(08-29-2017 07:09 AM)XLance Wrote: Osborne mentioned Kansas State, Kansas, and Iowa State. Let's assume those three went to the PAC in a PAC/B1G arrangement to pair up with Colorado instead.
The B1G then adds Missouri for 15 dropping the SEC to 13 teams. The SEC then counters with Oklahoma and Texas (the pair they wanted all along) for 15.
The ACC can add Notre Dame for 15.
When you try to make 16, there is a huge drop off and the pieces don't fit very well. Can any of these possibly pay for themselves?
For 16? BYU (football only) to the PAC.
Oklahoma State/Texas Tech to the SEC.
UConn/West Virginia to the B1G.
UConn/West Virginia/Cincinnati to the ACC
What if the specific mention of KU, KSU, and ISU is part of plan to reach into PAC territory?
If the B1G can't get schools like Oklahoma and Texas or crack the ACC then their next best bet is to move into the growing population centers of the West. In order to do that logistically, you need to have a strong central division that bridges the regions together.
What if they did this?
East: Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers
Central: Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State
West: Nebraska, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Stanford, California, USC, UCLA
They achieve several goals...
1. They obviously greatly broaden their territory and network reach.
2. They give Nebraska a division where they have direct access to talent and marquee games...in other words they need NU to be a national power again and they aren't going to do it in the current B1G West.
3. Each region is fairly concise with the exception of the West, but the PAC is spread out anyway so they're used to it.
4. They bring in virtually all of the PAC's elite AAUs.
5. By sticking with 8 team regional divisions, you maintain rivalries and geographically close match-ups.
And I think perhaps the SEC could respond this way although I think most of these moves might be what would cause the B1G to try to reach into PAC territory in the first place...
East: Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia
Central: Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, LSU, Arkansas, Missouri, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
West: Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, BYU, Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor
1. I know the thought is reasonable that Arizona, being an AAU school, might end up with the B1G, but the AZ schools have always been together. Value wise, they are about the same so I don't see either being left out given the size and breadth of the market. ASU, after all, is located in the heart of Phoenix and it's a massive school at that.
Furthermore, is there some truth to the rumor that the AZ schools would break away from the PAC and align with Texas? They're not going to join the Big 12, certainly, but this would provide a much more reasonable context for them to stick together, improve athletics, and align with growth states in the East. While it's true that the AZ schools rely on CA students for a lot of their base, it's also true that A) AZ is right on the CA border so one doesn't necessarily need to be in the same conference to adequately recruit such a state and B) CA has been regressing economically for some time now. People and companies are fleeing the state and heading to other places...namely AZ and TX. Perhaps in 20-30 years, the AZ schools won't even be recruiting CA that much because so many people will have left and be residing within their very borders.
2. Texas gets to keep its division of local rivals while simultaneously improving exposure both in the East and the West
3. The networks find a reasonable landing spot for Utah and BYU. They have regional competition and the SEC was probably the only halfway reasonable landing spot for BYU as far as who would be willing to associate with them. The PAC and the B1G are far too secular. That and they seem to have cultivated a relationship with UT. Also, reuniting the Holy War is good for sport in the region.
4. The SEC gets full exposure in TX and completely cuts off the B1G and FOX.
5. The SEC gets maximum exposure in major growing Latino population states. Could pay dividends for decades...