Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

[FriendlySpartan]

We didn't have a 14 team playoff. But the Committee did publish a Top25 ranking over the last decade. So that would be a pretty good way to show what teams would have made a 14 team playoff. Unless your admitting the Committee would have given preference to Big10/SEC teams that fell outside the Top 14 over those years.

The Big12 doesn't have OU & UT go forward. OU is a loss. Mainly because of their tradition as a Big8/Big12 program. But it's blue blood bias and/or bad math to think that the Big12 won't have 0 or 1 loss teams most years go forward. Regarding the Longhorns, they would have only made a 14 team playoff a couple times over the decade. Less than many other current/future Big12 teams.

With only 10 teams, the Big12 had 20 teams finish the regular season(week 15) in the Top 14 over the last decade. Averaging 2 teams a year or 20% of the Big12 Conference. Go forward the Big12 will be a 16 team conference and will be capped at 2 teams! Sorry if I'm not bowing down to the generousity of the Big10 & SEC.

You can’t look into the past to make this prediction going forward with losing OUT. You simply can’t.

Again though that isn’t even my point, my point is that we live in a world with a 14 team playoff now with guaranteed access, which will keep those fan bases engaged. That was the whole point of your original argument that I was refuting the idea that the ratings will drop due to Big12 and ACC teams tuning out

 

[2speedy1]

1. 14 teams is dumb
2. Teams having byes is stupid
3. Those byes being always given to an SEC or B1G team is ridiculous

Playoff should be 8 or 16 teams with no byes, period.
Playoff should not have minimums or maximums for any conference, outside of 1 auto bid unless they are the same for all conferences.

Take top 5 champions. Then the next 9 highest ranked teams. Those rankings should include some form of computer component to go along with committee, and do everything possible to eliminate bias. If a maximum is set for a conference then that maximum should be same for everyone, its ridiculous to say the B1G gets minimum 3 with no max, but the B12 gets 2 max and min. Stupid.

The way they are setting up this Playoff is so preferential and biased toward the SEC and B1G it is pathetic.

If the Big 12 or ACC have 3 teams in the top 14, then they should get 3 teams, if the SEC or B1G only has 2 then that is all they should get. Again, byes are stupid, but if they have them then it should always be the top 2 teams.

With 8 its the top 5 champs and 3 at large.
With 16 you could do top 5 or 6 champs, with a rank requirement for the 5th and 6th. Then the rest at large highest ranked.

Anyone that thinks this new system and rules are good, are B1G or SEC homers and completely biased.

 

[isucy86]

You can’t look into the past to make this prediction going forward with losing OUT. You simply can’t.

Again though that isn’t even my point, my point is that we live in a world with a 14 team playoff now with guaranteed access, which will keep those fan bases engaged. That was the whole point of your original argument that I was refuting the idea that the ratings will drop due to Big12 and ACC teams tuning out

Sure you can make projections from the past to the future in the cases of OU, UT and I suspect USC, Oregon & Washington? It's not like UT was a juggernaut. They were the Michigan Wolverines pre-covid decade. Plus schools like Utah, BYU, Cincy and UCF all had multiple Top 14 level seasons over the last decade- so it's not like the schools being added are Maryland or Rutgers.

Each P5 conference plays 8 or 9 games so there are a set number of wins to go around. So losing OU & UT means their wins are gone and some other school(s) will likely to rise to the top and be 0, 1 or 2 loss teams. It's different between a Top 4 playoff and a Top 14 playoff. With a Top 4 its schools with 0 or 1 loss, with a Top 14 schools with 3 or 4 losses would be bids. I just feel like Big10/SEC are fixing the game so that their 3 & 4 loss schools will have preference or 2 or 3 loss Big12/ACC schools.

Well, I would have been more interested if 3 or 4 Big12 teams had a chance to make the playoffs. It feels like the Washington Generals. The Big10/SEC have "gifted" the Big12/ACC a couple playoff berths, but they made the playing field un-level. It would have been very collegial for the Big10/SEC to split the playoff money evenly like today. It wasn't good enough for Big10/SEC teams to make $30M+ on the Conference TV deal, they also have to make $10M more on the CFP.

If a prior post you mentioned playoff byes. I am assuming with a 14 team playoff there will be 2 byes and 6 round 1 games. Wouldn't surprise me if those 2 byes are reserved for the Big10 and SEC Champ.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

1. 14 teams is dumb
2. Teams having byes is stupid
3. Those byes being always given to an SEC or B1G team is ridiculous

Playoff should be 8 or 16 teams with no byes, period.
Playoff should not have minimums or maximums for any conference, outside of 1 auto bid unless they are the same for all conferences.

Take top 5 champions. Then the next 9 highest ranked teams. Those rankings should include some form of computer component to go along with committee, and do everything possible to eliminate bias. If a maximum is set for a conference then that maximum should be same for everyone, its ridiculous to say the B1G gets minimum 3 with no max, but the B12 gets 2 max and min. Stupid.

The way they are setting up this Playoff is so preferential and biased toward the SEC and B1G it is pathetic.

If the Big 12 or ACC have 3 teams in the top 14, then they should get 3 teams, if the SEC or B1G only has 2 then that is all they should get. Again, byes are stupid, but if they have them then it should always be the top 2 teams.

With 8 its the top 5 champs and 3 at large.
With 16 you could do top 5 or 6 champs, with a rank requirement for the 5th and 6th. Then the rest at large highest ranked.

Anyone that thinks this new system and rules are good, are B1G or SEC homers and completely biased.

If the Big12 or ACC have 3 teams on the top 14 they will get in now through the at large bids 99% of the time

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Sure you can make projections from the past to the future in the cases of OU, UT and I suspect USC, Oregon & Washington? It's not like UT was a juggernaut. They were the Michigan Wolverines pre-covid decade. Plus schools like Utah, BYU, Cincy and UCF all had multiple Top 14 level seasons over the last decade- so it's not like the schools being added are Maryland or Rutgers.

Each P5 conference plays 8 or 9 games so there are a set number of wins to go around. So losing OU & UT means their wins are gone and some other school(s) will likely to rise to the top and be 0, 1 or 2 loss teams. It's different between a Top 4 playoff and a Top 14 playoff. With a Top 4 its schools with 0 or 1 loss, with a Top 14 schools with 3 or 4 losses would be bids. I just feel like Big10/SEC are fixing the game so that their 3 & 4 loss schools will have preference or 2 or 3 loss Big12/ACC schools.

Well, I would have been more interested if 3 or 4 Big12 teams had a chance to make the playoffs. It feels like the Washington Generals. The Big10/SEC have "gifted" the Big12/ACC a couple playoff berths, but they made the playing field un-level. It would have been very collegial for the Big10/SEC to split the playoff money evenly like today. It wasn't good enough for Big10/SEC teams to make $30M+ on the Conference TV deal, they also have to make $10M more on the CFP.

If a prior post you mentioned playoff byes. I am assuming with a 14 team playoff there will be 2 byes and 6 round 1 games. Wouldn't surprise me if those 2 byes are reserved for the Big10 and SEC Champ.

I 100% agree that the money should have been split evenly. I would have also been ok based on participation but that causes too many issues when it’s potentially that large of a payday.

As I responded to another poster if the Big12 has 3 top 14 teams they will get in 99% of the time. They aren’t capped at 2, only guaranteed 2.

The byes in the proposal are for the big ten and SEC and I initially hated the idea and still learn towards hating it but I get what they are going for.

 

[qwerty]

I 100% agree that the money should have been split evenly. I would have also been ok based on participation but that causes too many issues when it’s potentially that large of a payday.

As I responded to another poster if the Big12 has 3 top 14 teams they will get in 99% of the time. They aren’t capped at 2, only guaranteed 2.

The byes in the proposal are for the big ten and SEC and I initially hated the idea and still learn towards hating it but I get what they are going for.

And the Big 12 should get an automatic 1 seeds and bye for top 2 teams in the NCAA tourney, because data from last 10 years supports that . . . . .

 

[FriendlySpartan]

And the Big 12 should get an automatic 1 seeds and bye for top 2 teams in the NCAA tourney, because data from last 10 years supports that . . . . .

Probably not the case to make after the last two years but I get ya.

 

[qwerty]

Probably not the case to make after the last two years but I get ya.

You are saying Big12 wasn't best conference in basketball the last two years? Sure, underwhelmed in NCAA tourney, but that is a crap shoot and after having a team in championship game three straight tourneys (2 champs).

 

[FriendlySpartan]

You are saying Big12 wasn't best conference in basketball the last two years? Sure, underwhelmed in NCAA tourney, but that is a crap shoot and after having a team in championship game three straight tourneys (2 champs).

If it’s a crapshoot then it shouldn’t matter byes and seeds.

 

[Clonehomer]

If the Big12 or ACC have 3 teams on the top 14 they will get in now through the at large bids 99% of the time

Disagree. The TV networks will drive to make sure the big name schools jump the smaller schools for those last spots. ESPN will put a panel of their SEC talking heads up there going on about how the schedule is so tough and they deserve a spot over the Big12 and ACC schools. Unless there is a BCS like formula for selection, the TV networks will continue to pick the teams they want.

 

[Clonehomer]

If it’s a crapshoot then it shouldn’t matter byes and seeds.

It’s not just the byes. When Yormark pushes that the NCAA basketball pot goes to conferences rather than funding non-revenue sports, D2 and D3 programs, will the Big12, Big East, and ACC get more of the pot than the Big10 and SEC? We’ve seen from attendance numbers that people just don’t care about basketball in the SEC and Big10.

 

[KidSilverhair]

The byes in the proposal are for the big ten and SEC and I initially hated the idea and still learn towards hating it but I get what they are going for.

What they are going for:

 

[Nolaeer]

14 with auto bids to SEC and BIG wasn't dumb. It was threat--to get more revenue, and it worked.

The SEC and Big never intended to get auto byes. When negotiating, you have to start high and then settle at the point you want. I think the SEC and BIG knew the Big 12 would never go for that. It was just something outrageous to put on the table and so they'd have something to give up to get the revenue split they wanted..

 

[SCNCY]

I think the Big 10 and SEC are putting themselves in a position to be fiscal secure when universities begin paying players directly. If you listen to any of the Williams and Blum podcasts, Blum has said that it's coming down the pipeline. With the universities not knowing what that future will look like, they only way you can protect yourself is to make sure you have the financial resources to take the blow. The Big10 and SEC are just increasing their coffers at the expense of everyone else. Schools in the Big12 and ACC will make it work, but won't be able to keep up with the Big10 and SEC. This will naturally result in a two-power conference setup.

 

[BCClone]

I think the Big 10 and SEC are putting themselves in a position to be fiscal secure when universities begin paying players directly. If you listen to any of the Williams and Blum podcasts, Blum has said that it's coming down the pipeline. With the universities not knowing what that future will look like, they only way you can protect yourself is to make sure you have the financial resources to take the blow. The Big10 and SEC are just increasing their coffers at the expense of everyone else. Schools in the Big12 and ACC will make it work, but won't be able to keep up with the Big10 and SEC. This will naturally result in a two-power conference setup.

The big hit will happen when players get hurt playing with a light injury, and they find a doctor who says they should not have played. They can claim they were going pro and would have made millions so the workmans comp insurance will be through the roof if the U's can even get it.

 

[FerShizzle]

The big hit will happen when players get hurt playing with a light injury, and they find a doctor who says they should not have played. They can claim they were going pro and would have made millions so the workmans comp insurance will be through the roof if the U's can even get it.

pretty sure there are waivers that would shield the universities from liability.

"you want to make millions now? sign this waiver"

 

[BCClone]

pretty sure there are waivers that would shield the universities from liability.

"you want to make millions now? sign this waiver"

Yeah, everyone knows how well waivers seem to hold up in court.

 

[exCyDing]

pretty sure there are waivers that would shield the universities from liability.

"you want to make millions now? sign this waiver"

That changes when players become employees. There's a lot more to it than just giving players a paycheck, the whole legal landscape of college athletics changes.

 

[WhoISthis]

Could have some realignment implications imo

 

[HouClone]

Greg Flugaur for what it's worth. Important stuff starts at the 42 minute mark.

Big 10: FSU, Miami
SEC: Virginia, NC State, NC, Clemson

Above settle with the ACC for $200 million each.

If the above happens, Louisville, Pitt, Duke, VT would be the best adds to the Big 12. VT would be the most Utahish of the group however. They are scared to death of joining the Big 12.

The ACC could add UConn, USF, Memphis and then use that $200 million to entice UCF, Cincy, WVU. It would be the Big East of the late 2000s reunion with some ACC and Pac remnants. Not a bad conference with Notre Dame still in the fold. Stanford and Cal are the misfits.