College Football Realignment

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by nmculbreth

Joining the MAC to cut down travel costs would be penny wise and pound foolish.

The program is moving in the right direction internally, the administration and BOT are finally showing the willingness to invest in the future of the athletic department and they're one or two defections away from ending up in one of the five remaining power conferences. The second UC decided to join the MAC all of this progress would come to a screeching halt and the program would never recover.

I'd much rather eat the costs of extra travel expenses playing the best of the rest and waiting for a seat at the table than simply walking away.

The best of the rest isn't demonstrably better than the MAC -- especially if UC goes to the MAC w/ UConn & USF in tow.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by wolfboy

You're an SEC guy. Honestly, I wouldn't expect you to watch.

Who would you expect to watch New Mexico play Memphis in football?

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by jojo

Who would you expect to watch New Mexico play Memphis in football?

I wasn't being flippant with that comment. Just noting that you're a fan of the SEC, so I wouldn't expect you to have much interest in whatever this new conference will be called.

As to your example, I think it's unfair to single out UNM and Memphis because in all likelihood, that game wouldn't be televised anywhere other than locally. Same goes for Vandy v. Ole Miss, Minnesota v. Northwestern, Iowa State v. Kansas, Wake Forest v. Duke, etc... Every conference has its stinker games.

The real question here is not New Mexico v. Memphis, but Boise State v. Cincinnati, or SJSU v. Temple. For the casual fan, would that ever have a tenth of the appeal of an LSU v. 'Bama matchup? No way. Of course, that will be reflected in the television deal.

That being said, as a UC fan, I'm much more interested in games between UC's conference mates than I am other games. If two teams from UC's conference are playing, I'll watch. In fact, I'll watch most conference games over a B1G matchup for example (or at least flip back and forth). I'd imagine there are many other conference viewers that would as well. Fans of other conferences would have little to no interest, but that's expected.

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

The best of the rest isn't demonstrably better than the MAC -- especially if UC goes to the MAC w/ UConn & USF in tow.

The MAC generates zero revenue for football. Moreover, the MAC offers just about nothing in the way of strength of schedule. Just because the universe aligned this year for NIU football doesn't mean it's a good idea to bet the farm on MAC football superiority.

[Reds4Life]

All of this realignment stuff has actually decreased my interest in college football. I am not a diehard, just a casual fan who will watch some games, and the flat out greed in all of this is truely disgusting.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by wolfboy

I wasn't being flippant with that comment. Just noting that you're a fan of the SEC, so I wouldn't expect you to have much interest in whatever this new conference will be called.

As to your example, I think it's unfair to single out UNM and Memphis because in all likelihood, that game wouldn't be televised anywhere other than locally. Same goes for Vandy v. Ole Miss, Minnesota v. Northwestern, Iowa State v. Kansas, Wake Forest v. Duke, etc... Every conference has its stinker games.

The real question here is not New Mexico v. Memphis, but Boise State v. Cincinnati, or SJSU v. Temple. For the casual fan, would that ever have a tenth of the appeal of an LSU v. 'Bama matchup? No way. Of course, that will be reflected in the television deal.

That being said, as a UC fan, I'm much more interested in games between UC's conference mates than I am other games. If two teams from UC's conference are playing, I'll watch. In fact, I'll watch most conference games over a B1G matchup for example (or at least flip back and forth). I'd imagine there are many other conference viewers that would as well. Fans of other conferences would have little to no interest, but that's expected.

UC vs BSU is the only match up in the proposed conference that would likely draw any interest outside of conference devotees. But I think on any given Saturday 80% of conference member fans would watch gmes from other conferences rather than match ups between their conference members.

[chicoruiz]

I think it's reaching a point where being in the same conference for all sports is going to be the exception rather than the rule. If Cincinnati ends up in a cross-country conference for football and basketball, fine, but why tie all the other non-revenue sports to that same conference? Shouldn't there be different, geographically-based conferences for non-revenue sports?

Of course I think the whole cross-country conference thing may be a red herring designed to pressure the ACC into accepting Cincinnati and UConn...

[Slyder]

The Catholic 7 have moved to leave as a unit. I fully expect them to go out and cherry pick basketball programs now. One name still being bandied about is Notre Dame, would the Domers go back on their deal with the ACC?

I take no joy in the death of the Big East and will always have fond memories of the conference. So many things could have gone right but in the end their focus was on the wrong sport and it cost the league everything.

[Gallen5862]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...ball-framework

Seven schools leaving Big East

WASHINGTON -- The seven Big East schools that don't play FBS football have decided to leave the conference and pursue a new basketball framework.


The presidents of the seven schools made the announcement Saturday, saying it was a unanimous vote. The schools are: DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova.


Big East spokesperson John Paquette told ESPN.com the seven schools will leave on June 30, 2015, per conference bylaws.

The move leaves Connecticut, a founding member of the league in 1979, Cincinnati and South Florida -- three current members with FBS football programs -- up in the air concerning their futures.

[Slyder]

Originally Posted by Gallen5862

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...ball-framework

Seven schools leaving Big East

WASHINGTON -- The seven Big East schools that don't play FBS football have decided to leave the conference and pursue a new basketball framework.


The presidents of the seven schools made the announcement Saturday, saying it was a unanimous vote. The schools are: DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova.


Big East spokesperson John Paquette told ESPN.com the seven schools will leave on June 30, 2015, per conference bylaws.

The move leaves Connecticut, a founding member of the league in 1979, Cincinnati and South Florida -- three current members with FBS football programs -- up in the air concerning their futures.

I didn't think they'd wait that long to leave. I thought there were a couple provisions in there for a more immediate split.

[IslandRed]

Originally Posted by Slyder

I didn't think they'd wait that long to leave. I thought there were a couple provisions in there for a more immediate split.

At least from what one or two people wrote on Twitter, the provisions of which you speak are the early exit fees -- and by giving the 27 months' notice they don't have to pay anything. I'm guessing there's no immediate financial benefit to getting out today that merits paying the full exit fee or litigating the issue. They may also be gambling that, as a bloc, they'll be sufficiently in the way of the remaining teams' move-forward plans that the rest of the league says "fine, just leave already."

[Sea Ray]

Originally Posted by IslandRed

At least from what one or two people wrote on Twitter, the provisions of which you speak are the early exit fees -- and by giving the 27 months' notice they don't have to pay anything. I'm guessing there's no immediate financial benefit to getting out today that merits paying the full exit fee or litigating the issue. They may also be gambling that, as a bloc, they'll be sufficiently in the way of the remaining teams' move-forward plans that the rest of the league says "fine, just leave already."

If nothing else those exit fees should be a financial boon to U Conn and UC.

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by jojo

UC vs BSU is the only match up in the proposed conference that would likely draw any interest outside of conference devotees. But I think on any given Saturday 80% of conference member fans would watch gmes from other conferences rather than match ups between their conference members.

I don't think either one of us has anything other than anecdotal evidence to go on, but in my experience the more than casual fan is watching the conference game, unless it's an absolute stinker like Memphis v Temple. Either way, you make it sound like these guys have a choice. What do they do? Just dissolve football because they can't be the SEC? I can tell you that if they did, the SEC or B1G wouldn't get my money instead. If they go 4/16 and shut my school out, the considerable sum of money I spend toward UC football is probably going back to the NFL. I'll be done with college football and I'm sure a lot of other people will be as well.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by wolfboy

The MAC generates zero revenue for football. Moreover, the MAC offers just about nothing in the way of strength of schedule. Just because the universe aligned this year for NIU football doesn't mean it's a good idea to bet the farm on MAC football superiority.

This new "best of the rest" conference will offer nothing by way of strength of schedule and will also generate next to no revenue for football.

Six to one, half a dozen to the other. You could put UConn and UC in the MAC and it would be a better conference than the "best of the rest" without those two.

No matter what UC does, it's not going to make TV money for football. It's a no win situation, so may as well avoid some complex solution.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by wolfboy

I don't think either one of us has anything other than anecdotal evidence to go on, but in my experience the more than casual fan is watching the conference game, unless it's an absolute stinker like Memphis v Temple. Either way, you make it sound like these guys have a choice. What do they do? Just dissolve football because they can't be the SEC? I can tell you that if they did, the SEC or B1G wouldn't get my money instead. If they go 4/16 and shut my school out, the considerable sum of money I spend toward UC football is probably going back to the NFL. I'll be done with college football and I'm sure a lot of other people will be as well.

In my experience, devout football fans gravitate to the best games. A fan will watch his team no matter what but the rest of the saturday he basically acts like a fun gun for hire.

The hypothetical conference above would consistently fail to offer and meat for the fan searching for his next game. Literally ESPN 12 might carry some of the conferences games but then again the Appalachian State game might preempt it...