RE: Ima go ahead and call it. The Big XII is about to go bye bye
Disagree, none of the new Tier 2 (ACC, B12, & PAC) conferences will go away, too much money still involved, between brand value, exit & entrance fees, legal fees to move early, etc, etc. & they all know, no combination of themselves are going to get anywhere near the $ of the big 2.
If anything I see minor movement between those schools, except maybe minor reshaping to help with Geography or to add a tv market. Like the PAC adding a TX school or two, or same with ACC when they have their top 6 +/- taken, could see them taking a couple of TX metro schools & becoming a more metro focused conference.
I think the top end movement may stop for now, until the ACC GOR challenge is worked out.
I think the B1G & SEC’s top targets outside of ND are in the ACC & the B1G won’t take half the PAC unless completely shut out of ACC, which I don’t think happens. I think even if top picks like UNC & UV choose SEC over them, they can still grab GT, which would give them an AAU school, in SEC territory, that has a great tv market.
I also don’t think that either the PAC or B12 are strong enough to poach from each other & power/politics will prevent any full merger. While I think PAC as it stands now is still stronger than B12 , the fact there are still more valuable schools in the PAC that might be plucked away in future, make the B12 more stable since no one left there is wanted by Sec/B1G.
While I may hope the PAC can poach 2-4 from the B12 since that helps Memphis the most immediately, I don’t think that happens. I still think Memphis comes into play once the ACC is impacted.
Last year after OUT there were lots of predictions of the B12 going away, the PAC absorbing the leftover schools, etc. This year there are more rumors of the PAC being the league that disappears or is absorbed,because it’s the one being raided right now. I think the end result is the same with the T2 leagues ultimately expending by 2-4. But unfortunately for Memphis this expansion may stay out West…….which may be good for Memphis down the road with the next ripple…..if SDSU & CSU end up in PAC, they are no longer competing with Memphis for a spot in the B12.
As I have said before, any predictions of doom & gloom for Memphis getting to the new T2 is premature before the ACC ripples start happening.
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