More conference realignment talk

[Dish]

Cal going to drop football?

I can't imagine Stanford joining the Mountain West, but I have no idea what they do other than go independent.

[forgetful]

I'm starting to think that the FSU announcement of, "we need to leave," may be more of begging of the Big10 and SEC to extend an offer.

I think if the Big10 or SEC guaranteed them a spot and full share, they'd gladly pony up the $120-150M.

But I also think that the Big10 and SEC might not be interested in adding them right now, as it likely won't move the needle money wise for either of them, and the SEC doesn't need a Florida school, and the BIG may not be that interested in establishing a southern foothold.

[Herman Cain]

Excellent chronology of collapse of Pac-12

https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/lists/george-kliavkoff-did-not-have-a-good-job-interview-with-the-pac-12-ceo-group/

[MU82]

Cal going to drop football?

I can't imagine Stanford joining the Mountain West, but I have no idea what they do other than go independent.

Stanford is an attractive property. I would think one of the big 3, probably the now-Big-18, will take them.

Cal? Who knows? Probably end up in a lesser league with Oregon St and Wash St?

I'm starting to think that the FSU announcement of, "we need to leave," may be more of begging of the Big10 and SEC to extend an offer.

That's 100% what it was.

[brewcity77]

ACC , on the other hand,  has an ironclad G of R until 2023. The "Have Nots" in their conference are ecstatic over their media rights deal with ESPN and its ACC Network. The "Perceived Haves" have greater football ambitions and see the gap between ACC and SEC/Big 10 growing.

With those financial disparities, it's not at all iron clad. When B10 and SEC rights are doubling what ACC schools get, they will be looking to get out regardless and it only takes 8 schools to dissolve the league. I'm pretty sure UVA, UNC, Clemson, FSU, and ND could go wherever they like. If Georgia Tech, Miami, and one other school can get an invite, the ACC is toast.

If it's only 6 spots left, maybe that saves the ACC for the short term, but their contract goes for too long for that to hold. Within the next few years, that league will dissolve. Considering the money at play, I think it's a matter of when, not if.

[Herman Cain]

With those financial disparities, it's not at all iron clad. When B10 and SEC rights are doubling what ACC schools get, they will be looking to get out regardless and it only takes 8 schools to dissolve the league. I'm pretty sure UVA, UNC, Clemson, FSU, and ND could go wherever they like. If Georgia Tech, Miami, and one other school can get an invite, the ACC is toast.

If it's only 6 spots left, maybe that saves the ACC for the short term, but their contract goes for too long for that to hold. Within the next few years, that league will dissolve. Considering the money at play, I think it's a matter of when, not if.

The deal itself is Iron Clad. Not the League.

The schools who want out of the ACC just have to pay their $120 million exit fee and then negotiate Grant of Rights as Bubba points out. My guess is at most 4 come up with the coin to do so.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/acc/2023/08/03/north-carolina-ad-bubba-cunningham-florida-state-barking/70526085007/

[MarquetteMike1977]

CBS Sports Oregon approves Big Ten move

[Johnny B]

Weird the pac 12 is essentially gone. Maybe they will scrap some mid majors together and become tantamount to the wacc big whatever is now a super conference

[Tyler COLEk]

Utah and Arizona St. likely on their way to the Big 12. That should just about put UConn's hopes to bed. For the foreseeable future, at least.

https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1687575233111187456

[El Guerrero 2]

Utah and Arizona St. likely on their way to the Big 12. That should just about put UConn's hopes to bed. For the foreseeable future, at least.

https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1687575233111187456

The only upside of this whole episode was watching UConn fans irrationally get their hopes up and have them crashed to pieces again. Eff them.

[brewcity77]

Weird the pac 12 is essentially gone. Maybe they will scrap some mid majors together and become tantamount to the wacc big whatever is now a super conference

Guessing the remaining schools will probably just raid the Mountain West. The Pac-12 brand name likely still has some value. The only question is if they just take the top 6-10 teams in the MWC or if they take everyone, and what they do with outliers like Air Force (service academy) and Hawaii (football only member).

[Tyler COLEk]

The only upside of this whole episode was watching UConn fans irrationally get their hopes up and have them crashed to pieces again. Eff them.

Totally agree, great stuff. I think many scoopers correctly identified that offering UConn a full share was never going to make sense for Big 12 presidents.

[El Guerrero 2]

Totally agree, great stuff. I think many scoopers correctly identified that offering UConn a full share was never going to make sense for Big 12 presidents.

That should have been blatantly obvious to UConn fans too, but alas.

[PointWarrior]

Now rumblings the Pac-12 or whatever zombie version is left might survive as Dan Wetzel of Yahoo and Pat Forde of SI report Oregon/Washington to Big Ten has lost "steam" and a GOR and deal with Apple might be in the offing

Apparently Wetzel and Forde don't know crap.

[shoothoops]

https://www.espn.com/college-football/insider/story/_/id/38109648/college-realignment-buzz-pac-12-big-12-arizona-next

Also Thamel, the deal presented to Pac 12 today was Apple, less than Big 12 $ but potentially more $ with incentives.

Some dudes are better at this than others. Thamel is one of those dudes.

[cven7]

So PAC12 merges with MWC and becomes the PAC16, the ACC GOR continues to hold up, we shut this thread down until 2035, and we're all to bed by 9:00?  Sweet.

[WhiteTrash]

So PAC12 merges with MWC and becomes the PAC16, the ACC GOR continues to hold up, we shut this thread down until 2035, and we're all to bed by 9:00?  Sweet.

Yes, please.

[MarquetteMike1977]

CBS Sports Arizona, Arizona State, Utah join Big 12: Programs follow Colorado departing Pac-12 before 2024 season

[Tums Festival]

Guessing the remaining schools will probably just raid the Mountain West. The Pac-12 brand name likely still has some value. The only question is if they just take the top 6-10 teams in the MWC or if they take everyone, and what they do with outliers like Air Force (service academy) and Hawaii (football only member).

"Mountain West schools have to pay $34 million dollar exit fee to leave for the Pac 12.

The Pac 12 that doesn't have a media deal.

This is not happening."

https://twitter.com/HotTalkJayhawk/status/1684646001913556992

[Mu8891]

Wow.  The PAC 12 is dead ...

What is Bill Walton drinking ( or smoking) right now ?

[brewcity77]

"Mountain West schools have to pay $34 million dollar exit fee to leave for the Pac 12.

The Pac 12 that doesn't have a media deal.

This is not happening."

https://twitter.com/HotTalkJayhawk/status/1684646001913556992

If an individual school leaves, yes, that's the case. If six members leave at once? Then they just vote to dissolve the league, the Mountain West no longer formally exists, and everyone is left on their own.

So if San Diego State, Boise State, Air Force, Colorado State, UNLV, and Fresno State all go to the Pac-12, maybe joining SMU and Tulane from the American, the Mountain West would cease to exist and the Pac-12 would survive with those new members and likely no exit fees.

The Mountain West remains could probably reform the league with some C-USA schools, but just because of the name recognition, I think the Pac-12 will survive over the Mountain West, even if it's a majority old Mountain West conference.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Big 12 now pursuing UConn and Gonzaga.

[The Sultan]

I think a much more likely scenario is that the Mountain West absorbs the four remaining Pac 12 schools, and gets to use the Pac-12 (or Pac-16) name. Similar to how the C7 schools negotiated keeping "Big East."

It would be a 16 team football league - 15 for basketball since Hawaii is a football only member.  Not too big by any means these days.

And the Pac schools could negotiate a decrease in their exit payments in case a major conference comes calling. I think that might be likely for Stanford, maybe even Cal, but Oregon State and Washington State fit the profiles of the MWC pretty nicely.

[WhiteTrash]

Big 12 now pursuing UConn and Gonzaga.

I also hear they are interested in Colorado, Utah, Arizona and ASU.

[HutchwasClutch]

This is a great column. I couldn't agree more with everything.  A bunch of money and power whores everyone involved.  Everyone else in our way, screw you.  And the columnist is right too that it doesn't end with this round.  Am unquenchable thirst for power and greed. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/columnist/dan-wolken/2023/08/03/college-sports-ruined-failed-leaders-expansion-ncaa-pac-12/70519616007/