MSN: Big 12 Reportedly Considering Merger With Another Conference

[TopFrog]

Big 12 Reportedly Considering Merger With Another Conference

Alek Arend

The race to form super conferences within college football is on. Texas and Oklahoma are headed to the SEC, so where does the Big 12 go from here? The Pac-12 isn’t just an option, but is involved in ongoing discussions among conference leaders.

On Thursday, conference leaders discussed “reaching out” to the Pac-12 to form a 20-school super league. The merger would combine its eight remaining programs with the Pac-12’s 12 schools.

“Reaching out to the Pac-12 about a potential 20-school merger was discussed during Thursday’s Big 12 leadership call,” Feldman wrote via The Athletic.

Read more at https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nc...her-conference/ar-AAMubf2?ocid=BingNewsSearch

 

[TopFrog]

Likely four mega conferences is what we end up with.

For more than a decade I have called for breaking up the conferences and going to six-eight regional alignments with the winners and a couple of at-large teams playing for the championship. Too bad we didn't do this IMO.

 

[tcuball3]

The option seems pretty intriguing, could get the PAC 12 some better access to middle of the country and better TV times/deals

 

[The Artist Formerly Known as PhormerPhrog]

Seems rather preposterous that you could be in the same conference for 20 years before you complete a home-and-home with a team from the other division. 4 5-team pods wouldn't work. You could do something like a 10-game conference schedule. 2 divisions. Play 7 division games and 3 against the other. Otherwise, you don't really have a conference, you have baseball pre-1995.

 

[Peacefrog]

Seems rather preposterous that you could be in the same conference for 20 years before you complete a home-and-home with a team from the other division. 4 5-team pods wouldn't work. You could do something like a 10-game conference schedule. 2 divisions. Play 7 division games and 3 against the other. Otherwise, you don't really have a conference, you have baseball pre-1995.

It’s a conference in name only. Just a way to make a deal with a media partner. But 20 would dilute the money too much. 1+1 doesn’t equal 2, I wouldn’t imagine. If it does, the pac would agree. If it doesn’t they wouldn’t.

 

[HG73]

First thing after the merger no divisions and go back to an eight game conference schedule. That way we make our good teams have better records like the SEC.

Championship game between the teams with the two best records. That winner would have to be in any four team CFP and would have multiple teams in a 12 team playoff.

One big conference network. PAC needs content (and so will we) and they need CTZ exposure. This will provide both.

Structure the TV deal so that the PAC doesn't get diluted from their present contract. This means less for the Big12 teams but much better than AAC money.

 

[Peacefrog]

The teams that end up left out of the P4/P5 model need to be bold and change the whole approach to how games are broadcast. I have no idea what that is but something to differentiate them from the big guys that draws eyeballs. At a minimum there needs to be shorter games with less commercial breaks. That would entail more on field and on screen and on Jersey advertising but soccer can do it so football should be able to do it as well. Three hour games max. Access to coaches and players in games. I want hear what wallow was saying to OSU when he was signaling come on to them. Maybe a separate streaming broadcast with miked up players and coaches. More behind the scenes access. And wide open football without interminable reviews. Short half times. Innovative changes to game play to make it more wide open.

I have no clue what changes to make but something that makes it a more fun game to watch and shorter game times. If you try to out the same product on the field as the BigSEC40 then it won’t garner any additional eyeballs. You would want the big guys trying to match your innovation. Don’t bring in a football guy to design it. Bring in someone creative and a little crazy.

 

[HG73]

The teams that end up left out of the P4/P5 model need to be bold and change the whole approach to how games are broadcast. I have no idea what that is but something to differentiate them from the big guys that draws eyeballs. At a minimum there needs to be shorter fakes with less commercial breaks. That would entail more on field and on screen and on Jersey advertising but soccer can do it so football should be able to do it as well. Three hour games max. Access to coaches and players in games. I want hear what wallow was saying to OSU when he was signaling come on to them. Maybe a separate streaming broadcast with miked up players and coaches. More behind the scenes access. And wide open football without interminable reviews. Short half times. Innovative changes to game play to make it more wide open.

I have no clue what changes to make but something that makes it a more fun game to watch and shorter game times. If you try to out the same product on the field as the BigSEC40 then it won’t garner any additional eyeballs. You would want the big guys trying to match your innovation. Don’t bring in a football guy to design it. Bring in someone creative and a little crazy.

YES, a little more up tempo broadcast with a 3 hour maximum time.

 

[Peacefrog]

The teams that end up left out of the P4/P5 model need to be bold and change the whole approach to how games are broadcast. I have no idea what that is but something to differentiate them from the big guys that draws eyeballs. At a minimum there needs to be shorter games with less commercial breaks. That would entail more on field and on screen and on Jersey advertising but soccer can do it so football should be able to do it as well. Three hour games max. Access to coaches and players in games. I want hear what wallow was saying to OSU when he was signaling come on to them. Maybe a separate streaming broadcast with miked up players and coaches. More behind the scenes access. And wide open football without interminable reviews. Short half times. Innovative changes to game play to make it more wide open.

I have no clue what changes to make but something that makes it a more fun game to watch and shorter game times. If you try to out the same product on the field as the BigSEC40 then it won’t garner any additional eyeballs. You would want the big guys trying to match your innovation. Don’t bring in a football guy to design it. Bring in someone creative and a little crazy.

And the stupid traditional marching band uniforms have to go. Let’s make marching bands resemble the century we are in.

 

[The Artist Formerly Known as PhormerPhrog]

The teams that end up left out of the P4/P5 model need to be bold and change the whole approach to how games are broadcast. I have no idea what that is but something to differentiate them from the big guys that draws eyeballs. At a minimum there needs to be shorter games with less commercial breaks. That would entail more on field and on screen and on Jersey advertising but soccer can do it so football should be able to do it as well. Three hour games max. Access to coaches and players in games. I want hear what wallow was saying to OSU when he was signaling come on to them. Maybe a separate streaming broadcast with miked up players and coaches. More behind the scenes access. And wide open football without interminable reviews. Short half times. Innovative changes to game play to make it more wide open.

I have no clue what changes to make but something that makes it a more fun game to watch and shorter game times. If you try to out the same product on the field as the BigSEC40 then it won’t garner any additional eyeballs. You would want the big guys trying to match your innovation. Don’t bring in a football guy to design it. Bring in someone creative and a little crazy.

Glow puck.

 

[Paul in uhh]

And the stupid traditional marching band uniforms have to go. Let’s make marching bands resemble the century we are in.

 

[froginmn]

It’s a conference in name only. Just a way to make a deal with a media partner. But 20 would dilute the money too much. 1+1 doesn’t equal 2, I wouldn’t imagine. If it does, the pac would agree. If it doesn’t they wouldn’t.

I like the idea of three six team pods. Let Kansas go to the Big 10 and Baylor go to hell.

 

[Wexahu]

Doesn't sound all that appealing but this is probably the best and only chance for us to remain somewhat relevant in college football for the near future. I'm sure USC and maybe a few others (Oregon, UCLA ,Washington?) will be exploring ways to get out of the "conference" as soon as a deal is made, so any excitement will be short-lived.

I think in 20 years we'll look back and think, damn we screwed this sport up royally. College football is losing it's soul. It's gonna become a t-shirt fan sport completely disconnected from education. Might as well go ahead and do away with scholarship limits and just go with salary caps.

I'm venting a bit but all this just totally sucks.

 

[Purp]

Saxy

 

[LVH]

Likely four mega conferences is what we end up with.

For more than a decade I have called for breaking up the conferences and going to six-eight regional alignments with the winners and a couple of at-large teams playing for the championship. Too bad we didn't do this IMO.

4 mega conferences will be an extremely short term endeavor.

The Big school greed will ultimately have them start whining about teams like Oregon State and Wake Forest not pulling their own weight.

Then the top schools in each conference split off.

 

[flyfishingfrog]

Doesn't sound all that appealing but this is probably the best and only chance for us to remain somewhat relevant in college football for the near future. I'm sure USC and maybe a few others (Oregon, UCLA ,Washington?) will be exploring ways to get out of the "conference" as soon as a deal is made, so any excitement will be short-lived.

I think in 20 years we'll look back and think, damn we screwed this sport up royally. College football is losing it's soul. It's gonna become a t-shirt fan sport completely disconnected from education. Might as well go ahead and do away with scholarship limits and just go with salary caps.

I'm venting a bit but all this just totally sucks.

USC and Oregon are already being courted to join the new mega conference so would not count on them being around for anything that looks like a PAC/B12 combo

only remaining question it seems in the overall equation is if the B10 grows to be the opposing conference for the SEC by picking up Clemson and a few other top tier players or if the SEC just absorbs those they want from ACC, B1G and PAC and create a elite conference above it all

if what I was told is correct and the contract for the top 24 teams would basically be the same as the one for 64 teams - why would those top teams want to divide the pie who with the rest of us?

 

[Wexahu]

USC and Oregon are already being courted to join the new mega conference so would not count on them being around for anything that looks like a PAC/B12 combo

only remaining question it seems in the overall equation is if the B10 grows to be the opposing conference for the SEC by picking up Clemson and a few other top tier players or if the SEC just absorbs those they want from ACC, B1G and PAC and create a elite conference above it all

if what I was told is correct and the contract for the top 24 teams would basically be the same as the one for 64 teams - why would those top teams want to divide the pie who with the rest of us?

That, and which ones of the MSU's, Ole Miss's, South Carolina's, Northwestern's, and Iowa's will be deemed worthy of being in the super league.

 

[BrewingFrog]

Oh, but the SEC is a-courtin other Big Programs: https://www.outkick.com/clemson-ohio-state-michigan-and-florida-state-sec/

That pretty much skims the cream off the top of the Name Brands, now doesn't it. That leaves the Name Brand outfits on the West Coast, which evidently are not desirable to the SEC.

The PAC really hasn't got many options, other than expansion/merger. I don't like the 20-team Conference thing, as it is too bulky. The TV people would love it because it gives them Moar Playoffs! (NE v SW, SE v NW, Championship Game) Really, all this signifies is the final destruction of what used to be quaintly considered Tradition, and Regional Rivalries. It's all devolved to money. Only money...

 

[DeuceBoogieNights]

The teams that end up left out of the P4/P5 model need to be bold and change the whole approach to how games are broadcast. I have no idea what that is but something to differentiate them from the big guys that draws eyeballs. At a minimum there needs to be shorter games with less commercial breaks. That would entail more on field and on screen and on Jersey advertising but soccer can do it so football should be able to do it as well. Three hour games max. Access to coaches and players in games. I want hear what wallow was saying to OSU when he was signaling come on to them. Maybe a separate streaming broadcast with miked up players and coaches. More behind the scenes access. And wide open football without interminable reviews. Short half times. Innovative changes to game play to make it more wide open.

I have no clue what changes to make but something that makes it a more fun game to watch and shorter game times. If you try to out the same product on the field as the BigSEC40 then it won’t garner any additional eyeballs. You would want the big guys trying to match your innovation. Don’t bring in a football guy to design it. Bring in someone creative and a little crazy.

It could become even more like European soccer. There would be smaller leagues. More transfers and things like that. The school and what it has to offer becomes more valuable than the coach or sponsorships. Everything more localized. Find a couple streaming partners. I like your idea of shorter games. Provide better commentary and actually relevant sideline information.

It is what it is. The sport is being ruined in front of us.

 

[LVH]

That, and which ones of the MSU's, Ole Miss's, South Carolina's, Northwestern's, and Iowa's will be deemed worthy of being in the super league.

It's crazy how few people here are unable to see this

So even if we are lucky enough to get into the Pac 16... so what? Eventually the big schools will jump ship to join forces with other big schools and turn the P64 into the P24 or P32 in a heart beat.

College Football is over and it won't be fixed until this inevitable 24 or 32 team super league fails miserably.

TCU fans need to stop rooting for admission into the Pac 12 and start rooting for the quickest path of destruction possible for this 32 team super league idea.