Conference Expansion: USC and UCLA to the Big Ten?

[Pilchard]

Funny to me that the SEC's reaction to Texas A&M's protest appears to be STFU and be happy that you are already in the SEC. BTW, I assume if Texas does jump to the SEC, that is the end of the Longhorn Network or at least of the idea of the Longhorn Network not sharing its profits with the rest of the conference. SEC has been steadfast in sharing revenues, and don't see schools like Vandy, Missouri, and Mississippi State supporting the addition of Texas and Oklahoma is that means that bigger schools get a higher take of the revenue pie than the others.

[york1313]

I said it on another thread somewhere, but I think ND joins full and we bring in WVa when the Big XII implodes. 4 four-team pods that rotate each season. Pod 1 GT, Clempsun, FSU, Miami. Pod 2 WF, Duke, NC State, UNC. Pod 3 UVa, VT, WVa, Pitt. Pod 4 Syracuse, BC, ND, Louisville. 8 game conference schedule still allows ND to play USC, BYU, Michigan, Stanford, etc. Since the pods rotate, they may scale back and only play a 7 game conference schedule. There are no "primary crossover" opponents at that point. Lots to work with there. Hope it pans out.

[guitardeac]

UNC and UVa will likely move to that "conference" fairly soon. SEC will want those 2 state markets too and it will make sense for all. FSU makes no sense because they have the Gators, and Clemson makes no sense because they have the Gamecocks, etc. Just adding markets. IMO it will become something like a 32 team "division" of the NCAA and then break off entirely.

[BiffTannen]

This screws up the 12-team CFB Playoff before it even starts. The Big XIi (Big 8) won’t deserve an automatic bid with its new membership. The Sec should get six teams. That’s what people want to watch anyway, not Cincinnati v. BYU.

[BiffTannen]

Agree with guitarfeac that this is more than just another realignment. College football is going to space while all of the other college sports are working 12-hour shifts in a fulfillment warehouse.

[Pilchard]

The problem with that theory is that WV brings nothing to the ACC. The state ranks between New Mexico and Idaho in population, and WV football and basketball programs are OK, but the SEC adds Texas and Oklahoma and the ACC adds WV? Yikes that looks bad. Agree that Notre Dame will always be the main target, for #2, I would make every effort to land Penn State. They still seem like an outlier in the Big 10, and they are a much more natural fit in the ACC. Also, adding their football program alone would make the ACC Network substantially more valuable.

FWIW, I can see why Texas and OU want out of the Big 12. Hard to say what the #3 most attractive school is in that conference. The Texas schools are all a distant 3rd behind Texas and A&M; Ok State, K State and Iowa State are secondary programs in a small states; Kansas is a basketball blue blood, but they are the most pathetic football program in a Power V conference and football drives the train.

[Pilchard]

Anything is possible, but don't see UNC and UVA leaving the ACC unless they have no alternative. UNC loves the power that it holds over the conference. If UNC goes to a bloated SEC then will just be another program. UVA sees itself as an elite academic school, the decision-makers there are not a great match with the SEC (or Big 10), and there are lots of internal politics in VA that keep UVA and VT tethered together (which is why UVA didn't veto adding VT to the ACC, when keeping them out could have essentially made VT irrelevant).

[Demonwolverine]

I think at this point, we might be better off trying to poach any SEC schools that don't want to be thrashed by that insane super conference. Unfortunately, nearly all of the ones that may be interested have horrendous academics.

[BiffTannen]

The odds are better that the ACC implodes than the odds of the ACC poaching a team or two from the B1G.

[middy]

Supposedly the SEC made a run at UNC and Duke a while back but they declined. The Big 10 covets UVa And GaTech for DC and ATL markets.

[york1313]

The problem with that theory is that WV brings nothing to the ACC. The state ranks between New Mexico and Idaho in population, and WV football and basketball programs are OK, but the SEC adds Texas and Oklahoma and the ACC adds WV? Yikes that looks bad. Agree that Notre Dame will always be the main target, for #2, I would make every effort to land Penn State. They still seem like an outlier in the Big 10, and they are a much more natural fit in the ACC. Also, adding their football program alone would make the ACC Network substantially more valuable.

FWIW, I can see why Texas and OU want out of the Big 12. Hard to say what the #3 most attractive school is in that conference. The Texas schools are all a distant 3rd behind Texas and A&M; Ok State, K State and Iowa State are secondary programs in a small states; Kansas is a basketball blue blood, but they are the most pathetic football program in a Power V conference and football drives the train.

Texas was pretty interested in the ACC a few years ago. I would prefer to have them on board than WVa. Being realistic though, the ACC has a much better shot at WVa than Texas. And it Texas and OU must coexist in a conference, then the odds just went down substantially. Not sure why they can't continue to play non con?

[LilburnDeac]

Supposedly the SEC made a run at UNC and Duke a while back but they declined. The Big 10 covets UVa And GaTech for DC and ATL markets.

The Big 10 already has Maryland, which is a bigger factor in the DC market than UVa. And adding GT wouldn't do anything for the ATL market, the SEC already owns it with UGa, the ACC and GT are just an afterthought and it would be the same with the Big 10.

[JamesSokolove]

Poach Vandy and get ND to commit. WVU can take Vandys spot in the SEC

[LilburnDeac]

Poach Vandy and get ND to commit. WVU can take Vandys spot in the SEC

What does Vandy bring to the table for the ACC?

[middy]

The Big 10 already has Maryland, which is a bigger factor in the DC market than UVa. And adding GT wouldn't do anything for the ATL market, the SEC already owns it with UGa, the ACC and GT are just an afterthought and it would be the same with the Big 10.

They need to add 2 teams and they like the academics and markets of those 2 schools compared to the other available options (ND does not seem interested in Big 10).

[thatguy2016]

2020 Athletic revenue by conference as reported here

School payouts
•Big Ten: $54.3 million
•SEC: $45.5 million
•Big 12: $37 to $40.5 million
•Pac-12: $33.6 million
•ACC: $30.9 to $37 million

If true, the ACC isn't poaching a Power V school except for maybe a Big 12 refugee after Texas and OU deliver a kill shot

[PhDeac]

ND would be a big enough get that the last team wouldn’t matter much. WVU, Navy, whatever.

[EatLeadCommie]

Funny to me that the SEC's reaction to Texas A&M's protest appears to be STFU and be happy that you are already in the SEC. BTW, I assume if Texas does jump to the SEC, that is the end of the Longhorn Network or at least of the idea of the Longhorn Network not sharing its profits with the rest of the conference. SEC has been steadfast in sharing revenues, and don't see schools like Vandy, Missouri, and Mississippi State supporting the addition of Texas and Oklahoma is that means that bigger schools get a higher take of the revenue pie than the others.

I would not be surprised if aTm is officially on board with admitting OU and UT and it's just some pissed off connected booster that has leaked the story in hopes that their entry gets scuttled. The issue aTm had was always the amount of power UT had in the BXII. Same thing that drove Nebraska off, and it's the same thing that drove Arky out of the old SWC. That is not going to be an issue in the SEC. Recruiting is a sticking point, I'm sure, but Jimbo isn't the one casting the vote. In the end, aTm needs UT and UT needs aTm. It's like the abusive spouse relationship, only they both knock the crap out of each other and it's more of a same-sex relationship.

[EatLeadCommie]

2020 Athletic revenue by conference as reported here

School payouts
•Big Ten: $54.3 million
•SEC: $45.5 million
•Big 12: $37 to $40.5 million
•Pac-12: $33.6 million
•ACC: $30.9 to $37 million

If true, the ACC isn't poaching a Power V school except for maybe a Big 12 refugee after Texas and OU deliver a kill shot

The Big XII TV deal is up in a few years and they won't be commanding that kind of money without their cash cow programs.

[thatguy2016]

The Big XII TV deal is up in a few years and they won't be commanding that kind of money without their cash cow programs.

right, hence the kill shot comment

also, if those numbers are true, I see 17 million reasons why ND would back out of whatever they agreed to re: joining the ACC and not the Big Ten