Great Q&A with Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News.

A key response, in part, to one of the questions asked Wilner: "We expect the Power Five structure to shift radically in the next eight or 10 years, with the ACC as the epicenter of a massive breakup."

https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcat...654dd.html

Nothing to see here, all is well.

Wow, I am surprised Wilner wrote that. I honestly can say that I'm in agreement with a lot of what he said.

He's exactly right. Everybody would do well to think about who is talking to whoever is reporting.

This stuff is most of my entire beat and trying to figure out who is telling the truth, who actually KNOWS the truth, and who is full of baloney or getting something third or fourth hand...is HARD. It's going to be even harder for the people whose beats require them to not live in this world full-time.

That entire mailbag is completely reasonable. Everyone should take a read of it if you get a chance.

He's even saying it's reasonable for the B12 fans to be excited about the prospect of, and actively rooting for, getting all or some of the 4C to come (but not saying it will definitely happen or not, just that it's fair to imagine).

I think the key line was the one about the drop dead date on when is the last moment it'll be okay to sign a new media deal is "...one minute before a Pac-12 president plans to sign a grant-of-rights agreement with another conference."

I was annoyed that there was no follow-up question to the comment that he believes the ACC will be the epicenter of a total collapse in eight to 10 years. Sure, we are all chattering about it on message boards, but to hear Wilner say it that bluntly is another thing.

(05-08-2023 09:34 AM)LazygonInfinity Wrote:  I was annoyed that there was no follow-up question to the comment that he believes the ACC will be the epicenter of a total collapse in eight to 10 years. Sure, we are all chattering about it on message boards, but to hear Wilner say it that bluntly is another thing.

Why not? Its a perfectly reasonable assumption. In 10 years, the ACC contract will be coming to an end. There are teams that are highly desired for both the SEC and B1G. They also are located within both of their footprints, not like Oregon and Washington thousands of miles away on an island. In 10 years, this would be the time the getting out 1-2 years early from a GOR makes sense via negotiation, just like OUT did. So, yes, the ACC will very much be the epicenter of total collapse.........

(05-08-2023 09:56 AM)otown Wrote:  

(05-08-2023 09:34 AM)LazygonInfinity Wrote:  I was annoyed that there was no follow-up question to the comment that he believes the ACC will be the epicenter of a total collapse in eight to 10 years. Sure, we are all chattering about it on message boards, but to hear Wilner say it that bluntly is another thing.

Why not? Its a perfectly reasonable assumption. In 10 years, the ACC contract will be coming to an end. There are teams that are highly desired for both the SEC and B1G. They also are located within both of their footprints, not like Oregon and Washington thousands of miles away on an island. In 10 years, this would be the time the getting out 1-2 years early from a GOR makes sense via negotiation, just like OUT did. So, yes, the ACC will very much be the epicenter of total collapse.........

Oh I think we all are aware that the ACC is pretty screwed and will be raided by the SEC, B1G, and then possibly the Big 12/PAC as well. I am curious about why Wilner thinks this happens much sooner, and that the conference will implode. His language was very strong there. His statement was not something to effect of "I think that once the ACC grant of rights expires in 2036, some schools will leave the conference", it read more like he knows this is coming to a greater degree and much sooner than that. I think his statement at least warranted a follow-up conversation. He's clearly spoken to someone(s) beyond what we're seeing from the administrations at Clemson, FSU, and UNC, who have all grumbled very recently about the ACC's revenue issues.

Because these guys get caught up in the feels.