WinstonFrog
New Member
What we know:
— UT/ OU are gone after ‘24-25.
— They are intent on making it super awkward by staying until the GOR is up.
— They think they are going to keep running the conference in the interim.
— They have zero qualms about leaving the so-called “little 8” in limbo until the end, so that they can’t make plans for their own futures — unless they leave for another conference. (ESPN is assisting in this effort.)
— At this point, it has to be considered unlikely that any of the remaining 8 are going to be invited to the PAC, B1G or ACC anytime immediately, if ever.
Don’t let UT/OU run your lives for four years, not determine your future!
— You have 80% of the votes.
— Through ‘24-25, you have a guaranteed media rights deal that cannot be reduced.
— You might even be able to get more, at least in the interim, by this plan.
— If UT/OU don’t like it, tough [ Finebaum ]. You have the votes, you have an uncertain future that you need to work on now! . . . If UT/OU don’t like it, they can pay their penalties and hit the road. Otherwise, UT/OU are just passengers now.
— Start building your future by selecting the programs you are going to need to protect your future as a top 5 conference. Stop this “AAC is going to plunder the Big 12” talk. You are in a position of power because of the four years of GOR. You pick from the AAC programs you can accept; and from the MWC.
Basic math involved
Roughly $370M annually . . .
— 10 teams — $37M per
— 16 teams — $23M per
— That’s a hit, for sure. But, if you don’t act, you’re going to take a far worse hit in ‘25. (BTW, OU/UT also take the same cut and can’t do much about it.)
— (Remember too, the 8 we’re willing to cut down to 7/8 shares to give UT/OU a share and a half each. That would cut them to under $30M each. So look at your possible reduction from
that point, not from 37.)
— Even with those reduced numbers, you are overwhelmingly attractive to every non-P5. (AAC new deal will get them to $10M per, from $7M; MWC makes less than that.)
BUT … nobody ever enters to full shares. They get prorated.
So, if we prorate six new members at $16/$18M/$20M over the final three years, there are pools of $56in ‘22-23, $30M in ‘23-24 and $18M in ‘24-25 to split amongst the existing 8.
— You get three full seasons to build your new product and develop a new national identity. You’ll be P5 as long as UT/OU are there; if they leave, you’ve proven that not only are you not going away but that you are a de facto P5 (if not called as such).
So . . . Expand to 16 for ‘22. When UT/OU leave in ‘25, you still have 14 quality programs with no “riff-raff”. If you decide then you want to get back to 16, or you want to sit at 14 — which you own the rights to “Big 14” — so be it. Either way, you’ve ensured your survival.
So, who you invite?
This is where it ALWAYS gets divisive. Understanding that academics and cultures have to be considered, I’m focusing closer on programs that have experienced extreme commitment to building football and having quality facilities, markets and other sports. I’m not looking to create a snooty culture, but we don’t want a JUCO culture either. We not going to be able to build an NFL-size market, but we don’t places where there is no market. . . . We have to focus on building the strongest business model we can — because, college sports is all about business right now.
— Do NOT just expand east.
— Do NOT just expand west.
— Expand BOTH to the East and West!
— By 8-2 votes (UT/OU will vote no, but who gives a [ Finebaum ] anymore?) invite:
— Cincinnati (ISU/WV get partner)
— Central Florida (new market)
— Memphis (FedEx, other benefits)
— USF or Temple; or Navy (FB-only)
— 2 from “West” — (options include UH, AFA Fb—only, BYU fb-only, BSU fb-only). (I consider San Diego State and Colorado State longer shots that don’t bring as much to the table.)
— I really like the idea of getting my AFA and Navy as football-onlies. That’s national on both sides.
— Alliances with UH, and more with BYU, might make some wrinkle noses. But in our present time and future, we do what we have to do. … Boise academics, that damned blue turf and their rep for terrible academics and a small media market are drawbacks. But, they do have a brand, and they do travel. I would make them a last-gasp choice, but I’m not a university president or athletic director. I know there are worse choices that could be made to any of these schools.
— Don’t worry about alignments and scheduling so much for now. Just get everybody in the house and go to work. Go pods. Go two divisions. Figure out an interim schedule. Go 7 divisional games, two crossovers, and everybody still has 3 non- conference.
— Kansas schools would likely be moved to the East. Not an issue! . . . You could really creative too, like pods where OU and UT are stuck together and only one could get to the championship game. … It’s YOUR conference! RUN IT!!!!
— When UT/OU leave, if you want to go back to 16, there are two of three in the East that you didn’t bring in already (USF/Temple/Navy*) along with a case to be made for UAB; and in the west you’d have options from what you didn’t pick up already.
To quote from my favorite movie, Clerks II . . . “. . . That’s what I would do! That’s what WE should do!”
— UT/ OU are gone after ‘24-25.
— They are intent on making it super awkward by staying until the GOR is up.
— They think they are going to keep running the conference in the interim.
— They have zero qualms about leaving the so-called “little 8” in limbo until the end, so that they can’t make plans for their own futures — unless they leave for another conference. (ESPN is assisting in this effort.)
— At this point, it has to be considered unlikely that any of the remaining 8 are going to be invited to the PAC, B1G or ACC anytime immediately, if ever.
Don’t let UT/OU run your lives for four years, not determine your future!
— You have 80% of the votes.
— Through ‘24-25, you have a guaranteed media rights deal that cannot be reduced.
— You might even be able to get more, at least in the interim, by this plan.
— If UT/OU don’t like it, tough [ Finebaum ]. You have the votes, you have an uncertain future that you need to work on now! . . . If UT/OU don’t like it, they can pay their penalties and hit the road. Otherwise, UT/OU are just passengers now.
— Start building your future by selecting the programs you are going to need to protect your future as a top 5 conference. Stop this “AAC is going to plunder the Big 12” talk. You are in a position of power because of the four years of GOR. You pick from the AAC programs you can accept; and from the MWC.
Basic math involved
Roughly $370M annually . . .
— 10 teams — $37M per
— 16 teams — $23M per
— That’s a hit, for sure. But, if you don’t act, you’re going to take a far worse hit in ‘25. (BTW, OU/UT also take the same cut and can’t do much about it.)
— (Remember too, the 8 we’re willing to cut down to 7/8 shares to give UT/OU a share and a half each. That would cut them to under $30M each. So look at your possible reduction from
that point, not from 37.)
— Even with those reduced numbers, you are overwhelmingly attractive to every non-P5. (AAC new deal will get them to $10M per, from $7M; MWC makes less than that.)
BUT … nobody ever enters to full shares. They get prorated.
So, if we prorate six new members at $16/$18M/$20M over the final three years, there are pools of $56in ‘22-23, $30M in ‘23-24 and $18M in ‘24-25 to split amongst the existing 8.
— You get three full seasons to build your new product and develop a new national identity. You’ll be P5 as long as UT/OU are there; if they leave, you’ve proven that not only are you not going away but that you are a de facto P5 (if not called as such).
So . . . Expand to 16 for ‘22. When UT/OU leave in ‘25, you still have 14 quality programs with no “riff-raff”. If you decide then you want to get back to 16, or you want to sit at 14 — which you own the rights to “Big 14” — so be it. Either way, you’ve ensured your survival.
So, who you invite?
This is where it ALWAYS gets divisive. Understanding that academics and cultures have to be considered, I’m focusing closer on programs that have experienced extreme commitment to building football and having quality facilities, markets and other sports. I’m not looking to create a snooty culture, but we don’t want a JUCO culture either. We not going to be able to build an NFL-size market, but we don’t places where there is no market. . . . We have to focus on building the strongest business model we can — because, college sports is all about business right now.
— Do NOT just expand east.
— Do NOT just expand west.
— Expand BOTH to the East and West!
— By 8-2 votes (UT/OU will vote no, but who gives a [ Finebaum ] anymore?) invite:
— Cincinnati (ISU/WV get partner)
— Central Florida (new market)
— Memphis (FedEx, other benefits)
— USF or Temple; or Navy (FB-only)
— 2 from “West” — (options include UH, AFA Fb—only, BYU fb-only, BSU fb-only). (I consider San Diego State and Colorado State longer shots that don’t bring as much to the table.)
— I really like the idea of getting my AFA and Navy as football-onlies. That’s national on both sides.
— Alliances with UH, and more with BYU, might make some wrinkle noses. But in our present time and future, we do what we have to do. … Boise academics, that damned blue turf and their rep for terrible academics and a small media market are drawbacks. But, they do have a brand, and they do travel. I would make them a last-gasp choice, but I’m not a university president or athletic director. I know there are worse choices that could be made to any of these schools.
— Don’t worry about alignments and scheduling so much for now. Just get everybody in the house and go to work. Go pods. Go two divisions. Figure out an interim schedule. Go 7 divisional games, two crossovers, and everybody still has 3 non- conference.
— Kansas schools would likely be moved to the East. Not an issue! . . . You could really creative too, like pods where OU and UT are stuck together and only one could get to the championship game. … It’s YOUR conference! RUN IT!!!!
— When UT/OU leave, if you want to go back to 16, there are two of three in the East that you didn’t bring in already (USF/Temple/Navy*) along with a case to be made for UAB; and in the west you’d have options from what you didn’t pick up already.
To quote from my favorite movie, Clerks II . . . “. . . That’s what I would do! That’s what WE should do!”
