Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

[Cyclone Pfan]

If the P10 schools are kicking tires, and if the B12 can be selective, I hope we follow the B1G model by expanding the footprint. The knock on the B12 and P10 has consistently been lack of markets. TX/CA (4 each) and pairing up schools within states (OU/OSU, KU/KSU vs P10: UO/OSU, UW/WSU, UA/ASU). I think we'd have maximum value by diversifying our market.

My opinion on priority would be:
UW, ASU, Stanford, then UO. Then if not ASU, then UA. Then if not Stanford then UCB. I see little value in CU and less for UU (we already have a presence in Utah).

I know I'm in a minority with this opinion.

 

[Gunnerclone]

It's not a contradiction at all, though. "Nobody wants them" doesn't mean the teams aren't strong, just that you don't have the 1-2 schools in the conference that move the needle enough for the BIG or SEC to come calling. The Big 12 is third best conference because the quality of the league top-to-bottom and not based on the strength of the top 1-2 teams (*cough*ACC*cough*).

basically we’re a big man that got his work done early in the possession. Suck it Stew.

 

[alarson]

I love this. Just love it. The Big 12 is stronger. It doesn’t matter who, where, when or why. It just is. And that hurts Stew. It hurts him bad.

But even then, like its not the only reason the big 12 is stronger.

Its also stronger because it actually has strong fan support and a minimum level of quality among its teams. Most of the time they wont be championship level, but they'll have plenty of top 25 teams in a given year, and there isn't much of a bottom to the league aside from KU and even KU is improving (and at least KU brings a blue blood basketball brand, something the PAC will no longer have).

 

[aeroclone]

It's not a contradiction at all, though. "Nobody wants them" doesn't mean the teams aren't strong, just that you don't have the 1-2 schools in the conference that move the needle enough for the BIG or SEC to come calling. The Big 12 is third best conference because the quality of the league top-to-bottom and not based on the strength of the top 1-2 teams (*cough*ACC*cough*).

Bingo. When you poach the top schools from the Pac, B12, and ACC, the B12 has the best football, the best basketball, and the best fan support of the three. By far. And because we got poached first, we have reached a point of stability before the others. You would think Stew could put that together easy enough considering this is his job.

 

[fcclone]

But even then, like its not the only reason the big 12 is stronger.

Its also stronger because it actually has strong fan support and a minimum level of quality among its teams. Most of the time they wont be championship level, but they'll have plenty of top 25 teams in a given year, and there isn't much of a bottom to the league aside from KU and even KU is improving (and at least KU brings a blue blood basketball brand, something the PAC will no longer have).

But, but, but, conference of champions.

 

[Cyclone Pfan]

UW, ASU, Stanford, then UO.

The media has said they place high value in rivalries. With this makeup, we'd be able to televise 50% of the following rivalry games which, theoretically, could be spread out through the season improving B12 inventory.
Apple Cup (UW / WSU)
Battle of the Brazos (BU /AtM cowards)
Bedlam (OSU / OU)
Duel in the Desert (ASU / UA)
CyHawk (ISU / UI)
Legends Trophy (SU / ND)
Platypus Trophy (UO / OSU)
Chancellors Spurs (TT / UT)
Backyard Brawl (WVU / PU)
Iron Skillet (TCU / SMU)
Holy War (BYU / UU)
Border War (KU / UM)
Does KSU have a non B12 rivalry?
UC?, UH?, UCF?

 

[Clonehomer]

But, but, but, conference of champions.

Those championships are now claimed by the Big10. Very shortly, those classic championship games will be a part of the BTN library. Reggie Bush will be included in Big10 Heisman winners and John Wooden will be included with the greatest coaches in Big10 history. It's the same process as bringing in Nebraska.

 

[BCClone]

The longer I think about the LA schools going into the big ten, I’m curious how it will be in about 5-10 years. I think the Cali culture may fit with some of the presidents but the fans, ADs and players may not be as good of a mesh with the Midwest culture. I could see some headache type stuff that Texas gave us.

 

[cyphoon]

The longer I think about the LA schools going into the big ten, I’m curious how it will be in about 5-10 years.

I'm curious if the networks will ever figure out that those socal schools don't really deliver socal TV viewers.

H

 

[Gorm]

I love this. Just love it. The Big 12 is stronger. It doesn’t matter who, where, when or why. It just is. And that hurts Stew. It hurts him bad.

"nobody wants its teams."

What a coincidence, a whole lot of media compaines said the same thing about the Pac-12 recently.

 

[isucy86]

I feel like there is a better chance of the ACC disbanding through mutual agreement between the schools and then ESPN. Than a school have success litigating the GOR. But the time isn't right because linear TV is still the dominate media rights valuation driver. If the time comes when streaming/subscription based live sports comes close to linear, then it might make sense for the 2nd tier of ACC programs to move to Big12.

Currently, ESPN pays the ACC around $250M annually ($17M per school) in media rights. In 2022 around 33 ACC home games were on linear TV: ABC (14 games), ESPN (11), ESPN2 (5), ESPNU (3). So around 70-75 games were on the ACCN. For ESPN, will there be a point in the next 6 years where the ACCN and SECN move from linear channels to a streaming platform and are subscription based?

It would also be made a lot easier if the Big10, SEC and Big12 could agree on dividing up the 14 ACC teams and ND. The media has focused on pairing ND with Stanford, but could ND pair itself with another Catholic university Boston College? Does the BTN model make Boston an attractive media market? Also with NIL, potential for athletes to be employees and/or CTE concerns- could private schools like Boston College, Duke, Wake Forest, etc. decide to drop football and become basketball only schools?

 

[ISpyCy]

I love this. Just love it. The Big 12 is stronger. It doesn’t matter who, where, when or why. It just is. And that hurts Stew. It hurts him bad.

Come on, Stewie. Not everyone can have an Alabama, Georgia, or Ohio State in their league. Unity and strength comes in more ways than just a power program or two. It's great when things like this make his blood boil.

 

[AuH2O]

I love this. Just love it. The Big 12 is stronger. It doesn’t matter who, where, when or why. It just is. And that hurts Stew. It hurts him bad.

Yet when Stew was at his peak “No big 12 team brings value” form, viewership for ISU and Okie State in network and ESPN games even that did not include OUT, was nearly at what Oregon did in such games (even vs USC) and were almost 90% of the viewership of USC in such games. So without USC to boost Oregon, they were all going to be about the same.

Keep in mind the Big 12 AFTER adding low value G5s is worth more than the Big 12. Adding the Big 12 leftovers (feel free to leave Baylor out) was a huge missed opportunity by the PAC.

 

[simply1]

Yet when Stew was at his peak “No big 12 team brings value” form, viewership for ISU and Okie State in network and ESPN games even that did not include OUT, was nearly at what Oregon did in such games (even vs USC) and were almost 90% of the viewership of USC in such games. So without USC to boost Oregon, they were all going to be about the same.

Keep in mind the Big 12 AFTER adding low value G5s is worth more than the Big 12. Adding the Big 12 leftovers (feel free to leave Baylor out) was a huge missed opportunity by the PAC.

What time were the Oregon games? Just wondering if apples to apples.

 

[Jkclone15]

If we are moving toward something like what @Jkclone15 found on Reddit or whatever (and I’m not picking on you jkclone15), then there is really no difference in my mind. That thing is just a gigantic cluster ****. If that, or something similar, were to happen, it’s just big business pulling the wool over your eyes. You and me and everyone else will end up paying for ******** games like Oregon State/Stanford. Nobody gives a rats ass about games like that, so if we end up in a “conference” or some crap alliance, I’ll be pissed when Iowa State gets an even smaller payout or my bill increases because someone has to pay for Cal/Washington State.

Not trying to argue with you, just discuss. If someone told us tomorrow that the B12 would be bundling its media rights with the ACC going forward, they'd still be separate conferences but would say play a crossover game in football, a challenge in basketball, and would make more money by negotiating with the ESPN's and FOX's of the world as a block, would that be a negative outcome in your eyes? Because that's kind of what these large conferences look like they're heading toward in my eyes. The only difference is that a couple of teams at the top and the bottom of the pecking order will be shaved off first.

 

[CysRage]

Yet when Stew was at his peak “No big 12 team brings value” form, viewership for ISU and Okie State in network and ESPN games even that did not include OUT, was nearly at what Oregon did in such games (even vs USC) and were almost 90% of the viewership of USC in such games. So without USC to boost Oregon, they were all going to be about the same.

Keep in mind the Big 12 AFTER adding low value G5s is worth more than the Big 12. Adding the Big 12 leftovers (feel free to leave Baylor out) was a huge missed opportunity by the PAC.

Thank goodness they didn't because the Big 12 would have folded just like the Pac 12 today is starting to fold. The PAC 12's ego and arrogance prevented them poaching Big 12 teams after CU because they thought they were better than "truck stop schools". That decision likely caused the demise of the Pac 12 conference.

 

[Cardinal and Gold]

I love this. Just love it. The Big 12 is stronger. It doesn’t matter who, where, when or why. It just is. And that hurts Stew. It hurts him bad.

He can attempt to spin it however he wants. In the end, it is about the all mighty dollar. There is a bottom line we are soon going to find out. That will tell us all we need.

 

[Yellow Snow]

Not gonna lie it's pretty funny watching how this has turned into a trollfest between beat writers, with Scheer pretty much annihilating Canzano at every turn.

This isn't about Canzano, but Scheer's thoughts on the situation with 365 sports...

 

[FerShizzle]

This isn't about Canzano, but Scheer's thoughts on the situation with 365 sports...

I put it at 50/50 that the pac 12 presidents take a bad deal like scheer suggests they might. And I put it 100% that they get a bad deal put in front of them. Going to be interesting.

 

[BCClone]

Where BY really paid for himself. In a normal situation, the big 12 could probably have negotiated a little harder and popped a little more, but BY knew that by leapfrogging the PAC that he secured a solid deal and got decent exposure for the conference.