Currently the SEC stands at 16, The Big 10 at 18, The ACC at 17 plus 1, and the Big 12 at 16 after Oklahoma and Texas leave.

If ESPN was willing to let Florida State go for just the Exit fee of 120 million provided that move cost ESPN no inventory or rights loss in that the move would be to the SEC, and the SEC added Kansas as their traveling companion then Sankey will have reunited 2 old rivals, taken the current wins leader in college basketball and a hoops blueblood, and added a top 15 value for football. At 18 the SEC would not only be tight and competitive, but profitable, and more manageable, and more profitable than it could be at 20 or 24.

Who would the ACC add to get back to strength? Perhaps Tulane. Odd choice right? Notre Dame likes games which give them a great deal of exposure in New England, recruit heavy states like Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas, and in California. Address all of those in one conference and you've done the practically impossible. Well if the ACC lost Florida State and replaced them with Tulane they will have done just that. They would be at 14 full members counting Tulane. Then you add California, Stanford, and S.M.U. to take the conference to 17 full members plus Notre Dame.

That conference would be ideal for a Notre Dame home in a breakaway upper tier where conference finish could well be tied to the CFP. Notre Dame becomes the 18.

Without the potential of the Irish to cover any further additions the Big 10 is likely done at 18.

If the Irish join the new ACC in full they have a fast track to the CFP, the academic and athletic peers they have long wanted, a presence everywhere they would like one, and by joining in full they bring up their, and everyone else's, revenue. It still wouldn't catch the SEC and Big 10 but with a market enhanced ACCN and Notre Dame's national draw they could double the T3 money easily and everyone might still get a 7 to 10 million dollar bump to close in on 50 million plus CFP money and bowl money and tourney credits.

The SEC would rest without the fear that the Big 10 may try to encroach their territory. The ACC would no longer have to contend with a very unhappy FSU. Clemson would have a bit easier time recovering from coaching staff graduations, and suddenly many schools would be in greater competition for annual success. And most importantly ESPN will not have lost markets or brands and will have augmented them.

What would Yormark do? He's already looking at Gonzaga to fill a hoops niche. Perhaps he also looks again at Connecticut. Oregon State and Washington State still add more than additional G5 brands could. They are at 16 in the Big 12 after OU and UT depart and the 4 corners settle in. They could add Oregon State and Washington State if the ACC doesn't decide to go in that direction to take them to 18, picking up UConn to replace a departing Kansas keeps them there. Then add Gonzaga for all but football and perhaps look at doing the same with other non-football playing Big East teams.

The resulting mix could be quite potent in ensuring a P4 upper tier to exclusively furnish the CFP and potentially a new hoops tournament.

ESPN could afford to move FSU and pay them SEC pro rata. And to do the same for Kansas brings the total cost to 75 million for both. A sum easily made up with enhanced content value by having both of those playing stronger brands on a regular basis.

Bringing in Tulane would be nothing for ESPN to accomplish for the ACC, and if Notre Dame goes all in it is well worth the move. Due to the skewed geography however this 18 school ACC would need to remain division-less, while the SEC could return to 3 divisions of 6 if it wished and help with travel by organizing the divisions geographically.

Anyway, it is a minimalist's way around the final moves and the locking in of conferences for a new P4 and upper tier of 72 schools, roughly half of the FBS.

This approach has the fewest moving parts, the smallest increases in overhead, and the greatest upside of any we have discussed and is very possible.

Feel free to discuss it. It might be your future.

(10-24-2023 06:21 PM)JRsec Wrote:  Currently the SEC stands at 16, The Big 10 at 18, The ACC at 17 plus 1, and the Big 12 at 16 after Oklahoma and Texas leave.

If ESPN was willing to let Florida State go for just the Exit fee of 120 million provided that move cost ESPN no inventory or rights loss in that the move would be to the SEC, and the SEC added Kansas as their traveling companion then Sankey will have reunited 2 old rivals, taken the current wins leader in college basketball and a hoops blueblood, and added a top 15 value for football. At 18 the SEC would not only be tight and competitive, but profitable, and more manageable, and more profitable than it could be at 20 or 24.

Who would the ACC add to get back to strength? Perhaps Tulane. Odd choice right? Notre Dame likes games which give them a great deal of exposure in New England, recruit heavy states like Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas, and in California. Address all of those in one conference and you've done the practically impossible. Well if the ACC lost Florida State and replaced them with Tulane they will have done just that. They would be at 14 full members counting Tulane. Then you add California, Stanford, and S.M.U. to take the conference to 17 full members plus Notre Dame.

That conference would be ideal for a Notre Dame home in a breakaway upper tier where conference finish could well be tied to the CFP. Notre Dame becomes the 18.

Without the potential of the Irish to cover any further additions the Big 10 is likely done at 18.

If the Irish join the new ACC in full they have a fast track to the CFP, the academic and athletic peers they have long wanted, a presence everywhere they would like one, and by joining in full they bring up their, and everyone else's, revenue. It still wouldn't catch the SEC and Big 10 but with a market enhanced ACCN and Notre Dame's national draw they could double the T3 money easily and everyone might still get a 7 to 10 million dollar bump to close in on 50 million plus CFP money and bowl money and tourney credits.

The SEC would rest without the fear that the Big 10 may try to encroach their territory. The ACC would no longer have to contend with a very unhappy FSU. Clemson would have a bit easier time recovering from coaching staff graduations, and suddenly many schools would be in greater competition for annual success. And most importantly ESPN will not have lost markets or brands and will have augmented them.

What would Yormark do? He's already looking at Gonzaga to fill a hoops niche. Perhaps he also looks again at Connecticut. Oregon State and Washington State still add more than additional G5 brands could. They are at 16 in the Big 12 after OU and UT depart and the 4 corners settle in. They could add Oregon State and Washington State if the ACC doesn't decide to go in that direction to take them to 18, picking up UConn to replace a departing Kansas keeps them there. Then add Gonzaga for all but football and perhaps look at doing the same with other non-football playing Big East teams.

The resulting mix could be quite potent in ensuring a P4 upper tier to exclusively furnish the CFP and potentially a new hoops tournament.

ESPN could afford to move FSU and pay them SEC pro rata. And to do the same for Kansas brings the total cost to 75 million for both. A sum easily made up with enhanced content value by having both of those playing stronger brands on a regular basis.

Bringing in Tulane would be nothing for ESPN to accomplish for the ACC, and if Notre Dame goes all in it is well worth the move. Due to the skewed geography however this 18 school ACC would need to remain division-less, while the SEC could return to 3 divisions of 6 if it wished and help with travel by organizing the divisions geographically.

Anyway, it is a minimalist's way around the final moves and the locking in of conferences for a new P4 and upper tier of 72 schools, roughly half of the FBS.

This approach has the fewest moving parts, the smallest increases in overhead, and the greatest upside of any we have discussed and is very possible.

Feel free to discuss it. It might be your future.

Minimalistic in terms of movement but probably not practical. Clemson seems pretty far along the process. UNC could be too, just not as public.

But if only FSU jumped from the ACC, getting Kansas from B12 would only cause one more domino to fall-UConn as full B12 member.

ACC would still be competitive and formidable with Clemson and UNC as football bell cows until others rise up.

I still think we see three flee the ACC soon. Then all the madness happens.