Expansion Thread 2023

[bearcatbret]

I kind of wished that I had kept the link. I believe that it may have been from the Athletic (not sure) but it did have a UK slant. The concept was that the Power Leagues would come down to 4 divisions of 8 teams each. UK did not make the list (neither did UC). The selection was more about legacy versus what have you done lately.

[bearcated]

Oh man, I'm ticked! I just went and got Apple TV so I could watch the new Pac 12 package, and look what happened!

[bearcated]

Has Bill Walton been reached for comment ('Conference of Champions')?

[bearcated]

My snide comments aside. I think the Pac-12 is still possibly salvageable. Add SDSU (very good hoops, OK FB), Colorado St (arguably better than CO anyway), UNLV, Boise St (Idaho was in the original league so not a reach), Maybe Fresno St. Then go after Gonzaga and St Marys in hoops and they are back in business. 8 or 9 FB and 10 or 11 all sports. Not as good as before, but still plausible.

[Lobot]

Are they also vetting SDSU in case FSU does not leave? Do they want the Dallas/TX market more than the Southern California market? Does SMU meet their grades better than SDSU? I think that it is totally ridiculous that the ACC is looking at the PAC 4 to throw them a lifeline unless ESPN wants the west coast after dark market. A question for you, if the ACC expands, does that provide an escape path for FSU and Clemson?

Having lived in both cities, I can pretty much you tell that Dallas is a pro sports city. No one watches SMU here. San Diego is a baseball and soccer city (Mexican National Team). SDSU doesn't move the needle much on TV out there either although things have gotten better with a new smaller stadium and the Chargers leaving town.

[swilsonsp4]

My snide comments aside. I think the Pac-12 is still possibly salvageable. Add SDSU (very good hoops, OK FB), Colorado St (arguably better than CO anyway), UNLV, Boise St (Idaho was in the original league so not a reach), Maybe Fresno St. Then go after Gonzaga and St Marys in hoops and they are back in business. 8 or 9 FB and 10 or 11 all sports. Not as good as before, but still plausible.

This scenario is very unlikely to unfold. The PAC has no media contract after next June and is unlikely to get one. The other problem is that the MWC schools wouldn't be able to move to a reformulated PAC without paying $34M each in exit fees. The only way to avoid the fees would be for at least nine MWC members to vote for dissolution of the conference. If I'm the brass at those schools, why make what could best be called a lateral move?

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is on records as saying that P5 status needs to be reevaluated. Any new PAC would be left out. The current MWC schools would be in no better shape than they are now.

So, in my opinion, the PAC is as dead as Forest Fair Mall.

[GoBearcats31]

Sounds like all Big 12 teams will get full revenue shares in 2024-25. So while UC/Houston/BYU/Houston won't this year, the new Pac 12 additions will come in the following year with full shares.

[swilsonsp4]

Sounds like all Big 12 teams will get full revenue shares in 2024-25. So while UC/Houston/BYU/Houston won't this year, the new Pac 12 additions will come in the following year with full shares.

From Justin Williams via "X": Statement from the Big 12 regarding media-rights revenue sharing and partial membership status for the four members joining this season: “The two-year revenue distribution phase-ins for BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF remain unchanged by the Big 12’s expansion to 16 members.”

In other words, UC will receive the $19M they agreed to for 2024-25, then get a full share once the new B12 media deal kicks in. The Four Corners schools each will receive $31.7M.

[Lobot]

If you thought my thoughts on realignment were kind of off, Chris Vannini goes even farther here ($)

https://theathletic.com/4750009/2023/08/07/college-sports-realignment-tv-revenue/

[Chewbacca2099]

ESPN reporting the ACC expansion plans are dead. We'll probably hear that ESPN is pushing the Big12 to pick them up again soon. Or they will make some sort of new AAC type of conference with the 4 leftovers plus whoever else is left. Think SMU, Memphis, CSU, SDSU types

[bearcatbret]

I am not sure if the AAC teams would leave to form a new PAC (new AAC) because it seems that it would be $7m per year per school max and that is what the AAC is currently getting. Plus, those teams could not leave for 2 years minimum. Also, I sure hope that the Big 12 doesn't pick them up.

[D.A.H.]

If you thought my thoughts on realignment were kind of off, Chris Vannini goes even farther here ($)

https://theathletic.com/4750009/2023...nt-tv-revenue/

he's not wrong - whatever it is / will become, its out of pandora's box

[bearcatbret]

It appears that ESPN last year, offered the PAC 12 $30M per school per year. That probably would have been enough to keep the conference together. The PAC turned it down and countered with $50M which allowed ESPN to walk away. College football realignment: Pac-12 turned down ESPN offer, per report (msn.com)

This is an even better article. REPORT: Dollar figure finally emerges on ‘significant’ ESPN deal Pac-12 rejected (yahoo.com)

[leeraymond]

Everyone seems to be concerned about the travel and how it will affect the student-athlete now that it is UCLA, Cal, Washington, Oregon making the travels. This has been going on for decades with Conference USA and the AAC. Nobody seemed to care about it when it was only low recognition colleges with low TV deals.

You are absolutely correct. I remember UC in those leagues. However, in CUSA, only Houston was the travel nightmare. In the AAC, both Houston and SMU were difficult road games. In the BIG XII, the only road game that will not be a difficult trip is WV. It is easier to deal with the CRAZY conference traveling schedules when the conference is somewhat weak. A team can still get wins on the road in a weak conference. For UC, playing Iowa State or BYU is going to be a lot different from playing Tulsa or Wichita State. As I recall, Tulsa has history of upsetting UC from time to time. The road schedule in the BIG XII is NOT going to be a joke. Bob Huggins had a warning about joining the BIG XII for those teams that were NOT regional. Every team is different. As a UC fan, I am hoping that West Virginia's current fate in the BIG XII is NOT going to be UC's fate.

[bearcatbret]

Just some humor. I saw a meme today and it was the Dallas Cowboys celebrating that they were admitted to the Big 12.