Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

That's a nice idea but there has to be more. Just like men's basketball the Big12 has to make its mark on the national stage.

The Big12 needs to have elite teams that can earn bids for the 12 or 16 team playoff. If the Big12 consistently only gets 1 playoff bid- the Big12 is going to become irrelevant in a decade.

The 6 auto qualifiers is only certain for 2024 & 2025. It's naive to think the Big10 & SEC aren't going to try to dominate the playoff spots and the potentially $2B.
It depends on who gets the playoff rights. Right now ESPN has them, ESPN also has the Big12. Does Fox jump in? Also have the Big12. Anyone else? Favors B1G more than the SEC in that scenario, unless it’s someone who doesn’t have a stake in any conference currently. In the end, wins will matter most.
 
A mostly to-the-side thought experiment, I've pondered this for several months. What if the OUT to SEC and USC/UCLA to Big Ten had been announced/leaked in roughly the same time frame ... how might Big 12 have reacted for invitations? Would it still have added a couple of the New 4, then wait on PAC, or go to PAC first?

I think the networks would have worked out a merger in that situation. Likely would have been a worse financial situation for the merged conference than the Big12 is in right now as you have the dead weight of the PAC included and not the revenue positive BYU and Houston.

I'm relieved it happened in the order than it did. Because if it has happened opposite where the Big10 went first, I don't know that the Big12 survives offers from the PAC to the Southern schools.
 
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That's a nice idea but there has to be more. Just like men's basketball the Big12 has to make its mark on the national stage.

The Big12 needs to have elite teams that can earn bids for the 12 or 16 team playoff. If the Big12 consistently only gets 1 playoff bid- the Big12 is going to become irrelevant in a decade.

The 6 auto qualifiers is only certain for 2024 & 2025. It's naive to think the Big10 & SEC aren't going to try to dominate the playoff spots and the potentially $2B.

I certainly think the Big10 and SEC will try to dominate the playoffs. It'll be interesting just how much power the Big12, ACC, and G5 conferences have to fight that. In the current format, everyone gets a vote. I don't know if that'll be true going forward. But I also see where they can't really separate away completely yet, so if the other conferences really show solidarity they can keep more even revenue.
 
It depends on who gets the playoff rights. Right now ESPN has them, ESPN also has the Big12. Does Fox jump in? Also have the Big12. Anyone else? Favors B1G more than the SEC in that scenario, unless it’s someone who doesn’t have a stake in any conference currently. In the end, wins will matter most.
Will be interesting, bidding will be open so ESPN won't be the only game in town. I'd bet playoff coverage will be split between multiple media partners.
 
Will be interesting, bidding will be open so ESPN won't be the only game in town. I'd bet playoff coverage will be split between multiple media partners.

The playoffs are where I think you see an Apple or Amazon step in and make a crazy bid. Or maybe CBS to get TNT further on the map for a big time sorots channel.
 
I wonder if it will end up like an NFL model where multiple networks have playoff games and the championship rotates networks each year. Seems to make sense.
That'd be my guess. Between ESPN/ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS, there'll be several players with lots of $$$. This is the last thing ESPN wanted and it's why they tried locking down expansion model before the "Alliance" slammed the brakes.
 
Curious how Wilner will spin this news?



Hold up… we have a source off!



Not just that, but this:



Who's right and who's getting played? I don't know, but if I were Auerbach and Dellenger with those "scoops" just minutes apart from one another, I'd worry that I was the chump.
 

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