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MEGA Conference Realignment and lawsuits Megathread: Stories, Tales, Lies, and Exaggerations

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Gsugradcanefan said:
This means an expansion announcement is coming sooner than later. They'll announce right after the B10 announces their expansion.
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IF the SEC is actually serious about not adding teams, and if it is correct that the B10 will not take Clemson, then a B10 expansion adding Miami, FSU, UNC, UVA (+ ND scheduling agreement) could actually pave the way for a "Pacific / Atlantic conference" with the remaining ACC teams joining the Pac 12. (Assuming the GOR doesn't hold up in court).
 
Tony4Miami said:
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"Industry sources remain perplexed by who main linear TV partner would be."



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Tony4Miami said:
Right..

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It's almost impossible to overstate how poorly the vast majority of traditional and on-line media has covered realignment.

Pretty much every source — named or anonymous — has an agenda, but yet these reporters continue to regurgitate what they're being told by people attempting to steer the narrative.

Like when the 247 writer in the article above falls into Sankey's trap with this nonsense:

"The crux is television programming, which would become a headache if the SEC expands beyond 16 teams. The conference's exclusive contract with ESPN provides only a few linear windows for national broadcasts. A 20-team league would mean as many as 10 conference games would be played on Saturdays."

How is that even a problem? ESPN already has to fit those SEC and ACC games into its windows on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/SECN and ACCN.

Even a 24-team SEC filled out by schools from a gutted ACC is hardly a problem — particularly as Disney moves into direct-to-consumer mode and streaming becomes more widespread.

Sankey's whole reasoning for pouring water on further expansion is to keep the SEC's hands clean — i.e. avoid lawsuits — for the ACC's inevitable implosion.

Does anyone think Miami and the rest of the so-called "Magnificent 7" exploring ways to escape the ACC's GoR agreement would be doing so without a safe place to land?
 
Hold My Beer said:
It's almost impossible to overstate how poorly the vast majority of traditional and on-line media has covered realignment.

Pretty much every source — named or anonymous — has an agenda, but yet these reporters continue to regurgitate what they're being told by people attempting to steer the narrative.

Like when the 247 writer in the article above falls into Sankey's trap with this nonsense:

"The crux is television programming, which would become a headache if the SEC expands beyond 16 teams. The conference's exclusive contract with ESPN provides only a few linear windows for national broadcasts. A 20-team league would mean as many as 10 conference games would be played on Saturdays."

How is that even a problem? ESPN already has to fit those SEC and ACC games into its windows on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/SECN and ACCN.

Even a 24-team SEC filled out by schools from a gutted ACC is hardly a problem — particularly as Disney moves into direct-to-consumer mode and streaming becomes more widespread.

Sankey's whole reasoning for pouring water on further expansion is to keep the SEC's hands clean — i.e. avoid lawsuits — for the ACC's inevitable implosion.

Does anyone think Miami and the rest of the so-called "Magnificent 7" exploring ways to escape the ACC's GoR agreement would be doing so without a safe place to land?
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Mainline media doesn’t care about accuracy on expansion, because just putting it in the headline is coke for page views. All they need is a semblance of “new information”, accuracy be damned.
 
Hold My Beer said:
It's almost impossible to overstate how poorly the vast majority of traditional and on-line media has covered realignment.

Pretty much every source — named or anonymous — has an agenda, but yet these reporters continue to regurgitate what they're being told by people attempting to steer the narrative.

Like when the 247 writer in the article above falls into Sankey's trap with this nonsense:

"The crux is television programming, which would become a headache if the SEC expands beyond 16 teams. The conference's exclusive contract with ESPN provides only a few linear windows for national broadcasts. A 20-team league would mean as many as 10 conference games would be played on Saturdays."

How is that even a problem? ESPN already has to fit those SEC and ACC games into its windows on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/SECN and ACCN.

Even a 24-team SEC filled out by schools from a gutted ACC is hardly a problem — particularly as Disney moves into direct-to-consumer mode and streaming becomes more widespread.

Sankey's whole reasoning for pouring water on further expansion is to keep the SEC's hands clean — i.e. avoid lawsuits — for the ACC's inevitable implosion.

Does anyone think Miami and the rest of the so-called "Magnificent 7" exploring ways to escape the ACC's GoR agreement would be doing so without a safe place to land?
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You forgot ESPNU also so that would be 6 main channels. With 3 slots each that's 18 games (enough for 36 teams) combined SEC and ACC currently have 30.. But ESPN also has Big12 and some G5 games to show as well I believe.

ACC getting on CW is actually pretty good imo since that's national.

The real thing to pay attention to is while ESPN/Disney has enough to support all this, the B1G actually has a problem where they NEED more schools to actually fill the needs of CBS/NBC/Fox/B10N. and unlike the SEC, the B1G may be willing to have games on Fridays. And with there being west coast schools, they're could even be an additional time slot like PAC12 after dark.

With all the **** ESPN/Disney are going through right now, they may actually prefer just having ACC die, folding as many good teams into SEC/B12 as they can, and changing ACCN to SEC2 or B12N...
 
calinative umstudent said:
You forgot ESPNU also so that would be 6 main channels.
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Good catch.

Cosoidating brands from three conferences (SEC/ACC/B12) where ESPN either holds all/some of the media rights down to two conferences (SEC/B12) does not in itself change the number games or available broadcast windows — regardless of what the SEC commissioner convinced the schmo from 247 to write.

Again, Snakey is keeping his hands clean until it's time to pounce
 
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Hold My Beer said:
Good catch.

Cosoidating brands from three conferences (SEC/ACC/B12) where ESPN either holds all/some of the media rights down to two conferences (SEC/B12) does not in itself change the number games or available broadcast windows — regardless of what the SEC commissioner convinced the schmo from 247 to write.

Again, Snakey is keeping his hands clean until it's time to pounce
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Well It would if enough schools aren't apart of that merger. Some would leave for B1G - though those would likely be losses they wish they could keep. Some may feel the B12 isn't a cultural fit and form a new partnership with Pac12 schools (whose TV deal ESPN won't be in at all - unless there's some Apple/ESPN/Disney partnership that ends up being worked out...)) who feel the same, possibly... Or an entirely new thing...
 
One key tool in Snakey's pocket is the pro-rata clause in the contract with ESPN which allows any and all new members to join the league for a full media rights share

So let's say, just for discussion's sake, the SEC invites UM, Clemson, UNC and fsu— each of those schools from Day One gets the exact same dollars as UGA, Bama, LSU, OU, uf, etc.

Same goes if Snakey also brings in UVA, VT, NCSU and, say, Duke to expand to 24. All schools — regardless of actual brand "value" or whatever metric one wants to use — gets a full share right out of the gate.

That's a helluva incentive for schools to find their way out of the ACC and for the SEC comissioner not to worry about making the money work for all involved.

From Brett McMurphy:

"In 2020, the SEC signed a 10-year media rights deal with ESPN worth around $300 million. The deal starts in 2024 and includes a pro rata clause requiring ESPN to pay the SEC the same amount per school for any new members, sources said."

LINK from 12-12-22: Oklahoma, Texas Gaining Momentum to Leave Big 12, Join SEC Early in 2024
 
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Hold My Beer said:
It's almost impossible to overstate how poorly the vast majority of traditional and on-line media has covered realignment.

Pretty much every source — named or anonymous — has an agenda, but yet these reporters continue to regurgitate what they're being told by people attempting to steer the narrative.

Like when the 247 writer in the article above falls into Sankey's trap with this nonsense:

"The crux is television programming, which would become a headache if the SEC expands beyond 16 teams. The conference's exclusive contract with ESPN provides only a few linear windows for national broadcasts. A 20-team league would mean as many as 10 conference games would be played on Saturdays."

How is that even a problem? ESPN already has to fit those SEC and ACC games into its windows on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/SECN and ACCN.

Even a 24-team SEC filled out by schools from a gutted ACC is hardly a problem — particularly as Disney moves into direct-to-consumer mode and streaming becomes more widespread.

Sankey's whole reasoning for pouring water on further expansion is to keep the SEC's hands clean — i.e. avoid lawsuits — for the ACC's inevitable implosion.

Does anyone think Miami and the rest of the so-called "Magnificent 7" exploring ways to escape the ACC's GoR agreement would be doing so without a safe place to land?
Click to expand...
Assuming SEC/BIG, and even Big 12 are actually working on expansion behind the scenes (which everyone knows is happening), there is no way their media partners wouldn't know at some level. I suspect most of the journalists reporting this nonsense know that it is nonsense. But, they still need to report what someone like Sankey says.

Also, big media people do not want to rock the boat for their sources. Similar to the Woj/Lebatard back and forth regarding Lillard and the Heat. These people report certain things to keep their sources happy to then get bigger stories, breaks, etc down the road. Everyone knows it's all BS, but actual media people cannot (or will not) say anything about it until they get the green light, or more likely, it gets leaked or goes public elsewhere.
 
ItsMeD said:
Assuming SEC/BIG, and even Big 12 are actually working on expansion behind the scenes (which everyone knows is happening), there is no way their media partners wouldn't know at some level. I suspect most of the journalists reporting this nonsense know that it is nonsense. But, they still need to report what someone like Sankey says.

Also, big media people do not want to rock the boat for their sources. Similar to the Woj/Lebatard back and forth regarding Lillard and the Heat. These people report certain things to keep their sources happy to then get bigger stories, breaks, etc down the road. Everyone knows it's all BS, but actual media people cannot (or will not) say anything about it until they get the green light, or more likely, it gets leaked or goes public elsewhere.
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Not to disagree with your premise, but a lot of media covering this topic on a regular basis are fairly clueless of the big picture when it comes to conference realignment.

Many reporters are content to copy and paste the quotes they get from commissioners, school presidents and athletic directors instead of legitimately questioning what is being said.

I get it, too. It's a complicated situation with a ton of moving parts and good reasons for those in the know to either mislead/lie or stay extremely tight-lipped.

IMO, the wise path is to simply follow the money. Every single one of these recent realignment moves and those going forward are about schools either chasing more dollars or reacting to the fallout from such decisions.
 
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Midlo Cane Fan said:
www.on3.com

ESPN insider reveals what's next for future conference expansion, how 12-team CFP could factor in

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www.on3.com www.on3.com
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Pete Thamel of ESPN probably has as good of a grasp on the forces of realignment as anyone at a mainstream media outlet.

From the article:

“The way the ACC sits right now contractually it’s a legal thicket,” Thamel said. “I can’t tell you how that’s all going to get unwound, when it’s going to get unwound. The ACC, there is some sort of ‘if’ lingering there. When you hear the grumblings from Florida State, you hear the grumblings from Clemson. The unruly seven that have been chatting with each other about escape plans.”

Pete Thamel of ESPN probably has as good of a grasp on the forces of realignment as anyone at a mainstream media outlet

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Hold My Beer said:
Pete Thamel of ESPN probably has as good of a grasp on the forces of realignment as anyone at a mainstream media outlet.

From the article:

“The way the ACC sits right now contractually it’s a legal thicket,” Thamel said. “I can’t tell you how that’s all going to get unwound, when it’s going to get unwound. The ACC, there is some sort of ‘if’ lingering there. When you hear the grumblings from Florida State, you hear the grumblings from Clemson. The unruly seven that have been chatting with each other about escape plans.”

Pete Thamel of ESPN probably has as good of a grasp on the forces of realignment as anyone at a mainstream media outlet

200.gif
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Been cooking for a year.
 
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