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As I saw it, the B1G's power play was to go coast-to-coast and raid the PAC for UW, Oregon, the 4 Cali schools and maybe Colorado, and I said at the time that I didn't think the B1G Presidents had the stomach for that kind of move of destruction against their decades long partner, which is why they gave us The Alliance. Other than that, what?

They've made it clear that nothing in the B12 remnants interests them. WVU is a comical impossibility. So two possible plays. Notre Dame and a partner to be named, probably BC--that might be why the B1G is strong arming their alliance "partners" to put the kaibosh on expanding the playoff to 12, which was something that ND engineered precisely to prevent them from having to join a conference. OR, they go the AAU/Academic route for UVA and UNC. I think UVA would be game, but I think UNC is too wedded to their Tobacco Road southern culture and Duke to leave unless forced by circumstances beyond their control.

I think they stand pat and run their Alliance to ****-block the SEC and ESPN for the time being. Maybe wait for the SEC to blow up the ACC by taking the SEC-type schools: Clemson, FSU and maybe Louisville and then throw a lifeline to UVA, UNC, ND and BC (Ga Tech and Pitt?)? As Packer said on the radio today, the B1G is making more money than God right now. I think they can afford to long play it like Michael Corleone before they settle their business. The SEC seems like Barzini: impetuous and too quick to make their play. Texas and OU are like Tataglia: pimps.

For years, UC fans have prayed for change. We now seek stasis--hoping the conference poaching is over and the Big 12 has time to rebuild the brand and gain financial stability. Realignment never truly ends but having personally watched UC play in six conferences and as an independent, it's time to build some enduring rivalries and enhance our athletic programs through increased revenue, visibility, and prestige that only a P5 can offer. I do believe we're entering a quiet period following the TX/OK upheaval.

(09-24-2021 07:24 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  For years, UC fans have prayed for change. We now seek stasis--hoping the conference poaching is over and the Big 12 has time to rebuild the brand and gain financial stability. Realignment never truly ends but having personally watched UC play in six conferences and as an independent, it's time to build some enduring rivalries and enhance our athletic programs through increased revenue, visibility, and prestige that only a P5 can offer. I do believe we're entering a quiet period following the TX/OK upheaval.

Unfortunately, I disagree on the quiet period. Seems tome (and only a personal opinion) is that the SEC has reached the point of "too big". Each of their divisions will be big enough to practically be its own conference. I think it will have to go bigger (and essentially become two closely aligned conferences), or smaller (and that would get really messy).

For instance, what would be the next easy step to increasing money for each SEC team. They could easily get rid of 2-4 schools and not affect their value to broadcasters. CBS/ESPN would never notice/care if Vanderbilt, Arkansas and/or the Mississippi schools were gone. Then the other schools could divide up the same money into fewer shares.

(09-24-2021 10:27 AM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  

(09-24-2021 07:24 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  For years, UC fans have prayed for change. We now seek stasis--hoping the conference poaching is over and the Big 12 has time to rebuild the brand and gain financial stability. Realignment never truly ends but having personally watched UC play in six conferences and as an independent, it's time to build some enduring rivalries and enhance our athletic programs through increased revenue, visibility, and prestige that only a P5 can offer. I do believe we're entering a quiet period following the TX/OK upheaval.

Unfortunately, I disagree on the quiet period. Seems tome (and only a personal opinion) is that the SEC has reached the point of "too big". Each of their divisions will be big enough to practically be its own conference. I think it will have to go bigger (and essentially become two closely aligned conferences), or smaller (and that would get really messy).

For instance, what would be the next easy step to increasing money for each SEC team. They could easily get rid of 2-4 schools and not affect their value to broadcasters. CBS/ESPN would never notice/care if Vanderbilt, Arkansas and/or the Mississippi schools were gone. Then the other schools could divide up the same money into fewer shares.

I'm sure if the SEC could swing it, they'd love to trade Vandy to the Big Ten for Ohio State and South Carolina to the ACC for Clemson. As crazy as that sounds, I can tell you from living in Columbus that OSU administrators, media, and fans are both pissed at the Big Ten/Kevin Warren for mismanaging the COVID season and also terrified of what the SEC is doing. I used to think the SEC being able to poach the Big Ten was impossible, and I still think it's VERY unlikely. But these days, I wouldn't be shocked by anything when it comes to conference realignment.

I'm actually feeling pretty positive about the Big 12's standing. Yes, the media will try to discredit our standing as a P5 conference. But I am confident we will keep the autonomy status, as other A5 leagues won't want to set the precedent of kicking out a conference for losing its two blue bloods. For instance, if the ACC votes to kick out the Big 12, they're setting themselves up to get screwed if the SEC goes after Clemson/FSU in the future.

Additionally, most of the schools in the new Big 12 are unlikely to get picked off by other conferences. The league has a lot of really strong athletic departments, but no huge brands. I could see the Big 12 outliving the PAC 12 and ACC for the simple fact that those conferences are now much more vulnerable to being poached. And if that happens, there won't be any Cincinnati, UCF, or BYU level programs to backfill with.

(09-24-2021 05:54 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(09-24-2021 10:27 AM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  

(09-24-2021 07:24 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  For years, UC fans have prayed for change. We now seek stasis--hoping the conference poaching is over and the Big 12 has time to rebuild the brand and gain financial stability. Realignment never truly ends but having personally watched UC play in six conferences and as an independent, it's time to build some enduring rivalries and enhance our athletic programs through increased revenue, visibility, and prestige that only a P5 can offer. I do believe we're entering a quiet period following the TX/OK upheaval.

Unfortunately, I disagree on the quiet period. Seems tome (and only a personal opinion) is that the SEC has reached the point of "too big". Each of their divisions will be big enough to practically be its own conference. I think it will have to go bigger (and essentially become two closely aligned conferences), or smaller (and that would get really messy).

For instance, what would be the next easy step to increasing money for each SEC team. They could easily get rid of 2-4 schools and not affect their value to broadcasters. CBS/ESPN would never notice/care if Vanderbilt, Arkansas and/or the Mississippi schools were gone. Then the other schools could divide up the same money into fewer shares.

I'm sure if the SEC could swing it, they'd love to trade Vandy to the Big Ten for Ohio State and South Carolina to the ACC for Clemson. As crazy as that sounds, I can tell you from living in Columbus that OSU administrators, media, and fans are both pissed at the Big Ten/Kevin Warren for mismanaging the COVID season and also terrified of what the SEC is doing. I used to think the SEC being able to poach the Big Ten was impossible, and I still think it's VERY unlikely. But these days, I wouldn't be shocked by anything when it comes to conference realignment.

I'm actually feeling pretty positive about the Big 12's standing. Yes, the media will try to discredit our standing as a P5 conference. But I am confident we will keep the autonomy status, as other A5 leagues won't want to set the precedent of kicking out a conference for losing its two blue bloods. For instance, if the ACC votes to kick out the Big 12, they're setting themselves up to get screwed if the SEC goes after Clemson/FSU in the future.

Additionally, most of the schools in the new Big 12 are unlikely to get picked off by other conferences. The league has a lot of really strong athletic departments, but no huge brands. I could see the Big 12 outliving the PAC 12 and ACC for the simple fact that those conferences are now much more vulnerable to being poached. And if that happens, there won't be any Cincinnati, UCF, or BYU level programs to backfill with.

Ohio State is not going to the SEC ever. I think some of their more fanatical fans are wishing for it because--you know--football!. The Ohio State administration, which has worked tirelessly since the 80s to rebuild their image and position themselves as an elite research university is not going to throw all of that away to have the whole country say "football factory" when they abandon the Big Ten for the SEC. This is a school that in the last decade has ran off two! Hall of Fame football coaches for off-field transgressions. They're not going to the SEC.

And speaking of their t-shirt fans, I've long noticed a really bizarre dynamic that's kind of the opposite of the Walmart Wolverines and Subway Domers in that they actively despise the university itself and any academic reputation it has.

(09-24-2021 06:00 PM)Bearcat 1985 Wrote:  

(09-24-2021 05:54 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(09-24-2021 10:27 AM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  

(09-24-2021 07:24 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  For years, UC fans have prayed for change. We now seek stasis--hoping the conference poaching is over and the Big 12 has time to rebuild the brand and gain financial stability. Realignment never truly ends but having personally watched UC play in six conferences and as an independent, it's time to build some enduring rivalries and enhance our athletic programs through increased revenue, visibility, and prestige that only a P5 can offer. I do believe we're entering a quiet period following the TX/OK upheaval.

Unfortunately, I disagree on the quiet period. Seems tome (and only a personal opinion) is that the SEC has reached the point of "too big". Each of their divisions will be big enough to practically be its own conference. I think it will have to go bigger (and essentially become two closely aligned conferences), or smaller (and that would get really messy).

For instance, what would be the next easy step to increasing money for each SEC team. They could easily get rid of 2-4 schools and not affect their value to broadcasters. CBS/ESPN would never notice/care if Vanderbilt, Arkansas and/or the Mississippi schools were gone. Then the other schools could divide up the same money into fewer shares.

I'm sure if the SEC could swing it, they'd love to trade Vandy to the Big Ten for Ohio State and South Carolina to the ACC for Clemson. As crazy as that sounds, I can tell you from living in Columbus that OSU administrators, media, and fans are both pissed at the Big Ten/Kevin Warren for mismanaging the COVID season and also terrified of what the SEC is doing. I used to think the SEC being able to poach the Big Ten was impossible, and I still think it's VERY unlikely. But these days, I wouldn't be shocked by anything when it comes to conference realignment.

I'm actually feeling pretty positive about the Big 12's standing. Yes, the media will try to discredit our standing as a P5 conference. But I am confident we will keep the autonomy status, as other A5 leagues won't want to set the precedent of kicking out a conference for losing its two blue bloods. For instance, if the ACC votes to kick out the Big 12, they're setting themselves up to get screwed if the SEC goes after Clemson/FSU in the future.

Additionally, most of the schools in the new Big 12 are unlikely to get picked off by other conferences. The league has a lot of really strong athletic departments, but no huge brands. I could see the Big 12 outliving the PAC 12 and ACC for the simple fact that those conferences are now much more vulnerable to being poached. And if that happens, there won't be any Cincinnati, UCF, or BYU level programs to backfill with.

Ohio State is not going to the SEC ever. I think some of their more fanatical fans are wishing for it because--you know--football!. The Ohio State administration, which has worked tirelessly since the 80s to rebuild their image and position themselves as an elite research university is not going to throw all of that away to have the whole country say "football factory" when they abandon the Big Ten for the SEC. This is a school that in the last decade has ran off two! Hall of Fame football coaches for off-field transgressions. They're not going to the SEC.

And speaking of their t-shirt fans, I've long noticed a really bizarre dynamic that's kind of the opposite of the Walmart Wolverines and Subway Domers in that they actively despise the university itself and any academic reputation it has.

I wouldn't go far as to say they despite the academic reputation, in fact many of the t-shirt fans I know take it to a different level in bragging of OSU's academic prowess.

If anything, there is some friction between OSU alums and the t-shirt fan base. Most of the boorish behavior from the OSU fan base comes from the t-shirt wing of their fan base. The alums get annoyed to be "guilty by association".