Conference Realignment Thread v. 2016

[Xudash]

Pat Forde predicting the demise of the Big XII.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/big-12s-status-among-the-power-five-clearly-in-jeopardy-215007897.html

As we all know, the 4x16 model establishes some brutal math for some of these schools; that's 64 teams in a world where the P5 + ND now account for 65 teams.

That means an existing P5 member - BC, Wake, Vandy, TCU, Baylor, etc. - is at risk. That doesn't begin to address the big freeze out that occurs to the aspirations of UCONN, UC, et al. Except for perhaps BC and Wake, I don't see any other P5 member getting substituted out for a non-P5 school, like Houston for example.

At least college football keeps the summers interesting.

[whiteandblue77]

Well the AAC still has 7 teams in the Top 65 in Athletic Department revenue so the best thing to do for the B12 would be to add 6 of the below teams, call themselves the Big16 first and let the other conferences be the ones looking for scraps (Pac 12 could add BYU, Boise, UNLV or SDSU) but there's not much left after that.

For geographic footprint, travel expenses, locations where football is dominant and could have a future, I'd take E. Carolina and the Florida schools and Leave the Huskies High and dry (would HAVE to come begging the Big East for inclusion). Would also do East v West divisions with ISU and Houston in the East.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

Pat Forde predicting the demise of the Big XII.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/big-12s-status-among-the-power-five-clearly-in-jeopardy-215007897.html

As the Big 12’s tortured expansion process continues, a much-prophesied future is becoming increasingly likely: The Power 5 conferences could well wind up becoming the Power 4 in less than a decade.

If the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 all kept their current members and descended upon the Big 12 like carrion, here’s one guess what it could all look like come 2024:

SEC new members: Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Sooners are the big prize and the tagalong Cowboys are the lottery winners by virtue of state politics and Boone Pickens.

Big Ten new members: Kansas and Connecticut. It would be a basketball-centric expansion for a conference that already has sufficient football flagships. It also would further the league’s foothold in the New York area, while simultaneously preventing UConn from being the single biggest loser of all realignment.

Pac-12 new members: Texas, BYU and two from a group of Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU and Houston. Or BYU could be the odd team out in favor of an all-Texas foursome.

ACC: Notre Dame and West Virginia. Or the Fighting Irish could continue their current relationship as a football scheduling partner and otherwise full ACC membership. The ACC could make do with 15 in football and 16 in basketball, or it could add Cincinnati to make it 16 and 17.

UConn President Susan Herbst is already awaiting the phone call from Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany.

It could be a long wait, but UConn’s attention will not stray toward the Big East unless an anticipated 4 x 16 realignment (which does not include UConn) becomes reality.

Pat Forde may have just played a very cruel trick on UConn. His article will be quoted and requoted throughout the state of Connecticut as proof that UConn is still in the running for a place in a yet-to-be-determined P4 conference. Eight to ten more years of endless speculation by sports pundits to follow.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, UConn appears to be running in fifth place in the Big 12 Expansion Sweepstakes, which should be concluded in the next four or five weeks. It will be interesting to see how Fox and ESPN play their cards:

Report: Fox and ESPN reluctant to Big 12 expansion plans

The Big 12 is set to make more money from its television contracts if it adds more teams. The financial aspect is the biggest reason the conference is looking to expand from 10 to 12 or even 14 teams.

However, the networks that pay those television contracts aren’t exactly excited to shill out the extra money to the Big 12. According to Sports Business Journal, Fox and ESPN “are digging in their heels against paying those kind of increases based on expansion with schools outside the Power Five.”

The original deals pay $2.6 billion over 13 years, or about $20 million per school annually. Expansion by two schools, theoretically, would force ESPN and Fox combined to pay an additional $40 million per year in rights fees. Expansion by four teams could mean another $80 million per year.

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/report-fo ... html?nhp=1

[Jet915]

Pat Forde predicting the demise of the Big XII.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/big-12s-status-among-the-power-five-clearly-in-jeopardy-215007897.html

As the Big 12’s tortured expansion process continues, a much-prophesied future is becoming increasingly likely: The Power 5 conferences could well wind up becoming the Power 4 in less than a decade.

If the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 all kept their current members and descended upon the Big 12 like carrion, here’s one guess what it could all look like come 2024:

SEC new members: Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Sooners are the big prize and the tagalong Cowboys are the lottery winners by virtue of state politics and Boone Pickens.

Big Ten new members: Kansas and Connecticut. It would be a basketball-centric expansion for a conference that already has sufficient football flagships. It also would further the league’s foothold in the New York area, while simultaneously preventing UConn from being the single biggest loser of all realignment.

Pac-12 new members: Texas, BYU and two from a group of Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU and Houston. Or BYU could be the odd team out in favor of an all-Texas foursome.

ACC: Notre Dame and West Virginia. Or the Fighting Irish could continue their current relationship as a football scheduling partner and otherwise full ACC membership. The ACC could make do with 15 in football and 16 in basketball, or it could add Cincinnati to make it 16 and 17.

UConn President Susan Herbst is already awaiting the phone call from Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany.

It could be a long wait, but UConn’s attention will not stray toward the Big East unless an anticipated 4 x 16 realignment (which does not include UConn) becomes reality.

Pat Forde may have just played a very cruel trick on UConn. His article will be quoted and requoted throughout the state of Connecticut as proof that UConn is still in the running for a place in a yet-to-be-determined P4 conference. Eight to ten more years of endless speculation by sports pundits to follow.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, UConn appears to be running in fifth place in the Big 12 Expansion Sweepstakes, which should be concluded in the next four or five weeks. It will be interesting to see how Fox and ESPN play their cards:

Report: Fox and ESPN reluctant to Big 12 expansion plans

The Big 12 is set to make more money from its television contracts if it adds more teams. The financial aspect is the biggest reason the conference is looking to expand from 10 to 12 or even 14 teams.

However, the networks that pay those television contracts aren’t exactly excited to shill out the extra money to the Big 12. According to Sports Business Journal, Fox and ESPN “are digging in their heels against paying those kind of increases based on expansion with schools outside the Power Five.”

The original deals pay $2.6 billion over 13 years, or about $20 million per school annually. Expansion by two schools, theoretically, would force ESPN and Fox combined to pay an additional $40 million per year in rights fees. Expansion by four teams could mean another $80 million per year.

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/report-fo ... html?nhp=1

It will be interesting to see if the AAC gets picked apart and UCONN is left in the "American," how long can they wait for the B1G. I'm assuming they will want to look at expansion again in 6 years when their TV contract comes up again but what will UCONN look like 6 years from now in a depleted AAC? Will they still be attractive to anyone if their football still stinks and their basketball now takes a dive playing in a crappier league?

[whiteandblue77]

If the B12 picks up Cincy, E. Carolina, SFU, CFU, UH and Memphis in the next month you can bank on UCONN going to the B1G as long as Delaney is still the Commish. Gavitt Tipoff games would become a lot more interesting.The B1G would have no Group of 5 team to pick up as a 16th team so they'd have to poach from the B12... Kansas, KSU and ISU??? the B12 would replace with two more Florida schools FAU and FIU as well as SMU, Rice, Louisiana and Tulane... The scenarios are virtually endless. Fun to sit here in the BE and watch the football madness out greed themselves to death.

[Xudash]

If the B12 picks up Cincy, E. Carolina, SFU, CFU, UH and Memphis in the next month you can bank on UCONN going to the B1G as long as Delaney is still the Commish. Gavitt Tipoff games would become a lot more interesting.The B1G would have no Group of 5 team to pick up as a 16th team so they'd have to poach from the B12... Kansas, KSU and ISU??? the B12 would replace with two more Florida schools FAU and FIU as well as SMU, Rice, Louisiana and Tulane... The scenarios are virtually endless. Fun to sit here in the BE and watch the football madness out greed themselves to death.

You appear to be forgetting that all of this has to work for the television partner(s). This isn't about quantity or strength in numbers for them, it's about quality.

And I would love to see the look on the Longhorns President's face when that list of schools is wheeled for consideration.

[DeltaV]

If the Big12 does expand, either with 2 or 4, I think the 'expected' 4x16 becomes 4x18. There are 65 teams in the 'power 5'; 4 more teams (whoever they are) makes that 69. 18 team conferences mean 9 per 'division'; 8 conference games (4 home, 4 away), winner of each division goes on to a 'conference championship'. Still room for a crossover or rivalry game. It begs the question of why you don't just go to 8 more regional conferences of 9, and an 8 team national championship playoff (because the big boys say F the rest of the football world).

It would even kinda make sense for basketball; 16 home and home conference games, with plenty of room for out of conference 'old rivalry' games or conference challenges.

What are the teams pushing to get in? UConn, Cincinnati, BYU, Memphis, Houston, USF, UCF, ECU? Longshots of Temple, Tulane, SMU. That is 11 teams...so still enough that the big boys can feel good about turning someone down.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

According to Creighton AD Bruce Rasmussen, a discussion about possible conference expansion is going to happen in May.

Creighton athletic director Bruce Rasmussen, known to Wichita State from the Bluejays’ days in the Missouri Valley Conference, said he’s pushing for Big East expansion from 10 to 12 teams and that WSU and Gonzaga would be good fits.

Rasmussen was careful to say that his opinion in these matters might not carry much weight, but that the Big East presidents and athletic directors have agreed to discuss the possibility of expansion at the conference’s annual meetings in May.

“As a part of the strategic planning exercise the Big East Conference is currently undertaking, the topic of expansion is an agenda item”, Rasmussen said in a text message.

http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wi ... 05147.html

In early June, I searched for articles about the Big East Annual General Meeting in May 2016 and discovered that there was no press release, no leaked tidbits by anonymous sources, nor any mention whatsoever of the meeting. Therefore, it can reasonably be presumed that the Big East’s Presidents and Athletic Directors did not want the content of their discussions in the public domain.

FOX 19 News Sports Director Joe Danneman sat down with Xavier Athletic Director Greg Christopher on Tuesday, July 19 to discuss another great year for Xavier Athletics in a new summer podcast, "The Directors Cut." One of the topics was Big East expansion. His response, and it was emphatic:

"NOT EVEN ON THE RADAR." Not on the radar with the Presidents. Not on the radar with the AD's.

This strongly implies that the May discussion about Big East expansion lasted about 30 seconds, but we will never know for sure, because the Minutes of the Big East AGM are not subject to any Freedom of Information requests.

Tracking every team that’s ever wanted to join the Big 12 – SB Nation – August 1, 2016

UConn
UConn did not have any promotional materials show up during multiple open records requests, but previous reports show the school engaging in a more covert strategy, including hiring former Big East commissioner Michael Tranghese to help navigate expansion waters. Other reports show UConn is very likely to pursue Big 12 membership.

If a Public university becomes a member of the Big East, the Public university’s copies of Minutes of important meetings (or excerpts thereof) may be subject to Freedom of Information requests, depending on the relevant legislature of the particular State in question. In Connecticut, the relevant legislature is 31 pages long, is complex, and its implementation has been the subject of numerous State Court challenges.

State of Connecticut - Freedom of Information Commission

THE CONNECTICUT FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AS CODIFIED IN CHAPTER 14 OF CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES (INCLUDING 2016 AMENDMENTS)

[billyjack]

If the American loses Houston, Memphis and Cincinnati, does it really matter?
2 were in C-USA three years ago, and the other was okay, but c'mon, Cincinnati is not enough of a player to collapse a conference.

UConn should just continue on for now and try to build the conference up.

Add UMass, Army football, and Rice. Academic prestige rises, and you can help grown some programs and re-energize some old rivalries.

12 in football.
10 in hoops.

Try to improve the conference instead of looking to bail.

[NJRedman]

According to Creighton AD Bruce Rasmussen, a discussion about possible conference expansion is going to happen in May.

Creighton athletic director Bruce Rasmussen, known to Wichita State from the Bluejays’ days in the Missouri Valley Conference, said he’s pushing for Big East expansion from 10 to 12 teams and that WSU and Gonzaga would be good fits.

Rasmussen was careful to say that his opinion in these matters might not carry much weight, but that the Big East presidents and athletic directors have agreed to discuss the possibility of expansion at the conference’s annual meetings in May.

“As a part of the strategic planning exercise the Big East Conference is currently undertaking, the topic of expansion is an agenda item”, Rasmussen said in a text message.

http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wi ... 05147.html

In early June, I searched for articles about the Big East Annual General Meeting in May 2016 and discovered that there was no press release, no leaked tidbits by anonymous sources, nor any mention whatsoever of the meeting. Therefore, it can reasonably be presumed that the Big East’s Presidents and Athletic Directors did not want the content of their discussions in the public domain.

FOX 19 News Sports Director Joe Danneman sat down with Xavier Athletic Director Greg Christopher on Tuesday, July 19 to discuss another great year for Xavier Athletics in a new summer podcast, "The Directors Cut." One of the topics was Big East expansion. His response, and it was emphatic:

"NOT EVEN ON THE RADAR." Not on the radar with the Presidents. Not on the radar with the AD's.

This strongly implies that the May discussion about Big East expansion lasted about 30 seconds, but we will never know for sure, because the Minutes of the Big East AGM are not subject to any Freedom of Information requests.

Tracking every team that’s ever wanted to join the Big 12 – SB Nation – August 1, 2016

UConn
UConn did not have any promotional materials show up during multiple open records requests, but previous reports show the school engaging in a more covert strategy, including hiring former Big East commissioner Michael Tranghese to help navigate expansion waters. Other reports show UConn is very likely to pursue Big 12 membership.

If a Public university becomes a member of the Big East, the Public university’s copies of Minutes of important meetings (or excerpts thereof) may be subject to Freedom of Information requests, depending on the relevant legislature of the particular State in question. In Connecticut, the relevant legislature is 31 pages long, is complex, and its implementation has been the subject of numerous State Court challenges.

State of Connecticut - Freedom of Information Commission

THE CONNECTICUT FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AS CODIFIED IN CHAPTER 14 OF CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES (INCLUDING 2016 AMENDMENTS)

I'm pretty sure thats not how it works. You can ask for emails and other documents. A face to face meeting isn't covered under that.