Realignment back in the news

[Chip]

This topic has nothing really to do with "ND football to the ACC".

It might cause the ACC to disband, potentially. But not because of anything to do with ND.

I was going to post it in the Who Should Start at QB thread, but I figured that would be less appropriate.

 

[orangeinjersey]

this is EL OH EL Funny

 

[omniorange]

Rotating pods are well balanced to each other, but Permanent Coastal is much too weak in comparison with Permanent Atlantic, imho, though I do understand why you made them so.

Still this is without a doubt the best of this type of set-up I have ever seen. I would prefer a rule change that would allow for going without divisions, have a 3-5-5 scheduling model and be allowed to hold a championship game with all members of the league having to play the same number of conference games and the top two teams being decided by the CFP rankings.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[DaCuse]

I’m not very knowledgeable with this stuff - in your opinion would Syracuse be left out in this alignment scenario?

 

[OttoMets]

My initial thoughts on this if it were to happen.

The vast majority of the current P5 schools will participate including the successful private academic juggernauts in either football or basketball like the Notre Dames, Stanfords, Southern Cals, Dukes, etc. - despite any platitudes they have said in the past. They have too much skin in the college athletics game to risk leaving the spotlight college sports shine on their institutions and the vast amount of free publicity that gives them.

Why do I include basketball? Simple. This is going to cost $$$ and the biggest college sports money pot out there happens to be the NCAA tournament, not the CFP. Yes, the CFP gets more attention but the vast majority of that pot already goes to these same P5 programs since it has fewer mouths to feed and it doesn't pay a dime to help the costs of the NCAA organization and all of its employees and expenses for organizing all the other non-revenue generating championships.

So, to get to that pot of money and add it to the CFP pot with a focus more towards a smaller number of institutions than the current 300+, this will mean a split from the NCAAs and the development of a new organization which will take probably three years to even develop. The new umbrella will still likely cover between 100-120 institutions, but the dead weight below will be cut off by some rule of the new organization that limits the membership by budgetary reasons and most likely football participating members from non football participating members based upon that same type of criteria. The days of P5 football schools with annual operating expense budgets below $100 million will be long gone.

Title IX matching will obviously still exist, but players who are paid will no longer be in the matching count. To stave off law suits women basketball players will also be paid. The number of sports sponsored by the new organization will be drastically reduced to most likely football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball, ice hockey, men's and women's volleyball, and maybe three or four more. Institutions can have additional sports if they so choose, but they will be at "club" level with no national championships being supported and paid for by the new organization.

Just some of my initial thoughts regarding where this may all lead.

Cheers,
Neil

I hate it. But I 'like' it for being a very good post.

 

[omniorange]

I’m not very knowledgeable with this stuff - in your opinion would Syracuse be left out in this alignment scenario?

Annual sports revenue for Syracuse is usually between the high $80 million and low $90 million range with its expenses in the low $70 million range. We are a school that reports a profit unlike others that report no profit which usually means the institution had to take from some other pot to get the revenue to match the expenses something Rutgers traditionally has had to do, but may not have to do in the future once full B1G payouts start to happen for them.

Ultimately the decision will be up to the university administrators but if the figures being reported at the OPE site are accurate, we are looking at having to raise our revenue at least $10 million annually (which seems doable based upon ACC revenue projections and no major changes in conference membership). But those two assumptions (are the figures SU is reporting accurate and will the possible change result in programs like FSU and Clemson leaving the ACC) are HUGE assumptions.

So your guess is as good as mine.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[CousCuse]

There are many P5 teams that don't bring much demographically to the table and I don't think the big revenue generating teams are going to bring them along for sentimental reasons. This is about money and everything else goes out the window. Here are some that I think are out: Wash St, Oregon St, Arizona St, TexTech, Ok St, Iowa St, Kansas St, TCU, Baylor, Northwestern, Purdue, Wake, BC, Pitt, Gtech, Miami, Miss St, Vandy. That is not a complete list.

 

[bevosu]

Uh-huh. Just as the government did to stop the airline mergers in recent years. Those mergers have certainly been best for us consumers.

And the cable companies.

 

[DomeStranger]

LOL at the article implying Alabama, Clemson, and FSU are chomping at the bit to play in a league surrounded by their peers.

I think Alabama likes the current system just the way it is, same with Clemson and FSU. It's fun being the team with the most resources, why take away your advantages? ND knows this as well, they love the current system, why would they want to change it? They'll fight against it under the name of academics though because it sounds classier.

 

[supp]

A few things:

• Likewise, I dont see how Clemson and FSU joining the SEC makes the conference any more money. CBS and ESPN already have strong footholds into South Carolina and Florida, and they are not gaining eyeballs/subscribers elsewhere.

That's why the rumors were always about NC State and VT. Good catch. Another reason to think Dodd is talking shite.

 

[HtownOrange]

Before fans get carried away devising conferences, pods, pay scales, etc. One would do well to see what schools are actually making money. Sure, Alabama and few others could conceivably pay players on a decent enough scale, but most schools are in the red.

With Title IX, football paying for other programs, few teams in the black, there really is not a pool of schools that will pay the big bucks to get to an NFL lite. You would need a minimum of 30 teams, and realistically, at least 50 as they would be based at colleges, and presumably, still require some level of academic performance, which makes travel and scheduling that much more difficult. Virtually all of the private schools (yes, I think Stanford, which CAN afford to pay players, and USC (the real one, not the phoneys in Jersey) will refuse to pay players) and many highly regarded State universities that will refuse to tarnish their academic reputations that the young kids can strike, but they may fail and, even if they "win" they will have to begin paying taxes on their education as it would be part of the income package. The Free ride is predicated on an amateur status, if the kids get paid, benefits may be taxable.

Anyway, the monies generated by football and basketball are huge, no doubt, in a vacuum. Universities are Billion Dollar entities and even the best athletic programs are less than 10% of the annual revenue (aside from a roughly equal percentage of the expenses!). The costs to actually play with the big boys (FBS) is far greater than just the costs of the football and men's basketball teams. Though I believe there is far more TV money to be had, there is far less money than people think because they refuse to acknowledge ALL the costs of having a full football team (Title IX requires 85 women's athletic scholarships, assuming 50/50 split in gender of the student body).

Anyway, the greedy, arrogant kids have the right to sue the greedy arrogant universities, so have at it.

P.S. I am not against the players getting a share of revenue generated by schools using the players' likeness/names (video, jerseys, posters, etc.)

 

[RandomGuy]

Alston vs. NCAA

No one seemed too interested in the lawsuit. Will take many years. I guess realignment peaked some interest.

 

[SaltineWarrior]

Big XII(10)
ACC (14)
Big Ten (14)
SEC (14)
PAC-12 (12)
ND
is 65.
One of the 64 would have to be left behind to do 4x16.

I think they are already left behind.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Ah, Pods...good times!

 

[elimunelson]

Congress is gonna get involved and will probably find a way to exempt football from title 9. Seems like something perfect for the trump admin to get his base strengthened and make the coasts go bananas.

Too many pols around country will not allow college football to devolve into a crazy pay to play model. ND will dictate things politically is always my default reaction. Catholics aren’t bound by geography

 

[Hoo's That]

Congress is gonna get involved and will probably find a way to exempt football from title 9. Seems like something perfect for the trump admin to get his base strengthened and make the coasts go bananas.

Too many pols around country will not allow college football to devolve into a crazy pay to play model. ND will dictate things politically is always my default reaction. Catholics aren’t bound by geography

Just. Not. Happening.

John Tower (R-Texas) tried to get it exempted when Title IX was originally up for passage and couldn't.
A snowball in Hell would have to give you points on the likelihood that idea passes given the current gender breakdown in Congress.
There probably isn't a majority in the Senate that would vote for it let alone 60 votes to let it come up for a vote.
If anything it's much more likely tough restrictions on football would pass due to CTE than an exemption from Title IX.

 

[CousCuse]

The real question here is, WHEN this happens, will Syracuse go to the pro-pay to play category or the amateur collegiate side. It would make sense with the Syracuse brand and demographic profile that they should go pro.

 

[orange79]

The real question here is, WHEN this happens, will Syracuse go to the pro-pay to play category or the amateur collegiate side. It would make sense with the Syracuse brand and demographic profile that they should go pro.

It would make sense due to the fact that Syracuse is a small private Northeastern university without oodles of state money behind them that they should go amateur.

 

[CousCuse]

It would make sense due to the fact that Syracuse is a small private Northeastern university without oodles of state money behind them that they should go amateur.

Syracuse has a big following across NY into NE PA, Long Island and into New England and New Jersey. I don't see another team in this region that would have a stronger hold on that population. If you are a part of that semi-pro league, I think the members will get large amounts of revenue from that.

 

[orange79]

Syracuse has a big following across NY into NE PA, Long Island and into New England and New Jersey. I don't see another team in this region that would have a stronger hold on that population. If you are a part of that semi-pro league, I think the members will get large amounts of revenue from that.

I haven't really thought that hard about this. Just presenting a different viewpoint. I think this would be a VERY difficult decision for SU. And lots of other schools, especially the private schools.

 

[CousCuse]

I haven't really thought that hard about this. Just presenting a different viewpoint. I think this would be a VERY difficult decision for SU. And lots of other schools, especially the private schools.

I know, Syracuse is in a unique position in this. The only other private school I can think of that would be high value in this format is USC. Notre Dame as well, but they seem to already not be wanting to go that route.