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

[Ispyin]

As I said yesterday in a different way, this is the admin of acc not necessarily Miami Clemson fsu plan… sure they will say all the right things and then two days later announce a move to the sec…

announcing loose partnership between the Hindenburg and the ground

 

[hoops156]

Pull the ******* ripcord already.

not everyone is going to be invited to a major conf. this sounds like an ACC/pac holdover conference once the b10, b12, and SEC are done poaching

 

[Memnon]

Pull the ******* ripcord already.

I’d do it.

The idea of just running off to the SEC still makes my stomach turn.

Plus there’s a chance the B1G only wants to add Notre Dame & then stand pat; the SEC in my estimation would really only want Clemson for Football & maybe UNC for BBall, but otherwise I don’t think they really want every straggler team to come join their cabal. Not saying Miami is a straggler team, but what I mean is I don’t think SEC is necessarily holding up a “Come one, come all!” sign for everybody.

If we can keep our leverage & still put something together without having to completely sell out to the SEC I’m all for it.

I get the financial part of it being the primary driving force, but there’s other ways to get a lucrative TV deal without simply joining the two Empires. I think the Pac-12, Big XII & ACC would be smart to find alternatives rather than just acquiescing to surrendering to the SEC & B1G.

 

[tsimonitis]

Feels like this is ripe for an unveiling of the plans for a new football facility to coincide with the announcement of joining a new conference

 

[Ispyin]

I was on my lunch break just now and was bored so I started working on some possible realignment scenarios. Once you start looking at the teams, I do not see how the ACC makes it out of this alive (which is well known). As well, Power 3 makes more sense than Power 4. At some point the Pac 10 and Big 12 are going to need to join up. I ran four possible scenarios. Obviously they are not perfect as I spent maybe 30 minutes, if that, on them. Teams highlighted in yellow are from G5

Scenario #1 "Power 5" - Conservative: Expansion stops due to high buyouts, ND holding things up etc.
View attachment 196222

Scenario #2 "Power 3" - Scenario I see most likely happening. Could easily sub Memphis and SMU for San Diego St and UNLV. I put in UNLV and San Diego St because they both are in attractive TV markets and play in new stadiums.
View attachment 196224

Scenario #3 "Power 4"
View attachment 196225

Scenario # 4 "Power 3 #2" - Notre Dame remains independent and schools in the same state are forced to move conferences together like Oregon and Oregon State which has been rumored as a possible hiccup.

View attachment 196228

​

Great job. Total waste of time.

as someone posted earlier it’s two winners and one ugly sister

 

[Applecane]

I can only repeat what I said, its not about personal feelings or relationships, its about money. Every single change in conferences in these days is about money and money only and personal vendettas will only cause lost money.

If the SEC were all about protecting Bama and Georgia, why’d it let in Texas and Oklahoma?

 

[Canesmack]

Josh Pate said a year ago that we were headed toward two power conferences—specifically the SEC and B1G—due to the media rights deals that those conferences would drive by 2025. He said there wouldn’t be enough TV money to support the other major conferences. Prophetic.

 

[tsimonitis]

If the SEC were all about protecting Bama and Georgia, why’d it let in Texas and Oklahoma?

Texas hasn’t been relevant for about as long as us and Oklahoma gets its *** beat everytime it makes the playoffs. No fear of them

 

[AtlAtty]

While it is being discussed as to which schools should be added to which conference, there should a be separate discussion about which schools should be removed from their current conferences. For example Vanderbilt has no place in the sports world. I would even include Duke. Yes their basketball does well but this a football driven issue and like Vandy, they simply do not make the necessary investment to receive an equal piece of the revenue pie.
Washington State? Missouri? Utah? These schools also don't bring a TV market.

 

[CaneTheGaytors]

I’d do it.

The idea of just running off to the SEC still makes my stomach turn.

Plus there’s a chance the B1G only wants to add Notre Dame & then stand pat; the SEC in my estimation would really only want Clemson for Football & maybe UNC for BBall, but otherwise I don’t think they really want every straggler team to come join their cabal. Not saying Miami is a straggler team, but what I mean is I don’t think SEC is necessarily holding up a “Come one, come all!” sign for everybody.

If we can keep our leverage & still put something together without having to completely sell out to the SEC I’m all for it.

I get the financial part of it being the primary driving force, but there’s other ways to get a lucrative TV deal without simply joining the two Empires. I think the Pac-12, Big XII & ACC would be smart to find alternatives rather than just acquiescing to surrendering to the SEC & B1G.

Great post, @Liberty City El. Thats exactly the way that I hope they go about it.

If there’s a way to not have to go to any of those evil empires, then I hope that Rad can find a way to do it.

 

[BostonCanes47]

While it is being discussed as to which schools should be added to which conference, there should a be separate discussion about which schools should be removed from their current conferences. For example Vanderbilt has no place in the sports world. I would even include Duke. Yes their basketball does well but this a football driven issue and like Vandy, they simply do not make the necessary investment to receive an equal piece of the revenue pie.
Washington State? Missouri? Utah? These schools also don't bring a TV market.

Yup. And unfortunately CFB is heading further down the path of having only maybe 20-30 schools who can or I guess want to compete from a financial standpoint. How many of those Big 10 and SEC schools really want to treat/invest in their football program like it’s an NFL team.

A school like Vandy has it pretty good right now, but when push comes to shove, are they really going to ever try to compete?

 

[Waffle Honcho]

I’d do it.

The idea of just running off to the SEC still makes my stomach turn.

Plus there’s a chance the B1G only wants to add Notre Dame & then stand pat; the SEC in my estimation would really only want Clemson for Football & maybe UNC for BBall, but otherwise I don’t think they really want every straggler team to come join their cabal. Not saying Miami is a straggler team, but what I mean is I don’t think SEC is necessarily holding up a “Come one, come all!” sign for everybody.

If we can keep our leverage & still put something together without having to completely sell out to the SEC I’m all for it.

I get the financial part of it being the primary driving force, but there’s other ways to get a lucrative TV deal without simply joining the two Empires. I think the Pac-12, Big XII & ACC would be smart to find alternatives rather than just acquiescing to surrendering to the SEC & B1G.

The worst thing we could possibly do at this point in time is stay in the ACC. There are no alternatives. The value (entertainment and financial) doesn't exist with the remaining teams in the Pac 12, Big 12, and ACC combined. The program has spent decades on branding and creating value, which we are now holding onto by a thread. If the SEC or Big 10 offers we go now, no questions asked. If we stay in the ACC, we will continue to linger in this purgatory of questionable relevance that we've been in for the past 2 decades. No booster or "commitment" from the University will be able to make up for that $50MM+ hole we'd be looking at annually.

 

[Cryptical Envelopment]

I get the financial part of it being the primary driving force, but there’s other ways to get a lucrative TV deal without simply joining the two Empires. I think the Pac-12, Big XII & ACC would be smart to find alternatives rather than just acquiescing to surrendering to the SEC & B1G.

Sorry my man, you know you're a 5-star in my book, but absolutely not. Power-2. The end. Whatever is left of the old Power-5 will get 20 cents on the dollar and will not be able to compete. It's game over. The ACC is already worth less than half right now, and that's being generous. Adding in the Big 12 and Pac-12 dregs that are left once the P2 have cherry-picked what they want won't move the needle enough to matter. No USC, UCLA, Texas, or OU, to start. That was where the value was.

 

[Colombie]

Can't wait for the riveting action between Wake Forest and Stanford in a half empty stadium in Sin City.

 

[Squid Bumciorek]

I mean, it can't get WORSE!

I sure hope not! Still that somewhat validates the concern that conference leadership isn't always putting money first or that they really want to see UM succeed. Look, I don't think the ACC leadership had a meeting with referees and directed them to ***** UM. I think the most rational explanation is that the officials just had a bias and didn't particularly care for Miami. Most of them are likely old enough to remember when UM burst on the scene in the 1980s and the reputation of UM being Thug U is seared into their brains. If acc leadership actually wanted UM to succeed because success = $$$, then it could simply tell the referees, "Hey, we are seeing a massive discrepancy in holding calls. Please keep a closer eye on Miami's opponents to see if they are holding on the OL." Its a subtle nudge to the refs to make sure UM is getting a fair shake. That obviously did not happen even though His Holiness Mark Richt was lodging complaints.

Referees are people too, and they have the same prejudices as anyone. Of all the conferences that loathed UMs rise in the 1980s, the SEC has to be #1 (closely followed by Big12 schools, especially Texas. Im not at all surprised that Terry Porter was a Big12 ref). We were totally embarrassing their blue bloods. Their fans remember it quite well. If ACC refs were biased, do you the SEC refs will be less biased? Again, I not suggesting that the conference leadership will be pulling the strings, only that they will shrug their shoulders when UM says it is getting raw dogged by the officials.

BTW , the Wisconsin game where Richt finally snapped because the calls were so egregiously biased against UM and he nearly got kicked out of the game? I'll give you one guess as to which conference the refs were from.

I realize that joining the SEC wouldn't just give UM money. It would give us a ****load of money. I think it's a Faustian Bargain though. Say what you will about the B1G and tOSU, but my gut says that the B1G would treat UM the fairest. The fact that tOSU got stripped of games and was banned from postseason play for something relatively minor (free tattoos) tells me the B1G doesn't put its thumb on the scale for its biggest draws the same way the SEC does for UGA and Bama. If the money is close, I hope we'd take a little less money and go to the B1G.

 

[Waffle Honcho]

I mean there are bad calls, no calls and phantom calls against every team every year but the holding penalty issue was ridiculous. Miami led the nation in sacks and tackles for loss but were somehow never held for an entire season? Come on.

Being in the ACC has been a nightmare.

 

[Cryptical Envelopment]

I sure hope not! Still that somewhat validates the concern that conference leadership isn't always putting money first or that they really want to see UM succeed. Look, I don't think the ACC leadership had a meeting with referees and directed them to ***** UM. I think the most rational explanation is that the officials just had a bias and didn't particularly care for Miami. Most of them are likely old enough to remember when UM burst on the scene in the 1980s and the reputation of UM being Thug U is seared into their brains. If acc leadership actually wanted UM to succeed because success = $$$, then it could simply tell the referees, "Hey, we are seeing a massive discrepancy in holding calls. Please keep a closer eye on Miami's opponents to see if they are holding on the OL." Its a subtle nudge to the refs to make sure UM is getting a fair shake. That obviously did not happen even though His Holiness Mark Richt was lodging complaints.

Referees are people too, and they have the same prejudices as anyone. Of all the conferences that loathed UMs rise in the 1980s, the SEC has to be #1 (closely followed by Big12 schools, especially Texas. Im not at all surprised that Terry Porter was a Big12 ref). We were totally embarrassing their blue bloods. Their fans remember it quite well. If ACC refs were biased, do you the SEC refs will be less biased? Again, I not suggesting that the conference leadership will be pulling the strings, only that they will shrug their shoulders when UM says it is getting raw dogged by the officials.

BTW , the Wisconsin game where Richt finally snapped because the calls were so egregiously biased against UM and he nearly got kicked out of the game? I'll give you one guess as to which conference the refs were from.

I realize that joining the SEC wouldn't just give UM money. It would give us a ****load of money. I think it's a Faustian Bargain though. Say what you will about the B1G and tOSU, but my gut says that the B1G would treat UM the fairest. The fact that tOSU got stripped of games and was banned from postseason play for something relatively minor (free tattoos) tells me the B1G doesn't put its thumb on the scale for its biggest draws the same way the SEC does for UGA and Bama. If the money is close, I hope we'd take a little less money and go to the B1G.

It's not just money. It's literally oxygen vs. no oxygen. Life or death. Existence as a real program. It's binary. SEC/B1G or die. That is what's happening. See the whole field. Bookmark this (is that a thing?) and come back to me when its all said and done. If you aren't in the Power-2 you will essentially become a Group of 5 program with a nostalgic brand. Hold me to this and rake me if I'm wrong.

 

[Rellyrell]

While it is being discussed as to which schools should be added to which conference, there should a be separate discussion about which schools should be removed from their current conferences. For example Vanderbilt has no place in the sports world. I would even include Duke. Yes their basketball does well but this a football driven issue and like Vandy, they simply do not make the necessary investment to receive an equal piece of the revenue pie.
Washington State? Missouri? Utah? These schools also don't bring a TV market.

Lol; Bro, every school is not a football school. Duke is an elite Nat’l Power in B-Ball, just like UK, UCLA, UNC. When those schools have success in CFB, that’s a bonus, but their bread & butter is b-ball. Vandy is a Nat’l Power in Baseball.

I know we’re hyper focused on football, b/c football is king, but these conferences are making money off more than just football. The revenue driven sports are CFB, NCAAB, & CBB. Those help fund the non revenue driven sports. So, absolutely a Duke, Vandy, UK, UCLA all have a place in these super conferences. Matter of fact, they just talked about how UCLA will help the B1G in NCAAB, not so much in CFB.

 

[Mnhurricane]

I like Power 3 but I am wondering if a power 4 would be better...8 bids for the playoffs, two from each conference...winner and an at large maybe? I do agree that the ACC is dead in the water, and they know it.

I doubt that the “haves” would want to split evenly with conferences full of the power 2/3 rejects when it comes to playoff spots

 

[Cryptical Envelopment]

I was on my lunch break just now and was bored so I started working on some possible realignment scenarios. Once you start looking at the teams, I do not see how the ACC makes it out of this alive (which is well known). As well, Power 3 makes more sense than Power 4. At some point the Pac 10 and Big 12 are going to need to join up. I ran four possible scenarios. Obviously they are not perfect as I spent maybe 30 minutes, if that, on them. Teams highlighted in yellow are from G5

Scenario #1 "Power 5" - Conservative: Expansion stops due to high buyouts, ND holding things up etc.
View attachment 196222

Scenario #2 "Power 3" - Scenario I see most likely happening. Could easily sub Memphis and SMU for San Diego St and UNLV. I put in UNLV and San Diego St because they both are in attractive TV markets and play in new stadiums.
View attachment 196224

Scenario #3 "Power 4"
View attachment 196225

Scenario # 4 "Power 3 #2" - Notre Dame remains independent and schools in the same state are forced to move conferences together like Oregon and Oregon State which has been rumored as a possible hiccup.

View attachment 196228

​

Almost there. Power 2.