Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

[PizzaTheHutt]

How long does the ABOR let Crow dither on making this official? "Staying in the PAC" isn't really an option if there is no PAC.

I honestly think when the dust settles the president sees the writing on the wall, and Arizona State will be a part of the big 12. It’ll just be interesting to see how healthy the relationship will be with Crow and the other presidents and AD‘s in the big 12 if he’s a thorn I could see him getting shown the door for somebody else that wants to contribute positively to the culture Yormark wants in the Big 12. (Caring about athletics also etc) It sounds like everyone around Crow sees this but him currently.

365 sports podcast has a nice discussion about this today and currently live

 

[Remo Gaggi]

That’s not remotely true.

Please don't add Washington State and Oregon State. They're on the same level as Colorado State when it comes to football

 

[KnappShack]

That’s not remotely true.

In a perfect world we'd actively try to bring them in. They're so Big 12 they don't know how Big 12 they are.

 

[isucy86]

If the money is there to make it work id love it. Theyre obviously cultural fits.

Its mhver though so i give it zero value

Agree, adding OSU & WSU would be a feel good move by Big12 and it's media partners.

Maybe it's easier if a 3rd media partner is added. Could Apple want to be involved?

Or would some Big16 schools say, we'll take a million less than a full share and subsidize what FOX/ESPN are willing to pay to add OSU/WSU. Sounds counter to the greed we see, but $1M is less than 1% of ISU's current revenues.

Also, Big12 schools currently make around $8M per year from 4 team playoff. That should grow to $22M plus in 2026. So that would minimize impact of donating $1M to OSU/WSU.

Other possibility is to leverage the CFP like the Pac12 was going to do with SDSU & SMU. As MWC schools, WSU & OSU might get $6M as a G5 program. The gap between P4 ($22M) and G5 ($6M) is an opportunity for Big12 if WSU & OSU only take a partial CFP share until 2031.

 

[RealisticCy]

Listen, I'm tickled to death we are still afloat. But this is becoming kind of dumb. I'm sorry, but so many of these new teams don't do anything for me.

Again, SO glad we have a seat when the musical chairs ends. But there are just too many teams.

Agreed....until the next song starts.

This whole thing will happen again in 5 years.....and again when the ACC contract is up.

Yormark has about a decade to develop as much value in the football brands of this conference as he can.

 

[HFCS]

Listen, I'm tickled to death we are still afloat. But this is becoming kind of dumb. I'm sorry, but so many of these new teams don't do anything for me.

Again, SO glad we have a seat when the musical chairs ends. But there are just too many teams.

Many as in CU/AZ/ASU/Utah?

Those are the only concrete news and Utah really became more firm just now.

WSU, Ore St and UConn are all just out there rumors for now.

 

[MugNight]

Listen, I'm tickled to death we are still afloat. But this is becoming kind of dumb. I'm sorry, but so many of these new teams don't do anything for me.

Again, SO glad we have a seat when the musical chairs ends. But there are just too many teams.

I hear you. I’m afraid conferences as we know them just aren’t what they’ve been. Now they’re just collections of teams that go to the table to negotiate media deals and oh by the way, they have scheduling agreements. It’s all very sterile and soulless. It sucks.

 

[KidSilverhair]

Listen, I'm tickled to death we are still afloat. But this is becoming kind of dumb. I'm sorry, but so many of these new teams don't do anything for me.

Again, SO glad we have a seat when the musical chairs ends. But there are just too many teams.

 

[SolterraCyclone]

I have been wondering if Arizona played Oregon and Washington today, or possibly colluded with them. At 9:00 AM, the news was that all 9 were going into a meeting where the PAC GOR would be presented and possibly signed. Arizona's prez was all in and pro pac-9. So much so that someone said he should win an oscar if he was putting on a show.

In the middle of the meeting, the Washington president taps the brakes and says "We out". With all the buzz this morning about the pac surviving, suddenly the B1G improves its offer to those two schools, and now it makes financial sense for them to bolt.

All this happens when Arizona was already approved to the big 12 last night. To most, it looks like the B1G killed the pac by taking its 4 biggest brands. Arizona gets what it really wants, and with Ore and wash gone, ASU has less power to continue being a road block.

No idea if this is how it went down, but the Arizona oscar talk has me wondering.

H

I’d love to read a book by an insider on what happened this morning. According to McMurphy and Thamel, Arizona applied and was admitted to the B12 last night. However that hasn’t been officially announced by the school or B12, and hasn’t been widely reported on.

This morning the report came out and was widely reported (including by Thamel and kind of by McMuphy) that all 9 were expected to sign the P12 GOR. But if AZ was already admitted to the B12, then obviously, they weren’t going to do that. So…. what was the reason for that report, who were the sources saying that and why? Like WTF happened there? OU/WA leaked they were going to sign GOR to squeeze the B10 for more money? Why would AZ go along with that ruse?

 

[Cloneon]

Agreed....until the next song starts.

This whole thing will happen again in 5 years.....and again when the ACC contract is up.

Yormark has about a decade to develop as much value in the football brands of this conference as he can.

The math says not JUST football, but rather total brand value. I'm relegated to trusting BY now.

 

[BoomerClone]

idk... at least the 12 team playoff helps widen that to 10. and i would imagine in the first 5 years of the 12 team playoff that at least 20 different teams will participate. thats got to help start to spread out the talent a bit because there is a chance at more schools.

right now with the 4 team playoff and the same 6 teams rotating into those 4 spots, the top talent has all coalesced to those few schools.

The 12 team playoff is great. Helm, ISU might even make a playoff sometime. But still, only a handful of teams will ever win it.

 

[houjix]

The 12 team playoff is great. Helm, ISU might even make a playoff sometime. But still, only a handful of teams will ever win it.

They just have to sell hope.

 

[Allikat]

Academically, I always thought Arizona State = Florida State = MAJOR Party School. I never considered them in the same league as Stanford or Northwestern or even a Georgia Tech.

Like and big state academic institution I am sure it has some better than average programs.

However, Crow did get ASU to become an AAU institution. The become a member this year.

It has not changed my perception, but may at least explain why he is trying so hard to stay with Stanford. If he just got the AAU designation, he is trying to leverage it. We do have AAU schools in the Big 12. We were one at one time and still have significant research but he clearly does not value our league's academics.

I am not sure there is a direct correlation between research and overall academic prowess. The bulk of the students could be there to get a decent degree and a great party while a few lab rats focus on research.

 

[OldCurmudgeon]

Screw Arizona State at this point. I'd rather take UConn than those dumbasses. As mismanaged as that university is, they can sink with the PAC.

 

[FerShizzle]

I’d love to read a book by an insider on what happened this morning. According to McMurphy and Thamel, Arizona applied and was admitted to the B12 last night. However that hasn’t been officially announced by the school or B12, and hasn’t been widely reported on.

This morning the report came out and was widely reported (including by Thamel and kind of by McMuphy) that all 9 were expected to sign the P12 GOR. But if AZ was already admitted to the B12, then obviously, they weren’t going to do that. So…. what was the reason for that report, who were the sources saying that and why? Like WTF happened there? OU/WA leaked they were going to sign GOR to squeeze the B10 for more money? Why would AZ go along with that ruse?

If I had to guess… it was Crow and likeminded people at Utah, Cal, and Stanford that wanted the pac to stay together. They tried to change the narrative and see if it gained traction. They had willing reporters thoughtlessly run with it. It worked as much as it could, because it seemed real for an hour or more.

 

[CycloneBamaFan]

Many as in CU/AZ/ASU/Utah?

Those are the only concrete news and Utah really became more firm just now.

WSU, Ore St and UConn are all just out there rumors for now.

Are the Utah and ASU Presidents this stupid to be dragging their feet? These president's have known the potential tv numbers for months. This looks terrible for those schools! All 4 CU/AZ/ASU/Utah schools should have been added last week as part of a huge PR victory. Instead, the Big10 is getting all the PR and network love this week and today.

 

[HoopsTournament]

They just have to sell hope.

The fact that more teams are going to have a shot is going to make the talent pool more spread out. Of course NIL is a wild card in the whole thing as well.

 

[HFCS]

I hear you. I’m afraid conferences as we know them just aren’t what they’ve been. Now they’re just collections of teams that go to the table to negotiate media deals and oh by the way, they have scheduling agreements. It’s all very sterile and soulless. It sucks.

SEC and Big East basketball are probably the last things left that have the "soul" of what it has been. That and some mid major conferences, but a few of those have really become crazy geographic beasts too.

The SEC's slow growth has been more organic like a lumbering elephant, not so scatter shot like Big Ten grabbing Rutgers, then Maryland, then UCLA, then Washington. B10's first moves in Penn State and Nebraska were like SEC growth, then they just went totally nuts. The four additions to the SEC are simply more of what SEC is and not wild geographic outliers.

ACC has its core basketball history but its days are numbered.

Big Ten hasn't seemed like old Big Ten at all since they added Rutgers/Maryland, now they might as well have a totally new brand.

 

[HFCS]

Are the Utah and ASU Presidents this stupid to be dragging their feet? These president's have known the potential tv numbers for months. This looks terrible for those schools! All 4 CU/AZ/ASU/Utah schools should have been added last week as part of a huge PR victory. Instead, the Big10 is getting all the PR and network love this week and today.

Arizona has been slowed down by ASU. They've been in for a long time. They have no issue to being a basketball school and no down side to joining best basketball league.

 

[FerShizzle]

The 12 team playoff is great. Helm, ISU might even make a playoff sometime. But still, only a handful of teams will ever win it.

Then don’t watch. But just like the BBall tourney and the current 4 team playoff, all the exposure happens on the first weekend. Just making it would be a huge deal. Making it would see a huge boost to recruiting, donors, etc…