1. North Carolina: FB 327,000,000 / BB 378,000,000 / Rev $137,918,817
2. Duke: FB 258,000,000 / BB 370,000,000 / Rev $152,509,818
3. Florida State: FB 446,000,000 / BB 143,000,000 / Rev $170,434,508
4 Clemson: FB 439,000,000 / BB 54,000,000 / Rev $152,093,316
5. Virginia: FB 218,000,000 / BB 102,000,000 / Rev $125,968,540
6. Virginia Tech: FB 476,00,000 / BB 102,000,000 / Rev $129,705,818
7. N.C. State: FB 336,000,000 / BB 140,000,000 / Rev $121,144,506
8. Miami: FB 326,000,000 / BB 56,000,000 / Rev $159,633,958
9. Kansas: FB 649,000,000 / BB 191,000,000 / Rev $205,747,275

10. Notre Dame: FB 1,293,000,000 / BB 71,000,000 / Rev $224,191,928

Let's simplify that math:
1. Notre Dame: 1,364,000,000 total valuation / $224,191,928 in Gross Revenue
2. Kansas: 840,000,000 total valuation / $205,747,275 in Gross Revenue
3. North Carolina: 705,000,000 total valuation / $137,918,817 in Gross Revenue
4. Duke: 628,000,000 total valuation / $152,5099,818 in Gross Revenue
5. Florida State: 589,000,000 total valuation / $170,434,316 in Gross Revenue
6. Virginia Tech: 578,000,000 total valuation / $129,705,818 in Gross Revenue
7. Clemson: 493,000,000 total valuation / $152,093,316 in Gross Revenue
8. North Carolina St.: 476,000,000 total valuation / $121,144,506 in Gross Revenue
9. Miami: 382,000,000 total valuation / $159,633,958 in Gross Revenue
10. Virginia: 320,000,000 total valuation / $125,968,540 in Gross Revenue

Now everyone knew Notre Dame was the grand prize now. So please explain to me very carefully why everyone pans Kansas. They are the clear #2 of this list of potential candidates for the SEC, and most for the Big 10. They have a top 15 valuation and a top 10 revenue production.

Just look at the drop off to North Carolina and Duke, and then to FSU and Va Tech.

In all realignments it has been about the math with markets and money. This should be at least enough to give some pause to stop and think about the wisdom of the usual suspects (North Carolina, Virginia, Clemson, and FSU) especially for the SEC. I'd say the SEC should be looking at Kansas, North Carolina, Duke and Florida State and if one of those is a no, then Virginia Tech.

I had an earlier post I deleted because looking at the numbers again it didn't make sense. The part that remains is that KU would be a solid addition and talked about more if they were already in ACC. Easier to tear up one conference than cherry pick from two.

(04-15-2025 01:47 PM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  I had an earlier post I deleted because looking at the numbers again it didn't make sense. The part that remains is that KU would be a solid addition and talked about more if they were already in ACC. Easier to tear up one conference than cherry pick from two.

True, but one only has 1 cherry left, Kansas, and the other is about to be picked and all of it is a matter of consolidation to the highest paid conferences and instigated by networks for their own marketing reasons.

What are the numbers for GT?

(04-15-2025 07:53 PM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  What are the numbers for GT?

They are posted above but in valuation they were 7th in the ACC at 317 million. And 12th in revenue at 115 million. Given that Georgia carries Atlanta by about 2 percent and carries the rest of the State by 85% they simply don't add up for the SEC which is why I left them off the list and their attendance is substandard for the SEC as well.

(04-15-2025 08:46 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-15-2025 07:53 PM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  What are the numbers for GT?

They are posted above but in valuation they were 7th in the ACC at 317 million. And 12th in revenue at 115 million. Given that Georgia carries Atlanta by about 2 percent and carries the rest of the State by 85% they simply don't add up for the SEC which is why I left them off the list and their attendance is substandard for the SEC as well.

Thanks. I was thinking more about the Big 10. “The Big Mountain” podcast has been insisting FSU and now Clemson potentially to the Big 10.

So if the big 10 got FSu/Clemson/UVA and GT and the SEC got Kansas/UNC/Duke plus one other we would likely come out ahead, which surprises me because I would have thought we had to get FSU to “win” the round. Of course if the scheduling agreement is true, then we need two more slots than whatever the Big 10 takes.

(04-16-2025 06:00 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  

(04-15-2025 08:46 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-15-2025 07:53 PM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  What are the numbers for GT?

They are posted above but in valuation they were 7th in the ACC at 317 million. And 12th in revenue at 115 million. Given that Georgia carries Atlanta by about 2 percent and carries the rest of the State by 85% they simply don't add up for the SEC which is why I left them off the list and their attendance is substandard for the SEC as well.

Thanks. I was thinking more about the Big 10. “The Big Mountain” podcast has been insisting FSU and now Clemson potentially to the Big 10.

So if the big 10 got FSu/Clemson/UVA and GT and the SEC got Kansas/UNC/Duke plus one other we would likely come out ahead, which surprises me because I would have thought we had to get FSU to “win” the round. Of course if the scheduling agreement is true, then we need two more slots than whatever the Big 10 takes.

I wouldn't listen to the podcasters. Frequently their takes copy this board's posts and speculations. The Big 10 is not going to take Clemson period, due to academic incompatibility. They aren't going to take FSU either unless they could pair them with Miami to control the ad rates in Florida. Do you think for a second the SEC would allow that, or even more importantly ESPN?

I'm reasonably certain FSU or Miami will head to the SEC to keep ESPN in control in a state of 22 million when one of those is paired with Florida and FSU provides the best outcome for ESPN. UF carries 42% of the Florida college sports viewers, FSU carries 35% and Miami carries 19%. It will be F.S.U.

ESPN wants to hold onto North Carolina because the state has a much higher percentage of its nearly 11 million viewers which watch college sports than Virginia has of its nearly 10 million viewers which watch college sports and by a significant margin to boot. I don't expect ESPN to lose North Carolina either.

Florida State and North Carolina will likely head to the SEC. The question will be whether the North Carolina University System's governers will insist upon N.C. State or whether the SEC will be able to pick up a Virginia school. You will note that Virginia Tech has a much higher valuation than Virginia so if we do pick up a Virginia school it is debatable as to whether ESPN would want UVa which like Cal and Stanford were to the Big 10 are marvelous academic adds whose sports don't produce enough viewers or revenue to make the cut, and where Va Tech actually carries the higher % of viewers as did USC and UCLA.

I don't think podcasters recognize this yet but Va Tech is the likelier candidate though they are seldom mentioned.

Some of them are running with my Kansas arguments now to boot. I stuck with Kansas because they are Missouri's natural rival, AAU, new state, and have the highest remaining valuation and were top 10 in revenue last year.

I know Fluguar reads this board because several years ago he took exception with me having pointed out a decline of about 1/4 of the Big 10's value which was founding members being paid off when FOX bought into it. He claimed I was wrong about the drop, but I was right.

All of these guys whether Big 10 or Big 12 who do the podcasts have made up sources or listen to someone in an athletic department who is speculating. Presidents are sworn to confidentiality when they meet on membership additions to the conference and do not inform ADs until they are cleared to do so.

They are all supplementing their incomes with their You-Tube videos when they hit a certain threshold of views.

If you want to make solid guesses about who the Big 10 will add from the ACC and who the SEC will add all you need to do is look at the schools which ESPN needs to keep to maintain their profit structure: Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, N.C. State, Clemson, and Florida State or Miami. ESPN controls the top advertising rates in every state from Virginia through Kentucky, into Missouri and South.

ESPN controls all of Georgia including a simple majority in Atlanta with the University of Georgia. That makes Georgia Tech an AAU school in a large DMA attractive and available to the Big 10 from ESPN's perspective, not the SEC's.

With FSU ESPN controls 77% of the state of Florida's college sports viewers. That makes FSU a school ESPN wants to keep with the SEC. Miami in another large DMA with lots of snowbird retirees would be of interest to the Big 10 and they are AAU. Atlanta and Miami have international air hubs and ease of access by flight and public transportation to and out of games. Tallahassee does not. Clemson does not. And neither of those two are AAU.

If ESPN places North Carolina and Virginia in the SEC the Big 10 will have little interest in Virginia Tech and N.C. State and if those two are subsequently paired with the Big 12 where ESPN controls 50% of the T1 and T2 rights, and all of the T3 rights ESPN continues to hold the majority of viewers in Virginia and North Carolina. If they keep the ACC together and keep those two schools in it they will continue to have 100% of those rights. Either way ESPN wins.

This is why Virginia to the SEC with North Carolina has legs. UNC is the top selection from North Carolina. Taking Virginia keeps the Big 10 out of Virginia. So moving Virginia with UNC would be a pro rata move guaranteed by ESPN to the SEC to make it happen and to restrain FOX from getting a foothold in Virginia. If Duke and Virginia were staying with the ACC no matter what that would free Virginia Tech up for a move to the SEC with UNC instead of UVa being that partner.

Florida State and Clemson make ESPN more money in the SEC playing more high viewership games. And with that pair in the SEC ESPN has 100% of South Carolina locked down and 77% of Florida.

This is why Blake Topmeyer a reporter who writes for the Knoxville paper and is carried in others has said from the beginning that Clemson, FSU, UNC and Virginia were the perfect four for ESPN to move to the SEC because they build the SEC's value, protect ESPN's territory, and deliver more money to the network in the SEC.

I am the one who said early on that the safest move for ESPN would be to move only FSU to the SEC with Kansas. As that gives ESPN the Kansas market and they have a national following in basketball, and would protect the most important market to ESPN (Florida to go along with Texas) and would leave the ACC virtually intact and ESPN could pick up AAU South Florida for the ACC and lock the Big 10 out. It is also the only scenario where Notre Dame very likely remains attached to the ACC. The Irish would then have games in Florida and Georgia which they wanted for recruiting in 2012 with Georgia Tech and Miami, and would have Clemson, Louisville and Virginia Tech to add to those for strength of schedule in qualifying for an at large CFP berth.

It would also be the simplest set of moves. USF at pro rata to the ACC where the removal of FSU might return them to equal revenue sharing instead of the performance based model currently promised. FSU and Kansas to the SEC at pro rata which doesn't increase ESPN's total payout beyond 150 million to the SEC.

If the ACC holds while losing only FSU to the SEC the Big 10 has no targets with which to expand. ESPN keeps Notre Dame hanging around and Duke, UNC and UVa all stay together with their second state schools.

The SEC would be at 18, the Big 10 at 18, and the ACC at 17 plus Notre Dame. Then if the Big 12 picked up Oregon State and Washington State they would be at 18. And the expansion to that P4 would have left nobody out resulting in no damages claims.

Some things to ponder.

(04-16-2025 09:59 AM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 06:00 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  

(04-15-2025 08:46 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-15-2025 07:53 PM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  What are the numbers for GT?

They are posted above but in valuation they were 7th in the ACC at 317 million. And 12th in revenue at 115 million. Given that Georgia carries Atlanta by about 2 percent and carries the rest of the State by 85% they simply don't add up for the SEC which is why I left them off the list and their attendance is substandard for the SEC as well.

Thanks. I was thinking more about the Big 10. “The Big Mountain” podcast has been insisting FSU and now Clemson potentially to the Big 10.

So if the big 10 got FSu/Clemson/UVA and GT and the SEC got Kansas/UNC/Duke plus one other we would likely come out ahead, which surprises me because I would have thought we had to get FSU to “win” the round. Of course if the scheduling agreement is true, then we need two more slots than whatever the Big 10 takes.

I wouldn't listen to the podcasters. Frequently their takes copy this board's posts and speculations. The Big 10 is not going to take Clemson period, due to academic incompatibility. They aren't going to take FSU either unless they could pair them with Miami to control the ad rates in Florida. Do you think for a second the SEC would allow that, or even more importantly ESPN?

I'm reasonably certain FSU or Miami will head to the SEC to keep ESPN in control in a state of 22 million when one of those is paired with Florida and FSU provides the best outcome for ESPN. UF carries 42% of the Florida college sports viewers, FSU carries 35% and Miami carries 19%. It will be F.S.U.

ESPN wants to hold onto North Carolina because the state has a much higher percentage of its nearly 11 million viewers which watch college sports than Virginia has of its nearly 10 million viewers which watch college sports and by a significant margin to boot. I don't expect ESPN to lose North Carolina either.

Florida State and North Carolina will likely head to the SEC. The question will be whether the North Carolina University System's governers will insist upon N.C. State or whether the SEC will be able to pick up a Virginia school. You will note that Virginia Tech has a much higher valuation than Virginia so if we do pick up a Virginia school it is debatable as to whether ESPN would want UVa which like Cal and Stanford were to the Big 10 are marvelous academic adds whose sports don't produce enough viewers or revenue to make the cut, and where Va Tech actually carries the higher % of viewers as did USC and UCLA.

I don't think podcasters recognize this yet but Va Tech is the likelier candidate though they are seldom mentioned.

Some of them are running with my Kansas arguments now to boot. I stuck with Kansas because they are Missouri's natural rival, AAU, new state, and have the highest remaining valuation and were top 10 in revenue last year.

I know Fluguar reads this board because several years ago he took exception with me having pointed out a decline of about 1/4 of the Big 10's value which was founding members being paid off when FOX bought into it. He claimed I was wrong about the drop, but I was right.

All of these guys whether Big 10 or Big 12 who do the podcasts have made up sources or listen to someone in an athletic department who is speculating. Presidents are sworn to confidentiality when they meet on membership additions to the conference and do not inform ADs until they are cleared to do so.

They are all supplementing their incomes with their You-Tube videos when they hit a certain threshold of views.

If you want to make solid guesses about who the Big 10 will add from the ACC and who the SEC will add all you need to do is look at the schools which ESPN needs to keep to maintain their profit structure: Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, N.C. State, Clemson, and Florida State or Miami. ESPN controls the top advertising rates in every state from Virginia through Kentucky, into Missouri and South.

ESPN controls all of Georgia including a simple majority in Atlanta with the University of Georgia. That makes Georgia Tech an AAU school in a large DMA attractive and available to the Big 10 from ESPN's perspective, not the SEC's.

With FSU ESPN controls 77% of the state of Florida's college sports viewers. That makes FSU a school ESPN wants to keep with the SEC. Miami in another large DMA with lots of snowbird retirees would be of interest to the Big 10 and they are AAU. Atlanta and Miami have international air hubs and ease of access by flight and public transportation to and out of games. Tallahassee does not. Clemson does not. And neither of those two are AAU.

If ESPN places North Carolina and Virginia in the SEC the Big 10 will have little interest in Virginia Tech and N.C. State and if those two are subsequently paired with the Big 12 where ESPN controls 50% of the T1 and T2 rights, and all of the T3 rights ESPN continues to hold the majority of viewers in Virginia and North Carolina. If they keep the ACC together and keep those two schools in it they will continue to have 100% of those rights. Either way ESPN wins.

This is why Virginia to the SEC with North Carolina has legs. UNC is the top selection from North Carolina. Taking Virginia keeps the Big 10 out of Virginia. So moving Virginia with UNC would be a pro rata move guaranteed by ESPN to the SEC to make it happen and to restrain FOX from getting a foothold in Virginia. If Duke and Virginia were staying with the ACC no matter what that would free Virginia Tech up for a move to the SEC with UNC instead of UVa being that partner.

Florida State and Clemson make ESPN more money in the SEC playing more high viewership games. And with that pair in the SEC ESPN has 100% of South Carolina locked down and 77% of Florida.

This is why Blake Topmeyer a reporter who writes for the Knoxville paper and is carried in others has said from the beginning that Clemson, FSU, UNC and Virginia were the perfect four for ESPN to move to the SEC because they build the SEC's value, protect ESPN's territory, and deliver more money to the network in the SEC.

I am the one who said early on that the safest move for ESPN would be to move only FSU to the SEC with Kansas. As that gives ESPN the Kansas market and they have a national following in basketball, and would protect the most important market to ESPN (Florida to go along with Texas) and would leave the ACC virtually intact and ESPN could pick up AAU South Florida for the ACC and lock the Big 10 out. It is also the only scenario where Notre Dame very likely remains attached to the ACC. The Irish would then have games in Florida and Georgia which they wanted for recruiting in 2012 with Georgia Tech and Miami, and would have Clemson, Louisville and Virginia Tech to add to those for strength of schedule in qualifying for an at large CFP berth.

It would also be the simplest set of moves. USF at pro rata to the ACC where the removal of FSU might return them to equal revenue sharing instead of the performance based model currently promised. FSU and Kansas to the SEC at pro rata which doesn't increase ESPN's total payout beyond 150 million to the SEC.

If the ACC holds while losing only FSU to the SEC the Big 10 has no targets with which to expand. ESPN keeps Notre Dame hanging around and Duke, UNC and UVa all stay together with their second state schools.

The SEC would be at 18, the Big 10 at 18, and the ACC at 17 plus Notre Dame. Then if the Big 12 picked up Oregon State and Washington State they would be at 18. And the expansion to that P4 would have left nobody out resulting in no damages claims.

Some things to ponder.

Odd ball question JR, and maybe my reading comprehension is lousy (wouldn't be surprised either), but, regarding the bolded text above, what if the B1G was just interested in Miami, GT (Tech), & Duke, no more, no less. From the Big Mountain's latest podcast, Steve said that the B1G was about as interested in UVA as they are interested in Stanford. Assuming that is true, might the SEC sub NC State or Kansas for UVA??

(04-16-2025 02:42 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 09:59 AM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 06:00 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  

(04-15-2025 08:46 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-15-2025 07:53 PM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  What are the numbers for GT?

They are posted above but in valuation they were 7th in the ACC at 317 million. And 12th in revenue at 115 million. Given that Georgia carries Atlanta by about 2 percent and carries the rest of the State by 85% they simply don't add up for the SEC which is why I left them off the list and their attendance is substandard for the SEC as well.

Thanks. I was thinking more about the Big 10. “The Big Mountain” podcast has been insisting FSU and now Clemson potentially to the Big 10.

So if the big 10 got FSu/Clemson/UVA and GT and the SEC got Kansas/UNC/Duke plus one other we would likely come out ahead, which surprises me because I would have thought we had to get FSU to “win” the round. Of course if the scheduling agreement is true, then we need two more slots than whatever the Big 10 takes.

I wouldn't listen to the podcasters. Frequently their takes copy this board's posts and speculations. The Big 10 is not going to take Clemson period, due to academic incompatibility. They aren't going to take FSU either unless they could pair them with Miami to control the ad rates in Florida. Do you think for a second the SEC would allow that, or even more importantly ESPN?

I'm reasonably certain FSU or Miami will head to the SEC to keep ESPN in control in a state of 22 million when one of those is paired with Florida and FSU provides the best outcome for ESPN. UF carries 42% of the Florida college sports viewers, FSU carries 35% and Miami carries 19%. It will be F.S.U.

ESPN wants to hold onto North Carolina because the state has a much higher percentage of its nearly 11 million viewers which watch college sports than Virginia has of its nearly 10 million viewers which watch college sports and by a significant margin to boot. I don't expect ESPN to lose North Carolina either.

Florida State and North Carolina will likely head to the SEC. The question will be whether the North Carolina University System's governers will insist upon N.C. State or whether the SEC will be able to pick up a Virginia school. You will note that Virginia Tech has a much higher valuation than Virginia so if we do pick up a Virginia school it is debatable as to whether ESPN would want UVa which like Cal and Stanford were to the Big 10 are marvelous academic adds whose sports don't produce enough viewers or revenue to make the cut, and where Va Tech actually carries the higher % of viewers as did USC and UCLA.

I don't think podcasters recognize this yet but Va Tech is the likelier candidate though they are seldom mentioned.

Some of them are running with my Kansas arguments now to boot. I stuck with Kansas because they are Missouri's natural rival, AAU, new state, and have the highest remaining valuation and were top 10 in revenue last year.

I know Fluguar reads this board because several years ago he took exception with me having pointed out a decline of about 1/4 of the Big 10's value which was founding members being paid off when FOX bought into it. He claimed I was wrong about the drop, but I was right.

All of these guys whether Big 10 or Big 12 who do the podcasts have made up sources or listen to someone in an athletic department who is speculating. Presidents are sworn to confidentiality when they meet on membership additions to the conference and do not inform ADs until they are cleared to do so.

They are all supplementing their incomes with their You-Tube videos when they hit a certain threshold of views.

If you want to make solid guesses about who the Big 10 will add from the ACC and who the SEC will add all you need to do is look at the schools which ESPN needs to keep to maintain their profit structure: Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, N.C. State, Clemson, and Florida State or Miami. ESPN controls the top advertising rates in every state from Virginia through Kentucky, into Missouri and South.

ESPN controls all of Georgia including a simple majority in Atlanta with the University of Georgia. That makes Georgia Tech an AAU school in a large DMA attractive and available to the Big 10 from ESPN's perspective, not the SEC's.

With FSU ESPN controls 77% of the state of Florida's college sports viewers. That makes FSU a school ESPN wants to keep with the SEC. Miami in another large DMA with lots of snowbird retirees would be of interest to the Big 10 and they are AAU. Atlanta and Miami have international air hubs and ease of access by flight and public transportation to and out of games. Tallahassee does not. Clemson does not. And neither of those two are AAU.

If ESPN places North Carolina and Virginia in the SEC the Big 10 will have little interest in Virginia Tech and N.C. State and if those two are subsequently paired with the Big 12 where ESPN controls 50% of the T1 and T2 rights, and all of the T3 rights ESPN continues to hold the majority of viewers in Virginia and North Carolina. If they keep the ACC together and keep those two schools in it they will continue to have 100% of those rights. Either way ESPN wins.

This is why Virginia to the SEC with North Carolina has legs. UNC is the top selection from North Carolina. Taking Virginia keeps the Big 10 out of Virginia. So moving Virginia with UNC would be a pro rata move guaranteed by ESPN to the SEC to make it happen and to restrain FOX from getting a foothold in Virginia. If Duke and Virginia were staying with the ACC no matter what that would free Virginia Tech up for a move to the SEC with UNC instead of UVa being that partner.

Florida State and Clemson make ESPN more money in the SEC playing more high viewership games. And with that pair in the SEC ESPN has 100% of South Carolina locked down and 77% of Florida.

This is why Blake Topmeyer a reporter who writes for the Knoxville paper and is carried in others has said from the beginning that Clemson, FSU, UNC and Virginia were the perfect four for ESPN to move to the SEC because they build the SEC's value, protect ESPN's territory, and deliver more money to the network in the SEC.

I am the one who said early on that the safest move for ESPN would be to move only FSU to the SEC with Kansas. As that gives ESPN the Kansas market and they have a national following in basketball, and would protect the most important market to ESPN (Florida to go along with Texas) and would leave the ACC virtually intact and ESPN could pick up AAU South Florida for the ACC and lock the Big 10 out. It is also the only scenario where Notre Dame very likely remains attached to the ACC. The Irish would then have games in Florida and Georgia which they wanted for recruiting in 2012 with Georgia Tech and Miami, and would have Clemson, Louisville and Virginia Tech to add to those for strength of schedule in qualifying for an at large CFP berth.

It would also be the simplest set of moves. USF at pro rata to the ACC where the removal of FSU might return them to equal revenue sharing instead of the performance based model currently promised. FSU and Kansas to the SEC at pro rata which doesn't increase ESPN's total payout beyond 150 million to the SEC.

If the ACC holds while losing only FSU to the SEC the Big 10 has no targets with which to expand. ESPN keeps Notre Dame hanging around and Duke, UNC and UVa all stay together with their second state schools.

The SEC would be at 18, the Big 10 at 18, and the ACC at 17 plus Notre Dame. Then if the Big 12 picked up Oregon State and Washington State they would be at 18. And the expansion to that P4 would have left nobody out resulting in no damages claims.

Some things to ponder.

Odd ball question JR, and maybe my reading comprehension is lousy (wouldn't be surprised either), but, regarding the bolded text above, what if the B1G was just interested in Miami, GT (Tech), & Duke, no more, no less. From the Big Mountain's latest podcast, Steve said that the B1G was about as interested in UVA as they are interested in Stanford. Assuming that is true, might the SEC sub NC State or Kansas for UVA??

Would ESPN lose sleep over Miami and Georgia Tech heading to the Big 10? Probably not. Add Duke to the mix and it becomes an issue. Duke not only pairs wonderfully with UNC & Virginia for hoops but would with Kentucky or many of the SEC programs. What Duke does for ESPN is give them a nice audience from New Jersey, part of the NYC market and a lot of New England since so many students from that region head to Duke for school.

I believe ESPN will be very interested in holding onto Duke and for no reason than basketball.

But if Duke headed to the Big 10 with Georgia Tech and Miami it would open a slot for Kansas.

However I'm not sure we are heading to 22 or more. Miami and Georgia Tech would be the Big 10's move to 20 and I don't buy that either. They'll look West again to 20 unless they could land both Miami and FSU and that's not happening. In fact, I'm leaning more to FSU and Kansas to the SEC for 18 and ESPN trying to save the ACC. If ESPN moves two from the ACC to the SEC it could well be UNC and FSU. But if UNC wants to stay with Duke and UVa and N.C. State then FSU / Kansas makes a ton of sense. The SEC sews up the Florida market and ad revenue for that state and adds a hoops blueblood to pair with Kentucky giving ESPN the Duke / UNC rivalry in the ACC and UK/KU rivalry in the SEC. The ACC backfills with USF and stays at 17+ Notre Dame, the SEC's at 18, the Big 10 stays at 18 and the Big 12 can add Oregon State and Washington State and Tulen and stop at 18 as well. We'll see.

(04-16-2025 02:58 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 02:42 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 09:59 AM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 06:00 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  

(04-15-2025 08:46 PM)JRsec Wrote:  They are posted above but in valuation they were 7th in the ACC at 317 million. And 12th in revenue at 115 million. Given that Georgia carries Atlanta by about 2 percent and carries the rest of the State by 85% they simply don't add up for the SEC which is why I left them off the list and their attendance is substandard for the SEC as well.

Thanks. I was thinking more about the Big 10. “The Big Mountain” podcast has been insisting FSU and now Clemson potentially to the Big 10.

So if the big 10 got FSu/Clemson/UVA and GT and the SEC got Kansas/UNC/Duke plus one other we would likely come out ahead, which surprises me because I would have thought we had to get FSU to “win” the round. Of course if the scheduling agreement is true, then we need two more slots than whatever the Big 10 takes.

I wouldn't listen to the podcasters. Frequently their takes copy this board's posts and speculations. The Big 10 is not going to take Clemson period, due to academic incompatibility. They aren't going to take FSU either unless they could pair them with Miami to control the ad rates in Florida. Do you think for a second the SEC would allow that, or even more importantly ESPN?

I'm reasonably certain FSU or Miami will head to the SEC to keep ESPN in control in a state of 22 million when one of those is paired with Florida and FSU provides the best outcome for ESPN. UF carries 42% of the Florida college sports viewers, FSU carries 35% and Miami carries 19%. It will be F.S.U.

ESPN wants to hold onto North Carolina because the state has a much higher percentage of its nearly 11 million viewers which watch college sports than Virginia has of its nearly 10 million viewers which watch college sports and by a significant margin to boot. I don't expect ESPN to lose North Carolina either.

Florida State and North Carolina will likely head to the SEC. The question will be whether the North Carolina University System's governers will insist upon N.C. State or whether the SEC will be able to pick up a Virginia school. You will note that Virginia Tech has a much higher valuation than Virginia so if we do pick up a Virginia school it is debatable as to whether ESPN would want UVa which like Cal and Stanford were to the Big 10 are marvelous academic adds whose sports don't produce enough viewers or revenue to make the cut, and where Va Tech actually carries the higher % of viewers as did USC and UCLA.

I don't think podcasters recognize this yet but Va Tech is the likelier candidate though they are seldom mentioned.

Some of them are running with my Kansas arguments now to boot. I stuck with Kansas because they are Missouri's natural rival, AAU, new state, and have the highest remaining valuation and were top 10 in revenue last year.

I know Fluguar reads this board because several years ago he took exception with me having pointed out a decline of about 1/4 of the Big 10's value which was founding members being paid off when FOX bought into it. He claimed I was wrong about the drop, but I was right.

All of these guys whether Big 10 or Big 12 who do the podcasts have made up sources or listen to someone in an athletic department who is speculating. Presidents are sworn to confidentiality when they meet on membership additions to the conference and do not inform ADs until they are cleared to do so.

They are all supplementing their incomes with their You-Tube videos when they hit a certain threshold of views.

If you want to make solid guesses about who the Big 10 will add from the ACC and who the SEC will add all you need to do is look at the schools which ESPN needs to keep to maintain their profit structure: Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, N.C. State, Clemson, and Florida State or Miami. ESPN controls the top advertising rates in every state from Virginia through Kentucky, into Missouri and South.

ESPN controls all of Georgia including a simple majority in Atlanta with the University of Georgia. That makes Georgia Tech an AAU school in a large DMA attractive and available to the Big 10 from ESPN's perspective, not the SEC's.

With FSU ESPN controls 77% of the state of Florida's college sports viewers. That makes FSU a school ESPN wants to keep with the SEC. Miami in another large DMA with lots of snowbird retirees would be of interest to the Big 10 and they are AAU. Atlanta and Miami have international air hubs and ease of access by flight and public transportation to and out of games. Tallahassee does not. Clemson does not. And neither of those two are AAU.

If ESPN places North Carolina and Virginia in the SEC the Big 10 will have little interest in Virginia Tech and N.C. State and if those two are subsequently paired with the Big 12 where ESPN controls 50% of the T1 and T2 rights, and all of the T3 rights ESPN continues to hold the majority of viewers in Virginia and North Carolina. If they keep the ACC together and keep those two schools in it they will continue to have 100% of those rights. Either way ESPN wins.

This is why Virginia to the SEC with North Carolina has legs. UNC is the top selection from North Carolina. Taking Virginia keeps the Big 10 out of Virginia. So moving Virginia with UNC would be a pro rata move guaranteed by ESPN to the SEC to make it happen and to restrain FOX from getting a foothold in Virginia. If Duke and Virginia were staying with the ACC no matter what that would free Virginia Tech up for a move to the SEC with UNC instead of UVa being that partner.

Florida State and Clemson make ESPN more money in the SEC playing more high viewership games. And with that pair in the SEC ESPN has 100% of South Carolina locked down and 77% of Florida.

This is why Blake Topmeyer a reporter who writes for the Knoxville paper and is carried in others has said from the beginning that Clemson, FSU, UNC and Virginia were the perfect four for ESPN to move to the SEC because they build the SEC's value, protect ESPN's territory, and deliver more money to the network in the SEC.

I am the one who said early on that the safest move for ESPN would be to move only FSU to the SEC with Kansas. As that gives ESPN the Kansas market and they have a national following in basketball, and would protect the most important market to ESPN (Florida to go along with Texas) and would leave the ACC virtually intact and ESPN could pick up AAU South Florida for the ACC and lock the Big 10 out. It is also the only scenario where Notre Dame very likely remains attached to the ACC. The Irish would then have games in Florida and Georgia which they wanted for recruiting in 2012 with Georgia Tech and Miami, and would have Clemson, Louisville and Virginia Tech to add to those for strength of schedule in qualifying for an at large CFP berth.

It would also be the simplest set of moves. USF at pro rata to the ACC where the removal of FSU might return them to equal revenue sharing instead of the performance based model currently promised. FSU and Kansas to the SEC at pro rata which doesn't increase ESPN's total payout beyond 150 million to the SEC.

If the ACC holds while losing only FSU to the SEC the Big 10 has no targets with which to expand. ESPN keeps Notre Dame hanging around and Duke, UNC and UVa all stay together with their second state schools.

The SEC would be at 18, the Big 10 at 18, and the ACC at 17 plus Notre Dame. Then if the Big 12 picked up Oregon State and Washington State they would be at 18. And the expansion to that P4 would have left nobody out resulting in no damages claims.

Some things to ponder.

Odd ball question JR, and maybe my reading comprehension is lousy (wouldn't be surprised either), but, regarding the bolded text above, what if the B1G was just interested in Miami, GT (Tech), & Duke, no more, no less. From the Big Mountain's latest podcast, Steve said that the B1G was about as interested in UVA as they are interested in Stanford. Assuming that is true, might the SEC sub NC State or Kansas for UVA??

Would ESPN lose sleep over Miami and Georgia Tech heading to the Big 10? Probably not. Add Duke to the mix and it becomes an issue. Duke not only pairs wonderfully with UNC & Virginia for hoops but would with Kentucky or many of the SEC programs. What Duke does for ESPN is give them a nice audience from New Jersey, part of the NYC market and a lot of New England since so many students from that region head to Duke for school.

I believe ESPN will be very interested in holding onto Duke and for no reason than basketball.

But if Duke headed to the Big 10 with Georgia Tech and Miami it would open a slot for Kansas.

However I'm not sure we are heading to 22 or more. Miami and Georgia Tech would be the Big 10's move to 20 and I don't buy that either. They'll look West again to 20 unless they could land both Miami and FSU and that's not happening. In fact, I'm leaning more to FSU and Kansas to the SEC for 18 and ESPN trying to save the ACC. If ESPN moves two from the ACC to the SEC it could well be UNC and FSU. But if UNC wants to stay with Duke and UVa and N.C. State then FSU / Kansas makes a ton of sense. The SEC sews up the Florida market and ad revenue for that state and adds a hoops blueblood to pair with Kentucky giving ESPN the Duke / UNC rivalry in the ACC and UK/KU rivalry in the SEC. The ACC backfills with USF and stays at 17+ Notre Dame, the SEC's at 18, the Big 10 stays at 18 and the Big 12 can add Oregon State and Washington State and Tulen and stop at 18 as well. We'll see.

Remembering some more intel off of that Big Mtn podcast, if I recall, Notre Dame wants to replace UNC as the "godfather/guardian/defender" of the ACC, and wanting like-minded institutions in the ACC. Reading between the lines, I feel like you are telling that ESPN doesn't want to lose any exposure with Notre Dame whatsoever. Thus, perhaps indirect, ESPN has a vested interest in making sure Notre Dame stays independent.

(04-16-2025 03:56 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 02:58 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 02:42 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 09:59 AM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 06:00 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  Thanks. I was thinking more about the Big 10. “The Big Mountain” podcast has been insisting FSU and now Clemson potentially to the Big 10.

So if the big 10 got FSu/Clemson/UVA and GT and the SEC got Kansas/UNC/Duke plus one other we would likely come out ahead, which surprises me because I would have thought we had to get FSU to “win” the round. Of course if the scheduling agreement is true, then we need two more slots than whatever the Big 10 takes.

I wouldn't listen to the podcasters. Frequently their takes copy this board's posts and speculations. The Big 10 is not going to take Clemson period, due to academic incompatibility. They aren't going to take FSU either unless they could pair them with Miami to control the ad rates in Florida. Do you think for a second the SEC would allow that, or even more importantly ESPN?

I'm reasonably certain FSU or Miami will head to the SEC to keep ESPN in control in a state of 22 million when one of those is paired with Florida and FSU provides the best outcome for ESPN. UF carries 42% of the Florida college sports viewers, FSU carries 35% and Miami carries 19%. It will be F.S.U.

ESPN wants to hold onto North Carolina because the state has a much higher percentage of its nearly 11 million viewers which watch college sports than Virginia has of its nearly 10 million viewers which watch college sports and by a significant margin to boot. I don't expect ESPN to lose North Carolina either.

Florida State and North Carolina will likely head to the SEC. The question will be whether the North Carolina University System's governers will insist upon N.C. State or whether the SEC will be able to pick up a Virginia school. You will note that Virginia Tech has a much higher valuation than Virginia so if we do pick up a Virginia school it is debatable as to whether ESPN would want UVa which like Cal and Stanford were to the Big 10 are marvelous academic adds whose sports don't produce enough viewers or revenue to make the cut, and where Va Tech actually carries the higher % of viewers as did USC and UCLA.

I don't think podcasters recognize this yet but Va Tech is the likelier candidate though they are seldom mentioned.

Some of them are running with my Kansas arguments now to boot. I stuck with Kansas because they are Missouri's natural rival, AAU, new state, and have the highest remaining valuation and were top 10 in revenue last year.

I know Fluguar reads this board because several years ago he took exception with me having pointed out a decline of about 1/4 of the Big 10's value which was founding members being paid off when FOX bought into it. He claimed I was wrong about the drop, but I was right.

All of these guys whether Big 10 or Big 12 who do the podcasts have made up sources or listen to someone in an athletic department who is speculating. Presidents are sworn to confidentiality when they meet on membership additions to the conference and do not inform ADs until they are cleared to do so.

They are all supplementing their incomes with their You-Tube videos when they hit a certain threshold of views.

If you want to make solid guesses about who the Big 10 will add from the ACC and who the SEC will add all you need to do is look at the schools which ESPN needs to keep to maintain their profit structure: Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, N.C. State, Clemson, and Florida State or Miami. ESPN controls the top advertising rates in every state from Virginia through Kentucky, into Missouri and South.

ESPN controls all of Georgia including a simple majority in Atlanta with the University of Georgia. That makes Georgia Tech an AAU school in a large DMA attractive and available to the Big 10 from ESPN's perspective, not the SEC's.

With FSU ESPN controls 77% of the state of Florida's college sports viewers. That makes FSU a school ESPN wants to keep with the SEC. Miami in another large DMA with lots of snowbird retirees would be of interest to the Big 10 and they are AAU. Atlanta and Miami have international air hubs and ease of access by flight and public transportation to and out of games. Tallahassee does not. Clemson does not. And neither of those two are AAU.

If ESPN places North Carolina and Virginia in the SEC the Big 10 will have little interest in Virginia Tech and N.C. State and if those two are subsequently paired with the Big 12 where ESPN controls 50% of the T1 and T2 rights, and all of the T3 rights ESPN continues to hold the majority of viewers in Virginia and North Carolina. If they keep the ACC together and keep those two schools in it they will continue to have 100% of those rights. Either way ESPN wins.

This is why Virginia to the SEC with North Carolina has legs. UNC is the top selection from North Carolina. Taking Virginia keeps the Big 10 out of Virginia. So moving Virginia with UNC would be a pro rata move guaranteed by ESPN to the SEC to make it happen and to restrain FOX from getting a foothold in Virginia. If Duke and Virginia were staying with the ACC no matter what that would free Virginia Tech up for a move to the SEC with UNC instead of UVa being that partner.

Florida State and Clemson make ESPN more money in the SEC playing more high viewership games. And with that pair in the SEC ESPN has 100% of South Carolina locked down and 77% of Florida.

This is why Blake Topmeyer a reporter who writes for the Knoxville paper and is carried in others has said from the beginning that Clemson, FSU, UNC and Virginia were the perfect four for ESPN to move to the SEC because they build the SEC's value, protect ESPN's territory, and deliver more money to the network in the SEC.

I am the one who said early on that the safest move for ESPN would be to move only FSU to the SEC with Kansas. As that gives ESPN the Kansas market and they have a national following in basketball, and would protect the most important market to ESPN (Florida to go along with Texas) and would leave the ACC virtually intact and ESPN could pick up AAU South Florida for the ACC and lock the Big 10 out. It is also the only scenario where Notre Dame very likely remains attached to the ACC. The Irish would then have games in Florida and Georgia which they wanted for recruiting in 2012 with Georgia Tech and Miami, and would have Clemson, Louisville and Virginia Tech to add to those for strength of schedule in qualifying for an at large CFP berth.

It would also be the simplest set of moves. USF at pro rata to the ACC where the removal of FSU might return them to equal revenue sharing instead of the performance based model currently promised. FSU and Kansas to the SEC at pro rata which doesn't increase ESPN's total payout beyond 150 million to the SEC.

If the ACC holds while losing only FSU to the SEC the Big 10 has no targets with which to expand. ESPN keeps Notre Dame hanging around and Duke, UNC and UVa all stay together with their second state schools.

The SEC would be at 18, the Big 10 at 18, and the ACC at 17 plus Notre Dame. Then if the Big 12 picked up Oregon State and Washington State they would be at 18. And the expansion to that P4 would have left nobody out resulting in no damages claims.

Some things to ponder.

Odd ball question JR, and maybe my reading comprehension is lousy (wouldn't be surprised either), but, regarding the bolded text above, what if the B1G was just interested in Miami, GT (Tech), & Duke, no more, no less. From the Big Mountain's latest podcast, Steve said that the B1G was about as interested in UVA as they are interested in Stanford. Assuming that is true, might the SEC sub NC State or Kansas for UVA??

Would ESPN lose sleep over Miami and Georgia Tech heading to the Big 10? Probably not. Add Duke to the mix and it becomes an issue. Duke not only pairs wonderfully with UNC & Virginia for hoops but would with Kentucky or many of the SEC programs. What Duke does for ESPN is give them a nice audience from New Jersey, part of the NYC market and a lot of New England since so many students from that region head to Duke for school.

I believe ESPN will be very interested in holding onto Duke and for no reason than basketball.

But if Duke headed to the Big 10 with Georgia Tech and Miami it would open a slot for Kansas.

However I'm not sure we are heading to 22 or more. Miami and Georgia Tech would be the Big 10's move to 20 and I don't buy that either. They'll look West again to 20 unless they could land both Miami and FSU and that's not happening. In fact, I'm leaning more to FSU and Kansas to the SEC for 18 and ESPN trying to save the ACC. If ESPN moves two from the ACC to the SEC it could well be UNC and FSU. But if UNC wants to stay with Duke and UVa and N.C. State then FSU / Kansas makes a ton of sense. The SEC sews up the Florida market and ad revenue for that state and adds a hoops blueblood to pair with Kentucky giving ESPN the Duke / UNC rivalry in the ACC and UK/KU rivalry in the SEC. The ACC backfills with USF and stays at 17+ Notre Dame, the SEC's at 18, the Big 10 stays at 18 and the Big 12 can add Oregon State and Washington State and Tulen and stop at 18 as well. We'll see.

Remembering some more intel off of that Big Mtn podcast, if I recall, Notre Dame wants to replace UNC as the "godfather/guardian/defender" of the ACC, and wanting like-minded institutions in the ACC. Reading between the lines, I feel like you are telling that ESPN doesn't want to lose any exposure with Notre Dame whatsoever. Thus, perhaps indirect, ESPN has a vested interest in making sure Notre Dame stays independent.

Dawg I was the first to say over a year ago that if Duke, UNC and Virginia came to the SEC with Kansas that Notre Dame would finally have a conference to lead. Those clowns just read this and other boards looking for angles to talk about. They know nothing. Fluguar likely has a source in the athletic department at Minnesota, but ADs are the last to know realignment information. USC/UCLA were likely a done deal and the Big 10 needed a way to temper the announcement so they had someone leak it to Greg. The SEC did the same thing in 2011 testing the waters on N.C. State and Va Tech to the SEC by releasing the info to Clay Travis who was married to a person with ties through her daddy to the SEC office. It's how you test ideas to know how to prepare for fallout or backlash. It doesn't mean that he knows anything more the rest of the time.

(04-16-2025 04:36 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 03:56 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 02:58 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 02:42 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 09:59 AM)JRsec Wrote:  I wouldn't listen to the podcasters. Frequently their takes copy this board's posts and speculations. The Big 10 is not going to take Clemson period, due to academic incompatibility. They aren't going to take FSU either unless they could pair them with Miami to control the ad rates in Florida. Do you think for a second the SEC would allow that, or even more importantly ESPN?

I'm reasonably certain FSU or Miami will head to the SEC to keep ESPN in control in a state of 22 million when one of those is paired with Florida and FSU provides the best outcome for ESPN. UF carries 42% of the Florida college sports viewers, FSU carries 35% and Miami carries 19%. It will be F.S.U.

ESPN wants to hold onto North Carolina because the state has a much higher percentage of its nearly 11 million viewers which watch college sports than Virginia has of its nearly 10 million viewers which watch college sports and by a significant margin to boot. I don't expect ESPN to lose North Carolina either.

Florida State and North Carolina will likely head to the SEC. The question will be whether the North Carolina University System's governers will insist upon N.C. State or whether the SEC will be able to pick up a Virginia school. You will note that Virginia Tech has a much higher valuation than Virginia so if we do pick up a Virginia school it is debatable as to whether ESPN would want UVa which like Cal and Stanford were to the Big 10 are marvelous academic adds whose sports don't produce enough viewers or revenue to make the cut, and where Va Tech actually carries the higher % of viewers as did USC and UCLA.

I don't think podcasters recognize this yet but Va Tech is the likelier candidate though they are seldom mentioned.

Some of them are running with my Kansas arguments now to boot. I stuck with Kansas because they are Missouri's natural rival, AAU, new state, and have the highest remaining valuation and were top 10 in revenue last year.

I know Fluguar reads this board because several years ago he took exception with me having pointed out a decline of about 1/4 of the Big 10's value which was founding members being paid off when FOX bought into it. He claimed I was wrong about the drop, but I was right.

All of these guys whether Big 10 or Big 12 who do the podcasts have made up sources or listen to someone in an athletic department who is speculating. Presidents are sworn to confidentiality when they meet on membership additions to the conference and do not inform ADs until they are cleared to do so.

They are all supplementing their incomes with their You-Tube videos when they hit a certain threshold of views.

If you want to make solid guesses about who the Big 10 will add from the ACC and who the SEC will add all you need to do is look at the schools which ESPN needs to keep to maintain their profit structure: Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, N.C. State, Clemson, and Florida State or Miami. ESPN controls the top advertising rates in every state from Virginia through Kentucky, into Missouri and South.

ESPN controls all of Georgia including a simple majority in Atlanta with the University of Georgia. That makes Georgia Tech an AAU school in a large DMA attractive and available to the Big 10 from ESPN's perspective, not the SEC's.

With FSU ESPN controls 77% of the state of Florida's college sports viewers. That makes FSU a school ESPN wants to keep with the SEC. Miami in another large DMA with lots of snowbird retirees would be of interest to the Big 10 and they are AAU. Atlanta and Miami have international air hubs and ease of access by flight and public transportation to and out of games. Tallahassee does not. Clemson does not. And neither of those two are AAU.

If ESPN places North Carolina and Virginia in the SEC the Big 10 will have little interest in Virginia Tech and N.C. State and if those two are subsequently paired with the Big 12 where ESPN controls 50% of the T1 and T2 rights, and all of the T3 rights ESPN continues to hold the majority of viewers in Virginia and North Carolina. If they keep the ACC together and keep those two schools in it they will continue to have 100% of those rights. Either way ESPN wins.

This is why Virginia to the SEC with North Carolina has legs. UNC is the top selection from North Carolina. Taking Virginia keeps the Big 10 out of Virginia. So moving Virginia with UNC would be a pro rata move guaranteed by ESPN to the SEC to make it happen and to restrain FOX from getting a foothold in Virginia. If Duke and Virginia were staying with the ACC no matter what that would free Virginia Tech up for a move to the SEC with UNC instead of UVa being that partner.

Florida State and Clemson make ESPN more money in the SEC playing more high viewership games. And with that pair in the SEC ESPN has 100% of South Carolina locked down and 77% of Florida.

This is why Blake Topmeyer a reporter who writes for the Knoxville paper and is carried in others has said from the beginning that Clemson, FSU, UNC and Virginia were the perfect four for ESPN to move to the SEC because they build the SEC's value, protect ESPN's territory, and deliver more money to the network in the SEC.

I am the one who said early on that the safest move for ESPN would be to move only FSU to the SEC with Kansas. As that gives ESPN the Kansas market and they have a national following in basketball, and would protect the most important market to ESPN (Florida to go along with Texas) and would leave the ACC virtually intact and ESPN could pick up AAU South Florida for the ACC and lock the Big 10 out. It is also the only scenario where Notre Dame very likely remains attached to the ACC. The Irish would then have games in Florida and Georgia which they wanted for recruiting in 2012 with Georgia Tech and Miami, and would have Clemson, Louisville and Virginia Tech to add to those for strength of schedule in qualifying for an at large CFP berth.

It would also be the simplest set of moves. USF at pro rata to the ACC where the removal of FSU might return them to equal revenue sharing instead of the performance based model currently promised. FSU and Kansas to the SEC at pro rata which doesn't increase ESPN's total payout beyond 150 million to the SEC.

If the ACC holds while losing only FSU to the SEC the Big 10 has no targets with which to expand. ESPN keeps Notre Dame hanging around and Duke, UNC and UVa all stay together with their second state schools.

The SEC would be at 18, the Big 10 at 18, and the ACC at 17 plus Notre Dame. Then if the Big 12 picked up Oregon State and Washington State they would be at 18. And the expansion to that P4 would have left nobody out resulting in no damages claims.

Some things to ponder.

Odd ball question JR, and maybe my reading comprehension is lousy (wouldn't be surprised either), but, regarding the bolded text above, what if the B1G was just interested in Miami, GT (Tech), & Duke, no more, no less. From the Big Mountain's latest podcast, Steve said that the B1G was about as interested in UVA as they are interested in Stanford. Assuming that is true, might the SEC sub NC State or Kansas for UVA??

Would ESPN lose sleep over Miami and Georgia Tech heading to the Big 10? Probably not. Add Duke to the mix and it becomes an issue. Duke not only pairs wonderfully with UNC & Virginia for hoops but would with Kentucky or many of the SEC programs. What Duke does for ESPN is give them a nice audience from New Jersey, part of the NYC market and a lot of New England since so many students from that region head to Duke for school.

I believe ESPN will be very interested in holding onto Duke and for no reason than basketball.

But if Duke headed to the Big 10 with Georgia Tech and Miami it would open a slot for Kansas.

However I'm not sure we are heading to 22 or more. Miami and Georgia Tech would be the Big 10's move to 20 and I don't buy that either. They'll look West again to 20 unless they could land both Miami and FSU and that's not happening. In fact, I'm leaning more to FSU and Kansas to the SEC for 18 and ESPN trying to save the ACC. If ESPN moves two from the ACC to the SEC it could well be UNC and FSU. But if UNC wants to stay with Duke and UVa and N.C. State then FSU / Kansas makes a ton of sense. The SEC sews up the Florida market and ad revenue for that state and adds a hoops blueblood to pair with Kentucky giving ESPN the Duke / UNC rivalry in the ACC and UK/KU rivalry in the SEC. The ACC backfills with USF and stays at 17+ Notre Dame, the SEC's at 18, the Big 10 stays at 18 and the Big 12 can add Oregon State and Washington State and Tulen and stop at 18 as well. We'll see.

Remembering some more intel off of that Big Mtn podcast, if I recall, Notre Dame wants to replace UNC as the "godfather/guardian/defender" of the ACC, and wanting like-minded institutions in the ACC. Reading between the lines, I feel like you are telling that ESPN doesn't want to lose any exposure with Notre Dame whatsoever. Thus, perhaps indirect, ESPN has a vested interest in making sure Notre Dame stays independent.

Dawg I was the first to say over a year ago that if Duke, UNC and Virginia came to the SEC with Kansas that Notre Dame would finally have a conference to lead. Those clowns just read this and other boards looking for angles to talk about. They know nothing. Fluguar likely has a source in the athletic department at Minnesota, but ADs are the last to know realignment information. USC/UCLA were likely a done deal and the Big 10 needed a way to temper the announcement so they had someone leak it to Greg. The SEC did the same thing in 2011 testing the waters on N.C. State and Va Tech to the SEC by releasing the info to Clay Travis who was married to a person with ties through her daddy to the SEC office. It's how you test ideas to know how to prepare for fallout or backlash. It doesn't mean that he knows anything more the rest of the time.

Steve gave me the idea. Go to 22:46, please. JY.is a younger Fluguar, but Steve is interesting in that he has a source close to PSU's president, allegedly.

I would think ESPN would have an interest not in keeping ND independent but moving them to the SEC.

And while I would never say never, in the current configuration I think ND to the Big 10 is an "easier" move because more of their traditional rivals either are already there or could fit there (ie, the Big 10 has room for Stanford to get ND and then still has four more slots)

That being said, an SEC with say ND, FSU, UNC and Duke would be a ratings bonanza. The SEC could maybe bring in Navy as a football only? I know we don't do partial memberships but it is Navy, which could get an exception?

(As an aside I don't normally put much stock in the podcasters but I don't want to look at everything with an SEC bias either. I also want to think outside of the box a bit too).

I guess this is a good place for this.
Where Alabama, Auburn athletics ranked in SEC revenue, spending during Fiscal Year 2024
https://www.al.com/sec/2025/05/where-ala...-2024.html

(04-16-2025 04:50 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 04:36 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 03:56 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 02:58 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-16-2025 02:42 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  Odd ball question JR, and maybe my reading comprehension is lousy (wouldn't be surprised either), but, regarding the bolded text above, what if the B1G was just interested in Miami, GT (Tech), & Duke, no more, no less. From the Big Mountain's latest podcast, Steve said that the B1G was about as interested in UVA as they are interested in Stanford. Assuming that is true, might the SEC sub NC State or Kansas for UVA??

Would ESPN lose sleep over Miami and Georgia Tech heading to the Big 10? Probably not. Add Duke to the mix and it becomes an issue. Duke not only pairs wonderfully with UNC & Virginia for hoops but would with Kentucky or many of the SEC programs. What Duke does for ESPN is give them a nice audience from New Jersey, part of the NYC market and a lot of New England since so many students from that region head to Duke for school.

I believe ESPN will be very interested in holding onto Duke and for no reason than basketball.

But if Duke headed to the Big 10 with Georgia Tech and Miami it would open a slot for Kansas.

However I'm not sure we are heading to 22 or more. Miami and Georgia Tech would be the Big 10's move to 20 and I don't buy that either. They'll look West again to 20 unless they could land both Miami and FSU and that's not happening. In fact, I'm leaning more to FSU and Kansas to the SEC for 18 and ESPN trying to save the ACC. If ESPN moves two from the ACC to the SEC it could well be UNC and FSU. But if UNC wants to stay with Duke and UVa and N.C. State then FSU / Kansas makes a ton of sense. The SEC sews up the Florida market and ad revenue for that state and adds a hoops blueblood to pair with Kentucky giving ESPN the Duke / UNC rivalry in the ACC and UK/KU rivalry in the SEC. The ACC backfills with USF and stays at 17+ Notre Dame, the SEC's at 18, the Big 10 stays at 18 and the Big 12 can add Oregon State and Washington State and Tulen and stop at 18 as well. We'll see.

Remembering some more intel off of that Big Mtn podcast, if I recall, Notre Dame wants to replace UNC as the "godfather/guardian/defender" of the ACC, and wanting like-minded institutions in the ACC. Reading between the lines, I feel like you are telling that ESPN doesn't want to lose any exposure with Notre Dame whatsoever. Thus, perhaps indirect, ESPN has a vested interest in making sure Notre Dame stays independent.

Dawg I was the first to say over a year ago that if Duke, UNC and Virginia came to the SEC with Kansas that Notre Dame would finally have a conference to lead. Those clowns just read this and other boards looking for angles to talk about. They know nothing. Fluguar likely has a source in the athletic department at Minnesota, but ADs are the last to know realignment information. USC/UCLA were likely a done deal and the Big 10 needed a way to temper the announcement so they had someone leak it to Greg. The SEC did the same thing in 2011 testing the waters on N.C. State and Va Tech to the SEC by releasing the info to Clay Travis who was married to a person with ties through her daddy to the SEC office. It's how you test ideas to know how to prepare for fallout or backlash. It doesn't mean that he knows anything more the rest of the time.

Steve gave me the idea. Go to 22:46, please. JY.is a younger Fluguar, but Steve is interesting in that he has a source close to PSU's president, allegedly.

I have a hard time taking their show seriously when they keep mentioning USF as a B1G possibility.