscriber model is dying, and in-footprint carriers have been dropping the BTN for years.  Most B1G fans I know regretted it from Day 1, but were willing to justify it because of the money.  Now that the money is fading, they regret it even more.

[TKthunder2 5018]

20 minutes ago, utee94 said:

The cable subscriber model is dying, and in-footprint carriers have been dropping the BTN for years.  Most B1G fans I know regretted it from Day 1, but were willing to justify it because of the money.  Now that the money is fading, they regret it even more.

They now claimed it was for recruiting and getting games in front of local alumni in those areas which helps fundraising (eyeroll).

[Deej 77186]

A look in at the remaining Big 12 teams, trying to get one last feed in...

 

[Tex Long 4511]

Either Bowlsby is a genius, with a multidimensional plan that nobody can see, or he's a complete and utter moron, sitting at his desk washing down Xanax with Glenlivet 15, waiting for something to happen.

If I were a XII AD, at the next meeting I'd work my ass off to get the mmoron out the door. 

Either way, pick up the phone and start inviting replacements. Bet SMU and UH would say Yes before you finish the question. Keeping at least a semblance of the Dallas and Houston markets wouldn't bad. There are some others, but they apparently haven't been asked yet.

And you guys need a better handle than "left behind 8" or "IR8"... I would go with something like, oh, "GD8", as short for "Gauche Derriere 8".

What I wouldn't do is vote to punish 0U and Texas by sanctioning them out of TV, CCG, and bowl games, knowing that the result of that is that I lose the source of half my income.

[clapclapclap 9000]

Tidbit from a story mainly about potential G5 realignment moves:

https://www.extrapointsmb.com/what-im-hearing-and-reading-about-conference-realignment-from-the-aac-to-the-asun/

Got any notes on the Pac-12 or other major conferences?

The only other major note that has come up in several conversations it that the Texas school that actually might have the best shot of grabbing a Pac-12 invite isn't Texas Tech, but TCU.

On paper, that seems like an awkward fit, given TCU's status as a religious private school and the Pac-12 has historically been loath to engage with religious private schools as potential members, but I've told that TCU's religious affiliation is not anywhere close to what religious affiliation looks like at say, Baylor, or BYU.

TCU's growth in graduate programs, their status as the only particularly urban school left in the Big 12, and their willingness to be flexible, makes them a candidate not to be completely overlooked, especially if the Pac-12 expands by more than one, and if the league is seriously willing to be less dogmatic about academics or institutional fit as they've historically been.

Not saying it's going to happen (in fact, if I had to BET, I'd say the Pac-12 is much more likely to agree to a scheduling alliance with the Big Ten than it is to actually expand), but I wouldn't completely rule TCU out.

My best guess, right now, is that the ACC, Pac-12 and Big Ten do not add any other teams this cycle.

But of course, by typing that, it means the Pac-12 is going to announce they're going to 20 teams by Sunday night.

[Huckleberry 33572]

What a horrific move that would be for the Pac-12, so the story is probably accurate.

[Zeus 6480]

2 minutes ago, Tex Long said:

Either Bowlsby is a genius, with a multidimensional plan that nobody can see, or he's a complete and utter moron, sitting at his desk washing down Xanax with Glenlivet 15, waiting for something to happen.

If I were a XII AD, at the next meeting I'd work my ass off to get the mmoron out the door. 

Either way, pick up the phone and start inviting replacements. Bet SMU and UH would say Yes before you finish the question. Keeping at least a semblance of the Dallas and Houston markets wouldn't bad. There are some others, but they apparently haven't been asked yet.

And you guys need a better handle than "left behind 8" or "IR8"... I would go with something like, oh, "GD8", as short for "Gauche Derriere 8".

What I wouldn't do is vote to punish 0U and Texas by sanctioning them out of TV, CCG, and bowl games, knowing that the result of that is that I lose the source of half my income.

Bruh the shit12 is way to proud of itself to replace Texas and blowU with Houston and SMU. They are complete retards that will dissolve once Texas and blowU are gone.

The P4 conferences and lower conferences bout to get some new teams.

fuck baylor

[oSuJeff97 3435]

Something I've been wondering - if four 16-team "mega conferences" makes sense, why doesn't one GIANT "conference" of the top tier of college football make sense? You have (basically) the top 50-60 teams (or whatever number works best) that comprise the top level of college football. You align it in regional divisions that make actually sense and preserve historic rivalries. 

You have a playoff just like the NFL with division winners, wild cards, etc.  You print fucking money.

Of course it will never happen because of the greed, egos, etc., of the various leagues and university presidents/administrators, etc., but it sure would be fun.

[Huckleberry 33572]

Just now, oSuJeff97 said:

Something I've been wondering - if four 16-team "mega conferences" makes sense, why doesn't one GIANT "conference" of the top tier of college football make sense? You have (basically) the top 50-60 teams (or whatever number works best) that comprise the top level of college football. You align it in regional divisions that make actually sense and preserve historic rivalries. 

You have a playoff just like the NFL with division winners, wild cards, etc.  You print fucking money.

Of course it will never happen because of the greed, egos, etc., of the various leagues and university presidents/administrators, etc., but it sure would be fun.

Well I mean it's going to be essentially the same thing. I mean the NFL is a league with two 16-team conferences, which have divisions, which have a playoff. In the 64 team CFB scenario it's just four 16-team conferences instead. What they call them doesn't really matter.

[TKthunder2 5018]

9 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Well I mean it's going to be essentially the same thing. I mean the NFL is a league with two 16-team conferences, which have divisions, which have a playoff. In the 64 team CFB scenario it's just four 16-team conferences instead. What they call them doesn't really matter.

Bingo, you can make a defacto 8 team playoff, win your division and you get to play.

Division winners play in the 4 CCGs

Pair off conferences against each other in the big bowls set by a committee.

Rose - B1G/PAC

Fiesta - PAC/ACC

Cotton - SEC/PAC

Sugar - SEC/B1G

Peach - SEC/ACC

Orange - B1G/ACC

Bid out and rotate the NCG

What’s great is you can also use this for basketball too.  With 64 teams it can perfectly make a tournament.  No one gets left out, we just sub out playing little sisters of the poor in round 1 for playing underperforming teams.  I’d bet money we’d see a 16 seeds upset someone it this format at some point and time.

[Tex Long 4511]

19 minutes ago, Zeus said:

Bruh the shit12 is way to proud of itself to replace Texas and blowU with Houston and SMU. They are complete retards that will dissolve once Texas and blowU are gone.

The P4 conferences and lower conferences bout to get some new teams.

fuck baylor

Yep. The biggest reason we're here, now - just my opinion - is that Bowlsby is a complete and utter moron wh has fucked up pretty much everything he's touched since he started this job. I'm not saying I hope the XII ADs do that, but it would certainly seem feasible. They won't do it, and the XII would obviously never even approach the same level without the two big hosses pulling that wagonfull of GD8.

"Fuck Baylor" may become second only to "0U Sucks". We may hope.

[The Hot Dog Buffet 1292]

27 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Well I mean it's going to be essentially the same thing. I mean the NFL is a league with two 16-team conferences, which have divisions, which have a playoff. In the 64 team CFB scenario it's just four 16-team conferences instead. What they call them doesn't really matter.

I think the collection of schools participating might look somewhat different if a new mega-league were to be formed vs going with the 4 existing conferences. I don't think the bottom half of the B1G would make the cut, anyway.

Well, Nebraska would make the cut. Their peers (Indiana, Rutgers, Illinois, Purdue, Northwestern) would get left out.

Edited July 30, 2021 by The Hot Dog Buffet

[Uncle Nate 2097]

23 minutes ago, TKthunder2 said:

Bingo, you can make a defacto 8 team playoff, win your division and you get to play.

Division winners play in the 4 CCGs

Pair off conferences against each other in the big bowls set by a committee.

Rose - B1G/PAC

Fiesta - PAC/ACC

Cotton - SEC/PAC

Sugar - SEC/B1G

Peach - SEC/ACC

Orange - B1G/ACC

Bid out and rotate the NCG

What’s great is you can also use this for basketball too.  With 64 teams it can perfectly make a tournament.  No one gets left out, we just sub out playing little sisters of the poor in round 1 for playing underperforming teams.  I’d bet money we’d see a 16 seeds upset someone it this format at some point and time.

In my opinion, that would be the only scenario that saves CFB from a fan-interest standpoint.  If this happens, you keep a lot more fans and interest.  But if the other scenario of only two mega conferences with a total of only 32 teams happens, then I think after a few short years viewership drops dramatically because it's basically NFL 2.0 and CFB would have successfully shot itself in the foot by ruining what made it unique from the NFL.

[Steelers Roll Left 1230]

Of the 8 left behind, Okie State is the program w/ the level of cache that “should” allow them to land on their feet in a relevant conference IF they look out for their own interests and don’t engage in thoughts of “for the benefit of the group”.  West Virginia would be next on that list.  From a quality of program standpoint, my initial thought would be Tech, Baylor, and TCU might be out of luck, but there’s always the benefits of “a recruiting footprint in Texas” to consider along with establishing a television footprint in an earlier time zone geographical region if you’re the west coast.  Is that enough for the PAC 12 to cover their noses and absorb?  I don’t know.  I hear a lot about Iowa State and Kansas making sense for The Big Ten. I personally don’t think they do, but The Big Ten “did” bring in Rutgers and Maryland the last go-around, but even that decade ago seems like a different situation (I’m not sure television footprint is as relevant and even if it is what does Iowa State and Kansas offer the Big Ten on that front?  And remember, we’ve consistently heard “basketball doesn’t matter” when these kinds of decisions are made).  Kansas State?…………good luck in The MWC assuming conferences like the MWC and AAC aren’t raided out of existence during this latest round on the carousel

Edited July 30, 2021 by Steelers Roll Left

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

34 minutes ago, Tex Long said:

Yep. The biggest reason we're here, now - just my opinion - is that Bowlsby is a complete and utter moron wh has fucked up pretty much everything he's touched since he started this job. I'm not saying I hope the XII ADs do that, but it would certainly seem feasible. They won't do it, and the XII would obviously never even approach the same level without the two big hosses pulling that wagonfull of GD8.

"Fuck Baylor" may become second only to "0U Sucks". We may hope.

It must be a pretty shitty feeling going from confident head of a P5 conference trying to navigate an expanded football playoff to discovering that all the power players realize you have no vision and have taken matters into their own hands. 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Bobby_Batronic

[Slacks 6921]

2 hours ago, JimmyJames said:

Maybe not on the field but as far as money, revenue and net worth it’s very comparable and up until yesterday probably exceeded the SEC. 

True, but you started off your post talking about best football... B1G ain't that.  B1G is Ohio State football (right now - traditionally includes UM as well).

[oSuJeff97 3435]

17 minutes ago, Steelers Roll Left said:

Of the 8 left behind, Okie State is the program w/ the level of cache that “should” allow them to land on their feet in a relevant conference IF they look out for their own interests and don’t engage in thoughts of “for the benefit of the group”.  West Virginia would be next on that list.  From a quality of program standpoint, my initial thought would be Tech, Baylor, and TCU might be out of luck, but there’s always the benefits of “a recruiting footprint in Texas” to consider along with establishing a television footprint in an earlier time zone geographical region if you’re the west coast.  Is that enough for the PAC 12 to cover their noses and absorb?  I don’t know.  I hear a lot about Iowa State and Kansas making sense for The Big Ten. I personally don’t think they do, but The Big Ten “did” bring in Rutgers and Maryland the last go-around, but even that decade ago seems like a different situation (I’m not sure television footprint is as relevant and even if it is what does Iowa State and Kansas offer the Big Ten on that front?  And remember, we’ve consistently heard “basketball doesn’t matter” when these kinds of decisions are made).  Kansas State?…………good luck in The MWC assuming conferences like the MWC and AAC aren’t raided out of existence during this latest round on the carousel

I think "basketball doesn't matter" for the most part. However, I think for a handful of programs, Kansas included, you would consider basketball. Men's b-ball doesn't make the money that football makes, obviously; but it is the #2 payday behind football, and KU has one of top 3-5 programs in the country. 

I think that would add value to any conference...you just have to accept that their football (currently) brings nothing and hope they add some incremental value at some point.

Edited July 30, 2021 by oSuJeff97

[DFW Horn 6509]

2 minutes ago, Snacks said:

True, but you started off your post talking about best football... B1G ain't that.  B1G is Ohio State football (right now - traditionally includes UM as well).

...and SEC is 'Bama, so WTF? Only thing that makes it the biggest and the best is fan engagement and TV ratings. It's a beauty contest fueled by ESPN hype.

SEC > B1G > XII

[Slacks 6921]

18 minutes ago, Uncle Nate said:

In my opinion, that would be the only scenario that saves CFB from a fan-interest standpoint.  If this happens, you keep a lot more fans and interest.  But if the other scenario of only two mega conferences with a total of only 32 teams happens, then I think after a few short years viewership drops dramatically because it's basically NFL 2.0 and CFB would have successfully shot itself in the foot by ruining what made it unique from the NFL.

Financially speaking, copying the NFL is probably worth far more than whatever else you can come up with... (personally, I'd go with 64 teams, but still want to mimic the NFL.)

I think you are missing the "viewership" point.  The incremental cost to get 400k viewers for a Kansas State vs Baylor game is pointless if you can guarantee 1.5MM+ viewers per game in the 32 or 64 team league.  With managed scarcity, and reduction of lower quality (by viewership), average viewership per game for the media entity increases. Ad rates increase.  Etc.

Remember when Mark Cuban said the NFL was going to get too big and have too many games and viewership would go down because the quality of teams/games and oversaturation would happen?  Well, CFB has already been there for years.  If Disney knows one thing, it's entertainment math.

But do not despair, watcher of the 2nd tier games...  There are new platforms available that are starved for content.  Your games will be available to watch. You will pay to see them, right?

[Texas St. Armadillos 1381]

2 hours ago, The Hot Dog Buffet said:

Moving forward, "on the field" will matter more than anything else. TV sets will be less important than actual viewers, and I think the B1G will regret decisions like adding Maryland and Rutgers. 

Triggered.

[ChiTownDoc 21229]

13 hours ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

I don’t doubt it at all. First of all, it plays quite well with the OU crowd, and don’t think a bunch of rowdy, lightly inebriated 20-30 year olds on the UT side won’t join in. 

UT message boards are not UT fans at large. 

Lol.  How’s it play well w the OU crowd?  Fuck the SEC

 

joining to fuck their shit up.  Not blow them.  

[Slacks 6921]

4 minutes ago, DFW Horn said:

...and SEC is 'Bama, so WTF? Only thing that makes it the biggest and the best is fan engagement and TV ratings. It's a beauty contest fueled by ESPN hype.

SEC > B1G > XII

LSU was undefeated and won the National Championship in the 2019 season. Georgia made the CFP in 2018.

B1G is probably equal to X12 if you look at it...  Ohio State / ou... then the rest. same/same.

[Uncle Nate 2097]

1 minute ago, Snacks said:

Financially speaking, copying the NFL is probably worth far more than whatever else you can come up with... (personally, I'd go with 64 teams, but still want to mimic the NFL.)

I think you are missing the "viewership" point.  The incremental cost to get 400k viewers for a Kansas State vs Baylor game is pointless if you can guarantee 1.5MM+ viewers per game in the 32 or 64 team league.  With managed scarcity, and reduction of lower quality (by viewership), average viewership per game for the media entity increases. Ad rates increase.  Etc.

Remember when Mark Cuban said the NFL was going to get too big and have too many games and viewership would go down because the quality of teams/games and oversaturation would happen?  Well, CFB has already been there for years.  If Disney knows one thing, it's entertainment math.

But do not despair, watcher of the 2nd tier games...  There are new platforms available that are starved for content.  Your games will be available to watch. You will pay to see them, right?

You're missing my point.

CFB had a unique brand.  This will destroy that.  It's now NFL 2.0.  It's like Coke coming out with "New Coke" to compete with Pepsi by basically eschewing it's recipe for Pepsi 2.0.  The fans didn't like it.

Full disclosure: I'm an old fart in a relatively young body.  I think the jumbotrons were the beginning of CFB giving up it's unique gameday experience.  This is just the final step in the complete conversion to a minor league of the NFL.  

[The Hot Dog Buffet 1292]

1 minute ago, Snacks said:

Financially speaking, copying the NFL is probably worth far more than whatever else you can come up with... (personally, I'd go with 64 teams, but still want to mimic the NFL.)

I think you are missing the "viewership" point.  The incremental cost to get 400k viewers for a Kansas State vs Baylor game is pointless if you can guarantee 1.5MM+ viewers per game in the 32 or 64 team league.  With managed scarcity, and reduction of lower quality (by viewership), average viewership per game for the media entity increases. Ad rates increase.  Etc.

Remember when Mark Cuban said the NFL was going to get too big and have too many games and viewership would go down because the quality of teams/games and oversaturation would happen?  Well, CFB has already been there for years.  If Disney knows one thing, it's entertainment math.

But do not despair, watcher of the 2nd tier games...  There are new platforms available that are starved for content.  Your games will be available to watch. You will pay to see them, right?

I don't really think most people watch college football based on the quality of the product on the field. It's more about supporting the school you attended, or supporting a local school in your state, etc. Nobody watches the XFL, and the quality of players there are sort of similar to elite college football. So cutting the low quality teams probably actually cuts eyeballs because people who watched those games aren't going to start caring about games across the country. And you also lose the ability to hype up a big matchup between an 11-0 team and a 9-2 team because there will be very few teams with records like that.

[Steelers Roll Left 1230]

7 minutes ago, Snacks said:

Financially speaking, copying the NFL is probably worth far more than whatever else you can come up with... (personally, I'd go with 64 teams, but still want to mimic the NFL.)

I think you are missing the "viewership" point.  The incremental cost to get 400k viewers for a Kansas State vs Baylor game is pointless if you can guarantee 1.5MM+ viewers per game in the 32 or 64 team league.  With managed scarcity, and reduction of lower quality (by viewership), average viewership per game for the media entity increases. Ad rates increase.  Etc.

Remember when Mark Cuban said the NFL was going to get too big and have too many games and viewership would go down because the quality of teams/games and oversaturation would happen?  Well, CFB has already been there for years.  If Disney knows one thing, it's entertainment math.

But do not despair, watcher of the 2nd tier games...  There are new platforms available that are starved for content.  Your games will be available to watch. You will pay to see them, right?

To do the 32 to 64 team model right, conferences need to be prepared to relegate their weakest members as well as expand.  Someone should make a list of relevant schools outside the "current" Power 5 vs a list of schools that are currently in Power 5 conferences that don't bring much to the table simply because 'historically they've been part of those conferences".  Vanderbilt in the SEC, Kansas State in the Big 12, Indiana in the Big Ten (until very recently), and the ACC has a lot of these schools.   

[Slacks 6921]

3 minutes ago, The Hot Dog Buffet said:

I don't really think most people watch college football based on the quality of the product on the field. It's more about supporting the school you attended, or supporting a local school in your state, etc. Nobody watches the XFL, and the quality of players there are sort of similar to elite college football. So cutting the low quality teams probably actually cuts eyeballs because people who watched those games aren't going to start caring about games across the country. And you also lose the ability to hype up a big matchup between an 11-0 team and a 9-2 team because there will be very few teams with records like that.

I watched the XFL.... (can confirm, am nobody.)

My point was not about the quality of the on-field product.  My point was about the quality of the media pull.  As an example, even when we suck, we pull 1.5M+.  What is the best TCU media draw that wasn't a Texas or ou game - ever?  What is the avg?  Texas vs Alabama will pull if both teams are 6-4. Nobody gives a shit when 6-4 Texas Tech takes on 6-4 Baylor.

If Disney is as smart as I think they are, they are going to try to build out a league (or two?) of teams that draw.  Some other media company may also build one... the history is there...

AFL/NFL pre merger

WBO, WBC, IBF, WBO

Premiere, EUFA, 3011 other soccer leagues

F1, NASCAR, Indy,

Who doesn't think there will be YouTube Sports, Netflix Sports, ESPN, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, Sports Sports Sports???  

LIVE content is going to be worth a lot more than it is now, because everything else is going to get watered down with niche content that can be streamed on demand.  I highly expect PPV football games to be a thing that gets tested.

[Dirk X West 772]

2 minutes ago, The Hot Dog Buffet said:

I don't really think most people watch college football based on the quality of the product on the field. It's more about supporting the school you attended, or supporting a local school in your state, etc. Nobody watches the XFL, and the quality of players there are sort of similar to elite college football. So cutting the low quality teams probably actually cuts eyeballs because people who watched those games aren't going to start caring about games across the country. And you also lose the ability to hype up a big matchup between an 11-0 team and a 9-2 team because there will be very few teams with records like that.

This could be the fatal flaw in the ESPN consolidation move.  

On the positive side, consolidation means fewer teams, so fewer slices of the pie, and better average quality of game televised, at least theoretically, since you'll have, even just with UT/OU in the SEC and no other major changes, more games where a brand name is involved and more of two brand names matching up.

On the negative side, though, it's like, the NFL (or NBA/MLB/NHL) has a stable group of teams, which rarely changes with expansion or maybe a team moving to a different city, and they're evenly distributed across the country.  If you grow up in Texas, you can choose the Cowboys or the Oilers/Texans, or you can just follow whichever team you want, for whatever reason.  With CFB, I grew up a Tech fan and did my undergrad there, so if you cut my school out, I'll still be watching them as best I can, but I'll be watching 0 Super SEC and as little as possible of anything else on ESPN. We'll have two schools in Texas in the Super League, if it comes to that, but I'm not going to be a UT or aggy fan, like some sort Texas State Bobhorn cuck, since Tech is out of the top tier.  I'm just out.  I won't be doing the "Tech is my favorite tier 2 team, and UT is my tier 1 team". Fuck no. I know there are plenty of t-shirt fans that do follow UT/aggy - and there will be more - and there will also be big fans of the IR8 schools that still watch the SEC and whatever comes after it because they just love college football, but I think most of us will just watch our teams in our minor leagues, if that, and otherwise find some other form of entertainment. I also think, when you see more and more entire states or even regions of the country with no representatives in the top tier if it gets down to as small as 48 or less, you'll lose a lot of casual fans there too.

[Slacks 6921]

11 minutes ago, Steelers Roll Left said:

To do the 32 to 64 team model right, conferences need to be prepared to relegate their weakest members as well as expand.  Someone should make a list of relevant schools outside the "current" Power 5 vs a list of schools that are currently in Power 5 conferences that don't bring much to the table simply because 'historically they've been part of those conferences".  Vanderbilt in the SEC, Kansas State in the Big 12, Indiana in the Big Ten (until very recently), and the ACC has a lot of these schools.   

Only if being weak leads to a lack of eyes and revenue.

2-10 Texas vs 10-2 Alabama is going to have 7 million viewers.

2-10 Texas vs 10-2 TCU is going to have 1 millions viewers.

 

CBS has this figured out.  CBS seems to put up the biggest games every season...  ESPN should be trying to put together a package that guarantees the biggest games - even if that means stacking the conferences.