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

Hold My Beer said:
No. I just think the "FSU+Clemson to the B1G" talk is posturing to help move along the process.

When Gregg Sankey says this:

“We’re attentive, we’re engaged in conversation. The great news for the Southeastern Conference is people call and say, 'Hey you’re doing something special.' They kind of hint around the edges. We’ll watch what happens around us. And be thoughtful, but be nimble.”

and this:

"We respect that there are agreements and situations that prevent a lot of movement, so our focus has been on our 16. But, I pay attention."

and Pete Thamel from ESPN says this:

"I would think the SEC would be happy to sit at 16 for a while because they really like their footprint. There's enough intimacy. They have a region right now. The only thing that disrupts that is if they have to play defense because they don't want the Big Ten to come into their region.

"Is that Florida State? Is that North Carolina, which is coveted. Virginia, which is coveted. I think the ranking — and people at Florida State and Clemson don't like to hear this — but it's North Carolina, Virginia, Clemson and Florida State. Or maybe Florida State (No. 3) instead of Clemson because they bring more eyeballs and TV sets. Those schools are in the crosshairs."

Personally, I think we should believe them.

You mention FOX and the full media rights share, but please explain how that will surpass or even come close to equaling an SEC with Sankey's pro rata agreement with ESPN, season-ticket and luxury box sales, financial impact on Trailerhassee and FSU, both the ease and expense of travel (Tally is a major PITA location for anyone outside the South), the effect on top second-tier sports like football and baseball where the B1G sucks and so on.

Keep hearing this talk about the BIG with its incomparable academic clout, but you don't think an SEC with UNC+UVA (which Sankey most definitely plans to do), Vandy, Texas and possibly Duke and Georgia Tech won't have clout (as much as sports conferences even carry weight in those matters)?

Just my 2 cents. Not trying to change your mind even if I could.

I just think the whole scheme right now is for FSU and Clemson to break down the ACC door to leave as quickly and cheaply as possible.

Sankey and ESPN are on board, too. They just want to keep their hands clean
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That is where the horse trading enters the picture. FOX backing out of the CFP bidding I don’t believe was a coincidence. Also every comment I have seen - including what you quoted - clearly shows the SEC prioritizing UNC / UVA ahead of FSU. Did they agree? BIG takes FSU / Clemson and the SEC takes UNC / UVA?
 
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Rickd said:
That is where the horse trading enters the picture. FOX backing out of the CFP bidding I don’t believe was a coincidence. Also every comment I have seen - including what you quoted - clearly shows the SEC prioritizing UNC / UVA ahead of FSU. Did they agree? BIG takes FSU / Clemson and the SEC takes UNC / UVA?
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1. I don't think ESPN and FOX make expansion decisions while Sankey (and his constituents) and Petitti (and his constituents) dutifully respond "Yes sir" ... The commissioners, with the collective backing of their presidents and AD's, ultimately make these choices. Do they jibe with what the TV folks want. Yeah, probably so most of the time

2. Really, really doubt that a TV agreement for the CFP would in itself be enough for Sankey and Petitti to willingly give up top shelf candidates for their conferences. These are (theoretically) 100-year decisions and not 6-year deals with media partners who may or may not be involved on the next go-round

3. Sankey's mouthpiece listing UNC and UVA serves dual purposes: 1) feeds the considerable egos of the Heels and Hoos; 2) makes it clear the SEC wants a presence in (arguably) the last two remaining Southern states in which it doesn't have one. Other than that, what does being "ranked" 1, 2, 3 or 4 matter? Nobody thinks the SEC (or B1G) is holding on 18. Either a conference wants a school and makes it happen — or it doesn't. There's no in-between.
 
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Hold My Beer said:
1. I don't think ESPN and FOX make expansion decisions while Sankey (and his constituents) and Petitti (and his constituents) dutifully respond "Yes sir" ... The commissioners, with the collective backing of their presidents and AD's, ultimately make these choices. Do they jibe with what the TV folks want. Yeah, probably so most of the time

2. Really, really doubt that a TV agreement for the CFP would in itself be enough for Sankey and Petitti to willingly give up top shelf candidates for their conferences. These are (theoretically) 100-year decisions and not 6-year deals with media partners who may or may not be involved on the next go-round

3. Sankey's mouthpiece listing UNC and UVA serves dual purposes: 1) feeds the considerable egos of the Heels and Hoos; 2) makes it clear the SEC wants a presence in (arguably) the last two remaining Southern states in which it doesn't have one. Other than that, what does being "ranked" 1, 2, 3 or 4 matter? Nobody thinks the SEC (or B1G) is holding on 18. Either a conference wants a school and makes it happen — or it doesn't. There's no in-between.
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The two conferences .... are talking with one another about the future. They are now more allied than ever in the past and they have had discussions about splitting off from the NCAA together. They are looking at a future of being "NFL lite" in structure and most likely looking at having some sort of revenue sharing model so that there won't be much of an economic distinction between conferences. I expect we will be getting some clarification relatively soon on the next step in "realignment".
 
Rickd said:
That is where the horse trading enters the picture. FOX backing out of the CFP bidding I don’t believe was a coincidence. Also every comment I have seen - including what you quoted - clearly shows the SEC prioritizing UNC / UVA ahead of FSU. Did they agree? BIG takes FSU / Clemson and the SEC takes UNC / UVA?
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I read somewhere that the moves coming up with have most parties satisfied. So I could see the followng happening to appease most everyone

1. FSU/Clemson to B10 (satisfies new markets and two somewhat coveted teams
2. ESPN keeps its contract with ACC and ACC finds a couple more schools to add. They won’t replace FSU/Clemson, but they don’t need to. FSU/Clemson taking 30 percent of viewers probably takes the deal from steal for ESPN to market rate. Add two teams and that might even shift to a decent value for ESPN, while ACC lives on.
3. I don’t think P2 want superconferences right now. They want to slow it down a little, so they don;t want to kill ACC or B12.
4. But when times comes, i imagine UNC, NC State, Virginia and maybe someone like GT could be headed to SEC and B1G won’t fight them because of #1
5. ND and some combination of Stanford, Miami, Virginia Tech and maybe a B12 school or 2 then joins B10.
6. At this point, I think the B12 and ACC combine whats left to form a subpar #3 conference that still gets multiple bids to the playoffs.

I’m probably missing some teams, but you get gist..
 
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rascon said:
I read somewhere that the moves coming up with have most parties satisfied. So I could see the followng happening to appease most everyone

1. FSU/Clemson to B10 (satisfies new markets and two somewhat coveted teams
2. ESPN keeps its contract with ACC and ACC finds a couple more schools to add. They won’t replace FSU/Clemson, but they don’t need to. FSU/Clemson taking 30 percent of viewers probably takes the deal from steal for ESPN to market rate. Add two teams and that might even shift to a decent value for ESPN, while ACC lives on.
3. I don’t think P2 want superconferences right now. They want to slow it down a little, so they don;t want to kill ACC or B12.
4. But when times comes, i imagine UNC, NC State, Virginia and maybe someone like GT could be headed to SEC and B1G won’t fight them because of #1
5. ND and some combination of Stanford, Miami, Virginia Tech and maybe a B12 school or 2 then joins B10.
6. At this point, I think the B12 and ACC combine whats left to form a subpar #3 conference that still gets multiple bids to the playoffs.

I’m probably missing some teams, but you get gist..
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Seems GA Tech is a better fit for BIG from both the BiG's and SEC's perspective.
 
rascon said:
I read somewhere that the moves coming up with have most parties satisfied. So I could see the followng happening to appease most everyone

1. FSU/Clemson to B10 (satisfies new markets and two somewhat coveted teams
2. ESPN keeps its contract with ACC and ACC finds a couple more schools to add. They won’t replace FSU/Clemson, but they don’t need to. FSU/Clemson taking 30 percent of viewers probably takes the deal from steal for ESPN to market rate. Add two teams and that might even shift to a decent value for ESPN, while ACC lives on.
3. I don’t think P2 want superconferences right now. They want to slow it down a little, so they don;t want to kill ACC or B12.
4. But when times comes, i imagine UNC, NC State, Virginia and maybe someone like GT could be headed to SEC and B1G won’t fight them because of #1
5. ND and some combination of Stanford, Miami, Virginia Tech and maybe a B12 school or 2 then joins B10.
6. At this point, I think the B12 and ACC combine whats left to form a subpar #3 conference that still gets multiple bids to the playoffs.

I’m probably missing some teams, but you get gist..
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That was an outline of a theoretical ESPN / ACC / FSU settlement that was reported to be a possibility, BUT it included ESPN retaining broadcast rights even though FSU headed to the B10 ... for 6 years.
 
TheOriginalCane said:
There's no need to be so negative.

We won FIVE in the modern era. These are not cheap "white-boy-only" national championships like Army and Yale have.

Last championship for Miami was 2001. Everyone else:

Notre Dame - 1988
North Carolina - never
Virginia - never
UCLA - 1954
Texas - 2005
USC - 2004
Washington - 1991
Oregon - never
Oklahoma - 2000
F$U - 2013

Besides Clemson and F$U, ever OTHER "most recent national championship" is pushing 20 years OR MUCH MORE.

So I'm not going to sit here and ONLY apply "we've sucked for 20 years" to Miami, and give all the other recent expansion candidates a pass.
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Most of the schools you listed have had numerous 10-11 win seasons,won conference championships and played in the CFP…

How many have we competed in since 2001…I’ll tell you 1 and we got blasted.

I’m not sure there are more than 1 of the schools you listed that you can honestly say you wouldn’t have traded accomplishments with over the last 2 decades….being relevant to a network is more than what you did twenty years ago.If it wasn’t for 30 for 30’s I’m not sure a lot of people under 25 would have a clue how good we were.
 
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Ispyin said:
one years record is not going to decide anything. hate to break it to you regardless of what side you're on, moper or slurper.
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Disagree ... If Miami can win 10-11 games regular season and win the ACC (finally) ... and land another top recruiting class ... it will certainly change the narrative that Miami isn't investing in football and improving. There are B10 presidents that value Miami for the combination of academics and football, from all I have read it is FOX sports that dropped Miami down the "desirable" chart after looking at current viewer trends. Win, demonstrate the foundation is there, viewer numbers follow. Make the CFP and things change.
 
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Rickd said:
That is where the horse trading enters the picture. FOX backing out of the CFP bidding I don’t believe was a coincidence. Also every comment I have seen - including what you quoted - clearly shows the SEC prioritizing UNC / UVA ahead of FSU. Did they agree? BIG takes FSU / Clemson and the SEC takes UNC / UVA?
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How is the B1G better financially for the Athletic Departments at FSU and Clemson? College Presidents dislike having to help fund sports just as AD's dislike being told who to hire by presidents who don't know jack about sports.

How does it benefit (1) the SEC and how does it benefit (2) ESPN to let FSU and Clemson go to the Big Ten? Forget any notion of CFP-related horse trading by ESPN and FOX? Why on earth would Greg F. Sankey allow his expansion strategy to be impacted by something has inconsequential in the big picture as a six-year deal for a month-long CFP? Talk about the tail wagging the dog.

I don't doubt B1G/FOX and SEC/ESPN are working together on realignment.

Sankey wants who he wants from the ACC.

Tony Petitti no doubt has his eye on shaking loose Notre Dame and, to a lesser extent, Miami.

Destabilizing the ACC gets that ball rolling for both sides
 
Rickd said:
UF the opener, USF on 9/21 and FSU. Mario has to show he is turning the program around, and get some butts in the seats.
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My bad ... I meant what's special about needing to beat FSU and UF in any sport - both on the field and in recruiting

That's Job One for our coaches every year in all sports — and if they don't know it, then we need to have somebody else in that job.

Mario's seat at UM will be 1,000 times more comfortable if we go 2-0 in those two games this fall rather than 0-2
 
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