Are We Headed Towards 4 Conferences?

[MplsGopher]

Not seeing anything for example here: https://businessofcollegesports.com/college-football-playoff-payouts/

About paying each school directly $1M vs $6M. It's all money paid to conferences.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Not seeing anything for example here: https://businessofcollegesports.com/college-football-playoff-payouts/

About paying each school directly $1M vs $6M. It's all money paid to conferences.

even if the money goes to the conference 1st and then to the schools, it amounts to the same thing.

it's a pass-through arrangement. If I give $10 to Spoof and he gives $10 to you, is that really any different than if I give you $10 directly? the net result is the same.

 

[Word]

even if the money goes to the conference 1st and then to the schools, it amounts to the same thing.

it's a pass-through arrangement. If I give $10 to Spoof and he gives $10 to you, is that really any different than if I give you $10 directly? the net result is the same.

I assume Spoofin is a shrewd businessman though....so he'd take a 10% cut.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I assume Spoofin is a shrewd businessman though....so he'd take a 10% cut.

hey, I signed up today for that Verizon class-action lawsuit. as an eligible Verizon customer, I could get up to $100 back when the suit is settled. no cost to apply, so no matter what I get, I come out ahead.

 

[Ope3]

More legal stuff with the ACC against Florida St.

ACC seeks to block Florida State from league affairs in amended complaint as school explores exit options

The ACC included six claims for relief in its amended complaint

www.cbssports.com

 

[MplsGopher]

FSU will have to go independent, in an attempt to save face. No two ways about it. And will pay dearly to the ACC for that ability. They'll get their butts kicked in court. All over but the crying.

SEC doesn't want them, won't take them.
They don't deserve to be in the Big Ten, and we don't want a low academic school like that. Can't sit here.
ACC will be the scorned girlfriend dumping the too good, cheating boyfriend. Good riddance


Good, serves them right.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Bumping this thread for some news: CFP approves 5+7 model for playoffs. from ESPN:

The College Football Playoff board of managers unanimously approved a model that will guarantee the five highest-ranked conference champions' inclusion in the expanded 12-team field this fall, along with the next seven highest-ranked teams, the CFP announced Tuesday.

After months of delay at the behest of the dwindling Pac-12, the decision was made Tuesday morning in a virtual meeting of the 10 FBS commissioners and the Notre Dame president, Rev. John Jenkins. The vote had to be unanimous for the 5+7 format to be approved, and the Pac-12 had either previously abstained or asked for a delay as it worked on determining its future following sweeping conference realignment.

In most years, the 5+7 format will assure the conference champions from the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC a spot in the playoff, along with the highest-ranked Group of 5 conference champion. The CFP intentionally won't refer to the Group of 5 in its description of the format, though, because there is a chance that a champion from one of the Power 4 conferences finishes ranked below the top champion from the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, Mountain West, Sun Belt or Mid-American Conference.

In 2021, for example, when undefeated No. 4 Cincinnati was the American Athletic Conference champion, ACC champion Pitt finished at No. 12 with two losses. In the 12-team format, the four highest-ranked conference champions will receive a first-round bye.

 

[Some guy]

Would be interesting to know what was said that caused the 5 conferences who aren’t power 4 to vote against their own interests here

 

[MplsGopher]

Would be interesting to know what was said that caused the 5 conferences who aren’t power 4 to vote against their own interests here

As opposed to what?

If they tried to stall things, eventually they'd just be removed from voting power.

 

[MplsGopher]

The PAC-12 is still a valid conference for the next two years, according to the NCAA. (You get a two year grace period to build your membership back up.)

I guess the CFP is not going to consider the champion of the two remaining teams as a conference champion?

 

[MplsGopher]

Clemson says “hey I’d like to get my a__ handed to me in court too! That sounds like fun!”

 

[MplsGopher]

Correct

 

[short ornery norwegian]

it may be a long shot for FSU and Clemson.

But it does put it out in the open that at least 2 ACC schools are disgruntled enough to at least explore their options. as we have seen with other court cases - both sports and political - if you can get your case in front of the right judge, you have a chance.

maybe this ends up with the ACC approving uneven distribution of TV money to give "successful" teams a bigger cut.

or maybe FSU and Clemson hit a legal home run and gain their freedom.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Did it ever make sense for the the ACC schools, conference to agree to a 20 year iron-clad contract in conjunction with the vultures at ESPN when it was less than stellar even at the time, all to ensure “stability” ie keep schools from jumping ship while making a bet on the future trajectory of media rights values. Was this just panic, FOMO? Management malfeasance? Total negligience? Or, run of the mill “brilliant at the time, awful in hindsight” groupthink head-nodding? Seems like the proverbial circular firing squad. Now they’re talking about selling future revenue to private capital to get out LMAO. Can’t make this up. Somebody take away the keys from these guys. Jiminy.

 

[2nd Degree Gopher]

Did it ever make sense for the the ACC schools, conference to agree to a 20 year iron-clad contract in conjunction with the vultures at ESPN when it was less than stellar even at the time, all to ensure “stability” ie keep schools from jumping ship while making a bet on the future trajectory of media rights values. Was this just panic, FOMO? Management malfeasance? Total negligience? Or, run of the mill “brilliant at the time, awful in hindsight” groupthink head-nodding? Seems like the proverbial circular firing squad. Now they’re talking about selling future revenue to private capital to get out LMAO. Can’t make this up. Somebody take away the keys from these guys. Jiminy.

"A drowning man will grab even for the point of a sword."

 

[MplsGopher]

maybe this ends up with the ACC approving uneven distribution of TV money to give "successful" teams a bigger cut.

Just no chance in hell that high-academic/research AAU schools Virginia, UNC, Duke, NC State, Pitt, Georgia Tech are going to allow themselves to be “lesser than” low-academic non-AAU schools FSU and Clemson.

Just zero.

 

[MplsGopher]

or maybe FSU and Clemson hit a legal home run and gain their freedom.

They’re out of the conference guaranteed.

There was never any need to file lawsuits to do that. There has always been an exit: you buy your way out of the conf and GoR.

FSU and Clemson are merely trying to cheat their way out of having to pay the full price of what they agreed to pay to exit early.


Reality is they will settle somewhere in the middle, but it’s still going to cost both dearly.


They aren’t welcome in the Big Ten. Objective fact

And ESPN is not going to allow the precedent to be set to just “invite themselves over to the cool party” for a much bigger payday in the SEC.

It will be (football) independence for some time.

 

[MplsGopher]

Did it ever make sense for the the ACC schools, conference to agree to a 20 year iron-clad contract in conjunction with the vultures at ESPN when it was less than stellar even at the time, all to ensure “stability” ie keep schools from jumping ship while making a bet on the future trajectory of media rights values. Was this just panic, FOMO? Management malfeasance? Total negligience? Or, run of the mill “brilliant at the time, awful in hindsight” groupthink head-nodding? Seems like the proverbial circular firing squad. Now they’re talking about selling future revenue to private capital to get out LMAO. Can’t make this up. Somebody take away the keys from these guys. Jiminy.

They didn’t have a choice.

Those terms were dictated by ESPN in order to be given money that, at the time, allowed them to keep pace with the SEC/Big Tenas a power conf.

At that time even, I don’t know if anyone realized there was still quite a bit of exponential growth left to be done in college football TV rights.

 

[Out State Gopher]

SEC/B1G is the envy of every football team because of conference leadership, recruiting, fan base, media money, academics (B1G) . Each year the gap between them & others will widen. Teams wanting to enter football's Pearly gates will need to kiss the ring as the 4 pac-12 teams did. B1G will get the pick of the litter. Current B1G teams better raise their standards or be replaced (like athletes). Similar to the arms race football programs need money to survive. Whoever creates ways of raising money other than direct donations wins. Remember the song "If you have the money I have the time". Lefty Frizzell

 

[MplsGopher]

Tangential but related:

 

[PMWinSTP]

SEC/B1G is the envy of every football team because of conference leadership, recruiting, fan base, media money, academics (B1G) . Each year the gap between them & others will widen. Teams wanting to enter football's Pearly gates will need to kiss the ring as the 4 pac-12 teams did. B1G will get the pick of the litter. Current B1G teams better raise their standards or be replaced (like athletes). Similar to the arms race football programs need money to survive. Whoever creates ways of raising money other than direct donations wins. Remember the song "If you have the money I have the time". Lefty Frizzell

Again, B1G is not going to be replacing teams...good grief.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

They’re out of the conference guaranteed.

There was never any need to file lawsuits to do that. There has always been an exit: you buy your way out of the conf and GoR.

FSU and Clemson are merely trying to cheat their way out of having to pay the full price of what they agreed to pay to exit early.


Reality is they will settle somewhere in the middle, but it’s still going to cost both dearly.


They aren’t welcome in the Big Ten. Objective fact

And ESPN is not going to allow the precedent to be set to just “invite themselves over to the cool party” for a much bigger payday in the SEC.

It will be (football) independence for some time.

WELL…

FSU alleges then-ACC head John Swofford cut a bad deal with Raycom sports in 2008 and again in 2016 regarding media rights for lower tier ACC events. Those rights deprive ACC schools of tens of millions every year. The kicker is John’s son Chad was hired at Raycom in 2007, the year before the first deal. In the infamous twenty year ball and chain contract John insisted on keeping Raycom in the deal as a media rights beneficiary. Chad is now a senior executive at Raycom Sports.

You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to understand the implications or accusations here. If they can convince a sympathetic ear that John Swofford was not only fiscally or managerially negligient but was involved in a quid pro quo with Raycom to a) hire his son and b) secure lucrative media rights deals for his company at the expense of ACC schools they might have a shot. I don’t believe in coincidences, personally.

That doesn’t excuse the university presidents that presumedly had some say on greenlighting the twenty year thing, lack of due diligence on their end etc etc and so forth agreeing to contract which was ludicrous on its face. So, find a friendly ear.

Florida State’s amended lawsuit targets Swofford | North Carolina Lawyers Weekly

Florida State has personalized its legal battle with the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Seminoles filed an amended complaint against the league late Monday that alleges former commissioner John Swofford cost member schools millions of dollars by acting in the best interest of his son, who worked...

nclawyersweekly.com

 

[mngolf]

They aren’t welcome in the Big Ten. Objective fact

And ESPN is not going to allow the precedent to be set to just “invite themselves over to the cool party” for a much bigger payday in the SEC.

It will be (football) independence for some time

Your first sentence is clearly an opinion. Maybe turn out true, but you have no idea.

The rest could go in ESPNs advantage if they move them to B12, another ESPN property, and shut down the ACC.

 

[MplsGopher]

Maybe turn out true, but you have no idea.

Clemson's academics/research is exactly the same level as NDSU.
That's as close to zero as it gets.

FSU does more research but was rejected for AAU status over .... [checks notes] South Florida. Yeah.

The rest could go in ESPNs advantage if they move them to B12, another ESPN property, and shut down the ACC.

Big 12 is only half an ESPN property and has no cable network.

You're just being silly and absurd to suggest they would shut down the ACC/Network.

 

[MplsGopher]

WELL…

FSU alleges then-ACC head John Swofford cut a bad deal with Raycom sports in 2008 and again in 2016 regarding media rights for lower tier ACC events. Those rights deprive ACC schools of tens of millions every year. The kicker is John’s son Chad was hired at Raycom in 2007, the year before the first deal. In the infamous twenty year ball and chain contract John insisted on keeping Raycom in the deal as a media rights beneficiary. Chad is now a senior executive at Raycom Sports.

You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to understand the implications or accusations here. If they can convince a sympathetic ear that John Swofford was not only fiscally or managerially negligient but was involved in a quid pro quo with Raycom to a) hire his son and b) secure lucrative media rights deals for his company at the expense of ACC schools they might have a shot. I don’t believe in coincidences, personally.

That doesn’t excuse the university presidents that presumedly had some say on greenlighting the twenty year thing, lack of due diligence on their end etc etc and so forth agreeing to contract which was ludicrous on its face. So, find a friendly ear.

Florida State’s amended lawsuit targets Swofford | North Carolina Lawyers Weekly

Florida State has personalized its legal battle with the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Seminoles filed an amended complaint against the league late Monday that alleges former commissioner John Swofford cost member schools millions of dollars by acting in the best interest of his son, who worked...

nclawyersweekly.com

Well I mean, these lawyers are getting paid $$$$ ... they had to come up with some kind of play.

It's as silly as anything else that could have been conceived and pitched to the FSU regents, but it's something for their money.


GoR has absolutely F-all to do with even such described malfeasence and absolutely will not nullify that ironclad contract.

They chose to sign it. Done.

They owe the full price to buy their way out. That is the only legally allowable outcome of a court case.



With almost no question, they will settle. They'll pay more than they wanted, but less than the full price. And move on to being a football independent like Notre Dame.

I would not be surprised if in the end they both (FSU and Clemson) end up essentially doing a similar deal as Notre Dame, once they realize that they have no home in the Big Ten or SEC.

Making a lateral move to the Big 12 is just silly and makes no sense. FSU isn't going to choose to sully themselves down in the same conference as Central Florida.

 

[Panthadad2]

WELL…

FSU alleges then-ACC head John Swofford cut a bad deal with Raycom sports in 2008 and again in 2016 regarding media rights for lower tier ACC events. Those rights deprive ACC schools of tens of millions every year. The kicker is John’s son Chad was hired at Raycom in 2007, the year before the first deal. In the infamous twenty year ball and chain contract John insisted on keeping Raycom in the deal as a media rights beneficiary. Chad is now a senior executive at Raycom Sports.

You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to understand the implications or accusations here. If they can convince a sympathetic ear that John Swofford was not only fiscally or managerially negligient but was involved in a quid pro quo with Raycom to a) hire his son and b) secure lucrative media rights deals for his company at the expense of ACC schools they might have a shot. I don’t believe in coincidences, personally.

That doesn’t excuse the university presidents that presumedly had some say on greenlighting the twenty year thing, lack of due diligence on their end etc etc and so forth agreeing to contract which was ludicrous on its face. So, find a friendly ear.

Florida State’s amended lawsuit targets Swofford | North Carolina Lawyers Weekly

Florida State has personalized its legal battle with the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Seminoles filed an amended complaint against the league late Monday that alleges former commissioner John Swofford cost member schools millions of dollars by acting in the best interest of his son, who worked...

nclawyersweekly.com

That might be a Hail Mary lawsuit, but the "quid pro quo" piece is a pretty juicy arguing point. They getting nasty.

 

[mngolf]

Clemson's academics/research is exactly the same level as NDSU.
That's as close to zero as it gets.

FSU does more research but was rejected for AAU status over .... [checks notes] South Florida. Yeah.


Big 12 is only half an ESPN property and has no cable network.

You're just being silly and absurd to suggest they would shut down the ACC/Network.

Espn will cancel the contract with ACC after '26. Saves them a ton. Push the big properties FSU and Clemson to B12, so they still get money off them. This also fits with your point on not fitting in the B1G. And no one cares if FSU wants to be in the B12 or not. As the CFP will be updated then, lack of options will push this.

I still think they'll end up in a P2, but this works for espn. They don't want to pay for wake, bc, gt, etc anymore.

 

[MplsGopher]

Espn will cancel the contract with ACC after '26.

??? This is plain bizarre. Not really worthy of discussion.

Feel free to have fun with things like this on csnbbn with the realignment wackadoos there.

no one cares if FSU wants to be in the B12 or not.

FSU might care. Independence is very much on the table. They were independent for decades until 1991

 

[mngolf]

??? This is plain bizarre. Not really worthy of discussion.

Feel free to have fun with things like this on csnbbn with the realignment wackadoos there.


FSU might care. Independence is very much on the table. They were independent for decades until 1991

There will be less money and CFP access if they go independent.

 

[MplsGopher]

FSU strikes me as a program with a lot of booster money and that is more than willing to forgo some TV money in order to take an ideological stand.