Is there a bigger loser in conference realignment than Mizzou?

[HFCS]

Slive has been open about it. They plan on starting an SEC network, and to do that you have to have **** to put on TV. Because most of their quality inventory is already owned by somebody, they have to add teams to build the inventory.

If you are starting a cable network you look at markets. Like KC and SL over Morgantown WV. Because they will be purchased on a per subscriber basis when the exclusive cable network is built.

But what incentive do the contract holders for SEC inventory have for offering more on a per team basis? As it is, they are not gaining any additional inventory for themselves, just different choices from it. Current rights holders care less about markets than they do about ratings. I think that for them, an MU game against Mississippi State has less commercial appeal than MU/KU. aTm versus Vanderbilt isn't going to ring the cash register the way aTm/Bevo did.

I expect the contract look-in from adding aTm and the Tigers amounts to little more than bringing up the per team distribution so that it equals what all teams were receiving when the league had 12 teams. If they didn't have assurance of that, most of the teams would have been voting to reduce their TV payout. But the real money to be made is getting a conference network showing football games on Saturdays. That's the gamble they are taking. The Big 10 network changed everything.

SEC network could be exactly what it takes to push Florida State and a partner to the Big 12 and make the Big 12 it's equal or better in any way.

An ACC network would never have the football clout of a Big 12 network with the current ten, let alone if we throw a major Florida program in the mix.

They don't even have to worry about triggering destruction of a conference since the ACC and Big East both have a bazillion teams now.

 

[HFCS]

Except one again they turn away from tradition in that they will have to go to Atalanta for their conference tournament instead of close by in Kansas City. They could bring 1000s of fans to the arena in KC and will hardly have any in Atlanta. How is that a good thing for their fans?

I really think Louisville will be in the Big 12 some day soon and KU/Louisville will make the KU/Missouri rivalry an afterthought in about a decade or so. You're talking about two of the five most rabid college basketball fan bases. Missouri can't compare. People in Missouri care about the Cardinals, mediocre NFL football and NASCAR, not the Tigers. People in Kansas and Louisville care about college hoops #1.

Even if FSU/Clemson were to become the 12 to keep up with the SEC, I think Louisville and a 14th (ND or ACC/Big East) are added to move the conference further east.

 

[Die4Cy]

I would submit that if, after all the dust settles, ISU ends up in an East Division isolated from all the rest of our old Big 12/8 brothers, we will be up for consideration of the "Biggest Realignment Loser" prize along with Mizzou.

We'll see where this all goes.

 

[clonedude]

Financially speaking, Mizzou will be making a few million a year more in the SEC, BUT they will be spending that on all the extra travel expenses involved in flying their tennis teams, etc all over the country versus taking a van to Iowa, Kansas, or Oklahoma. So in the end, financially it will be about a wash.

But.... overall it will be a net loss in the fact you will no longer have any rivals left, and your fans will hate this because they will no longer travel to any away games whatsoever.

I just love how both A&M and Mizzou now both want the best of both worlds in that they want to play in the SEC, but still play their rivals in Texas and Kansas respectively every year. Well, that isn't going to happen... at least I hope not. The remaining Big 12 teams should NEVER schedule Missouri or A&M ever again IMO.

 

[89Oklahoma]

I would submit that if, after all the dust settles, ISU ends up in an East Division isolated from all the rest of our old Big 12/8 brothers, we will be up for consideration of the "Biggest Realignment Loser" prize along with Mizzou.

We'll see where this all goes.

Sadly, I think you may be right. I really miss our rivalry with Nebraska and, even though the Pac is probably a good fit for them, I miss CU too. I will miss playing ISU regularly if you guys move to an eastern division. Perhaps the best thing would be for the Big 12 to go to 16 with a POD system and put ISU with KU, KSU and WVU. That way, you would at least get to play Kansas schools every year and still play OU and OSU every couple of years.

The other possibility would be a 12 or 14 team conference with a zipper alignment strategy. Here's a possibility:

Div A/Div B
ISU/KU
KSU/OSU
OU/UT
TTU/TCU
Bay/WVU
UL/CLEM
FSU/GT

 

[HFCS]

Financially speaking, Mizzou will be making a few million a year more in the SEC, BUT they will be spending that on all the extra travel expenses involved in flying their tennis teams, etc all over the country versus taking a van to Iowa, Kansas, or Oklahoma. So in the end, financially it will be about a wash.

But.... overall it will be a net loss in the fact you will no longer have any rivals left, and your fans will hate this because they will no longer travel to any away games whatsoever.

I just love how both A&M and Mizzou now both want the best of both worlds in that they want to play in the SEC, but still play their rivals in Texas and Kansas respectively every year. Well, that isn't going to happen... at least I hope not. The remaining Big 12 teams should NEVER schedule Missouri or A&M ever again IMO.

How much money will they save by ending their wrestling team? Or will they wrestle in that league of all the random eastern teams?

 

[HFCS]

I would submit that if, after all the dust settles, ISU ends up in an East Division isolated from all the rest of our old Big 12/8 brothers, we will be up for consideration of the "Biggest Realignment Loser" prize along with Mizzou.

We'll see where this all goes.

I'm sure there will be some way ISU can still play the Kansas schools often and maybe Louisville so the geography won't be much worse.

Also if ISU is ever in a true "eastern division" it will be because ISU is playing at Florida State every other year. They'll be playing in Texas AND Florida often. Win (except for airplane miles).

 

[iowa_wildcat]

Philly? Philly? Here is what the mayor had to say:

 

[LakeHavasu]

I think Nebraska will regret going to the Big 10 too. They were all mad about being in a conference that Texas runs the show. But, in the Big 10, Ohio State runs the show. I don't see them liking their situation in 3 - 5 years.

 

[Al_4_State]

Count me in as another one who thinks that Columbia is more like Oxford than Ames is laughable.

I've never been to Oxford, but I've been to Columbia several times. It reminded me of a cross between Ames and Iowa City, my point being that is very much a Midwestern college town, and totally had that feel. Didn't feel "southern" at all, except for the one racist frat boy who kept yelling the N-word at my friend's bi-racial buddy.

I think whoever started the "Columbia is more of a southern town" thing is just trying to justify this move from a cultural fit.

 

[dtISU]

Count me in as another one who thinks that Columbia is more like Oxford than Ames is laughable.

I've never been to Oxford, but I've been to Columbia several times. It reminded me of a cross between Ames and Iowa City, my point being that is very much a Midwestern college town, and totally had that feel. Didn't feel "southern" at all, except for the one racist frat boy who kept yelling the N-word at my friend's bi-racial buddy.

I think whoever started the "Columbia is more of a southern town" thing is just trying to justify this move from a cultural fit.

Everything a Mizzou fan says at this point is only to try to justify their move. Grew up in Missouri and have a lot of Mizzou friends. They're still telling me that Big Tex is going to destroy the BigXII and they're glad they got out when they could. I've called BS on everyone of them and a couple have actually said "I'm gonna miss this conference."

 

[MNCyGuy]

Everything a Mizzou fan says at this point is only to try to justify their move. Grew up in Missouri and have a lot of Mizzou friends. They're still telling me that Big Tex is going to destroy the BigXII and they're glad they got out when they could. I've called BS on everyone of them and a couple have actually said "I'm gonna miss this conference."

I would say the Big 12 is one of the MOST stable conferences at this point. Obviously the Big East is a disaster right now. The ACC seems to have replaced the Big 12 as the prime poaching target. The SEC is now experimenting with an over-stuffed conference size and there is no guarantee how it will work. The Pac-12 is stable, but there does seem to be some buyer's remorse with the CU/Utah additions. I'd say that Big 12 may be the #2 most stable conference after the Big Ten.

 

[akclone]

All the remaining Big 8 venues are much more exciting road venues than the SEC outside of Kentucky and Vanderbilt and all are relatively close to Columbia. The Texas schools are pretty much the same as SEC schools in terms of not giving a crap though.

Old Miss? Mississippi State? Georgia? South Carolina? Alabama? Auburn? Not exactly a basketball fan hotbed there.

Easier road wins, less excitement.

I'm glad we're getting WVU in to replace Missouri, even though they're not ranked this year I've seen their arena is packed and crazy. TCU's obviously not great but they have 5 NCAA tournament wins to Nebraska's zero.

I think that given the fact that UM has left WV is a great replacement. I'd rather whoop Nebraska's *** than TCU in any sport. Huskers got out as we are starting to ascend a bit on the gridiron.

 

[Al_4_State]

Everything a Mizzou fan says at this point is only to try to justify their move. Grew up in Missouri and have a lot of Mizzou friends. They're still telling me that Big Tex is going to destroy the BigXII and they're glad they got out when they could. I've called BS on everyone of them and a couple have actually said "I'm gonna miss this conference."

When I was in Columbia this year, it was about a week before they announced the SEC move, and all but one person I talked to thought it was a stupid decision. They all said they would have liked moving to the Big 10, but if that wasn't on the table, the Big 12 was the best league for the Tigers.