[Ill flame]

The B1G would take Cal and Stanford

Stanford yes, Cal - not so sure about that. If the B1G gets B1Gger on the West Coast, pretty sure Cal is at the bottom of a list that includes Stanford, Oregon, and Washington (in that order).

Oh I agree. Cal isn’t really that desirable but they would probably be a package deal with someone. Most likely Stanford

I imagine Stanford would be a package deal with notre dame and no one else. Washington would likely be a package deal with Oregon leaving Cal by themselves. They have good academics but they just don't move the needle that much financially.

[Ill flame]

Cal is connected to UCLA through the Cal university system. I’m a little surprised UCLA was permitted by the state to split with them.

Based on the governors comments today they had no idea it was coming. They apparently went with the approach that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission which was likely the correct answer in this situation. USC was the real prize for the B1G.

[rmiller1959]

So it looks like the Pac-12/Big 12 merger is off:

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... cially-end

[LUOrange]

Clay Travis says the ACC is on the chopping block and not the B12 & P12.

[Sly Fox]

I am hearing from people who know people that the chances that Big XII brings in at least two and as many as six teams from the Pac-12 is exceptionally high.

Pobre ACC. They thouht they had outwitted the world when they signed the ridiculously long contract for the ACC Netork and then signed their grant of rights. Instead they now are sitting ducks. Can a GoR stand up in court? No one has tried yet. But they may not need to if everything craters at once as many are expecting.

[tyndal23]

I am hearing from people who know people that the chances that Big XII brings in at least two and as many as six teams from the Pac-12 is exceptionally high.

Pobre ACC. They thouht they had outwitted the world when they signed the ridiculously long contract for the ACC Netork and then signed their grant of rights. Instead they now are sitting ducks. Can a GoR stand up in court? No one has tried yet. But they may not need to if everything craters at once as many are expecting.

I think they will bring 2 ( AZ and CO ) UNLESS 2 of your remaining 4 are WA and OR - I have my doubts on that.

[TH Spangler]

Pac will back fill from the MWC.

If the ACC gets raided they'll probably back fill with top G5's.

[olldflame]

I am hearing from people who know people that the chances that Big XII brings in at least two and as many as six teams from the Pac-12 is exceptionally high.

Pobre ACC. They thouht they had outwitted the world when they signed the ridiculously long contract for the ACC Netork and then signed their grant of rights. Instead they now are sitting ducks. Can a GoR stand up in court? No one has tried yet. But they may not need to if everything craters at once as many are expecting.

'Pobre ACC" is fine with me if the end result is " Liberty rica." (as an ACC member) .

[JK37]

WVU potentially in a conundrum: with Big XII expanding more westward, if ACC gets raided then comes calling does WVU move more regional? All comes down to $$$.

[flameshaw]

Jackson State goes back to being a zero-school, the day Deion leaves. I would love to see the ACC disappear, they deserve it. They are legends in their own mind only.

[Sly Fox]

I do not see UDub & the Ducks landing in Big XII. If it is two, I expect it to be a combination of Colorado/Utah or Arizona/ASU. That group of four would be incredible haul for Big XII.

I do not see Pac-12 back-filling more than two from MWC. Remember the league considers itself prestigious academically and would have to seriously hold their noses for San Diego State or Boise State. Air Force might be attractive to them. Ultimately the league will either vanish after getting picked clean or hang on for dear life.

Do not however discount the Cal regents & Guv fighting the UCLA move. The move needs formal approval and if the bitter folks in Berkeley & Sacramento somehow kill the Bruins' deal, get ready for Stanford to step in to fill that gap alongside USC. Frankly I might suggest that might be a better combo for the B1G anyway. It also would assure that the Pac-12 survives albeit in more humble position.

[TH Spangler]

There's some talk about a MWC CUSA merger if the MWC gets hit hard by the Pac. Here's what it might look like.

Liberty
FIU
WKU
MTSU
Jacksonville St
Louisiana Tech
Sam Houston State
New Mexico State
UTEP
New Mexico
Nevada
Utah State
SJSU
Hawaii
Wyoming

[TH Spangler]

https://trib.com/sports/college/wyoming ... e.amp.html

Thompson said at least six schools have contacted the MW expressing interest in joining, if the conference were to expand. He also said the MW considered a merger with Conference USA during the realignment frenzy a decade ago and future mergers with conferences could not be ruled out given the trend of the Big Ten and SEC growing to 16 teams.

Thompson said about 10 years ago, the Mountain West talked extensively about merging with Conference USA to form one large conference. He said it's a scenario that could come up again.

"We've moved out of an academic model and more to an entertainment model," Thompson said during his address that began the Mountain West football media days. "The television revenue chase has taken a forefront in all this.

[TH Spangler]

This is interesting. Sharing Big Ten Conference revenue with players is among a list of demands recently presented to the league by a college football players advocacy group.

[rmiller1959]

This is a good summary of the current realignment landscape.

https://www.deseret.com/2022/7/22/23269 ... s-sec-espn

If you put a gun to my head, I'd say Arizona, ASU, Colorado and Utah are Big 12 before too long. Washington and Oregon are not Big 12 bound - they believe they're better than that, but the B1G doesn't want them. I think that leaves the PAC-whatever raiding the MWC. ACC is a sitting duck for when one of the schools cuts a deal with the SEC and the whole thing becomes unraveled.

Closer to home, the MWC-CUSA merger sounds like a deal waiting to happen. All G5 conferences need to rethink their strategies and maybe partner to be viable in the new world of collegiate athletics.

[Sly Fox]

A couple of thoughts:

• The NBC deal could easily be exceeded for the Irish by joining either of the Super Conferences. $75M/year doesn't sound particularly attractive in leagues pushing $100M per school distribution. South Bend is just leveraging this moment for all it is worth. And there is ZERO incentive for them to rush into anything.

• Having games on NBC every Saturday is not as valuable in 2022 as it was a decade ago. Many homes today view the big four networks as afterthoughts in a streaming world.

• The Pac-12 media situation could be rescued by one of the west coast tech companies looking to break into college sports on their platform. I am looking to you folks in Cupertino & Seattle. The league is desperately trying to negotiate a new TV deal while they still have their existing members in place.

• I am not seeing the upside for a MWC-CUSA merger. An alliance, perhaps. But a merger would lessen access to auto bids in every other sport aside from football. And the additional revenue potential from the combined leagues in football negotiations is minimal.

• I see both the SEC & B1G ravaging the ACC's only valuable assets still standing in Virginia, Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. I could easily see the B1G taking UVa, UNC & GT and possibly Duke while the SEC feasts on Clemson, Florida State, Miami and possibly VT & NC State. The rest of the ACC would settle for being a hoops-heavy eastern league.

• West Virginia may remain on an island, but that island wwould likely be providing considerably more revenue than what the ACC could offer. So the foks in Morgantown might wind up with some tough decisions on their hands if the ACC gets pilfered.

• Ultimately I expect Notre Dame to land in the B1G with Stanford coming alongside them. Then it would be invitable for the B1G to bring in Washington & Oregon to sew up with the west and then chase the aforementioned ACC schools to truly make itself a continental league. They could fill more slots with four time zones making them more valuable to television revenue that can now be distrubuted across multiple channels on streaming platforms.

• The best case scenario from a Liberty perspective in the short term IMHO is for the non-super conferences to address their new realities and reorganize based on regional connections. I don't believe we are there yet since every G5 league believes it can still improve its position in the pecking order.

[tyndal23]

G5 Best case for Liberty - not seeing one. TV markets were once again the theme at all levels ( AAC ) over quality on field product. LU doesn’t have that and Sunbelt doesn’t want us. At least with Sunbelt it’s good geographical rivalries. Only thing that may change G5 Conference geographical philosophy is a complete break by the big boys and a new division for G5 accompanied with an economic depression where travel $ is tight and tv $ is scarce for that level of football. It s headed there, just going to have to waste a few years as a G5 bottom feeder - enjoy 2022.

[ballcoach15]

ACC should add Liberty and East Carolina, which would be a step towards becoming the ACC again. Get rid of Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

[JK37]

ACC should add Liberty and East Carolina, which would be a step towards becoming the ACC again. Get rid of Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

You cannot be serious. That would be a foolish, and financially disastrous move for the ACC.

[ballcoach15]

Not really. Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse isn't a gold mine for ACC.

[TH Spangler]

ACC should add Liberty and East Carolina, which would be a step towards becoming the ACC again. Get rid of Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

I'm with you on adding LU and ECU. But Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse stay

[Purple Haize]

Not really. Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse isn't a gold mine for ACC.

And Lynchburg is a goldmine?

[TH Spangler]

Not really. Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse isn't a gold mine for ACC.

And Lynchburg is a goldmine?

Virginia to the B10, VA Tech to the SEC. Liberty next Virginia school up.

[Purple Haize]

Not really. Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse isn't a gold mine for ACC.

And Lynchburg is a goldmine?

Virginia to the B10, VA Tech to the SEC. Liberty next Virginia school up.

ODU brings you a higher population density and the recruiting hotbed of the 757

[TH Spangler]

And Lynchburg is a goldmine?

Virginia to the B10, VA Tech to the SEC. Liberty next Virginia school up.

ODU brings you a higher population density and the recruiting hotbed of the 757

Don't have the facilities or budget. Now if they got the call they could probably catch up. They're close to raising the funds for a real baseball soon.