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Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
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zibby Offline
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Post: #21
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
Would a new conference containing the elite of the Pac-12 and Big 12 work?

Cal
Stanford
Oregon
UCLA
USC
Washington

Arizona
Colorado
Kansas
Oklahoma
Texas
Utah
03-05-2020 08:51 AM
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Frank the Tank Offline
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Post: #22
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
Ugh.

Here's the core issue: the Pac-12 knows better than anyone how tenuous the relationships are in the Big 12 despite all of the money. The Pac-12 schools actually *like* each other beyond just a revenue arrangement. It is arguably the most academically, institutionally and geographically-aligned out of all of the power conferences. No school was force-fitted into the Pac-12 as a pure revenue grab (and I say that wrote a lot about the importance of that revenue grab when it comes to conference realignment).

I've noted this previously: Texas left the old SWC (spearheading a mass defection) to create the Big 12 and then was moments away from spearheading a mass defection from the Big 12 to create the Pac-16. If the Big 12 loses Texas and Oklahoma (which was moments away from happening a decade ago), then it straight up *dies* as a power conference.

In contrast, if the Pac-12 loses USC and whoever you think is their second most valuable school (e.g. UCLA, Arizona, etc.), that conference is still one with key flagship and top academic schools that would 100% be within the power structure. There is structural safety in the *depth* of the Pac-12 membership, whereas the Big 12 revenue is the most top heavy of them all with the uniquely singular power of Texas plus some revenue from Oklahoma football and Kansas basketball... and that's basically it. As the old adage goes, easy come and easy go.

Also remember that part of this is simple timing where the Pac-12 currently has the oldest media deal among the P5. When the Pac-12 signed its ESPN/Fox deal, it was the largest deal in history for any college conference at the time. The Pac-12 Network was *definitely* mismanaged, but that's a problem that just changes to a different problem with the individualized third tier rights structure of the Big 12 (as opposed to being "solved" in the Big Ten, SEC or ACC). When it comes to a first tier TV deal, the Pac-12's history has shown that it will receive rights fees right in line with or even better than the other power conferences.

A conference change is a 50 to 100 year (or more as we've seen with the Big Ten) decision. I think people are overestimating the short-term revenue gain with the Big 12 compared to the Pac-12 and vastly underestimating the always-present earthquake fault line that's underneath the Big 12. The fault line might not be active right now and who knows if there will ever actually be an earthquake in the Big 12 like there was in the early-2010s for the foreseeable future... but the point is that the fault line is there in a way that doesn't exist for other conferences. A single school (Texas) can kill the Big 12 in a way that no other single school can kill any other conference... and Texas has actually done it with the SWC and threatened to do it as the Pac-12 presidents saw firsthand! If I'm a university president, it's buyer beware if you buy even a great mansion on a fault line. Sure, if you're in the AAC or MWC, you're taking that spot in a power conference even if you're buying a house that may plunge into a canyon, but that type of mentality doesn't make sense for a school like USC.
03-05-2020 08:58 AM
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Frank the Tank Offline
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Post: #23
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 08:51 AM)zibby Wrote:  Would a new conference containing the elite of the Pac-12 and Big 12 work?

Cal
Stanford
Oregon
UCLA
USC
Washington

Arizona
Colorado
Kansas
Oklahoma
Texas

Utah

You just illustrated the problem with every single proposal that intimates that the Big 12 can poach anyone from the Pac-12.

Look at your list and count the number of "elite" schools from the Pac-12 versus the number from the Big 12. (You didn't even include Arizona State on this list, which is an extremely valuable athletic school directly in a key market and would be the 3rd or 4th most valuable school in the Big 12.) That tells you which league is actually built better for the long-term as opposed to looking at a short-term revenue gap.
(This post was last modified: 03-05-2020 09:08 AM by Frank the Tank.)
03-05-2020 09:04 AM
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quo vadis Offline
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Post: #24
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 08:58 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Here's the core issue: the Pac-12 knows better than anyone how tenuous the relationships are in the Big 12 despite all of the money.

Some of the relationships are tenuous, but some are not. The relations among the Texas schools are pretty solid, and between the Texas schools and the Oklahoma schools. What is tenuous are the true SWC - Big 8 fault lines, which is basically the Kansas schools and Iowa State. And they know what they are without the Texas schools. So in a shell, I think the Big 12 is more solid than you think.

But about the PAC, I agree. I think those who look at TV ratings and see the PAC getting a big haircut in its 2024 deal are in for a big surprise, as all the evidence suggests that the PAC will get paid at a P5 level. And as I've noted, the PACN situation is fixable, they haven't tied themselves in for any time with it at all, they could change course on that.

IOW's, I don't see either the Big 12 or PAC as being unstable, and do not anticipate either raiding the other in 2024/2025.

All that said, by 2024 we might all be dead from the coronavirus. The reality is that right now, the PAC is suffering revenue-wise because of the Scott PACN fumble, and that is where these drumbeats are coming from. A big danger to the PAC is that some very major college properties - the B1G's tier one rights, and the SEC's game of the week package - both come to market right before the PAC's rights in 2024, and those deals could suck the big money Scott and the PAC are banking on out of the room. Scott seems all-in on the "just wait for 2024" strategy, not surprising since it is his baby, and so he would likely have to go for the PAC to move sooner on a deal, which might be wise. Scott has to go in any event, LOL.
(This post was last modified: 03-05-2020 09:22 AM by quo vadis.)
03-05-2020 09:20 AM
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Realigned Offline
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Post: #25
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 09:20 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  
(03-05-2020 08:58 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Here's the core issue: the Pac-12 knows better than anyone how tenuous the relationships are in the Big 12 despite all of the money.

Some of the relationships are tenuous, but some are not. The relations among the Texas schools are pretty solid, and between the Texas schools and the Oklahoma schools. What is tenuous are the true SWC - Big 8 fault lines, which is basically the Kansas schools and Iowa State. And they know what they are without the Texas schools. So in a shell, I think the Big 12 is more solid than you think.

I don’t perceive any strained relationship between KU, KSU, and ISU with the old SWC members. To your point, none of the three have much power in the conference and will do anything it takes to keep the Big 12 viable.

I don’t know the details of the conference by-laws and whether there would be an opportunity in the next few years, as GORs expires for both conferences, to create a new conference that combines the most valuable schools in each conference.
(This post was last modified: 03-05-2020 01:05 PM by Realigned.)
03-05-2020 10:11 AM
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Captain Bearcat Offline
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Post: #26
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
I've always thought that a Southwest Conference anchored by Texas and USC made more sense for both Texas and USC than the PAC or Big-12.

East
Texas
Oklahoma
TCU
Texas Tech
Houston
Colorado

West
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Arizona State
BYU
San Diego State
03-05-2020 10:13 AM
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Hokie Mark Offline
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Post: #27
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 08:23 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  
(03-05-2020 08:16 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  
(03-04-2020 11:46 PM)JRsec Wrote:  
(03-04-2020 11:41 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  Andy needs to catch up. We had a thread going on this topic almost a year ago. Doesn't he read the board?

Ha, there's more of these Beat Writers and bloggers that mine ideas on boards like this one than you realize. I read one a year or so ago that practically copied one of ours with just a few minor exceptions. It was once called plagiarism to do that without citing a source, but not for this generation or reporters.

I've caught national sportswriters directly quoting ACCFootballRx before (I mean word-for-word). All I could do was point out that I posted mine a few hours before they posted theirs. Even in this case, I posted one hour before Andy:
https://accfootballrx.blogspot.com/2020/...ac-12.html

I guess they don't give you credit though?

imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
03-05-2020 11:55 AM
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ken d Offline
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Post: #28
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 05:37 AM)schmolik Wrote:  I know Bohm said everything is on the table but I'm trying to believe the four California schools being split up and I'm having a hard time with it.

I'm having a hard time with that as well. I'm also having a hard time imagining the California schools splitting from Washington and Oregon. But I could imagine those six splitting off from the rest of the PAC12.

Question: Does the PAC have an exit fee, and if so, how much is it?

Another question: Which conference would these six schools want to be a part of, and would that conference take them?

I'm not sure it would make financial sense for the B1G to take all six if they all received an equal share of conference revenues. That would likely dilute the payments current members now receive. Would they offer to bring those six in at some amount between what they are now getting and what B1G members are now getting? Would they agree to move without being given equal shares?

The Big XII could probably afford to bring them all in. And, they would still only be at 16 members if they did. But would those six schools want to be part of a conference they probably don't consider academic peers?

There doesn't seem to be a scenario I can imagine that makes everybody happy (or at least happier than they are now). Which is why I've believed for some time now that the current alignment might last for a long time barring some complete game changer.
03-05-2020 01:01 PM
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dbackjon Offline
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Post: #29
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 01:01 PM)ken d Wrote:  
(03-05-2020 05:37 AM)schmolik Wrote:  I know Bohm said everything is on the table but I'm trying to believe the four California schools being split up and I'm having a hard time with it.

I'm having a hard time with that as well. I'm also having a hard time imagining the California schools splitting from Washington and Oregon. But I could imagine those six splitting off from the rest of the PAC12.

Question: Does the PAC have an exit fee, and if so, how much is it?

Another question: Which conference would these six schools want to be a part of, and would that conference take them?

I'm not sure it would make financial sense for the B1G to take all six if they all received an equal share of conference revenues. That would likely dilute the payments current members now receive. Would they offer to bring those six in at some amount between what they are now getting and what B1G members are now getting? Would they agree to move without being given equal shares?

The Big XII could probably afford to bring them all in. And, they would still only be at 16 members if they did. But would those six schools want to be part of a conference they probably don't consider academic peers?

There doesn't seem to be a scenario I can imagine that makes everybody happy (or at least happier than they are now). Which is why I've believed for some time now that the current alignment might last for a long time barring some complete game changer.

The Pac-12 Presidents aren't going to dump AAU members Arizona, Utah and Colorado for Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor.

And under no circumstances would the California/Oregon/Washington Presidents associate with a school like Baylor.
03-05-2020 01:11 PM
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Post: #30
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
PAC has GOR and you lose two years of revenue upon exit in addition. A School leaving in 2024 would have to announce in 2023 and lose the remaining 2022-23 revenue plus the 2023-24 revenue. They also forfeit their share of a P12N equity sale that is likely part of the 2024 contract.

Not sure what that would total, but probably $50m would be a very low end figure. Probably more. For the B1G revenue it would be worth it, as they'd make it back in 5 years and then just more after that. But for the B12, which is not much more, and is likely to lose OU and see a drop in revenue, they would probably never make up the lost monies, plus they'd be cut off from regional rivals.

The whole thing makes zero sense. And I'm not even taking into account the institutional side revolt it would cause.
03-05-2020 01:13 PM
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Post: #31
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 10:13 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I've always thought that a Southwest Conference anchored by Texas and USC made more sense for both Texas and USC than the PAC or Big-12.

East
Texas
Oklahoma
TCU
Texas Tech
Houston
Colorado

West
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Arizona State
BYU
San Diego State

To elaborate on how this solves USC's and Texas' problems...

USC's problems are:
1) PAC-12's low payout - solved by partnering with Texas/Oklahoma rather than PAC-12 North
2) lack of exposure beyond the sparsely populated West Coast - solved by big-time games in the Central Time Zone
3) The West Coast's apathy towards college sports - reduced by providing rivals (SDSU and BYU) with bigger fanbases in LA than the PAC-12 North

Also for #3, the Arizona schools will benefit from this even more than USC does. So they'll have more engaged fanbases.


Texas' problem is a lack of markets (outside Texas) who care about their conference. Adding Southern California (24 million) and Arizona (7 million) solves that problem without losing the benefit of playing half of their away conference games in Texas.
03-05-2020 01:18 PM
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JRsec Offline
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Post: #32
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 01:01 PM)ken d Wrote:  
(03-05-2020 05:37 AM)schmolik Wrote:  I know Bohm said everything is on the table but I'm trying to believe the four California schools being split up and I'm having a hard time with it.

I'm having a hard time with that as well. I'm also having a hard time imagining the California schools splitting from Washington and Oregon. But I could imagine those six splitting off from the rest of the PAC12.

Question: Does the PAC have an exit fee, and if so, how much is it?

Another question: Which conference would these six schools want to be a part of, and would that conference take them?

I'm not sure it would make financial sense for the B1G to take all six if they all received an equal share of conference revenues. That would likely dilute the payments current members now receive. Would they offer to bring those six in at some amount between what they are now getting and what B1G members are now getting? Would they agree to move without being given equal shares?

The Big XII could probably afford to bring them all in. And, they would still only be at 16 members if they did. But would those six schools want to be part of a conference they probably don't consider academic peers?

There doesn't seem to be a scenario I can imagine that makes everybody happy (or at least happier than they are now). Which is why I've believed for some time now that the current alignment might last for a long time barring some complete game changer.

The PAC will remain for the reasons you stated and geography. I'm sure they would love to move to 14 with Texas and Oklahoma but they can't attract them even at PAC rates plus their added value.

But a game changer is coming and it is coming in the form of a revenue gap that is going to be compellingly large. The Big 10 will get at least a 5% raise when they renew and 10% is not out of the question at all. The SEC's details still haven't been released but the revenue will jump to the 67 million range and that isn't including current escalators.

The GOR protects the ACC for now, and I may not be around in 2035-7 when the sweet spot for change occurs, but that revenue differential will bring more changes. It's enough to bring changes in 2023-5 and I certainly hoped to be able to see that.

The immediate game between the SEC and Big 10 will be all about the acquisitions of Texas, Oklahoma and possibly Kansas. And should any of those move to either the Big 10 or SEC the gap grows again.

The economic disparity coupled with the ever present catalysts of enhancing revenue streams and exposure will do its work over time. As Federal grants and State budgets shrink every option to expand revenue and exposure will be seriously considered and at some point the ACC old core will ponder a move as a group as well. In fact when it happens it won't be started as I thought 15 years ago by schools like Florida State or Clemson, but it will be a negotiated jump by North Carolina and Virginia with Duke likely along and possibly Notre Dame if the move is to the Big 10 which likely would be the choice not only for the academic angle but because the sports value of those three probably won't be enough to pay their way into the SEC, especially if the SEC wins the Texas & Oklahoma sweepstakes.

When that happens I fully expect a new conference to arise out of the remnants of the Big 12 and ACC. And like we sang as kids the Cheese (PAC) will stand alone because of their geography and because of their unequal value.
03-05-2020 01:23 PM
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quo vadis Offline
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Post: #33
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 01:18 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  To elaborate on how this solves USC's and Texas' problems...

USC's problems are:
1) PAC-12's low payout - solved by partnering with Texas/Oklahoma rather than PAC-12 North
2) lack of exposure beyond the sparsely populated West Coast - solved by big-time games in the Central Time Zone

Texas' problem is a lack of markets (outside Texas) who care about their conference. Adding Southern California (24 million) and Arizona (7 million) solves that problem without losing the benefit of playing half of their away conference games in Texas.

This is the kind of post indicative of being buried in the minutiae of college athletics so that one can't see the forest. Or of being a fan of a school that has to worry about things like "markets" and "exposure" (and I know the type because I am one).

But USC and Texas are football blue-bloods. That means they are *nationally* famous. They are exposed out the wazoo. They are institutionally famous and elite as well.

They do not have any of the problems you ascribe to them.
03-05-2020 02:33 PM
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Post: #34
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 08:58 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Ugh.

Here's the core issue: the Pac-12 knows better than anyone how tenuous the relationships are in the Big 12 despite all of the money. The Pac-12 schools actually *like* each other beyond just a revenue arrangement. It is arguably the most academically, institutionally and geographically-aligned out of all of the power conferences. No school was force-fitted into the Pac-12 as a pure revenue grab (and I say that wrote a lot about the importance of that revenue grab when it comes to conference realignment).

That captures it. These schools are very tight knit. In football, USC's biggest rivals are UCLA, Notre Dame and Stanford. For UCLA, it is USC and Cal. These four California schools are not breaking up. Then the eight out-of-state schools are very tied to California. It is common to hear the term UC Arizona or Cal State Tempe or UC Oregon or Cal State Corvallis. Oregon has about 5,000 students from California and Arizona has about the same number. ASU has 10 recruiters based throughout California. Arizona has three. Colorado has five alumni chapters in California.

The issues that face USC that start with the performance of their football team can all be fixed. A commissioner can be replaced. A network can be improved. Revenue can grow with a better football team, a new commissioner and an improved network. It makes zero sense for USC to leave, especially for the Big 12.
03-05-2020 02:55 PM
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RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 02:55 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  
(03-05-2020 08:58 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Ugh.

Here's the core issue: the Pac-12 knows better than anyone how tenuous the relationships are in the Big 12 despite all of the money. The Pac-12 schools actually *like* each other beyond just a revenue arrangement. It is arguably the most academically, institutionally and geographically-aligned out of all of the power conferences. No school was force-fitted into the Pac-12 as a pure revenue grab (and I say that wrote a lot about the importance of that revenue grab when it comes to conference realignment).

That captures it. These schools are very tight knit. In football, USC's biggest rivals are UCLA, Notre Dame and Stanford. For UCLA, it is USC and Cal. These four California schools are not breaking up. Then the eight out-of-state schools are very tied to California. It is common to hear the term UC Arizona or Cal State Tempe or UC Oregon or Cal State Corvallis. Oregon has about 5,000 students from California and Arizona has about the same number. ASU has 10 recruiters based throughout California. Arizona has three. Colorado has five alumni chapters in California.

The issues that face USC that start with the performance of their football team can all be fixed. A commissioner can be replaced. A network can be improved. Revenue can grow with a better football team, a new commissioner and an improved network. It makes zero sense for USC to leave, especially for the Big 12.

USC to the Big 12 = Texas to the ACC as a partial. Both are fantastical wishes of the respective recipients.
03-05-2020 03:01 PM
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esayem Offline
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Post: #36
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 03:01 PM)JRsec Wrote:  
(03-05-2020 02:55 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  
(03-05-2020 08:58 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Ugh.

Here's the core issue: the Pac-12 knows better than anyone how tenuous the relationships are in the Big 12 despite all of the money. The Pac-12 schools actually *like* each other beyond just a revenue arrangement. It is arguably the most academically, institutionally and geographically-aligned out of all of the power conferences. No school was force-fitted into the Pac-12 as a pure revenue grab (and I say that wrote a lot about the importance of that revenue grab when it comes to conference realignment).

That captures it. These schools are very tight knit. In football, USC's biggest rivals are UCLA, Notre Dame and Stanford. For UCLA, it is USC and Cal. These four California schools are not breaking up. Then the eight out-of-state schools are very tied to California. It is common to hear the term UC Arizona or Cal State Tempe or UC Oregon or Cal State Corvallis. Oregon has about 5,000 students from California and Arizona has about the same number. ASU has 10 recruiters based throughout California. Arizona has three. Colorado has five alumni chapters in California.

The issues that face USC that start with the performance of their football team can all be fixed. A commissioner can be replaced. A network can be improved. Revenue can grow with a better football team, a new commissioner and an improved network. It makes zero sense for USC to leave, especially for the Big 12.

USC to the Big 12 = Texas to the ACC as a partial. Both are fantastical wishes of the respective recipients.

More like the SEC’s wish for Texas, which has been in their cute little diary for over 30 years. 04-wine
03-05-2020 03:15 PM
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Post: #37
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 10:13 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I've always thought that a Southwest Conference anchored by Texas and USC made more sense for both Texas and USC than the PAC or Big-12.

East
Texas
Oklahoma
TCU
Texas Tech
Houston
Colorado

West
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Arizona State
BYU
San Diego State

There is no way USC or UCLA would leave the Pac-12 to be aligned with Houston, BYU and San Diego State. That will never happen. Then there are the other two California schools, Stanford and Cal. Then there is the Oregon and Washington. If USC had to choose between Oregon and Washington and TCU and Texas Tech, they are definitely going with the Pac-12 North schools. Once you get past UT and OU, there just isn't much in the Big 12 that is of interest.
03-05-2020 03:18 PM
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johnintx Offline
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Post: #38
RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 03:01 PM)JRsec Wrote:  
(03-05-2020 02:55 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  
(03-05-2020 08:58 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Ugh.

Here's the core issue: the Pac-12 knows better than anyone how tenuous the relationships are in the Big 12 despite all of the money. The Pac-12 schools actually *like* each other beyond just a revenue arrangement. It is arguably the most academically, institutionally and geographically-aligned out of all of the power conferences. No school was force-fitted into the Pac-12 as a pure revenue grab (and I say that wrote a lot about the importance of that revenue grab when it comes to conference realignment).

That captures it. These schools are very tight knit. In football, USC's biggest rivals are UCLA, Notre Dame and Stanford. For UCLA, it is USC and Cal. These four California schools are not breaking up. Then the eight out-of-state schools are very tied to California. It is common to hear the term UC Arizona or Cal State Tempe or UC Oregon or Cal State Corvallis. Oregon has about 5,000 students from California and Arizona has about the same number. ASU has 10 recruiters based throughout California. Arizona has three. Colorado has five alumni chapters in California.

The issues that face USC that start with the performance of their football team can all be fixed. A commissioner can be replaced. A network can be improved. Revenue can grow with a better football team, a new commissioner and an improved network. It makes zero sense for USC to leave, especially for the Big 12.

USC to the Big 12 = Texas to the ACC as a partial. Both are fantastical wishes of the respective recipients.

Sure, it may be tempting for USC to link up with Texas and OU to make more $$$. But are they willing to leave Stanford to do it? Would UCLA be willing to leave Cal to do it? I don't think so. As Frank said, these institutions are tied together at the hip.

My belief is that the Big 12 is a business arrangement. It is a TV contract bound with a grant of rights. The history and culture of the schools went away with the Big 8 and SWC. The Pac 12, meanwhile, is a conference. They are institutionally, culturally, historically, and geographically tied to each other. They're not going to offer themselves to Texas and the Big 12 simply to get a better TV deal.

USC is the blueblood football program of the West Coast. Bluebloods normally find a way to come back. Once USC solves their football issues, their satisfaction with the Pac 12 will improve.
03-05-2020 03:21 PM
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RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-04-2020 09:47 PM)stever20 Wrote:  so lets think- 6 schools. USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington IMO are musts. The other 2? Could see Arizona. Kind of doubt Colorado or Utah. Does USC/UCLA push for Cal/Stanford?

then we can create pods.... 03-puke
03-05-2020 03:25 PM
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RE: Staples: Now’s the time, Big 12, to go after the Pac-12’s biggest and best
(03-05-2020 05:37 AM)schmolik Wrote:  I know Bohm said everything is on the table but I'm trying to believe the four California schools being split up and I'm having a hard time with it. We're assuming the networks would pay more for Big 12 + USC/UCLA or Big 12 + USC/Stanford or whatever combination of Pac-12 California schools they want. The only way any of the schools jumps is if they would gain an earth shattering amount of money difference. Now the Big 12 could try for all four of them and that could change things. As for Colorado, they'd be returning to a conference they left. They wanted to be in a conference with California/West Coast ties. Now if one or more of the California schools move to the Big 12, that could get Colorado to move back, they'd have ties to both California and Texas. The most realistic move for the Big 12 when it comes to Pac-12 schools would be the Arizona schools and I'm not sure them leaving puts too much of a dent negative in the Pac-12 or positive in the Big 12. Utah could be a possibility as well, they could pair them with BYU if Utah wants to be in the same conference as BYU.
The only way the 4 Cal schools get split up is if they chose to. And the only reason they might choose would be if they could get more money splitting, 2 to the Big 12-2 and 2 to the Big 10+4.

But I don't see how that would work for them on student-athlete travel.
03-05-2020 03:36 PM
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