Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

[Nor'MidWester]

How would you all rank the various places listed as potential pac media partners (not including traditional ESPN or Fox)? Apple, Amazon, CW, ION, ESPN+

Mine:

1. CW - It would be weird, but at least people flipping channels will find it.
2. ESPN+ - Most sports fans have it and may choose to watch the PAC game, I'm always using the ESPN app.
3. ION - Like CW, but even less distributed and stranger.
4. Amazon - Most people have Prime, but not likely to find it unless looking for it. It is not Thursday Night Football.
5. Apple - I can't imagine many people have it, nor would they be signing up to get PAC games.

Curious to hear other thoughts as Twitter seems obsessed that Apple wants the biggest games and CW would be the linear part. I just feel having Apple be their primary distributor is a massive mistake for both Apple and the PAC.

ESPN+, Amazon prime
Does anyone under the age of 35 buy cable tv? Or bother with over the air tv? Maybe I'm not normal but I feel like most people under a certain age just have Roku (or equivalent) and steam Netflix, HBO etc. So another subscription service makes sense.

 

[HouClone]

This is the closest we've seen yet to the infamous nondenial denial. It's not at that level but seems to be moving in that direction.

Didn't the Colorado President or a regent a few weeks ago slam the door on the Big 12 rumors? Now we get this from the AD which keeps the door wide open.

 

[PickSix]

Didn't the Colorado President or a regent a few weeks ago slam the door on the Big 12 rumors? Now we get this from the AD which keeps the door wide open.

From what I recall, the President at Colorado spoke out against the Big 12 in the early days of this mess, but has been radio silent since (unlike the other 3 corners Presidents). Perhaps I missed the quote you're referring to. Would love to see what you're referencing if anyone has it.

 

[2speedy1]

Inside the Big 12's 'ironclad' grant of rights contract that helped keep the ACC together amid turbulence

How a seemingly unbreakable document has kept two leagues largely together during realignment

www.cbssports.com

Almost exactly what many of us have been saying all along. ACC GoR is Ironclad.

 

[HFCS]

Yeah, I know a lot of people that think or have thought you have to have an Apple device to get AppleTV+, which as you know, you dont. Many dont realize you can get AppleTV+ on most streaming devices/tvs.

They definitely need better marketing of the difference.

It is very similar to how many people dont understand there is Hulu and there is Hulu+Live. Hulu has realized this issue and has had marketing campaigns to promote the difference, how much it helped I dont know because a lot of people I think still dont realize the difference. I have had conversations with people that dont realize it.

Yeah, it's like if Netflix sold their own streaming hardware and just called it "Netflix".

ESPN+, Amazon prime
Does anyone under the age of 35 buy cable tv? Or bother with over the air tv? Maybe I'm not normal but I feel like most people under a certain age just have Roku (or equivalent) and steam Netflix, HBO etc. So another subscription service makes sense.

I cut the cord in 2003 in part because of over the air HD. I had an early HDTV and got tons of local hd sports in Chicago for free at that time.

I still use over the air hd a lot for college football. It did take a hit when things like the nba finals moved from nbc or abc to espn.

In some ways over the air is a good companion to streaming, most don’t know about it and media companies aren’t in a hurry to advertise it. It’s not great (or even an option) for remote rural people though.

 

[2speedy1]

These board meetings mean nothing. This has been a recurring theme, there is a board meeting, people jump to conclusions it means they are making a move, and nothing happens. We have seen this repeatedly for a year.

They have board meetings all the time, to deal with regular business of the University, they are not an indication of imminent changes to conference affiliation.

 

[dafarmer]

When the home team is 3-8 going into the game no one is going to want to sit in that weather, if the record was reversed (or better) wouldn’t be an issue.

Now watch it now be unseasonably warm and this is going to look really silly

Real fans sit through anything, like last years ice bowl at ISU.

 

[t-noah]

Lol at tOSU “dipping”. Unless NIL goes away they aren’t dipping.

I stopped dipping. Rots your gums.

 

[CycloneDaddy]

Real fans sit through anything, like last years ice bowl at ISU.

My feet are still cold from that game and pretty sure I have not had Fireball since.

 

[isucy86]

These board meetings mean nothing. This has been a recurring theme, there is a board meeting, people jump to conclusions it means they are making a move, and nothing happens. We have seen this repeatedly for a year.

They have board meetings all the time, to deal with regular business of the University, they are not an indication of imminent changes to conference affiliation.

Just because nothing happens, doesn't mean realignment isn't discussed during these board meetings.

Feels like the Pac10 schools want to give GK every opportunity to present a media rights deal. But at the same time have internal hard deadline on when they will make the go/no go decision to jump. So these Executive Session meetings could serve as working meetings to "clear the runway" when the time is right.

 

[SolterraCyclone]

Just because nothing happens, doesn't mean realignment isn't discussed during these board meetings.

Feels like the Pac10 schools want to give GK every opportunity to present a media rights deal. But at the same time have internal hard deadline on when they will make the go/no go decision to jump. So these Executive Session meetings could serve as working meetings to "clear the runway" when the time is right.

I think legally, if that were a discussion topic, it would have to be included in the agenda, which is public.

Any movement by CU would/will be leaked to the media long before a Board meeting/vote occurred. The board vote is really just a formality

 

[isucy86]

Inside the Big 12's 'ironclad' grant of rights contract that helped keep the ACC together amid turbulence

How a seemingly unbreakable document has kept two leagues largely together during realignment

www.cbssports.com

Almost exactly what many of us have been saying all along. ACC GoR is Ironclad.

Challenging the GOR is only one approach.

The other approach bandied about is dissolution of the ACC. The GOR gives the Conference a schools media revenue, but what happens if there is no ACC?

The other lever is Notre Dame. What if they jump to the Big10. Does that materially impact the current ACC media rights value? Which could be an issue for ESPN and/or the 14 schools.

Feel like there are other variables that need to play out first.

• The legal wrangling over student-athlete employee status.
• How much money is the 12 team CFP worth when it goes out to bid in a couple years. And how is that potentially multi-billion dollar payout distributed.

 

[isucy86]

I think legally, if that were a discussion topic, it would have to be included in the agenda, which is public.

Any movement by CU would/will be leaked to the media long before a Board meeting/vote occurred. The board vote is really just a formality

Not necessarily. It's a closed meeting. Publish an agenda and when those items are discussed the moderator can always ask if there is any additional business to be discussed.

IMO the statements coming out of CU are aimed at GK. They are tired of waiting on a deal. Maybe some schools benefit from waiting until July/August (like OR/WA), but others might have an internal deadline in June.

 

[2speedy1]

Just because nothing happens, doesn't mean realignment isn't discussed during these board meetings.

Feels like the Pac10 schools want to give GK every opportunity to present a media rights deal. But at the same time have internal hard deadline on when they will make the go/no go decision to jump. So these Executive Session meetings could serve as working meetings to "clear the runway" when the time is right.

Didnt say that something was not discussed. Hell they might discuss what they had for dinner the night before too.

Point is, these meetings happen all the time, nothing about them have or do mean realignment is imminent.

Could they be discussing the subject, absolutely, but nothing about a meeting being scheduled means the main subject or even any part of the meeting is because of realignment.

All these schools BORs and boards etc. meet regularly for all kinds of business. Sure one may be about realignment, but media types have been reporting every one of these meetings for months, thinking it is a sign of them moving. And really you cant base it on simply a meeting scheduled. One may be that meeting but it is still just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. They may have 100 meetings and only 1 of them may be to vote on moving, not really a great prediction tool.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

Challenging the GOR is only one approach.

The other approach bandied about is dissolution of the ACC. The GOR gives the Conference a schools media revenue, but what happens if there is no ACC?

The other lever is Notre Dame. What if they jump to the Big10. Does that materially impact the current ACC media rights value? Which could be an issue for ESPN and/or the 14 schools.

Feel like there are other variables that need to play out first.

• The legal wrangling over student-athlete employee status.
• How much money is the 12 team CFP worth when it goes out to bid in a couple years. And how is that potentially multi-billion dollar payout distributed.

Why would any school not guaranteed a landing spot in either the Big 10 or SEC risk voting the ACC out of existence to the help out those that are guaranteed a spot in those two conferences? What does Pitt, BC, WF or other have to gain by voting "yes" and dissolving the conference? Nothing that I can see.

 

[Gonzo]

Challenging the GOR is only one approach.

The other approach bandied about is dissolution of the ACC. The GOR gives the Conference a schools media revenue, but what happens if there is no ACC?

The other lever is Notre Dame. What if they jump to the Big10. Does that materially impact the current ACC media rights value? Which could be an issue for ESPN and/or the 14 schools.

Feel like there are other variables that need to play out first.

• The legal wrangling over student-athlete employee status.
• How much money is the 12 team CFP worth when it goes out to bid in a couple years. And how is that potentially multi-billion dollar payout distributed.

ND ain't jumping to the B1G. The only thing that would lead ND to join a conference is if they lose access to the CFP as an independent and that's not happening.

 

[LarryISU]

ND ain't jumping to the B1G. The only thing that would lead ND to join a conference is if they lose access to the CFP as an independent and that's not happening.

I've heard several times that ND is contractually obligated to join only the ACC.

 

[RustShack]

I've heard several times that ND is contractually obligated to join only the ACC.

With the current agreement they are. Obviously they can pay a buyout which will be much cheaper than any other ACC school. Odds are there is no movement from any ACC school for 10+ years even though most of them want out now.

 

[alarson]

Why would any school not guaranteed a landing spot in either the Big 10 or SEC risk voting the ACC out of existence to the help out those that are guaranteed a spot in those two conferences? What does Pitt, BC, WF or other have to gain by voting "yes" and dissolving the conference? Nothing that I can see.

With how far out the ACC contract goes, I think you'd have to include the big 12 there as well. While they'd have less to gain than those jumping to the B10\SEC, the money still may make more sense at some point than with the current ACC payout

 

[isucy86]

I've heard several times that ND is contractually obligated to join only the ACC.

They are, but the GOR only applies to sports they are full ACC members. ND received around $11M from ACC and their current deal with NBC still runs for a couple years. So ND's GOR expense could be $120M.

It all comes down to what NBC is willing to pay on the Irish's next TV deal. If ND gets $50M+, my bet is they stay independent.