(09-05-2013 01:49 PM)john01992 Wrote: (09-05-2013 01:42 PM)adcorbett Wrote: What you are both giving are reasons why the two scenarios are not EXACTLY the same. He1nousOne, you are starting to sound like Buckaineer. in that regard. I never said history was going to repeat itself. But to summarily dismiss the comparison, which was my only point, because they are not exact replicas is asinine. All you listed were the subtle differences: that does not change the fact that there are legitimate points to the comparisons, both comparisons, that need to be taken into consideration. Heck even the old Big East, which had a 16 member structure, was unstable. Yes the makeup was different, but the underlying issues, much like the WAC (and you guys should really read up on why the WAC broke up, then look at the makeup of the Big Ten's or SEC's divisions and see that you don't see a possibility of the same issues arising) were still there, which were the factiosn arise, and factions with different agendas and goals will quarrel.
This are real possibilities that come up with a larger conference. Especially a 16 team conference made of pods that will inherently be unbalanced in the effort to preserve rivalries. This doesn't mean they are doomed to crumble, but you are kidding yourselves if you don't think the same issues that plagued those super conference cannot hinder an overgrown conference today.
no...no....no and no........
the BE breakup had nothing to do with its size.
the southern con had completely different issues for why they broke up
the wac wasnt as stable of a conference as these new ones
The Southern Conference broke apart over several reasons but chief among them was whether or not to be involved deeper into the academic year through participation in bowls. The Tobacco Road crowd claimed extending the season was detrimental to academics and the Deep South crowd thought otherwise.
The arguments as to travel being a chief concern among members of the Southern Conference was probably accurate as well given the way things were then. But, I might point out that those same concerns will likely return as we continue past peak oil, especially in a nation that has intentionally ignored the kinds of public transportation that existed in the thirties. Rail lines are greatly diminished as are bus routes and flying is way to expensive for the average fan.
I've no doubt but what we are headed to larger conferences. The economics of such are just too compelling. Being in a bargaining cartel for leverage is important, but so are the reduction in overhead costs through spreading less administration costs among more schools. The pods (or divisions) that are talked about will likely be geographically based to reduce travel within the larger group. They will essentially become mini-conferences.
The paradigm has totally changed because of revenue production and because of costs. Eventually the ballooning of of both the revenue and the costs are going to have to be deflated to preserve the popularity of the game among members of a generation that will have less average earning power than either the WWII or Boomer generation. The necessity of a college education (a good thing prima facia) and the popularity of college sports are synonymous with the post WWII era and the GI Bill (another good thing). The rise of a global business model however has shifted jobs to the places of cheapest labor, and automation has reduced the need for skilled workers. Add electronic technology which has eliminated the need for many white collar positions and you get the turmoil that is the labor market today. Demand will always increase in the fields of medicine and in most disciplines of engineering, but the old business majors, public administration degrees, and many forms of law are becoming less and less essential. Teaching is another field in which experiments in cost reduction are going to lead to more at home experiences and less classroom experiences in the future. All of this will continue to drive trends down for enrollment, shrink the tax base which will undercut government funding of higher education, and contribute to the coming downsizing in education as a whole.
Realignment is driven by these forces, not football television contracts which are merely the carrot in front of a famished mule that has gotten college presidents on board with landing in more secure groupings of schools.
There is little similarity to these issues and those of the past, other than the fact that regionalism will again become a concern.
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