The surviving members of the old Big 8 and the Big 12 were shown the grave a couple of years ago and know that we were very close to being pushed in. The survivors formed a new bond and will protect it fiercely now, strong enough to fight off what Texas was hoping would happen. Things can change in an instant but we have something to protect and I'm hoping we'll turn into "mama bears" to protect it. That also means a real vetting process for any new expansion candidates to make sure their interest is real and will join the survivors to defend this conference.
COLUMN: Welcome to the conversation, hypocrites
- Thread starter ChrisMWilliams
- Start date
I could be wrong about this, but I thought I heard that the sec commissioner suggested a 9 game conference schedule and got overruled by the schools, ostensibly to keep their crap non-conference buy games.
Enjoy.
WILLIAMS: Welcome to the conversation, hypocrites
You guys probably think that I love this conference realignment stuff, don't you? I gotta be honest with you. I am not a fan of it. I am fascinated by it. There’s a difference. The mix of sports, politics and the media business is right in my wheelhouse - everything that I love rolled into oncyclonefanatic.com
“After being snubbed by Alliance, B12 has its revenge and destroys college football as we know it, B1G looks to rescue Oregon and Washington”
I’m helping the other national writers with their headline.
I’m helping the other national writers with their headline.
In the 70’s…the Big 8 days…we def did not suck. Sure ISU sucks in general, but we have our moments…even now we still have to pull out our lead lined jock straps. It’s the Iowa State way.
This….
A group of us discussed years ago that football should be aligned into four super regional conferences with a sixteen team playoff. Would be as traumatic as closing local schools and moving to county schools. Much gnashing of teeth.
Not only did OU help usher in the era, they almost immediately tried to double-dip.
They wanted their own network (sounds familiar) for football, and they also demanded their cut from the Big 8's Raycom deal despite (a) voting against the package and (b) not wanting to participate in it.
KidSilverhair
Well-Known Member
Here’s something else that reminded me of. With 8 conference members you had 7 conference games. Back in those days, you usually played 11 - so there were four non conference games. With 12 like today, you’d have five.
Look at the opportunities for cross-region big-time matchups! If all conferences remained a reasonable size of 10 or fewer, think of all the non-con inventory available! TV networks could get all the Oklahoma-Alabama or USC-Michigan or Clemson-Texas games they wanted, every single season, while still keeping regional rivalries and logically organized conferences.
But no, conferences locked down holding TV rights for their members after the Oklahoma lawsuit took them away from the NCAA, and TV networks realized the only way to guarantee these big-time games would be on their channel would be to get those brands into the conferences they had a deal with. So sure, it’s TV money ruining college football, but it didn’t have to be this way. A sensible overseer of college football as a whole could have made both media partners and schools rich - it’s just a lot of the schools wouldn’t have gotten as rich as they have with this system.
Yep SEC poaches A&M from BIG12
B1G poaches Neb from BIG12
SEC poaches Mizz from Big12
Pac poaches Co. from Big12
SEC poaches OU & Tex from Big12
B1G poaches USC & UCLA from Pac
And the Big12 is ruining college football
B1G poaches Neb from BIG12
SEC poaches Mizz from Big12
Pac poaches Co. from Big12
SEC poaches OU & Tex from Big12
B1G poaches USC & UCLA from Pac
And the Big12 is ruining college football
My frustration - Personalities I tend to like - Titus, Auerbach, Wetzel, Dellenger, Forde are very vocal on how f "regional rivalries being destroyed" and how conferences don't make geographic sense anymore - where the **** was this narrative 2 years ago?
Every ******* school we've invited this go-round touches a bordering Big 12 school. It geographically makes sense. Where was this noise when Texas/Oklahoma joined the SEC? USC/UCLA went to B1G? Maryland/Rutgers went B1G? ****, I'll even call us out, where was this noise when we brought in UCF? West Virginia?
Good writeup, CW. Thanks for getting me fired up this morning.
Every ******* school we've invited this go-round touches a bordering Big 12 school. It geographically makes sense. Where was this noise when Texas/Oklahoma joined the SEC? USC/UCLA went to B1G? Maryland/Rutgers went B1G? ****, I'll even call us out, where was this noise when we brought in UCF? West Virginia?
Good writeup, CW. Thanks for getting me fired up this morning.
Great piece CWEnjoy.
WILLIAMS: Welcome to the conversation, hypocrites
You guys probably think that I love this conference realignment stuff, don't you? I gotta be honest with you. I am not a fan of it. I am fascinated by it. There’s a difference. The mix of sports, politics and the media business is right in my wheelhouse - everything that I love rolled into on
I think its inevitable that eventually 1 of 2 things happens
1. The Big 10 or SEC turns their sights to the other. Big10 wants into Texas and Florida. SEC wants the brands.
2. What you said about Ohio State and Alabama. Ive been pumping that for a while. The top 16-20 will form their own super league and take enough teams to cover big rivalries and the big markets/timezones. I think there will be a clause with signing on where being non competitive for a time can result in being kicked out too
Im also not convinced that these 20 team conferences may not blow up eventually as well. Are big brands playing 6-6 ball better than some smaller ones playing at a 10-2 level? We'll see what the media decides in 7-10 years
West Virginia was in the Big East. B1G . We were their lifeline. Louisville and WV fought for the spot. Syracuse and Pitt started the Big East demise as the ACC wanted to expand and they bolted. Big 12 was reactionary as they were poached by SEC for A&M and Mizzou. And previously poached by PAC 12 and B1G.
PAC 12 and ACC deserve what they are getting. Big 12 just trying to survive after being shivved by every other P5 Conference. Karma for PAC 12 and ACC.
Everyone is always shocked and mad when the kid who's been a punching bag for years finally starts punching back.
Well said, the money the new B12 is making is good money, money that any A.D. should be able to run a competent athletic department. Keep the malcontents out and hopefully we can have a nice run with our new conference members.
Arizona coming over will add a lot of viewers to the later evening games. I'll bet there are tons of folks, like myself, who haven't watched a Pac 12 or Pac 10 game in years. Why? Because I am watching a game I care more about that started at 7:00 Central Time and doesn't end until 10:30. After that I'm done for the day. I don't go looking at 10:30 for that Cal / Stanford game that's in the 2nd quarter.
Also, as others have said, a big part of this is that in flyover country, we support our college football like crazy. They just don't do it the same on the west coast especially. The fan support had a lot to do with saving the Big 12.
Also, as others have said, a big part of this is that in flyover country, we support our college football like crazy. They just don't do it the same on the west coast especially. The fan support had a lot to do with saving the Big 12.
What especially ***** is these are all manuevers being done beacuse of existing affiliations and contracts. But this all ends with a super league. There's just no doubt in my mind. Eventually the Big 10 and SEC are going to cut the fat as well and we will just have to hope we can retain our status in the "second tier"" of things.
I guess I'm trying to see some good in it. New teams means new rivals and now locations to travel to. In a way that's fun. But it's just gross to see how this is all transpiring.
I guess I'm trying to see some good in it. New teams means new rivals and now locations to travel to. In a way that's fun. But it's just gross to see how this is all transpiring.
Iowa State for not giving two ***** about athletics and specifically football into the 80s while relegating itself to 2nd class in its own state.
Oh. Wait. Don't think I'm playing right.
THIS
Remember when we were tipped to join MAC or another Group 5 conferences because we were not considered "elite" enough.