College Football Realignment

[Slyder]

No its not a thread about 80s hair band White Snake. It's everyone's favorite yearly thread about College Football Armageddon via super conference. According to a couple sites that I visit Oklahoma is close to launching a Sooner television network, Texas broke their promise to not let the network have sole access to any Big 12 conference games, and Texas A&M is ticked off.

Texas A&M has (reportedly) gone back to negotiating with SEC. The rumors are SEC would look at going to 14 or 16. If 14 then the short list being rumored is WVU and Clemson for the other spot. If 16 they would want Oklahoma for the west and then two of WVU, Clemson, Va Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami, FSU.

Take it for what its worth. As a WVU fan the SEC is probably the best fit should we leave the Big East. 1) Similar college town, 2) Better football, 3) Most stable of all the "eastern conferences".

Some rumor are ACC has also been sending out feelers but... honestly they're trying to prevent the same thing the Big East is and thats Oblivion. If/When the Big 10 expands again the only reason they look at the Big East is to get Notre Dame, they couldn't care less about the rest. This leaves them with options of Maryland, Virginia, Missouri as the "diamonds". If the ACC were to lose a couple schools they quickly get torn apart and lose a lot of their tv marketability.

[KronoRed]

The big 12 will crumble into nothing, the non Texas teams need to be looking for new places to go., the Big East should be looking for some schools to add to TCU.

I don't see the SEC looking at Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami or FSU, they are already on TV every Saturday in every town in those states.

[WVRed]

I like John Calipari's idea of four "superconferences"

The champion of all four conferences would play in a playoff to determine the national championship while the remaining teams would have their own bowl games.

In basketball, all of the teams would be in the big dance. The only downside is no midmajors or Cinderellas.

The best part, its independent of the NCAA and the revenue generated would be enough to provide room and board for student athletes plus $3000-4000 a year in spending money.

[Slyder]

Originally Posted by WVRed

I like John Calipari's idea of four "superconferences"

The champion of all four conferences would play in a playoff to determine the national championship while the remaining teams would have their own bowl games.

In basketball, all of the teams would be in the big dance. The only downside is no midmajors or Cinderellas.

The best part, its independent of the NCAA and the revenue generated would be enough to provide room and board for student athletes plus $3000-4000 a year in spending money.

I think that is also the point when Congress steps in and taxes the ever living bejesus out of the profits too. I can't see Congress sitting idlely by while 64 (ish) schools basically freeze hundreds of others out of serious money and take it all for themselves.

[Slyder]

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-foo...#ixzz1ShDUd79u

Originally Posted by article

A source told Sporting News on Wednesday that both Texas A&M and Oklahoma are so concerned about rival Texas gaining a recruiting advantage with the newly formed Longhorn Network, the two institutions could turn to the SEC if the problems can’t be figured out. The core issue: The Longhorn Network will televise live high school football games in the state of Texas, an obvious recruiting advantage for Texas. (Ed. note: The Big 12 announced later Wednesday that those plans had been put on hold.)

Copied the important portion of the article. More at the link.

If all four Missouri, aTm, OU, and Oklahoma State head to the SEC the Big East and ACC are SCREWED as major football conferences. I still believe that the Big 10 is only targeting the Big East because they want to get Notre Dame and Notre Dame only. I still feel the Big 10 wants Missouri, Virginia, and Maryland to go along with Notre Dame to get 16. This leaves the ACC as the Carolina League and the Big East as a conglomeration of northeast and catholic schools with little marketability as a whole. Could you make a "good enough" conference with the remnants of the ACC and Big East? Maybe but the Big East and ACC won't leave schools in the cold and that drags down the whole bunch.

[dabvu2498]

If Texas drives everyone away from the Big 12, where do they end up??? Independent?

[Slyder]

Originally Posted by dabvu2498

If Texas drives everyone away from the Big 12, where do they end up??? Independent?

Wouldn't surprise me. I think that has been Texas' goal since starting talks with the Pac 10. I'm sure they could find a home for their other sports just like BYU did when they decided to go at a network.

[reds44]

Originally Posted by WVRed

I like John Calipari's idea of four "superconferences"

The champion of all four conferences would play in a playoff to determine the national championship while the remaining teams would have their own bowl games.

In basketball, all of the teams would be in the big dance. The only downside is no midmajors or Cinderellas.

The best part, its independent of the NCAA and the revenue generated would be enough to provide room and board for student athletes plus $3000-4000 a year in spending money.

As somebody who goes to a school who plays in the MAC, uh, that's kind of a big deal. And you do realize 2/4 teams in the Final Four this year and the team who has played in the last two championship games would not have been in the tournament, correct?

[IslandRed]

I wasn't surprised to see the Big 10+1 and the Pac-10 maneuver into 12 teams. I also think conferences are kicking the tires on the idea of going to 16 but reluctant to actually make the leap. Just to take the SEC for example -- 12 to 16 means it needs a 33% jump in revenue just to break even. And I'm not sure where it's going to come from. They already have huge national deals with CBS and ESPN, they're already all over the TV in any market where they could conceivably expand. (Yes, viewership in Texas would increase with A&M and OU... but $60+ million per year's worth?) They already have a football championship game and a basketball tournament. It would complicate scheduling and increase travel costs. Maybe they know where the pot of gold is that would justify it, but I'm not seeing it.

[KronoRed]

I think you'll see 14 before you see 16.

[reds44]

Edit: Whoops, I'm an idiot. Nevermind.

[Puffy]

Originally Posted by dabvu2498

If Texas drives everyone away from the Big 12, where do they end up??? Independent?

Yup. As a Notre Dame fan let me say that I'm hoping it comes to this. That means Notre Dame stays independent and gets Texas on the schedule every year.

Which would mean ND would play Michigan, USC, and Texas every year. Of course we will still get blasted for our "weak" schedule

[medford]

Originally Posted by Puffy

Yup. As a Notre Dame fan let me say that I'm hoping it comes to this. That means Notre Dame stays independent and gets Texas on the schedule every year.

Which would mean ND would play Michigan, USC, and Texas every year. Of course we will still get blasted for our "weak" schedule

Nah, more fun to blast Notre Dame for losing to Navy all the time

Seriously, texas going independent, along w/ BYU would probably give Notre Dame reasonable partners to slide into a home/away schedule every year along w/ the continuation of Michigan, USC, Michigan St, Purdue and the academies.

[WVRed]

Originally Posted by KronoRed

I think you'll see 14 before you see 16.

16 could happen, but 14 is more feasible, especially if you slide Alabama or Auburn to the SEC East:

SEC East:
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt

SEC West:
Arkansas
Auburn
LSU
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Oklahoma
Texas A&M

[Unassisted]

Sitting here in Big 12 country, I'm not convinced that the Big 12 is as close to the precipice as the articles mentioned above indicate. Article in today's paper mentioned the possibilities of A&M and Oklahoma getting their own cable networks. That seems like it would be a more appealing option to the ADs than having non-revenue teams making road trips to the Eastern timezone for conference games. IMO, the executives at ESPN and CBS would like for this move to happen more than the non-Longhorn members of the Big 12 would.

Also, most of the high school football games in Texas are played on Friday night and the UIL, which is the governing body over the state's public high school athletics, doesn't allow member schools to televise Friday night games live. So that's a hurdle that will impede any high school TV plans.