Maryland may actually be leaving the ACC

[DuchesneEast]

The grant of rights is enforceable and no one is taking FSU without the TV rights. Personally, worse that the ACC getting FSU's TV rights would be not allowing them to be televised. That would kill me as a fan.

BC better get its act together in the next 5 years or they will eventually be screwed.

[Dick Rosenthal]

And since when does anyone give two shits about OSU and Michigan?

It's more Michigan than tOSU, but Michigan needs a foil and until/unless the Big10 gets Notre Dame to join, its the biggest draw they have. The truth is that ND-Michigan dwarfs Michigan-tOSU in terms of TV numbers because tOSU doesn't draw well on its own in New York or Chicago. Notre Dame, of course, dominates in both markets, but Michigan does very well in both as well.

As for the idiots who think being in Boston will save BC when the big realignment comes, there is no evidence to suggest that is the case. In fact, the imminent implosion of the ACC and the shitty TV deal that is the prime factor in the coming implosion demonstrate that BC's position in Boston does nothing to help add value to a conference. But don't worry, BC isn't alone in that regard. It is a near certainty that Rutgers will get jettisoned by the Super Big10 when the time comes because contra the prevailing wisdom of TV execs, Rutgers did nothing for the Big10 in the NY Market so why share the coming windfall with them. Maryland is also potentially on the chopping block as Penn State and Michigan both draw as well in the DC Metro and if they land ND, they actually get the biggest player in that market. Why share money with a mediocre at best football school without the value add? And then there is Northwestern. There is a reason they are desperately upgrading facilities and trying to demonstrate a commitment to big time football and it is likely because they realize they are the fifth biggest draw in Chicago behind ND, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois and are very much on the chopping block. And since the football teams of the Big10/SEC Super conferences are largely divorced from the school academically, Northwestern (or BC for that matter) won't be saved so university presidents can make cockamamie arguments about the academic value of conference affiliation.

[DuchesneEast]

And since when does anyone give two shits about OSU and Michigan?

It's more Michigan than tOSU, but Michigan needs a foil and until/unless the Big10 gets Notre Dame to join, its the biggest draw they have. The truth is that ND-Michigan dwarfs Michigan-tOSU in terms of TV numbers because tOSU doesn't draw well on its own in New York or Chicago. Notre Dame, of course, dominates in both markets, but Michigan does very well in both as well.

As for the idiots who think being in Boston will save BC when the big realignment comes, there is no evidence to suggest that is the case. In fact, the imminent implosion of the ACC and the shitty TV deal that is the prime factor in the coming implosion demonstrate that BC's position in Boston does nothing to help add value to a conference. But don't worry, BC isn't alone in that regard. It is a near certainty that Rutgers will get jettisoned by the Super Big10 when the time comes because contra the prevailing wisdom of TV execs, Rutgers did nothing for the Big10 in the NY Market so why share the coming windfall with them. Maryland is also potentially on the chopping block as Penn State and Michigan both draw as well in the DC Metro and if they land ND, they actually get the biggest player in that market. Why share money with a mediocre at best football school without the value add? And then there is Northwestern. There is a reason they are desperately upgrading facilities and trying to demonstrate a commitment to big time football and it is likely because they realize they are the fifth biggest draw in Chicago behind ND, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois and are very much on the chopping block. And since the football teams of the Big10/SEC Super conferences are largely divorced from the school academically, Northwestern (or BC for that matter) won't be saved so university presidents can make cockamamie arguments about the academic value of conference affiliation.

BC needs vision, Boston will watch a winning team, if they put an exciting winning product on the field for 5-6 years people, try and reach the causal fan and lose the arrogance, people will watch. Even if you get 5% of the people, its 5% of a big market. BC has the shittiest marketing and follow through of any school I know. Typical academics and teachers cant do shit in the real world. Run it like the business that it is.

[HJS]

Dick says all this while knowing a few months ago the B10 added a terrible program in UCLA to lockdown the LA market.

Look... BC is toast in any super league. This is the legacy of Fr. Bill and the stagnant BOT who let him bury sports. It is way too little, way too late. What BC should have done was invest in FB and BB at proportionally the same rate it was during the Big East. Meaning, that with the move to the ACC, BC should've drastically increased that financial commitment with drastic increase in conference payouts. Instead, the problems with socialism came home to roost at the Heights where Billy's BOT decided that there was no incentive to go all-in on FB when the payout for BC was the same as Clemson. Fr. Bill apparently never believed in the Flutie Effect or the ancillary marketing that sports afforded. The result is the decades-long irrelevance that makes BC the punchline of any expansion cautionary tale.

If BC was competitive for the past 10 years, it would be an asset in expansion (largely due to its media market not thinking it was a joke). Even after its malfeasance, BC had a Hail Mary opportunity if it quickly pivoted the past few years to leverage NIL. Being in a major market does offer some commercials not available to other schools. Since we save so much on doing things cheaply (with regard to facilities and coaching staffs), BC had a chance to instead spend richly on players looking for money. But, like everything in the space, BC was a late adopter and still struggles to figure out where it should live in the evolving landscape. Assuming BC doesn't have a top-down leadership change THIS YEAR (I am talking a flushing of both Leahy and the Board), BC won't even be in a position where the left-behind schools will want them around. We essentially will be the Rice Owls as the Southwest Conference dissolved.

[ATLeagle]

BC could be the defending national champion and we would still be toast in the Super League. Our only hope is that it goes to 50 teams and stays with the student athletes. If it goes to clubs associated with the school and paid full time athletes, we are done. If it is 32 teams we are done in any scenario.

[HJS]

BC could be the defending national champion and we would still be toast in the Super League. Our only hope is that it goes to 50 teams and stays with the student athletes. If it goes to clubs associated with the school and paid full time athletes, we are done. If it is 32 teams we are done in any scenario.

In that scenario, there would be massive changes in schools currently in the B10 and SEC. No Super Leagues need TWO teams in Alabama nor ANY team in the likes of Arkansas, Mississippi, Iowa or Nebraska.

See… what the failed jock ADs and woke Presidents fail to understand is that NO ONE cares about minor league sports. The only reason college sports has survived is because of the connection it has with essentially half the American population. For instance, BC fans care about games involving Ole Miss and Alabama because they have tacit rooting interest in the potential impact to conference mate Clemson. Sports fans in the greater Boston area have passing interest because a couple of times a year they are made aware of a beatdown BC receives from one of the playoff hopefuls. Foreclose all of that, and you get a collective shoulder shrug from would-be customers as college football becomes a regional sport like hockey or lacrosse.

The interesting thing to me is that TV execs don’t see this eventuality. Then again, hard to find anyone in corporate America who gives a shit about anything beyond a 10-year horizon.

[twballgame9]

BC could be the defending national champion and we would still be toast in the Super League. Our only hope is that it goes to 50 teams and stays with the student athletes. If it goes to clubs associated with the school and paid full time athletes, we are done. If it is 32 teams we are done in any scenario.

Whatever you do, don't abandon the fucked up jack in the box. Please. He needs a home.

[eagle33]

A fourth option for the league will be further explored this week at meetings: changing the revenue distribution model to a more merit-based system. Instead of equally distributing revenue, this system would award more dollars to those programs excelling on the field.

Administrators have spent the last couple of months discussing this festering issue. It has divided a conference that is less like-minded than most leagues in the country: big football revenue-generators like Florida State, Clemson, Miami and even North Carolina grouped with the likes of Boston College, Syracuse and Wake Forest.

https://www.si.com/college/2023/05/15/college-football-expansion-whats-next-power-5-conferences

[HJS]

https://footballscoop.com/news/acc-spri ... -of-rights
Sums it up pretty nicely. There is no reason to enter an uneven revenue share with "partners" that are guaranteed to leave in 2036.

Remember, the AD at FSU is a UAB grad who worked selling pop-up ads before joining marketing within CMU's athletic department. He took over as head of FSU's Boosters where he spent 2 years exposed to the very loony alums who drive his thinking.

This is Texas and B12 all over again. ACC's TV deal sucks because FSU has sucked post Bowden/Jimbo (much like B12's deal sucked because Texas sucked post-Mack Brown). FSU wanted to be the big dog and easier National Championship access until they sucked. Now, they want to cash-in on past success. They are free to do that... but others are free to say no or demand some sort of GOR extension to 2050.

[DomingoOrtiz]

Is Miami really top-3 in ACC football revenue?

[DuchesneEast]

Is Miami really top-3 in ACC football revenue?

I thought the same thing.

I really dont see Vtech being a big draw either.

[HJS]

The two most valuable properties are UVA and UNC. If the SEC/B10 held an auction for ACC schools, those two would fetch the most money. Clemson and FSU would be next. Those 4 programs are the only ones the SEC/B10 would have interest in. Miami, VT, GT and NCS won’t make the jump unless the Premier League expands to 24 each or starts relegating non-performers.

[eepstein0]

The two most valuable properties are UVA and UNC. If the SEC/B10 held an auction for ACC schools, those two would fetch the most money. Clemson and FSU would be next. Those 4 programs are the only ones the SEC/B10 would have interest in. Miami, VT, GT and NCS won’t make the jump unless the Premier League expands to 24 each or starts relegating non-performers.

I rarely post here anymore, but this is for sure the dumbest/most uninformed thing I’ve read on here. What’s UVA adding to the SEC or Big 10? A crappy football program and losing to 16 seeds?

Clemson, FSU, UNC and then it’s a free for all.

[hansen]

The two most valuable properties are UVA and UNC. If the SEC/B10 held an auction for ACC schools, those two would fetch the most money. Clemson and FSU would be next. Those 4 programs are the only ones the SEC/B10 would have interest in. Miami, VT, GT and NCS won’t make the jump unless the Premier League expands to 24 each or starts relegating non-performers.

I rarely post here anymore, but this is for sure the dumbest/most uninformed thing I’ve read on here. What’s UVA adding to the SEC or Big 10? A crappy football program and losing to 16 seeds?

Clemson, FSU, UNC and then it’s a free for all.

Football performance has nothing to do with this.

Otherwise, Rutgers would be in a similar situation as Yukon.

UVA and UNC would absolutely be the Big Ten’s top 2 picks out of the ACC. I don’t know enough about the SEC to conjecture about them.

[JesuitIvy]

....If it goes to clubs associated with the school and paid full time athletes, we are done....

I don't think this is a certainty. If you're effectively selling franchises in "college football" - which clubs associated with schools would be – then BC could be in a good spot. Associated clubs allows private equity money an entry into making money off CFB, which they really can't do now but want to figure out how to. Then you have an attractive franchise with history - BC - in a good media market, which would draw a lot of money in. There's a reason leagues always have a Boston franchise, whatever you say about fans not coming out etc. Sure, a PE firm could approach BU or Emerson to "sponsor" a "college football" team to get Boston market presence, but that's less likely.

[DuchesneEast]

....If it goes to clubs associated with the school and paid full time athletes, we are done....

I don't think this is a certainty. If you're effectively selling franchises in "college football" - which clubs associated with schools would be – then BC could be in a good spot. Associated clubs allows private equity money an entry into making money off CFB, which they really can't do now but want to figure out how to. Then you have an attractive franchise with history - BC - in a good media market, which would draw a lot of money in. There's a reason leagues always have a Boston franchise, whatever you say about fans not coming out etc. Sure, a PE firm could approach BU or Emerson to "sponsor" a "college football" team to get Boston market presence, but that's less likely.

I wish. I would let them privatize the entire Athletic Dept, not that the Jesuits would allow it.

[HJS]

The two most valuable properties are UVA and UNC. If the SEC/B10 held an auction for ACC schools, those two would fetch the most money. Clemson and FSU would be next. Those 4 programs are the only ones the SEC/B10 would have interest in. Miami, VT, GT and NCS won’t make the jump unless the Premier League expands to 24 each or starts relegating non-performers.

I rarely post here anymore, but this is for sure the dumbest/most uninformed thing I’ve read on here. What’s UVA adding to the SEC or Big 10? A crappy football program and losing to 16 seeds?

Clemson, FSU, UNC and then it’s a free for all.

Football performance has nothing to do with this.

Otherwise, Rutgers would be in a similar situation as Yukon.

UVA and UNC would absolutely be the Big Ten’s top 2 picks out of the ACC. I don’t know enough about the SEC to conjecture about them.

And now we know why micro doesn't post much on football anymore.

[HJS]

Well… this should appease FSU for the foreseeable future.
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... ball-games

[DomingoOrtiz]

Well… this should appease FSU for the foreseeable future.
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... ball-games

1. It won't, they want SEC $;
B. What the Hell is the CW?

[twballgame9]

The football world pretending FSU is the FSU of 25 years ago is one of the best things outside of threads started by IB in the history of Russian email brainwashing.

[HJS]

Well… this should appease FSU for the foreseeable future.
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... ball-games

1. It won't, they want SEC $;
B. What the Hell is the CW?

Seriously? I see we need to go back to using Red Font.

As for SEC dollars... if you follow Iger's recent comments, ESPN is not long for DIS. He is very pessimistic on TV's future. It sounds like Chapek spent like a sailor on leave. The distortion that has resulted does not appear to be incremental in the near future. If Iger had his say, he would be renegotiating DOWN those deals if the SEC opened them up by adding schools.

Ultimately, the NCAA's pay-for-play and annual free agency is the death knell for the minor league system that never should have been operated by colleges.

[Dick Rosenthal]

Well… this should appease FSU for the foreseeable future.
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... ball-games

1. It won't, they want SEC $;
B. What the Hell is the CW?

Seriously? I see we need to go back to using Red Font.

As for SEC dollars... if you follow Iger's recent comments, ESPN is not long for DIS. He is very pessimistic on TV's future. It sounds like Chapek spent like a sailor on leave. The distortion that has resulted does not appear to be incremental in the near future. If Iger had his say, he would be renegotiating DOWN those deals if the SEC opened them up by adding schools.

Ultimately, the NCAA's pay-for-play and annual free agency is the death knell for the minor league system that never should have been operated by colleges.

This is correct. The collection of stupid, failed ex-jocks who make up the bulk of athletic administrators have pretty much destroyed their product in furtherance of money from mediums that won't exist in five years. There is a reason that forward thinking sports businesses are moving to a model of directly selling their rights through streaming platforms that they own--MLB, NBA and the NHL are already there and the NFL will join in earnest this year--while taking the TV money while it lasts. You are starting to see it among the smart set in college football--Notre Dame's soon-to-be new AD is currently the President of NBC Sports who, smartly in the opinion of Wall Street, has been an advocate for direct subscription streaming and the abandonment of the traditional commercial network model for sports. The word at Notre Dame is the next iteration of the NBC contract will allow for Notre Dame to set up a direct subscription business. USC and several of the Big 10 schools--now working with NBC are working on the same model as well. The SEC alone, fat and happy as they are right now, are behind in this regard although Texas is pushing them hard in that direction, although the problem for the SEC might be a lack of interest or capital to invest in those models (outside of Texas and Texas A&M).

[HJS]

Sounds like the prodigal son returns tomorrow... Colorado rejoining the B12.

With ESPN sitting out PAC12's TV bid... they are essentially Lehman Brothers. Utah, Arizona, ASU and Colo have value. UDub, Oregon, Cal and Stanford also have value. Amazing how they are falling apart. Wonder if the ACC will grab that Northern contingent if AppleTV cuts a big enough check?

[hansen]

Sounds like the prodigal son returns tomorrow... Colorado rejoining the B12.

With ESPN sitting out PAC12's TV bid... they are essentially Lehman Brothers. Utah, Arizona, ASU and Colo have value. UDub, Oregon, Cal and Stanford also have value. Amazing how they are falling apart. Wonder if the ACC will grab that Northern contingent if AppleTV cuts a big enough check?

Is the Big-12 an upgrade over the PAC-10? The move surprises me.

[innocentbystander]

Sounds like the prodigal son returns tomorrow... Colorado rejoining the B12.

With ESPN sitting out PAC12's TV bid... they are essentially Lehman Brothers. Utah, Arizona, ASU and Colo have value. UDub, Oregon, Cal and Stanford also have value. Amazing how they are falling apart. Wonder if the ACC will grab that Northern contingent if AppleTV cuts a big enough check?

Our conference out here in Arizona, we are fucked.

[HJS]

https://athlonsports.com/college-footba ... washington
Don’t know how that can work from a legal perspective or a “make sense” perspective. But, if BarStool Sports and Athlon are saying it…

[Dick Rosenthal]

Sounds like the prodigal son returns tomorrow... Colorado rejoining the B12.

With ESPN sitting out PAC12's TV bid... they are essentially Lehman Brothers. Utah, Arizona, ASU and Colo have value. UDub, Oregon, Cal and Stanford also have value. Amazing how they are falling apart. Wonder if the ACC will grab that Northern contingent if AppleTV cuts a big enough check?

Is the Big-12 an upgrade over the PAC-10? The move surprises me.

It is when USC and UCLA are gone. Arizona and Arizona State will be fine. They are headed to the Big 12, it’s just a question of when it is announced. Ditto for Utah—they head off to the Big 12 to join their biggest rival, BYU. Wazoo and Oregon State are in big trouble. Cal and Stanford are probably headed to the Big 10. Oregon and Washington have value, but I don’t think either is a fit for the Big 10. Oregon has a lot of Nike money, but the SEC doesn’t appear to have any interest. Big 12 would probably be the best fit. Washington brings some history and would provide Oregon with a regional rival so my guess is they land together while Wazoo and Oregon State are singing the Mountain West Blues.

[innocentbystander]

Sounds like the prodigal son returns tomorrow... Colorado rejoining the B12.

With ESPN sitting out PAC12's TV bid... they are essentially Lehman Brothers. Utah, Arizona, ASU and Colo have value. UDub, Oregon, Cal and Stanford also have value. Amazing how they are falling apart. Wonder if the ACC will grab that Northern contingent if AppleTV cuts a big enough check?

Is the Big-12 an upgrade over the PAC-10? The move surprises me.

It is when USC and UCLA are gone. Arizona and Arizona State will be fine. They are headed to the Big 12, it’s just a question of when it is announced. Ditto for Utah—they head off to the Big 12 to join their biggest rival, BYU. Wazoo and Oregon State are in big trouble. Cal and Stanford are probably headed to the Big 10. Oregon and Washington have value, but I don’t think either is a fit for the Big 10. Oregon has a lot of Nike money, but the SEC doesn’t appear to have any interest. Big 12 would probably be the best fit. Washington brings some history and would provide Oregon with a regional rival so my guess is they land together while Wazoo and Oregon State are singing the Mountain West Blues.

I think both the SEC and the B1G(Ten-then-11-then-12-then-14-now-16) both stop at 16. Why would they keep expanding their conferences and "dilute" the TV revenue payments each school is already receiving if adding additional schools can't really expand the pie? They are doing what they are doing specifically because they do not want to share with the schools with much smaller clout and alumni numbers. Seriously, what school not already in those two conferences and not named Notre Dame really brings more to the SEC/B1G tv pie than they would be taking from it?

Big-12 goes to 16. The ACC better get bigger, and soon.

[HJS]

IB's post is the kiss of death for the ACC. I am interested to see the fallout of the lawsuits. I am also interested to see if ESPN is going to get boxed-out of college sports. The other broadcasters teamed up to get the B10, and now seem to smell blood in the water with Disney trying to exit ESPN. If the rumor is true, the idea would clearly be to create a national minor league where athletes are employees and they would own the major media markets. ESPN would be relegated to a regional network with teams in a handful of Southern States.

I have a passing interest in this because BC is far outside these conversations. We don't deserve to be involved and (even if we had Wake-like performance) we have no interest as an institution to be a minor league sponsor. I assume the next step for the B10 is to start culling the heard. Drop Rutgers, Northwestern and Purdue... pick-up ND, UNC and UVA.

[OCs_Inner_Eagle]

IB's post is the kiss of death for the ACC. I am interested to see the fallout of the lawsuits. I am also interested to see if ESPN is going to get boxed-out of college sports. The other broadcasters teamed up to get the B10, and now seem to smell blood in the water with Disney trying to exit ESPN. If the rumor is true, the idea would clearly be to create a national minor league where athletes are employees and they would own the major media markets. ESPN would be relegated to a regional network with teams in a handful of Southern States.

I have a passing interest in this because BC is far outside these conversations. We don't deserve to be involved and (even if we had Wake-like performance) we have no interest as an institution to be a minor league sponsor. I assume the next step for the B10 is to start culling the heard. Drop Rutgers, Northwestern and Purdue... pick-up ND, UNC and UVA.

Question for the lawyers: will antitrust issues arise with all this realignment?

I would think if/when the B10 and SEC go pro (player as paid employees with salary-first compensation), they can't just do it alone and close off everyone else without risking antitrust issues. So would they want the B12 as a third professional outlet, with aspiring baby killers amongst the G5 as a fourth pro outlet? These programs would operate much like G-League Ignite and Overtime Elite but with well-established brand names associated with the colleges as the labels rather than "FC Barcelona" or "AC Milan".

Then I guess the ACC remnants would join schools like Northwestern and maybe Stanford to spearhead a more "traditional" college model with full rides plus stipends as the players' compensation. The traditional kids could still aspire to join the NFL as usual after 3-5 years, or could use the trads as a stepping stone to the sub-pros before jumping all the way to the NFL. Or of course they could take the free degree as good enough, with the caveat that they produce on the field in the trad division.