Conference Realignment - What's next?

Pokes28 said:
I really don't know if I could disagree with you on the source of all of this. It isn't because people started watching streams. The cause of this is because the entire college landscape (except Notre Dame) is in the hands of two competing networks (ESPN and Fox). These two have each gone all in on one of the two major power player conferences. That means that each of them have undertaken the concept of owning or sharing which colleges. Example, ESPN wants OU and Texas to themselves and not to share with Fox. Fox countered by bringing USC and UCLA to the Big 10 and not to share with ESPN.

None of that has to do with streaming. Now if you want to blame streaming on limiting the money available for the PAC to get a decent TV deal, then I'm partially with you. But in the end, overall viewership of the SEC and Big 10 (which have both been hyped up by the ESPN talking heads for the last 15 years which has shaped opinion that good football is only played in those conferences) has caused them to be double the money of the Big 12 and triple the ACC. Now add in the close to limitless portal and NIL and the haves versus the have nots has never been greater and it will continue to get wider over the next 6-7 years unless things are put in place to get some level of control over the situation.
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The PAC minus UCLA and USC essentially had the same TV deal as us negotiated and approved by ESPN. Then the academics got hold of it and told ESPN they were worth much more. ESPN tore up their offer and left leaving the PAC with nothing. GK managed to get the Apple deal after that which was still paying similar money but losing exposure. The university administrators with sense left. Rumor has it San/Cal academic people are the ones that caused the explosion with ESPN. LA times had a nice article about it.
 
PokitN said:
Does anyone have a subscription to be able to read this?
nypost.com

The College Football Playoff decisions looming on its TV future and the balance of conference power

With an expanded college football tournament on the horizon, there are still some questions about the media rights.
nypost.com nypost.com

SIAP, from what I understand the B1G and SEC commissioners threatened the Big 12 (Yormark) to not interfere w/ the playoff negotiations or we will suffer the same fate as the Pac 12.

The utter arrogance...If they want to make college football into this VIP only club where only the blue bloods (plus vanderbilt and rutgers :rolleyes:) fine but you can count my college football watching days over. I'm not gonna watch some BS playoff w/ only B1G and SEC Schools.
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I've already watched hardly any of the "playoff" the last 2 years and exactly zero of the "title game" in that same timeframe. It's a sham and I'd rather spend my time watching non-bluebloods play more entertaining games they haven't bought their way into. Fully remove all but the big 10 and $ec from it and I won't ever watch another second.
 
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DeerePoke said:
The PAC minus UCLA and USC essentially had the same TV deal as us negotiated and approved by ESPN. Then the academics got hold of it and told ESPN they were worth much more. ESPN tore up their offer and left leaving the PAC with nothing. GK managed to get the Apple deal after that which was still paying similar money but losing exposure. The university administrators with sense left. Rumor has it San/Cal academic people are the ones that caused the explosion with ESPN. LA times had a nice article about it.
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The 2 bay area schools being oblivious arrogant, imagine my surprise. I now even more want to take in OrST and WSU so those other 2 are the only ones left flailing in the breeze.
 
When did USC become just Southern California? I’ve been seeing it called that in quite a few TV and news stories.


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ClintDagger said:
There’s an article in the SF Chronicle saying Cal/Stan are exploring joining the B12.
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Season 5 No GIF by The Office
 
In what world do Oregon State and Washington State deserve the same money as us? They are another mouth to feed, a travel nightmare, a mediocre program, meh academics, and most of all NOBODY WATCHES THEM Outside of Apple Cup and Civil War. They never draw a million eyeballs. They don't even dominate their own campus in popularity.
 
Pokes28 said:
I really don't know if I could agree with you on the source of all of this. It isn't because people started watching streams. The cause of this is because the entire college landscape (except Notre Dame) is in the hands of two competing networks (ESPN and Fox). These two have each gone all in on one of the two major power player conferences. That means that each of them have undertaken the concept of owning or sharing which colleges. Example, ESPN wants OU and Texas to themselves and not to share with Fox. Fox countered by bringing USC and UCLA to the Big 10 and not to share with ESPN.

None of that has to do with streaming. Now if you want to blame streaming on limiting the money available for the PAC to get a decent TV deal, then I'm partially with you. But in the end, overall viewership of the SEC and Big 10 (which have both been hyped up by the ESPN talking heads for the last 15 years which has shaped opinion that good football is only played in those conferences) has caused them to be double the money of the Big 12 and triple the ACC. Now add in the close to limitless portal and NIL and the haves versus the have nots has never been greater and it will continue to get wider over the next 6-7 years unless things are put in place to get some level of control over the situation.
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It is absolutely the source. That should be self-evident. Obviously, there are other factors at play. However, cord cutting is the main source and 2nd place isn't even remotely close.

Article I'm attaching is from 2015. ESPN lost $2 billion in 2015 due to cord cutting. From 2015 to 2023, ESPN lost an average of $1.6 billion each year. Cord cutting is without question the most important factor in the collapse of college football. That's nearly $14 billion-ish. As 1.6 million continue to cut the cord every year, well, it's pretty obvious that ESPN and even network TV is in deep trouble.

Eventually, if the status quo continues, SEC and maybe another conference will be the only two conferences in existence. The Big 12, ACC, etc, will no longer exist. Streaming services, such as Amazon and Apple TV, simply cannot keep college football alive. Unless people begin cable and satellite anew, the college football we know will be completely unrecognizable in the very near future. Unless such streaming services increase their monthly cost to what cable/satellite cost, it's over.

I mean, Disney is looking for a "strategic partner" for a reason . Disney is talking to every single entity possible, trying to minimize the damage. Even Amazon. Fact is.. Disney is trying to save ESPN because of the hemorrhaging loss of revenue via cord cutting.


www.google.com

ESPN has lost more than $2 billion because of cord cutting

ESPN is making more money than ever from cable companies, but not as much as they were projecting.
www.google.com www.google.com
 
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Yormack said "we're done." I'll take him at his word. Think cal/Stanford/wsu/beaver fanbois are just wishful thinking/rumoring.

After the badmouthing the elite pac schools did against the big 12 schools (hateful 8), I hope big12 University prezs tell them to pound sand
 
OrangeFan69 said:
In what world do Oregon State and Washington State deserve the same money as us? They are another mouth to feed, a travel nightmare, a mediocre program, meh academics, and most of all NOBODY WATCHES THEM Outside of Apple Cup and Civil War. They never draw a million eyeballs. They don't even dominate their own campus in popularity.
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None of them would make the same money as us until the next media deal. The money isnt there and their viewership numbers tell the tale. Cal would be the worst add of them all.

If they join, its cause the networks want them to and are footing the bill.
 
GratefulPoke said:
If they join, its cause the networks want them to and are footing the bill.
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Bingo. And I think that's what Yormark meant when he said "we're done with expansion". I'm fine with all four joining if the network pays the freight and the Big 12 gets full ownership of the Pac 12 network's assets. Otherwise, they can take a hike.
 
GratefulPoke said:
None of them would make the same money as us until the next media deal. The money isnt there and their viewership numbers tell the tale. Cal would be the worst add of them all.

If they join, its cause the networks want them to and are footing the bill.
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Cal gets better ratings and isn’t in the boondocks like the other two and also plays in front of more recruits than the other two.
 
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