College Football Conference Realignment - G5 Or Go Coast-to-Coast to Survive?

[Jon Joseph]

I confess to being duped into believing that the Pac-10 would hold together and that another guy with no college sports experience would be better than the last guy without college sports experience to be named the man in charge of the Pac-12/10, oops, 9. Shame on me. 

 

IMO opinion, the below, and not simply adding G5 teams to the Pac-9 pallet, is how Oregon can be a member of the P3 of the P4 conferences. And also how the Pac-9 and the ACC Conference can survive and perhaps, thrive. 

 

Coast-to-Coast Conference

 

West - Arizona, ASU, Cal, Georgia Tech, OREGON, Oregon State, Pitt, Stanford, Utah, Washington, Washington State. (Georgia Tech lies west of Detroit and Pitt is the other most western-located ACC school. Both are west of several B1G schools.) 

 

East - Boston College, Duke, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest.

 

The ACC media deal at $20M a year through 2036 frankly stinks. But including distributions from the ACC Network, ACC teams grossed more than Pac-12 teams in 2022. ESPN, owner, and operator of the ACC network in 2018 offered to purchase and operate the Pac-12 network. An offer which in their wisdom, the conference turned down. ESPN could take over the Pac network facilities and merge the network into the ACC network. Like the ACC, the Pac-9 schools could assign their respective tier 2 and lower media rights to CW. 

 

It's more than time for Oregon and UW, to lead the way in this direction. To stop having their respective brand dragged down by vapid so-called leadership. Elevate ACC commissioner Jim Phillips and leave George Kliavkoff behind, fine with me. Would geography be ideal? No. But it is now even more apparent that Oregon needs to act in its best interest and lead the way, not allow itself to be dragged down by moronic leadership and by 'partners' unwilling or unable to promote their brand in the manner of Oregon. 

 

Adding G5 teams in an effort to win the conference and advance to an expanded football playoff is, IMO, short-sighted and not designed to lead to a long-term financial win. 

[lownslowav8r]

Don’t have time now to put something like this together. If the PAC-12/10/9/? survives the next few weeks definitely a long term possibility. First, we will need a new commissioner. Kliavkoff needs to go as soon a media deal is signed (assuming that happens).

[Babyjesus615]

On 7/27/2023 at 12:39 PM, lownslowav8r said:

Kliavkoff needs to go as soon a media deal is signed

If the conference is doomed to die a slow death (over the next season or so) I'd say lets lock him on the bridge and let him go down with the ship. If there is any hope of survival for the conference then he needs go! The man played poker with an entire athletic organization and had his bluff called. One doesn't tend to survive that...

Edited July 27, 2023 by Babyjesus615
Poor grammar

[Nevada Dawg]

Well, I'd rather see the coast-to-coast option than the total disintegration of the remaining PAC-9. Except for the loss of league integrity, saying goodbye to Colorado is no big  whoop in my opinion. 

 

Jon, I didn't see one of the biggest ACC prizes, Clemson, in your proposed C-to-C league. Was that an oversight  or did I misread your post?

 

 

[Jon Joseph]

On 7/28/2023 at 1:21 AM, Nevada Dawg said:

Well, I'd rather see the coast-to-coast option than the total disintegration of the remaining PAC-9. Except for the loss of league integrity, saying goodbye to Colorado is no big  whoop in my opinion. 

 

Jon, I didn't see one of the biggest ACC prizes, Clemson, in your proposed C-to-C league. Was that an oversight  or did I misread your post?

 

 

If I omitted Clemson I certainly did not mean to do so. Clemson and FSU are by quite a bit, the 2 most valuable schools in the ACC. Thanks for the heads up. 

[Duckhart]

To me if the b12 was willing to merge the p10 then it would make since, with 2 divisions.

All remaining p10 schools in a far west division.

Make more since geographically and school fit/size, imo.

 

The b10 map

 

[Jon Joseph]

ACC commish Jim Phillips says league ‘would absolutely be open’ to expansion

SATURDAYROAD.COM

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ACC commissioner Jim Phillips says the league has spent 'considerable time' discussing the possibility of expansion.

 

[Washington Waddler]

     I think it’s no longer a matter for debate that the 500 Lb gorilla sitting at the media deal table is time zones. As much as I agree with the general OBD opinion regarding GV, there’s no avoiding that the deal’s major stumbling block revolves around the fact that CFB’s tv/streaming eyes = $$, and the majority of those eyes are east of the Mississippi and closed when we play.

 

     I’m not sure going coast to coast changes that reality one iota. The LA school gamble that Fox/B1G is playing is probably justified by the # of eyes in the SoCal area that helps balance diminished eastern viewing for LA area games. We could wait and hope that Fox/B1G wants to develop a western B1G division? Doesn’t sound advisable.

 

     Or we could just accept that the cable/satellite reality has created what amounts to two national time zone conferences separated by the big muddy. Like it or not, it would seem that viewing $$ has already married us to the B12 if we are to survive.

[Jon Joseph]

On 7/28/2023 at 1:41 PM, cartm25 said:

I've long argued for going big.

 

Time to attack the B1G and SEC rather than passively join them piecemeal.

 

My Proposed Plan:

 

Coast to Coast Conference - CCC

 

Three Divisions - Pacific (P12), Central (B12), and Atlantic (ACC)

 

8 Divisional regular season games

 

Non-Divisional games replace what was formally known as Non-Conference games

 

3 Primary stadiums for true neutral site games for said Non-Divisional games as follows:

- Pacific vs. Central = Las Vegas (Allegiant Stadium)

- Pacific vs. Atlantic = Texas (AT&T Stadium)

- Central vs. Atlantic = Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)

 

PLAYOFF - Winners of each division play in a playoff before the CFP for the Conference Championship . . . talk about generating more excitement than other conferences!!

 

Location of playoff and championship games are determined using the same layout above for Non-Divisional games.

 

Focus on divisional competition for all sports, with travel/crossover where reasonable.

How many teams do you envision as members? I think B12 schools are likely off the table until the new media deal expires in 2030/31. If the Pac-9 and the ACC merged in theory the ACC could re-work its existing deal with ESPN. And the ACC network, Coast-to-Coast network could take over the Pac-12 network facilities and broadcast apparatus. 

 

The money maker would be to get Notre Dame to buy into conference affiliation for football with the understanding that Notre Dame would get a bigger piece of the pie as would Clemson, FSU, Oregon, and UW. 

[Jon Joseph]

On 7/28/2023 at 2:07 PM, Washington Waddler said:

     I think it’s no longer a matter for debate that the 500 Lb gorilla sitting at the media deal table is time zones. As much as I agree with the general OBD opinion regarding GV, there’s no avoiding that the deal’s major stumbling block revolves around the fact that CFB’s tv/streaming eyes = $$, and the majority of those eyes are east of the Mississippi and closed when we play.

 

     I’m not sure going coast to coast changes that reality one iota. The LA school gamble that Fox/B1G is playing is probably justified by the # of eyes in the SoCal area that helps balance diminished eastern viewing for LA area games. We could wait and hope that Fox/B1G wants to develop a western B1G division? Doesn’t sound advisable.

 

     Or we could just accept that the cable/satellite reality has created what amounts to two national time zone conferences separated by the big muddy. Like it or not, it would seem that viewing $$ has already married us to the B12 if we are to survive.

But any alternative to the existing situation requires vision and leadership from the conference commissioner and the school presidents. Something that from what we have seen since GK came on board does not exist. 

 

Good call on LA. Without the LA market, the B1G media deal would be well behind the SEC deal. One of the P3 will finish in 3rd place behind the SEC and B1G and one if it holds together in 5th place. Today, the Pac-9, pending the media deal's #s is in 5th place. Going to a Power 4 with a 'merger' with the ACC would move the combined ACC and Pac into a solid 3rd place. 

 

Both Clemson with an average of 3M viewers and FSU with 2.03M viewers move the financial needle along with Oregon, 2.21M, Utah, 1.16M, and UW, 1.15M. Cal comes in at a decent 857K viewers and Stanford draws 846K viewers. Both draw better than the Arizona schools but AZ would be vital for CB and I think Dilly will get the job done at ASU.  

[Washington Waddler]

On 7/28/2023 at 11:26 AM, Jon Joseph said:

Going to a Power 4 with a 'merger' with the ACC would move the combined ACC and Pac into a solid 3rd place. 

     I agree, but without any comparable # of viewing eyes to the LA area anywhere else in the west (per game) how does it move the needle in gaining traction with a media deal?

[Cacker Guy]

On 7/28/2023 at 10:41 AM, cartm25 said:

Three Divisions - Pacific (P12), Central (B12), and Atlantic (ACC

I kind of like this idea, but without the B12.   24 teams, 8 per division.  The championship game would need to be worked out, but it's quite doable.  It almost preserves the Pac 12/10/9.  Is this even possible or economically feasible under the current ACC media rights deal?  I'm too lazy to try to figure that out myself.  I guess if you consider it adding 9 teams to the ACC it probably is.

Edited July 28, 2023 by Cacker Guy

[Jon Joseph]

On 7/28/2023 at 3:00 PM, Washington Waddler said:

     I agree, but without any comparable # of viewing eyes to the LA area anywhere else in the west (per game) how does it move the needle in gaining traction with a media deal?

Frankly, I'm not certain. But the Pac viewer numbers drop way off after Oregon, Utah, and UW, and decent numbers for Cal and Stanford. I think that Clemson and FSU, in particular, would give the combined conference a decent media push, and UNC and NC St #s along with Miami, are not terrible. And I would think that 'merging' with the ACC would likely result in a good CBB bump.

[Jon Joseph]

On 7/28/2023 at 3:35 PM, Cacker Guy said:

I kind of like this idea, but without the B12.   24 teams, 8 per division.  The championship game would need to be worked out, but it's quite doable.  It almost preserves the Pac 12/10/9.  Is this even possible or economically feasible under the current ACC media rights deal?  I'm too lazy to try to figure that out myself.  I guess if you consider it adding 9 teams to the ACC it probably is.

TCU draws 2.2M. OK St 1.7M, Baylor draws 1.3M and K St draws 1.23M. BYU is slightly under 1M at 977K. 

 

But from a Pac-9 president's POV, I think the synchronicity with the ACC would be more attractive than with the B12. 

 

BTW, I was out and about today and heard Rick Neuheisel, who once was the HC at CU, suggest that Oregon and UW should consider going collectively independent (oxymoron?) for the short term. I think scheduling would be a nightmare but it would be interesting to see what Oregon and UW together bring to the bottom line. How much value do the other Pac-7 schools add to the bottom line? IMO this would not work but media folks are coming forth to suggest new P-9 expansion formats whether sensible or not. Shocking, I know.