COLUMN: Thank you, Oklahoma president

[theshadow]

Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee

 

[JHUNSY]

WEST
Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech

EAST
Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee

Looks like we know where the wildcards are going every year.

Really though, the other divisions were pretty weak in comparison.

Is this a football only deal? How would that work for other sports?

 

[Win5002]

http://www.scout.com/college/texas/story/1561434-the-next-big-move-in-realignment

Chip Brown has a piece today about what he thinks the next big move in realignment will be, and that is all of the Power Five conferences coming together and collectively bargaining for one single TV contract. Says the money would be better and could possibly even dwarf what the NFL might be able to make.

Says a collective bargaining could also bring some geographic normalcy back to leagues and suggests that the collective group would also determine that the most money can be made off a 16-team playoff, and to get to that take all 65 of the current P5 teams (including Notre Dame) and add a 66th team (congratulations BYU, you are now a big boy) and split them into six 11-team divisions (three in the west, three in the east). You play just 11 regular season games (10 games in your division and one non-conference game against an FCS team). You restore rivalries that way and then take the top two teams in each division and the four wildcards (two from east, two from west) to make up for 16-team bracket. He suggests splitting teams up as follows:

WEST
BYU, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, Washington State

Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin

EAST
Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee

Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Boston College, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, West Virginia

Chip also mentions if that doesn't work out, maybe there should just be a full-blown Big 12/SEC merger, and create a 24-team super conference.

I think you have a hard time getting the B1G & SEC to give up their current revenue advantages over other power leagues. Even if you could I think the issue that becomes even harder to over come is the access to states with plentiful recruiting. One of the reasons the B1G expanded with Rutgers & Maryland besides tv sets and securing PSU was the improved recruiting those states give. Those two states have more recruits than any other state except Ohio and maybe some years Pennsylvania. The B1G schools want more access to states with a lot of football recruits and the above plan doesn't do that. I can see where that would be the hardest issue to overcome.

While I would focus on the concept not as much where he lists teams etc because that is just his guess, there is no way Alabama is excepting that division above they want access to Florida, Georgia or Texas recruits. So you can see where it would be very hard to divide the teams and make all the parties happy.

I don't know if the leagues were small enough, say 9 teams where you only had 8 conference games if you could guarantee those teams access to southern teams or California teams for recruiting in the non-conference games to make up for this enough or not. I kind of doubt it.

 

[theshadow]

there is no way Alabama is excepting that division above they want access to Florida, Georgia or Texas recruits.

I didn't realize the proposal also included the forced limitation of recruiting territory to the geographical footprint of the division. Oh, wait. It doesn't.

 

[Win5002]

I didn't realize the proposal also included the forced limitation of recruiting territory to the geographical footprint of the division. Oh, wait. It doesn't.

You don't get the point they want to play games in those states that produce higher amounts of players? Do you not remember some of the issues with the Big 12 and why they added TCU for expansion? Because schools outside of Texas especially the northern schools didn't want to lose a state of Texas game.

 

[theshadow]

You don't get the point they want to play games in those states that produce higher amounts of players? Do you not remember some of the issues with the Big 12 and why they added TCU for expansion? Because schools outside of Texas especially the northern schools didn't want to lose a state of Texas game.

This isn't 1974. You don't have to play a game in a recruit's state for them to see you. If a top recruit from TX/FL/GA passes on a scholarship offer from Alabama just because they don't play in his home state, then he's a moron.

 

[Tornado man]

Son of a ***** should've cured cancer by now with that resume.

Instead he wants to sit in his ivory tower and lob bombs at the Big 12

Seems to me he eventually wants a conference with a collective unity - same reason Neb, Colo, Mizzou and A&M left. It's a matter of time before OU heads to the SEC.

 

[theshadow]

Seems to me he eventually wants a conference with a collective unity - same reason Neb, Colo, Mizzou and A&M left. It's a matter of time before OU heads to the SEC.

A collective unity that, once again, Oklahoma helped to prohibit for the first 15 years of the league. The hypocritical nature of it all is stifling.

 

[cykadelic2]

http://www.scout.com/college/texas/story/1561434-the-next-big-move-in-realignment

Chip Brown has a piece today about what he thinks the next big move in realignment will be, and that is all of the Power Five conferences coming together and collectively bargaining for one single TV contract. Says the money would be better and could possibly even dwarf what the NFL might be able to make.

Says a collective bargaining could also bring some geographic normalcy back to leagues and suggests that the collective group would also determine that the most money can be made off a 16-team playoff, and to get to that take all 65 of the current P5 teams (including Notre Dame) and add a 66th team (congratulations BYU, you are now a big boy) and split them into six 11-team divisions (three in the west, three in the east). You play just 11 regular season games (10 games in your division and one non-conference game against an FCS team). You restore rivalries that way and then take the top two teams in each division and the four wildcards (two from east, two from west) to make up for 16-team bracket. He suggests splitting teams up as follows:

WEST
BYU, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, Washington State

Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin

EAST
Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee

Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Boston College, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, West Virginia

Chip also mentions if that doesn't work out, maybe there should just be a full-blown Big 12/SEC merger, and create a 24-team super conference.

I agree with Chip that combining all schools into one big negotiating entity when the current TV contracts run out is the way to go but his other suggestions are bizarre. There is no way schools will give up a regular season game to accommodate a playoff Round of 16.

A much simpler, more ideal solution is to revert back to the old school 10-team Pac10, Big 10, SEC and ACC (minus Maryland, add back South Carolina). There would also be 10-team Big East, Big 12 and MWC conferences. Each conference plays a 9-game round robin for FB and 18 game round robine for BB. There would be an 8-team playoff with the 7 conference champs plus an at-large team (conference runner-up, Notre Dame, service academy or other D1 conference champ). First round games would be played the first weekend in December at 4 highest seeds and replace CCGs. The current CFB calendar and bowl games (including CFP games) would remain unchanged.

P10: UW, WSU, UO, OR ST, Cal, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Zona, ASU
SEC: LSU, Ole Miss, Miss St, Bama, Auburn, UK, Tenn, Georgia, Vandy, Florida
Big 10: Minny, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, NW, Purdue, IU, Michigan, Mich St, Ohio ST
ACC: Virginia, NC ST, UNC, WF, Duke, Clemson, S.Carolina, GT, Miami, FSU
"Big East": BC, UConn, Cuse, Rutgers, Penn St, Pitt, WVU, Louisville, VT, Maryland
B12: ISU, Nebraska, Mizzou, KU, KSU, OU, OK ST, Arkansas, Texas, A&M
MWC: BU, TCU, TX Tech, Utah, Colorado, BYU, Boise St, New Mexico, SDSU, Nevada (or UNLV)

PACN could expand with MWC. BTN picks up Big East. ESPN partners with ACC, SEC and B12 for a co-branded T3 network. Or all schools go on their own for T3 like the B12 does now.

 

[HoopsTournament]

Seems to me he eventually wants a conference with a collective unity - same reason Neb, Colo, Mizzou and A&M left. It's a matter of time before OU heads to the SEC.

Not within the next 10 years. What do you not understand about GOR?

 

[CarrollCyclone]

I also agree with what was said above.....I don't see the SEC or B1G agreeing to Chip's plan and giving up their monetary (and therefore competitive) advantage over the other P5 leagues

 

[drednot57]

I agree it is a very simple concept but it's one that makes zero financial sense at this point in time.

ESPN and the ACC are unable to launch a viable ACCN and their turf has way more potential premium CATV/SAT subscribers. Do you really think the B12 can partner with ESPN or Fox to come up with a viable CATV/SAT conference network plan in B12 turf? Or add two available schools to make it worth their while? The answer is no on both.

Now if Texas and the other schools in their corner can be convinced that a shared IP-delivered B12 conference network will make them all more money over the long-term with a partner like Yahoo Sports, then maybe Boren is onto something but I highly doubt that is the case at this point in time.

FIFY. I read that Yahoo Sports wants to start a streaming network for a while now, before Google starts one for sure.

 

[Judoka]

This isn't 1974. You don't have to play a game in a recruit's state for them to see you. If a top recruit from TX/FL/GA passes on a scholarship offer from Alabama just because they don't play in his home state, then he's a moron.

Recruits like to know their friends and family can see them play in person. If you don't believe that, look at what happened to Nebraska's roster once they weren't playing in Texas anymore.

 

[Stormin]

This isn't 1974. You don't have to play a game in a recruit's state for them to see you. If a top recruit from TX/FL/GA passes on a scholarship offer from Alabama just because they don't play in his home state, then he's a moron.

Parents actually want to see their kids play in person. And then maybe see their kid after the game and visit in person. I know we have Skype and TV, and streaming of games. But parents want to see the kids play LIVE.

Using your logic, we just as well close up Jack Trice Stadium and all other stadiums as well, and everyone should just watch the games on TV.

 

[jbhtexas]

Recruits like to know their friends and family can see them play in person. If you don't believe that, look at what happened to Nebraska's roster once they weren't playing in Texas anymore.

True. In the years prior to leaving the Big 12, NU typically had 25 or more kids on the roster from TX. This year they have 11.

From a population standpoint, the division that Chip Brown has put ISU in would have a considerably larger population than the current Big 12 footprint. However, all the other teams in the division would have been established in that footprint for many decades.

I wonder whether the Big Ten teams would go for the Chip Brown plan. In the past, Urban Meyer has implored the Big Ten teams to start recruiting better athletes from the fertile southern FB states in order to be more nationally competitive. The alignment proposed by Chip Brown doesn't help further that goal at all.

 

[Judoka]

West Virginia's President responded to some expansion questions of his own

SB Nation: Speaking of Big 12 expansion, University of Oklahoma president David Boren recently made headlines when he said that he felt the Big 12 was "psychologically disadvantaged" by only having 10 teams. Do you personally agree with those comments?
Dr. Gee: President Boren is one of the real leaders in higher education and certainly one of the leaders in our conference. I certainly don't feel [the conference] is psychologically disadvantaged. I do think that having the name Big 12 with 10 teams is, of course -- I was in the Big Ten when we had 11 teams -- and there is something to be said about that. I do think that the issue of conference expansion should be one that we talk about.
I will also say this, having been a part of larger conferences, that I do like the round-robin format that we have. Obviously, our conference is also very healthy, from both a playing point of view, and obviously from a financial one. There are things to be said.

Now, of course, as a former Ohio State president, I was just absolutely delighted to see Ohio State win a national championship last year, but if TCU or whoever hadn't lost, you know, there could have been two Big 12 teams in the playoff. So you know what happens one year doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to happen every year.

I'm sure this'll get just as much discussion. Right... right?

 

[CyDude16]

Seems to me he eventually wants a conference with a collective unity - same reason Neb, Colo, Mizzou and A&M left. It's a matter of time before OU heads to the SEC.

Collective unity and those four schools in the same breath. Hahahahahahaha

 

[surly]

Collective unity and those four schools in the same breath. Hahahahahahaha

Nebraska left because they couldn't deal with UT's position above them. CU left because they belonged in west all along. aTm left because, well, see "Nebraska" above. Missouri left because there was such turmoil at the time that they were simply protecting their own interests. And Ku would leave at the drop of a hat today if offered and allowed. It all gets back to Texas, actually.

 

[Cycsk]

Personally I would love to not have to get the BIG 10 Network bundled with my Direct TV and instead just purchase tier 3 channels from selected schools. I would gladly buy tier 3 content from ISU, Miami and maybe ASU.

It seems that cable TV and subscriptions to internet channels like Cyclones.tv will have to come together at some point.

 

[tejasclone]

If the Big 12 had a mobile/console app instead of a traditional cable/satellite network and asked for a monthly or yearly subscription, I'd be all over it. That's a product I'd be willing to support.