Texas And Oklahoma SEC Rumors…..again

ever so often the zoo makes sense.

And this round of realignment was kicked off by two things. Last August, ESPN shut down all studio shows on the LHN, effectively shuttering the place. The LHN was dead. That freed tu up to look around without that albatross. Then the media partners wanted the GOR extended for ten years. Then they passed on early negotiations for the next media contracts. It was clear to everybody that the next contract would be a reduction in money, the same or a very modest increase, at best. The Big XII had reached their peak value and were still behind.

For whatever reason, CBS decided they were getting out of the college football business and didn't vigorously bid on the new SEC contract. So ESPN won that contract. No more 2:30 CBS SEC games come 2025. ESPN has all rights to the SEC content after then (or maybe sooner.)
 
Lost in this is just how much ESPN's control is going to grow and I don't like that either. ESPN has the crews (not talking just announcers many who are poor, I just mean the entire production team for so many games) and the large number of stations/platforms to do it, that I like. Fox is limited. As any other network or media company. Capability aside, ESPN being exclusive for SEC, which now adds Texas and OU and having everything related to the playoff is a ton of sway and power. Doesn't sit well. If ESPN was exclusive for SEC, but somebody else had playoffs, like CBS just throwing it out there...I don't know. I'm not much of an ESPN fan other than I consume all the college football they televise, just having one company be in charge of distributing so much of that content isn't good. Isn't like every bowl game an ESPN creation or something? Would be nice if we had some true balance with the ownership rights and distribution so it wasn't all ESPN. I mean really, it is like a monopoly almost now because they still have some Big Ten, some PAC 12, most of the the ACC is on ESPN isn't it? Pretty soon they will just call it ESPN College Football instead of NCAA College Football.
 
And this will all go back to what the NCAA is about.

Most think it's about football records and revenue

But seriously, it needs to be about college and if it isn't, just start a minor league system
 
The Big 12 finally woke up. Actually, it was likely the lawyers who woke them up

The minute the Big 12 commissioner put OU and Texas on notice, the OU president called a press conference and tried to cover his ass because OU and Texas not only behaved in a dishonorable manner, they violated both federal and state laws. Even worse, they realize they opened the door to big money civil penalties

The suits at OU and Texas are so arrogant--and greedy--they didn't think the expectations of ordinary decency applied to them. Thought they could ignore written contracts and fiduciary duty and thought laws concerning corporate espionage and conspiracy and stealing trade secrets couldn't possible apply to people with their elevated status.

The Big 12 put OU and Texas on notice things were going to be played out in the courtroom if necessary. Helped the OU president and all the other suits realize they will have to take the witness stand and explain, under oath, why they though it was proper to spend six months setting policy, chairing committees, and handling conference funds, while secretly negotiating with a competitor to the detriment of the Big 12, and conspiring with Texas to keep their conflict of interest secret.

Knowing you have to face a skilled cross examination in public does wonders to wake up bureaucrats. They will pay any amount to avoid it. After all, it's not their money

While they were at it, the conference sent a cease and desist letter to ESPN and accused them of intentional interference with a business relationship and conspiring with OU, Texas, and the SEC to induce the schools to leave the Big 12. The accusation hits home because everyone involved knows it's true.
 
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Big 12 has always been that conference that was the misfit, guessing it's because of smaller fan bases or whatever, but I'm pretty sure we all knew if one of the power 5 were going, they were the lowest hanging fruit.

Just nice to nip it in the bud now rather than 4 years down the line.
 
Those talks are existing Cavs

So are tOSU and Michigan

Hate the concept of a Super League but in the minority on that one
 
If there is no governing body for college football, something will fill the void. ESPN's dicks must all be hard thinking they could own the whole damn thing (Atleast the teams they want to own). It can all be there's, like in some dream world having Ohio State play Alabama every year must be what we want...if it's good once or twice, why not just serve it up every year super league style? Nobody thinks the shines going to wear off.

I'll just stay in my lane. There will always be things I can find to like and be passionate in this sport. I just may have to work a little harder to do it the same way I do now.

Honestly I really love CBS Sports Network and really enjoy the Big Ten Network. Hell, I even like the PAC12 Network when they actually have enough content in that is worth watching (they do a very poor job offering up Monday-Friday football shows).

As long as there are other options with some teams currently competing at the FBS level I could be completely happy without ESPN and whatever they think they have up their sleeve.
 
rochclone said:
ESPN doing everything in its power to destroy college football as we know it.
I hope they bleed money and PR over the next 3 years and it allows Google and Amazon to get up to speed on production and crush ESPN and that stupid mouse company.
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That's how it works with everything. Centralization puts wealth and power into fewer hands (and always the same hands) without regard to the consequences for everyone else.
 
M.W. said:
No, you're not in the minority among college football fans.
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Yea I’m not a huge fan and most others I talk to aren’t either. Just doesn’t seem good for cfb overall. I get why they did it and the SEC has positioned itself for this, but I think it takes much away from the uniqueness for sure that is cfb
 
I'm happy to see so many people agree this is not good for college football. Like Twinkie, I see why the SEC is doing it, and like so many others I already know I love watching the AAC, Mountain, West, Sun Belt, all those conferences who put on good games year after year.

I like college football because it's NOT the NFL. It's unique and I love watching kids out there giving their all and students going crazy in the stands and I don't need a super conference

Fans of a super conference and suits in the SEC seem deluded to me. They think every week is going to be a slate of games between teams that are all 8-0 and playing for the national title. They think because the SEC will make the most money and the players will all be highly paid that it won't be like every conference in every sport in history, where there are a lot more losers and mediocre teams than there are undefeated teams.

They don't seem to realize the most simple fact in the world--when you add more teams to a conference you still have just one champion and adding extra teams just means the conference has more teams that failed to win a title
 
rochclone said:
ESPN doing everything in its power to destroy college football as we know it.
I hope they bleed money and PR over the next 3 years and it allows Google and Amazon to get up to speed on production and crush ESPN and that stupid mouse company.
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Agree with this except for the Google and Amazon point. That sounds like it would be the same thing in the end, just with a different company having the monopoly. I’m not sure I understand why that would be desired, it’s exactly the same isn’t it?
 
jedi ninja said:
Agree with this except for the Google and Amazon point. That sounds like it would be the same thing in the end, just with a different company having the monopoly. I’m not sure I understand why that would be desired, it’s exactly the same isn’t it?
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You don't trust Google or Amazon?
 
cubsker said:
You don't trust Google or Amazon?
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I know you’re joking but it’s not even about Google or Amazon themselves. Wanting any company to “take over” from ESPN isn’t accomplishing anything…you’re just replacing ESPN with another corporation who’s going to do the same thing ESPN has done. That why I was asking what his logic was in that.
 
What I think we need is a strong collection of media that have their own deals within the sport. ESPN/ABC has already been too big of a slice for a while. It's unfortunate that more companies are not in a position to broadcast more games and have more divided investment in the game. Stronger Fox, CBS, NBC, BTN, P12, regional carriers or newer streaming platforms would be good. None of us want college football to be like the NFL but just when it comes to sharing media rights and distribution they do it better.
 
I don't see this as the end of college football as we know it. This is more of a consolidation of what's been going on for years. Like or not, college football is a big business. It does feel as if some of what makes it special has been lost, and that's likely the case, but it was inevitable. I don't think any of this is going to take away from the gameday experience (that's big business too), and hopefully it signals the end of the neutral site non-conference games, though the loss of natural rivalry games is a big concern IMO. Hopefully they will find a way to keep as many of those intact as possible.

I do think having a committee, or a commissioner-type office that oversaw it all (not the NCAA clearly) would be helpful moving forward. Maybe a new set of rules or by-laws that all member institutions can agree on to preserve the things we all love and dread losing.
 
@gps_3 Major college football at the IA/FBS level is too large - the power 5 and the group of 5 should be further divided. They are not one in the same. So if this is how that happens, I can go along with that and even advocate to that end. I'd like to just see existing power 5 leagues and group of 5 leagues with a clean break. What I really don't like is the concept of a super conference, where the top of the current power 5 just makes their own league, and that is the direction I fear it is going - a mini semi-pro league. OU and Texas move and piss on everyone else they had agreements and relationships with. Big Business? Sure, but this is supposed to still be college athletics. It is shameless greed and selfishness. And I really do not like the dominance of one media company having so much control and influence over the sport.
 
s--k said:
@gps_3 Major college football at the IA/FBS level is too large - the power 5 and the group of 5 should be further divided. They are not one in the same. So if this is how that happens, I can go along with that and even advocate to that end. I'd like to just see existing power 5 leagues and group of 5 leagues with a clean break. What I really don't like is the concept of a super conference, where the top of the current power 5 just makes their own league, and that is the direction I fear it is going - a mini semi-pro league. OU and Texas move and piss on everyone else they had agreements and relationships with. Big Business? Sure, but this is supposed to still be college athletics. It is shameless greed and selfishness. And I really do not like the dominance of one media company having so much control and influence over the sport.
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I agree with all of that. I think a separation between P5 and G5 is probably likely, there's been an unofficial break for years. Might as well make it official and let there be another championship for the G5 that they can actually qualify for. I think that if the result of all of this is a 24-32 team super conference and they just play each other, then yes, college football will cease to exist as we know it and love it. If we end up with 4 regional (relatively) 16 team super conferences, I think that is the best we can hope for. I would love to see more and different media partners, but that's going to be a big ask given the head start ESPN has.
 
gps_3 said:
I agree with all of that. I think a separation between P5 and G5 is probably likely, there's been an unofficial break for years. Might as well make it official and let there be another championship for the G5 that they can actually qualify for. I think that if the result of all of this is a 24-32 team super conference and they just play each other, then yes, college football will cease to exist as we know it and love it. If we end up with 4 regional (relatively) 16 team super conferences, I think that is the best we can hope for. I would love to see more and different media partners, but that's going to be a big ask given the head start ESPN has.
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so only the major conference should be 1A?
 
pressitup said:
so only the major conference should be 1A?
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Whatever you want to call it. I would want those schools to be able to provide the same scholarship #s, etc. as they do now, so hopefully that wouldn't be contingent on them being in a P5 conference
 
One thing with that is the big schools helping the other small instate schools. LSU does it and I think Michigan and Ohio St as well off top of my head. I know I’m leaving some out but isn’t that a thing most places
 
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