Why the ACC, Big East, and Big XII may someday be the new MWC, Sun Belt and C-USA
http://bit.ly/3nNd7Z

(10-15-2009 01:09 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Why the ACC, Big East, and Big XII may someday be the new MWC, Sun Belt and C-USA
http://bit.ly/3nNd7Z

Good read, but you are talking long term. The ACC,Big East, and Big XII won't be joining the ranks of the SBC, MWC, and CUSA any time soon.

All depends.

Nothing will happen to impact the end of the next BCS cycle. But as the TV contracts for the ACC, Big East, Big XII, and Pac-10 start going through negotiation, I think the ugly truth will emerge that those leagues are not going to close the financial gap. That's why you have the Pac-10 commissioner talking about expansion. They need new television markets and that's why you hear the names Utah (#31 market) and Colorado (#16 Denver and #92 Colorado Springs) mentioned. They are wanting to close that gap. Of course the Pac-10 dream would be Texas (#5 DFW, #10 Houston, #37 San Antonio, #48 Austin) but that's not likely.

(10-15-2009 02:50 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  All depends.

Nothing will happen to impact the end of the next BCS cycle. But as the TV contracts for the ACC, Big East, Big XII, and Pac-10 start going through negotiation, I think the ugly truth will emerge that those leagues are not going to close the financial gap. That's why you have the Pac-10 commissioner talking about expansion. They need new television markets and that's why you hear the names Utah (#31 market) and Colorado (#16 Denver and #92 Colorado Springs) mentioned. They are wanting to close that gap. Of course the Pac-10 dream would be Texas (#5 DFW, #10 Houston, #37 San Antonio, #48 Austin) but that's not likely.

Very interesting read but I have a slightly different take on the situation. While that may hold true for perhaps the Big East, there is a ton of money that flows into most of those ACC schools outside of the TV contracts.

What the SEC has done has just been innovative. They have tended to be....championship game that draws millions and now separate TV packages/networks. With the advent of all these separat networks (Fox Sports and the different regional channels), you are probably going to see these other conferences join into the game sooner rather than later. That will generate more revenue. The way it is going to be successful if a team like Va Tech breaks through and legitmately contends (or wins) the NC. A resurging Miami might do the same thing. Until someone from the ACC can legitimately step up and provide a bonafide contender, they will still lag behind, but they will do just fine.

Of the conferences mentioned, I believe the Big East is the one that is truly in danger of dropping down to us mere "mid-majors" and I believe they are a heck of lot closer to that than they are to ever fielding a true NC contender.

The ACC will not match the SEC dollars nor will the Big XII or Pac-10. The Pac-10 is the only one of that group that would be essential to a major TV deal. The ACC doesn't deliver enough unique markets nor do they deliver the audience evidenced by the fact that 10 of the schools aren't in that rarefied air of major attendance.

Look for the Big 12 to possibly break apart or at least be discussed. Other than Nebraska nobody in the north draws more than fifty thousand to a game. This was the original problem that Arkansas,Texas,and Texas A&M had with the SWC. Texas and Oklahoma cannot carry that conference forever.

(10-15-2009 09:56 PM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Look for the Big 12 to possibly break apart or at least be discussed. Other than Nebraska nobody in the north draws more than fifty thousand to a game. This was the original problem that Arkansas,Texas,and Texas A&M had with the SWC. Texas and Oklahoma cannot carry that conference forever.

Except when Arkansas was there, they were still part of the CFA TV deal. The money gap at the time between SWC and SEC wasn't even remotely close to the gap today between SEC and Big XII.