More conference realignment talk

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Excluding the SEC and B10, has anyone done it better than Yormark and the Big12?

So he ranks third out of the remaining P4 commissioners? Third out of the P5 if you want to include the dearly departed P12?

High praise.

I think the Cincy and UH additions were as much about TV sets as competitive football teams. Not suggesting those schools are number 1 in the markets (Cincy is OSU, Huston is TAM?) but like UCF (who may have potential) brings TV audiences.

Overall I agree, in hindsight I think he may have jumped the gun on some of those additions in light of the ACC's situation. 

He had to jump the gun to redo the ESPN contract. They had to make additions with the loss of Nebraska, Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma. Had the P12 broke apart earlier, my guess is that they wouldn't added all four of those earlier additions.

[brewcity77]

But did his aggressiveness on those programs help create the ACC's situation? Houston, Cincy, UCF, and BYU added markets but also kept the league alive. If they don't make those additions when they did, would they have seen their own members trying to jump ship to the Pac-12 or ACC? Would they have still had the pull to add Colorado, Utah, and the Arizona schools?

Honestly not sure the B12 would've been alive to raid the P12 or ACC if they don't make those additions.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

But did his aggressiveness on those programs help create the ACC's situation? Houston, Cincy, UCF, and BYU added markets but also kept the league alive. If they don't make those additions when they did, would they have seen their own members trying to jump ship to the Pac-12 or ACC? Would they have still had the pull to add Colorado, Utah, and the Arizona schools?

Honestly not sure the B12 would've been alive to raid the P12 or ACC if they don't make those additions.

I don't disagree. It's all Monday morning quarterbacking at this point.

[forgetful]

I'm not saying it's a wise investment. Just an example of why schools don't want to give it up.

My apologies for misunderstanding. We agree there.

[UWW2MU]

True, but is would be a big help as the Big12 distributed (from all revenues) about $55M to members last year under their old TV deal.

They'd be better off just dropping Football.  So would a lot of other schools.  Not counted in their deficit is the fact that student fees, the school itself, and the state directly contribute and that money is counted as "revenue" for the athletics department.

It is crazy the amount of resources being taken from other areas to prop up their football.  Even crazier is that most of the country probably couldn't even tell you if they even HAVE a football program.

[MUbiz]

UConn is staying in BE for now

https://x.com/JonRothstein/status/1831725011192754186?t=-HkFNj9z4LCBhFaU89kGPA&s=19

[Scoop Snoop]

UConn is staying in BE for now

https://x.com/JonRothstein/status/1831725011192754186?t=-HkFNj9z4LCBhFaU89kGPA&s=19

And what are their alternative options? Joining the A10?   

[MUbiz]

And what are their alternative options? Joining the A10?   

LOL. Pray the ACC breaks up soon is probably the logical alternative.

[MDMU04]

Sure sounds to me like Yormark didn't have the votes. And aside from UConn getting basically no media payout for an extended period of time for football, I'm not sure how the deal gets sweetened from the point of view of the B12 membership.

Yormark is persistent and will try again, but it feels like he is either going to need a new angle or a significant change in the current conference alignment situation to get the partnership done.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Yormack seems to think the basketball side of things is undervalued, but it seems to me that this would be pretty easy to lay out in black and white if that were the case.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think Yormack understands that the B12 will always be the third best football conference.  That will never change.  But they have a chance to be the best basketball conference of all time and there's value in that.  I think there's something to be said for investing in your strongest product.  The Catholic 7 tried to convince the football schools of this before the split. They wouldn't listen and now the Big East is strong, the AAC is a midmajor, and most of the football schools that left are struggling and will be left out of the next major round of realignment.

[DFW HOYA]

And what are their alternative options? Joining the A10?   

The Big 12 was (and is) never the end game for UConn, it was to have a seat at the big table when the Big 12 and ACC go to war and what is left of the ACC looks for backfill. As a Big 12 team this gives UConn viability to be situated amidst Syracuse, Pitt, and BC when the walls come tumbling down.

This won't be Yormark's last dalliance with trying to get a UConn in the door (I suspect he also has a scenario for St. John's and the NYC market) but the Big 12 presidents have enough to worry right now than to chase after schools.

[swoopem]

I think Yormack understands that the B12 will always be the third best football conference.  That will never change.

They could be the 4th best conference. Their champ will probably be the 4 seed this year considering The U is back

[TallTitan34]

Guess UConn can go back to telling their recruits they will be in the ACC.

[MurphysTillClose]

They could be the 4th best conference. Their champ will probably be the 4 seed this year considering The U is back

Might want to pull back on "The U is back". The gators are hot garbage (maybe 4 wins?) with lots of games left. Do like Cam Ward though.

[MDMU04]

Might want to pull back on "The U is back". The gators are hot garbage (maybe 4 wins?) with lots of games left. Do like Cam Ward though.

This is correct. Florida is a real mess and Billy Napier may not survive September. Miami will do what FSU did last year...go undefeated playing an awful schedule (U schedule is way worse than FSU's was last year) and get dog-walked by whoever winds up #5.

[MurphysTillClose]

This is correct. Florida is a real mess and Billy Napier may not survive September. Miami will do what FSU did last year...go undefeated playing an awful schedule (U schedule is way worse than FSU's was last year) and get dog-walked by whoever winds up #5.

It's too bad they had to pull out of this year's ND game. That would've been a good one.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

They could be the 4th best conference. Their champ will probably be the 4 seed this year considering The U is back

I'm not talking about any individual season or strength at the top.  I'm talking about long term top to bottom strength. They are miles ahead of the ACC

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I'm not talking about any individual season or strength at the top.  I'm talking about long term top to bottom strength. They are miles ahead of the ACC

Agree. The bottom of the ACC is really, really weak.

[tower912]

UConn to the B12 is on pause.

[WarriorDoc]

Put simply - if there was a serious opportunity for UConn to join the Big 12, the deal would be inked behind closed doors.  Couple days of media leaks and then publicly announced.

My money is that nothing major happens in conference realignment until someone figures out how to exit the ACC GOR before 2036.  Otherwise, 2036 is the next major milestone.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Put simply - if there was a serious opportunity for UConn to join the Big 12, the deal would be inked behind closed doors.  Couple days of media leaks and then publicly announced.

My money is that nothing major happens in conference realignment until someone figures out how to exit the ACC GOR before 2036.  Otherwise, 2036 is the next major milestone.

It will be before then. All of the major conference media deals, including the NCAA's and most major conferences, are done around 2030-34.

[GoldenWarrior11]

If Yormark really wants to be commissioner of a strong NE hoops league, he should put in his resume to replace Val whenever she retires.  Where he has tried (in attempting to adopt and rebrand a NYC tournament as its own), others (Big Ten, ACC) have failed.

No one other than the Big East will own NYC the way it does.

[MU82]

A federal judge on Thursday rejected a key element of a proposed $2.8 billion settlement of an antitrust lawsuit against the N.C.A.A. and the major athletic conferences, throwing into uncertainty an agreement that had been largely seen as ushering in a new era in college sports.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/05/us/ncaa-antitrust-settlement-athletes-pay.html?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

A federal judge on Thursday rejected a key element of a proposed $2.8 billion settlement of an antitrust lawsuit against the N.C.A.A. and the major athletic conferences, throwing into uncertainty an agreement that had been largely seen as ushering in a new era in college sports.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/05/us/ncaa-antitrust-settlement-athletes-pay.html?

Kind of ridiculous that with all of these changes, the NCAA is still sticking with "no 3rd party NIL from boosters." Plus the proposed cap looks DOA as well.