(08-20-2015 12:57 PM)Dasville Wrote:  The biggest danger for the ACC is if the Texahoma 4 end up in the PAC. At that point, the Pac16 is on equal grounds with the SEC in football. SEC would have to add strong football teams to counter and would most likely choose FSU and VT.

I get your point but Texas Tech and Okie State don't add that much to the PAC. UT and OU do, but not enough to make the brands equal with those of the SEC. That said if they headed west all of our future targets would be in the ACC.

Saw an interesting point on Twitter...

What's the possible significance of conference title game deregulation?

Apparently, the P5 is going to vote on this in January? Are the leagues waiting on passage of that legislation before they make moves past 14? Obviously, it would be difficult to name a conference champion when you get to 16 without divisional realignment.

Not January, April, unless they moved it up. IF they did move it up then that could mean a realignment agreement was finally made.

Could ESPN/FOX have greater control at less cost with smaller conferences?

(08-21-2015 10:01 AM)XLance Wrote:  Could ESPN/FOX have greater control at less cost with smaller conferences?

With corporate control comes standardization. So the answer is no. Further consolidation is in order.

(08-21-2015 10:01 AM)XLance Wrote:  Could ESPN/FOX have greater control at less cost with smaller conferences?

Larger conferences means better odds at having strong match ups each and every week. That is what Networks want.

(08-21-2015 07:38 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:01 AM)XLance Wrote:  Could ESPN/FOX have greater control at less cost with smaller conferences?

Larger conferences means better odds at having strong match ups each and every week. That is what Networks want.

Apparently not the SEC. If you are a team not named Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU or Alabama your chances of making it on to a CBS broadcast on a Saturday afternoon are not very good.

(08-21-2015 10:39 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 07:38 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:01 AM)XLance Wrote:  Could ESPN/FOX have greater control at less cost with smaller conferences?

Larger conferences means better odds at having strong match ups each and every week. That is what Networks want.

Apparently not the SEC. If you are a team not named Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU or Alabama your chances of making it on to a CBS broadcast on a Saturday afternoon are not very good.

Yes, CBS is very picky but SEC folk seem to think the world revolves around getting on ESPN rather than what happens with their Tier 1 deal. ESPN is the one that has all the channels and needs all the content.

(08-21-2015 10:39 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 07:38 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:01 AM)XLance Wrote:  Could ESPN/FOX have greater control at less cost with smaller conferences?

Larger conferences means better odds at having strong match ups each and every week. That is what Networks want.

Apparently not the SEC. If you are a team not named Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU or Alabama your chances of making it on to a CBS broadcast on a Saturday afternoon are not very good.

Eh, you left us out and we get on there a couple of times a year. It seems that Missouri is the only one snubbed by CBS. But hey, we are on there more than the ACC schools, huh? Where are you guys televised? Oh that's right, nobody in that huge market watches much. I guess I'll check Raycom, or even YES. Ninja my #$#!

(08-21-2015 11:01 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:39 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 07:38 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:01 AM)XLance Wrote:  Could ESPN/FOX have greater control at less cost with smaller conferences?

Larger conferences means better odds at having strong match ups each and every week. That is what Networks want.

Apparently not the SEC. If you are a team not named Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU or Alabama your chances of making it on to a CBS broadcast on a Saturday afternoon are not very good.

Eh, you left us out and we get on there a couple of times a year. It seems that Missouri is the only one snubbed by CBS. But hey, we are on there more than the ACC schools, huh? Where are you guys televised? Oh that's right, nobody in that huge market watches much. I guess I'll check Raycom, or even YES. Ninja my #$#!

Sorry about leaving Auburn out as they are 6th in all time SEC broadcasts on CBS, but with fewer than half of the appearances of Florida. And don't feel badly for Missouri. I think they already have passed Vanderbilt.

(08-21-2015 10:39 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 07:38 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:01 AM)XLance Wrote:  Could ESPN/FOX have greater control at less cost with smaller conferences?

Larger conferences means better odds at having strong match ups each and every week. That is what Networks want.

Apparently not the SEC. If you are a team not named Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU or Alabama your chances of making it on to a CBS broadcast on a Saturday afternoon are not very good.

Well, it doesn't always depend on who they're playing either. As long as one of the larger programs is in the match-up then CBS will want the game.

Remember though, CBS only has 1 game a week so their options are limited. No league depends on 1 game a week to market their league so it's really not a big deal. Frankly, the SEC has the best exposure of any league right now. A weekly game on CBS in the same time slot...no other league has that on a major broadcast network.

That and despite what ESPN haters might think, being on that network is very important. Where else are the games going to be nationally televised? ABC and ESPN are essentially the same entity so ABC has content because ESPN owns it. FOX is just breaking into the business and they are notoriously disorganized and inconsistent with their marketing. Not to mention, FS1 is still not the top destination for college football fans as they have a limited number of games on Saturdays. A lot of people don't even get FS2. You can tune to ESPN or ESPN2 and watch games all day without changing the channel.

By contrast, the SEC has multiple prime time slots on the ESPN family every week with the exception of ABC. It's a very good situation and it helps produce the highest ratings for any league.

(08-22-2015 09:16 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:39 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 07:38 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:01 AM)XLance Wrote:  Could ESPN/FOX have greater control at less cost with smaller conferences?

Larger conferences means better odds at having strong match ups each and every week. That is what Networks want.

Apparently not the SEC. If you are a team not named Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU or Alabama your chances of making it on to a CBS broadcast on a Saturday afternoon are not very good.

Well, it doesn't always depend on who they're playing either. As long as one of the larger programs is in the match-up then CBS will want the game.

Remember though, CBS only has 1 game a week so their options are limited. No league depends on 1 game a week to market their league so it's really not a big deal. Frankly, the SEC has the best exposure of any league right now. A weekly game on CBS in the same time slot...no other league has that on a major broadcast network.

That and despite what ESPN haters might think, being on that network is very important. Where else are the games going to be nationally televised? ABC and ESPN are essentially the same entity so ABC has content because ESPN owns it. FOX is just breaking into the business and they are notoriously disorganized and inconsistent with their marketing. Not to mention, FS1 is still not the top destination for college football fans as they have a limited number of games on Saturdays. A lot of people don't even get FS2. You can tune to ESPN or ESPN2 and watch games all day without changing the channel.

By contrast, the SEC has multiple prime time slots on the ESPN family every week with the exception of ABC. It's a very good situation and it helps produce the highest ratings for any league.

No other Network has that YET. The Big Ten has basketball deals with CBS. The Big Ten is entering a new negotiation period for all their tv contract deals. CBS sure is pimping the whole Meyer vs Harbaugh rhetoric. We may very well see The Big Ten with a similar situation as the SEC but with a little twist. CBS gets tier 1, ABC/ESPN share Tier 2 with Fox and then the BTN is finally classed as Tier 3 which will be nice so that we don't have to continue schooling folks on the main board that currently the BTN is classed as tier 2, not tier 3.

That's why I originally asked the question. It's hard to find match-ups that can generate a lot of casual fan interest even within the same conference. Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State or Wake Forest vs. Boston College is not "must see" TV.
There is a scenario being floated around about 6 conferences (10-12 members). Playoffs move to 8 teams with 6 conference champions, 1 Cinderella and one "runner-up". This would involve a 4th access bowl which would keep the money with the networks instead of the conferences.
I understand that it is a response to Texas taking a stand and wanting to stay put. I am sure that it is one of many scenarios floating around to see where there is traction.

(08-22-2015 09:56 AM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-22-2015 09:16 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:39 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 07:38 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:01 AM)XLance Wrote:  Could ESPN/FOX have greater control at less cost with smaller conferences?

Larger conferences means better odds at having strong match ups each and every week. That is what Networks want.

Apparently not the SEC. If you are a team not named Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU or Alabama your chances of making it on to a CBS broadcast on a Saturday afternoon are not very good.

Well, it doesn't always depend on who they're playing either. As long as one of the larger programs is in the match-up then CBS will want the game.

Remember though, CBS only has 1 game a week so their options are limited. No league depends on 1 game a week to market their league so it's really not a big deal. Frankly, the SEC has the best exposure of any league right now. A weekly game on CBS in the same time slot...no other league has that on a major broadcast network.

That and despite what ESPN haters might think, being on that network is very important. Where else are the games going to be nationally televised? ABC and ESPN are essentially the same entity so ABC has content because ESPN owns it. FOX is just breaking into the business and they are notoriously disorganized and inconsistent with their marketing. Not to mention, FS1 is still not the top destination for college football fans as they have a limited number of games on Saturdays. A lot of people don't even get FS2. You can tune to ESPN or ESPN2 and watch games all day without changing the channel.

By contrast, the SEC has multiple prime time slots on the ESPN family every week with the exception of ABC. It's a very good situation and it helps produce the highest ratings for any league.

No other Network has that YET. The Big Ten has basketball deals with CBS. The Big Ten is entering a new negotiation period for all their tv contract deals. CBS sure is pimping the whole Meyer vs Harbaugh rhetoric. We may very well see The Big Ten with a similar situation as the SEC but with a little twist. CBS gets tier 1, ABC/ESPN share Tier 2 with Fox and then the BTN is finally classed as Tier 3 which will be nice so that we don't have to continue schooling folks on the main board that currently the BTN is classed as tier 2, not tier 3.

The Big Ten will get a good deal, no doubt. Maybe they get a weekly game on CBS, I suppose that's possible.

You don't want to reduce the ratings potential for the BTN though which will make a deal with CBS a little more difficult if splitting your other content with FOX and ESPN is the desired path. When it comes to football, there are only so many games to go around.

On the bright side of the Big Ten being on CBS, you can have Verne and Gary with the blessing of the entire SEC footprint. No really, take them...please.

(08-22-2015 10:55 AM)XLance Wrote:  That's why I originally asked the question. It's hard to find match-ups that can generate a lot of casual fan interest even within the same conference. Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State or Wake Forest vs. Boston College is not "must see" TV.
There is a scenario being floated around about 6 conferences (10-12 members). Playoffs move to 8 teams with 6 conference champions, 1 Cinderella and one "runner-up". This would involve a 4th access bowl which would keep the money with the networks instead of the conferences.
I understand that it is a response to Texas taking a stand and wanting to stay put. I am sure that it is one of many scenarios floating around to see where there is traction.

You're correct about what classifies as must-see-TV. At the same time, the more quality teams in a conference the more often those quality teams play each other. Tennessee and OU are playing OOC this year. Nice match-up right? Now imagine if they played twice every 4 years and if OU was playing all the other strong teams in the league about as often. Every game you add OU to automatically becomes more valuable to the rights owner. That's the dynamic we're dealing with.

(08-22-2015 04:31 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(08-22-2015 09:56 AM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-22-2015 09:16 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:39 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 07:38 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  Larger conferences means better odds at having strong match ups each and every week. That is what Networks want.

Apparently not the SEC. If you are a team not named Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU or Alabama your chances of making it on to a CBS broadcast on a Saturday afternoon are not very good.

Well, it doesn't always depend on who they're playing either. As long as one of the larger programs is in the match-up then CBS will want the game.

Remember though, CBS only has 1 game a week so their options are limited. No league depends on 1 game a week to market their league so it's really not a big deal. Frankly, the SEC has the best exposure of any league right now. A weekly game on CBS in the same time slot...no other league has that on a major broadcast network.

That and despite what ESPN haters might think, being on that network is very important. Where else are the games going to be nationally televised? ABC and ESPN are essentially the same entity so ABC has content because ESPN owns it. FOX is just breaking into the business and they are notoriously disorganized and inconsistent with their marketing. Not to mention, FS1 is still not the top destination for college football fans as they have a limited number of games on Saturdays. A lot of people don't even get FS2. You can tune to ESPN or ESPN2 and watch games all day without changing the channel.

By contrast, the SEC has multiple prime time slots on the ESPN family every week with the exception of ABC. It's a very good situation and it helps produce the highest ratings for any league.

No other Network has that YET. The Big Ten has basketball deals with CBS. The Big Ten is entering a new negotiation period for all their tv contract deals. CBS sure is pimping the whole Meyer vs Harbaugh rhetoric. We may very well see The Big Ten with a similar situation as the SEC but with a little twist. CBS gets tier 1, ABC/ESPN share Tier 2 with Fox and then the BTN is finally classed as Tier 3 which will be nice so that we don't have to continue schooling folks on the main board that currently the BTN is classed as tier 2, not tier 3.

The Big Ten will get a good deal, no doubt. Maybe they get a weekly game on CBS, I suppose that's possible.

You don't want to reduce the ratings potential for the BTN though which will make a deal with CBS a little more difficult if splitting your other content with FOX and ESPN is the desired path. When it comes to football, there are only so many games to go around.

On the bright side of the Big Ten being on CBS, you can have Verne and Gary with the blessing of the entire SEC footprint. No really, take them...please.

Well, I don't think Fox ever gets a piece of The Big Ten unless their is further expansion and Fox needs to be appeased so that expansion can happen. Only The Big Ten can currently do that for Fox.

(08-22-2015 07:19 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-22-2015 04:31 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(08-22-2015 09:56 AM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-22-2015 09:16 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(08-21-2015 10:39 PM)XLance Wrote:  Apparently not the SEC. If you are a team not named Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU or Alabama your chances of making it on to a CBS broadcast on a Saturday afternoon are not very good.

Well, it doesn't always depend on who they're playing either. As long as one of the larger programs is in the match-up then CBS will want the game.

Remember though, CBS only has 1 game a week so their options are limited. No league depends on 1 game a week to market their league so it's really not a big deal. Frankly, the SEC has the best exposure of any league right now. A weekly game on CBS in the same time slot...no other league has that on a major broadcast network.

That and despite what ESPN haters might think, being on that network is very important. Where else are the games going to be nationally televised? ABC and ESPN are essentially the same entity so ABC has content because ESPN owns it. FOX is just breaking into the business and they are notoriously disorganized and inconsistent with their marketing. Not to mention, FS1 is still not the top destination for college football fans as they have a limited number of games on Saturdays. A lot of people don't even get FS2. You can tune to ESPN or ESPN2 and watch games all day without changing the channel.

By contrast, the SEC has multiple prime time slots on the ESPN family every week with the exception of ABC. It's a very good situation and it helps produce the highest ratings for any league.

No other Network has that YET. The Big Ten has basketball deals with CBS. The Big Ten is entering a new negotiation period for all their tv contract deals. CBS sure is pimping the whole Meyer vs Harbaugh rhetoric. We may very well see The Big Ten with a similar situation as the SEC but with a little twist. CBS gets tier 1, ABC/ESPN share Tier 2 with Fox and then the BTN is finally classed as Tier 3 which will be nice so that we don't have to continue schooling folks on the main board that currently the BTN is classed as tier 2, not tier 3.

The Big Ten will get a good deal, no doubt. Maybe they get a weekly game on CBS, I suppose that's possible.

You don't want to reduce the ratings potential for the BTN though which will make a deal with CBS a little more difficult if splitting your other content with FOX and ESPN is the desired path. When it comes to football, there are only so many games to go around.

On the bright side of the Big Ten being on CBS, you can have Verne and Gary with the blessing of the entire SEC footprint. No really, take them...please.

Well, I don't think Fox ever gets a piece of The Big Ten unless their is further expansion and Fox needs to be appeased so that expansion can happen. Only The Big Ten can currently do that for Fox.

?
Appeasing FOX is the key to future realignment? And only the B1G can appease FOX so the B1G holds the keys to the future.
Have I caught my tail yet?

(08-23-2015 07:59 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(08-22-2015 07:19 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-22-2015 04:31 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(08-22-2015 09:56 AM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(08-22-2015 09:16 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  Well, it doesn't always depend on who they're playing either. As long as one of the larger programs is in the match-up then CBS will want the game.

Remember though, CBS only has 1 game a week so their options are limited. No league depends on 1 game a week to market their league so it's really not a big deal. Frankly, the SEC has the best exposure of any league right now. A weekly game on CBS in the same time slot...no other league has that on a major broadcast network.

That and despite what ESPN haters might think, being on that network is very important. Where else are the games going to be nationally televised? ABC and ESPN are essentially the same entity so ABC has content because ESPN owns it. FOX is just breaking into the business and they are notoriously disorganized and inconsistent with their marketing. Not to mention, FS1 is still not the top destination for college football fans as they have a limited number of games on Saturdays. A lot of people don't even get FS2. You can tune to ESPN or ESPN2 and watch games all day without changing the channel.

By contrast, the SEC has multiple prime time slots on the ESPN family every week with the exception of ABC. It's a very good situation and it helps produce the highest ratings for any league.

No other Network has that YET. The Big Ten has basketball deals with CBS. The Big Ten is entering a new negotiation period for all their tv contract deals. CBS sure is pimping the whole Meyer vs Harbaugh rhetoric. We may very well see The Big Ten with a similar situation as the SEC but with a little twist. CBS gets tier 1, ABC/ESPN share Tier 2 with Fox and then the BTN is finally classed as Tier 3 which will be nice so that we don't have to continue schooling folks on the main board that currently the BTN is classed as tier 2, not tier 3.

The Big Ten will get a good deal, no doubt. Maybe they get a weekly game on CBS, I suppose that's possible.

You don't want to reduce the ratings potential for the BTN though which will make a deal with CBS a little more difficult if splitting your other content with FOX and ESPN is the desired path. When it comes to football, there are only so many games to go around.

On the bright side of the Big Ten being on CBS, you can have Verne and Gary with the blessing of the entire SEC footprint. No really, take them...please.

Well, I don't think Fox ever gets a piece of The Big Ten unless their is further expansion and Fox needs to be appeased so that expansion can happen. Only The Big Ten can currently do that for Fox.

?
Appeasing FOX is the key to future realignment? And only the B1G can appease FOX so the B1G holds the keys to the future.
Have I caught my tail yet?

By appeasing the obviously #2 network H1 is referring to the oft cited additions of Kansas (which doesn't add much in terms of revenue to the Big 10) and Oklahoma (who isn't close to being AAU). So to appease FOX the Big 10 must take a school that is not nearly as profitable for them as a school to the east, and accept what will immediately be the 16th best academic school in the Big 10 (and the only one never to have been AAU).

Furthermore, Oklahoma has to want to go to the Big 10 without Texas and without Oklahoma State and then agree to a 9 game conference schedule where their two chief rivals will have to be 2/3rds of the OOC games leaving their only patsy for homecoming. Yep that scenario sure looks to be inevitable!? Then realignment can progress.

What's more likely to happen is that the Big 12 plays another year and maybe by this time next year Oklahoma will have announced that they are headed to the SEC with either Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Baylor or West Virginia. Why? Because no matter what Frank says OU is not AAU and the Big 10 presidents have an agenda pertaining to AAU that is more important to them than landing OU, and I doubt OU wants to go to a conference where they are dead last in academics.

In all likelihood the SEC lands Oklahoma. If not Texahoma to the PAC is still hanging out there where both ESPN and FOX retain exactly the same relationship with those schools that they have right now.

If OU goes SEC I do look for Texas to go PAC with Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Kansas State. West Virginia goes ACC. Kansas and Iowa State go Big 10. And Baylor joins OU in the SEC. Or for Oklahoma State to come with OU to the SEC and T.C.U. to move with Texas Tech and Kansas State to the PAC.

If Texas goes ACC everything will get real interesting from there.

If Texas goes ACC and goes all in then I think Wake becomes an everything but football member and schedules North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, N.C. State and Clemson/N.C. State as their 5 conference games. That's all they want anyway. Notre Dame and Texas would then make 15 full members and Baylor would make it 16.

ACC:
Baylor, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Texas
Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State, Clemson
Boston College, Miami, Notre Dame, Syracuse
Louisville, Pitt, Virginia, Virginia Tech

SEC:
Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma
Louisiana State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Texas A&M
Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina

Who goes Big 10 or PAC? We don't care.

If we have to account for 8 to get it done then:

ACC:
Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, Louisville, West Virginia
Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia
Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, T.C.U.
*Wake Forest: everything but football
SEC:
Kentucky, South Carolina, N.C. State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State
Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana State, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas A&M

(08-23-2015 08:35 PM)JRsec Wrote:  If we have to account for 8 to get it done then:

ACC:
Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, Louisville, West Virginia
Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia
Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, T.C.U.
*Wake Forest: everything but football
SEC:
Kentucky, South Carolina, N.C. State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State
Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana State, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas A&M

Any chance that the SEC and ACC split 8 schools to make it happen? What I mean is a different scenario where NC St and VT stay with the ACC...

I ask because this scenario would also leave OU separate from UT and OSU.

UT, Baylor, Texas Tech, and TCU to the ACC?

OU, OSU, Kansas, and WVU to the SEC?

(08-23-2015 09:18 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(08-23-2015 08:35 PM)JRsec Wrote:  If we have to account for 8 to get it done then:

ACC:
Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, Louisville, West Virginia
Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia
Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, T.C.U.
*Wake Forest: everything but football
SEC:
Kentucky, South Carolina, N.C. State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State
Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana State, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas A&M

Any chance that the SEC and ACC split 8 schools to make it happen? What I mean is a different scenario where NC St and VT stay with the ACC...

I ask because this scenario would also leave OU separate from UT and OSU.

UT, Baylor, Texas Tech, and TCU to the ACC?

OU, OSU, Kansas, and WVU to the SEC?

Here are the issues:
1. If the ACC moves to 18 schools with the inclusion of Big 12 schools they almost have to take 6 to make it work. The geography won't work efficiently otherwise.

2. The SEC will want new markets. I don't see them doubling down as long as Oklahoma State has a safe landing spot. Now we could let Oklahoma go to the ACC and take Oklahoma State, but why concede something you might have to trade later to still get to keep N.C. State and Virginia Tech? Plus, with Kansas, Oklahoma is even a more perfect completion of the Western Division.

3. As far as West Virginia is concerned all of the markets listed in the 4 I gave are larger. Kansas is AAU, Oklahoma is the vastly superior brand, and North Carolina and Virginia markets net us about 5 million more per school. It's not that I have anything major against West Virginia, but in this scenario they fit better with the ACC and they don't pay us enough to take them.