Ok. So we’re at the point that we can’t really get out of our deal with ESPN or the ACC. Adding teams risks destroying the league. But doing nothing really hurts the league financially.
ESPN is in a weird spot now. They have some money to blow now that they didn’t spend all their money on Big Ten games. But, they have an opening and need to fill slots. The Big 12 and PAC-12 are in a bad spot right now too. My thought is let’s combine our TV rights for football
So here is the points
1. There are 36 teams in the ACC, Big12, and Pac12 that aren’t moving to the SEC ACC. Combine all those teams to form an actual alliance just for football only. Conferences aren’t going away.
2. The 3 conferences can still operate for basketball and other sports, but combine their right just for football. That way the travel and such are just fine for those sports, but you have an actual national league for football.
3. The 36 teams are split into 6 different 6 team divisions that are split up by region and rivalries. 5 division games every year and 4 games out of division. Probably you can have a permanent rival or 2.
4. At the end of the year, the two highest rated teams play in a conference championship type game that would make it comparable to a Big Ten and SEC game where the winner deserves a playoff berth.
5. you also could keep ND in the loop with the same agreement as now. Independent, but still contribute to the value of our TV deal with the games our league would host
6. ESPN and ABC already have a lot of slots to fill. With 3 conferences, you can add other networks to the deal to increase the value. Like say ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ACCN, ESPN+ already get so many games, but then add in Turner Sports that has TBS and TNT and have 0 Football properties, so they could spend a whole lot. The Big Ten showed multiple networks can work.
7. To increase it even more, negotiate with Apple and Amazon too. They’re in California and want the PAC-12 to succeed. They’ll overpay for some rights, add in the ACC and Big 12 schools and it’s way more valuable.
8. This then becomes maybe the most marketable league for TV rights? Coast to coast games from noon eastern to late night on the West coast. Florida State & Miami gives you Florida games. All the Texas schools will be big. California will be big. A rights deal that has Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Baylor, Ok State, and several Notre Dame games. Good football all day.
9. So then with more networks you can have a national game on TBS or TNT on Thursday. ESPN/ABC will give us plenty of coverage as now they can market the teams they want. It will keep the leagues together for smaller sports.
10. Below are the divisions I would have
Pacific: Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State, Cal
Mountain: Utah, Arizona, BYU, Arizona State, Colorado, Texas Tech
Southern: Baylor, Ok State, Houston, TCU, Kansas, Kansas State
Atlantic: FSU, Clemson, Miami, UCF, Ga Tech, UVA
Coastal: UNC, NC State, Duke, Wake, BC, Syracuse
MidWest: Louisville, WVU, Cincy, Pitt, Iowa State, Virginia Tech
Just think that now you can have better matchups that are more regional. You can pick the 2 best teams out of that group of 36 and the winner gets a playoff berth. Think of these matchups?
You combine the rights together, it brings everyone up. It also keeps college sports together.
I mean think for us, we’d get yearly games with WVU, Cincy, Pitt, & Va Tech. That’s just a much better regional set of rivals. Much more on the line for bragging rights for the division title.
But then it’s not like we don’t get rotating games and get Clemson, FSU, Miami, Oregon, Stanford, Washington, Baylor, OK State.
For an alliance to work, you have to have everyone work together. Do it in writing.
The Big12 and PAC 12 aren’t legit leagues and the ACC needs more money.
36 team getting ABC/ESPN networks, TBS/TNT, and maybe CBS may want a noon kick-off to go with their 330 Big Ten game? Then ESPN+ and Amazon paying big money for streaming.
This is probably impossible but it’s the kind of thinking that the ACC and Pac12 conferences need to do or face extinction.
ESPN is in a weird spot now. They have some money to blow now that they didn’t spend all their money on Big Ten games. But, they have an opening and need to fill slots. The Big 12 and PAC-12 are in a bad spot right now too. My thought is let’s combine our TV rights for football
So here is the points
1. There are 36 teams in the ACC, Big12, and Pac12 that aren’t moving to the SEC ACC. Combine all those teams to form an actual alliance just for football only. Conferences aren’t going away.
2. The 3 conferences can still operate for basketball and other sports, but combine their right just for football. That way the travel and such are just fine for those sports, but you have an actual national league for football.
3. The 36 teams are split into 6 different 6 team divisions that are split up by region and rivalries. 5 division games every year and 4 games out of division. Probably you can have a permanent rival or 2.
4. At the end of the year, the two highest rated teams play in a conference championship type game that would make it comparable to a Big Ten and SEC game where the winner deserves a playoff berth.
5. you also could keep ND in the loop with the same agreement as now. Independent, but still contribute to the value of our TV deal with the games our league would host
6. ESPN and ABC already have a lot of slots to fill. With 3 conferences, you can add other networks to the deal to increase the value. Like say ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ACCN, ESPN+ already get so many games, but then add in Turner Sports that has TBS and TNT and have 0 Football properties, so they could spend a whole lot. The Big Ten showed multiple networks can work.
7. To increase it even more, negotiate with Apple and Amazon too. They’re in California and want the PAC-12 to succeed. They’ll overpay for some rights, add in the ACC and Big 12 schools and it’s way more valuable.
8. This then becomes maybe the most marketable league for TV rights? Coast to coast games from noon eastern to late night on the West coast. Florida State & Miami gives you Florida games. All the Texas schools will be big. California will be big. A rights deal that has Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Baylor, Ok State, and several Notre Dame games. Good football all day.
9. So then with more networks you can have a national game on TBS or TNT on Thursday. ESPN/ABC will give us plenty of coverage as now they can market the teams they want. It will keep the leagues together for smaller sports.
10. Below are the divisions I would have
Pacific: Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State, Cal
Mountain: Utah, Arizona, BYU, Arizona State, Colorado, Texas Tech
Southern: Baylor, Ok State, Houston, TCU, Kansas, Kansas State
Atlantic: FSU, Clemson, Miami, UCF, Ga Tech, UVA
Coastal: UNC, NC State, Duke, Wake, BC, Syracuse
MidWest: Louisville, WVU, Cincy, Pitt, Iowa State, Virginia Tech
Just think that now you can have better matchups that are more regional. You can pick the 2 best teams out of that group of 36 and the winner gets a playoff berth. Think of these matchups?
You combine the rights together, it brings everyone up. It also keeps college sports together.
I mean think for us, we’d get yearly games with WVU, Cincy, Pitt, & Va Tech. That’s just a much better regional set of rivals. Much more on the line for bragging rights for the division title.
But then it’s not like we don’t get rotating games and get Clemson, FSU, Miami, Oregon, Stanford, Washington, Baylor, OK State.
For an alliance to work, you have to have everyone work together. Do it in writing.
The Big12 and PAC 12 aren’t legit leagues and the ACC needs more money.
36 team getting ABC/ESPN networks, TBS/TNT, and maybe CBS may want a noon kick-off to go with their 330 Big Ten game? Then ESPN+ and Amazon paying big money for streaming.
This is probably impossible but it’s the kind of thinking that the ACC and Pac12 conferences need to do or face extinction.