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Official realignment thread - SEC formally invites OU and Texas to join the conference in 2025

If Michigan and Ohio State were smart, they would be strengthening the Big 10. And they can.

As I said above, I think we might be heading for a SEC monopoly within the next ten years and I assume they’d rather be in than out. A duopoly is inevitable.
 
As I said above, I think we might be heading for a SEC monopoly within the next ten years and I assume they’d rather be in than out. A duopoly is inevitable.
I see no scenario where the power players in the north/Midwest are left out of the future of CFB. tOSU, Mich, and the B1G realize this (I’d throw ND in here too), I’m sure. It’s in their best interest to not join at the hip of the SEC. They’d be much better off looking after their own self interests. Just my opinion.
 
The question is, will the B1G want CU? If so, who else do they take with? KU? Maybe. MU? I doubt they leave the land of milk and honey. All the other options of TT, Okie Lite, UH, TCU, SMU, etc. are not going to be options for the B1G because they lack academic prowess, and in some instances, reading skills.

This is bad for the P12 and potentially catastrophic for CU.

If SC or Oregon bails on the P12, might as well get ready to join the Mtn. Weenie in a super conference of midgets.
Iowa State, as a no-brainer. AAU. Built in rival with Iowa. Already in the same state as a prominent current member. Solid FB program. Athletic Dept is embroiled in scandal.
 
When this all washes out, and it may take a few years to get there, we will see a superconference or league or association or whatever you want to call it that will leave the rest of the NCAA behind and be essentially a college based pro sports league.

It will be based around what had been the SEC but will include the highest revenue, highest audience appeal programs. The rest will be left out to figure out their futures.

Who will be in? Most of the current SEC, Most of the current B1G, the top of the other three current P5 conferences including UT and OU from the B12, Clemson, FSU, and maybe 4-6 others from the ACC. Out of the PAC you will see USC, Washington, Oregon, and probably Stanford and/or UCLA. Add in ND and potentially a couple others who are willing to step up to the plate and make the financial commitment to playing in the new era and that will be the top level of college football.

They will take the lions share of the TV and media money and attention. Everyone else who wants to continue playing will be forced to deal with a downscaled revenue stream and less attention.

By creating a new organization instead of just extending the existing ones they will be able break from the financial obligations of the old NCAA and their conferences, they will simply not invite former conference members who don't meet the standards or revenue potential they desire. This will also allow them to make their own rules without worrying about the rest of the college programs approving.

The focus will be on the South and the Midwest where college football interest is the strongest but having programs on the West Coast and towards the Northeast will allow them to maintain a national appeal for the TV networks and advertisers.

You could make an argument that CU would fit into this who picture based on being one of the top 40 programs in terms of revenue, of being a known name nationally and a former power, and of providing a TV draw in the Rocky Mountain time zone much like the Broncos do for the NFL (and when the Broncos are at least decent they generate very good ratings.)

It wouldn't surprise me in the least though if CU is left on the outside looking in because of a clear lack of commitment to athletics. As I mentioned earlier our frequent appearances on the PAC12 Mtn schedule instead of in the national network time slots says a great deal about our national appeal as a program.
 
As I said above, I think we might be heading for a SEC monopoly within the next ten years and I assume they’d rather be in than out. A duopoly is inevitable.
I'm having a really hard squaring your first sentence with your second.

Those are mutually exclusive outcomes, but you seem certain both of them will happen?
 
Yeah, I guess I am not understanding the "****ty road trip" argument for the Big 10. Many actually seem pretty good.
Anyone who thinks the B1G has ****ty destinations must not be a fan of college football. Madison, Ann Arbor, Iowa City, Happy Valley, Columbus, East Lansing. Are you kidding me? @Kuratz said it perfectly above
Just got back this week from taking my daughter to visit Madison. Holy ****balls that place was awesome. Buuuut, we were also there in July, not Nov.
 
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The B1G also has an associated research consortium that drives a lot of money for the schools. There is a reason AAU status is important to them. CU still ranks high there even if our US News and World Report ranking is dropping like a rock.
Yeah, we’re below UC Merced and Florida State for Fuq’s sake (in that ranking).
 
My first thought this morning is that we all need to be focused on the B1G reaction.

That conference has the most money, was the first to launch a network, has both ESPN and FOX behind it, and has been the most aggressive with expansion in the past. It also has been the only conference that has previously considered the idea of expanding to as many as 20 in comments by leaders.

If the SEC has actually meddled by taking "superconference" and trying to talk to Michigan & OSU, there's a chance at the following:

1. B1G poaches the SEC with offers to Missouri & Kentucky. (No GOR in the SEC).

That moves the conference to 16 while gaining MU-NU football rivalry, MU-Illini hoops rivalry & UK-Indiana hoops rivalry.

2. B1G is able to offer a 4-team package to the B12 to bring in KU, OU, ISU & UT to take the B1G to 20.

The B1G adds a bunch more rivalries (OU-NU in football, MU-KU in hoops, ISU-Iowa in everything, OU-UT in everything), and the conference pretty much maintains its culture of state land grant universities with AAU membership (only OU & UK fail to check both boxes).

B1G could them go East/West with:

East: Michigan, MSU, Northwestern, Purdue, Indiana, Ohio State, Kentucky, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland.

West: WI, MN, Iowa, Illinois, ISU, NU, KU, Mizzou, OU, UT.

Expect the Big Ten to get very aggressive now. Also, their new media deal is coming up first so they have the most impetus to increase value.
 
IDK why all this talk about USC wanting to change / upgrade. They haven't been significantly relevant for awhile and don't appear to be doing things to change their path, e.g., keeping Helton as coach. I like Bohn, but he's not going to take them to another level as AD. It's not the Pac-12 that's really holding them back.
 
My first thought this morning is that we all need to be focused on the B1G reaction.

That conference has the most money, was the first to launch a network, has both ESPN and FOX behind it, and has been the most aggressive with expansion in the past. It also has been the only conference that has previously considered the idea of expanding to as many as 20 in comments by leaders.

If the SEC has actually meddled by taking "superconference" and trying to talk to Michigan & OSU, there's a chance at the following:

1. B1G poaches the SEC with offers to Missouri & Kentucky. (No GOR in the SEC).

That moves the conference to 16 while gaining MU-NU football rivalry, MU-Illini hoops rivalry & UK-Indiana hoops rivalry.

2. B1G is able to offer a 4-team package to the B12 to bring in KU, OU, ISU & UT to take the B1G to 20.

The B1G adds a bunch more rivalries (OU-NU in football, MU-KU in hoops, ISU-Iowa in everything, OU-UT in everything), and the conference pretty much maintains its culture of state land grant universities with AAU membership (only OU & UK fail to check both boxes).

B1G could them go East/West with:

East: Michigan, MSU, Northwestern, Purdue, Indiana, Ohio State, Kentucky, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland.

West: WI, MN, Iowa, Illinois, ISU, NU, KU, Mizzou, OU, UT.

Expect the Big Ten to get very aggressive now. Also, their new media deal is coming up first so they have the most impetus to increase value.
A lot of focus on hoops here when it’s largely irrelevant in the grand revenue scheme.
 
IDK why all this talk about USC wanting to change / upgrade. They haven't been significantly relevant for awhile and don't appear to be doing things to change their path, e.g., keeping Helton as coach. I like Bohn, but he's not going to take them to another level as AD. It's not the Pac-12 that's really holding them back.
Because while the results on the field haven't shown it they don't see themselves as being anything other than one of the elite programs in the nation.

More importantly they have some boosters with very big wallets who won't settle for them becoming a "second tier" school in anything that is publicly viewed. If the administrators (not just athletic administrators) want to keep their jobs they will find a way not to be left behind.

At the same time U$C has a huge following on the West Coast and nationally. And don't discount that if this super league comes to pass the revenue potential for the schools involved is likely to mean tens of millions of dollars per year in difference over the schools left behind.
 
fwiw, political b.s. is the best scenario for the P12.

It's what could force UT coming to the conference with 3 other TX schools as a pod.

UT, TTU, UH and TCU would actually be pretty great for all parties.
 
My analysis is separate from the sovereign immunity ideas - as BuffsNYC points out, no one would ever contract with a TX school if that theory holds actual water.

I'm just asking the question of "what does the GOR actually mean in terms of cold hard cash?"

When the distribution of funds from the GOR is asymmetric, and you're within a few years of the expiration of the GOR, and the schools that are leaving get a meaningfully bigger payout where they're jumping, the GOR is not much more than a minor nuisance.

At the end of the day, unless you have damages that cannot be measured in dollars, any court will settle your claim for the dollar value of your damages rather than require specific performance. And because there's a time limit, value, and defined distribution scheme, any "damages" are going to be very easy to quantify in dollar terms.

It's going to be hard for the other 8 schools to demonstrate money damages greater than their increased distributions from what is remaining of the current Big12 media deals.

And to the extent that they could prove damages, the dollar amount will be a trifle for OU, UT & the SEC to cover.

So no, in this instance, the GOR is worth about the paper it was printed on.

Sure, in the first few years of a long term deal, a GOR is probably equivalent to handcuffs. But as the end of the term nears, it's more of a request to hang around rather than a requirement.
Good post. Thanks.
 
Can Oklahoma vote ”No” on Texas?
Seriously though, Ark or A&M should suggest they vote on the schools individually….then just suggest in alphabetical order. Then…oops, OU is a member, they vote NO, along with a few other schools. Now OU is in, UT is out. Every has good chuckle.
 
Let’s just say for argument‘s sake that this works and they block UT from leaving.
A) Does OU still try to get out?
2) What actually happens to the Big XII after UT tried to stab them in the face? Does it crumble anyway? Do other teams try to find a way out?
Ideally:

KU & ISU to Big Ten
Baylor & Miami (or FSU) to SEC
WVU & UCF (plus ND) to ACC
OU, UT, OSU & TTU to P12

We get one hell of a regional & power-balanced Power Four conferences of 64 teams.
 
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This is where it starts getting a little silly. Michigan and Ohio State are in a very good situation right now.
I don’t think it’s accurate, but when they added FSU to that list, it made me laugh. How are they even remotely in the class of the other 3?
 
Except covid...
Well Played GIF by memecandy
 
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