What the ACC Veto of Playoff Expansion Means to Oregon and Possibly the ACC

[Jon Joseph]

The ACC's (our Alliance "partner") veto of playoff expansion is costing Oregon and every P5 school, assuming the field would have expanded in 2023, and the using estimated additional playoff media money,  somewhere between $20 and 40M+ in additional revenue prior to 2026. The ACC is thwarting this potential income from being realized when many the athletic department is in the red. UCLA's athletic department, for one, is $60M plus underwater.

 

The Pac-12 and the B1G's insistence on all P5 champs being in a 12 team field would likely have been agreed to. All P5 champs in the field would still leave plenty of at large spots open for Notre Dame and the SEC. Yesterday, Stewart Mandel posted an article on The Athletic in which he  agreed with the B1G and the Pac-12 that the Rose Bowl should be a permanent semifinal playoff site with the game broadcast on 1/1 at 5 PM eastern. The other semi-final site would rotate among the other NY6 bowls and also be played on 1/1. I believe the SEC, B12 and Notre Dame would have been OK with this protection of the Rose Bowl.

 

The rest of the P5 is paying for the ACC's lousy media deal with ESPN that runs through 2036 and pays each ACC member $17M a year. The ACC is only able to renegotiate this deal if Notre Dame (ND) joins the ACC as a full time football member. If the field expanded to 12, Notre Dame could stay independent. The ACC can bloviate all it wants about player health, conference alignment being in flux, the uncertainty that the portal and NIL have brought to CFB, but this is nothing but cover for the ACC's pathetic media deal. As well as it's deal with ND to play 4 or 5 football games a year while allowing ND as a full time member in all other sports. The ACC was happy to get the money that came with the ND deal and is now screwing over its 'partners' because it made this deal.

 

What does the Pac-12 get out of the 'hand shake' Alliance deal with the ACC. Perhaps an OOC game with Oregon State playing Duke? The so-called 'scheduling agreement' with the B1G and the ACC is not going to come close to the revenue Oregon and the other Pac-12 schools are losing with the playoff field remaining as-is through 2025.

 

$17M a year? If I were Clemson, NC State, Va Tech, Miami, Louisville and FSU, I am reaching out for SEC membership.  If I were AAU member institution UVA, Pitt, Georgia Tech and UNC, I am reaching out for B1G membership.

 

I think this financially unsound decision by the ACC could well come back to hoist the conference, deservedly so IMO, on its own petard.

 

With a "partner" like this?

 

 

[30Duck]

Yes, when college football became an entertainment production rather than an athletic competition; as Jon noted, a regional centered attraction, this was the inevitable ending. Here, a Media Deal, is anchoring the ACC in deep water, and keeping the Pac-12 and the B1G landlocked. 

[Jon Joseph]

On 1/29/2022 at 3:47 PM, 30Duck said:

Yes, when college football became an entertainment production rather than an athletic competition; as Jon noted, a regional centered attraction, this was the inevitable ending. Here, a Media Deal, is anchoring the ACC in deep water, and keeping the Pac-12 and the B1G landlocked. 

 

As GK has pointed out, being obstructionist now is silly when considering that come 2026, an expanded playoff field will only need a majority vote of commissioners and also a majority vote of the P5. All things being equal, there are 3 P5 votes in favor as of a 12 team field as of now; the B12, the Pac-12 and the SEC. Notre Dame and the G5 will also be in favor of expansion to 12 teams. Let's say these 3 P5 go for 12 in one form or another. Is Ohio State going to agree with the B1G sitting out the playoff. Is Clemson going to do so.

 

THIS is what is so frustrating. Lots of things in life are frustrating but the frustration does not lead to the loss of multi-millions of dollars. The ACC cannot afford to opt out of the CFB playoff. Ditto the B1G. So why the hold up now? 1 more expansion discussion is on the calendar. I hope that there is a lot of conversation going on under the radar that can lead to a solution, a sooner path to playoff expansion and the much needed dollars.

 

I know that on this Forum I harp on dollars. But if you do not understand that P5 CFB is big business you are missing the big (B1G?) picture. Without more revenue the Pac-12 will not be able to afford to keep its successful coaches in CFB and every other sport. It's a lot more 'fun' to consider how the 2022 schedule will play out for the Ducks but in the long run this is far less important than the question of from where is increased revenue is going to come? This revenue shortfall is IMO, the principal reason why Oregon is playing a 1 off game in the SE versus Georgia.

Edited January 29, 2022 by Jon Joseph

[30Duck]

On 1/29/2022 at 1:23 PM, Jon Joseph said:

 

I know that on this Forum I harp on dollars

"Follow the money", or lack thereof, fits everywhere.

[The Kamikaze Kid]

On 1/29/2022 at 1:23 PM, Jon Joseph said:

1 more expansion discussion is on the calendar.

What’s going on here? How can all of college football tie it’s own hands and paralyze itself in spite of its own self interest.

With as much money that’s being squandered for nothing, you’d think this would be a get it done yesterday level priority for ALL involved. This topic should be the calendar until it’s resolved.

[Jon Joseph]

On 1/29/2022 at 4:39 PM, The Kamikaze Kid said:

What’s going on here? How can all of college football tie it’s own hands and paralyze itself in spite of its own self interest.

With as much money that’s being squandered for nothing, you’d think this would be a get it done yesterday level priority for ALL involved. This topic should be the calendar until it’s resolved.

That's always been a problem with CFB. Every conference for itself and no Commissioner like the NFL has. Plus, 32 NFL business-people owners who are always looking out for the collective bottom line. 

 

All for one in CFB? Forget about it. Parochialism worked for CFB back in the days prior to the BCS, but not now. And the Alliance sounds good but what will it drop to the bottom line?

[HappyToBeADuck]

Just an observation, but if you take Clemson, Florida State and Miami out of the ACC and into the SEC, B1G or BIG12, what do you have?

 

A top level basketball conference...

 

The academic ignorance displayed by the narcissistic, know it all presidents in the ACC is only surpassed by the narcissistic,  know it all presidents of, well the PAC.

 

The 2 weakest conferences making non business like decisions. Decisions that continue to weaken their positions. The ACC leadership ignorance is matched by the PAC leadership arrogance. Both conferences had an opportunity to change the landscape of college sports and failed.

 

Now the SEC and B1G, If they want, can form 2-24 team Super Leagues (Jon Joesph Choir Master) with 4-12 or 8-6 team divisions. You can guess who their members will be. The rest, per NCAA, can form their own division. Say goodbye to non revenue sports both men's and women's in that division.

 

Their is no Alliance. It's every school for itself. Those unwilling to change may get trampled.

[The Kamikaze Kid]

I can fully understand individuals thinking exclusively in their own best interest. What I can’t understand is how individuals losing out on multi millions of dollars annually is considered winning. 
 

I also can’t understand how individuals that are eager to gain those annual millions can sit by idle while their counterparts squander those millions pointlessly.

 

Even an SEC that dominates a four team field would benefit far more by dominating an expanded playoff field. So would ESPN. 

[Jon Joseph]

On 1/29/2022 at 5:08 PM, HappyToBeADuck said:

Just an observation, but if you take Clemson, Florida State and Miami out of the ACC and into the SEC, B1G or BIG12, what do you have?

 

A top level basketball conference...

 

The academic ignorance displayed by the narcissistic, know it all presidents in the ACC is only surpassed by the narcissistic,  know it all presidents of, well the PAC.

 

The 2 weakest conferences making non business like decisions. Decisions that continue to weaken their positions. The ACC leadership ignorance is matched by the PAC leadership arrogance. Both conferences had an opportunity to change the landscape of college sports and failed.

 

Now the SEC and B1G, If they want, can form 2-24 team Super Leagues (Jon Joesph Choir Master) with 4-12 or 8-6 team divisions. You can guess who their members will be. The rest, per NCAA, can form their own division. Say goodbye to non revenue sports both men's and women's in that division.

 

Their is no Alliance. It's every school for itself. Those unwilling to change may get trampled.

SEC + Clemson, FSU, VA Tech, NC ST, Louisville, Miami/ B1G + Duke, UNC, Georgia Tech, UVA, PITT, Kansas, all AAU member schools. 22 for the SEC/ 20 for the B1G. (Please, add Oregon and USC and not Notre Dame + Syracuse?) To stay alive, the B12 and Pac-12 would have to 'merge' in some fashion; of course, this could have already happened if the Pac-12 had not decided to 'stand still.' Stand still in today's CFB? You are falling behind.