Conference Realignment thread

[Nevada Convert]

On 9/27/2023 at 3:57 PM, namssa said:

Not true.  The Friday morning prior to the PAC collapse, when it looked like they would all sign the Apple deal, SDSU was told they would be in and they were all set to be invited.  In fact, they had already written their public statement and were just waiting for the signatures that morning.  Of course, as we all know, instead of the meeting that would have everyone sign, Oregon and Washington instead announced their departure to the BIG and the PAC died and SDSU's path to P5 with it.

There isn’t any real evidence that I’ve seen that proves SDSU had a PAC invite. This is just save face bullshit. It’s overwhelming obvious that SDSU knew there was strong interest, but was frustrated to hear writers say that their sources were telling them that SDSU will be added “next week”, and then crickets for months. 

The bottom line is Wicker wanted to appear to be leaving the MWC with that letter to force the issue with the PAC to make it happen. And it was written in a way that he thought he could say it was a formal notice of separation or make the case that it wasn’t if the PAC didn’t take them. Gloria taught him a lesson that playing games like that doesn’t work with her in charge of the MWC. 

[Nevada Convert]

On 9/27/2023 at 6:49 PM, 818SUDSFan said:

Right. Much better for those of us in the sinking MWC to pass on the life raft and go down with the ship.

Oh wait! Our goal is to have THE MWC become an FCS conference and for THE MWC kick ass at that level.

What is all the bullshit you’re spewing based on? The MWC is sinking? We’re about to add two power schools, and maybe Gonzaga in BB and a maybe a Memphis. And that will be perfect timing to position us for a great TV deal in 2 years. 

Oh that’s right, SDSU didn’t get into a power conference, so that means the group currently known as the MWC is sinking. Dude, just deal with it and grow up. I’ll bet you also think Snappy would be full every game if you were added to a survived PAC. That’s more delusion right there.  The SDSU administration and many of the SDSU fans were never ready to be a power school. Being left behind saved you even more embarrassment. 

[Swedish]

On 9/28/2023 at 10:02 AM, Nevada Convert said:

SDSU knew there was strong interest, but was frustrated to hear writers say that their sources were telling them that SDSU will be added “next week”, and then crickets for months. 

 

I think it was Dan Patrick who on three different occasions in the last 18 months made this claim. Ever since he left ESPN has he ever been right on any of these claims?

[BSUTOP25]

On 9/28/2023 at 11:02 AM, Swedish said:

I think it was Dan Patrick who on three different occasions in the last 18 months made this claim. Ever since he left ESPN has he ever been right on any of these claims?

Dan Patrick’s X handle is MHver3. He’s built up quite a bit of street cred.

[SanDiegoPoke]

On 9/27/2023 at 7:21 PM, utgrizfan said:

Good thing pleasing your apparently specific tastes is something I don't care about. I saw something related to conference realignment show up on multiple forums and shared it, that simple.

That whole story received way more press than it warranted.

[Brew_Poke]

On 9/27/2023 at 7:49 PM, 818SUDSFan said:

Right. Much better for those of us in the sinking MWC to pass on the life raft and go down with the ship.

Oh wait! Our goal is to have THE MWC become an FCS conference and for THE MWC kick ass at that level.

What's sinking about it? We're literally in the same place in the hierarchy that we've been since the conference's inception. Which is a remarkable success story.

[Someone Else]

2 hours ago, Nevada Convert said:

There isn’t any real evidence that I’ve seen that proves SDSU had a PAC invite. This is just save face bullshit. It’s overwhelming obvious that SDSU knew there was strong interest, but was frustrated to hear writers say that their sources were telling them that SDSU will be added “next week”, and then crickets for months. 

The bottom line is Wicker wanted to appear to be leaving the MWC with that letter to force the issue with the PAC to make it happen. And it was written in a way that he thought he could say it was a formal notice of separation or make the case that it wasn’t if the PAC didn’t take them. Gloria taught him a lesson that playing games like that doesn’t work with her in charge of the MWC. 

It's entertaining to read how fans/posters (including those from SDSU), can say they know, with so much certainty, what happened or what an administrator was thinking or doing or how he/she was trying to appear.

[Someone Else]

17 minutes ago, Brew_Poke said:

What's sinking about it? We're literally in the same place in the hierarchy that we've been since the conference's inception. Which is a remarkable success story.

Is staying in the same place really a remarkable success story?

[Nevada Convert]

On 9/28/2023 at 11:26 AM, Someone Else said:

It's entertaining to read how fans/posters (including those from SDSU), can say they know, with so much certainty, what happened or what an administrator was thinking or doing or trying to appear.

Why don’t you just come right out and challenge my point rather than beat around the bush? 

[Brew_Poke]

On 9/28/2023 at 12:30 PM, Someone Else said:

Is staying in the same place really a remarkable success story?

+++++ yeah, it is! They plucked the strength of the conference (UU, TCU) from us, we fended off on insurgency from a former member, and stayed just below the top echelon. How is that not a success story?

[Someone Else]

5 minutes ago, Nevada Convert said:

Why don’t you just come right out and challenge my point? 

All right.  That's fair.  You don't know anymore about it than namssa (that's assman backwards btw)... that was the point.

 

[Nevada Convert]

On 9/28/2023 at 11:33 AM, Someone Else said:

All right.  That's fair.  You don't know anymore about it than namssa (than assman backwards btw)... that was the point.

 

You can never 100% prove anything in our position. 

Most people agree that Gloria has been doing a good job and is a good commish. Early on when she started off well, the jury was still out. A lot of people hadn’t seen a big enough sample size to judge her yet. She’s now done enough moves and been interviewed dozens of times and been consistent and impressive. She has established her mode of operation, her ability and character. Now based on all that we’ve learned about her and her consistency, you can throw out a hypothetical question and wonder how she would deal with it and be pretty accurate in how she would handle it. 

The same could be said about an AD, President or anyone for that matter. However, some people are consistently inconsistent, so you can never be sure how they would react to a common issue. The bottom line really comes down to how much you or I know about an administrator, their personality, character, tendencies and behavior over a period of time. The more consistent and predictable they are, the higher rate of success you’ll have on predicting their behavior. 

I’ve followed Wicker for a while, and what I stated is right up his alley regarding his mode of operation, personality, & character. Also, he and his boss sold PAC-12 membership as a sure thing for quite a long time and was under enormous pressure to make it happen as a lot of time had passed. And the way the letter was written made it completely obvious what the intent was of it. If it was really meant to be just a formal separation letter, it would’ve been written that way. It would’ve been written crystal clear with no doubt, as other separation letters usually are. 

[818SUDSFan]

On 9/28/2023 at 10:02 AM, Swedish said:

I think it was Dan Patrick who on three different occasions in the last 18 months made this claim. Ever since he left ESPN has he ever been right on any of these claims?

Patrick can't possibly have had multiple sources for that misinformation or at least no sources from outside SDSU. Maybe it was the one poster on AM who said for months that SDSU was absolutely in and maybe that poster is the same guy on campus who told me SDSU was absolutely in. More likely is that such people were told by JD Wicker that SDSU was absolutely in and that Wicker was lied to misled by George K.

[818SUDSFan]

On 9/28/2023 at 9:17 AM, Nevada Convert said:

What is all the bullshit you’re spewing based on? The MWC is sinking? We’re about to add two power schools, and maybe Gonzaga in BB and a maybe a Memphis. And that will be perfect timing to position us for a great TV deal in 2 years. 

Oh that’s right, SDSU didn’t get into a power conference, so that means the group currently known as the MWC is sinking. Dude, just deal with it and grow up. I’ll bet you also think Snappy would be full every game if you were added to a survived PAC. That’s more delusion right there.  The SDSU administration and many of the SDSU fans were never ready to be a power school. Being left behind saved you even more embarrassment. 

Lol. What's your definition of "great"? 

I won't dispute claims made here that the MWC is the 6th best of the current conferences. I mean, that claim is supported by most in the media, like this guy: https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-conference-power-rankings-pac-12-tops-sec-mountain-west-stands-out-among-group-of-five/ However, please don't give me this "two power schools" addition nonsense. By the end of this decade if not before, OSU and WSU will regress to the mean of the MWC by virtue of a huge drop in their income if nothing else. As said in the blurb in that link, just how good ARE MWC teams this year? Fresno is indeed impressive but how many years does Tedford have in him? And AFA is undefeated but just how impressively have the Falcons played? What if they're upset by the mediocre Aztecs with their not-ready-for-prime-time administration and fans on Saturday?

[wolfpack1]

On 9/28/2023 at 3:44 AM, WarriorTyme said:

I think Florida State & Clemson want to be in the SEC with Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, etc. The B12 will be looking at the Louisville & North Carolina with those strong Basketball brands and good football brands. The other schools are up in the air, of how they land. The ACC will have at least back fill with Memphis and Tulane. Of course, none of us really knows if Clemson really has the grant of rights beater set to be unleashed?

SEC Commish did say if they ever expanded or had to add teams they want to stay in the southeast area and wasn't looking anywhere but also said they are happy with what they have and have no plans to expand. 

But thing is with any expansion there has to be interest on both sides to do something, and reading between the lines on some statements to the press to me kind of sounds like B10 and SEC aren't to interested in the ACC schools that want to leave right now

[wolfpack1]

On 9/28/2023 at 5:16 AM, bigd said:

I would guess there almost zero chance of UNC ending up the Big 12. They'd rather stay in a much watered down ACC than play in the Big 12.

Big Ten or ACC may possibilities, but not the Big 12. 

Well in this day in realignment pretty much nothing is for sure anymore even though I agree I don't see North Carolina in B12 but just saying we have seen things people never thought they would see in this cycle

[wolfpack1]

On 9/28/2023 at 9:17 AM, Nevada Convert said:

What is all the bullshit you’re spewing based on? The MWC is sinking? We’re about to add two power schools, and maybe Gonzaga in BB and a maybe a Memphis. And that will be perfect timing to position us for a great TV deal in 2 years. 

Oh that’s right, SDSU didn’t get into a power conference, so that means the group currently known as the MWC is sinking. Dude, just deal with it and grow up. I’ll bet you also think Snappy would be full every game if you were added to a survived PAC. That’s more delusion right there.  The SDSU administration and many of the SDSU fans were never ready to be a power school. Being left behind saved you even more embarrassment. 

Memphis isn't coming to MWC without a major raise and even then probably not, Gonzaga isn't coming to MWC either, if they move they want it to be to a major conference, Big East I think has a much better shot at getting Gonzaga than MWC does. They used MWC for what they wanted, they never had real interest in joining

[wolfpack1]

On 9/28/2023 at 10:02 AM, Swedish said:

I think it was Dan Patrick who on three different occasions in the last 18 months made this claim. Ever since he left ESPN has he ever been right on any of these claims?

It was sports writers more with speculation than anything else that was pushing those stories. I think it was either Wilner or Thamel who wrote about schools in the Pac was probably going to stay at 10 for at least the rest of the current football playoff contract and then maybe, maybe expand after that

[wolfpack1]

Army and AAC still in talks it appears, but there are financial holdups on the deal which guess include Army's contract with CBS Sports that runs through 2028, money from AAC TV deal, and Army's OOC contracts they have signed and have to get out of.

[Nevada Convert]

On 9/28/2023 at 2:36 PM, wolfpack1 said:

Memphis isn't coming to MWC without a major raise and even then probably not, Gonzaga isn't coming to MWC either, if they move they want it to be to a major conference, Big East I think has a much better shot at getting Gonzaga than MWC does. They used MWC for what they wanted, they never had real interest in joining

Oh stop it! You don’t know shit, sonny. That is a big wad of speculation bullshit, right there. There’s still a lot to be played out that none of us can possibly predict. It’s hard enough to know what’s actually happening ‘right now’ let alone predict 2 years down the road with the big changes that are likely coming.