If this criteria comes down mainly to football, I don’t see Kansas rated so highly.
Its been literally ONE week since OU and UT officially announced that they were leaving the conference, and we have people complaining that the Pac 12 nor Big 10 has expanded yet, and therefore we are going to be on the outside looking in.
Everyone needs to take a chill pill and relax, as Campbell says, "Trust the process. " We have a great AD, he is going to make sure that we land on our feet, no matter where our future home is.
I think that the OU and UT move caught everyone off guard, and now the other conferences and Fox are trying to come up with a plan of attack for dealing with the SEC. This is not going to occur quickly, no conference is going to go out and extend offers to schools without running the numbers first and seeing who is willing and available to move out of their current conference and into a new one.
Looking at the ACC grant of rights, it seems like they are all locked into their conference until 2035 or so, I cannot see any SEC leaving when they are all about to be flush with money like never before. So now the question becomes, does the Big 10 and Pac 12 want to combine or just add new schools to the mix from either the Big 12 or some other conference.
The one thing that the buy out of OU and UT provides is time, so we do not have to make a decision about the future tomorrow. For those that are worried how it will affect recruiting it simple, sure we have reached out to all our commits and are telling them, "look OU and UT will be here for 2 more seasons, and then after that we will be moving to the Big 10 or Pac 12," just like WV is telling their recruits the ACC or SEC.
Trust the process and be patient, we will be fine.
I think you are wrong regarding the strength of the ACC, their new network was only launched in the past couple of years, and just like BTN its going to take time to get their numbers up, maybe as many as 5 to 10. but they will grow.Yes.. agree with most of this. I think the thing we all need to understand is that the other power conferences are now trying to figure out the next move. While the "available" schools are not 0 value adds, they are also not slam dunk brand names. If ND was looking to get into a conf, this could be sorted out pretty quickly. But, we may need to wait a little while to see how other factors impact this.
The only thing I would add is that the ACC and PAC appear to be pretty unstable long term right now. So, if we remain on current trajectory those conferences could be the next to be poached in the 3-10+ year time frame.
ACC
Yes ACC GoR runs until 2036... but their contract will be so far behind the other leagues by that point they will be forced to add schools to keep up in the next 3-5 yrs. Who will join? No major brands are going to jump conferences and ND is not joining a sinking ship... So, they will need to add schools like WV, UConn, etc. in order to open the contract and renegotiate with ESPN. This will help them in the short term (say going from about 35M to say 45M-50M?). But they will not catch the b10/sec (I would be surprised if they were not at 80M-90M in payouts in the next 5-7 yrs). So, the question will be how much time does the ACC GoR buy them? And, when can the top brands be consolidated similar to what happened to the B12?
PAC
The PAC12 is in a similar position. Their games are not as marketable and they do not have GoR through 2036. But they have two key advantages. First, they are in a unique time zone / geographic footprint that make them less attractive to add - at least when compared to brands in central, eastern time zone (that could change quickly and b10 may decide to go coast-to-coast soon, but has been a barrier historically). The second advantage is that they will be renegotiating their rights very soon and own their network as well. They could partner with streaming providers located in their geographical footprint (amazon, apple, google, etc.). Maybe they get the first big deal from the streaming providers and make similar dollars per school comparing to the b10/sec if they do it... or maybe they force Fox/ESPN to out bid Apple/Amazon to keep them out of CFB... either way, this could be a path that could keep them competitive and make them less likely to be raided. However, if they stay a distant 3rd/4th in media rights, it is likely just a matter of time before they get raided by the b10 which would value the AAU schools in their conference (9 of 12 - all but ASU, WSU, OSU).
I get what your saying. I agree. The stakes are pretty damn high here, though.Its been literally ONE week since OU and UT officially announced that they were leaving the conference, and we have people complaining that the Pac 12 nor Big 10 has expanded yet, and therefore we are going to be on the outside looking in.
Everyone needs to take a chill pill and relax, as Campbell says, "Trust the process. " We have a great AD, he is going to make sure that we land on our feet, no matter where our future home is.
I think that the OU and UT move caught everyone off guard, and now the other conferences and Fox are trying to come up with a plan of attack for dealing with the SEC. This is not going to occur quickly, no conference is going to go out and extend offers to schools without running the numbers first and seeing who is willing and available to move out of their current conference and into a new one.
Looking at the ACC grant of rights, it seems like they are all locked into their conference until 2035 or so, I cannot see any SEC leaving when they are all about to be flush with money like never before. So now the question becomes, does the Big 10 and Pac 12 want to combine or just add new schools to the mix from either the Big 12 or some other conference.
The one thing that the buy out of OU and UT provides is time, so we do not have to make a decision about the future tomorrow. For those that are worried how it will affect recruiting it simple, sure we have reached out to all our commits and are telling them, "look OU and UT will be here for 2 more seasons, and then after that we will be moving to the Big 10 or Pac 12," just like WV is telling their recruits the ACC or SEC.
Trust the process and be patient, we will be fine.
PAC-12: Ok state and techGood question for everyone ( and I am NOT going to start of new thread for this)....
If you are a conference that has the ability to add some schools from the remaining 8... which remaining schools brings the most credibility, and or long term upside to your existing conference? Feel free to answer this question from the perspective of each P5 conference point of view. What are the reasons for your answers?
Go.
I don't think so. In terms of the ACC, it's Clemson and that's it. Florida State did make a splash for a few years, but are barely a .500 team anymore. Miami, even less so. The money is significantly less, the fan passion is not there relative to the B1G. Sure, population trends are toward the south and away from the Midwest. But population of the states is irrelevant to CFB fandom. Fan engagement is what brings the money in today's CFB. Being a resident of a state with a CFB team doesn't really lead to a person becoming a fan of that team.I think you are wrong regarding the strength of the ACC, their new network was only launched in the past couple of years, and just like BTN its going to take time to get their numbers up, maybe as many as 5 to 10. but they will grow.
Their roster of teams is as strong or even stronger than the Big 10's. Clemson, Florida St, Miami, are all three large football brands with more success in the past couple of decades than the Big 10's big 3 of OSU, Mich, and Penn St.
We also know that they have ESPN backing them, the network will not want the league to fall too far behind the payouts of the other two, unless their overall plan is to merge the best from the ACC into the SEC, which has only been speculated about, never confirmed.
Finally the states that make up the ACC are growing, while for the most part the states that make up the Big 10 are losing population, a fact that every TV exect has to take into account.
Clemson won championships in 2018, 2016, Florida St in 2013 and 1999, Miami in 2001 compare that to the Big 10 teams, Ohio State 2012 and 2002, Penn St. last was in 1986 and Michigan was in 1997. Plus both Florida St and Miami won 5 other titles in the 90's and 80's while you have one for Penn. State in the last 40 years.I don't think so. In terms of the ACC, it's Clemson and that's it. Florida State did make a splash for a few years, but are barely a .500 team anymore. Miami, even less so. The money is significantly less, the fan passion is not there relative to the B1G. Sure, population trends are toward the south and away from the Midwest. But population of the states is irrelevant to CFB fandom. Fan engagement is what brings the money in today's CFB. Being a resident of a state with a CFB team doesn't really lead to a person becoming a fan of that team.
The 2036 GOR was already ESPN's outreach to back the ACC. They signed an extremely long term contract so that they could get money closer to on par with the other power leagues in the near term, but locking in less money for the longer term. They simply don't have the widespread fan engagement and passion to command an ACC Network on basic cable the way that the B1G Network did/does. Look at the P12 network and its failure.
The ACC just isn't as strong a brand as a football conference. They're a distant third behind the B1G and SEC. They were fourth behind an intact B12. I think both the ACC and P12 are unstable long term as football leagues. The money isn't there to keep the top programs long term. What the ACC has in its favor is that only Clemson is really a major football brand with the ability to leave.
Clemson won championships in 2018, 2016, Florida St in 2013 and 1999, Miami in 2001 compare that to the Big 10 teams, Ohio State 2012 and 2002, Penn St. last was in 1986 and Michigan was in 1997. Plus both Florida St and Miami won 5 other titles in the 90's and 80's while you have one for Penn. State in the last 40 years.
The money will continue to grow with the ACC network it is still new and developing their fan base, none of the three ACC teams will ever catch up to the Big 10 teams in attendence, their stadiums are just too small, but they have solid support.
I think you are wrong regarding the strength of the ACC, their new network was only launched in the past couple of years, and just like BTN its going to take time to get their numbers up, maybe as many as 5 to 10. but they will grow.
Their roster of teams is as strong or even stronger than the Big 10's. Clemson, Florida St, Miami, are all three large football brands with more success in the past couple of decades than the Big 10's big 3 of OSU, Mich, and Penn St.
We also know that they have ESPN backing them, the network will not want the league to fall too far behind the payouts of the other two, unless their overall plan is to merge the best from the ACC into the SEC, which has only been speculated about, never confirmed.
Finally the states that make up the ACC are growing, while for the most part the states that make up the Big 10 are losing population, a fact that every TV exect has to take into account.
Conference | Average of Total Revenues | Average of Ticket Sales |
ACC | 103,619,680 | 20,724,140 |
b10 | 126,446,497 | 28,020,515 |
B12 (w/o OU, Tx) | 91,887,663 | 16,688,790 |
PAC | 94,146,910 | 16,098,051 |
SEC | 138,131,125 | 31,700,538 |
Grand Total | 115,225,232 | 24,065,601 |
You can't say that Miami has anywhere near the fan support of those top B1G schools. In fact, it has less support than ISU.
Makes them a prime candidate for the ACC. A natural fit with those other bball schools.The KU, Bill Self, Adidas bs is going to be a negative for them and isn’t being mentioned in any of this. The NIL stuff changes how that’s framed some but that program DGAF about the law or even the FBI. A conference taking them on will have to be forced to at minimum look at that.
It's not just about winning championships though. It's about the history of the programs and how they are perceived. And their fan support. You can't say that Miami has anywhere near the fan support of those top B1G schools. In fact, it has less support than ISU. Attendance numbers, for comparison:
Miami
5 Year Average - 55821 (86% Capacity)
Iowa State
5 Year Average - 56562 (91% Capacity)
Florida State
5 Year Average - 68653 (86% Capacity)
Clemson
5 Year Average - 81409 (99% Capacity)
Penn State
5 Year Average - 103585 (97% Capacity)
Ohio State
5 Year Average - 105465 (103% Capacity)
Michigan
5 Year Average - 110884 (100% Capacity)
Out of the top 10 in attendance, 4 schools are B1G schools. None are ACC.
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Attendance Rankings, Averages For Every School: 2020 CFN Five-Year Program Analysis
How many people show up? As a part of the CFN Five-Year Program Analysis, the attendance is a factor. Here are the rankings of all 130 schools. Contact @PeteFiutak 2020 Five-Year Program Analysis A…collegefootballnews.com
In person attendance at games (ok, purchasing tickets) isn't the only factor in fan support, but I think you have to say it's a good indicator. The ACC Network will only grow if there is a fan demand for it. And there's no indication that there is. When the B1G Network came out, it didn't have a long ramp up period - the fans wanted it and the conference was good enough at negotiations to force it on cable companies. It was popular and a money maker immediately. It's not like people are going to gradually say "Oh, yeah I've seen that ACC network out there for a while, guess I'll go buy it now." Either you're a passionate fan who wants that content and you're going to pay for it, or you're not. And a relatively small percentage of people who live in ACC states are passionate fans.
Having three stadiums in the Big 10 that seats 100,000 or more does tend to shift the balance to that leagues side more than anything. If ISU was in the Big 10 we would have finished right behind Iowa in attendence the last full year the schools played.I think you are significantly overstating the value of the ACC brands. I live in NC (heart of ACC territory and have followed the conference closely since I moved here attending football games at all three universities in the area - NC State, UNC, Duke). I also went to UNC for grad school. The ACC overall is much closer to the remaining 8 then they are to the b10 or sec.
Yes, i am very familiar with the ACC network. It is no where near the b10 and with the move away from the cable subscription model the long term prospects of conference networks are declining. This advantage and the size of the tv market you are in goes down significantly in a world where streaming demands fan bases pay for and watch the content. ACC struggles here but their partnership with ND helps them out... the ACC vs. ND games are some of the best ratings they have so getting 5 of them every year is benefitial.
The ACC does have brands.... However, GT<georgia, FSU/miami<uf, Clem>SC (but only recently)... miami is a nice brand... but actually a relatively small school (common theme across the league). More importantly, in football (which is king) you have clemson, miami, fsu as top brands that can compete nationaly... but not as competitive as you might think. More importantly, those brands have many schools that are MUCH smaller... syracuse, bc, duke, wake... even uva, nc state, gt while nice programs are not on the map when it comes to eyeballs for college football. VT and UNC are interesting, and UNC would almost be guaranteed a spot in a potential super league... but they are a national basketball brand... football is not as big a deal there and has hurt their position... they were #19 in athletic revenue in 2005, in 2019 they were #36.
In terms of football stadium size and attendance...
ISU would only be behind Clemson, FSU, VT, and Miami (miami shares their stadium with the dolphins... so that is the only reason). Also, only clemson averaged more fans per game than ISU. Clemson was the only school in the league with a top 20 attendance in 2019. Overall, the SEC is #1, B10 #2, and B12 at #3 was closer to the b10 in average attendance than to the #4 ACC. The ACC was almost at the same level as the PAC:
Avg Attendance:
SEC: 72.7k
b10: 65.1k
B12: 57.5k (ISU 59.8)
acc: 48.2k
pac: 46.1k
(http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/Attendance/2019.pdf)
Overall Athletic budgets between the "Big 8" schools are very close to the ACC outside the top few brands (only have public institutions for each conf). So, eliminate OU/Tx remaining 6 public universities in B12 have averaged $92M per year the last 5 yrs, ACC public 8 have averaged $103M/ year. Interesting liousville is 2nd in budget driven by #11 in college athletics for contribution revenue (papa john's).
View attachment 87716
https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances (you can get per school revenue from 2005-2019 by clicking on each school).
But these revenues are WAY behind SEC, B10... for example, Wisconsin makes more than FSU (FSU 5 yr average would be #5 in b10, tied with Tennessee for #7 in the sec). Ticket revenue which is driven by football in most cases, the ACC lags the top two as well. Also... South Carolina actually makes more than Clemson even with all of Clemson's success...
Conference Average of Total Revenues Average of Ticket Sales ACC 103,619,680 20,724,140 b10 126,446,497 28,020,515 B12 (w/o OU, Tx) 91,887,663 16,688,790 PAC 94,146,910 16,098,051 SEC 138,131,125 31,700,538 Grand Total 115,225,232 24,065,601
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NCAA Finances: Revenue & Expenses by School - USA TODAY
Which are the most profitable college athletic programs in the country? See a ranked listed, including total revenue and expenses. Brought to you by USA TODAY.sports.usatoday.com
NOTE: B12 without OU/Tx
After listening to the CW/Blum Sunday night podcast, I think they nailed the two most likely scenarios for ISU.
1 (Best): B1G Poaches the top money makers from the P12 sometime in the next few years. The leftovers of the B12 and P12 combine to form a league. The "P4" becomes B1G+Top of P12, ACC, SEC, B12/P12 Leftovers.
2 (Marginal): My previous scenario - nobody expands. B12 merges with best available of G5 and limps along being considered a "P5" conference, though the weakest one by a significant margin.
Having three stadiums in the Big 10 that seats 100,000 or more does tend to shift the balance to that leagues side more than anything. If ISU was in the Big 10 we would have finished right behind Iowa in attendence the last full year the schools played.
How much better does the Big 12 attendence look if had 3 schools with stadiums over 100k instead of just one?
When looking at money these schools spend you also have to remember that the Big 10 schools have been getting a rather large share from BTN for over a decade now. That cash cow has allowed them to move up in the rankings whether they performed or not, because of the money it brought it.
I tend to think you are undervaluing the ACC, now the Big 10 is much better, but the numbers gap will close as the ACC network gets going and they can build their fan base. With more money the schools can expand their stadiums and grow larger.