The shock is worn out … is that so? Alternatively, Trojans and Bruins preparing for the Big Noon game (9 am Pacific Standard Time) still need some getting used to.
As the weekend of July 4th is approaching, we assume that the reorganization will be off for a few days. I need it. USC When UCLA I need it. They need time to buy a hoodie, hire a tutor to fly for 5 hours, and develop the taste of cheese curd. This is the protracted effect of the two West Coast icons towards the Big Ten.
Next, consider the next step.
Notre Dame It’s an issue until we decide it isn’t. The continuous dance with the members of the conference dates back almost a century. The Pac-12 is already on record as it is actively pursuing expansion. The Big 12, if any, hasn’t revealed it. It could stay at 12 ready to go in 2025. Or, as industry insiders suggest, pick out a financially sensible number of Pac-12 schools and perhaps send them to the historic trash can.
Next is ACC. It appears to be more and more vulnerable until later noticed. If it all sounds ruthless, we should be used to it now. The shock should wear out … right?
This is the latest from the readjustment trench …
Nothing happens until Notre Dame decides
The president of Pac-12 and the athletic director met on the phone on Friday. Does Pac-12 have a strong position? Probably not until Notre Dame decides its future. Sources told CBS Sports that Big Ten had been done “for now” until Fighting Irish decided whether he wanted to attend the meeting.
One source suggested to invite Notre Dame University to jump to the Big Ten. Stanford You may be invited as a kind of “rival” partner. The two schools have met 24 times in the last 25 years and the series was interrupted only by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
In that scenario, Notre Dame has at least five traditional rivals (Michigan, Michigan, Purdue, Stanford, USC) As a Big Ten Conference partner. The fascinating meeting schedule and three annual non-conference games made it easy for Irish people to continue the one-off game “Shamrock Series” nationwide.
The Big Ten may stop at 18:00 or go further, depending on the SEC’s intentions.Some combinations Clemson, Florida When Miami You can move to SEC. This assumes that one of the three will provide a proportional distribution (equal value) to the teams already in the league. That’s $ 80 to $ 100 million a year in media rights.
Assuming the contract was not successfully challenged in court, breaking the ACC grant could require a significant eight-digit withdrawal fee. But such penalties can raise money for years while the new school reaps the annual plunge.
Does it force Big Ten to look sternly on: North Carolina When Virginia??Both were on the radar of then-commissioner Jim Delaney a few years ago, before the league was finally added. Maryland When Rutgers..
With or without Notre Dame, one industry source suspected it was worth inviting the Big Ten. Oregon And / or Washington.. The source calls the two schools “Twiners,” not large enough to justify media rights fees of $ 80 to $ 100 million annually, but more than the other Pac-12 schools. Is also clearly superior.
If the Pac-12 doesn’t stick, consider Oregon and Washington to be more attractive to the Big 12. by the way…
Looking down
Regardless of Notre Dame’s decision, the next step in the reorganization could be a Big 12 or Pack 12 raid by another conference.
According to one industry source, Pac-12 (without USC and UCLA) and Big 12 (without) Texas When Oklahoma) Compare with “Mountain West or AAC-plus”.
Poaching teams from other leagues is a clear answer to improving those labels and the associated rights fees. The assault may not change the financial calculations much, but it means the survival of one meeting and the potential dissolution of the other.
One industry source described the Big 12 options as if the reorganization was a buffet.
- I take the Arizona School (added Phoenix Market)
- Take a school in Arizona and the mountains (Colorado When Utah).
- Arizona Schools, Mountain Schools, Oregon, Washington Additions Attempt Almost Complete Merger with Pac-12
Big 12 has to act fast. On the West Coast, according to one source, there was a series of calls between Pac-12 admins on the theme of loyalty and persistence, but it’s not like a “blood vow.” Why do everyone take care of their own interests?
“No one can trust,” said a Pac-12 source with a major college football climate. “it’s over.”
Mutual assured destruction option
There is an option to guarantee the joint eradication of both meetings, but to ensure the stability of the survivors. Invite the Big 12 and Pac-12 top schools to agree that the formation of a new conference is in their best interests.
It will be as follows.
If Utah and BYU can reconnect at the meeting, there is some spice. Pac-12 School gains recruitment access to Texas and expands its reach to Central Standard Time. Big 12 schools gain job access to California while adding media markets in Phoenix, Denver and Seattle.
The hybrid conference can look better than one league can form by robbing two teams from the other teams. And if the idea brings profits as close as possible to the SEC and Big Ten, it may be the best lineup.
Of course, that also means that the next program is left behind in the cold: Kansas, Kansas, Iowa, Oregon, State of Washington, West Virginia..
Power two
As mentioned on thursdayThe 32 joint teams of Big Ten and SEC will be able to make their own credible playoffs when both final (for now) configurations are settled in 2025.
A media rights official who recently spoke with CBS Sports added depth to suggest that this idea was not only considered, but perhaps a major reason why Big Ten made a bold move.
- Select the top four finishers from each meeting and seed them into the field of eight teams.
- The semi-finals and semi-finals will be played in a bowl game (as suggested in last year’s 12-team playoff bracket).
Using the first eight years of the CFP as a reference, only the five teams that qualified the field, Cincinnati, Clemson, Florida, Notre Dame and Washington, did not have the opportunity to return.
If Clemson and FSU join the SEC, and if Notldam joins the Big Ten, only Cincinnati and Washington will be outliers. Is there even a lot of backlash?
