HDuck

Please, let this man play golf. Next, he'll have time for the flowchart. The sad part of this conspiracy theory is about 25% of it is accurate, which is about 20% too much and why the Pac12 is in the fix it is in. All conspiracy theories have an element of truth. And, therein lies the rub.

Well, as much of a shill that Pollack is for the SEC, he did say this in October 2022 after 45-30 Ducks. "What kind of stupid, idiot, dumb dumb, would pick UCLA over Oregon? Im sorry @oregonfootball I was wrong!" Pollack tweeted. In 2018, before the WSU game, about Herbert, "hmmm, well he throws a pretty ball."

Some stream numbers. The number below includes quite a bit of set it, forget it, program selection such as movies or 60-120 minute single program. The issue for many sports fans will still be, "how many different streamers do I have to subscribe to? And, how easy is it to change multiple times mid-flight?"

Pollack out is not a loss of substance. McAfee may not be the perfect addition, but the Pollack loss is probably an upgrade. On another topic, Amazon membership really does not mean much. It is the Amazon subscribers who will watch that will be the numbers to track. There are a LOT of subscribers who are there for much different reasons. There are a lot of Prime viewers who wouldn't know a football from a volleyball. Unless there is a "consolidation of streaming services" under a single membership umbrella, i.e. a cable system of streaming, the resistance to streaming will be firm. Folks do not like a multitude of single charges per month. But, hopefully the market responds for that, and for picture-in-picture, quick service/channel changes, video quality, instant replay, record to watch later, etc. services that come with a DVR and cable/satellite. High speed Internet is still dismal in many parts of the nation, and system infrastructure will need upgrades to handle multi-million simultaneous viewers. Success will depend on addressing all those issues in months, not years.

A somewhat "similar" topic is the demise of AM radio. Something I don't like since those stations are being replaced with FM versions which have a fraction of the geographic range. I enjoy listening to AM broadcast of the Ducks' post-game show, or tuning in Cal Bear broadcasts, etc. as I drive home in the evening/night. Something that FM can't provide. Nor, sufficient cell tower coverage in the mountains for an Internet stream. Fortunately, I have vehicle satellite radio which provides the game broadcast, but not the post-game. Even the new FM stations are cutting anything other than the actual game. The linked story, and the comments that are tacked on at the end, describes some of the issues on this topic. Is AM Radio Dead? | Jeff Geerling WWW.JEFFGEERLING.COM Like to watch Duck games on DISH/cable and listen to radio broadcasts that often have the play 5 secs. or so before the TV. Have found the sync between radio streaming and TV is not as good thus forcing me to abandon it altogether and listen to a TV broadcast crew which does not have the "insider" info provided by Jorgy/Jerry. Streaming MAY be the future, but right now is you live outside a major metro with reliable high speed connections it is problematic. Likewise the technology has a lot to do to catchup for quick channel change without lag, picture in picture, multi-channel view, immediate DVR rewind, etc. etc.

"Amazon Prime 161.7 million, 24.3%" Prime got 11.3 million viewers average for the 15 Thursday NFL night games. Obviously NFL gets more viewers than college games. That would be about 7 percent of AmazonPrime subscribers per game. The average for all NFL games last season was 16.7 million so traditional access had to be greater than that amount to offset the 11.3 on Thursday night. That is down from 17.1 in the prior season which did not have Prime in the average. Amazon’s games were the lowest rated Thursday night since 2013 when the NFL Network exclusively aired TNF. Last season Thursday games averaged 16.4 million viewers.

In addition to the travel issues that will become more apparent for UCLA/USC, I believe we'll see another issue come into focus in the near future. That is, with expanded conferences there are going to be an expansion of teams with mediocre records and waning fan support. The SEC has tried to deal with that by keeping conference games to 8 and some creative scheduling non-conference and within. SEC understands keeping W-L records up, and fans engaged. Take as a lesson for my point of possibility, the Boston College program. It was a darn competitive program in the Big East and as an Independent, but after it joined the ACC....now 14 teams plus Notre Dame....it has become a .500 program. Boston College Eagles College Football History, Stats, Records | College Football at Sports-Reference.com WWW.SPORTS-REFERENCE.COM Check out the Boston College Eagles College Football History, Stats, Records, Polls, Bowls and More College Football Stats at Sports-Reference.com I can foresee that happening to more programs as conferences expand. What were once mid-tier programs that could get regular minor bowl appearances will have to scratch and claw against more conference opponents to make it. Yes, more money will be nice, but it will likely come at a cost in W-L, fan engagement, morale. And teams, like Boston College, that could occasionally fly like eagles will have a much harder time doing so. There are numerous B.C. programs that could have a rude awakening. The smaller, regionalized conferences may see quaint now, but fans of mid and low-tier schools may soon look back on them fondly.

....you double down on Mistake by the Lake. No porta-pottys in evidence here.....

I would just add to the UCLA (return?) discussion that most of us fans on the West Coast have not yet really grasped the level of resistance the current Big10 programs have to additional travel to the West Coast. It is very real, and very deeply held. Even if UO/UW could add almost equivalent media value as mid-tier BigTen programs...there is still tremendous resistance. It's so deeply held, it is almost irrational. But, I don't believe most of my fellow Pac12 fans yet comprehend the B1G members feelings. So, will UCLA become disenchanted with so many travel games across its sports spectrum? Can the B1G come up with some options? Such as scheduling nearby opponents back to back which hasn't been a B1G scheduling thing in the past. Maybe UCLA playing Illinois and Northwestern in basketball, both in Chicago, for example? Maryland and Rutgers both in D.C.? Football is a different animal, not sure there will ever be a compromise that would be in UCLA's interest unless more West Coast opponents are added....but, I don't think that is going to happen anytime before 2030. By then, the difference in media shares between the Pac12 and B1G will be even more pronounced and UCLA will be trapped. Perhaps the B1G would add 2 in the West and 2 in the East? Not just for markets, but to avoid travel to the West as much as possible? There would be two more travel sites nearby in the East, and two more teams to split the travel requirement to the West. If there were 4 teams in the West, that would be 18 total home games in-conference. 6 of them could be filled by the 4 playing each other, leaving 12 home games that a 20-team B1G's other 16 teams would have to fill. That's less than one trip per year to the West. If it is just 2 in the West, then the other 14 teams have to fill 8 home games in the West. Again, less than 1 trip per year. Yet, current B1G programs are irrational about it. Current B1G teams may want to adopt an SEC type schedule with permanent opponents to make sure all West teams face each other thus reducing trips to the West for everyone else?

Which College Football Team Does North Texas Root for? WWW.NBCDFW.COM As college football season continues, Vivid Seats is looking at fandom across North Texas based on ticket sales. Open link and scroll for map. Royal Blue is SMU.

Shocking ACC schools tabbed as major targets for Big Ten and SEC in realignment FANSIDED.COM The two ACC schools the Big Ten and SEC might want the most are North Carolina and Virginia. While Clemson, Florida State and even Miami might make more se... Update for that link.

An interesting color coded map of "fan interest" in NorthTexas/Dallas area when you open the link. One of the maps you can point your mouse at the area to determine the team. i.e. blue is SMU, red is Tex Tech, purple is TCU, orange is UT, etc. Unfortunately, in cases like this, the No. 2 in each geographic area is also relevant, but not shown. Which College Football Team Does North Texas Root for? WWW.NBCDFW.COM As college football season continues, Vivid Seats is looking at fandom across North Texas based on ticket sales.

Quite a bit of "chatter" about this today, some jokes, some serious...

It would be interesting to see some credible stats about the population growth in Seattle Area. Where did the folks come from, as opposed to growth of "native born." And, has fan interest in WSU also waned in the Seattle area? Where has enrollment growth at UW and Stanford come from? Has fan interest in Florida college teams waned as more "outsiders" arrive? If TV programming which includes UW diminishes that will also affect fan interest, it would seem? Wonder if metro based teams in the West...San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix, Los Angeles....is a prominent factor in why the Pac12 has overall diminished interest in the last 15-20 years in comparison to more smaller city conferences? Not picking on UW here, just contemplating how demographics affect these situations.

Oregon has a "brand" due to past visibility such as ESPN GameDay appearances. Brand maintenance requires those continued appearances that will accompany the various B1G media partners. Oregon may be in dead water by the time "streaming becomes the norm." And, when/if it becomes the norm, the established brands from B1G and SEC will then carry over into streaming. Oregon cannot dictate future TV opponents. If the members of the B1G are already uninterested in adding more West Coast teams, why would they suddenly be willing to schedule home-and-home with Oregon non-conference? Likewise, SEC. This will become even more predominant for both the SEC and B1G in the future. Yes, there are a few SEC opponents which have scheduled Pac12 teams, but that is a legacy of the past when games are scheduled 6-7 years in advance. If the B1G and SEC both adopt 9-game conference schedules, they will be looking at regional opponents in non-conference, and dedicate those game slots to home games only. At some point, the Big12 may also say, "we don't need Pac12 opponents either." Mullens is doing the best he can trying to get a pretty girl to dance, but the pretty girl doesn't need Mullens when there are more attractive suitors. The best he may be able to hope for is a 2 away, 1 home agreement as this evolves over the next few years. And, that may be the only way Oregon would appear on a major conference network affiliation. If the SEC, B1G, and Big12 smell blood in the water, they aren't going to offer resuscitation via a home-and-home agreement. It will be more, "well, we'll see you in Dallas or Atlanta for a neutral site game."

Pete Thamel had an ESPN column today that said both the SEC and BigTen are in no hurry, but both would be interested in North Carolina and Virginia above other candidates (except Notre Dame) Proximity and new states without representation in either conference. The two teams have a close rivalry with UNC leading 66-58-4 in football and would provide a natural pairing. South's Oldest Rivalry - Wikipedia EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

Personally, have DISH. And, probably will keep it for the duration until there is a streaming product that is equal to cable/satellite in instantaneous multi-game channel swapping, and multi-channel view, picture in picture, instant re-wind live, recording for later viewing, etc. I do NOT want lag on game swaps which I currently do multiple times during broadcast. I presume at some point, a technology will evolve which will improve streaming swaps, and a service will come into the market place to package streaming services inside a single vendor at a price less than per each service cumulative. At that point, I would consider it. That might even name it something unique like "Kayble". If you have cable/satellite you have to stay on top of it to make sure you keep a low price. At a minimum, annual review and threaten to leave or the laziness will get you a big monthly bill over time. You also have to calculate how much your household members watch non-sports options which may be a big factor in how much you are willing to pay for cable/satellite. Nationally, including in Oregon, there is still significant variation in Internet connection speeds, with streaming interruption/lag. The SEC dude may be living in one of those areas. As noted in prior messages, Pac12 programs are concerned about linear availability as they understand the households for many of these recruits and their families, have no Internet services and/or streaming capable devices. Again, the SEC dude's perception as well. That being said, the move toward games only available on ESPN+, Paramount, Prime....will force even the SEC dude's home turf to switch at some point. The future is not now, it is the future.

Oregon’s 2020 home game against Ohio State was canceled, but the two schools agreed on a resolution to the home-and-home series that was interrupted by the pandemic. Ohio State paid Oregon $3.5 million for Sept. 11, 2021 game in Columbus, Ohio, in lieu of rescheduling the 2020 game. Oregon and Ohio State also agreed to another home-and-home series in 2032 (Eugene) and 2033 (Columbus). If tOSU attempts to cancel 2032, I would suggest Mullens tell them "that will be $3.5 million, plus inflation" rather than a "mutually agreed" cancellation of both 2032 and 2033.

I don't think the B1G is interested in further expansion anytime soon. Current members are worn out from dealing with compromises on the 2024 schedule, and the majority want a conference that includes USC/UCLA without any member required to travel to the West Coast (laugh). As a result, they will use any excuse to avoid expansion and rely heavily upon "market theory" that any new member must not diminish media shares for current legacy members. The B1G will not kick any school out, and each will have an equal vote on expansion. That being said, at some point in the future it will still be considered: 1) end of new media contract, 2) if an attractive school looks imminent to join another conference, 3) if ACC/Pac looks like they will cease to exist. So, what would be the priority of interest for potential candidates. What do you think? How would you rank them from a B1G perspective? Candidate list solely in order of conference affiliation. Duke N. Carolina Virginia Kansas Stanford Cal Oregon Washington Didn't include Notre Dame as I feel they will try to remain Independent. I understand there is speculation about Georgia Tech and Miami, but feel there will be higher priority candidates.

Looks like UCLA is the one that gets nailed in 2024.

Concur with Jon about UCLA/Cal, with an alternative of adding Cal and Washington due to TV "markets." I suspect the "rival history" with Stanford could be pretty thin gruel if a choice has to be made. Though Stanford instead would be a book-end for Northwestern as a private institution. If UW doesn't get an invite, they'll blame Oregon. Most recent Pac12 championship 2020 – Oregon 2018 – Washington 2017 – USC 2015 – Stanford 2006 – Cal (tied with USC) 1998 – UCLA

Of the 14 teams starting play this morning still hoping for Omaha, Oral Roberts had the 4th most runs scored this season, and was No. 2 nationally in 2023 in wins only behind Wake Forest by just one win. ORU likely was not a 4-seed at Oklahoma City regional. Will be interesting to see how Omaha goes for them.

"Being in the range" has also been defined by Canzano and Wilner as 10-15 percent under.

The B1G indicated several months ago it would not require back-to-back road games for USC/UCLA in football, but on a peripheral topic I wonder what they will do with equipment truck trips? We have followed the "Duck Equipment Truck" via the driver's Twitter account to bowl games and road trips like Georgia, but what if that was 4 trips per season? That's quite the logistical issue. Wonder if USC/UCLA might attempt to pack for two games and leave the truck in the East for awhile? I presume other sports can fly with their equipment, but football is a different animal? Aside from getting home late, I presume the logistics is why the majority of B1G programs don't want to add more West Coast opponents. This is the link for the season mileage calculation: Big Ten football schedule: Distance each team will travel in 2024 season when USC, UCLA join conference - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM A few teams in the Big Ten Conference will be racking up airline miles when the league expands in the 2024 season

Last weekend Oral Roberts trailed Washington 0-8 before winning 15-12 behind 24 hits. Let's not count our Duck eggs until they're hatched.