Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

[cyIclSoneU]

No source here. But it wouldn't shock me if they circle up with other elite academic schools and make a "nerd" conference. Their academic endowment is more important than competition on the football field. Cal hasn't been relevant in football or men's basketball in over a decade. Stanford had been fading lately.

The problem is that you run out of FBS options very quickly, so they might need to drop down. The full list of AAU schools in FBS not already in a P5 conference: Rice, Tulane, Buffalo. And one of those three is nowhere near the other two (let alone Cal or Stanford). Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Duke aren't giving up on their gravy trains to go join these nerds.

 

[Clonedogg]

Screw that. You pick ONE of the AZ schools and nab Utah, Wash, AND Colo.

I kinda agree, but could we say the same thing about Utah, we already have BYU in that state? Wash is the most valuable and shinny but also the furthest (and probably worst culture fit?). Do you stick with the 4 you know will most likely stay for the long haul and want to be there, or take a swing at the bigger payday?

 

[cyatheart]

I’m not going to read this whole 138 pages but can someone answer me why would ND jump? You’re telling me NBC isn’t going to willingly pony up the big10 pay amount just for ND? If ND is getting the same $$$ why join a conference?

That's what I don't get, why wouldn't nbc just give nd a good package.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

While it makes sense on the surface, what do Cal and Stanford see as alternatives that measure up academically? If 4 or more schools leave the Pac, seems like Stanford and Cal would end up in the MWC if they don't come to the B12. MWC isn't exactly an academic powerhouse either.

Stanford is hoping to be paired with ND to get into the Big 10, if that falls through, then they will go the independent route for football and try to join the MWC for the rest of their sports.
Cal is kind of screwed either way, great academics with poor sports teams and little fan support, They have to be about number 5 school on the B10 wish list from the P12, I could see them dropping football and just playing the Olympic sports or moving to the MWC also.

 

[HoopsTournament]

ND won’t jump until they have to, and they don’t have to as long as the ACC is more or less what it currently is.

I think they have now reached that point.

 

[Clonedogg]

We always hear about protected rivalry games.

Maybe UCF and Washington would have the opposite of that. Agree to not play each other or look for a neutral site.

That is a whopper of a travel day.

I was thinking that too, but not much different than LA to Rutgers...but 100m makes that easier to swallow.

 

[cyIclSoneU]

I think they have now reached that point.

Notre Dame is one of the few programs that never really "has to" jump; there will always be a spot in the B1G or SEC for them if they want it. They can wait for a shoe to drop in the ACC before making a decision, if they want to do it that way.

 

[HoopsTournament]

Notre Dame is one of the few programs that never really "has to" jump; there will always be a spot in the B1G or SEC for them if they want it. They can wait for a shoe to drop in the ACC before making a decision, if they want to do it that way.

They can wait, but every year they wait now May cost them $50M on average. So they don’t “have” to jump, but financially, they may have to.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

I have seen reports that ND is only paid $15M from NBC.
Anyone know what the number is that hey get from the ACC? I would assume they dont get a full share?

Is NBC going to match the potential $100M+ to keep them independent. My guess that is what is needed, with the added ACC money. With the understanding this is compounded over 10+ years whether 100M is starting or somewhere down the road.

ND has plenty of money from their wealthy fan base, they have great facilities and are a national recruiting team. According to everything I have read, their deal with the ACC says that they have to join that league if they join a conference. That was the deal they had to agree too to get their other sports into the league.
ND values their independence, and as long as the deal with the ACC is still in place, they will stay there. Every conference will take them, they have nothing to worry about.

I really think this money thing is really getting over blown by the Big 10 fanbase. It's like a multi-millionaire winning a million in the lotto, it's a lot of money, but they were rich anyway. Does anyone really think that EIU is going to be that much better getting 30 or 40 million more from TV each year? They are not going to build a new football stadium, they are not going to add more sports, they cannot use the new money for NIL, so they have reached the point where 30 or 40, million, while nice, is not like giving that money to a school like ISU.

 

[cyIclSoneU]

I really think this money thing is really getting over blown by the Big 10 fanbase. It's like a multi-millionaire winning a million in the lotto, it's a lot of money, but they were rich anyway. Does anyone really think that EIU is going to be that much better getting 30 or 40 million more from TV each year? They are not going to build a new football stadium, they are not going to add more sports, they cannot use the new money for NIL, so they have reached the point where 30 or 40, million, while nice, is not like giving that money to a school like ISU.

The part I am worried about as an ISU fan is what happens when the teams in the B1G and SEC have $70 million more than we do, each, just based on TV money alone. Every year, in perpetuity.

Like you said, they can't build a new stadium and they aren't allowed to pay their players (wink wink). But they can and likely will blow the roof off of coaching salaries.

We can pay Campbell maybe $5M a year and that's depending on what the new TV deal looks like. Rutgers and Vanderbilt just stumbled into seventy million dollars a year more than we get. It will be nothing for one of those programs to pick up the phone and offer to triple a head coach's salary and double the salaries of his entire staff while they're at it. A guy like Luke Fickell or Dave Aranda could get a $20,000,000 offer to pry him away from his program if he keeps winning.

How are you supposed to build and sustain a program this way?

 

[CloniesForLife]

I know this Twitter guy is just throwing stuff out there, but the desperation in that move by those two, does make me sad. Because their fate looks pretty grim...

As an ISU fan there is a part of me that feels awful for OSU and WSU as I feel a kindred spirit. But I am an ISU fan and want us to be in the #3 conference and those 2 don't really help in getting us there.

 

[KnappShack]

The part I am worried about as an ISU fan is what happens when the teams in the B1G and SEC have $70 million more than we do, each, just based on TV money alone. Every year, in perpetuity.

Like you said, they can't build a new stadium and they aren't allowed to pay their players (wink wink). But they can and likely will blow the roof off of coaching salaries.

We can pay Campbell maybe $5M a year and that's depending on what the new TV deal looks like. Rutgers and Vanderbilt just stumbled into seventy million dollars a year more than we get. It will be nothing for one of those programs to pick up the phone and offer to triple a head coach's salary and double the salaries of his entire staff while they're at it. A guy like Luke Fickell or Dave Aranda could get a $20,000,000 offer to pry him away from his program if he keeps winning.

How are you supposed to build and sustain a program this way?

Saw a comment saying more money just makes it easier to keep firing coaches.

We'll see how this all plays out in the brave new world

 

[SeaClone]

As an ISU fan there is a part of me that feels awful for OSU and WSU as I feel a kindred spirit. But I am an ISU fan and want us to be in the #3 conference and those 2 don't really help in getting us there.

100% agree with WSU. They are not that different than ISU fans. I lived in Seattle for 12 years. The UW-WSU rivalry is very much like the UI-ISU rivalry, except UW fans are a bit more like NU fans…”entitled” to success because they had some success in the early ‘90s. They also thumb their noses at WSU, not unlike UI fans try to do to us at times.

 

[carvers4math]

ND won’t care so much on the money but they may just want a chance at championships.

The institutional memory is long on the bigoted attempts by Big 10 members to get schools to refuse to play them. They would only go to Big Ten if they absolutely had to to have a shot at the championship.

That might not even be enough. Swarbrick has mentioned college football changing into two groups, a semi pro league and an academic one with ND remaining in the academic.

With exception of hockey, which they are competing in the Big Ten for, their other non-revenue sports fit better with the ACC.

The Big Ten would be a last resort for them if only way to compete in college football. And they will never do anything that would discontinue their series with Navy.

 

[cyfan92]

We aren't getting a B1G or SEC deal. So why wouldn't we go get a top 10 basketball program in MBB?? That's 25+ games of elite basketball inventory.

ASU and AZ would turn the state. The Big 12 would own PHX and there are A TON of Zona and ASU alumni across So Cal.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Id rather take both Zonas for their rivalry and cut Colorado

The Arizona schools seem like the linchpin to me. Get them on board, and the scramble is on.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

The part I am worried about as an ISU fan is what happens when the teams in the B1G and SEC have $70 million more than we do, each, just based on TV money alone. Every year, in perpetuity.

Like you said, they can't build a new stadium and they aren't allowed to pay their players (wink wink). But they can and likely will blow the roof off of coaching salaries.

We can pay Campbell maybe $5M a year and that's depending on what the new TV deal looks like. Rutgers and Vanderbilt just stumbled into seventy million dollars a year more than we get. It will be nothing for one of those programs to pick up the phone and offer to triple a head coach's salary and double the salaries of his entire staff while they're at it. A guy like Luke Fickell or Dave Aranda could get a $20,000,000 offer to pry him away from his program if he keeps winning.

How are you supposed to build and sustain a program this way?

I get what you are saying, but good coaches also want to win, and no matter how much money they pay a coach, they are never going to win. Few coaches are going to move just for the money unless it's also a better situation to win.

I doubt a coach like Campbell and many others making 4 to 5 million are going to jump to a program like Vanderbilt or Indianna just to pump up to 8 to 10 million. But I could be wrong.

 

[madguy30]

We aren't getting a B1G or SEC deal. So why wouldn't we go get a top 10 basketball program in MBB?? That's 25+ games of elite basketball inventory.

ASU and AZ would turn the state. The Big 12 would own PHX and there are A TON of Zona and ASU alumni across So Cal.

Probably decent alumni bases out of the midwest schools right?

 

[JP4CY]

The Arizona schools seem like the linchpin to me. Get them on board, and the scramble is on.

And there's been rumblings of the Zona's for quite a while (years). We all know they haven't exactly been quiet.

 

[JM4CY]

I say, **** it. Let’s go get the Irish ourselves.