If the blue bloods left for a "super league", who would be hurt more, them or the also-rans like us?

Who would be hurt more?

  • Blue bloods

    Votes: 15 42.9%

  • Also-rans

    Votes: 20 57.1%
  • Total voters
    35
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SeaBee_Gopher

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I probably listen to too many national podcasts that say teams like the Gophers are begging to be kept in the Big Ten and will do whatever Michigan, Ohio State, USC and the others tell us to do. I hope that's not true. It sure isn't true for me. I'll always be a Gopher fan. I don't care if we are in the Big Ten or the Little, Regional Ten.

My friends that went to South Dakota State are Jackrabbits fans more than Gopher fans even though they live here in the cities. They don't care if SDSU is in the FCS. In fact, at least they get to win championships! Would I prefer to stay in the B1G? Yes, but only if I think we are getting a fair shake and can compete.

How many of you agree with me? How many think I'm nuts?
 

SeaBee_Gopher said:
I probably listen to too many national podcasts that say teams like the Gophers are begging to be kept in the Big Ten and will do whatever Michigan, Ohio State, USC and the others tell us to do. I hope that's not true. It sure isn't true for me. I'll always be a Gopher fan. I don't care if we are in the Big Ten or the Little, Regional Ten.

My friends that went to South Dakota State are Jackrabbits fans more than Gopher fans even though they live here in the cities. They don't care if SDSU is in the FCS. In fact, at least they get to win championships! Would I prefer to stay in the B1G? Yes, but only if I think we are getting a fair shake and can compete.

How many of you agree with me? How many think I'm nuts?
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It seems only logical to me that they cheer for the school they went to over the place that they live...
 

Blue bloods would hurt more but for totally different reasons. Someone has to lose those games. Couple that with you’re going to cut markets because you will be competing with local teams and you’re going to lose tv revenue and bargaining power that way. Would be a lose lose for both, but blue blood moreso because some will fall and some in the non blue blood will rise to the top of their grouping
 

Leaving the Big Ten and effectively becoming a mid-major in a major league sports market would make Gophers athletics programs niche and mostly irrelevant, although some might argue they've been that way for decades. We're truly one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't schools when it comes to emerging super conferences.
 



I'd still cheer for the Gophers and watch them, but not sure if I'd watch too many games with teams in the same league as the Gophers. I don't watch MAC, Amamican, or Sun Belt conf games now. I still watch the Blue Bloods
 

The also-rans would be hurting for money. ESPN and all the other networks, will pay much more for Blue Blood games. Therefore Blue Bloods will pay more money to players.
 

Come on Michigan will not leave the Big Ten period. This will get settle and Michigan will remain in the Big Ten book it.
 




Unless Congress or the courts stop this madness, inevitably most 1A teams will drop out because of the financial burden and the inherent unfairness in a buy-your-players system. The Gophers would end up with something like N. Dakota State in Fargo, which wouldn't be bad - smaller stadium, which we already have and can't fill, and loyal followers, plus a real chance to win division or conference championships. Right now the Gophers are not competitive with the top third of the B10 and it can only get worse, unless Bierman rises from the dead or Cignetti goes mental and leaves Indiana to replace PJ. This year's Gophers have some prime talent (less Emmett Johnson) and a veteran coach, but they were totally outclassed by Ohio St., Iowa and Oregon. College football will soon be falling apart, with the wealthy few basically going pro. I will not be interested in that new top tier as I'm not interested in the pros now. The college game is special, connected to college culture and tradition. The pros don't have that. I really enjoy ND State games in Fargo, and if that's Minnesota's future so be it - I'll still be a loyal fan. UNLESS Congress and the courts discipline the anarchy we now have - and when does Congress ever do anything about anything?
 


Kitzmann57 said:
The also-rans would be hurting for money. ESPN and all the other networks, will pay much more for Blue Blood games. Therefore Blue Bloods will pay more money to players.
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Without the rest of us, the Blue Bloods aren't Blue Bloods anymore, they are just average teams in a semi-pro league. Why not just watch the NFL? They'll lose 70%-80% of their audience because there just aren't that many of those schools. Casual fans will toon out. What would ESPN be paying for? Why would I watch Ohio State vs. Alabama in the super league? I watch that game now because Ohio State is in our conference and I want us to beat the south. I have at least a little skin in the game. Tribalism matters a lot in sports!

Basically, the also-ran FBS teams likely combine with FCS and become the new college football. Maybe academics actually matter again? Again, I'm not predicting any of this happens because how it really turns out is very hard to gauge which is why no one wants to try it. It could be really bad for everyone EXCEPT the NFL. Talk about nuking your own product!
 

SeaBee_Gopher said:
I probably listen to too many national podcasts that say teams like the Gophers are begging to be kept in the Big Ten and will do whatever Michigan, Ohio State, USC and the others tell us to do. I hope that's not true. . . .
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It is true. By supporting the private equity deal that puts the Gophers in the BIG's third tier, money wise, in exchange for Ohio State etc. extending their commitment to the BIG until 2046, the Gophers (and Wisconsin, Iowa etc.) are groveling to remain in the BIG.
 



BigTenGuy said:
It is true. By supporting the private equity deal that puts the Gophers in the BIG's third tier, money wise, in exchange for Ohio State etc. extending their commitment to the BIG until 2046, the Gophers (and Wisconsin, Iowa etc.) are groveling to remain in the BIG.
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And why? To be the Twins to their Yankees? If the big boys aren't going to give us at least a chance to be competitive, then it's not worth it. I have ABSOLUTELY no idea how all this turns out. It's like watching a train crash...or not. Who the hell knows? Someday this will be a hit Netflix drama series!
 

Secret answer C all of the above. I think viewership would go down across the board. A league of NFL lite teams with no rivalries wouldn’t be fun for anyone to watch and a lack of money for everyone else would make them less exciting to watch too.
 

SeaBee_Gopher said:
I probably listen to too many national podcasts that say teams like the Gophers are begging to be kept in the Big Ten and will do whatever Michigan, Ohio State, USC and the others tell us to do. I hope that's not true. It sure isn't true for me. I'll always be a Gopher fan. I don't care if we are in the Big Ten or the Little, Regional Ten.

My friends that went to South Dakota State are Jackrabbits fans more than Gopher fans even though they live here in the cities. They don't care if SDSU is in the FCS. In fact, at least they get to win championships! Would I prefer to stay in the B1G? Yes, but only if I think we are getting a fair shake and can compete.

How many of you agree with me? How many think I'm nuts?
Click to expand...
If the Gophers go down a class and the revenue decreases as a result, do you have confidence that the administration will spend at a level needed to win?
 
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SeaBee_Gopher said:
Without the rest of us, the Blue Bloods aren't Blue Bloods anymore, they are just average teams in a semi-pro league. Why not just watch the NFL? They'll lose 70%-80% of their audience because there just aren't that many of those schools. Casual fans will toon out. What would ESPN be paying for? Why would I watch Ohio State vs. Alabama in the super league? I watch that game now because Ohio State is in our conference and I want us to beat the south. I have at least a little skin in the game. Tribalism matters a lot in sports!

Basically, the also-ran FBS teams likely combine with FCS and become the new college football. Maybe academics actually matter again? Again, I'm not predicting any of this happens because how it really turns out is very hard to gauge which is why no one wants to try it. It could be really bad for everyone EXCEPT the NFL. Talk about nuking your own product!
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Agree with all of this.
How many fans watch Ohio state-michigan or Oklahoma-Texas because the team they follow is loosely affiliated wouldn’t anymore.


It’s short run revenue vs long term growth thinking, to me
 

CentralGopher said:
Secret answer C all of the above. I think viewership would go down across the board. A league of NFL lite teams with no rivalries wouldn’t be fun for anyone to watch and a lack of money for everyone else would make them less exciting to watch too.
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Yes. Would be bad for all levels

I don’t watch G league
I don’t watch USFL

Why would I watch a super league when my team plays in NCAA?
Likewise, why would those super league people care about any NCAA games anymore?

Bama fans care about Arizona state vs Utah because of playoff implications that could go away
 


With all due respect the NFL is far and away the most popular league, for reasons. Despite parity, multiple mediocre seasons, losing seasons there is always hope for next year based on draft, trades, free agency. I could go into conspiracy-land on engineered officiating meant to keep NFL games closer than ever before in history and this garner more eyeballs for advertisers, keep fans more engaged and excited but I won’t go there or mention the possibility. Totally legit.

I’ll go take my meds. In summary, I think we’re fooling ourselves if we think fans of blue bloods would suddenly jump ship. Sports fans will eat up whatever crap they’re served. Hobbies and yardwork only go so far.
 

If Michigan, USC and Ohio State want the lions share of revenue, then non-blue blood schools like MN could move to a Big 12 type conference, or let the blue bloods move out the way Texas, Oklahoma and A&M did to the SEC. Being a perennial Washington Generals program with revenue disparities baked into a contract seems idiotic. I hope the Regents, or whoever needs to approve this, don't just accept it for short term $$.
 

Panthadad2 said:
If Michigan, USC and Ohio State want the lions share of revenue, then non-blue blood schools like MN could move to a Big 12 type conference, or let the blue bloods move out the way Texas, Oklahoma and A&M did to the SEC. Being a perennial Washington Generals program with revenue disparities baked into a contract seems idiotic. I hope the Regents, or whoever needs to approve this, don't just accept it for short term $$.
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If the blue bloods leave a great league would be:
Colorado
Nebraska
Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Illinois
Northwestern
Purdue
Indiana
Michigan state


Call it the big ten or something
 

If the Blue Bloods leave, I think it would be better, actually, for the majority of schools that get left behind. It would mark a return to traditional college football, with reasonable money parameters. The Gophers would do quite well in that, actually, and it might actually "save" college football overall. The list above would represent a very good level of competition, and one with as much fun involved as competition.
 

metrolax said:
If the Blue Bloods leave, I think it would be better, actually, for the majority of schools that get left behind. It would mark a return to traditional college football, with reasonable money parameters. The Gophers would do quite well in that, actually, and it might actually "save" college football overall. The list above would represent a very good level of competition, and one with as much fun involved as competition.
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When Oregon State and Washington State were left behind to form the PAC 2, I’m not sure folks realize how little revenue they have been left with (try 90% lower media rights deals per school).

If the blue bloods move on… the reminder will be stunned at the crumbs they will be left with.
No way will they be able to fund anything close to an entire Big 10 athletics program any longer.

It may or may not work out for the blue bloods, but it will be devastating for the remainder. 🤯
 

Carve out the top 20 programs and let them have their own league and play among themselves. I think it would be great for the Gopher fans. I think it would be awesome to see the gophers compete w 80 other D1 teams for a national championship, it would actually be a better fan experience than now - to play for something and be able to compete for a real shot at it. Do you think the D2 and D3 schools don’t enjoy their national championships? But actually, we’d be playing 80 other D1 schools for that championship and be able to compete for that Sweet 16 ever few years - in theory.
 

If the Blue Bloods started their own gig, it would be the end of college football at that level and it would just be semi-pro football at that tier (some would argue that not much would actually change in that regard). But the Blue Bloods would negotiate a giant television deal and feed off of that. I don't know if a new set-up where they exited would change the portal and NIL (probably not), but there would likely still be poaching from the non-Blue Blood talent pool at the end of each season.

I wonder if the NCAA ever thinks back and wonders if they could have gotten in front of all this by allowing NIL and some payment framework for all players. Given where things are at, it might not have made any difference, but the NCAA's intransigence out of the gate was simply wrongheaded.
 

metrolax said:
If the Blue Bloods leave, I think it would be better, actually, for the majority of schools that get left behind. It would mark a return to traditional college football, with reasonable money parameters. The Gophers would do quite well in that, actually, and it might actually "save" college football overall. The list above would represent a very good level of competition, and one with as much fun involved as competition.
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Has Minnesota ever spent enough compared to their competition to be true championship contenders?

I fear its a real possibility that the administration would use the likely decrease in revenue as a reason to cut spending significantly and likely toward the bottom of the new “league”.
 

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