Back to @#1 pick original post.
I would love to see some kind of standardization of schedules across college football but it isn't going to happen. Those who have the $$ want to keep the dollars, those who don't will keep seeking ways to get the $$.
Most programs have their OOC games scheduled out for years, often ten or more years in advance.
The networks are really the driving force on these things and they care about ratings, and ratings, and then ratings. They will continue to push and promote those conferences in which they have the highest amount of money committed because they want higher ratings which enable them to sell ad time for more and pay back the committments plus make a profit.
The Big 12 plays some very entertaining football. For an average fan without a specific rooting interest most B12 games are much more entertainng than the average B1G game (most of which are either dull slog fest or blowouts,) or even the average SEC game, again many of which are blowouts.
Problem is that in college football most fans do have specific rooting interest and fans in the South and Midwest tend to be much more passionate about their teams than other parts of the country. How else would you explain 60,000+ red fanatics (plus a few thousand empty seats dressed as bargain tickets to maintain the sellout streak) in Stinkoln seven times a year 30-40 thousand showing up on the road. Most other B1G and SEC schools have similar loyalty. Most B12 schools don't.
The result is that you can put Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, LSU, A&M, Penn State, even Michigan State or Ole Miss on TV against some happless Sun Belt school and still get decent ratings.
In contrast outside of Colorado which has historically drawn solid numbers, even before Prime, most B12 schools alone don't move the needle much.
Games against HBCUs are an interesting concept and might for a year or two draw some curiosity viewers but over time it's hard to see them being successful from a ratings standpoint. This is important because in negotiating future media contracts the biggest data point is the current ratings. This again is why the SEC and B1G schools get much more that B12 and ACC schools do.
It might be a better concept to apply to basketball. Most power conference schools schedule some games against lower D1 schools early anyways. This might be a way of generating some interest in those games that would help the B12 schools and the HBCUs.
I would love to see some kind of standardization of schedules across college football but it isn't going to happen. Those who have the $$ want to keep the dollars, those who don't will keep seeking ways to get the $$.
Most programs have their OOC games scheduled out for years, often ten or more years in advance.
The networks are really the driving force on these things and they care about ratings, and ratings, and then ratings. They will continue to push and promote those conferences in which they have the highest amount of money committed because they want higher ratings which enable them to sell ad time for more and pay back the committments plus make a profit.
The Big 12 plays some very entertaining football. For an average fan without a specific rooting interest most B12 games are much more entertainng than the average B1G game (most of which are either dull slog fest or blowouts,) or even the average SEC game, again many of which are blowouts.
Problem is that in college football most fans do have specific rooting interest and fans in the South and Midwest tend to be much more passionate about their teams than other parts of the country. How else would you explain 60,000+ red fanatics (plus a few thousand empty seats dressed as bargain tickets to maintain the sellout streak) in Stinkoln seven times a year 30-40 thousand showing up on the road. Most other B1G and SEC schools have similar loyalty. Most B12 schools don't.
The result is that you can put Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, LSU, A&M, Penn State, even Michigan State or Ole Miss on TV against some happless Sun Belt school and still get decent ratings.
In contrast outside of Colorado which has historically drawn solid numbers, even before Prime, most B12 schools alone don't move the needle much.
Games against HBCUs are an interesting concept and might for a year or two draw some curiosity viewers but over time it's hard to see them being successful from a ratings standpoint. This is important because in negotiating future media contracts the biggest data point is the current ratings. This again is why the SEC and B1G schools get much more that B12 and ACC schools do.
It might be a better concept to apply to basketball. Most power conference schools schedule some games against lower D1 schools early anyways. This might be a way of generating some interest in those games that would help the B12 schools and the HBCUs.
