It’s a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy- the $EC and B1G get the best time slots and distribution; of course they get higher ratings. Those ratings then justify more exposure. More exposure builds fan bases, and in turn game attendance. It’s a cycle. We can break the cycle only with victories. We have to find hungry, underestimated players and assistant coaches we can afford.
You can say that for any program, but the big brands are still the big brands. Money rules the day.
Putting SMU vs. Louisville and UNC vs. Virginia Tech on ABC isn't going to draw huge ratings. It will give those games a bump, but you still have to have a national draw to get those 4-10 million viewers.
And the playoff will be a good test.
But if say Texas, UT/OSU(doesn't matter), Penn State, and Notre Dame all win their first round games.
Then the Final Four is Texas vs. Oregon/OSU/Tenn and then Penn State vs. Georgia.
Then the narrative stays the same. Clemson needs to win for our league. AZ State, SMU, Boise, and IU need to have 2 win and can't all get embarrassed
Like winning would be fine, but people need to see it more and on a bigger stage. We love our Orange Bowl win, but it's getting close to 20 years since that game. Teddy winning the Sugar Bowl was amazing, but it's been over a decade. Cincy made the Final Four and even TCU made the title game, neither of those programs have elevated in the national scene. It's not just winning, it's being a consistent winner and elite program over time.
Clemson was always a good brand and had a good following, but their decade run of top 10 finishes, national titles, ACC titles, draft picks, and etc. cemented them in the minds of people as an elite brand of the sport.
Big State schools have the advantages with numbers, but building a fan base is generational. It's built with people watching your team weekly and your team being the one that wins for a certain time creating those fans. Notre Dame built that years ago. All those SEC schools built a religion that draws massive ratings
