Realignment talk not going away

[Sbbruin 22082]

I am really surprised UCLA was able to navigate this, and do it under the radar.  Had to get buy-in from the Board of Regents and the President of the UC system.  That is a notoriously tricky thing to execute.  
 

and for once we will tip our hats to SC.  They initiated this.  The networks wanted both.  Martin Jarmond recognized that this was a do or die situation, and he pounced.  And fortunately Chancellor Gene Block not only agreed to it, but he was apparently the one who massaged the regents.  But we don’t do this if SC doesn’t get the ball rolling.  Would have been tragic to lose that rivalry.  

[LTbear 4209]

3 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

I am really surprised UCLA was able to navigate this, and do it under the radar.  Had to get buy-in from the Board of Regents and the President of the UC system.  That is a notoriously tricky thing to execute.  
 

and for once we will tip our hats to SC.  They initiated this.  The networks wanted both.  Martin Jarmond recognized that this was a do or die situation, and he pounced.  And fortunately Chancellor Gene Block not only agreed to it, but he was apparently the one who massaged the regents.  But we don’t do this if SC doesn’t get the ball rolling.  Would have been tragic to lose that rivalry.  

As a casual fan of college football who's grown up watching the PAC, whoo boy this sucks though. I see how it makes sense, obviously, for UCLA and USC. But still. 

[clapclapclap 9000]

Scattershooting:

Miami may be vastly overrated by the expansion crowd.  Add nothing to the SEC, FSU and Florida are enough for the state.  Potentially useful to the B1G for getting into Florida, and while not AAU, their academics standing might be acceptable for a B1G exception (like ND).  But a relatively small private vs the typical large public flagships of the B1G.  Doubt it would be a lure for ND.  Probably the best they can end up with is in a leftover conference from the ACC/B12/Pac remains.

Stanford poses a lot but in the end I doubt they'll turn down a lifeline to remain in a power conference.  Though it would be delicious to see them left behind after they initially snubbed our Pac candidacy in SWC days.

I don't think it is out of the realm of possibility for the SEC to make a westward move of OR, WA, ASU, and 1 more.  Not expecting it, but on the table before this all ends. 

Still would be shocked if UCLeAve and USCUlater intend to be a lonely western island for the B1G and all the related travel issues.  That said, it's a lot less of a travel issue for a Pac time zone team to fly home from the east than a central team to fly home from the west coach.  So maybe not as big a burden as it would have been for us to join the Pac.

Relegation is not a serious consideration by any conference, and will never be.

What you'll see at the B1G welcoming party for USC:

Edited July 1, 2022 by clapclapclap

[Eugene11 379]

55 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Would remain to be seen whether teams moving to the super conferences start moving up or down in performance. The status quo will be turned on its head

well at least texas only has one way to go...

[Sbbruin 22082]

9 minutes ago, LTbear said:

As a casual fan of college football who's grown up watching the PAC, whoo boy this sucks though. I see how it makes sense, obviously, for UCLA and USC. But still. 

Oh believe me, I wish everything remained the same, and that includes Texas and OU staying in the Big 12, But our media rights will likely quadruple, or more, and the athletic department is reeling from massive pandemic losses.  This solves all of it, and re-energizes a fan base that had begun to feel the school wasn’t committed to football.  This shows that they are.  CFB was going to undergo seismic shifts one way or the other, so it was sink or swim.

[hawkfan 60]

 

[LTbear 4209]

Damn WA and OR lawmakers looking to cripple their flagship schools eh

[Bateshorn 9989]

Jesus fuck.  That would make Oregon and Washington worthless

[TKthunder2 5058]

23 minutes ago, camel at sea said:

Not sure why anyone in the Big 12 would be interested in joining the PAC, knowing full well that Washington and Oregon want out.  PAC expansion probably has to be schools like SDSU and Boise, I'd think.  

They may wants out, doesn’t mean they’ll get out. The below looks like a far more respectable conference than anything the new Big 12 could cobble together…

UW, WSU, UO, OrSU, Cal, Stan, AZ, ASU

Utah, CU, Tech, TCU, UH, OkSU, KU, KSU

 

[Sbbruin 22082]

2 minutes ago, hawkfan said:

 

I get that.  Yes it handicaps one, but keeps the other from further irrelevancy.  

[MrBig 5602]

2 minutes ago, hawkfan said:

 

They are also trying to make everyone wear name tags and be nice to each other in public as well.

[utee94 16065]

9 minutes ago, clapclapclap said:

Scattershooting:

Miami may be vastly overrated by the expansion crowd.  Add nothing to the SEC, FSU and Florida are enough for the state.  Potentially useful to the B1G for getting into Florida, and while not AAU, their academics standing might be acceptable for a B1G exception (like ND). 

I don't think FSU is all that valuable to the SEC, either, honestly.  UF and Georgia and Alabama all have a very strong presence in the state.  Why add another mouth to feed that doesn't bring in much incremental revenue?

I think a Miami/FSU combo has a lot more value to the B1G.  If I were the B1G I might focus all my efforts on ND/Stanford and Miami/FSU.

 

 

[Bateshorn 9989]

Me: A month ago, thinking about two road games in the Rose Bowl to see the Oregon play UCLA after my son put down his housing deposit for Eugene:

 

Me, now, thinking of watching Oregon play KSU:

[George Clooney 378]

7 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Oh believe me, I wish everything remained the same, and that includes Texas and OU staying in the Big 12, But our media rights will likely quadruple, or more, and the athletic department is reeling from massive pandemic losses.  This solves all of it, and re-energizes a fan base that had begun to feel the school wasn’t committed to football.  This shows that they are.  CFB was going to undergo seismic shifts one way or the other, so it was sink or swim.

I look forward to the Bruins coming to Piscataway in the future. Hopefully Chip is still there by the time that happens.

['stache 22115]

1 hour ago, BB65 said:

Think Tech and OSU have made some calls yet?

The new OSU Prez and AD have been in contact with all four other leagues from pretty much the moment they took office. Hasn't amounted to anything yet but they all know we're ready to move the second something opens up. I'm guessing the PAC is less appealing now and a better solution would be some form of merger. I think I said it upthread but if it's a merger I hope the XII is the acquirer so the new commissioner can get a chance to do something outside the box. The new PAC prez seems as useless as Bowlsby and the last PAC prez failed miserably trying to mimic the Big 10.

[Eugene11 379]

8 minutes ago, hawkfan said:

 

 lol  kind of like the idiot texas lawmakers held a pow wow on us leaving to serc?   doubt they do much.  everyone thought we'd never separate from aggy,  or tech  or tcu. or whomever the fuck they wanted to go and look where we are now. 

 

 

[mdmost 43848]

The difference is they probably don't hate each other as much as we do in here in Texas. 

 

How depressing for Oregon and Washington fans. Phil Knight's money might dry up if he's funding a team that has no shot at the playoff. 

Edited July 1, 2022 by mdmost

[Saint Austin 776]

11 minutes ago, hawkfan said:

 

Enjoy your millstones, UO and UW!

[BB65 489]

10 minutes ago, TKthunder2 said:

They may wants out, doesn’t mean they’ll get out. The below looks like a far more respectable conference than anything the new Big 12 could cobble together…

UW, WSU, UO, OrSU, Cal, Stan, AZ, ASU

Utah, CU, Tech, TCU, UH, OkSU, KU, KSU

 

Sub Iowa St for one of TCU,UH or KSU

[mdmost 43848]

I'm actually at a loss for which conference has the upper hand now between the Big 12 and Pac 10? I don't see why the Arizonas would stay in the Pac 10. I don't see why the Big 12 teams would defect west without Los Angeles and move to timezones where people aren't really watching. 

[Vertigo 20461]

15 minutes ago, hawkfan said:

 

Texas and OU both said this and we see what happened. If they stick to this logic then they are all doomed to obscurity.

[The Hot Dog Buffet 1312]

7 minutes ago, 'stache said:

The new OSU Prez and AD have been in contact with all four other leagues from pretty much the moment they took office. Hasn't amounted to anything yet but they all know we're ready to move the second something opens up. I'm guessing the PAC is less appealing now and a better solution would be some form of merger. I think I said it upthread but if it's a merger I hope the XII is the acquirer so the new commissioner can get a chance to do something outside the box. The new PAC prez seems as useless as Bowlsby and the last PAC prez failed miserably trying to mimic the Big 10.

I think OSU ends up left out, sadly. The Pac isn't worth joining anymore and the ACC will be raided next. Maybe they get into the SEC if the SEC is willing to cut dead weight, but that's a big maybe.

[clapclapclap 9000]

10 minutes ago, utee94 said:

I don't think FSU is all that valuable to the SEC, either, honestly.  UF and Georgia and Alabama all have a very strong presence in the state.  Why add another mouth to feed that doesn't bring in much incremental revenue?

I think a Miami/FSU combo has a lot more value to the B1G.  If I were the B1G I might focus all my efforts on ND/Stanford and Miami/FSU.

 

 

SEC would be acquiring the FSU brand (and probably monopolizing the 3rd biggest state).  For the B1G, FSU academically is a very, very tough sell, similar to an OU.  But if they do take FSU, there is zero need for Miami.  Too many better choices for a valuable slot.

 

8 minutes ago, 'stache said:

 I think I said it upthread but if it's a merger I hope the XII is the acquirer so the new commissioner can get a chance to do something outside the box. The new PAC prez seems as useless as Bowlsby and the last PAC prez failed miserably trying to mimic the Big 10.

What exactly is an example of 'Outside the box' (especially if that box is cardboard?)

[Bateshorn 9989]

Yeah, there’s always going to be a lawmaker from a land grant who is butthurt and threatening to burn it all down.  The question is whether they can.  Oregon, IDK, but I can’t imagine WSU swings that big a stick in Olympia. 

Edited July 1, 2022 by Bateshorn

[Vertigo 20461]

2 minutes ago, mdmost said:

I'm actually at a loss for which conference has the upper hand now between the Big 12 and Pac 10? I don't see why the Arizonas would stay in the Pac 10. I don't see why the Big 12 teams would defect west without Los Angeles and move to timezones where people aren't really watching. 

Arizona and Utah and *snicker* Colorado would make the most sense from a TV perspective. I think the Mountain West has a raging boner right about now.

[camel at sea 589]

9 minutes ago, TKthunder2 said:

They may wants out, doesn’t mean they’ll get out. The below looks like a far more respectable conference than anything the new Big 12 could cobble together…

UW, WSU, UO, OrSU, Cal, Stan, AZ, ASU

Utah, CU, Tech, TCU, UH, OkSU, KU, KSU

 

There's a difference between "looks like" and "is."  You've included a lot of absolute dead weight in this group.  WSU is a MWC who has been cashing P5 paychecks for decades.  Oregon State is only slightly better than that  Cal and Stanford have good names and no fan support.  Those Big 12 schools have more valuable peers where they are (outside of UW and Oregon) and as was mentioned, both of those two want to leave very badly.    

[chemHORN 1298]

USC and UCLA to the Big 10 doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  No rivalries, nothing regional.  Seems kind of crazy.  

[BB65 489]

1 minute ago, The Hot Dog Buffet said:

I think OSU ends up left out, sadly. The Pac isn't worth joining anymore and the ACC will be raided next. Maybe they get into the SEC if the SEC is willing to cut dead weight, but that's a big maybe.

I’m not a huge OSU fan but I think there should be a spot for them. If or how that happens idk. 

[The Hot Dog Buffet 1312]

3 minutes ago, mdmost said:

I'm actually at a loss for which conference has the upper hand now between the Big 12 and Pac 10? I don't see why the Arizonas would stay in the Pac 10. I don't see why the Big 12 teams would defect west without Los Angeles and move to timezones where people aren't really watching. 

I expect both conferences to make a failed attempt at raiding each other before ending up where they started. The Big 12 has a much better chance at getting a few schools than the Pac 12 does, simply because it offers better national exposure with reasonable kickoff times for schools playing in the mountain time zone. So maybe 40% chance of Big 12 expanding, and 10% chance of Pac managing to get a Big 12 school.

[mdmost 43848]

Just now, chemHORN said:

USC and UCLA to the Big 10 doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  No rivalries, nothing regional.  Seems kind of crazy.  

Money makes you do crazy things. I would say the Big 10 probably wishes they didn't have all the dead weight so they could've just merged with parts of the Pac 12 but amazingly Fox doesn't seem to care that the Big 10 is top heavy and has a lot of schools that barely rate. I'm just amazed that the Big 10 gets that much money when it's really just Ohio State, Michigan, and at times Penn State that draw eyes. 

[The Hot Dog Buffet 1312]

2 minutes ago, BB65 said:

I’m not a huge OSU fan but I think there should be a spot for them. If or how that happens idk. 

There should be a spot, but realistically the only spots are in the SEC and B1G. OSU is not going to the B1G and the SEC clearly is prioritizing ACC schools, or OSU would have been going with OU and Texas. So I don't think there is a spot.

[hawkfan 60]

 

[Gidnik 3475]

26 minutes ago, hawkfan said:

 

Big dumb

['stache 22115]

5 minutes ago, The Hot Dog Buffet said:

I think OSU ends up left out, sadly. The Pac isn't worth joining anymore and the ACC will be raided next. Maybe they get into the SEC if the SEC is willing to cut dead weight, but that's a big maybe.

We're top 25 in TV ratings, below Clemson, but above FSU and Miami and everyone else in the ACC. Even above USC and UCLA. If the magic number is 20 I think we have a good shot. If its 24 we're a shoo in. Notre Dame needs to get off the fucking pot first though.

 

https://medium.com/run-it-back-with-zach/which-college-football-programs-were-the-most-watched-in-2021-49ef4f315858

[The Hot Dog Buffet 1312]

Just now, 'stache said:

We're top 25 in TV ratings, below Clemson, but above FSU and Miami and everyone else in the ACC. Even above USC and UCLA. If the magic number is 20 I think we have a good shot. If its 24 we're a shoo in. Notre Dame needs to get off the fucking pot first though.

 

https://medium.com/run-it-back-with-zach/which-college-football-programs-were-the-most-watched-in-2021-49ef4f315858

I'm rooting for you.

[Surly Bevo 25654]

SEC and Big10 need to slough off some dead weight and each go to 24 teams and form a new league.  Within each conference there is a Tier 1 and a Tier 2 (the tricky part is initially establishing this). Tier 1 is 16 teams divided into 2 divisions of 8.  They play 7 division games, 3 cross division games and 2 games with the other conference.  Playoffs ....1st in division plays second in the other division, winners of that game play each other and  that winner of conference plays winner of other conference and the winner is crowned the National Champion. 

Tier 2 is 8 teams that play 7 games against each other and then they could play 3 against the other conference Tier 2 (10 games total). Then top (based on round robin) gets promoted to Tier 1 and 2nd and 3rd get a playoff game for promotion rights (that game would be huge). Bottom of each division in Tier 1 moves down.  It's a little wonky if both teams who earn promotion are both in the same "geographic" region but like that fucking matters anymore.  Whoever was the top team can pick which division they are being promoted to (adding another interesting layer if say they belong more geographically in the "west" but think Tier 1 success will come quicker in the "east" )

ESPN/FOX/Apple/Amazon/Al Jazera/whoever  to broadcast it all.   You can fuck around with it and maybe have a 2nd-4th playoff or mix and match but that would be entertaining way to get 48 teams with at least 10-12 of them involved in some sort of "playoff".

Edited July 1, 2022 by Surly Bevo

[camel at sea 589]

4 minutes ago, hawkfan said:

 

This is the kind of story that leaks to motivate UW to either get itself freed from WSU or risk permanent exile.  

[Vertigo 20461]

4 minutes ago, 'stache said:

We're top 25 in TV ratings, below Clemson, but above FSU and Miami and everyone else in the ACC. Even above USC and UCLA. If the magic number is 20 I think we have a good shot. If its 24 we're a shoo in. Notre Dame needs to get off the fucking pot first though.

 

https://medium.com/run-it-back-with-zach/which-college-football-programs-were-the-most-watched-in-2021-49ef4f315858

OK State in the B1G would be fun, i just dont see it though.

[clapclapclap 9000]

4 hours ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Minnesota beat writer who started tweeting about USC to the B10 back in March has some updates.  Given his track record, despite not having a blue check, his statements bear some thought:

 

 

 

 

 

 

54 minutes ago, clapclapclap said:

Beat writer for whom?

Pretty sure he's just another internet wanker, he's had enough big misses before to earn the nickname "The Dude of Minnesota."

BTW, here's that 'beat writer' in the flesh.  You can hear the cheeseburger wrappers rustling on the floorboard:

 

[Sandbagging Steve 982]

49 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

I am really surprised UCLA was able to navigate this, and do it under the radar.  Had to get buy-in from the Board of Regents and the President of the UC system.  That is a notoriously tricky thing to execute.  
 

and for once we will tip our hats to SC.  They initiated this.  The networks wanted both.  Martin Jarmond recognized that this was a do or die situation, and he pounced.  And fortunately Chancellor Gene Block not only agreed to it, but he was apparently the one who massaged the regents.  But we don’t do this if SC doesn’t get the ball rolling.  Would have been tragic to lose that rivalry.  

I see you there sucking up to the Trojan Horse

['stache 22115]

This wouldn't be the worst thing if necessary.

['stache 22115]

4 minutes ago, Vertigo said:

OK State in the B1G would be fun, i just dont see it though.

BIG would never take us cuz we's too stupidz, its SEC or bust for us. The key will be how big these conferences grow.

Edited July 1, 2022 by 'stache

[camel at sea 589]

4 minutes ago, 'stache said:

We're top 25 in TV ratings, below Clemson, but above FSU and Miami and everyone else in the ACC. Even above USC and UCLA. If the magic number is 20 I think we have a good shot. If its 24 we're a shoo in. Notre Dame needs to get off the fucking pot first though.

 

https://medium.com/run-it-back-with-zach/which-college-football-programs-were-the-most-watched-in-2021-49ef4f315858

I don't think OSU gets left out of the eventual breakaway from the NCAA.  The brand/facilities/recent success/fan support justify inclusion.  At some point in the future, I think all of college football's top level will be under one governing umbrella, cashing similarly sized media rights checks, and the constant conference shuffling will stop.

But if we get a decade of an interim period, with a couple of super conferences, and a couple of "middle class" conferences, then OSU might be on the outside for a while.  Hopefully if that happens, the interim period includes an expanded playoff.  

[Bodhi 1133]

34 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Oh believe me, I wish everything remained the same, and that includes Texas and OU staying in the Big 12, But our media rights will likely quadruple, or more, and the athletic department is reeling from massive pandemic losses.  This solves all of it, and re-energizes a fan base that had begun to feel the school wasn’t committed to football.  This shows that they are.

Not sure I follow your logic here.  This shows UCLA are committed to maximizing sports revenue.  Whether they want to really compete in football is to be determined.  If you were struggling to compete in the Pac I think the first 5 years in the B1G might be pretty painful.  I expect UCLA to be bad, Nebraska level bad.

[Steelers Roll Left 1280]

35 minutes ago, hawkfan said:

 

Honestly, I’m a little surprised we haven’t heard these kind of stories more since realignment picked up steam again last year.  The ghost of Ann Richards performs a silent clap

['stache 22115]

Just now, Steelers Roll Left said:

Honestly, I’m a little surprised we haven’t heard these kind of stories more since realignment picked up steam again last year.  The ghost of Ann Richards performs a silent clap

Because they've never really been a thing, especially when its the bigger brand name that wants to leave. It's something someone said once and gets reposted everytime realignment picks up. It was said stupidly about OU-OSU for years and I always knew it was BS, and low and behold I was right. I did see a rumor somewhere that the OU admins were working to help us if SEC expands. I know Boren tried and I think our admins still get along well enough. The bedlam rivalry is among fans, not administrators. We're not aggy where the president and admins are full on idiots with rivalry beef. Because our people are grown ups, not children like all aggy.

[mdmost 43848]

1 minute ago, Steelers Roll Left said:

Honestly, I’m a little surprised we haven’t heard these kind of stories more since realignment picked up steam again last year.  The ghost of Ann Richards performs a silent clap

These lawmakers don't get how the landscape of college football has changed. If Washington is stuck with State and Oregon is stuck with State, they are both getting drug down into obscurity. The Titanic is sinking. Either you get a boat or you're dead.

 

[BB65 489]

2 minutes ago, Bodhi said:

Not sure I follow your logic here.  This shows UCLA are committed to maximizing sports revenue.  Whether they want to really compete in football is to be determined.  If you were struggling to compete in the Pac I think the first 5 years in the B1G might be pretty painful.  I expect UCLA to be bad, Nebraska level bad.

You think USC and UCLA were let in to be competitive? They were let in because of California athletes and more money for everyone. The Texas pipeline to the B1G is about to dry up with UT and OU joining the SEC. I expect B1G to look at Fla athletes next in Miami but ND has to decide first. 

[MalibuSheriff 1095]

Well, at least we now know why Bob Bowlsby retired.

[Sandbagging Steve 982]

8 minutes ago, 'stache said:

We're top 25 in TV ratings, below Clemson, but above FSU and Miami and everyone else in the ACC. Even above USC and UCLA. If the magic number is 20 I think we have a good shot. If its 24 we're a shoo in. Notre Dame needs to get off the fucking pot first though.

 

https://medium.com/run-it-back-with-zach/which-college-football-programs-were-the-most-watched-in-2021-49ef4f315858

You're definitely in if it is 48 teams. I am also hoping OSU gets in, but these aren't true measuring sticks.  Oklahoma State is on its biggest run in the school's history, all under one coach in roughly a decade and a half period of time. They also get to play in better television slots and against bigger teams than many of those other schools in the PAC and ACC. That is factored in. Just using Texas as an example: The fact that we are still top 10 while enduring the worst run in school history, and playing many smaller schools than the SEC programs, just shows the value of the fanbase. Texas is definitely #1 or #2 on the list.

OSU is definitely behind FSU, Oregon and Washington. FSU is down and plays a crappy schedule. Oregon and Washington play a crappy schedule and in bad time slots. There's no comparison. But OSU is most definitely a top 40 program. The biggest thing holding you back is you're in a crowded field running neck-and-neck and you're in a small state with OU. I know markets don't matter as much but the overall footprint does still matter some. You want as much fan engagement as possible around the country. If 48 teams make it in, you're definitely one of the teams.

I think there will be one or two major megaconferences and one piecemeal conference spread from coast to coast that will still have vetted interest in the overall scheme of things. Regardless, I don't think OSU needs to panic. Just ride it out and everything will workout in the end.