(10-06-2026 10:47 AM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 12:32 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 12:13 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 12:05 PM)WhidbeyWolf Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 11:20 AM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  Reach out to the industry insiders who have been reporting it the last three years or so.

And who's in their ears? Not the consumers.

The SEC and B1G have PLENTY of consumers. You and a lot of folks here look at expansion through the lens of a consumer, but there are other factors the powers that be are heavily considering.

I have little doubt the presidents have been saying that. But when the ADs talk to the networks, Virginia will be further down the list.

The Big Ten really wanted Stanford, but the networks weren't interested.

This is the best part for me. The Academically-minded B1G passes on Cal and Stanford, both of which are clearly superior Academically to UVA, but the football-obsessed SEC completely switches gears and makes an addition that it's never made before, with a 100% focus on Academics and not a care in the world for the financial implications of the move? That's folly, or it would be if the Presidents were still whispering their adoration of UVA to Thamel and McMurphy after doing their due diligence.

Lurker above had a good point the other day, in that UVA does bring at least a portion of the State of Virginia, and a $40-60m valuation seems reasonable. Not SEC level valuation, but better than Cal and Stanford at least. Still perhaps only half of UNC, FSU, Miami, or Clemson, but not as terrible as their lack of football history and support would lead one to expect. The biggest problem there is that, if we're so determined to get into Virginia, why wouldn't we just add the school that already has a huge and rabid fanbase in VT? If UVA is worth $40-60m, then VT is probably more like $50-75m. Certainly if the B1G added Virginia, the SEC could add VT the next day and end up dominating the State in perpetuity.

Is this groundhog day?

VaTech doesn't dominate the Commonwealth. They may have a larger football following, but both schools have roughly the same amount of total followers between all sports and the institution in general.

UVa gets SECN carriage rates for VA. Are you familiar with the SECN and how it works?

We get it: "tHeY nOt BiG FuTBaW" - bryan1995 (2026)

Just say that and move along if you refuse to consider facts, lol

(10-06-2026 10:50 AM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 08:35 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 07:54 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 08:44 AM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 08:35 AM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  I'm not sure about ahead of Oregon. I would put all three of those between 15-25.

I would put Clemson 13-18 similar to LSU, Tennessee and Auburn. Washington and Oregon would be just behind that group and just ahead of schools like Wisconsin and Iowa.

Tennessee dominates Tennessee as Vandy is pretty much a non-factor and Memphis is hyperlocal. Clemson still splits the smaller state of SC with USC. Neyland also seats 20k more.

I have to imagine LSU is more like Tennessee than they are Clemson. Also, 20k more seats.

What’s your point?
The vast majority of viewers nationally are not in state. A brand draws outside their state.

Clemson is not a larger brand than Tennessee and LSU. That's just common sense.

That's not common sense at all. It may be true, but they are pretty close:

TV ratings 2013-21 (average of top 36 games):
6 LSU 6.636 million
10 Clemson 5.419 million
17 Tennessee 4.377 million

National Titles recognized outside of Knoxville (I think Tennessee claims every title not claimed by Alabama):
LSU 4
Clemson 3
Tennessee 2

Top 3 finishes 1961-2025:
13 Tie Clemson 6
14 Tie LSU 5
19-23 Tie Tennessee 3

Top 5 finishes 1961-2025
15-18 tie Clemson 7
15-18 tie LSU 7
15-18 tie Tennessee 7
(other tied is Auburn-behind 1-14 Ohio St., Alabama, OU, Texas, USC, Notre Dame, FSU, Penn St., Nebraska, Michigan, Miami FL, Georgia, Florida, Oregon)

(09-30-2026 11:34 AM)SouthEastAlaska Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 10:31 AM)SFLFB Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 10:03 AM)Squiggles Wrote:  https://x.com/RossDellenger/status/2105306359277162843

Per Dellenger, a letter is being signed by more than a dozen legislators to House leadership encouraging them to remove the expansion provisions.

This is the least surprising news of this bill lol. Can't believe it took 2 days to have a draft made.

As many of us have stated before, this bill is going to change in the House, what will be interesting is whether or not the Senate is quick to accept the changes or if the bill dies because of them. The expansion provisions are a more significant issue than many here seem to believe. Interesting times ahead

Yes, indeed.

Early on, some comments here suggested a cap of 19 would make a comeback in the House, or that a limit of 18 might even get a hearing.

Those conjectures are not aging well.

20—the cap in the present text of the bill—appears to be the floor. All the friction to date is between that or 22 or removal of the cap entirely.

The pressure so far is all upwards.

___

(10-06-2026 11:02 AM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 10:47 AM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 12:32 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 12:13 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 12:05 PM)WhidbeyWolf Wrote:  And who's in their ears? Not the consumers.

The SEC and B1G have PLENTY of consumers. You and a lot of folks here look at expansion through the lens of a consumer, but there are other factors the powers that be are heavily considering.

I have little doubt the presidents have been saying that. But when the ADs talk to the networks, Virginia will be further down the list.

The Big Ten really wanted Stanford, but the networks weren't interested.

This is the best part for me. The Academically-minded B1G passes on Cal and Stanford, both of which are clearly superior Academically to UVA, but the football-obsessed SEC completely switches gears and makes an addition that it's never made before, with a 100% focus on Academics and not a care in the world for the financial implications of the move? That's folly, or it would be if the Presidents were still whispering their adoration of UVA to Thamel and McMurphy after doing their due diligence.

Lurker above had a good point the other day, in that UVA does bring at least a portion of the State of Virginia, and a $40-60m valuation seems reasonable. Not SEC level valuation, but better than Cal and Stanford at least. Still perhaps only half of UNC, FSU, Miami, or Clemson, but not as terrible as their lack of football history and support would lead one to expect. The biggest problem there is that, if we're so determined to get into Virginia, why wouldn't we just add the school that already has a huge and rabid fanbase in VT? If UVA is worth $40-60m, then VT is probably more like $50-75m. Certainly if the B1G added Virginia, the SEC could add VT the next day and end up dominating the State in perpetuity.

Is this groundhog day?

VaTech doesn't dominate the Commonwealth. They may have a larger football following, but both schools have roughly the same amount of total followers between all sports and the institution in general.

UVa gets SECN carriage rates for VA. Are you familiar with the SECN and how it works?

We get it: "tHeY nOt BiG FuTBaW" - bryan1995 (2026)

Just say that and move along if you refuse to consider facts, lol

It certainly feels that way. If Clemson's historical importance is vastly overrated then Va Tech is a poor man's Clemson. They were pretty good to really good for about 15 years. That run ended about 15 years ago. If someone wants to make the argument that the state of Virginia isn't big enough to warrant expansion, I don't really agree but fine. But it's not like Virginia Tech is big brother to UVA in any way.

(10-06-2026 12:15 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 10:50 AM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 08:35 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 07:54 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 08:44 AM)bullet Wrote:  I would put Clemson 13-18 similar to LSU, Tennessee and Auburn. Washington and Oregon would be just behind that group and just ahead of schools like Wisconsin and Iowa.

Tennessee dominates Tennessee as Vandy is pretty much a non-factor and Memphis is hyperlocal. Clemson still splits the smaller state of SC with USC. Neyland also seats 20k more.

I have to imagine LSU is more like Tennessee than they are Clemson. Also, 20k more seats.

What’s your point?
The vast majority of viewers nationally are not in state. A brand draws outside their state.

Clemson is not a larger brand than Tennessee and LSU. That's just common sense.

That's not common sense at all. It may be true, but they are pretty close:

TV ratings 2013-21 (average of top 36 games):
6 LSU 6.636 million
10 Clemson 5.419 million
17 Tennessee 4.377 million

National Titles recognized outside of Knoxville (I think Tennessee claims every title not claimed by Alabama):
LSU 4
Clemson 3
Tennessee 2

Top 3 finishes 1961-2025:
13 Tie Clemson 6
14 Tie LSU 5
19-23 Tie Tennessee 3

Top 5 finishes 1961-2025
15-18 tie Clemson 7
15-18 tie LSU 7
15-18 tie Tennessee 7
(other tied is Auburn-behind 1-14 Ohio St., Alabama, OU, Texas, USC, Notre Dame, FSU, Penn St., Nebraska, Michigan, Miami FL, Georgia, Florida, Oregon)

TV ratings don't tell the entire story because they are extremely nuanced and based on a lot of different variables including opponent and network/channel. Also, rankings are not indicative of brand strength either. Fanbase, however, is.

Walk into Neyland Stadium on game day and tell me that Tennessee doesn't have a larger fanbase than Clemson. I am not even sure Clemson has more fans than USC. At least those county maps don't back it up.



Clemson outside of Dabo is a tweener top 25 caliber brand. That's it. Also, it looks like their flame is growing dimmer by the season. Tell me you saw that game vs Miami?

(10-06-2026 12:43 PM)Gitanole Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 11:34 AM)SouthEastAlaska Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 10:31 AM)SFLFB Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 10:03 AM)Squiggles Wrote:  https://x.com/RossDellenger/status/2105306359277162843

Per Dellenger, a letter is being signed by more than a dozen legislators to House leadership encouraging them to remove the expansion provisions.

This is the least surprising news of this bill lol. Can't believe it took 2 days to have a draft made.

As many of us have stated before, this bill is going to change in the House, what will be interesting is whether or not the Senate is quick to accept the changes or if the bill dies because of them. The expansion provisions are a more significant issue than many here seem to believe. Interesting times ahead

Yes, indeed.

Early on, some comments here suggested a cap of 19 would make a comeback in the House, or that a limit of 18 might even get a hearing.

Those conjectures are not aging well.

20—the cap in the present text of the bill—appears to be the floor. All the friction to date is between that or 22 or removal of the cap entirely.

The pressure so far is all upwards.

___

"Twenty-one House members signed this letter encouraging House leadership to amend the expansion provision of the PCSA, led by Florida Reps. Neal Dunn and Mario Díaz-Balart.

13 from Florida

4 South Carolina

4 North Carolina"

Quick question. How many voting members of the House are there?

(10-06-2026 01:52 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 12:43 PM)Gitanole Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 11:34 AM)SouthEastAlaska Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 10:31 AM)SFLFB Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 10:03 AM)Squiggles Wrote:  https://x.com/RossDellenger/status/2105306359277162843

Per Dellenger, a letter is being signed by more than a dozen legislators to House leadership encouraging them to remove the expansion provisions.

This is the least surprising news of this bill lol. Can't believe it took 2 days to have a draft made.

As many of us have stated before, this bill is going to change in the House, what will be interesting is whether or not the Senate is quick to accept the changes or if the bill dies because of them. The expansion provisions are a more significant issue than many here seem to believe. Interesting times ahead

Yes, indeed.

Early on, some comments here suggested a cap of 19 would make a comeback in the House, or that a limit of 18 might even get a hearing.

Those conjectures are not aging well.

20—the cap in the present text of the bill—appears to be the floor. All the friction to date is between that or 22 or removal of the cap entirely.

The pressure so far is all upwards.

___

"Twenty-one House members signed this letter encouraging House leadership to amend the expansion provision of the PCSA, led by Florida Reps. Neal Dunn and Mario Díaz-Balart.

13 from Florida

4 South Carolina

4 North Carolina"

Quick question. How many voting members of the House are there?

There's 429 voting members. Why do you ask?

(10-06-2026 01:44 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 12:15 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 10:50 AM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 08:35 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 07:54 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  Tennessee dominates Tennessee as Vandy is pretty much a non-factor and Memphis is hyperlocal. Clemson still splits the smaller state of SC with USC. Neyland also seats 20k more.

I have to imagine LSU is more like Tennessee than they are Clemson. Also, 20k more seats.

What’s your point?
The vast majority of viewers nationally are not in state. A brand draws outside their state.

Clemson is not a larger brand than Tennessee and LSU. That's just common sense.

That's not common sense at all. It may be true, but they are pretty close:

TV ratings 2013-21 (average of top 36 games):
6 LSU 6.636 million
10 Clemson 5.419 million
17 Tennessee 4.377 million

National Titles recognized outside of Knoxville (I think Tennessee claims every title not claimed by Alabama):
LSU 4
Clemson 3
Tennessee 2

Top 3 finishes 1961-2025:
13 Tie Clemson 6
14 Tie LSU 5
19-23 Tie Tennessee 3

Top 5 finishes 1961-2025
15-18 tie Clemson 7
15-18 tie LSU 7
15-18 tie Tennessee 7
(other tied is Auburn-behind 1-14 Ohio St., Alabama, OU, Texas, USC, Notre Dame, FSU, Penn St., Nebraska, Michigan, Miami FL, Georgia, Florida, Oregon)

TV ratings don't tell the entire story because they are extremely nuanced and based on a lot of different variables including opponent and network/channel. Also, rankings are not indicative of brand strength either. Fanbase, however, is.

Walk into Neyland Stadium on game day and tell me that Tennessee doesn't have a larger fanbase than Clemson. I am not even sure Clemson has more fans than USC. At least those county maps don't back it up.



Clemson outside of Dabo is a tweener top 25 caliber brand. That's it. Also, it looks like their flame is growing dimmer by the season. Tell me you saw that game vs Miami?

For brand we are talking about people who will watch nationally, not how many people attend their games. Miami is without a doubt a top 20 brand nationally, but their local fan base pales in comparison to the other top 20 brands. Same for Oregon.
4 year average attendance. Kentucky, Iowa St., Purdue and probably South Carolina are not top 30 brands, even though they are top 30 in attendance. Oregon and Miami don't make the top 30. A bigger local fan base doesn't guarantee more people will watch you nationally.
Clemson is #14, ahead of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a top 5 brand, not #16.
1 Michigan 110,402
2 Penn State 107,815
3 Ohio State 104,194
4 Texas 101,655
5 Tennessee 101,569
6 Texas A&M 101,363
7 LSU 100,608
8 Alabama 99,803
9 Georgia 92,890
10 Florida 89,227
11 Auburn 87,333
12 Nebraska 86,722
13 Oklahoma 83,655
14 Clemson 80,494
15 South Carolina 78,070
16 Notre Dame 77,265
17 Wisconsin 74,003
18 Arkansas 70,407
19 Iowa 69,250
20 Michigan State 68,739
21 Southern Cal 67,478
22 Washington 67,213
23 Florida State 66,330
24 Mississippi 65,088
25 Virginia Tech 63,592
26 BYU 62,064
27 Kentucky 59,631
28 Iowa State 59,119
29 Missouri 58,664
30 Purdue 57,961

(10-06-2026 02:07 PM)Ned Low Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 01:52 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 12:43 PM)Gitanole Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 11:34 AM)SouthEastAlaska Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 10:31 AM)SFLFB Wrote:  This is the least surprising news of this bill lol. Can't believe it took 2 days to have a draft made.

As many of us have stated before, this bill is going to change in the House, what will be interesting is whether or not the Senate is quick to accept the changes or if the bill dies because of them. The expansion provisions are a more significant issue than many here seem to believe. Interesting times ahead

Yes, indeed.

Early on, some comments here suggested a cap of 19 would make a comeback in the House, or that a limit of 18 might even get a hearing.

Those conjectures are not aging well.

20—the cap in the present text of the bill—appears to be the floor. All the friction to date is between that or 22 or removal of the cap entirely.

The pressure so far is all upwards.

___

"Twenty-one House members signed this letter encouraging House leadership to amend the expansion provision of the PCSA, led by Florida Reps. Neal Dunn and Mario Díaz-Balart.

13 from Florida

4 South Carolina

4 North Carolina"

Quick question. How many voting members of the House are there?

There's 429 voting members. Why do you ask?

435, right?

(10-06-2026 02:07 PM)Ned Low Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 01:52 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 12:43 PM)Gitanole Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 11:34 AM)SouthEastAlaska Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 10:31 AM)SFLFB Wrote:  This is the least surprising news of this bill lol. Can't believe it took 2 days to have a draft made.

As many of us have stated before, this bill is going to change in the House, what will be interesting is whether or not the Senate is quick to accept the changes or if the bill dies because of them. The expansion provisions are a more significant issue than many here seem to believe. Interesting times ahead

Yes, indeed.

Early on, some comments here suggested a cap of 19 would make a comeback in the House, or that a limit of 18 might even get a hearing.

Those conjectures are not aging well.

20—the cap in the present text of the bill—appears to be the floor. All the friction to date is between that or 22 or removal of the cap entirely.

The pressure so far is all upwards.

___

"Twenty-one House members signed this letter encouraging House leadership to amend the expansion provision of the PCSA, led by Florida Reps. Neal Dunn and Mario Díaz-Balart.

13 from Florida

4 South Carolina

4 North Carolina"

Quick question. How many voting members of the House are there?

There's 429 voting members. Why do you ask?

Not sure where that number comes from. Multiple online sources say there are 435 voting seats in the House with two currently unoccupied. There may have been more vacancies previously I suppose.

(10-06-2026 02:11 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 01:44 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 12:15 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 10:50 AM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 08:35 PM)bullet Wrote:  What’s your point?
The vast majority of viewers nationally are not in state. A brand draws outside their state.

Clemson is not a larger brand than Tennessee and LSU. That's just common sense.

That's not common sense at all. It may be true, but they are pretty close:

TV ratings 2013-21 (average of top 36 games):
6 LSU 6.636 million
10 Clemson 5.419 million
17 Tennessee 4.377 million

National Titles recognized outside of Knoxville (I think Tennessee claims every title not claimed by Alabama):
LSU 4
Clemson 3
Tennessee 2

Top 3 finishes 1961-2025:
13 Tie Clemson 6
14 Tie LSU 5
19-23 Tie Tennessee 3

Top 5 finishes 1961-2025
15-18 tie Clemson 7
15-18 tie LSU 7
15-18 tie Tennessee 7
(other tied is Auburn-behind 1-14 Ohio St., Alabama, OU, Texas, USC, Notre Dame, FSU, Penn St., Nebraska, Michigan, Miami FL, Georgia, Florida, Oregon)

TV ratings don't tell the entire story because they are extremely nuanced and based on a lot of different variables including opponent and network/channel. Also, rankings are not indicative of brand strength either. Fanbase, however, is.

Walk into Neyland Stadium on game day and tell me that Tennessee doesn't have a larger fanbase than Clemson. I am not even sure Clemson has more fans than USC. At least those county maps don't back it up.



Clemson outside of Dabo is a tweener top 25 caliber brand. That's it. Also, it looks like their flame is growing dimmer by the season. Tell me you saw that game vs Miami?

For brand we are talking about people who will watch nationally, not how many people attend their games. Miami is without a doubt a top 20 brand nationally, but their local fan base pales in comparison to the other top 20 brands. Same for Oregon.
4 year average attendance. Kentucky, Iowa St., Purdue and probably South Carolina are not top 30 brands, even though they are top 30 in attendance. Oregon and Miami don't make the top 30. A bigger local fan base doesn't guarantee more people will watch you nationally.
Clemson is #14, ahead of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a top 5 brand, not #16.
1 Michigan 110,402
2 Penn State 107,815
3 Ohio State 104,194
4 Texas 101,655
5 Tennessee 101,569
6 Texas A&M 101,363
7 LSU 100,608
8 Alabama 99,803
9 Georgia 92,890
10 Florida 89,227
11 Auburn 87,333
12 Nebraska 86,722
13 Oklahoma 83,655
14 Clemson 80,494
15 South Carolina 78,070
16 Notre Dame 77,265
17 Wisconsin 74,003
18 Arkansas 70,407
19 Iowa 69,250
20 Michigan State 68,739
21 Southern Cal 67,478
22 Washington 67,213
23 Florida State 66,330
24 Mississippi 65,088
25 Virginia Tech 63,592
26 BYU 62,064
27 Kentucky 59,631
28 Iowa State 59,119
29 Missouri 58,664
30 Purdue 57,961

I’d be interested to compare 5/10/15 year tv numbers and attendance of Clemson vs ND vs UVA. Esayem either has his mind made up on the topic or he has an agenda here, nothing we post is going to convince that Clemson is an actual football Brand, or that water is wet for that matter.

(10-06-2026 02:34 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 02:07 PM)Ned Low Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 01:52 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 12:43 PM)Gitanole Wrote:  

(09-30-2026 11:34 AM)SouthEastAlaska Wrote:  As many of us have stated before, this bill is going to change in the House, what will be interesting is whether or not the Senate is quick to accept the changes or if the bill dies because of them. The expansion provisions are a more significant issue than many here seem to believe. Interesting times ahead

Yes, indeed.

Early on, some comments here suggested a cap of 19 would make a comeback in the House, or that a limit of 18 might even get a hearing.

Those conjectures are not aging well.

20—the cap in the present text of the bill—appears to be the floor. All the friction to date is between that or 22 or removal of the cap entirely.

The pressure so far is all upwards.

"Twenty-one House members signed this letter encouraging House leadership to amend the expansion provision of the PCSA, led by Florida Reps. Neal Dunn and Mario Díaz-Balart.

13 from Florida

4 South Carolina

4 North Carolina"

Quick question. How many voting members of the House are there?

There's 429 voting members. Why do you ask?

Not sure where that number comes from. Multiple online sources say there are 435 voting seats in the House with two currently unoccupied. There may have been more vacancies previously I suppose.

435 is the total this decade, yes. Sometimes we read “535 elected representatives in Congress” when the site is including both chambers.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-...s-by-state

Anyway, as mentioned, the pressure we see so far in the House is all upwards. Reps are discussing a conference cap of at least 20.

___

UVA averaged 48,776 fans per game last year, their highest average in 17 years (capacity 61,500 since 2000).

Virginia Tech hasn't averaged that low of a number since the 1990s, consistently at 58k or more every season since they expanded to 65k in 2002.

The kicker is UVA is 1.5 hours closer to Northern Virginia than Virginia Tech is. It's a lot easier for fans to travel to UVA than it is to travel to Virginia Tech.

Telling someone in Northern Virginia that UVA sports are more popular than VT sports is like telling someone in Charlotte that NC State sports are more popular than UNC sports.

Sure, there are sizeable crowds for both. But there's only one clear answer.

It's always the non-Virginians chiming in to equate UVA with VT from a local popularity standpoint.

(10-06-2026 03:11 PM)Gitanole Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 02:34 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 02:07 PM)Ned Low Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 01:52 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 12:43 PM)Gitanole Wrote:  Yes, indeed.

Early on, some comments here suggested a cap of 19 would make a comeback in the House, or that a limit of 18 might even get a hearing.

Those conjectures are not aging well.

20—the cap in the present text of the bill—appears to be the floor. All the friction to date is between that or 22 or removal of the cap entirely.

The pressure so far is all upwards.

"Twenty-one House members signed this letter encouraging House leadership to amend the expansion provision of the PCSA, led by Florida Reps. Neal Dunn and Mario Díaz-Balart.

13 from Florida

4 South Carolina

4 North Carolina"

Quick question. How many voting members of the House are there?

There's 429 voting members. Why do you ask?

Not sure where that number comes from. Multiple online sources say there are 435 voting seats in the House with two currently unoccupied. There may have been more vacancies previously I suppose.

435 is the total this decade, yes. Sometimes we read “535 elected representatives in Congress” when the site is including both chambers.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-...s-by-state

Anyway, as mentioned, the pressure we see so far in the House is all upwards. Reps are discussing a conference cap of at least 20.

___

As I pointed out elsewhere, so far that pressure is coming from representatives who constitute under 5% of the House membership. That number probably has to at least triple before the amendment advocates begin to have any meaningful impact on negotiations. We’ll see.

(10-06-2026 03:11 PM)Gitanole Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 02:34 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 02:07 PM)Ned Low Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 01:52 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 12:43 PM)Gitanole Wrote:  Yes, indeed.

Early on, some comments here suggested a cap of 19 would make a comeback in the House, or that a limit of 18 might even get a hearing.

Those conjectures are not aging well.

20—the cap in the present text of the bill—appears to be the floor. All the friction to date is between that or 22 or removal of the cap entirely.

The pressure so far is all upwards.

"Twenty-one House members signed this letter encouraging House leadership to amend the expansion provision of the PCSA, led by Florida Reps. Neal Dunn and Mario Díaz-Balart.

13 from Florida

4 South Carolina

4 North Carolina"

Quick question. How many voting members of the House are there?

There's 429 voting members. Why do you ask?

Not sure where that number comes from. Multiple online sources say there are 435 voting seats in the House with two currently unoccupied. There may have been more vacancies previously I suppose.

435 is the total this decade, yes. Sometimes we read “535 elected representatives in Congress” when the site is including both chambers.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-...s-by-state

Anyway, as mentioned, the pressure we see so far in the House is all upwards. Reps are discussing a conference cap of at least 20.

___

435 is correct. I orignally looked it up to verify and missread; there are 6 non-voting members, delegates and commissioners of DC, PR and other US territories.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7666096...ports-act/

ACC commissioner says his league is NOT unanimous in supporting the act.

(10-06-2026 04:15 PM)bullet Wrote:  https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7666096...ports-act/

ACC commissioner says his league is NOT unanimous in supporting the act.

Wow! Phillips acknowledges that Water is indeed Wet! He can do that however because this isn't going to go down like most people think it will. Neither the Big Ten nor SEC will commit to additions until the exemption is obtained. By then they will know if there are any caps or waiting periods imposed by Congress and then will proceed accordingly.

The rush in all of this is not by the Big Ten or SEC chomping at the bit to add more schools, but rather by the schools which see themselves as among the more desirable candidates rushing to demonstrate that they can get free to move when the time comes.

There's a behind the scenes buzz that has nothing to do with private equity, but does have something to do with expanded playoffs and what may happen beyond that which has added to the sense of urgency by those wanting a home in one of the $uper 2.

(10-06-2026 02:11 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 01:44 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 12:15 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 10:50 AM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-05-2026 08:35 PM)bullet Wrote:  What’s your point?
The vast majority of viewers nationally are not in state. A brand draws outside their state.

Clemson is not a larger brand than Tennessee and LSU. That's just common sense.

That's not common sense at all. It may be true, but they are pretty close:

TV ratings 2013-21 (average of top 36 games):
6 LSU 6.636 million
10 Clemson 5.419 million
17 Tennessee 4.377 million

National Titles recognized outside of Knoxville (I think Tennessee claims every title not claimed by Alabama):
LSU 4
Clemson 3
Tennessee 2

Top 3 finishes 1961-2025:
13 Tie Clemson 6
14 Tie LSU 5
19-23 Tie Tennessee 3

Top 5 finishes 1961-2025
15-18 tie Clemson 7
15-18 tie LSU 7
15-18 tie Tennessee 7
(other tied is Auburn-behind 1-14 Ohio St., Alabama, OU, Texas, USC, Notre Dame, FSU, Penn St., Nebraska, Michigan, Miami FL, Georgia, Florida, Oregon)

TV ratings don't tell the entire story because they are extremely nuanced and based on a lot of different variables including opponent and network/channel. Also, rankings are not indicative of brand strength either. Fanbase, however, is.

Walk into Neyland Stadium on game day and tell me that Tennessee doesn't have a larger fanbase than Clemson. I am not even sure Clemson has more fans than USC. At least those county maps don't back it up.



Clemson outside of Dabo is a tweener top 25 caliber brand. That's it. Also, it looks like their flame is growing dimmer by the season. Tell me you saw that game vs Miami?

For brand we are talking about people who will watch nationally, not how many people attend their games. Miami is without a doubt a top 20 brand nationally, but their local fan base pales in comparison to the other top 20 brands. Same for Oregon.
4 year average attendance. Kentucky, Iowa St., Purdue and probably South Carolina are not top 30 brands, even though they are top 30 in attendance. Oregon and Miami don't make the top 30. A bigger local fan base doesn't guarantee more people will watch you nationally.
Clemson is #14, ahead of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a top 5 brand, not #16.
1 Michigan 110,402
2 Penn State 107,815
3 Ohio State 104,194
4 Texas 101,655
5 Tennessee 101,569
6 Texas A&M 101,363
7 LSU 100,608
8 Alabama 99,803
9 Georgia 92,890
10 Florida 89,227
11 Auburn 87,333
12 Nebraska 86,722
13 Oklahoma 83,655
14 Clemson 80,494
15 South Carolina 78,070
16 Notre Dame 77,265
17 Wisconsin 74,003
18 Arkansas 70,407
19 Iowa 69,250
20 Michigan State 68,739
21 Southern Cal 67,478
22 Washington 67,213
23 Florida State 66,330
24 Mississippi 65,088
25 Virginia Tech 63,592
26 BYU 62,064
27 Kentucky 59,631
28 Iowa State 59,119
29 Missouri 58,664
30 Purdue 57,961

Clemson had an injection from being the only team that could beat Alabama in a bygone era. They’ve been fading.

I see a lot more Tennessee and Georgia and Alabama t-shirts than I ever see Clemson.

(10-06-2026 02:47 PM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 02:11 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 01:44 PM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 12:15 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-06-2026 10:50 AM)Dr Dawgma III Wrote:  Clemson is not a larger brand than Tennessee and LSU. That's just common sense.

That's not common sense at all. It may be true, but they are pretty close:

TV ratings 2013-21 (average of top 36 games):
6 LSU 6.636 million
10 Clemson 5.419 million
17 Tennessee 4.377 million

National Titles recognized outside of Knoxville (I think Tennessee claims every title not claimed by Alabama):
LSU 4
Clemson 3
Tennessee 2

Top 3 finishes 1961-2025:
13 Tie Clemson 6
14 Tie LSU 5
19-23 Tie Tennessee 3

Top 5 finishes 1961-2025
15-18 tie Clemson 7
15-18 tie LSU 7
15-18 tie Tennessee 7
(other tied is Auburn-behind 1-14 Ohio St., Alabama, OU, Texas, USC, Notre Dame, FSU, Penn St., Nebraska, Michigan, Miami FL, Georgia, Florida, Oregon)

TV ratings don't tell the entire story because they are extremely nuanced and based on a lot of different variables including opponent and network/channel. Also, rankings are not indicative of brand strength either. Fanbase, however, is.

Walk into Neyland Stadium on game day and tell me that Tennessee doesn't have a larger fanbase than Clemson. I am not even sure Clemson has more fans than USC. At least those county maps don't back it up.



Clemson outside of Dabo is a tweener top 25 caliber brand. That's it. Also, it looks like their flame is growing dimmer by the season. Tell me you saw that game vs Miami?

For brand we are talking about people who will watch nationally, not how many people attend their games. Miami is without a doubt a top 20 brand nationally, but their local fan base pales in comparison to the other top 20 brands. Same for Oregon.
4 year average attendance. Kentucky, Iowa St., Purdue and probably South Carolina are not top 30 brands, even though they are top 30 in attendance. Oregon and Miami don't make the top 30. A bigger local fan base doesn't guarantee more people will watch you nationally.
Clemson is #14, ahead of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a top 5 brand, not #16.
1 Michigan 110,402
2 Penn State 107,815
3 Ohio State 104,194
4 Texas 101,655
5 Tennessee 101,569
6 Texas A&M 101,363
7 LSU 100,608
8 Alabama 99,803
9 Georgia 92,890
10 Florida 89,227
11 Auburn 87,333
12 Nebraska 86,722
13 Oklahoma 83,655
14 Clemson 80,494
15 South Carolina 78,070
16 Notre Dame 77,265
17 Wisconsin 74,003
18 Arkansas 70,407
19 Iowa 69,250
20 Michigan State 68,739
21 Southern Cal 67,478
22 Washington 67,213
23 Florida State 66,330
24 Mississippi 65,088
25 Virginia Tech 63,592
26 BYU 62,064
27 Kentucky 59,631
28 Iowa State 59,119
29 Missouri 58,664
30 Purdue 57,961

I’d be interested to compare 5/10/15 year tv numbers and attendance of Clemson vs ND vs UVA. Esayem either has his mind made up on the topic or he has an agenda here, nothing we post is going to convince that Clemson is an actual football Brand, or that water is wet for that matter.

Ever been to SC, or the Southeast for that matter?

https://x.com/jloesche88/status/2107546930767159390

Regarding ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips' remarks about "It's rare to have unanimity on everything."

FSU, Clemson, UNC, and Miami 9/29 letter to Congress wasn't the first time ACC schools weren't on the same page.

On July 30, Syracuse Chancellor Mike Haynie questioned the league's own legal summary of the Protect College Sports Act, telling ACC presidents that holding out for a tougher NIL restriction "seems neither appropriate nor politically realistic."