Superconferences & Realignment

[SouthSideChiDomer]

I agree with that so much.

Huh, maybe we do belong in the Big Ten

 

[pumpdog20]

Now FSU president saying it may have to consider leaving the ACC if revenue distribution doesn't change... there's our cue to bounce boys!

 

[NDohio]

Thank you. There are always so many rumors because it's such a juicy topic.

Ross Dellenger especially seems really dialed in on the realignment issue and he does try and differentiate between what are just crazy rumors and what has some legs to it.

 

[greyhammer90]

Now FSU president saying it may have to consider leaving the ACC if revenue distribution doesn't change... there's our cue to bounce boys!

ND fans watching conferences eat each other like:

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

Now FSU president saying it may have to consider leaving the ACC if revenue distribution doesn't change... there's our cue to bounce boys!

I have never seen an entity of any sort that so grossly overvalues itself like Florida State does. They are absurd.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

 

[Irish#1]

None of this happens out of the blue. Every one of these movements has been discussed between conference execs, school ADs, presidents, and BoTs far, far in advance of anything happening. There are contingency plans upon contingency plans, most of which will never come to fruition.

I’ll be interested to see what the PAC12’s contingency plan is.

 

[Irish#1]

View attachment 3054034

PAC12 did it to itself.

 

[WilliamWallace]

I have never seen an entity of any sort that so grossly overvalues itself like Florida State does. They are absurd.

FSU is much like ND, they were once great, now, not so much. I would take FSU over Clemson based solely off history.

 

[Sea Turtle]

I’ll be interested to see what the PAC12’s contingency plan is.

Smoking weed
Homelessness
Social justice
Pooping on the sidewalk
Activism
Leaving needles in the streets

 

[WilliamWallace]

I’d also add that Clemson adds equal value because of their more recent success. Miami can be added because of historical context. They are still good brands regardless of how you spin it. That’s what the conferences are after. ND being the biggest outlier. We will have a door open, but for how long? It could slam in our face. I trust Jack knows this and will move at the appropriate time. I personally think it’s when not if.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

PAC12 did it to itself.

This is true, disastrous leadership and poor choices. They could have had Texas and Oklahoma, but Stanford scoffed at Oklahoma academics.

 

[INLaw]

FSU history? Miami history? These are both new rich and more like ski do rich not yacht rich.

 

[WilliamWallace]

FSU history? Miami history? These are both new rich and more like ski do rich not yacht rich.

Both schools have had their dominance in college football which is what I’m eluding too. As has ND, and Alabama. More so than even Clemson. But Clemson too has won titles. When looking at what’s left to be poached these schools add more value than the rest.

 

[BilboBaggins]

Oregon and Washington are so-so takes for the Big Ten, and I don't think they'd take Stanford *and* Cal.

IMO the Big Ten should add Stanford, and then Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Duke when the ACC implodes.

Then you have a twenty-team conference with four five-team pods and it actually works out better than you'd think.

Western Pod
* Nebraska
* Notre Dame
* Stanford
* UCLA
* USC

Great Plains Pod
* Iowa
* Minnesota
* Northwestern
* Illinois
* Wisconsin

Great Lakes Pod
* Indiana
* Michigan
* Michigan State
* Ohio State
* Purdue

Eastern Pod
* Duke
* Maryland
* North Carolina
* Penn State
* Rutgers

So Notre Dame gets 9 Big Ten games, Navy, and 2 OOC games.

I wish this conference realignment crap stopped with a 12-team cap, but it didn't. I think you'd be hard to make a better permanent home for ND than that setup.

 

[CoachB]

Oregon and Washington are so-so takes for the Big Ten, and I don't think they'd take Stanford *and* Cal.

IMO the Big Ten should add Stanford, and then Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Duke when the ACC implodes.

Then you have a twenty-team conference with four five-team pods and it actually works out better than you'd think.

Western Pod
* Nebraska
* Notre Dame
* Stanford
* UCLA
* USC

Great Plains Pod
* Iowa
* Minnesota
* Northwestern
* Illinois
* Wisconsin

Great Lakes Pod
* Indiana
* Michigan
* Michigan State
* Ohio State
* Purdue

Eastern Pod
* Duke
* Maryland
* North Carolina
* Penn State
* Rutgers

So Notre Dame gets 9 Big Ten games, Navy, and 2 OOC games.

I wish this conference realignment crap stopped with a 12-team cap, but it didn't. I think you'd be hard to make a better permanent home for ND than that setup.

Agree with a lot of this and good work, but it probably makes more sense geographically to switch Notre Dame and Iowa. I get that ND would like to keep Stanford and USC for west coast recruiting, so there is that.

 

[CoachB]

With what looks like the demise of the PAC10, and ACC teams not being happy about their TV deal, what do you think would have to happen to make ND decide to join a league? Like which dominos would have to fall?

 

[greyhammer90]

With what looks like the demise of the PAC10, and ACC teams not being happy about their TV deal, what do you think would have to happen to make ND decide to join a league? Like which dominos would have to fall?

I think ND has been pretty clear that they will remain independent as long as:

1) They have a path to the playoffs,
2) Have a home for their other Olympic sports.

If the ACC folds and the B1G refuses us pseudo membership, then we're probably a B1G team.

 

[stlnd01]

I think ND has been pretty clear that they will remain independent as long as:

1) They have a path to the playoffs,
2) Have a home for their other Olympic sports.

If the ACC folds and the B1G refuses us pseudo membership, then we're probably a B1G team.

Funny thing is if the ACC folds, there will be a bunch of middleweight leftovers looking for a home for (at least) their Olympic sports - BC, Syracuse, Pitt, Wake, etc. In that scenario, Notre Dame could wind up anchoring something like the ‘90s-era Big East.

Not that I think we should - I’d rather us be part of a coast-to-coast B1G than cling to independence for independence sake - but what’s old could be new again.

 

[Huntr]

I’ll be interested to see what the PAC12’s contingency plan is.

Cal, Wazzu and Oregon St merge with the MWC, keep the Pac name, and fade into G5 oblivion.

Cal is especially screwed. They have like $200 mill remaining in debt from recent stadium renovations and no way in sight to pay it off.

Washington St owes like $120 mill and even Washington will be paying ~$18 mill/yr on stadium debt in 2026.

The PAC screwed up royally by not taking the Big 12 schools at the time, and now here we are.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I've decided that I'm all in on ND to the B1G when the day comes. I've discussed a similar B1G lineup as what Bilbobaggins proposed in the past as it checks a ton of boxes.

I'd also look to add a UConn, Villanova, or Gonzaga for basketball as well. Although that messes with the numbers Bilbo was playing with.

I predict the SEC being the "premier" football league and the B1G being the "premier" basketball league. Of course, each respective league will have their cross over teams (Kentucky basketball in the SEC and OSU football in the B1G for examples).

I hated all this change at first, but now I'm actually excited about the possibilities.

 

[MacIrish75]

I've decided that I'm all in on ND to the B1G when the day comes. I've discussed a similar B1G lineup as what Bilbobaggins proposed in the past as it checks a ton of boxes.

I'd also look to add a UConn, Villanova, or Gonzaga for basketball as well. Although that messes with the numbers Bilbo was playing with.

I predict the SEC being the "premier" football league and the B1G being the "premier" basketball league. Of course, each respective league will have their cross over teams (Kentucky basketball in the SEC and OSU football in the B1G for examples).

I hated all this change at first, but now I'm actually excited about the possibilities.

My feelings lie somewhere between excitement and just coming to terms with the fact that the era of independence may be coming to a swift end. It is what it is at this point.

 

[pumpdog20]

Glad to see some of you coming to my side on the B1G lol

 

[Huntr]

I'd also look to add a UConn, Villanova, or Gonzaga for basketball as well.

This won't happen. These schools add nothing for football value and football markets are the only thing driving realignment.

Current members would be forced to take a smaller share and that ain't happening.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

If you guys think this part is exciting, just wait until the B1G and SEC start booting longstanding members. Pretty soon the rest of the conference is going to start wondering why are Mississippi State and Indiana University getting $100 million a year in media money?

 

[greyhammer90]

Really fun seeing a great regional sport with a lot of quirky local flavor get turned into NFL lite by the Mouse and other networks.

I strongly believe they're about to kill the golden goose. KSU fans aren't going to turn into Texas fans, they're just going to stop watching and turn to the NFL (which they probably already watch, so its not even a huge gain for the NFL).

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Really fun seeing a great regional sport with a lot of quirky local flavor get turned into NFL lite by the Mouse and other networks.

I strongly believe they're about to kill the golden goose. KSU fans aren't going to turn into Texas fans, they're just going to stop watching and turn to the NFL.

I agree with this so hard. Fans of the P5 teams who are relegated to second tier status are going to leave in droves. The non B1G/SEC schools can no longer daydream about nailing the right hire and moving into the top tier.

Now the path to success is climbing on social media to simp for your favorite billionaire and beg them to buy some players.

The sport will only be drawn further and further into catering to gamblers who only want product and don't care about the unique aspects of CFB. I guess tickets might get cheaper.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

This won't happen. These schools add nothing for football value and football markets are the only thing driving realignment.

Current members would be forced to take a smaller share and that ain't happening.

I think this is short sighted to say the least.

And what will basketball schools do? Branch off and form their own super conference? What about the schools who have top football and basketball programs?

 

[Huntr]

I think this is short sighted to say the least.

And what will basketball schools do? Branch off and form their own super conference? What about the schools who have top football and basketball programs?

Duke makes more money on football than basketball.

Duke.

It doesn't matter what those schools who are a non-factor in football do. They aren't part of the realignment conversation.

I think UConn *may* be the only one remotely relevant.

 

[forkbeard3777]

I've decided that I'm all in on ND to the B1G when the day comes. I've discussed a similar B1G lineup as what Bilbobaggins proposed in the past as it checks a ton of boxes.

I'd also look to add a UConn, Villanova, or Gonzaga for basketball as well. Although that messes with the numbers Bilbo was playing with.

I predict the SEC being the "premier" football league and the B1G being the "premier" basketball league. Of course, each respective league will have their cross over teams (Kentucky basketball in the SEC and OSU football in the B1G for examples).

I hated all this change at first, but now I'm actually excited about the possibilities.

I love the expansion of the Playoff. That’s exactly what College Football needs imo.

However, I hate the conference expansion. Other than money, 20+ team leagues serves no real purpose to the teams and their fans. What’s the point in being in a conference to play 1/3 of the teams? That said, for the B1G, it makes sense. If the B1G were just broadcasted on FOX, it probably wouldn’t be exploring expansion, but because it’s over 3 networks, it simply needs more content. However, CBS and NBC are probably looking at the league right now thinking, “I’m not sure I want to have to show this much Minnesota or Purdue.”