Looks like the reports of CAA schools to SOCON or VMI to the CAA seem to be false. Howard seems to be out with its public statement of solidarity of the MEAC. Add Hampton and be done with it.
Conference realignment
- Thread starter Eight Legger
- Start date
Looks like the reports of CAA schools to SOCON or VMI to the CAA seem to be false. Howard seems to be out with its public statement of solidarity of the MEAC. Add Hampton and be done with it.
I can't get past the paywall, but does it say anything about the SoCon rumor being dead? I would think that adding a couple of those northern schools to the CAA might add fuel to the fire of the 'southern' CAA schools moving south.
Jim Miller was quoted as saying neither were accurate. I’m on my mobile otherwise I would put the quote up.
I’d be ok with Monmouth I suppose but adamant against Fairfield. I imagine it’ll be a wait and see approach if it gets too northern heavy.
To be honest I wouldn’t mind seeing some of the northern schools break and create an America East so long as Nova/Delaware stay in the CAA.
Out of all the options I see presented currently being mentioned Hampton is about the best available one on the table. May as replace a regional rivalry with a potential new one. Fordham would be nice so long as it’s a full sports membership to help out the A10. As idleheaded as the CAA commish is I don’t see that happening.
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I hope there is some validity to the Socon rumor. Monmouth and Fairfield don't excite anyone.
It has been a long time since Charles White "scored" in the Rose Bowl. And a lot of changes...
I would not be surprised with the rise of NIL and money now flowing to players, and the already absurd amount of money that flows through these power football programs - that they really just break away from the NCAA - for at least football - and almost operate like the NFL.
NFL has 32 teams and two conferences and multiple divisions. Could use the current conference structure to operate like the NFL and conference/divisions. Play division foes twice, and cross play other division on a rotating basis. Best records go to a playoff. Playoffs will be bowl games. Teams that don't make playoff can play in lesser bowl games for money.
From a traditional standpoint yes.
If true, just a byproduct of late stage capitalism. This actually makes a ton of sense when you look at it through that lens. B10 gets the LA Market and is now in the top 3 media markets in the country. UCLA/USC are AAU schools. Warm weather neutral fall/spring tournaments. Relevant baseball programs.
I'm actually surprised that Cal/Stanford/Oregon/Washington aren't in on it to. All major media markets and AAU schools. Probably only a matter of time before they would follow as the P12 new TV deal would be horrendous.
What would be real interesting is to see if ACC schools start entertaining SEC/B10 offers. IDK if they can keep up with that type of money those conferences are printing long term.
Because the NFL shares its TV money equally. Green Bay and Buffalo get as much as the New York and LA teams. No way will that happen in college football.
USC wants out because it doesn't get a larger slice of the Pac-12 TV money, which is shared equally. It has convinced UCLA to play along so it has a travel partner.
USC = Walter O'Malley
UCLA = Horace Stoneham
I'm sure financially the schools will all get rich but what is the quality of life going to be like for non-revenue "student athletes" who will be spending half the semester flying back and forth across the country for games?
Maybe they can do “virtual” track meets? Hologram technology is almost there.
non-rev sports should have regionalized conferences.
Good idea, honestly. It's going to be stupid for the UCLA volleyball team to fly to Rutgers and Maryland. And if they double up on trips, then they miss more class time.
8legs1dream
Graduate Assistant
Boise, SDSU, or whoever certainly don’t move the needle much. Do they make a play for Gonzaga despite no football? They would have loved to get BYU, but that ship has sailed.
These games of "musical chairs" becoming more and more intriguing.............FOMO big time in college sports..........
I agree with everything you say. I just don’t think the admins care about any of that stuff. It’s all about lining pockets these days.
The Pac 12 had two chances to "get" BYU: when the Arizona schools were added, and when Utah and Colorado were added. BYU was never seriously considered either time.
Yep, but given the current situation they find themselves in, that equation has likely changed...beggars can't be choosers. Excellent geographic partner for Utah, obviously, though that was true the last time around and wasn't enough to sway them.
Utah State isn't a terrible option if the Pac-12's egos can handle it...they've had some solid football teams in recent years and basketball is of course decent.
They've lost the LA market with no way to get it back. SDSU has been a fringe top 25 team in a few recent years, and they deliver a solid market that's the only possible way for the Pac-12 to stay in SoCal. Not a sexy addition, but it is what it is. Fresno and SJSU are the only other FBS schools in the state.
8legs1dream
Graduate Assistant
Tough decisions have to be made. You do the best you can with the options available so I believe that likely includes Boise, SDSU, and possibly even Utah State as you just mentioned. I think Gonzaga is holding out for the perfect landing spot whenever their time comes and a struggling PAC12 isn't it IMO.
I would expect probably Oregon, Washington, Cal, Stanford could possibly go as well so USC/UCLA aren't completely on a travel island way out west.
Honestly, the P5 conferences just need to combine into one super football league and then divide things up regionally again. We're headed there anyway. Just do it and get it over with.
THis is the start of B1G and SEC separating themselves from the pack and forming their own college athletics association (30 teams each). Everyone else will be second tier. The real winners in this are Maryland, Rutgers, Northwestern, Vanderbilt....they're weak in football but will still get all of the spoils.
I think all the other AAU schools in the P12 are on the table for the B10. That adds Arizona, Utah, Colorado to that mix as well. Helps with non revenue sports scheduling as well. I think the next question is do ACC schools start to make a move and does the B12 pick up the remaining P12 schools or do they defect to the Big10? P12 is pretty much done. With the new B10/SEC TV contracts on the table, forfeiting the GOR may be worth it in the end for any ACC school lucky enough to be invited to the party as they don't want to be left behind in this new world. Roy, Coach K and Swofford are gone so that old guard isn't around to protect the traditions of the SEC.
My guess is Oregon, Washington, Cal, Stanford, Arizona, Colorado, Utah all get invites eventually. As crazy as it is, this would make the B10 a contiguous conference. Look for Kansas, another AAU to help shore up the middle states. If not all those schools go to the B10 then others will go to B12 and the ACC may be alright for the time being.
If all those schools defect to the B10 then it will be a free for all where the B12/ACC schools try and get into those conferences. It will cascade into the AAU schools from the ACC (UNC, GT, Duke, UVA to B10) (NCST, VT, Clemson, FSU, Miami to the SEC) to other conferences. WVU and Pitt could also be candidates, possibly Baylor Cincinnati, and Louisville. A lot of new markets for the SEC to get into.
Easy 28 team super conference for the B10. 4 7 team divisions. Winners go to a 4 team playoff. You could get to 32 by tweaking the AAU rules (Notre Dame, Boston College, Army [football], Navy [football] [nova hoops] [Georgetown hoops])
Jim Phillips the ACC Comish to me is either a sleeper agent for the B10 coming from his days at Northwestern or just bad at his job. His scheduling model was horrendous. All it takes is one school to break away and you will see panic and more defections.
Id say the only net positive as a fan it would be more regional rivalries being played, albeit under a much larger umbrella.
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don't mess with the ncaa tournament and I could care less about any realignment for football. ncaa tourney and how the spiders fit into the hoops landscape is all that matters to me. i have little faith in hardt to be ahead of the curve but hopefully the school's giant financial situation can keep spiders in the top flight of any bball shake out.
Don't know what will happen but hard to imagine the ACC, which has so much pride in itself, particularly for basketball, splintering into other conferences. About the only scenario is if Clemson was offered a spot in the SEC they would take it for football purposes.
The ACC media rights agreement poses some challenges for anyone trying to leave, but I can absolutely see Clemson, Miami, and FSU wanting to get out for the SEC. If they can figure out a way to swing that, the ACC will be in trouble...the Big 10 could then look really good to UVA and UNC.
Meanwhile, the NC legislature is offering the ACC $15 million just to try to keep them from moving their HQ out of state.
Meanwhile, the NC legislature is offering the ACC $15 million just to try to keep them from moving their HQ out of state.
Here's an analysis with an excerpt:
https://richmond.com/sports/college...cle_9bd598f3-86c2-5ef5-8e31-ac741e2ed5b5.html
The ACC has a grant-of-rights deal in place through the 2035-36 season that guarantees, essentially, that even if a school jumps ship for another league, its television revenue still goes to the ACC.
That could be enough to keep it afloat. But with the money involved in the SEC’s television contract – and the one the Big Ten is reportedly finalizing with FOX – that might be a drop in the bucket long term, hardly a deterrent.
https://richmond.com/sports/college...cle_9bd598f3-86c2-5ef5-8e31-ac741e2ed5b5.html
The ACC has a grant-of-rights deal in place through the 2035-36 season that guarantees, essentially, that even if a school jumps ship for another league, its television revenue still goes to the ACC.
That could be enough to keep it afloat. But with the money involved in the SEC’s television contract – and the one the Big Ten is reportedly finalizing with FOX – that might be a drop in the bucket long term, hardly a deterrent.
IMHO - SEC takes Clemson and B10 takes Notre Dame. That’s it out of ACC. Those leagues won’t want to share revenues with many more schools. Regional markets and rivalries for programs will have less meaning when people can tune in to big games made for TV. I doubt many schools outside these two conferences will be able to compete for top recruits in the NIL sweepstakes. We are already seeing articles about blurring of the lines between FCS and FBS as conference scramble for quality additions, but their TV revenue will be minuscule compared to the big name conferences. Totally agree about not screwing with March Madness. I think there will be interesting conference affiliations for the non-revenue sports.
Latest rumor is Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah to the Big 12...who knows whether it's legit, but if so, that really leaves the remaining Pac-12 schools hanging. Oregon and Washington were reportedly talking to Big 10, but the conference seems to have put further expansion on hold for now, potentially waiting on Notre Dame to decide what it wants to do.
8legs1dream
Graduate Assistant
sounds like the lower tier PAC teams could be left holding the bag. Wonder where they end up, WCC or MWC?
Seems crazy that even with one of the largest media markets in the country, Stanford and Cal could get the short end of the stick, but the Bay Area is a pro sports market. Doesn't help that they haven't been relevant in football in recent years.
8legs1dream
Graduate Assistant
They at least have the media market in their corner, what happens with Oregon St and Washington St?
