Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)
- Thread starter ISUcyclones11
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It’s starting to feel like ESPN and Fox were saving up for this instead of paying for the PAC-12.
I think it was a major tectonic shift. Either Texas moved north and a major mountain range is now in Kansas or, more likely, California finally fell off into the ocean like people have been predicting for decades.
If Stanfords brand is so huge, then I'm sure they will have no issues getting into the Big 10.
Opposed wasn’t the right word, indifferent was. They would also be a massive academic outlier and the politics would be a nightmare. The Big12 would most likely take any of the Cali schools but the Cali schools do not want to be associated with the Big12 or the majority of the states the schools reside in due to politics.
And why does that matter … I mean, Utah does. Do you think USC and UCLA don’t look down on the B12?
Yes. And what does “taken UCLA mean”? Like in a hypothetical world where they aren’t going to the Big 10?
If you think that is a sign of mass grass roots support for their athletics from faculty, students, & alumni instead of meaning they have some wealthy alumni who like athletics, I don't know what to tell you.
Now you have shifted the goal posts… I didn’t say that. … but play along, if you think butts in seats is so important… ISU will have no issues getting into the B10.
Brand and butts in seats are different things.
Of course they do, that’s why they moved to the big ten? Not sure where you’re going with this
I mean.. right, of course the do and should. It’s cool Stanford and Cal thing they are above the B12… they probably are in many areas.
You have to wonder if part of the impetuous for Colorado moving now is concern for what happens when the ACC blows up and Oregon and Washington jump to Big 10. In that scenario Colorado might not have had a seat at the Big-12 table. By doing things now they are in.
The PAC overall is in a horrible spot. I don't think CO is the only domino to fall, it's just the second part of a feedback loop that's only going to pick up speed as long as the B12 is willing to add PAC schools. The real question is how big does the B12 want to go? 16? 18? ESPN's on the hook for any P5 schools the B12 wants to add, but what is Fox willing to take on?
The media deals that weren't good enough before are only going to get worse. Dropping below 10 schools means no conference football title game (and no revenue that comes along with it). Scheduling suddenly becomes a problem as the conference slate drops from 9 games to 8 to 7, and the media deal follows suit. SDSU's out there, and SMU, but who do they backfill with beyond that? The MWC is already passed the deadline and their buyouts is something like $35M if they want to join for 2024.
Oh, yeah, and they still don't have media deal.
OR and WA are the big prize. IMO, they wouldn't be a problem like Texas, Nebraska and A&M were because they'd have no leverage. Threats to leave if they don't get ______ would just be laughed at. Until the B10 gives them an invite, there's nowhere else for them to go. If/when that day comes, there aren't enough concession the B12 could offer to get them to stay.
So you’re kinda answering your own question?
People thinking Cal schools could fit in the BXII seem to forget that less than a year ago California passed a law saying state funds couldnt be used to transport state employees to most of us lowly, bigoted, not-progressive-enough midwest states. Combine that with the well known fact that the Cal schools prevented any religiously affiliated school (BYU) from entering the conference. There is no way any Cal school will ever be a part of the BXII. In their eyes we are all right-wing hillbillies and religious fanatics
Because conference unity matters. You need institutions that are like-minded.
The agenda is pretty short and the only athletic item on the agenda pertains to the football coach's employment. I'm not sure how these things work so it certainly could go on a tangent or there could be other items. The timing and suddenness is interesting though.
edit: My original link was bad. Here is a pic of the preliminary notice.
If the optics of "Butts in seats" were a requirement for conference membership, half of the Big 10 would be ineligible. The optics of seeing a half empty or nearly empty stadium tells everyone just how much passion a fan base has for the team in question.