Exactly. I've pointed out how the NFL came to it's senses in the mid 90's and realized that parity was important for the overall product.
Conference Realignment - What's next?
- Thread starter GratefulPoke
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Parity has made billions for the NFL. That said, I'm not sure it's a viable model for college football. In the NFL you can finish 10-6 (sometimes worse), and make the playoffs based on a fixed formula. In college, you might go 10-2, but if you don't have an $ec sticker on your helmet you may not get in. And if my team doesn't have a somewhat equal chance to make the playoff, I'm not watching a matchup of 8-4 $ec and B1g teams.
That's exactly my point. If you virtually eliminate large swaths of the country, interest in your product is impacted negatively.
I guess to add to it, the paradigm shifts going on right now with NIL and the portal are going to fundamentally change a lot of people's feelings about college athletics. To assume that the trajectory of demand will increase from here is dubious at best to me. Continuing to stack the deck even further in favor a select few is a step toward pushing people to the NFL, imo.
I'm one of those people that likes both college and pro sports and have both available locally. Why do I like sports? Because the competition often produces a compelling product, and I find that entertaining. I can turn on Sunday Ticket every single week and every single team that takes the field has a chance to win. When I look at the CFB schedule a lot of weeks, that's not the case with a ton of games.
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Georgia Poke
Deputy
In the NFL, each and every team has a legit and equal path to the Super Bowl. That's just not so with college football.
You argued with that point a few months back.
This. And they even force parity as a business model. Not only through draft order, but by scheduling top teams vs top teams and lower teams vs lower teams each season. Sure, you still have to play all your divisional opponents 2x/year, but if you finished 3rd or 4th in your division you'll play a significant number of games against other 3rd/4th place teams. The format forces an increase in the number of competitive records, meaning a greater variety of teams have a shot at making the playoffs, which drives overall tv ratings through the roof. And pretty much every year there is a Cinderella team (or 2) that go from mediocrity to "playoff contender." That's bound to happen against a weaker schedule. It's
brilliant, and pays accordingly.
Similarly, college basketball, probably the 2nd most successful format in American sports, stresses what I'll call "parity of opportunity." They make no pretense at getting the "best" 66 teams in the tournament, they take the "most deserving" teams, those that win their conference, even at the expense of leaving some better teams out. But doing so creates tremendous, country-wide interest. Every year there are Cinderella stories, often with at least one into the Elite 8. Sure, give any of us 10 guesses January 1 and we could guess half of the Elite 8, but there are always surprises.
Now contrast that with the CFP. A self-serving committee chooses 2 (then 4, now 12) teams they consider the "best," not the most deserving. And it's based on whatever criteria serves its purpose in any given year. Conference champs? Sometimes. Strength schedule? Sometimes, but guess who gets to determine SOS. Best loss? Absolutely (if your name is Bama and you didn't even win your division, much less your conference).
That's why I've never watched an entire CFB playoff game. I just have no interest in a system rigged from the start against my team. Maybe this is the year I finally watch 1. Or 2. Or 3.
The better analogy is when the AFL/NFL stopped competing and merged. The conference maps should have been frozen in the early 2000's, the power conferences agree to merge their media rights for negotiation, and payouts include a function of TV ratings so the bluebloods wouldn't have any legitimate complaints about distributions. It's absurd that Indiana makes the same as Ohio State, which is twice as much as OSU or KSU.
PorcupinePoke
New member
PorcupinePoke
New member
Word from Josh Pate is that something BIG could happen THIS WEEK. Some are theorizing that this is ESPN officially not picking up the existing ACC contract past 2027. That effectively kills the ACC GoR in 2027 (3 years) and suddenly schools can start negotiating moves to a new conference.
PorcupinePoke
New member
Also, there is legit talk behind the curtain (according to Ross Delinger indirectly and Greg Flugar directly) that the Big 12 is going after FSU and Clemson. What could it mean?
sports.yahoo.com
It sounds crazy, but it seems there is an actual chance. How could it happen? That is anyone's guess. I have zero inside info, but here is what I think COULD happen. Yormark says to Clemson and FSU. Come here and bring your 6 best ACC buds. We will take sell your games as a package up through the existing Big 12 contract (4 years with 2027-2030). Whatever you guys get you keep for that period. Come 2031 we will all bid together.
Then we split into two "Conferences" of 12. WV, Cinci, UCF, and Houston join you. Now we get two auto-bids and the new Atlantic 12 effectively replaces the ACC as a P4 conference. Meanwhile, the Big 12 now gets most of the ACC CFP money and gets MUCH closer to the SEC/B1G there. FSU and Clemson (plus other ACC schools) get what they want without losing what they love.
After reshaping the conference, what's next for Brett Yormark and Big 12? 'You could say we are still open for business'
The Big 12 boss says he's a "disruptor" and there's no doubting that with all new schools in his league and the ideas he's floating. The league's expansion may not be done yet.
sports.yahoo.com
It sounds crazy, but it seems there is an actual chance. How could it happen? That is anyone's guess. I have zero inside info, but here is what I think COULD happen. Yormark says to Clemson and FSU. Come here and bring your 6 best ACC buds. We will take sell your games as a package up through the existing Big 12 contract (4 years with 2027-2030). Whatever you guys get you keep for that period. Come 2031 we will all bid together.
Then we split into two "Conferences" of 12. WV, Cinci, UCF, and Houston join you. Now we get two auto-bids and the new Atlantic 12 effectively replaces the ACC as a P4 conference. Meanwhile, the Big 12 now gets most of the ACC CFP money and gets MUCH closer to the SEC/B1G there. FSU and Clemson (plus other ACC schools) get what they want without losing what they love.
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HacklemanPoke
Deputy
It will be interesting to see if the NFL ever sees sec/big as a threat. I bet you see the draft age drop pretty quick.
I could see the sec trying to eliminate the number of years of eligibility in the not so distant future. It's a logical next step, right?
Good leadership is the answer. We have a good leader, the PAC didn't. They had Dan Beebe 2.0.Still trying to figure out how the XII sunk the Pac........
Yes, it took survival desperation for the schools to bring in someone with vision & empower him.
Pretty different landscape today versus Beebe being a puppet for the 40 acres.
I don’t think they care if a handful of upset fans of schools that were not invited to the party decide not to watch. They control the biggest, most watched “brands” in college football and control the largest media markets and righteous holdouts don’t move the viewership needle.
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PorcupinePoke
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Definitely too good to be true. haha.
I don't expect to get any extra money per school (other than the CFP) if FSU and Clemson join. It will however significantly help the next negotiation. Also, like I said before. I think we could give FSU and Clemson the additional motivation to come by forgoing pro rata and selling their rights. Then give them all that money.