Just what exactly is each conference trying to accomplish with realignment?

[tabascojet]

Of course the big12 is just looking to survive, but what are the others after. The SEC is after a bigger tv market and a bigger tv contract. I understand adding aTm would give them a footprint into texas and the houston market, and adding missouri would give them st louis market. But what does adding wvu give them? If the bigger acc schools are going to turn them down and the dc market or charlotte market is what they really want in the east, perhaps they would be better served by getting a FCS school in those markets to upgrade their football. Without doing too much research i would say UNC charlotte, JMU, VCU, and GMU are large enough state universities (as big or bigger than vandy ,ole miss, msu and arky) that could carry off a FBS program. And having the added cache of going to the sec would make them instantly credible against acc teams recruiting in the same area.

 

[BigAppleBadger]

That's the thing, it doesn't make sense anymore.

The Pac-12 already has the biggest TV contract, even without the most competitive teams, so they're sitting pretty. The SEC wants Texas, sure, but that only argues for one team. The Big Ten doesn't want to expand and would only do so if it looked like the SEC was heading in that direction.

I feel like the best outcome, as a fan, would be A&M to the SEC, and then rather than getting bigger, the SEC drops a team (I'm looking at you, Vandy). The B12 then cobbles together a few more teams - BYU, Boise State, maybe even TCU - to get back to 12 teams. Vandy ends up in the Big East?

 

[Ballboy534]

UNC Charlotte will start an FCS squad in 2014 I believe, but do you really think in a state that already has ECU, NC State, Wake, Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and App State another school can come in and even be relatively competitive?

 

[tabascojet]

vandy is fine in the sec as long as they want to be. 13 is wrong and 16 imo is too much, so they would have to add at least one more if aTm jumps through all the hoops ahead of them. From what i have read the sec wants into NC or VA, so if you cant get the one you want then change the one you can. UNC charlotte is already in process to have a team 2013 albeit FCS, VCU and GMU have ADs as obstacles in their way, and JMU and ASU are as competitive as villanova and the big east was considering upgrading them. So what would stop a small school from making a giant leap with a proven conference?

 

[tabascojet]

UNC Charlotte will start an FCS squad in 2014 I believe, but do you really think in a state that already has ECU, NC State, Wake, Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and App State another school can come in and even be relatively competitive?

when the conference you are joining has had the last 5 NCs? hell yes.

 

[Santana8907]

The SEC wants the biggest tv contract in collegiate sports.

Everyone else is poised to react to any movement that is made by the SEC, but don't want to get caught with their pants down, so they're making plans ahead of time to be ready. That's all.

 

[BigAppleBadger]

vandy is fine in the sec as long as they want to be. 13 is wrong and 16 imo is too much, so they would have to add at least one more if aTm jumps through all the hoops ahead of them. From what i have read the sec wants into NC or VA, so if you cant get the one you want then change the one you can. UNC charlotte is already in process to have a team 2013 albeit FCS, VCU and GMU have ADs as obstacles in their way, and JMU and ASU are as competitive as villanova and the big east was considering upgrading them. So what would stop a small school from making a giant leap with a proven conference?

UNC Charlotte, VCU, GMU, JMU? All non-starters. It's going to be Virginia Tech or NC State.

 

[tabascojet]

UNC Charlotte, VCU, GMU, JMU? All non-starters. It's going to be Virginia Tech or NC State.

i dont see either leaving the acc, unless swofford is as dumb as Bebee.

 

[TexasFight98VI]

That's the thing, it doesn't make sense anymore.
The Pac-12 already has the biggest TV contract, even without the most competitive teams, so they're sitting pretty. The SEC wants Texas, sure, but that only argues for one team. The Big Ten doesn't want to expand and would only do so if it looked like the SEC was heading in that direction.

I feel like the best outcome, as a fan, would be A&M to the SEC, and then rather than getting bigger, the SEC drops a team (I'm looking at you, Vandy). The B12 then cobbles together a few more teams - BYU, Boise State, maybe even TCU - to get back to 12 teams. Vandy ends up in the Big East?

THIS ^^^^^^^^^ It doesn't make sense at all. Basically, everybody is getting greedy. People claim Texas is this greedy monster, but it all started with the Big 10 trying to get Texas and ND to join last year, when the Big 10 didn't even need to. There is nothing wrong with the Big 10. Financially and academically, the conference is great, so why try to expand? The Big 10 champ has never been snubbed when they had a chance to play for the BCS title due to not having a CCG, so that reason is mute. Big 10 got very greedy and started the domino effect last year.......

 

[tabascojet]

THIS ^^^^^^^^^ It doesn't make sense at all. Basically, everybody is getting greedy. People claim Texas is this greedy monster, but it all started with the Big 10 trying to get Texas and ND to join last year, when the Big 10 didn't even need to. There is nothing wrong with the Big 10. Financially and academically, the conference is great, so why try to expand? The Big 10 champ has never been snubbed when they had a chance to play for the BCS title due to not having a CCG, so that reason is mute. Big 10 got very greedy and started the domino effect last year.......

big10 champ may not have been snubbed by lack of a CCG but perception wise closing up the season so early and no CCG was a disadvantage. Plus adding the 12th and getting the money that came along with the CCg didnt hurt.

 

[mysfit]

each PROGRAM is trying to maximize their slice of the pie

that's the driver to all this

It's the American way after all!

 

[occupant]

...and who started grabbing extra pie slices first?

I'll give you one guess and it rhymes with "egotistic goatmilkers".

 

[BigAppleBadger]

The SEC wants the biggest tv contract in collegiate sports.

Yep, that's why it needs Texas. The SEC might have the best "product" on the field, they don't have the best market. The South is still well behind other regions of the country, and that's a historical legacy that you're not going to change.

Just look at the population by state for the SEC, Pac-12 and Big Ten:

SEC
FL - 18,801,310*
GA - 9,687,653
TN - 6,346,105
AL - 4,779,736
SC - 4,625,364
LA - 4,533,372
KY - 4,339,367
AR - 2,915,918
MS - 2,967,297
Total - 58,996,122

I put a * next to Florida because the Gators share that market with FSU and, to a lesser extent, Miami fans. But at least the UF will always be on TV in Florida. Not that, besides Florida (which accounts for ~32% of the population of SEC country), there's a pretty good balance. Texas obviously will screw that up.

Now here's the Pac-10:
CA - 37,253,956
WA - 6,724,540
AZ - 6,392,017
CO - 5,029,196
OR - 3,831,074
UT - 2,763,885
Total - 61,994,668

So right now it's a little bigger, and those states let's face it are wealthier. It's totally dominated by California, but then there are four (4) major Pac-12 schools in the state, so there isn't one big institution that can bully everyone else (see: Texas).


Big Ten:
IL - 12,830,632
PA - 12,702,379
OH - 11,536,504
MI - 9,883,640
IN - 6,483,802
WI - 5,686,986
MN - 5,303,925
IA - 3,046,355
NE - 1,826,341
Total - 69,300,564

Biggest population, and very well balanced. Schools are all the flagship universities in their respective states. Nebraska didn't add much in the way of population, but it's a national program so that doesn't matter much.

People in the South can make fun of the "Rust Belt" portion in MI and OH, but there are a ton of people in the Midwest, they love football, and there are some major TV markets.


Now here's the problem with the Big 12, and why it was (always) inherently unstable:

Big 12
TX - 25,145,561
MO - 5,988,927
OK - 3,751,351
IA - 3,046,355
KS - 2,853,118
Total - 40,785,312

There's no people outside of Texas, which accounts for 62% of the population of the whole Big 12 region. That's why it can be a bully, especially with the Texas state legislature supporting that kind of behavior.


Ultimately it'll probably be better for the sport to have Texas' schools split amongst two major conferences, just like Florida's.

 

[mysfit]

...and who started grabbing extra pie slices first?

I'll give you one guess and it rhymes with "egotistic goatmilkers".

nothing rhymes with that

And every program is out for themselves so no one has room to cast stones here.

If you REALLY want to get technical the pie scrum really started gaining traction when the middies got that rule about top 16/top12 in there.

 

[ladyrockess]

My plan is for everyone to get superconferences and then for them to implode over bowls and then we get a plus-one playoff!

Is there an evil laughter icon?

 

[occupant]

nothing rhymes with that

tEXAS! DUH!

And every program is out for themselves so no one has room to cast stones here.

Oh I beg to differ. True, now that the full court scramble has commenced, everyone is looking for their best "out...but prior to Colo and Neb leaving, all the minor players were more than happy to lose repeatedly and cash the checks.

If you REALLY want to get technical the pie scrum really started gaining traction when the middies got that rule about top 16/top12 in there.

Eh...don't think so. It started with Mizzou, Colo and Neb making their intentions known in reference to the UT powergrab. And that was precipitated by ESPN putting a ring on the $EC's finger.

 

[USCDoom]

My plan is for everyone to get superconferences and then for them to implode over bowls and then we get a plus-one playoff!

Is there an evil laughter icon?

Dont need a plus one for Super Conferences...

Lets say there are 4 16 school conferences.
After the CCGs there will be 4 Conference Champions.
One week later the 4 Conference Champs play. You have 2 winners.
Bowls are played
After the Bowls the 2 winners will play for the NC.

Example.
USC - Pac
Alabama - SEC
Michigan - Big
Florida State - ACC
win their CCG

USC vs FSU
Michigan vs Alabama
A week after the CCG

Say FSU and Bama win, they would play for the NC a week after Jan 1st. The rest of the schools would go to bowls as normal.

 

[ladyrockess]

Dont need a plus one for Super Conferences...

Lets say there are 4 16 school conferences.
After the CCGs there will be 4 Conference Champions.
One week later the 4 Conference Champs play. You have 2 winners.
Bowls are played
After the Bowls the 2 winners will play for the NC.

Example.
USC - Pac
Alabama - SEC
Michigan - Big
Florida State - ACC
win their CCG

USC vs FSU
Michigan vs Alabama
A week after the CCG

Say FSU and Bama win, they would play for the NC a week after Jan 1st. The rest of the schools would go to bowls as normal.

Oh that could happen too, but I think they're more likely to implode, reform littler conferences, and get us a playoff...or maybe that's wishful thinking

 

[BigAppleBadger]

You could even organize each super-conference into 4-team "pods" and play conference semi-finals and finals. The conference champions then play a 4-team playoff.

You've basically created a 64-team playoff for the national championship. The other 50 or so college football teams would be shit out of luck, though.

 

[ladyrockess]

You could even organize each super-conference into 4-team "pods" and play conference semi-finals and finals. The conference champions then play a 4-team playoff.

You've basically created a 64-team playoff for the national championship. The other 50 or so college football teams would be shit out of luck, though.

If BSU is one of those 50 I could go for that