Yea and them shutting out the Big 12's most important member isn't exactly helping the strength of the conference either
There was nuance to the PAC opposition to BYU. It wasn't opposition to a religion-affiliated institution per se. For example, I doubt the PAC would reject Notre Dame. The opposition was over concerns about the scholastic integrity of the university. BYU does not condone faculty research that could undermine the LDS Church or the theology of the religion. It also responds punitively to faculty (and all other employees) who criticize the Church in any way. The PAC sentiment was that this model did not fit the scholastic standard the conference has adopted. Also, it had nothing to do with the playing on Sunday concern. BYU has been a member of conferences for most of the modern period without the Sunday issue ever being a detriment.
that problem gets brought up every time someone mentions BYU to the Big XII. the WCC may work around it, but the Big XII, PAC, etc probably wouldn't. pretty much every other sport besides football competes on some sundays
If something like that happened the B12 would backfill with the # of AAC teams they need to remain viable. Then the remaining AAC teams would invite any teams left in 1-a from CUSA or Sunbelt and that would end just about every other program.
Yeah its only a matter of time now before CUSA, Sunbelt, and MAC all cease to exists as FBS conferences. Not sure what will happen to AAC or MWC but if the AAC sees their tv deal cut down that will be a huge blow. The conference does have a lot of large schools and well off privates so it could see a lot of members hold on long enough that they get something of the pie.
Wouldn't be upset if this happened. Non-conference scheduling quality would go up at least a bit, at least for the leagues that have banned playing FCS schools.
This is why the Big 12 refuses to accept an institution associated with the third day adventists iirc
The MAC has an ESPN deal through 2027 that pays $8 million a year for football/basketball. The MAC schools also all get a nice payday every time they travel to a Big Ten stadium for football. In 2015, OSU paid Northern Illinois 900,000 and WMU 1,000,000. MAC travel costs are minimal too, everyone is a bus trip. Financially, they're solid.
I'm hearing emaw is still the prime target for every major conference but that we are holding the conference together by not leaving
Getting a new subdivision that comprised the G5 schools and some of the top current FCS conferences (Big Sky, Missouri Valley, etc.) would make a compelling product . Get them to fill the Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, hell maybe even Monday slots and give them a national title to play for. It's not as though people watch MACtion right now because these teams are competing for a play off spot.
Why do people want to kill off the G5 leagues or drop them a division? So pussy athletic directors can't schedule them?
That being said, FCS schools and conferences would have to rework their scholarship system if they were to affiliate with MAC, AAC, etc
that doesn't mean kill them off. create a division for those schools to competitively compete in and renegotiate TV rights for them so they can pay their own ass
Oh, I get it. You think "kill them off" means shutter their programs. What I meant is killing them off as FBS participants. I don't see a need for non-P5 schools to be in their own division.
Obviously a little biased here but I don't think a lot of good is going to come out of having some schools consolidating power and money and others being forced out. The joy of "amateur" athletics here is the underdog stories like Boise beating Oklahoma on a trick play was fucking amazing to watch.
I agree, that's why I'm saying I don't want them destroyed as FBS leagues and moved to another division. There stil exists upward mobility in college football and hindering that by creating a middy division vbetween FBS and FCS doesn't do that any good. I also don't think that will be the end result of P5 reorganization, either. Too many schools do just fine at the G5/FBS level and there is always a need for more live football content and their events get a decent rating compared to other programming on cable networks. I wonder if P5 conference networks will eventually start bidding on their rights. It could make some sense for the BTN to air MAC games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the fall, or the SEC network airing
The B1G/SEC are the fan-creators. If we don't get a big enough cut of the pie, we may just stop playing football.
Can we just reset the conference alignment to what it was in 2010? It made a lot more sense back then. Hell I'll even allow Colorado to go to the PAC and we can take TCU in the Big 12 still, since Colorado is probably a better fit in the PAC
The last round of expansion brought Michigan's and Penn State's sworn arch-enemies into the B1G. That was nothing short of a triumphant success.
The current MAC-ESPN deal was a 2011-2012 reaction by ESPN to the Big Ten Network. Once the BTN reached saturation on every local cable basic tier in the Midwest between 2007-2010, BTN made an offer for MAC rights, but the rights weren't yet expired (2017). In 2012, ESPN suddenly renegotiated the MAC contract for football and basketball and then renegotiated again in 2014 at about 8 times the former value. That 2012 time is when we start seeing MAC Action on Wednesday and Tuesday nights on ESPN. It did better than expected, so they revisited it in 2014 to extend the 2017 contract through 2027. ESPN did not want MAC games on BTN, so they made the MAC a nice deal.
I'd like to see these schools in the sec... Alabama Auburn Florida Georgia Kentucky LSU Miss st Ole miss Tenn Vandy
I like this for the B1G: Michigan Michigan State Ohio State Penn State Wisconsin Minnesota Iowa Nebraska Northwestern Indiana Illinois Notre Dame Sorry Purdue.