In regards to the idea of shrinking down the number of "big time" conferences to just three super conferences (say the ACC, Big 10/12/16 whatever, and the SEC 16/18/20 whatever), with there no longer being a Big 12, PAC 12, Mountain West, or AAC, don't you also run the risk of shrinking down the college football available audience?
Under this Super 3 conferences scenario, you would only have "big time college football" east of Interstate 35! With the old fans of every school west of that demarcation line no longer enjoying even the slimmest hope of "making the playoffs", it just seems like their enthusiasm for watching a Texas/OU matchup, much less a Indiana/Kentucky one, will dissipate faster than a fart in a Gulf Coast hurricane.
I doubt that's what ESPN or whoever had in mind when they started this. And that's not even taking in to account the previously mentioned problem for the "Haves" of no longer padding their win-column with the likes of Kansas, Baylor, Tulsa, Louisiana Tech, etc. Even with 30 something previously big-time schools consistently fighting over 12 playoff spots, even these 3 super conferences will soon find themselves separating out into a new "Haves" and a new "Have Nots"segments.
It just seems, perhaps naively, that the media giants would be better off not going the route of Dishwashing liquid and concentrate their power too much! Maintaining a reservoir of hope for some of the remnants of the AAC, Mountain West, Big/Little 12, and the PAC-12, would tend to keep those folks watching. That would be a better long-term investment for these media king-makers than grinding these lesser conferences underfoot and scattering their remains to the four winds!
In regards to the idea of shrinking down the number of "big time" conferences to just three super conferences (say the ACC, Big 10/12/16 whatever, and the SEC 16/18/20 whatever), with there no longer being a Big 12, PAC 12, Mountain West, or AAC, don't you also run the risk of shrinking down the college football available audience?
Under this Super 3 conferences scenario, you would only have "big time college football" east of Interstate 35! With the old fans of every school west of that demarcation line no longer enjoying even the slimmest hope of "making the playoffs". It just seems like their enthusiasm for watching a Texas/OU matchup, much less a Indiana/Kentucky one, will dissipate faster than a fart in a Gulf Coast hurricane.
I doubt that's what ESPN or whoever had in mind when they started this. And that's not even taking in to account the previously mentioned problem for the "Haves" of no longer padding their win-column with the likes of Kansas, Baylor, Tulsa, Louisiana Tech, etc. Even with 30 something previously big-time schools consistently fighting over 12 playoff spots, even these 3 super conferences will soon find themselves separating out into a new "Haves" and a new "Have Nots"segments.
It just seems, perhaps naively, that the media giants would be better off not going the route of Dishwashing liquid and concentrate their power too much! Maintaining a reservoir of hope for some of the remnants of the AAC, Mountain West, Big/Little 12, and the PAC-12, would tend to keep those folks watching. That would be a better long-term investment for these media king-makers than grinding these lesser conferences underfoot and scattering their remains to the four winds!
That's how I see it panning out. Auburn already has a great rival with Georgia. (The oldest for their conference and part of the country.) Bama has Tenn. LSU will just be a crossover each year for Bama. Texas does not want any part of bama. They'll have enough time with Ole Miss.SEC East will be Bama, Vandy, Kentucky, Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida; West will be the Mississippi teams, Ark, Mizzou, LSU, A&M, OU and UT
Yeah, but too may of our own fans went with it.Fairly confident it was UT and OU intentionally driving that opinion
drop the inferiority complex already. The conference could have poached teams from the big 10 and pac. and my statement was not about keeping the whorens and toothless lotto ticket punchers. It is the reality that as they leave, we would have had at least 10 teams still. Making it more survivable."If only Houston, Cincinnati and BYU were in the conference, we wouldn't go to the SEC" - Texas/Oklahoma?
Yeah, gonna go ahead and doubt that one.
That’s correct. And, more significantly, A&M wants nothing to do with Bama. Hence the abrupt recent about face.That's how I see it panning out. Auburn already has a great rival with Georgia. (The oldest for their conference and part of the country.) Bama has Tenn. LSU will just be a crossover each year for Bama. Texas does not want any part of bama. They'll have enough time with Ole Miss.
Creative post, thanks.I think it all ends up breaking out something like:
- SEC Super League or whatever it's called-32 teams
- NCAA 1A- Five, 12-team regional leagues similar to older days. TCU, Baylor, SMU, Houston, Rice, UTEP, UTSA, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Oklahoma State,
Then you would have another of Wake Forrest, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Memphis, UCF, South Florida, East Carolina, etc...
Out west would have Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State, UNLV, Utah, etc...
- NCAA 2A- all the others
The universities won't want to dump football completely and have these big stadiums sitting empty so regional matchups will help with traveling fans. The 1A's will find streaming partners. There will still be bowl games but not nearly as many.
ESPN will show these games if the super league isn't playing. Playoff games will replace bowl content so they won't need as many.
It will all fall under the NCAA umbrella so the sec super league and the NCAA can make money from the basketball tournament, but in football they will consider the super league separate basically. Ncaa still wants the cash from basketball, and they need the larger schools for that, in exchange, the super league can govern itself for football.
SmooSay for some reason we go to Pac 12, and Baylor goes to ACC or AAC. Who do we keep in the schedule? Baylor or SMU?
I think it will only be two conferences of 18 teams each. B1G will poach USC, UCLA, UW, UO. SEC will grab Clem and FSU.In regards to the idea of shrinking down the number of "big time" conferences to just three super conferences (say the ACC, Big 10/12/16 whatever, and the SEC 16/18/20 whatever), with there no longer being a Big 12, PAC 12, Mountain West, or AAC, don't you also run the risk of shrinking down the college football available audience?
Under this Super 3 conferences scenario, you would only have "big time college football" east of Interstate 35! With the old fans of every school west of that demarcation line no longer enjoying even the slimmest hope of "making the playoffs". It just seems like their enthusiasm for watching a Texas/OU matchup, much less a Indiana/Kentucky one, will dissipate faster than a fart in a Gulf Coast hurricane.
I doubt that's what ESPN or whoever had in mind when they started this. And that's not even taking in to account the previously mentioned problem for the "Haves" of no longer padding their win-column with the likes of Kansas, Baylor, Tulsa, Louisiana Tech, etc. Even with 30 something previously big-time schools consistently fighting over 12 playoff spots, even these 3 super conferences will soon find themselves separating out into a new "Haves" and a new "Have Nots"segments.
It just seems, perhaps naively, that the media giants would be better off not going the route of Dishwashing liquid and concentrate their power too much! Maintaining a reservoir of hope for some of the remnants of the AAC, Mountain West, Big/Little 12, and the PAC-12, would tend to keep those folks watching. That would be a better long-term investment for these media king-makers than grinding these lesser conferences underfoot and scattering their remains to the four winds!
I think it will only be two conferences of 18 teams each. B1G will poach USC, UCLA, UW, UO. SEC will grab Clem and FSU.
I think UNC and UVA will also get added at some point. Maybe a few others. But agree that is where we are heading.I think it will only be two conferences of 18 teams each. B1G will poach USC, UCLA, UW, UO. SEC will grab Clem and FSU.
I hope you are wrong because this will destroy the game that we all love, and it is not good for the university.
I think UNC and UVA will also get added at some point. Maybe a few others. But agree that is where we are heading.
The question will be if those leagues split off from the NCAA. Obviously they could but the question in my mind is if that is in their best interest. Not sure it is.