My prediction...subject to change as the linear vs streaming landscape shakes out.

SEC (24 teams)
CURRENT 16: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Ole Miss, Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Miss St. (at-risk), and Vanderbilt (at-risk).

ADD 8: FSU, Clemson, Miami, UNC, UVA, Duke, Arizona St., and Kansas

A couple of thoughts, the first 6 additions are obvious but the last two are really difficult. I think Louisville, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Cincy, and WVU could all be in play in addition to Kansas and ASU. None of these schools really add any value but a 24-team conference was my goal. At-risk schools indicate these schools could potentially be replaced with the above to maximize value.

B1G (24 teams)
CURRENT 16: Ohio St., Michigan, Penn St., Michigan St., Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, USC, UCLA, Rutgers, Minnesota, Maryland, Northwestern (at-risk), and Purdue (at-risk).

ADD 8: Notre Dame, Stanford, Washington, Oregon, Cal, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah

A couple of thoughts also here, the first four additions are obvious but the last four are a bit of a stretch. This iteration maximizes market coverage and fully builds out 2 separate western pods which I think would be valuable. At-risk schools could be replaced by Syracuse, Georgia Tech, etc.

BIG 24 (24 teams)
REMAINING 11: Ok St., Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech, Iowa St., Kansas St., WVU, Cincy, UCF, Houston, BYU

ADD 13: Louisville, Virginia Tech, NC State, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Memphis, SDSU, USF, Tulane, Boston College, UConn, and SMU.

Best of the rest conference with a few G5 call-ups and some P5 downgrades. Boise, Oregon St., and Wash St. don't add enough to warrant Northwest expansion, better to double down on more eastern schools IMO. 24 teams might be a stretch here because after the first few adds, the quality really starts to drop off. 18 to 20 teams in a middle conference would probably be more realistic.

Damn, this exercise was sobering as a Cincy fan. If the SEC gets the lion's share of the ACC schools, we are probably F'd. Actually, we are probably F'd regardless but the SEC is really our only shred of hope.

I'm not sure 24 is a reality- I think the cream will break off completely before that point- but to play along with this scenario I think if the Big 10 goes that big it will probably look toward the Texas market before the Mountain West.

(03-02-2023 04:30 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  I'm not sure 24 is a reality- I think the cream will break off completely before that point- but to play along with this scenario I think if the Big 10 goes that big it will probably look toward the Texas market before the Mountain West.

I don't necessarily disagree. P2 expansion stopping at 18 (3 pods of 6), 20 (4x5), or 21 (3x7) could be more likely than 24 (4x6 or 3x8). As I typed out the last few additions for each P2 conference, it really made me think if the major networks would ever think the last few additions would ever be worth it. You are really scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of rating value as you get to 24 teams.

(03-02-2023 04:40 PM)UCbball21 Wrote:  

(03-02-2023 04:30 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  I'm not sure 24 is a reality- I think the cream will break off completely before that point- but to play along with this scenario I think if the Big 10 goes that big it will probably look toward the Texas market before the Mountain West.

I don't necessarily disagree. P2 expansion stopping at 18 (3 pods of 6), 20 (4x5), or 21 (3x7) could be more likely than 24 (4x6 or 3x8). As I typed out the last few additions for each P2 conference, it really made me think if the major networks would ever think the last few additions would ever be worth it. You are really scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of rating value as you get to 24 teams.

I would argue 22 teams (3-6-6-6) is more likely than 24 teams too.

Well since this is the Official 3x24 thread:

B1G: Cal, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin

SEC: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Mississippi State, North Carolina, NC State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech

Conference fka Big XII: Arizona, ASU, Baylor, Boston College, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Memphis, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Pitt, San Diego State, Syracuse, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, USF, Utah, Wake Forest, Washington State, West Virginia

(03-02-2023 05:05 PM)PeteTheChop Wrote:  Well since this is the Official 3x24 thread:

B1G: Cal, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin

SEC: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Mississippi State, North Carolina, NC State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech

Conference fka Big XII: Arizona, ASU, Baylor, Boston College, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Memphis, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Pitt, San Diego State, Syracuse, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, USF, Utah, Wake Forest, Washington State, West Virginia

The B1G vs SEC message board banter that would occur if Missouri left for the B1G would be hilarious. Doesn't the SEC have a GOR though? Overall I like it, Mizzou and Kansas should be in the B1G. I put Kansas in the SEC to restore that rivalry.

No one is leaving the SEC for the B1G or vice versa. I like Missouri going to the B1G but it just won't happen. Kansas to the SEC with Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Florida St, Miami, North Carolina, and Virginia. SEC becomes the premier basketball conference. B1G brings in the rest of the PAC minus Oregon St and Washington St. XII swallows the remaining ACC/PAC schools plus a couple non-power schools. Notre Dame remains independent.

IND: Notre Dame

B1G
Central: Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Utah, Wisconsin
Midwest: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan St, Ohio St, Penn St, Purdue, Rutgers
Pacific: Arizona, Arizona St, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington

SEC
Atlantic: Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Florida St, Miami, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia
Southeast: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi St, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Southwest: Arkansas, Kansas, LSU, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M

XXIV
IAST KSST OKST TT
North: Boston College, North Carolina St, Pittsburgh, South Florida, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia
South: Baylor, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, SMU, TCU
West: BYU, Iowa St, Kansas St, Oklahoma St, Oregon St, San Diego St, Texas Tech, Washington St

(03-02-2023 05:10 PM)UCbball21 Wrote:  The B1G vs SEC message board banter that would occur if Missouri left for the B1G would be hilarious.

Every reply from an SEC fan would end something along the lines of "We didn't want Missouri anyway"

Big Ten
Add ND, UNC, VA, Miami,
Add Wash, Ore., Cal, Stan

SEC
Add FSU, Clem, NCSU, VT,
Add Kan, Col, Ariz, Ariz St

Big 12
Lose Kansas
Add GT, Lou, Pitt, Cuse, Duke, BC, UConn
Add Utah, OrSt, SDSU
Add Memphis, USF, Tulane

Out
Wake, WashSt

I don't think a specific number is significant. Like, 3x24 or whatever. Because you don't have a symmetrical number of "equal" institutions.

If you wanted to build a "Third elite conference" from everyone not in the SEC/Big Ten, you'd need 18+ teams to get their market share because the Big Ten is in such populated areas, and some of the schools have such fragmented fan bases.

And if the SEC/Big Ten went to 24 teams each with those 16 schools, the remaining schools are "better off" by being as ruthless as possible and not inviting smaller markets or smaller fan bases.

Pretend for a moment that we did this exact same exercise of "Who's the 3x24 best conferences" that will exist in 2035... BACK IN 2000. Everyone's groups from THEN would be A LOT different. A bunch of schools in the convo NOW would not be on anyone's list: UCF, UConn, Houston and SMU.

You don't want to say "well, they're LEFT from a former BCS conference... so they'd be in the third group."

You want to look for what made UCF, Houston, SMU and UConn fly up the lists.


You can have Oregon St, Washington St, Kansas St, Iowa St, Baylor, Boston College, WVU and Tulane... I'm going to pick North Texas, UTSA, FAU, Buffalo, UMass, Charlotte, Old Dominion and Fresno State instead.

Without having membership in an elite conference, you can become irrelevant REALLY FAST. Ask Southern Miss.

The P2 will nibble on FSU, UNC, Clemson, +1. But they won’t bite any deeper into the non-P2 cookie unless ND is in that bite. And as soon as they get ND they quit eating.