Superconferences & Realignment

[BobbyMac]

Twitter seems to be suggesting that Arizona, ASU, and Utah are a done deal.

I'm chatting with an AZ reporter right now and he says The ASU BOT were polled and they thought it would be best if they stayed with Zona and the fact that Utah is part of the deal means there's serious LDS action going on here.

I know for a fact that President Crow had his eye on the B1G as I have a close friend who was a varsity coach at ASU and Crow's leadership got ASU into the AAU and it all seemed to be going as planned.

Next question is, is ASU locked in if they do go Big 12? That's what I'm trying to find out now.

 

[calvegas04]

FYI, UConn has been pursued by the Big 12.

Big 12 Records | University of Connecticut

UConn's Candidacy for the Big 12 Conference UConn's Candidacy for the Big 12 Conference In association with the University of Connecticut's p ... February 10, 2026

uconn.edu

lol B12 continues to go after the heavyweights

 

[BobbyMac]

ASU Regents are formally meeting right now to plot a course.

 

[BobbyMac]

lol B12 continues to go after the heavyweights

Heavyweights if you are a BBall conference... and that they are.

 

[WilliamWallace]

So I was listening to the Bill King show earlier and I wasn’t paying too much attention (He’s an Irish fan here in the south based out of Nashville). I heard him say that TikTok has entered the game in US college athletics (I’m certain he specified a conference). He then went on to say that China has entered the game. I’ll see if I can find more about it, but it caught me off guard.

 

[WilliamWallace]

It seems as though he said TikTok was backing a certain conference. Apologies but I didn’t catch the whole conversation.

 

[WilliamWallace]

It was the ACC, and whether there’s anything to it idk. He said said TikTok was backing the ACC and went on to say that, it only means China has entered into the US college football scene.

 

[calvegas04]

 

[SouthSideChiDomer]

It sounds like the Pac might survive after all.

 

[notredomer23]

 

[GATTACA!]

B1G:

B1G:

 

[NDWarrior]

This is an interesting idea - Clemson becoming an Independent for a few years Why the idea of Clemson football leaving ACC, becoming independent isn't as crazy as it sounds

 

[Irish#1]

From The Athletic

Oregon and Washington’s exit from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten appears to have lost momentum overnight, sources briefed on the discussions tell The Athletic. This is a turning of the tides after Big Ten presidents authorized commissioner Tony Petitti to pursue expansion on Thursday.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

If the B1G is just beginning to explore another round of expansion, it would be a while before Oregon or Washington would even get that theoretical invitation.

It sounds like they aren't prepared to bet on it coming.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Also, it appears the money in the PAC's new media deal is heavily dependent on their ability to drive subscribers to AppleTV so its value is more difficult to determine than other conference media deals.

 

[Irish#1]

Also, it appears the money in the PAC's new media deal is heavily dependent on their ability to drive subscribers to AppleTV so its value is more difficult to determine than other conference media deals.

That's what I've read and TBH, I don't know that there are enough fans to push enough to subscribe to Apple TV.

 

[stlnd01]

If the B1G is just beginning to explore another round of expansion, it would be a while before Oregon or Washington would even get that theoretical invitation.

It sounds like they aren't prepared to bet on it coming.

I don't know about Oregon but if the B1G has an appetite to expand, Washington seems like a slam-dunk. Good school, big market, bolsters their new west coast presence. Probably the most appealing school they could realistically add after us and maybe UNC.
Not sure why Washington would foreclose that option so quickly just because Arizona lost its cold feet overnight.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

I don't know about Oregon but if the B1G has an appetite to expand, Washington seems like a slam-dunk. Good school, big market, bolsters their new west coast presence. Probably the most appealing school they could realistically add after us and maybe UNC.
Not sure why Washington would foreclose that option so quickly just because Arizona lost its cold feet overnight.

My guess is Washington and Stanford. However, if the conference gets a report that tells them adding any additional PAC schools would be a net reduction in payouts to members then the B1G probably won't add any of them.

If things reach a certain point the B1G will start to add schools for the purpose of expanding their footprint but I don't think they are ready to push toward that endgame.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

If the B1G is just beginning to explore another round of expansion, it would be a while before Oregon or Washington would even get that theoretical invitation.

It sounds like they aren't prepared to bet on it coming.

I could be wrong, but anyone joining the B1G now would have to wait six years for payouts, correct? So you're there but you're not getting a cut just yet.

I might be misreading the situation.

 

[Huntr]

UW/UO punting on a partial B1G share due to slightly increased travel costs is high comedy. They'd still make more than the Apple deal will bring them.

My takeaway is that Pac12 academic leaders have 0 understanding of modern college athletics and 0 inclination to learn about them.

They appear to be about to sign a GoR,ffs. That's hilariously dumb.

 

[IrishLax]

B1G isn't going to pay full share for two schools that don't move the needle. They have all of the leverage.

 

[Huntr]

FSU trying to sell equity in their athletic department to raise the funds to exit the ACC.

And I'm rolling laughing at the absurdity of CFB.

Any FI that gives FSU nearly half the value of their endowment for athletics deserves the inevitable shit storm that will rain down on them.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

FSU trying to sell equity in their athletic department to raise the funds to exit the ACC.

And I'm rolling laughing at the absurdity of CFB.

Any FI that gives FSU nearly half the value of their endowment for athletics deserves the inevitable shit storm that will rain down on them.

Really? It's weird they wouldn't try a bond issuance first. Is there some state law prohibiting that, I wonder?

 

[NDPhilly]

FSU hiring JP Morgan to raise equity is officially the we’ve jumped the shark moment for me, moreso than any NIL or past realignment BS. Sport is a mess.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

I could be wrong, but anyone joining the B1G now would have to wait six years for payouts, correct? So you're there but you're not getting a cut just yet.

I might be misreading the situation.

I believe Maryland and Rutgers took reduced payouts but they (or at least Rutgers) had to borrow money to get out of their old conference and also the schools had to buy into equity held by the conference (basically the TV network). So it wasn't really reduced money, per se.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

 

[ColinKSU]

FSU trying to sell equity in their athletic department to raise the funds to exit the ACC.

And I'm rolling laughing at the absurdity of CFB.

Any FI that gives FSU nearly half the value of their endowment for athletics deserves the inevitable shit storm that will rain down on them.

Because no one at FSU can think of a single instance where private equity has ruined a once proud institution beyond all repair and then stripped it for parts.

Seminole Football about to be brought to you by the Saudi Private Investment Fund.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

This is an interesting idea - Clemson becoming an Independent for a few years Why the idea of Clemson football leaving ACC, becoming independent isn't as crazy as it sounds

Clemson and the SEC seems like a perfect marriage. This would be a surprise to me.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

1) The GoR agreement is explicitly made in furtherance of other agreements. If those agreements have a choice of law provision then the argument that this agreement intended to modify that is pretty weak, IMO. For example, it states on the first page states that the GoR is given as a condition of the ESPN agreement. Additionally, there is a strong chance that there is a provision in the membership agreement about how it has primacy for all disputes between members including ancillary agreements.

2) While I wouldn't rule out the Florida legislature doing.... almost anything at all, there would be a lot of negative consequences.

 

[NDPhilly]

Appears that Oregon played the rest of the Pac 12 like a fiddle this morning in order to get more out of the Big 10. Just absolutely insane the level of “every man for themself” we’re at now. Throwing their historic rivals fake hope only to effectively kill them right after.