Big 12 and SEC champs to play in bowl

[dio]

I wonder if Sacky things the Pac-12 should become the Pac-16

:smile2:

 

[Jens1893]

I think the Pac 12 has no need to ever expand unless it works for the conference. While being on the west coast limits the expansion options, it also provides the conference with a natural barrier where there are no rival conferences in the west to worry about. The conference owns a massive population footprint in some of the fastest growing population areas in the country. Perfect position to be in.

Ever is a long, long time.

I agree with your point that the Pacific as a natural border can work both ways, but a whole lot can happen in the next 10-15 years and god knows what the college landscape is gonna look like when our TV contract comes up for renewal. TV was the driving force between this round of Musical Chairs and if the other 3 power conferences are at 14 or even 16 in 10-15 years, the P12 might be forced to expand unless it wants to be left behind.

I can´t and won´t predict what´s gonna happen in 10-15 years, but the picture may not be as pretty as we´d like it to look and the way it looks right now. Just food for thought.

 

[Dark Bohner]

Ever is a long, long time.

I agree with your point that the Pacific as a natural border can work both ways, but a whole lot can happen in the next 10-15 years and god knows what the college landscape is gonna look like when our TV contract comes up for renewal. TV was the driving force between this round of Musical Chairs and if the other 3 power conferences are at 14 or even 16 in 10-15 years, the P12 might be forced to expand unless it wants to be left behind.

I can´t and won´t predict what´s gonna happen in 10-15 years, but the picture may not be as pretty as we´d like it to look and the way it looks right now. Just food for thought.

Anything is possible, but the way I see it, conference expansion is about getting more television markets. The Pac 12 may already have the biggest number of TV sets of any major football conference (Big East doesn't really count). California is an absolute monster population-wise then throw in large population markets in Seattle, Phoenix, and Denver along with Salt Lake City. Plus, our TV market populations are absolutely exploding. I think 12 teams will be a strength in the long run. We will have all of the financial benefits of these super conferences without as many mouths to feed. I think it makes the schools individually more valuable financially than their counterparts in larger conferences. Plus less schools regionally to compete with for recruits.

 

[CarolinaBuff]

Most of these are no thank you's. ND isn't going to happen. If they join a conference it will be the Big 10, or maybe the Big XII. They aren't interested in what is primarily a west coast conference. BYU is a no thanks as well, they are a terrible fit because of the religious restrictions and are a bad match academically. The PAC already has a solid foothold on the TV market with Utah. Rice is in Texas but doesn't give you much interest in the Texas TV market. That one is a non-starter. SDSU and UNLV are both programs that can't even get the attention of their own home markets, lousy attendance and TV ratings. Also not PAC quality academically. New Mexico isn't an academic powerhouse either but it is the flagship university in a fast growing TV market that doesn't have much other local competition for the sports dollar. If they could get their act together on the field I think they could get the attention of the market and produce decent ticket sales. They already do in basketball. That leaves the only two legitimate candidates on your list as a potential UNM if they get their act together and KU which is a bit out of the edge of the conference footprint.

I caught an interview with this guy from FoxSports South on my way in this morning saying that with the real threat of losing FSU and maybe Clemson, the ACC needs to make a big pitch for ND if they want to keep up with the other 4 elite football conferences. At first it seems a bit far-fetched but he does bring up some interesting points, like opening up the South more for their recruiting and the suggestion that a big reason Pitt and Cuse were brought in was to help lure ND into the conference. Plus this would put ND into a conference with some very good academic institutions, and there's also some similarity in the sense that the ACC already has 4 private schools.

With a four-team playoff coming to college football in 2014, this new deal between the SEC and Big 12 solidifies the Big 12, which has lost four teams to other power conferences in the last 12 months. It remained quite poachable, but the increased payout for its teams and relationship with the SEC guaranteeing the league a place at the playoff table reduces that possibility significantly. Instead of losing teams, look for the Big 12 to add a few, with FSU and Clemson, and perhaps more ACC teams, sure look appealing.

It’s not like the ACC can ink a deal with the Big East or any other league and stay in the same financial bracket as the new big four, nor will it enhance the league’s national image. The ACC as it stands has but one option to rise up and send a message to the other four power conferences that it will remain relevant financially and on the field: Notre Dame.

http://www.foxsportssouth.com/05/21...I/landing_acc.html?blockID=732704&feedID=7628

 

[BehindEnemyLines]

The quote from Fox Sport SW is typical. I understand that there will always be a bit of homerism in local and/or regional media, but FSSW absolutely sloberknocks the tejass schools, the boomers, and recently, okie lite.

I'm not saying that this agreement won't do anything for the BigPlusMinus conference. It will from a financial aspect, media exposure, and as a bargaining tool for future negiations of any kind. But essentially they've just signed on to be the $ec's punching bag because that's exactly what's gonna happen for at least the next few years.

 

[J.R. Ewing]

Unlikely that ND would join the ACC. They want their TV market to overlap with the Catholic belt. There are precisely 0 Catholics south of Maryland.

 

[CarolinaBuff]

The quote from Fox Sport SW is typical. I understand that there will always be a bit of homerism in local and/or regional media, but FSSW absolutely sloberknocks the tejass schools, the boomers, and recently, okie lite.

I'm not saying that this agreement won't do anything for the BigPlusMinus conference. It will from a financial aspect, media exposure, and as a bargaining tool for future negiations of any kind. But essentially they've just signed on to be the $ec's punching bag because that's exactly what's gonna happen for at least the next few years.

That quote is from FoxSports South, not SW, and the writer covers the ACC.

 

[CVilleBuff]

Unlikely that ND would join the ACC. They want their TV market to overlap with the Catholic belt. There are precisely 0 Catholics south of Maryland.

Agree, although for the sake of playing devil's advocate it's worth mentioning that due to John Swofford's (rather annoying) preoccupation with adding bland northeastern schools to the ACC, ND would have the built in "Catholic rivalry" with BC and could convince itself that they'd have a pretty strong presence in the mythical NYC market thanks to Syracuse. Again, I don't see ND joining a conference, but the ACC wouldn't be a bad fit for them. Despite being a midwestern Catholic school they'd fit in well with the strong academics of the conference and it'd be great for their other sports (for instance, they're very solid at lacrosse) along with increasing recruiting in the southeast.

Notre Dame aside, I'm still very skeptical that Florida State leaves the ACC. I just don't see it, and certainly not Clemson. Clemson's ties are just too deep.

 

[MtnBuff]

Lots of reasons you can give why FSU and Clemson wouldn't leave the ACC, one big reason they would, $$$. The Big XII may be in position to offer $10-12 million more a year per team than the ACC can.

ND is in the same situation. When they signed it their NBC contract got everyones attention. Now they are seeing their Big 10 neighbors making big amounts more and NBC doesn't seem inclined to bring the offer up to match it. With the collapse of the BCS bowl alliance ND could also get shut out of the big money bowls.

We can talk all we want about tradition and rivalries and even academic matches but the bottom line is that college football is first and formost a business. In business you have to compete or get out of it. With the changes going on these schools may not see themselves as having a choice but to move or be left behind and slip into a lower level

 

[BehindEnemyLines]

That quote is from FoxSports South, not SW, and the writer covers the ACC.

Oops, don't I look foolish.


Meh. My comments about FSSW still stand.

 

[J.R. Ewing]

Agree, although for the sake of playing devil's advocate it's worth mentioning that due to John Swofford's (rather annoying) preoccupation with adding bland northeastern schools to the ACC, ND would have the built in "Catholic rivalry" with BC and could convince itself that they'd have a pretty strong presence in the mythical NYC market thanks to Syracuse. Again, I don't see ND joining a conference, but the ACC wouldn't be a bad fit for them. Despite being a midwestern Catholic school they'd fit in well with the strong academics of the conference and it'd be great for their other sports (for instance, they're very solid at lacrosse) along with increasing recruiting in the southeast.

Notre Dame aside, I'm still very skeptical that Florida State leaves the ACC. I just don't see it, and certainly not Clemson. Clemson's ties are just too deep.

I forgot about Pitt and 'Cuse. Maybe it would make a little more sense then. If they could add ND and 1 more they'd be a reasonably strong 16.

 

[CarolinaBuff]

Agree, although for the sake of playing devil's advocate it's worth mentioning that due to John Swofford's (rather annoying) preoccupation with adding bland northeastern schools to the ACC, ND would have the built in "Catholic rivalry" with BC and could convince itself that they'd have a pretty strong presence in the mythical NYC market thanks to Syracuse. Again, I don't see ND joining a conference, but the ACC wouldn't be a bad fit for them. Despite being a midwestern Catholic school they'd fit in well with the strong academics of the conference and it'd be great for their other sports (for instance, they're very solid at lacrosse) along with increasing recruiting in the southeast.

Notre Dame aside, I'm still very skeptical that Florida State leaves the ACC. I just don't see it, and certainly not Clemson. Clemson's ties are just too deep.

Clemson would bolt the ACC if they had the chance and it was a worthwhile move money-wise. They hate Swofford and they'd love to be in the SEC but that's not gonna happen. I heard quite a few UNC fans calling into the morning sportstalk today saying good riddance to Clemson and/or FSU is they want to leave, but be careful of what you ask for.

 

[skibum]

Unlikely that ND would join the ACC. They want their TV market to overlap with the Catholic belt. There are precisely 0 Catholics south of Maryland.

Different cultures, traditional sports, etc - but there are a ton of Catholics in the South (especially FL and TX) - they tend to be Hispanic, but the fact is that they are a huge and growing demographic. ND would be smart to start trying to cultivate a fan base among them - and the sooner the better (for ND that is).

 

[Dark Bohner]

Different cultures, traditional sports, etc - but there are a ton of Catholics in the South (especially FL and TX) - they tend to be Hispanic, but the fact is that they are a huge and growing demographic. ND would be smart to start trying to cultivate a fan base among them - and the sooner the better (for ND that is).

It was interesting reading a piece on ND about their national scheduling being based on the fact that in the early years they struggled to get schools on their schedule because of bias against catholics and people not wanting to play some small school in the midwest. Credit to them in building the monster that they have become. Still don't like them though...

 

[BehindEnemyLines]

Interesting that the $ec and BigPlusMinus conferences are thumping their chests about this "conference winner vs conference winner in big bowl game" announcement.

Real original. 12PAC and BigInteger conferences have been doing this for about 8 decades.