Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)
- Thread starter ISUcyclones11
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To be fair, the Alabama all-time record vs. Vanderbilt (59-19-4) and vs. LSU (55-26-5) are not all that different! The Tide have dominated them both over the years.
File this under "things we already knew" but found it interesting that the FSU president verified that FSU has been in talks with both SEC and B1G last summer but, as has been said on here many times, the GOR stands in the way.
www.si.com
FSU President says Seminoles will be "very aggressive" in conference realignment
The comments came in the aftermath of the Big Ten signing the largest media rights deal ever by a college athletic conference.
www.si.com
This article has lots of details on the SEC’s media deals. Here are a few snippets:
The SEC-Big Ten TV deal battle is about more than theme songs
College football’s obsession with conference superiority is quickly turning into strictly a two-league affair.theathletic.com
After getting left out by the Big Ten, Disney needs the SEC more than the SEC needs Disney. And perhaps they could help one another. Maybe the league changes its scheduling model to create more high-quality inventory. (A change that was in the works before the addition of Texas and Oklahoma as schools tried to increase demand for season tickets.)
Disney needs SEC, but more than SEC needs Disney?
SEC has a 10 year contract. Even if they could, where would they go if not Disney?
There’s not really room on the non-streaming providers without ABC/ESPN for a top-36 to top-40. I don’t think SEC has much leverage other than a good working relationship is preferable to one only from necessity.
And Disney still could use their ACC position, plus BIG’s desire for more PAC in late window, to get into both P2s- get a preferred partner status on BIG by helping move 4-6 ACC plus whatever PAC needed to get to 24 in BIG.
Why spend to be only in the south, when they could have exclusivity on one P2 in the SEC, and get large TV rights interest on the other? Given the macro and ND implications, I think BIG would be accommodating, as would FOX since they basically have equity in the conference.
Say UVa, UNC, Duke, FSU, Miami, Stanford, UW and one more to BIG in order for Disney to get at least equal access to BIG weekly matchups, plus late window. ESPN also moves VT, Clemson, NCST to SEC, maybe ASU. This still expands ESPN’s SEC Network into desired large markets in VA, NC, plus Phoenix. Add 3 Corners and ACC leftovers to Big 12 with rebranded ACC Network. ACC Network loses VA, but adds several prominent college athletics markets in Big 12 and mountain states. Given the large population overlap, Disney could try to bundle the two networks, possibly even with a deal with Fox/BIG to bundle all three.
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The 9 conference games only helps if they use it to replace the garbage game they all play in November. With the SEC typically playing most non-conference games at home, that 9th conference game actually leads to fewer total games available even if they would be better games (which is not guaranteed). So if a 9th conference game leads the SEC to then avoid better non-conference games then I don't see why ESPN would pay significantly more for it.
He didn’t. I meant I had forgot he made some dumb joke about Catholic priests being hard to deal with and apologized. I’m Catholic and even I thought it was way overblown.
Regardless, he was gone in less than a year after that. I didn’t really consider it ‘anti-Catholic bigotry’ but others did.
This gives an overview.
Ohio State's Gordon Gee's humor wasn't funny
Under fire for making insulting remarks about Catholics, poking fun at Louisville and Kentucky, Ohio State president Gordon Gee should remember his roots.
Money is important, but brand is more important. Getting teams in the 12 or 16 team CFB Playoff is the real $$$$ .
At some point playing 8 conference games would be used against the SEC by other P5 conferences (and coaches) when debating the merits of playoff teams. Playing FCS or G5 teams in November isn't a great look.
Sure they could try to play other P5 teams for their 4th non-con game, but playing a top 40 team is risking a loss (aka tOSU v Oregon last year). So better to play another SEC team where the winner can use the victory as a quality win and the loser point to SOS.
I think the institutional aversion to the B1G is more about how they feel the B1G has been trying to coerce them to join for a long time.
As far as the old prejudices, I promise you both Irish and Catholics have a LONG memory. But that is more a memory than an actual rationale for remaining independent.
If the CFB Playoff moves to 12 or 16 teams, the extra conference game isn't about positioning the Alabama or Georgia (of the moment) for a playoff spot, but getting a Florida, A&M and Ole Miss (of the moment) a CFB Playoff spot.
Keeping the extra game in-house helps maintain the SEC's mystique as the "superior" P5 conference. That is true today, but doesn't mean it will always be true.
Whatever the reason, playing 9 SEC games is better than playing 8 SEC games. Playing 10 would be even better for Alabama, for the SEC and for CFB in general. Just take a look back to 2020. Alabama played a 10 games SEC Regular Season schedule + Florida in the SEC Championship Game @ Atlanta + Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl @ Arlington + Ohio State in the CFB Chamionship Game @ Miami Gardens to finish 13-0.
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Never figured out why the November cupcake games the SEC plays bothers so many people. What difference does it make if they play a crappy team at home in November instead of playing them in the preconference part of the schedule at the start of the season. A game is a game, and really it was a very smart idea. It allowed SEC teams to basically rest up, before their rivalry game the next week.
Playing 9 conference games is huge for any league, because it gives half the conference another loss, that they would not have had with their current 8 game schedule.
The CFP should just make it a rule to qualify for the playoff that you must play 10 P5 opponents during the regular season, conference championship games do not count towards the total. Let the conference and schools decide how many conference games each will play, but unless there 10 P5 games on the schedule, you cannot qualify for the playoff.
You could argue that but I feel like in reality it won't really be. Instead of Florida and A&M both winning against MAC teams for example, then if they play each other someone loses a game in a slot they otherwise wouldnt
Only 2 teams with less than 9 wins have ever finished in the top 16 in CFP history. One was an 8-3 West Virginia team who had to cancel a game due to weather and the other was an 8-4 Auburn team who's losses were 2 playoff teams in Alabama and Clemson and a 3rd to a then very good Texas A&M team before their wheels came off.
Unless the SOS thing I keep hearing about is something super out there I really dont think it'll happen. If Ole Miss cant beat the **** out of Georgia Southern in the non con anymore and instead has to beat someone like Kentucky instead then one of their playoff chances goes down just from the fact someone has to lose.
My guess is that ESPN likely told them they'd pay them more money if they added more conference games. Cant imagine and LSU vs. Troy game being the same in ratings as LSU vs anyone else in the conference
"The Seminoles have had discussions with the SEC and Big Ten since last summer. Both conferences have displayed an interest in adding the university to their group of current members, along with other schools in the ACC"
Hhhhmmmmm………big ten really owning their alliance it seems.
Probably help. There will be some schools in the ACC that the Big 10 or SEC won’t want, but are still good schools to have. Those will probably fall into the what ever becomes of the third power conference.
The ACC GOR is ironclad, how are the Seminoles getting out of that?
Which announcement? Florida St reaching out to the SEC and B1G is old news. Honestly I believe most schools have at this point. I know last year every big12 school did, and this year every PAC school probably has.
They are just trying to get enough schools on board to dissolve the ACC. It really just comes down to who gets left out, and who’s “OK” with getting a raise to go to the Big12.
