i think they are set in their thinking that they are a class above BYU, BYU is going to be in the Big 12, so naturally they belong in a class above the big 12.
Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)
- Thread starter ISUcyclones11
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I have similar feelings but I would want to exhaust other P5 options first, but they are on my list before any G5 school, like SDSU, Memphis, and others.
If nothing happens before then, the week of Monday 6/26 - Friday 6/30 is going to be fantastic.
This. Can't emphasize this enough as somebody who lives in SLC. Not that this would ever happen, but it would be like of the Big 10 fell apart and Iowa had to join the Big 12. ISU would hold that over the Hawkeyes for eternity. I truly believe if BYU didn't join the Big 12 there would be a much different tone from Utah on this.
The problem with WSU and OSU being 2nd fiddle is their value to the media folks is MUCH lower than OSU, ISU or KSU.
Nothing against WSU and OSU from a cultural or academic standpoint- but realignment is about TV value. If WSU and OSU had similar value to ISU, KSU and OSU the Pac10 would have been paid the $40M GK promised. As we stand, the Pac10 may struggle to get $20M.
Call it whatever you want, but they are in the middle of nowhere, and that is why the media companies would not be thrilled with adding them. WSU current stadium capacity is 33,000, while OSU is 43,360.
Noone is doubting that both of these schools are like ISU, KSU, TT and others, but this is also an US vs THEM game, and it's silly to bring in teams that are not going to help the league moneywise down the road, and neither school will.
I would much rather have Utah than Colorado in the big ten. Academics are essentially the same and Utah seems to actually care about sports. Their on field success the past 20 years is light years ahead of Colorado and Colorado residents really only care about the broncos.
I don’t think Utah is getting an invite anytime soon but if I had to pick one of those I pick Utah, if I’m the Big12 with BYU already I pick 2/3 years of coach prime.
That makes sense.
I think the great unknown is if market populations still matter to various conferences or not (each league values it differently). Everyone thinks with good reason at some point real total fans will matter and market populations won't matter, nobody knows exactly when that is or if we're there yet.
I come from that as "I don't know" and when people tell me it's one way or the other completely I ask how they know.
Big Ten already has a few of both. They have Nebraska and Iowa with small population but legit big fan bases. Utah would be another of those. Colorado's market isn't huge, but bigger than Utah/IA/Neb. Then they have UCLA, Maryland, Rutgers that have few real fans but massive markets. Living near Rose Bowl I'd bet my life ISU has more active fans than UCLA, not even close. The reason B1G has unlimited media money is half the conference is schools with real fans and big media markets. Oregon really isn't much of a market either, Nike kind of masks that.
Big 12 is now down to the "big fan bases in small markets" or 2nd/3rd/4th/5th teams in huge markets. The four corners won't really going to change that, just give it more of what it has. Colrado's disinterest will be a bit of an outlier. They never seemed radically disinterested in Big 8/Big 12 but they had better football then.
The last time Washington State tried to help Iowa State, it caused us to have a winless football season.
It almost feels like Colorado is the best chance of jumping ship. And to cover their bases the Big 12 lines up UCONN or Memphis to be the second partner.
The most likely scenerario is Colorado to the PAC 12 and San Diego State to replace them I the PAC 12 and then if Arizona stays, it’s either UCONN or Memphis.
The most likely scenerario is Colorado to the PAC 12 and San Diego State to replace them I the PAC 12 and then if Arizona stays, it’s either UCONN or Memphis.
It's so weird for sports how the more accessible watching something like football became, the less we hardly even know about the teams from a general viewing standpoint.
Okay, this is my interpretation of what has happened in the last week based on the reports that have come out:
1) We heard last week that the PAC is in no hurry to make a deal, and may wait until August or later.
Kliavkoff's strategy this whole time has been to wait. There has never been an offer available that would get the $40 million per school he wanted, and after the B12 sniped the ESPN/FOX deal the offers have been even worse. I think he's okay locking in the schools he has, even if that means they miss the window for SDSU and have to wait a year to expand.
2) Colorado has a private board meeting and schedules a public one which is later canceled. A bunch of articles are written that they are on the verge of leaving for the B12.
Colorado had no intention of realigning this week. I believe the hubbub was all about pressuring Kliavkoff to stop stalling and bring a deal to the table now. Colorado will move to the B12 if the P12 deal is bad, and they see the window for coming next year closing if they don't announce the move by July. I think they got what they wanted before they cancelled the public meeting.
3) Arizona's president goes on a media tour talking about bronze medals and moving if the financials require it. Scheer also throws out there that the ABOR wouldn't block the Arizona schools from splitting up.
I think this was Arizona's setting the table for a B12 move if the P12 deal isn't good enough. There are probably still Arizona faculty and fans that aren't sold on the B12 and they need to get the idea in their heads that this is necessary for the good of the school under the circumstances.
P.S. this didn't happen last week but several weeks ago the ASU athletic director said ASU is staying in the P12. Not sure if they change their tune if UA and CU leave, but for now they seem set in staying even with a bad deal.
1) We heard last week that the PAC is in no hurry to make a deal, and may wait until August or later.
Kliavkoff's strategy this whole time has been to wait. There has never been an offer available that would get the $40 million per school he wanted, and after the B12 sniped the ESPN/FOX deal the offers have been even worse. I think he's okay locking in the schools he has, even if that means they miss the window for SDSU and have to wait a year to expand.
2) Colorado has a private board meeting and schedules a public one which is later canceled. A bunch of articles are written that they are on the verge of leaving for the B12.
Colorado had no intention of realigning this week. I believe the hubbub was all about pressuring Kliavkoff to stop stalling and bring a deal to the table now. Colorado will move to the B12 if the P12 deal is bad, and they see the window for coming next year closing if they don't announce the move by July. I think they got what they wanted before they cancelled the public meeting.
3) Arizona's president goes on a media tour talking about bronze medals and moving if the financials require it. Scheer also throws out there that the ABOR wouldn't block the Arizona schools from splitting up.
I think this was Arizona's setting the table for a B12 move if the P12 deal isn't good enough. There are probably still Arizona faculty and fans that aren't sold on the B12 and they need to get the idea in their heads that this is necessary for the good of the school under the circumstances.
P.S. this didn't happen last week but several weeks ago the ASU athletic director said ASU is staying in the P12. Not sure if they change their tune if UA and CU leave, but for now they seem set in staying even with a bad deal.
This is all desperation by the Pac-12. Some of their folks truly believe Yormark is lying or otherwise just a "shady dude", so it gives them the right to make things up too. The reality is much less pleasant than they want to believe...they are in a tough spot because they don't have big fanbases or viewership numbers, mostly because very few care about college sports in their area of the country.
I don’t really take the “we’re staying” comments at face value. All 4 corners would stay in the PAC 100% all things being equal. The question is, how much are they willing to pass up to stay? $5M? $10M?
I think AZ’s administration is being more realistic. It seems they know PAC’s deal is going to fall short of where they’ve decided they need to be to stay. Ditto with CO. ASU and Utah’s admins might see AZ and CO’s position and know they’re going to pull the plug first. Backfilling with SDSU/UNLV/Boise St and others is not going to make the PAC’s offers get any better. That’s when they pull the plug.
Side note, SDSU is not additive to a conference that wants to be considered a P3/4/5 conference. They’re backfill for the PAC when/if they go below 10 members.