Power Conference 3

[Jon Joseph]

Andy Staples of The Athletic has come up with a 16 team power conference that he believes would not equal the B1G and the SEC in revenue, but would remain in hailing distance.

 

As Andy notes, the 16 teams he chose are not geographically aligned but are best suited to produce the most revenue. Andy listed the teams alphabetically, I have broken the 16 teams into 4 team pods. No team from the existing Power 2, the B1G and the SEC, were eligible for Power Conference 3.

 

Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington

 

Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma State, Utah

 

Cincinnati, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech

 

Clemson, Florida State, Miami, UCF

 

[Because of market size, I probably would have gone with ASU and CU in place of 2 of the above.]

 

Andy adds: "Assuming Lincoln Riley makes USC better and Dan Lanning keeps Oregon's talent level high, seeing these schools square off against Clemson  - with potential challenges from Baylor, Cincinnati, Miami, NC St and OK St - for the conference title would be outstanding."

 

A Pac-20 had the Pac-12 decided to expand post Oklahoma and Texas deciding to leave the B12, would have included the above 5 Pac-12 teams and Baylor, Houston and Oklahoma State.

 

A Coast-to-Coast Conference, a merger of the Pac-12 and the newly restructured B12 would include the above 5 Pac-12 teams and Baylor, Cincinnati, Houston, Oklahoma State and UCF.

 

I believe Andy's Power 3 Conference is not likely doable in today's CFB world. But I do believe that a Coast-to-Coast Conference (CCC) is doable and should be explored by the B12/Pac-12 before the next round of media negotiations.

 

The CCC could be structured as follows:

 

Pac-8 Division - CAL, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State

 

Big-8 West Division - Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Utah

 

Big-8 East Division - Baylor, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, West Virginia

 

As-is, there is no possible way for the ACC, 'new B12' and the Pac-12 to come close to B1G/SEC revenues. But it is what it is so let's enjoy what we have. And with Oregon sports there is a lot to enjoy.

 

 

[30Duck]

It's good to there's someone else out there besides you Jon exploring options for college football. Now we just need to have the actual players get in the game. 

[Charles Fischer]

I like Jon's conferences, as we could still have some great TV matchups.

[HappyToBeADuck]

Jon great breakdown, analysis and comment. 

 

This August the schools meet to decide the future of the divisions. And what rules to live by. The landscape and resulting fallout will make and break a number of schools. 

 

Just for arguement sake, lets say everything stays the same. Its possible as long as the SEC gets its way and can flex its God given muscle. At this point, i could see ACC schools jumping to a new conference. Getting out of a low paying media rights deal 10 years early could be appealing.

 

I could see some BIG 12 teams leaving to join a conference thst includes heavy weights like Clemson, USC and Oregon. Those 3 schools being involved will automatically add dollars to the media rights.

 

I could see the Networks in a bidding war to lock down eyeballs in Ohio to North Carolina to Florida. Eyeballs in the football monster that is the state of Texas to the 50 million plus eyeballs on the West Coast. And all parts in between. WOW! Football games from 9 am PST (Noon EST) to Midnight PST (3 AM EST) Over 100 million plus people.  That potential would command big money. The contract should expire the same time the SEC and BIG media rights contracts expire. Position yourself to be a major player at the right time.

 

Of course the only certainty in this is that the PAC 12 Brain Trust will want no part in this. Afterall the PAC is convinced it should just stand pat.

 

Dumb...es

 

 

[Badwater]

I'm looking at the Pac-12 powers that be - the university administrators - to drag their heels on this. The whole Pac-12 crapfest was blown open by Canzano, and while you may feel negatively about him - as do I - he really showed the Pac-12 for the clown show that it is. I hope that these do-nothing administrators can manage something positive for the league.

[Mike West]

On 3/31/2022 at 11:35 PM, Badwater said:

I'm looking at the Pac-12 powers that be - the university administrators - to drag their heels on this. The whole Pac-12 crapfest was blown open by Canzano, and while you may feel negatively about him - as do I - he really showed the Pac-12 for the clown show that it is. I hope that these do-nothing administrators can manage something positive for the league.

Amen.

 

What happens when (and I emphasize when-because TPTB are not budging) the PAC12 will no longer carry the sports that made it the Conference of Champions?

 

Schools like Oregon, UCLA, USC and the Fuskies will survive because their brands can endure the fallout ( though UCLA is trying real hard to flameout).

 

Maybe, but maybe these guys have seen the future they don't want to participate in and are opting out indirectly.  

 

Whatever the case may be, they sure perform like the football teams in the conference- nowhere near the caliber required to compete as champions.

 

[Jon Joseph]

On 4/1/2022 at 5:26 AM, Mike West said:

Amen.

 

What happens when (and I emphasize when-because TPTB are not budging) the PAC12 will no longer carry the sports that made it the Conference of Champions?

 

Schools like Oregon, UCLA, USC and the Fuskies will survive because their brands can endure the fallout ( though UCLA is trying real hard to flameout).

 

Maybe, but maybe these guys have seen the future they don't want to participate in and are opting out indirectly.  

 

Whatever the case may be, they sure perform like the football teams in the conference- nowhere near the caliber required to compete as champions.

 

Great take. Even if a school's administration does not want to opt out, say Oregon State, what are the chances of the Beavers ever being able to compete for a CFB title.

 

Today, I see Oregon and SC having the desire and the $ to compete for a playoff title, and with the possible exception of Utah,  that's it for the Pac-12 as currently constituted. Follow the $. Follow the roster rankings. Look at the lack of subscribers and the lack of distribution agreements for Larry's Network. 

 

UCLA's athletic department is $60M in the red. It's HC hates recruiting and the football team plays in a deteriorating stadium miles from campus. UW? I'm not saying DeBoer was a bad hire, but he certainly does not have the potential of Dan Lanning; or, to date, the bona fides of Lincoln Riley. But DeBoer did come with a 'low ball' purchase price. Was a guy like James Franklin ever on UW's radar?

 

I'm going to watch and enjoy Ducks football. But somehow Oregon has to find a more lucrative place to play ball. I was never impressed by The Alliance scheduling agreement, and with the B1G staying at 9 games the agreement appears to be over before it gets started? Does Oregon State at Georgia Tech move the financial needle?

 

The Ducks and SC IMO, have not thrown in the towel. But on the whole, the conference with the decision not to expand market size has thrown in the towel.