It Makes Me Laugh...

[Scooch]

Remember when the SEC and Big 12 announced the formation of the Champions Bowl? Everyone lost their collective minds, saying it created a new paradigm for the sport, and that there were only 4 conferences that mattered now, and there would be yet another wave of massive realignment, and blah, blah, blah,

Today we learned that all they did was agree to play each other in the Sugar Bowl.

Earth. Shattering.

:crazy:
:bang:

 

[MaxwellCuse]

Maybe the ACC should rename the Orange Bowl the Olympians Bowl or the Victors' Bowl or something like that?

 

[OrangePA]

Like old times.

The SEC Champ in the Sugar Bowl.

 

[orangehomer]

Maybe the ACC should rename the Orange Bowl the Olympians Bowl or the Victors' Bowl or something like that?

The World Domination Bowl

 

[Jake]

This giant circle jerk for the past 8 months did two things; Marginalized the G5 schools. Created a four game playoff. Not sure anything else was achieved.

 

[omniorange]

This giant circle jerk for the past 8 months did two things; Marginalized the G5 schools. Created a four game playoff. Not sure anything else was achieved.

I think it also separated the P5 clearly into two tiers as well:

Top Tier - SEC/Big Ten
Second Tier - Pac-12/Big 12/ACC

Cheers,
Neil

 

[Chip]

I think it also separated the P5 clearly into two tiers as well:

Top Tier - SEC/Big Ten
Second Tier - Pac-12/Big 12/ACC

Cheers,
Neil

I haven't read up on all of this, but I know you follow it pretty closely. Did I read somewhere that rights for Rose, Sugar are $80M, while Orange is $55M (that part has also been written here lately). If that's true, do the SEC and Big 10 get a bigger share of the $80M from Sugar/Rose? Otherwise, not sure how you characterize the tiers. If it's even split, would that mean Pac-12 and Big-12 get more $ by association?

 

[Scooch]

I haven't read up on all of this, but I know you follow it pretty closely. Did I read somewhere that rights for Rose, Sugar are $80M, while Orange is $55M (that part has also been written here lately). If that's true, do the SEC and Big 10 get a bigger share of the $80M from Sugar/Rose? Otherwise, not sure how you characterize the tiers. If it's even split, would that mean Pac-12 and Big-12 get more $ by association?

Plus the Pac-12 has a TV network now, and the Big 12 is only splitting their money 10 ways.

From a pure revenue perspective the SEC, B1G, Big 12 and Pac-12 are all real close to one another, with the ACC seemingly a little behind.

Of course if the ACC would just play better football they'd close that gap quickly. There will be SIX at-large spots in big money bowls now, the conference HAS to get someone in to at least one of those every year.

 

[Chip]

Like old times.

The SEC Champ in the Sugar Bowl.

That really hasn't changed though. Any year the SEC isn't in the championship game (you have to go pretty far back), they were still aligned to the Sugar Bowl I believe.

SEC Champ now will most likely be in the playoffs every year, so only going to that Sugar Bowl when it's part of the playoff rotation.

I think the only change is that now the Big 12 is associated with the Sugar Bowl, instead of the other side being an at large.

 

[omniorange]

Plus the Pac-12 has a TV network now, and the Big 12 is only splitting their money 10 ways.

From a pure revenue perspective the SEC, B1G, Big 12 and Pac-12 are all real close to one another, with the ACC seemingly a little behind.

Of course if the ACC would just play better football they'd close that gap quickly. There will be SIX at-large spots in big money bowls now, the conference HAS to get someone in to at least one of those every year.

Agreed. ACC football needs to get good fast since not only will bowls money increase if it does, but it's the only way they have a shot of increasing the TV monies when those 5 year "look-ins" come up. The best part is that it's not like the ACC doesn't have the pedigree to accomplish this with programs like FSU, Miami, Clemson, VT, GT, Pitt, and SU. Which is why this is not "the sky is falling" talk, but it does highlight where the conference needs to get to, to ensure the stability the SEC and Big Ten has.

Also it would help that the ACC champ gets into the playoff more often than not (at least 6 times in 10 years) so that the second ACC team has the Orange slot (when the Orange is not a semi-final host) since according to the rumors the non-contract bowl playoff monies will result in actual playoff teams earning more $$$ for their conferences than simply being an at-large selection in a non-playoff access bowl.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[billsin01]

This giant circle jerk for the past 8 months did two things; Marginalized the G5 schools. Created a four game playoff. Not sure anything else was achieved.

That's not true. Lots of other things were accomplished. For example, we moved from the "worst BCS conference" to the "NEW worst BCS conference." We got rid of those pesky hoops rivalries that we've been playing since I was a kid and replaced them with marquee football matchups we're all drooling about -- like Clemson and NC State! AND, we finally get to get out from under NYC and MSG and play our conference tournament at real venues, like greensboro and charlotte!

Plus, since we're making more money now, I doubt we'll lose more than 4 football games a year. In fact, we'll likely be laughing our way to the championship (and the bank) annually while Rutgers and UConn are never heard from again!!!!

It's been a banner 8 months.

 

[KingOtis]

Does anyone else see this as opening the door to additional realignment? You now have the Big 10/Pac-12 champs in the Rose Bowl and the SEC/Big 12 champs in the Sugar Bowl. There's your four-team playoff. With five unbalanced conferences, the deck must be reshuffled...

Notre Dame will be left out of this year's championship game and I think that will seal the deal for the football program to finally join a conference. But it won't be the ACC. They'll join the Big 10, along with Rutgers, Maryland and North Carolina. That's 16 teams.

Florida State and Clemson (or NC State) join the SEC, putting the conference at 16 teams.

The Pac-12 fills it's four available slots with the two Oklahoma schools and the two Kansas schools.

That leaves six teams in the Big 12 and 10 schools in the ACC. They join forces and there you have it.

There won't be a need for buyouts because the five conferences will work this out together. In addition, they can expand the playoff to eight teams very easily. Some potential scenarios:

1. Conference champions plus four wild cards.
2. Conference champions plus an additional team from each conference.
3. Conference championship games become the de facto first round of the tournament.

 

[PhatOrange]

Does anyone else see this as opening the door to additional realignment? You now have the Big 10/Pac-12 champs in the Rose Bowl and the SEC/Big 12 champs in the Sugar Bowl. There's your four-team playoff. With five unbalanced conferences, the deck must be reshuffled...

Notre Dame will be left out of this year's championship game and I think that will seal the deal for the football program to finally join a conference. But it won't be the ACC. They'll join the Big 10, along with Rutgers, Maryland and North Carolina. That's 16 teams.

Florida State and Clemson (or NC State) join the SEC, putting the conference at 16 teams.

The Pac-12 fills it's four available slots with the two Oklahoma schools and the two Kansas schools.

That leaves six teams in the Big 12 and 10 schools in the ACC. They join forces and there you have it.

There won't be a need for buyouts because the five conferences will work this out together. In addition, they can expand the playoff to eight teams very easily. Some potential scenarios:

1. Conference champions plus four wild cards.
2. Conference champions plus an additional team from each conference.
3. Conference championship games become the de facto first round of the tournament.

So now North Carolina is going to join the Big 10? good lord please stop with the nonsense.

 

[IthacaMatt]

That's not true. Lots of other things were accomplished. For example, we moved from the "worst BCS conference" to the "NEW worst BCS conference." We got rid of those pesky hoops rivalries that we've been playing since I was a kid and replaced them with marquee football matchups we're all drooling about -- like Clemson and NC State! AND, we finally get to get out from under NYC and MSG and play our conference tournament at real venues, like greensboro and charlotte!

Plus, since we're making more money now, I doubt we'll lose more than 4 football games a year. In fact, we'll likely be laughing our way to the championship (and the bank) annually while Rutgers and UConn are never heard from again!!!!

It's been a banner 8 months.

While I appreciate your sense of loss, the Big East basketball conference that we all grew up with has been dead for a long time. I will miss the Garden, but I believe that within 5-10 years, the Big East will fade to the level of the Atlantic 10, and the Garden may not want them any longer when they are no longer a marquee event.

 

[Guinness]

While I appreciate your sense of loss, the Big East basketball conference that we all grew up with has been dead for a long time.

Exactly. I did not grow up on SU/Depaul, SU/Marquette, SU/Cinci, SU/Louisville, etc .. So any sense of loss I had was felt years ago.

 

[Scooch]

That's not true. Lots of other things were accomplished. For example, we moved from the "worst BCS conference" to the "NEW worst BCS conference." We got rid of those pesky hoops rivalries that we've been playing since I was a kid and replaced them with marquee football matchups we're all drooling about -- like Clemson and NC State! AND, we finally get to get out from under NYC and MSG and play our conference tournament at real venues, like greensboro and charlotte!

Plus, since we're making more money now, I doubt we'll lose more than 4 football games a year. In fact, we'll likely be laughing our way to the championship (and the bank) annually while Rutgers and UConn are never heard from again!!!!

It's been a banner 8 months.

The only things I'll miss, personally speaking, are whatever rivalries among UConn/G'town/Villanova that we don't continue (I'm guessing we won't schedule UConn or Nova again for a while), and the BET at MSG.

I couldn't care less that we won't see Seton Hall or Providence again, and we've been playing the other schools in the BE for all of 7 years.

As for football, it's a huge upgrade. We'll get FSU and Clemson every year. These are real, big boy football programs with real, big boy fanbases. We play a solid triumvirate of northeast schools every year -- BC, Pitt and Maryland -- that personally I find much more appealing than UConn and Rutgers. We have a longer history with the former than the latter, and trips to Boston and the D.C.-area sure trump East Hartford and Central Jersey.

Anyway, I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I get why people might be down on switching conferences. But the old Big East died in the 90s, and was buried in 2003. It hasn't been what it was in a long, long time.

 

[billsin01]

While I appreciate your sense of loss, the Big East basketball conference that we all grew up with has been dead for a long time. I will miss the Garden, but I believe that within 5-10 years, the Big East will fade to the level of the Atlantic 10, and the Garden may not want them any longer when they are no longer a marquee event.

I was mostly just being smarmy pr!ck. But I disagree with this to a point -- the additions made to that hoops conference only made it stronger. L'ville with Pitino, Marquette, even cincy and WVU ... outside of Depaul all were really good programs. That conference, as a basketball entity, was never stronger than 09-10 in my opinion -- at least not since the golden era of the late 80s.

But my opinion really matters not when it comes to these things. I just think forgoing all geographic boundaries when forming a conference is annoying.

 

[SUinNYC]

That's not true. Lots of other things were accomplished. For example, we moved from the "worst BCS conference" to the "NEW worst BCS conference." We got rid of those pesky hoops rivalries that we've been playing since I was a kid and replaced them with marquee football matchups we're all drooling about -- like Clemson and NC State! AND, we finally get to get out from under NYC and MSG and play our conference tournament at real venues, like greensboro and charlotte!

Plus, since we're making more money now, I doubt we'll lose more than 4 football games a year. In fact, we'll likely be laughing our way to the championship (and the bank) annually while Rutgers and UConn are never heard from again!!!!

It's been a banner 8 months.

I share your sense of history.

My brother went to Georgetown.
My sister went to Providence.
My dad went to Villanova.
And then BC for law school.
I went to SU.

So to say I grew up in a Big East basketball household is an understatement. The arguments around the Thanksgiving table were fierce in the 80's and early 90's. But something happened in the late 90's/early 00's.

Providence got bad.
St. Johns got bad.
Seton Hall got bad.
Then BC left.
And South Florida came in??
And Cincinnati??
And DePaul??

The Big East I grew up with died a long time ago. Change is inevitable. We're in a better place.

EDIT: Forgot to mention I grew up in CT, so UCONN...

 

[Bayside44]

That's not true. Lots of other things were accomplished. For example, we moved from the "worst BCS conference" to the "NEW worst BCS conference." We got rid of those pesky hoops rivalries that we've been playing since I was a kid and replaced them with marquee football matchups we're all drooling about -- like Clemson and NC State! AND, we finally get to get out from under NYC and MSG and play our conference tournament at real venues, like greensboro and charlotte!

Plus, since we're making more money now, I doubt we'll lose more than 4 football games a year. In fact, we'll likely be laughing our way to the championship (and the bank) annually while Rutgers and UConn are never heard from again!!!!

It's been a banner 8 months.

Leaving the Big East is the best thing to happen to us financially and for our future since starting the Big East. Don't let Seton Hall stand in the way of that.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Does anyone else see this as opening the door to additional realignment? You now have the Big 10/Pac-12 champs in the Rose Bowl and the SEC/Big 12 champs in the Sugar Bowl. There's your four-team playoff. With five unbalanced conferences, the deck must be reshuffled...

Notre Dame will be left out of this year's championship game and I think that will seal the deal for the football program to finally join a conference. But it won't be the ACC. They'll join the Big 10, along with Rutgers, Maryland and North Carolina. That's 16 teams.

Florida State and Clemson (or NC State) join the SEC, putting the conference at 16 teams.

The Pac-12 fills it's four available slots with the two Oklahoma schools and the two Kansas schools.

That leaves six teams in the Big 12 and 10 schools in the ACC. They join forces and there you have it.

There won't be a need for buyouts because the five conferences will work this out together. In addition, they can expand the playoff to eight teams very easily. Some potential scenarios:

1. Conference champions plus four wild cards.
2. Conference champions plus an additional team from each conference.
3. Conference championship games become the de facto first round of the tournament.

ladies and gentlemen, your Crack Pipe Smokin, Post of the Week.

nice job. :crazy:



Oh Lord

 

[TexanMark]

Hmmm football trips to on campus stadiums with traditional fan bases?

This will be different.

You mean no more 20 year old commuter school students telling me nnBE >>>>>nBE and = to Original BE.

 

[billsin01]

The only things I'll miss, personally speaking, are whatever rivalries among UConn/G'town/Villanova that we don't continue (I'm guessing we won't schedule UConn or Nova again for a while), and the BET at MSG.

I couldn't care less that we won't see Seton Hall or Providence again, and we've been playing the other schools in the BE for all of 7 years.

As for football, it's a huge upgrade. We'll get FSU and Clemson every year. These are real, big boy football programs with real, big boy fanbases. We play a solid triumvirate of northeast schools every year -- BC, Pitt and Maryland -- that personally I find much more appealing than UConn and Rutgers. We have a longer history with the former than the latter, and trips to Boston and the D.C.-area sure trump East Hartford and Central Jersey.

Anyway, I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I get why people might be down on switching conferences. But the old Big East died in the 90s, and was buried in 2003. It hasn't been what it was in a long, long time.

yeah, I get all this. I suppose I'm more lamenting 2003 Big East stuff, though I liked L'ville/Marquette. A bunch of teams tied together by money and little else and a basketball conference that's far more concerned with tobacco road than the northeast just don't get me fired up. But that's just being sappy.

 

[Scooch]

yeah, I get all this. I suppose I'm more lamenting 2003 Big East stuff, though I liked L'ville/Marquette. A bunch of teams tied together by money and little else and a basketball conference that's far more concerned with tobacco road than the northeast just don't get me fired up. But that's just being sappy.

I honestly don't understand the geography angle.

We are currently in a conference with schools from Wisconsin, Kentucky, Illinois, and Ohio. The New Big East was *entirely* about money, convenience and survival. What the heck else ties Syracuse to Marquette?

Outside of have 2 too many schools in North Carolina, the mew ACC makes good geographic sense. It covers the eastern seaboard from Massachusetts to Florida, with members in NY, PA, MD, VA, NC, SC and GA.

The new ACC is what would have formed had SU, BC and Pitt followed through on their threat to leave the Big East in the late 1980s.

Again, I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I just don't understand some of the lamenting.

 

[Chip]

Agreed. ACC football needs to get good fast since not only will bowls money increase if it does, but it's the only way they have a shot of increasing the TV monies when those 5 year "look-ins" come up. The best part is that it's not like the ACC doesn't have the pedigree to accomplish this with programs like FSU, Miami, Clemson, VT, GT, Pitt, and SU. Which is why this is not "the sky is falling" talk, but it does highlight where the conference needs to get to, to ensure the stability the SEC and Big Ten has.

Also it would help that the ACC champ gets into the playoff more often than not (at least 6 times in 10 years) so that the second ACC team has the Orange slot (when the Orange is not a semi-final host) since according to the rumors the non-contract bowl playoff monies will result in actual playoff teams earning more $$$ for their conferences than simply being an at-large selection in a non-playoff access bowl.

Cheers,
Neil

I'm curious what happens to all the other bowls. Will the G5 schools see less bowl bids given that they've lost some key names (in no particular order, ND, SU, Pitt, Utah, WVU, TCU, BYU)? Will bowls like the Pinstripe, Belk, Russell Athletic try to get out of the G5 business?

Not sure when agreements are up for non BCS bowls, but will be interesting to see what they do and how quickly they try to lock up new conference affiliations.

 

[Chip]

Related to topic...

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN
Orange Bowl deal: at least 3 guaranteed appearances over 12 years by both B1G & SEC & maximum of 2 by Notre Dame