Texas, Oklahoma reach out to SEC about joining conference

[bearcatbret]

If one reads into the articles written by ESPN, CBS and Fox, they are all predicting and/or making recommendations on what they think should happen. If that is not a push-pull, nothing is. They control the TV contracts and want to control which teams they are going to pay.

[red_n_black_attack]

I don’t see that happening.

1. Nobody in Alabama, Florida, or Louisiana see Cincy as a southern city. Tuberville certainly didn’t. ****, they think Kentucky is northern.
2. That might mean something to the ACC or the B12, not the SEC.
3. Clemson and the ACC might be more persuaded on that one.

The Big 10 would mean drivable road games to O$U, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, MSU, Michigan, and maybe Penn State, all closer than the closest AAC school. Obviously our best fit. Too bad the Ohio Legislature would never force it.

Failing that, it’s ACC, or stay in an enhanced American. Just keep winning and over achieving, and see what happens.

I totally agree, UC to SEC will not happen. Texass and OU did prove that SEC is the most proactive conference, just like last time when they were first to go to 14 teams

[Rufus]

Unfortunately all the talking heads and anyone who is anyone in the know see an invite to the ACC as deserved or guaranteed to West Virginia.

[red_n_black_attack]

Unfortunately all the talking heads and anyone who is anyone in the know see an invite to the ACC as deserved or guaranteed to West Virginia.

I see that as good, because they will need a second team when Noter Shame says no. UC is better positioned academically than UCF, plus ACC already has FSU and Hurricanes

[Bearcat93]

Doesn’t WVU bring the ACC to 16? ND is a scheduling partner for football only

[Chewbacca2099]

Doesn’t WVU bring the ACC to 16? ND is a scheduling partner for football only

No, Notre Dame would be the 17th team for all sports but football. They won't join for football so makes sense for us to be a partner for WVU (wishful thinking). Nobody knows how likely that is except the ACC

[swilsonsp4]

There are 14 schools, aside from ND, playing football in the ACC:

BC, Cuse, Pitt, UofL, VA, VT, NC, NC St, Duke, WF, Clemson, GT, Miami & FSU

Add in ND for other sports & it totals 15. Adding WV would make it 16.

[Lobot]

Decent amount of interesting stuff on the SEC and AAC in this newsletter from Andy Wittry (~$)

https://andywittry.substack.com/p/no...VuCL0edOcgo15o

[Lobot]

The other Texas schools are trying to stick togther (without UH and SMU) ($)

https://theathletic.com/2759867/2021...f-realignment/

[bearcatbret]

An interesting read and I can see this happening (flagship programs leaving the PAC and ACC). While the masses clamored over Playoff ‘expansion,’ the real college football brokers continued the inevitable march toward ‘contraction’ (saturdaydownsouth.com)

[MDW79]

An interesting read and I can see this happening (flagship programs leaving the PAC and ACC). While the masses clamored over Playoff ‘expansion,’ the real college football brokers continued the inevitable march toward ‘contraction’ (saturdaydownsouth.com)

I think the powers that be are really underestimating just how many fans they're going to alienate from teams that will end up on the outside looking in.

Take any game of the week, a big bowl game, or the playoffs. What percentage of viewers just so happen to fans of "smaller" programs? How many of these national games do fans of programs like UC, or Boise State, or San Diego State, or Applachian State (You can name about 70 more) watch? Or how many fans don't really have a program they follow that close but they just enjoy the tradition of college football?

Just speaking for myself, I'm going to go out of my way not to watch any SEC football (unless UC is playing them). I just don't want to support it. I don't like what they're doing the game, and frankly I don't think the product is that good. I'm tired of the conference being constatnly hyped and watching a handful of schools dominating, while the bottom of the conference is forever stuck in the dumps. There isn't much parity; it doesn't make for an exciting product. Sure, it's the best conference but I don't think people watch college football just to see the best. Otherwise, they'd stick to the NFL.

Same goes for the CFP. I did not watch the playoffs last year. I don't think it's exciting seeing Alabama, OSU, and Clemson every year. I also hated how biased the committee was, which was on full display with how they raked Florida after back to back losses and 3 losses on the year. I don't plan on watching the playoffs this year either unless we're in it, or they're some really exciting team that breaks into the mix.

Like I said, I think they're being naive if they think this isn't going to result in a lot of fans tuning out. They can keep all of these huge programs and their huge fanbases. I just don't think they realize how many people watch these games who aren't fans of the conferences playing. The message that will eventually be sent is that these teams are better and these league are different from that have-nots. Almost like a different level of the sport. Well, I don't think a lot of casual fans are going to buy into that. I know I won't.

[red_n_black_attack]

https://twitter.com/frankthetank111/...827889156?s=19

Realignment is likely in holding pattern until Big 12 learns when the big two leave,, and how much the other 8 get.

Edit - Plus it doesn't look like any of the remaining Big 12 schools add enough value to ACC, B!G, or Pac-12 catch-up to SEC dollars. Net: the next moves are likely going to be after the lawyers finalize deals for Texass and OU departure. A worst case scenario on the field this year is Clemson loses to a bad team allowing the SEC to get two teams into playoff (plus OU), along with the B!G rep, essentially making it a two conference playoff.

[Rufus]

Well its practically like that as it is now. You have the same schools vying for the national championship almost every year. I dont watch college football at all except UC. I don't watch any bowl games except the one UC finds itself being invited to. And I definitely do not watch O$U. And I care even less about the O$U / Michigan game. I get so weary of having to hear about the genius of Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, or the smugness of "Notre Dang" insisting on being independent and the polls having the same top ten schools there every year. And its even more wearisome seeing all the blue chip recruits flocking towards the schools with all the money. MDW79 is correct in that that does not make for very good TV to the average fan and is no parity whatsoever! Its strictly an avenue for the powerful rich elite to continually wield their superiority over all others programs. To me the bottom dwellers are like the team that travels with the Harlem Globetrotters, their paid to play and lose and like going to the casinos and betting on the house! You know going in that the so called championship and money is going the powerful again.

[Lobot]

Now we’ve got a PAC/B1G/ACC scheduling alliance thing rumored. I’ll post more later. Bad development for UC though if this has legs. The Big 12 is not involved here which means it’s toast or the train left without them. In either case we need to land somewhere besides the the Big 12

Update: source article ($)

Big Ten, Pac-12, ACC in discussions about forming alliance: Sources

https://theathletic.com/news/big-ten-pac-12-acc-in-discussions-about-forming-alliance-sources/1Fv1mfs4guai

[bearcatbret]

More on the PAC/B1G/ACC - Could Pac-12, Big Ten, ACC alliance mean anything for realignment? - Deseret News