Realignment talk not going away

[Evil Bill Obrien 3191]

 

Here. We. Go.

 

 

[SimkinsMan 4349]

The San Diego State and Mountain West story is actually hilarious. 

San Diego State sends in its resignation letter on June 13.

The Mountain West calls its bluff, informing SDSU in a June 14 letter that they accepted the letter of withdrawal and the consequences of withdrawing had begun.

That prompted another exchange from San Diego State to clarify that the June 13 letter was not an official resignation. 

"They're trying to find out what we're willing to do," said a Mountain West source briefed on the exchange. "They want to see if the Mountain West Conference is going to handle this nicely. Well, that's not going to happen. Everyone wants to find the best financial path for themselves, and it's clunky."

[BurntOrange&White 39655]

[bullet 1596]

20 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Probably a bit of column A and a bit of column B.

WVU is one of those schools (like KSU, OK State, Tech, us) that is kind of always sweating out realignment as a result of things they as an institution have no control over, despite having a lot of “give a shit” and doing pretty much what they can to stay in the game.  We all have a certain level of desperation to stay at the table because unlike the other schools (think Pac 12, bottom half ACC) who are at risk, we really fucking care.

Because they were in the old Big East, WVU’s fought this battle longer and harder than its new Big 12 brethren.  They’re chippier and crazier.  Of course that comes with being West Virginian to boot.  So you have a ton of them out there just making shit up like they’re trying to will it into existence.

Then, toss in MHVer occasionally getting one of these wild ass predictions to hit at the right time, and voila.  A mix of desperation and randomness.

Well, it’s also that West Virginia is a small states which kind like a small town everybody knows everybody or is related to somebody.  So they do know someone who knows something. 

[bullet 1596]

22 hours ago, Laxtonto said:

I don’t know about immortal. He has/was/is in poor healthy tied to asthma/decreased lung function. 
 

For some reason I get all the WVU guys mixed up, and now looking at it it is a bit sad that a large chunk of the realignment rumormongers are all tied to WVU. Is that an indictment on the WVU subculture of desperately wanting to land in a Power conference or a weird happenstance of life…

Blue and gold dude was a different person than the dude of West Virginia whose name is the same as the lead actor in the “Highlander” series about a bunch of immortals who chop each others heads off as that is the only way they die

[Texas Wahoo 3383]

15 minutes ago, SimkinsMan said:

The San Diego State and Mountain West story is actually hilarious. 

San Diego State sends in its resignation letter on June 13.

The Mountain West calls its bluff, informing SDSU in a June 14 letter that they accepted the letter of withdrawal and the consequences of withdrawing had begun.

That prompted another exchange from San Diego State to clarify that the June 13 letter was not an official resignation. 

"They're trying to find out what we're willing to do," said a Mountain West source briefed on the exchange. "They want to see if the Mountain West Conference is going to handle this nicely. Well, that's not going to happen. Everyone wants to find the best financial path for themselves, and it's clunky."

Not sure why the Mountain West would agree to let them pay $17 million less than the buyout if they leave in July.  I guess it cannot hurt to ask.

My guess is they are hoping this pushing the Pac 12 to make a decision by the end of the month.

 

"We're just asking questions..."

Edited June 16, 2023 by Texas Wahoo

[Laxtonto 11933]

So it sure seems like SDSU has been told to get ready... so either SDSU to the B12 or P12. 

The real question is who is the other one then. If it is the B12, someone is coming from the P12. If it is the P12 then someone else needs to be coming with them as well. Regardless, there is someone else that is going to get tapped to backfill. Does that mean SMU to the P12?

 

This continued backfill is why I keep stressing that these leagues need to go for the killshot.  As teams keep getting pushed up to the Power leagues the dilution of the power conferences continues. This isn't an issue for the SEC or B10, but the perception of team strength of schedule now will hurt the perception of the ACC, B12, and P12 and the argument that there isn't a huge difference between them and the G5. With the expanded playoffs, this is only going to help guarantee the SEC and B10 more slots and diminish the chance that the ACC or B12 will ever get 2 teams. If they actually kill the Pac12, then there is a solid 4. If they let it survive in a zombie state it drags down the perception of everyone else.

[Jabberwocky 1666]

4 minutes ago, Laxtonto said:

So it sure seems like SDSU has been told to get ready... so either SDSU to the B12 or P12. 

The real question is who is the other one then. If it is the B12, someone is coming from the P12. If it is the P12 then someone else needs to be coming with them as well. Regardless, there is someone else that is going to get tapped to backfill. Does that mean SMU to the P12?

 

This continued backfill is why I keep stressing that these leagues need to go for the killshot.  As teams keep getting pushed up to the Power leagues the dilution of the power conferences continues. This isn't an issue for the SEC or B10, but the perception of team strength of schedule now will hurt the perception of the ACC, B12, and P12 and the argument that there isn't a huge difference between them and the G5. With the expanded playoffs, this is only going to help guarantee the SEC and B10 more slots and diminish the chance that the ACC or B12 will ever get 2 teams. If they actually kill the Pac12, then there is a solid 4. If they let it survive in a zombie state it drags down the perception of everyone else.

SDSU has not been told a thing by anybody. They are only shitting their pants because their exit fee triples on July 1st.

They sent a letter begging the MWC to extend the deadline to notify the conference, to decrease the exit fee, and to please not withhold their conference payout until they give their official notice of leaving the conference. The SDSU rationale for these requests is, "Circumstances within other conferences that are beyond our control."

[Laxtonto 11933]

20 minutes ago, Jabberwocky said:

SDSU has not been told a thing by anybody. They are only shitting their pants because their exit fee triples on July 1st.

They sent a letter begging the MWC to extend the deadline to notify the conference, to decrease the exit fee, and to please not withhold their conference payout until they give their official notice of leaving the conference. The SDSU rationale for these requests is, "Circumstances within other conferences that are beyond our control."

So the Pac12 media “deal”  negotiations are not only being drug out to hopefully keep teams from leaving until the last minute, but as an added bonus is fucking SDSU for triple fees to leave the MWC.  
 

So how low of a payout does it make it not worth it for SDSU? What would be the shortest GOR would they sign and still break even? This slow moving media deal is going to fuck everyone involved and it is glorious to watch.

[Jabberwocky 1666]

2 minutes ago, Laxtonto said:

So the Pac12 media “deal”  negotiations are not only being drug out to hopefully keep teams from leaving until the last minute, but as an added bonus is fucking SDSU for triple fees to leave the MWC.  
 

So how low of a payout does it make it not worth it for SDSU? What would be the shortest GOR would they sign and still break even? This slow moving media deal is going to fuck everyone involved and it is glorious to watch.

It definitely is. SDSU is simply begging for some favors from the MWC while they hope and pray for something to happen with the Pac media negotiations. Whether that means the Pac gets a deal or schools leave, they are hoping that something, anything, happens.

The MWC stated that they took these communications from SDSU as their official intent to withdrawl. SDSU has now said that it is not their official notice.

[DFW Horn 6118]

52 minutes ago, Jabberwocky said:

SDSU has not been told a thing by anybody. They are only shitting their pants because their exit fee triples on July 1st.

They sent a letter begging the MWC to extend the deadline to notify the conference, to decrease the exit fee, and to please not withhold their conference payout until they give their official notice of leaving the conference. The SDSU rationale for these requests is, "Circumstances within other conferences that are beyond our control."

SDSU's leadership has gotta be the dumbest motherfuckers on the planet.

Send a resignation letter, but "Oh, that's not what we meant". Embarrassing

[camel at sea 589]

Reading the tea leaves, it looks like 1) the Big 12 is not interested in SDSU right now, and 2) the PAC's interest is contingent on someone else (Colorado) leaving first.  I'm curious as to who is holding down the #2 spot in the PAC backfill plan.  It's most likely SMU, but Colorado State and Hawaii make some sense, too.  

[TKthunder2 4980]

8 minutes ago, camel at sea said:

Reading the tea leaves, it looks like 1) the Big 12 is not interested in SDSU right now, and 2) the PAC's interest is contingent on someone else (Colorado) leaving first.  I'm curious as to who is holding down the #2 spot in the PAC backfill plan.  It's most likely SMU, but Colorado State and Hawaii make some sense, too.  

The Big 12 is not interested in SDSU period. They’d rather take UConn if they need an extra to balance out the numbers it seems. Without adding a P5 team, zero additions make sense right now. UConn or Gonzaga for basketball might make sense towards the end of the TV contract but now they don’t.

PAC12 is not expanding unless TV is willing to pay more. They don’t want to play SDSU or SMU so unless those bring added value increasing the pie for the existing P10, they will not expand. If they lose 1 team (like Colorado) then SDSU will get the invite, but not before.

[thunderlounge 7758]

6 hours ago, bullet said:

Well, it’s also that West Virginia is a small states which kind like a small town everybody knows everybody or is related to somebody.  So they do know someone who knows something. 

Of course they’re all related. It’s West Virginia. 

[CustersDoctor 584]

1 hour ago, TKthunder2 said:

PAC12 is not expanding unless TV is willing to pay more. They don’t want to play SDSU or SMU so unless those bring added value increasing the pie for the existing P10, they will not expand. If they lose 1 team (like Colorado) then SDSU will get the invite, but not before.

This is the way. The best contract the PACX could possibly put together is a 6yr 1.8 billion dollar deal. That comes out to 30mill a year per school. Adding schools dilutes that revenue. Not only does SDSU not add value they take slice of the pie and worse, they get some of the extremely limited linear time slots. IF the PACX were to get a 6yr, 1.8bill dollar deal with a 60/40 split linear to streaming deal and you add two schools, then each school would get 25mill a year and the TV split would drop to 50/50. There's no way the current PACX would go for that.

[Hurtlocker 2208]

2 hours ago, TKthunder2 said:

The Big 12 is not interested in SDSU period. They’d rather take UConn if they need an extra to balance out the numbers it seems. Without adding a P5 team, zero additions make sense right now. UConn or Gonzaga for basketball might make sense towards the end of the TV contract but now they don’t.

PAC12 is not expanding unless TV is willing to pay more. They don’t want to play SDSU or SMU so unless those bring added value increasing the pie for the existing P10, they will not expand. If they lose 1 team (like Colorado) then SDSU will get the invite, but not before.

Yeah all this, unless the Pac is at 8 or 9, then money be damned.

[BurntOrange&White 39655]

1 hour ago, CustersDoctor said:

This is the way. The best contract the PACX could possibly put together is a 6yr 1.8 billion dollar deal. That comes out to 30mill a year per school. Adding schools dilutes that revenue. Not only does SDSU not add value they take slice of the pie and worse, they get some of the extremely limited linear time slots. IF the PACX were to get a 6yr, 1.8bill dollar deal with a 60/40 split linear to streaming deal and you add two schools, then each school would get 25mill a year and the TV split would drop to 50/50. There's no way the current PACX would go for that.

I think they get like 25-27 mill a year at most. 

[DFW Horn 6118]

8 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

I think they get like 25-27 mill a year at most. 

Does CU move to the Big 12 for only a $4MM guaranteed bump annually?

Doubtful

['stache 21774]

54 minutes ago, DFW Horn said:

Does CU move to the Big 12 for only a $4MM guaranteed bump annually?

Doubtful

This has been my thought. It’ll be close enough that they’ll stay together until the next round. 

[Hurtlocker 2208]

1 hour ago, DFW Horn said:

Does CU move to the Big 12 for only a $4MM guaranteed bump annually?

Doubtful

They lost SoCal, which was kind of their entire reason for going to the Pac originally along with ensuring they had a seat in the Pac 16, they didn't gain financially from it.   I'm not sure how much benefit they get out of NoCal and if you're fighting in LA without even the option to play in LA, like they could with USC/UCLA, does it become a better pivot to head to Dallas and Houston?

 

[FartingDreamer 138]

14 hours ago, camel at sea said:

Reading the tea leaves, it looks like 1) the Big 12 is not interested in SDSU right now, and 2) the PAC's interest is contingent on someone else (Colorado) leaving first.  I'm curious as to who is holding down the #2 spot in the PAC backfill plan.  It's most likely SMU, but Colorado State and Hawaii make some sense, too.  

Hawaii doesn't have a basketball program so I'm not sure if that would be a factor in considering them, though for football they would make some sense.  

13 hours ago, thunderlounge said:

Of course they’re all related. It’s West Virginia. 

It's all relative...

[Hurtlocker 2208]

24 minutes ago, Hurtlocker said:

They lost SoCal, which was kind of their entire reason for going to the Pac originally along with ensuring they had a seat in the Pac 16, they didn't gain financially from it.   I'm not sure how much benefit they get out of NoCal and if you're fighting in LA without even the option to play in LA, like they could with USC/UCLA, does it become a better pivot to head to Dallas and Houston?

 

So...i went and looked at their current roster and here's where they reside:

• SoCal - 11
• Colorado - 11
• Non-SoCal/Colorado Pac States - 8
• Big 12 States - 24
• Everywhere Else - 19

 

[TKthunder2 4980]

5 minutes ago, FartingDreamer said:

Hawaii doesn't have a basketball program so I'm not sure if that would be a factor in considering them, though for football they would make some sense.  

It's all relative...

What? That’s not correct. They play basketball in the Big West.

[shakahorn 1627]

What? That’s not correct. They play basketball in the Big West.

Yeah Kamaka Hepa finished his career there. Led them in fg% and was their 2nd leading scorer last season.

[camel at sea 589]

1 hour ago, FartingDreamer said:

Hawaii doesn't have a basketball program so I'm not sure if that would be a factor in considering them, though for football they would make some sense.  

I think Hawaii would be a football only add.  The PAC could pair them with Gonzaga for basketball and Olympics.  This might not be backfill Plan A or Plan B, but it could definitely be Plan C.

Hawaii has good enough academics to not embarrass the Bay Area schools too much, a new stadium on the way, a decent recruiting turf, and a relatively good/well-known football brand.  They also give the PAC more/better opportunities for marketing in Asia.  They've been making a push into Asia already and I doubt it stops.  https://pac-12.com/global

Travel is the big concern with them, but that's not as much of an issue if they're football only.    

[camel at sea 589]

3 hours ago, DFW Horn said:

Does CU move to the Big 12 for only a $4MM guaranteed bump annually?

Doubtful

It's not just about the money.  It's about the media exposure.  If the path to getting within the vicinity of the Big 12's payout means streaming exclusively, or playing on the CW, then I think they jump.  They've already been damaged badly, for a decade, by the PAC 12 Network's invisibility.  

[billfromlaketravis 11361]

No SMU talk? PAC would be a great move for them. 

[TKthunder2 4980]

33 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

No SMU talk? PAC would be a great move for them. 

For SMU absolutely. For the PAC12, no.

SMU isn’t worth $30mil/yr so they would likely dilute their conference payout. Even in the most optimistic of circumstances where somehow SMU’s value is enough to cover their own cost, they do nothing for the remaining 10 teams. Cal, Washington, and Oregon don’t want to play them if they get nothing in return.

At 10 teams the PAC12 can play round robin and face everyone every year. At 12 teams there is a chance you are swapping out Oregon and Washington for SMU and SDSU, and no one would willingly make that deal without getting something in return.

Again, if they drop to 9 or 8 members then survival rules require expansion, but as is it’s unlikely to happen.

[Hurtlocker 2208]

4 minutes ago, TKthunder2 said:

For SMU absolutely. For the PAC12, no.

SMU isn’t worth $30mil/yr so they would likely dilute their conference payout. Even in the most optimistic of circumstances where somehow SMU’s value is enough to cover their own cost, they do nothing for the remaining 10 teams. Cal, Washington, and Oregon don’t want to play them if they get nothing in return.

At 10 teams the PAC12 can play round robin and face everyone every year. At 12 teams there is a chance you are swapping out Oregon and Washington for SMU and SDSU, and no one would willingly make that deal without getting something in return.

Again, if they drop to 9 or 8 members then survival rules require expansion, but as is it’s unlikely to happen.

Yeah its the same math the Big 12 had at 10.   Either you can move the needle already, or you need to invest in someone to move the needle later.   But, with no one for the Pac to move immediately, they're in a bind.

I saw one Big 12 administrator comment, and I wish i could find it again, when asked why they're in a better position than the Pac 12, they said something along the lines of "Well, because we have fans west of us."   

Also, this:

 

[billfromlaketravis 11361]

9 minutes ago, TKthunder2 said:

For SMU absolutely. For the PAC12, no.

SMU isn’t worth $30mil/yr so they would likely dilute their conference payout. Even in the most optimistic of circumstances where somehow SMU’s value is enough to cover their own cost, they do nothing for the remaining 10 teams. Cal, Washington, and Oregon don’t want to play them if they get nothing in return.

At 10 teams the PAC12 can play round robin and face everyone every year. At 12 teams there is a chance you are swapping out Oregon and Washington for SMU and SDSU, and no one would willingly make that deal without getting something in return.

Again, if they drop to 9 or 8 members then survival rules require expansion, but as is it’s unlikely to happen.

What’s the most likely scenario right now? Colorado and Arizona(?) bolt and the PAC adds SMU and SDSU?

[Hurtlocker 2208]

5 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

What’s the most likely scenario right now? Colorado and Arizona(?) bolt and the PAC adds SMU and SDSU?

Assuming Colorado and Zona bolt, seems most likely.   At that point though are you better off with Boise or CSU or Fresno?  Or hell, do you elevate and invest in Fullerton, who has like 35-40k students, in Orange county to get more SoCal?

Id not want to be in their shoes if UC/AC leave, because I doubt the rest will stick together fully.

[DFW Horn 6118]

3 hours ago, Hurtlocker said:

They lost SoCal, which was kind of their entire reason for going to the Pac originally along with ensuring they had a seat in the Pac 16, they didn't gain financially from it.   I'm not sure how much benefit they get out of NoCal and if you're fighting in LA without even the option to play in LA, like they could with USC/UCLA, does it become a better pivot to head to Dallas and Houston?

 

Maybe, but why the hold up? 

CU was much better when recruiting TX. I'm surprised their people haven't already done the analytics, if recruiting is their biggest concern. I haven't looked at their old rosters, but I remember them pulling blue chips like Alfred Williams and Kanavis McGhee out of Houston.

Edited June 17, 2023 by DFW Horn

[billfromlaketravis 11361]

So is Arizona State a good school now? I’ve heard their business school gets a ton of rich kids from LA. 
 

I think they’ve come a long way since it was the only school AJ Soprano could get into. 

[DFW Horn 6118]

6 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

So is Arizona State a good school now? I’ve heard their business school gets a ton of rich kids from LA. 

I think they’ve come a long way since it was the only school AJ Soprano could get into. 

Yeah, they just got accepted into the AAU

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2023/06/07/arizona-state-association-of-american-universities.html

[camel at sea 589]

23 minutes ago, Hurtlocker said:

Assuming Colorado and Zona bolt, seems most likely.   At that point though are you better off with Boise or CSU or Fresno?  Or hell, do you elevate and invest in Fullerton, who has like 35-40k students, in Orange county to get more SoCal?

Id not want to be in their shoes if UC/AC leave, because I doubt the rest will stick together fully.

Yeah.  I think they could probably survive a Colorado for SDSU trade.  If they have to find a second backfill option, they're probably looking at a mass exodus unless the Big 12 and Big Ten tell the rest who want to jump ship that they aren't invited.    

If there's a lot of movement out west, I kind of expect to see one or two California-based FCS schools moving up to the MWC.      

[billfromlaketravis 11361]

If it's just Colorado the Big 12, who's the second team going with them? 

[camel at sea 589]

36 minutes ago, DFW Horn said:

Maybe, but why the hold up? 

CU was much better when recruiting TX. I'm surprised their people haven't already done the analytics, if that's their biggest concern. I haven't looked at their old rosters, but I remember them pulling blue chips like Alfred Williams and Kanavis McGhee out of Houston.

CU's academic side (faculty / admins) would rather be in the PAC, rubbing elbows with Stanford, Cal, etc.  CU's west coast donors probably still prefer that, too, though not as strongly as they did before SC/UCLA left.  

[camel at sea 589]

2 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

If it's just Colorado the Big 12, who's the second team going with them? 

I think it's UConn, if Arizona says no.  It might also be UConn as #15 if Zona says yes.    

[billfromlaketravis 11361]

Just now, camel at sea said:

I think it's UConn, if Arizona says no.  It might also be UConn as #15 if Zona says yes.    

[USC_TMB 405]

1 hour ago, Hurtlocker said:

Assuming Colorado and Zona bolt, seems most likely.   At that point though are you better off with Boise or CSU or Fresno?  Or hell, do you elevate and invest in Fullerton, who has like 35-40k students, in Orange county to get more SoCal?

Id not want to be in their shoes if UC/AC leave, because I doubt the rest will stick together fully.

If Cal Berkeley & Stanford have any pull at all, there’s no way the bolded schools get in the PAC. For Cal to be lumped in with the Cal State schools will piss off the elites to no end. The Fresnecks have had some success in football (at least in the Pat Hill era), but Fullerton is a commuter school with no football program and some success at baseball. 

[camel at sea 589]

25 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Yormark is a northeastern guy.  He keeps talking up how basketball is undervalued, he wants the Big 12 playing in Madison Square Garden, etc.  I'm not saying I agree with the strategy but I think that's what they're after.

[Trojan Man 429]

3 hours ago, camel at sea said:

I think Hawaii would be a football only add.  The PAC could pair them with Gonzaga for basketball and Olympics.  This might not be backfill Plan A or Plan B, but it could definitely be Plan C.

Hawaii has good enough academics to not embarrass the Bay Area schools too much, a new stadium on the way, a decent recruiting turf, and a relatively good/well-known football brand.  They also give the PAC more/better opportunities for marketing in Asia.  They've been making a push into Asia already and I doubt it stops.  https://pac-12.com/global

Travel is the big concern with them, but that's not as much of an issue if they're football only.    

Larry Scott was behind the Pac 12 trying to get into Asia and it accomplished nothing.  This is the kind of thing that sounds great on paper but goes nowhere in practice.  The Pac 12 should not pursue his failed ideas.  As for Hawaii their new stadium won't be built for years.  They're having trouble with funding and everything there moves on Hawaiian time.  They are aiming for a 2027 completion date but I'd be surprised if they built it before the end of this decade.  Even if it was somehow built on time you can't have a league member hosting games on a practice field for a few years.  They're in the same category as South Florida: schools that picked a very bad time to neglect football and facilities because they probably cost themselves a callup to the big leagues.

1 hour ago, DFW Horn said:

Maybe, but why the hold up? 

CU was much better when recruiting TX. I'm surprised their people haven't already done the analytics, if recruiting is their biggest concern. I haven't looked at their old rosters, but I remember them pulling blue chips like Alfred Williams and Kanavis McGhee out of Houston.

I've heard a pretty interesting theory on why Colorado recruited better in the Big 12 than they have in the Pac 12, and it's not just because they were complete dogshit their entire time in the Pac 12 while they had some success in the Big 12.  When Colorado was battling Big 12 schools for a recruit from Big 12 territory Boulder was a much more unique place than most Big 12 towns.  They were the only mountain town in a conference of plains schools which would stick out during visits, especially for recruits who have never spent much time in the mountains.  In the Pac 12 Boulder isn't even the only mountain town (there's Salt Lake City if you want to live in the mountains and play for a competent football program), plus there are mountains nearby most of the other schools in the conference so there goes the uniqueness.  If you're recruiting a kid from California he's much more likely to have spent time in the mountains and not be as impressed by that like a kid from Iowa might be.

[Royale with cheese 1459]

2 hours ago, DFW Horn said:

Yeah, they just got accepted into the AAU

 

[billfromlaketravis 11361]

If Yormark takes UConn and Gonzaga he's seeing something the rest of us aren't. I kind of wonder if he's convinced ESPN is going to lose the NBA and they're going to be starving for high end hoops inventory. 

ESPN got a very shitty deal from David Stern. He made them buy them the WNBA rights as well. I wonder if there's some "we're not getting screwed again" feelings in Bristol. 

I do hope SEC hoops improve. They really need Kentucky, Texas, and Florida to be elite. 

 

Edited June 17, 2023 by billfromlaketravis

[Hurtlocker 2208]

4 hours ago, DFW Horn said:

Maybe, but why the hold up? 

CU was much better when recruiting TX. I'm surprised their people haven't already done the analytics, if recruiting is their biggest concern. I haven't looked at their old rosters, but I remember them pulling blue chips like Alfred Williams and Kanavis McGhee out of Houston.

Agree, and Primetime still kind of lives there

3 hours ago, USC_TMB said:

If Cal Berkeley & Stanford have any pull at all, there’s no way the bolded schools get in the PAC. For Cal to be lumped in with the Cal State schools will piss off the elites to no end. The Fresnecks have had some success in football (at least in the Pat Hill era), but Fullerton is a commuter school with no football program and some success at baseball. 

Yeah no doubt.  It was more a sign they have so few good options. 

[DFW Horn 6118]

2 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

If Yormark takes UConn and Gonzaga he's seeing something the rest of us aren't. I kind of wonder if he's convinced ESPN is going to lose the NBA and they're going to be starving for high end hoops inventory. 

ESPN got a very shitty deal from David Stern. He made them buy them the WNBA rights as well. I wonder if there's some "we're not getting screwed again" feelings in Bristol. 

I do hope SEC hoops improve. They really need Kentucky, Texas, and Florida to be elite. 

I have never watched a minute of the WNBA. Are their games broadcast on the main ESPN channel? Why couldn't they just dump that inventory into 2, +, and the Ocho?

Or does that make it even more worthless?

[billfromlaketravis 11361]

8 minutes ago, DFW Horn said:

I have never watched a minute of the WNBA. Are their games broadcast on the main ESPN channel? Why couldn't they just dump that inventory into 2, +, and the Ocho?

Or does that make it even more worthless?

Routinely broadcast on ABC. Stern must have had a daughter or niece that hooped. 

[Laxtonto 11933]

 

[thunderlounge 7758]

[camel at sea 589]

2 hours ago, Trojan Man said:

Larry Scott was behind the Pac 12 trying to get into Asia and it accomplished nothing.  This is the kind of thing that sounds great on paper but goes nowhere in practice.  The Pac 12 should not pursue his failed ideas.  As for Hawaii their new stadium won't be built for years.  They're having trouble with funding and everything there moves on Hawaiian time.  They are aiming for a 2027 completion date but I'd be surprised if they built it before the end of this decade.  Even if it was somehow built on time you can't have a league member hosting games on a practice field for a few years.  They're in the same category as South Florida: schools that picked a very bad time to neglect football and facilities because they probably cost themselves a callup to the big leagues.

I've heard a pretty interesting theory on why Colorado recruited better in the Big 12 than they have in the Pac 12, and it's not just because they were complete dogshit their entire time in the Pac 12 while they had some success in the Big 12.  When Colorado was battling Big 12 schools for a recruit from Big 12 territory Boulder was a much more unique place than most Big 12 towns.  They were the only mountain town in a conference of plains schools which would stick out during visits, especially for recruits who have never spent much time in the mountains.  In the Pac 12 Boulder isn't even the only mountain town (there's Salt Lake City if you want to live in the mountains and play for a competent football program), plus there are mountains nearby most of the other schools in the conference so there goes the uniqueness.  If you're recruiting a kid from California he's much more likely to have spent time in the mountains and not be as impressed by that like a kid from Iowa might be.

I agree that the Asia push seems dumb, but I have not read anywhere that the PAC presidents don't like it.  Flying over to Shanghai or Tokyo seems like the sort of thing that academic types would love.  If so, then that push probably continues whether Larry Scott is in charge or not.  Just about the only way to grow their audience is to find a new one.  The Big 12 is doing something similar by going after Mexican audiences.  I went back and looked at the Hawaii stadium news after your post.  Three weeks ago, they announced a 2028 completion date target, with $400M already appropriated by the governor for it.  The stuff I'd read before had completion targeted for 2026.  Either way, I guess Hawaii is still ahead of *most* of their other G5 peers in the facilities process but is probably not far enough along to be a very short term expansion option, unless the PAC fully implodes.  I don't know about how things work in Hawaii but maybe skepticism is warranted until they finish the project.  The overall plan sounds really good, though, with the stadium surrounded by an almost $2B entertainment district.     

 

I fully agree with the theory about Colorado recruiting the Big 12 vs. recruiting against the PAC.  Selling Texas kids on scenery is easier than selling CA kids on it.  I think Coach Prime could do very well on the recruiting trail in the Big 12.