Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

3076

New Member
Jun 23, 2025
4
5
3
I think our best hope is to be in the 3rd best “P” conference. Whether it’s the 5 + 11 or the 4-4-2-2 model or whatever, we will be duking it out for 1 of 2 CFP spots in perpetuity.

We probably have a better shot finishing Top 2 in a conference of peers vs trying to out “eye test” the top 4 of the SEC or B1G. Those leagues will game their schedules to make sure they’re never left out.
There are rumors of an SEC/BIG challenge type deal if both conferences are guaranteed 4 spots. Wonder what would happen to the Iowa game? Guessing they’d want out so they could play the Albany’s of the world to pad their win total.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MugNight

CascadeClone

Well-Known Member
Oct 24, 2009
10,880
13,966
113
No current Big 12 school is going to the SEC or Big 10.

Both leagues have had opportunities to add every school and passed.
Not unlee (until?) the top 20 brands rapture out to the Premier League.

Then maybe they'd cherry pick from the ACC and B12. But at that point, why not just have 4 similar conferences or all band together to make a 50-ish team league and rationalize divisions based on geography, history, rivalry, etc.
 

Al_4_State

Moderator
Staff member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 27, 2006
32,445
28,798
113
40
Driftless Region
Visit site
Not unlee (until?) the top 20 brands rapture out to the Premier League.

Then maybe they'd cherry pick from the ACC and B12. But at that point, why not just have 4 similar conferences or all band together to make a 50-ish team league and rationalize divisions based on geography, history, rivalry, etc.
If the top 20 brands do their own thing, the remaining Big 10 and SEC schools will join up with us like you suggested.

Without those brands, there’s no reason for Big 12 and ACC schools to leave
 

cykadelic2

Well-Known Member
Jun 10, 2006
4,020
1,763
113

isucy86

Well-Known Member
Apr 13, 2006
9,136
7,735
113
Dubuque
It will make a difference in computerized rankings used by the CFP Committee given half of the SEC teams will now be guaranteed an extra conference loss. The ACC needs to do likewise.

The SEC (and ACC) playing another conference game levels the playing field with the Big10 & Big 12.

But I have a feeling the SEC is smart enough to make sure that extra game for the top 4-5 SEC schools in preseason rankings will be played against schools with preseason expectations to finish 10-16 in the SEC.

With 16 playoff teams there will definitely be 3 loss teams and I'd bet there are some years 4 loss teams get playoff bids. So that minimizes the risk of SEC & ACC schools adding a 9th conference game.

IMO what might be more important with a 16 game playoff is more non-conference games between P4 schools so their is a larger sample size of inter-conference games. Currently, Iowa States schedule is pretty typical with: 9 conference games, 1 non-con P4 game (Iowa) and 2 G5 or FCS games. In the future, maybe schedules need to be: 9 conference games, 2 non-con P4 games and 1 G5 or FCS game. Coaches wouldn't like it, but TV partners & Fans would.
 

NWICY

Well-Known Member
Sep 2, 2012
35,490
31,645
113
It will make a difference in computerized rankings used by the CFP Committee given half of the SEC teams will now be guaranteed an extra conference loss. The ACC needs to do likewise.
Sure, I'll believe that story, another loss in the SEC just proves how amazingly tough the SEC is.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 

cykadelic2

Well-Known Member
Jun 10, 2006
4,020
1,763
113
But I have a feeling the SEC is smart enough to make sure that extra game for the top 4-5 SEC schools in preseason rankings will be played against schools with preseason expectations to finish 10-16 in the SEC.
Conference schedules are set in advance for every 4 year cycle so I doubt they could manipulate it like that.
 

Clonehomer

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
26,816
24,921
113
Your periodic reminder that the ACC literally can't play 9 league game because they've got 17 teams. The math is impossible. They're stuck until they either add or subtract a school.

ND makes 18. They don’t play a full ACC schedule, but as long as they also play an odd number, you can make the math work.
 

Kinch

Well-Known Member
Sep 19, 2021
5,766
5,860
113
$200 fee at Minnesota to help pay the house settlement isn’t settling well with students on top of a 7.5% tuition hike. They are framing it as paying facilities. College athletic departments will need to tread very carefully how much they put paying athletes on other students.
 

ZorkClone

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2019
908
1,253
93
28
$200 fee at Minnesota to help pay the house settlement isn’t settling well with students on top of a 7.5% tuition hike. They are framing it as paying facilities. College athletic departments will need to tread very carefully how much they put paying athletes on other students.
I find it crazy that any Big 10 or SEC school would feel the need to do this. According to the article 8 Big 10 schools are adding these fees. I guess it just goes to show that even with a lot more TV money the schools will find some way to waste it.
 
  • Like
  • Winner
Reactions: MugNight and Kinch

SolterraCyclone

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2021
2,402
3,310
113
38
I find it crazy that any Big 10 or SEC school would feel the need to do this. According to the article 8 Big 10 schools are adding these fees. I guess it just goes to show that even with a lot more TV money the schools will find some way to waste it.
I know first hand Wisconsin is struggling to find ways to fund the settlement.

It’s not surprising to me at all. For any entity, when your entire budget is allocated, annually, regardless of how much the budget is, and you have to carve out 10-20% of your budget for an unexpected line item, you’re going to either a) have to make unexpected cuts b.) create a new (unpopular) revenue stream or c.) borrow.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Kinch

cyclones500

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2010
38,812
26,829
113
Michigan
basslakebeacon.com
$200 fee at Minnesota to help pay the house settlement isn’t settling well with students on top of a 7.5% tuition hike. They are framing it as paying facilities. College athletic departments will need to tread very carefully how much they put paying athletes on other students.

A general question, how much of tuition goes toward academic facilities (separate from athletic-specific facilities)? I'm not certain if that works differently depending on institution.

I'm sure some students could be OK w/ extra $200 if they're into sports, follow teams closely, want success. Seems like it could be something a student could choose an opt-out. Maybe that opens other cans of worms with other fees.

Typing off the top of my head here.
 

cykadelic2

Well-Known Member
Jun 10, 2006
4,020
1,763
113
$200 fee at Minnesota to help pay the house settlement isn’t settling well with students on top of a 7.5% tuition hike. They are framing it as paying facilities. College athletic departments will need to tread very carefully how much they put paying athletes on other students.
If the SCORE bill gets passed in Congress, any school earning over $50M/yr in media revenues cannot apply student fees to athletic funding.
 

Kinch

Well-Known Member
Sep 19, 2021
5,766
5,860
113
I know first hand Wisconsin is struggling to find ways to fund the settlement.

It’s not surprising to me at all. For any entity, when your entire budget is allocated, annually, regardless of how much the budget is, and you have to carve out 10-20% of your budget for an unexpected line item, you’re going to either a) have to make unexpected cuts b.) create a new (unpopular) revenue stream or c.) borrow.
Will they cut the football coaches salary?
 

CascadeClone

Well-Known Member
Oct 24, 2009
10,880
13,966
113
Will they cut the football coaches salary?
Coaching salaries and ludicrously luxurious facilities are where the waste is for most programs. However, those are nearly impossible to do anything about short term. Long term, you negotiate lower salaries, and do less/cheaper facility builds. But for right now, you are hosed. But if the media revenue is there, you would think borrowing against that would be the way to go. IDK.

We joked for years that salaries and facilities had gone totally nuts. Now is the reckoning.
 

Latest posts

Help Support Us

Become a patron