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

[skibum]

I think @Liver had the right question in asking about 16 teams/conference being the "magic number."

In a lot of ways, I suspect that college football is at a bit of a crossroads. I don't think anything will be decided in the immediate term, but over the next couple years I see it going one of two ways:

1. 4 Conferences of 16 teams each - 64 teams. They might play "exhibition games" against teams outside that 64, but it will be one or, at the very most, two games. More likely, one exhibition game against a former P5/current G5 team, and a formal "joint scrimmage" against one of the current body bag/directional schools.

2. One super league of about 32 teams with almost zero cross-over with the rest of the country.

#2 would probably see more revenue/school that was among the 32 - at least for a few years. But, there would be no getting around the fact that it is the nfl-lite, nearly half the players could expect to be drafted, and they'd almost all be trying to, and a lot of the stuff that makes college football special would be lost. It would most likely devolve into a regional, niche sport, while the rest of college football becomes more like the Ivy League is today. Harvard and Yale still play in football every year, and alumni and students still tailgate for the big game. And sometimes, it's even on TV.

#1 might be able to preserve some of what makes college football special. It would have less of a tendency to be the nfl-lite, if for no other reason, than the irrefutable fact that most players would still have somewhat long odds on getting drafted.

If it goes to 32 schools, CU doesn't stand a chance of being in - and I'm not sure I would want to be in anyway. The cut down to 32 won't have anything to do with academics, culture, fit, it will be almost entirely based on your market value and "commitment to football."

If it goes to 64, CU is almost certainly in. There will be a few schools who will have "lucked" their in, and a few that were unlucky in that they found themselves outside. But if you're drafting schools for a 64 team conference out of the about 75 or so schools that could realistically be in, there are 20-30 schools that CU is always in front of no matter what your criteria are.

 

[Not Sure]

Believe me, nothing would make me happier than to see those sanctimonious ****tards on the outside looking in. Karma is a bitch, and they have earned it in spades.

They’re also the defending men’s basketball national champions. Like it or not, that carries a lot of clout.

 

[Big Jim]

Considering school size, home metro and academics - my guess is that if the Pac is considering a move to 14 that it would be KU and UH at the top of the list.

16 would add TTU and OSU.

I have it pegged as OSU and TTU to get to 14. If it’s 16 then KU and BYU (PAC can plug it’s nose as BYU has the best economics and geography).

 

[Not Sure]

I think @Liver had the right question in asking about 16 teams/conference being the "magic number."

In a lot of ways, I suspect that college football is at a bit of a crossroads. I don't think anything will be decided in the immediate term, but over the next couple years I see it going one of two ways:

1. 4 Conferences of 16 teams each - 64 teams. They might play "exhibition games" against teams outside that 64, but it will be one or, at the very most, two games. More likely, one exhibition game against a former P5/current G5 team, and a formal "joint scrimmage" against one of the current body bag/directional schools.

2. One super league of about 32 teams with almost zero cross-over with the rest of the country.

#2 would probably see more revenue/school that was among the 32 - at least for a few years. But, there would be no getting around the fact that it is the nfl-lite, nearly half the players could expect to be drafted, and they'd almost all be trying to, and a lot of the stuff that makes college football special would be lost. It would most likely devolve into a regional, niche sport, while the rest of college football becomes more like the Ivy League is today. Harvard and Yale still play in football every year, and alumni and students still tailgate for the big game. And sometimes, it's even on TV.

#1 might be able to preserve some of what makes college football special. It would have less of a tendency to be the nfl-lite, if for no other reason, than the irrefutable fact that most players would still have somewhat long odds on getting drafted.

If it goes to 32 schools, CU doesn't stand a chance of being in - and I'm not sure I would want to be in anyway. The cut down to 32 won't have anything to do with academics, culture, fit, it will be almost entirely based on your market value and "commitment to football."

If it goes to 64, CU is almost certainly in. There will be a few schools who will have "lucked" their in, and a few that were unlucky in that they found themselves outside. But if you're drafting schools for a 64 team conference out of the about 75 or so schools that could realistically be in, there are 20-30 schools that CU is always in front of no matter what your criteria are.

I think we could end up with a hybrid of those two models - two 32-team leagues. One would be a rough combination of the ACC and the SEC, the other a rough combination of the B1G and PAC, with a few extras added in from the Big 12 to round out things, numbers wise. That, in my opinion, would be one of the better potential outcomes. It retains a lot of the good college football stuff while maximizing revenue and increasing overall exposure of the game. The championship game for the B1G/PAC game could still be held at the Rose Bowl, which would be a nice touch. It would still be NFL-Lite, but would also have that college football atmosphere that makes the game special. This would take several years, and several interim steps along the way, but when I peek into my looking glass, this is how I see it eventually playing out. It would also work out really well for CU, so perhaps I’m biased. A bit.

 

[ahoelsken]

I have it pegged as OSU and TTU to get to 14. If it’s 16 then KU and BYU (PAC can plug it’s nose as BYU has the best economics and geography).

Ranking potential Pac-12 expansion schools' fits in the conference

Realignment always brings out the chaos in college sports, and that's certainly been the case over the past week. There are a lot of moving parts in this whole process, starting with Texas and Oklahoma's impending move from the Big 12 to the SEC.

www.yardbarker.com

Agree on 14-TT and OSU are both obvious. If this league goes to 16, its TCU, not BYU. The UCLA guy who wrote this makes the argument a lot better than I can. KU? Sure. I'd prefer Houston to them.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Once again, what does KU bring to the table in any conference? Their football program drives more revenue than their MBB program, which is why MBB is irrelevant in this discussion.

 

[Buffs35]

Once again, what does KU bring to the table in any conference? Their football program drives more revenue than their MBB program, which is why MBB is irrelevant in this discussion.

 

[Not Sure]

Once again, what does KU bring to the table in any conference? Their football program drives more revenue than their MBB program, which is why MBB is irrelevant in this discussion.

For the simple reason that March Madness is a very big deal and it creates a lot of attention for the schools in it. It’s a Spring event that takes place months after the football season is over. KU brings a lot of eyeballs with its hoops program. There is value there. Their football team won’t be making that same kind of money now that they aren’t in a viable conference. KU is one of the few schools that can legitimately call themselves a basketball blue blood. I guess UCLA still fits that description, barely, but we don’t have any others in the conference right now.

 

[skibum]

I think we could end up with a hybrid of those two models - two 32-team leagues. One would be a rough combination of the ACC and the SEC, the other a rough combination of the B1G and PAC, with a few extras added in from the Big 12 to round out things, numbers wise. That, in my opinion, would be one of the better potential outcomes. It retains a lot of the good college football stuff while maximizing revenue and increasing overall exposure of the game. The championship game for the B1G/PAC game could still be held at the Rose Bowl, which would be a nice touch. It would still be NFL-Lite, but would also have that college football atmosphere that makes the game special. This would take several years, and several interim steps along the way, but when I peek into my looking glass, this is how I see it eventually playing out. It would also work out really well for CU, so perhaps I’m biased. A bit.

I don't see that as being all that different from 4 conferences @ 16. It's still 64 teams.

Two 32 team conferences would probably be better money for the teams on the bottom (presuming equal revenue sharing). 4 16 team conferences would likely be less equal in revenue terms (and probably on field performance terms) - I actually suspect the media companies would prefer 4 conferences vs 2 because of the relative strength that gives them.

But even with 4 conferences at 16 teams, I do tend to think that until there is a bit more done to "level the playing field" among and within those conferences, the end of the road is going to be a single super league with 24-32 schools.

And at that point, I don't think you have "college football" at the elite level any more. You have something else, and it might get people to watch it and cheer for the teams, but it's not something I'd recognize as college football. That future does not have CU included in it. It also doesn't have me as a fan included in it either.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

For the simple reason that March Madness is a very big deal and it creates a lot of attention for the schools in it. It’s a Spring event that takes place months after the football season is over. KU brings a lot of eyeballs with its hoops program. There is value there. Their football team won’t be making that same kind of money now that they aren’t in a viable conference. KU is one of the few schools that can legitimately call themselves a basketball blue blood. I guess UCLA still fits that description, barely, but we don’t have any others in the conference right now.

As a MBB only member I get it, but bringing them in as a full member of the conference doesn't add anything to these media deals, which is what's driving all of this in the first place.

 

[Always BUFF]

I'm a little nervous right now in that I don't believe CU has any swag in the bag.
Academics are not going to take a front seat this is about money generated by athletics plain and simple.
A consideration by most U's is that they're pretty tired of their AD's asking for money to cover their budgets.
I'm thinking about worst case scenarios...they're not pretty.
I take solace in the fact the Bohn is the AD at SC...not expecting any past loyalty only that he was an idiot before and will be again, this time around it might work in CU's favor.

 

[PAC MAN]

Once again, what does KU bring to the table in any conference? Their football program drives more revenue than their MBB program, which is why MBB is irrelevant in this discussion.

They beat Texas in football but that was one game.

They were working on a big overhaul of their football stadium and judging by the drawings, it seemed like a full tear down of that stadium and rebuild that stadium scenario. That will be a requirement for entering the PAC or B1G. Or even the SEC.

A fun scenario would have KU & KSU join the AAC and that means they will be playing Witcha State in basketball every season.

I think it's seriously time to separate CFB from the rest of college sports.

 

[ahoelsken]

As a MBB only member I get it, but bringing them in as a full member of the conference doesn't add anything to these media deals, which is what's driving all of this in the first place.

The only move that might add anything is something like OSU/TT/TCU/Houston. That's it.

 

[Always BUFF]

Once again, what does KU bring to the table in any conference? Their football program drives more revenue than their MBB program, which is why MBB is irrelevant in this discussion.

Their football program got Hawkins fired...
Are you weighing out the pay day against exposure?
KU's MBB generates more money per head count.
Allen Field hasn't seen a non-sellout in God knows how long and gets tons of air time on a national stage.
I'll add they have baseball albeit a doormat.

 

[Jens1893]

Their football program got Hawkins fired...
Are you weighing out the pay day against exposure?
KU's MBB generates more money per head count.
Allen Field hasn't seen a non-sellout in God knows how long and gets tons of air time on a national stage.
I'll add they have baseball albeit a doormat.

I'd argue that Hawkins got himself fired for a myriad of reasons the most important probably being that he's a dog**** football coach.

 

[Not Sure]

As a MBB only member I get it, but bringing them in as a full member of the conference doesn't add anything to these media deals, which is what's driving all of this in the first place.

Might be a case where they get more than one suitor and full membership is part of the deal.
I’m under no illusions that their football program is worth a bucket of spit. But there’s no denying their hoops program is one of the elites in the game. Could be that to get one, you have to take the other. Look at it a little differently - would you take Duke or Kentucky as a full member? I would.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Might be a case where they get more than one suitor and full membership is part of the deal.
I’m under no illusions that their football program is worth a bucket of spit. But there’s no denying their hoops program is one of the elites in the game. Could be that to get one, you have to take the other. Look at it a little differently - would you take Duke or Kentucky as a full member? I would.

I admit that a Kansas/UCLA basketball matchup (among others involving KU in the P12) a couple times/year would be good ratings and would increase the MBB prestige of the conference. Do you think the SEC would take Duke, though? I don’t

 

[Jens1893]

Might be a case where they get more than one suitor and full membership is part of the deal.
I’m under no illusions that their football program is worth a bucket of spit. But there’s no denying their hoops program is one of the elites in the game. Could be that to get one, you have to take the other. Look at it a little differently - would you take Duke or Kentucky as a full member? I would.

Between 2014 and 2019 Kentucky averaged nearly 57k and 93% of capacity, good for 30th in the nation.

I was surprised myself.

 

[Not Sure]

I admit that a Kansas/UCLA basketball matchup (among others involving KU in the P12) a couple times/year would be good ratings and would increase the MBB prestige of the conference. Do you think the SEC would take Duke, though? I don’t

I do think they would take UNC and Duke if the opportunity presented itself. They would instantly transform into the top hoops conference along with the top football conference.

 

[Jens1893]

Ranking potential Pac-12 expansion schools' fits in the conference

Oklahoma State, BYU and Kansas present vastly different portfolios to the Conference of Champions

www.si.com

 

[hokiehead]

... Do you think the SEC would take Duke, though? I don’t

I ponder that a lot and think you're probably right. But UNC could bolt and keep a rivalry with them -- Duke would need that as much or more than UNC.

 

[Jens1893]

Baylor's Commitment to Championship Athletics

www.baylor.edu

For your amusement

Through the Big 12’s first 25 years, Baylor has won 87 conference championships – second-most in the league – and is coming off recent national championships in men’s and women’s basketball and acrobatics and tumbling, a finals appearance in men’s tennis, a volleyball Final Four, and a 2020 appearance in the Sugar Bowl.

 

[Not Sure]

Between 2014 and 2019 Kentucky averaged nearly 57k and 93% of capacity, good for 30th in the nation.

I was surprised myself.

Probably has more to do with the opponent than UK. When LSU, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia come to town, they bring a lot of their own fans with them.

 

[onealcd]

I listened to another sec podcast today and they said here is the main reason for OU wanting in the SEC. Their 2022 home football schedule is utep, Kent state, baylor, Kansas, Kansas state and Oklahoma state.

 

[Goose]

Once again, what does KU bring to the table in any conference? Their football program drives more revenue than their MBB program, which is why MBB is irrelevant in this discussion.

The only P5 conference that should even consider going after Kansas is the B1G. I can see them saying "we can make this tiny sacrifice in order to help bolster our claim that we're the best hoops conference in the nation" and going after KU. But that's only because they're in a situation where they can afford to take on an albatross because they fit the geographic blueprint, the academic blueprint and can legit argue "it'll make Ohio State hoops look better too!".

Everyone else would be stupid to even consider the Beakers.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

I listened to another sec podcast today and they said here is the main reason for OU wanting in the SEC. Their 2022 home football schedule is utep, Kent state, baylor, Kansas, Kansas state and Oklahoma state.

Basically saying that OU needed to get out of that ****ty home schedule or what?

 

[onealcd]

Basically saying that OU needed to get out of that ****ty home schedule or what?

Just that the teams they play every year don’t bring excitement from season tickets holders, oppositions fans to their stadium or interest for people on tv. I didn’t really believe it until he listed that schedule lol

 

[ahoelsken]

Just that the teams they play every year don’t bring excitement from season tickets holders, oppositions fans to their stadium or interest for people on tv. I didn’t really believe it until he listed that schedule lol

Okay here's a question then-if you're Oklahoma, why bother playing Nebraska OOC? Because it was a rivalry 40 years ago? Cool. Nebraska's so irrelevant that somebody like OU could add like.....Ole Miss for extra pizazz to that OOC schedule and still beat them both. It won't kill you to play two Power 5s OOC, Sooner fan-especially given one of them is a Mountain West caliber team masquerading as a Big 10 team.

 

[onealcd]

Okay here's a question then-if you're Oklahoma, why bother playing ****braska OOC? Because it was a rivalry 40 years ago? Cool. ****braska's so irrelevant that somebody like OU could add like.....Ole Miss for extra pizazz to that OOC schedule and still beat them both. It won't kill you to play two Power 5s OOC, Sooner fan-especially given one of them is a Mountain West caliber team masquerading as a Big 10 team.

I think you should ask yourself the question and then read my post about their home schedule. The Nebraska OU game will definitely bring excitement to their fans.

 

[InTheBuff]

I listened to another sec podcast today and they said here is the main reason for OU wanting in the SEC. Their 2022 home football schedule is utep, Kent state, baylor, Kansas, Kansas state and Oklahoma state.

I heard the exact same thing for Texass.
The Red River Game is always played in Dallas so the home crowd doesn't have much to get excited about.
This season they play La-Lafayette, Rice, Texas Tech, OSU, Kansas, KSU.