05-03-2018, 03:31 PM
(05-03-2018 01:10 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote: [ -> ]Kansas State has been scheduling fb series with SEC schools, including Vandy and Mississippi State. Unlike Kansas, KSU has reached out to Mizzou for future game possibilities. KSU is also scheduling some with the PAC.
KSU definitely wants connections if/when the Big12 has future depletions. In some interesting scenarios, KSU could be a default # 16. Oklahoma State and Kansas State may not sound charming, but if OU and UT are off the table, and a major conference is still looking to expand, they'd at least get a look.
Together Oklahoma State and Kansas State add 6 million potential viewers for a rapidly becoming obsolete pay model. Both are well below the SEC's mean attendance, and both are below the SEC's mean Gross Revenue by over 30 million. Neither could add enough value on their own to merit inclusion. This would be especially true in a content driven pay model where national reach factors in more heavily than regional reach.
The simple reality is that the only schools left that can add to the bottom line of the SEC in a demonstrable way and are potentially contiguous would be:
1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan
4. Oklahoma
5. Notre Dame
6. Florida State
North Carolina and Virginia Tech would be on down the list and questionable as to content value delivered for football.
Since I don't think that Ohio State or Michigan are viable and since I have profound reservations that Notre Dame would consider the SEC as a potential home, that leaves Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida State and of those even Florida State's ability to earn every SEC member more, even in a content driven model, would be marginal at best.
The thing is that either Texas or Oklahoma add enough value to cover one lesser addition.
If the SEC misses out on Texas and Oklahoma I seriously doubt we would add anyone. And even if the addition being considered was Texas or Oklahoma plus 1 there would be earnest debate over the plus one before we settled on Oklahoma State or Texas Tech, although the value added would likely result in a final vote to add them.
I like Iowa State and Kansas State because they fit with the engineering and mechanical and agricultural bent of many SEC schools. But no matter how much I, or others, may like them they don't add to the bottom line of the SEC's athletic departments. Neither would West Virginia, T.C.U. (who is an interesting case solely because of the DFW market), Oklahoma State, Baylor, or Texas Tech. Even Kansas would be a very hard sell.
So I don't see any move that doesn't have as #15 either Texas, or Oklahoma being viable.
If we miss out on them then maybe in 2036 we might show an interest in F.S.U. plus either a North Carolina School, Virginia Tech, or Clemson, maybe!