Conference Realignment Redux

[boxout05]

Jul 25, 2021 17:46:14 GMT -5 hoyasaxa2003 said:

Here is an interesting read on the Big East realignment that occurred in the early 2010s:

www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/31838915/realignment-revisited-beginning-end-big-east-football

It is interesting that Georgetown was among the programs that opposed the ESPN deal that would have brought the conference a lot of money before realignment. Had the deal been inked, ESPN would have had incentive to to keep it together, though I am skeptical it would have survived in that form.

Meh. If you assume you have a quality product you can take into a bidding war with ESPN, Fox, and NBC, it’s absolutely the right move. If you know your league will dissolve at the first bump in the road because you’re dealing with godless criminals and two-faced bastards who will sell you out for 30 pieces of silver at the first chance they get, then … you take what’s offered and hope the problem goes away?

20/20 hindsight, it’s wasn’t so much a choice between take the deal or not, it’s more about going on the offensive and doing more to protect yourself. And it would have needed to happen before the deal with ESPN was up.

[hoya95]

This is probably way too late to save the Big 12 from its harm, but a lawsuit against ESPN would definitely be interesting.

[DanMcQ]

[boxout05]

Can any lawyers give the Cliff Notes version for if/how someone could use a C&D or FOIA to get communications from state universities discussing leaving or poaching other conferences? Doesn't have to be OU or UT... how about Pitt?

[DFW HOYA]

Jul 28, 2021 22:07:38 GMT -5 boxout05 said:

Can any lawyers give the Cliff Notes version for if/how someone could use a C&D or FOIA to get communications from state universities discussing leaving or poaching other conferences? Doesn't have to be OU or UT... how about Pitt?

Not a lawyer, but it was alleged that ESPN used FOIA requests at South Florida to gain access to some of the numbers being proposed for the NBC deal under discussion by the conference presidents in 2011. It's also been alleged Pitt shared it with them when the possibility/likelihood of an ACC bid was on the table. (As most of you know, an FOIA cannot be filed for privileged communications at a private university)

If there are e-mails that exist at a AAC state school discussing this (Temple, East Carolina, Houston, Wichita State, Cincinnati, Memphis, South Florida, UCF), these would be subject to FOIA requests. E-mails sent to the AAC headquarters would be subject to discovery but not FOIA.

[hoyaguy]

Apparently the AAC is not going to just sit there and get poached, but rather make a move to take the Big 12's place among the power 5 by fighting the Pac 12 for the 4-5 best of the remaining Big 12 to form their own 16 team mega conference, maybe they cut a deal with Pac 12 to split the remainders in some way. I admire the move as many expected them to just fall apart when the likes of Cinn and Houston get taken, it is kill or be killed rn. Also how hilarious would it be if Uconn leaves American only for it to become what it always wanted to be (a power 5) a couple years after they ditched as some pundits already believed them to be in the top 5 leagues in terms of depth and quality and this is the shot they've been building for.

[boxout05]

I like the posturing but it’ll take everything breaking right for the AAC. They aren’t luring a team another conference wants. If the Big XII gets raided by the PAC12 (OSU, Texas schools), ACC (WVU, Texas schools) or B1G (Kansas, maybe?) then whatever is left won’t elevate the AAC past what it is today.

If other conferences don’t extend offers, the league still has a handful of years left on a TV deal paying $35M per year. They won’t get that on their next deal, but it’s still a heck of a payday to entice UCF, Memphis, Cincy, Houston. If it’s the AAC doing the swallowing, they’re stuck with AAC’s crap TV deal and having Tulane, Temple, ECU, etc. on your schedule. Not ideal.

AAC needs to hope there’s just enough defections to destroy the Big XII, but not so many that all they’re left is K-State and another school.

[professorhoya]

Jul 28, 2021 18:11:36 GMT -5 DanMcQ said:

This isn't the first time, ESPN has tampered and meddled. I think people are finally seeing what they really are.

[DanMcQ]

[hoyaduck]

Pac-12, Big Ten, ACC expected to announce an alliance next week.

theathletic.com/news/big-ten-pac-12-acc-alliance-expected-to-be-formally-announced-soon-sources/qQ7aaP9CvLAD

[C86]

Not entirely clear what the Alliance will do, except schedule some interconference games and try to outvote the SEC. And unless there is a gusher of money attached to Alliance membership, it's not going to last. A Big Ten/ACC merger would make sense geographically. Big Ten/Pac 12 merger would make sense culturally. The Big 10 and Pac 12 have a lot of historical ties. Plus 9 AAU members for the Pac 12, 4 for the ACC.

Striking though how the Big 8/12 is becoming an afterthought.

[hoyaguy]

Yep the Big 12 thing blowing up my phone a month back seems like a life ago now everyone is trying to super league up to not get left behind. Interesting to see how the Big 12 and AAC dynamic shapes up if anything happens bc say if Big 12 took Cincinnati (or AAC took Iowa st) then they would have 2 teams in the preseason football top 10, not too shabby and plenty of basketball threat. 

[DanMcQ]

[hoyaguy]

Sept 3, 2021 11:47:50 GMT -5 DanMcQ said:

This was my guess of what was likely to happen because with anything it’s almost always the rich get richer (SEC and Big 12 getting more teams) with the lower and middling confs (or working and middle class, in everyday life) pays for it. Shocking stuff.

[BSM]

The AAC was always a flag of convenience until something better came calling. A group of schools united by a common desire to be anywhere else.

[DanMcQ]

[hoyas315]

[SDHoya]

Nov 16, 2021 16:06:19 GMT -5 DanMcQ said:

Interesting. Seems like a good move for Loyola, not so sure about its value to the A10. Prior to its Cinderella run to the Final Four, Loyola had been to the Tournament just once in the previous 50 years. Now that Moser is gone, their path forward would seem less than clear. They could become another VCU...or they could be another Mason. And I have never bought the "big market" thing--Loyola brings in the Chicago market about as well as Fordham brings in NYC.

[DFW HOYA]

Nov 16, 2021 16:16:51 GMT -5 SDHoya said:

Interesting. Seems like a good move for Loyola, not so sure about its value to the A10. Prior to its Cinderella run to the Final Four, Loyola had been to the Tournament just once in the previous 50 years. Now that Moser is gone, their path forward would seem less than clear. They could become another VCU...or they could be another Mason. And I have never bought the "big market" thing--Loyola brings in the Chicago market about as well as Fordham brings in NYC.

Any number above 12 starts to introduce fault lines within a conference. The A-15 is now an assortment of Midwest (Loyola, St. Louis, Dayton), South (Davidson, VCU, Richmond), DC-Philadelphia (GW, Mason, LaSalle, St. Joe's) and New York-New England (UMass, URI, Fordham, Bonaventure) schools. Are they all on the same page? The five public schools may not be.

GW and UMass are the only original members now left, and the early speculation is whether this is a hedge if UMass finds an new conference for football. Right now, no takers.

[DanMcQ]