Conference Realignment thread

[Brew_Poke]

On 1/29/2024 at 8:52 AM, alum93 said:

I am sure he's talking about WSU/OSU.  The Sun Bowl is legit.  Beautiful stadium built into the side of mountains that sits 52k.  I've seen a lot of the best programs in the country play in the Sun Bowl - Notre Dame, USC, UCLA, Miami, FSU, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Washington... 

Was more speaking to the non-stadium facilities.

[Spaztecs]

On 1/29/2024 at 1:21 PM, Did I hear a WOOSH? said:

Finally got a peek at the XII schedule, @utenation, you’ll be coming to Orlando on Black Friday for rivalry week.. really surprised it’s not going to be the holy war.  Getting closer to betting time! @RSF will be at your place for the game 9-14.  Looking forward to that road trip.  

So, the New16 can't figure out rivalries.

Apparently, they believe the Utes and UCF are a bigger draw than the Holy War on Black Friday. What an effin' joke.

[Spaztecs]

On 1/29/2024 at 7:56 PM, UNLV2001 said:

Sad really........that Utah is playing way off in central Florida in a "conference game" 

Have to wonder if or when the B12 will fracture just because of travel & lack of any historical continuity  

 

It's already fractured.

The Utes playing @ UCF to close the season instead of BYU is a phucking joke. 

The Pac forced Colorado on them as their year end rival, now, the new16 believes a cross country rivalry will somehow be better.

The new16 schedule makers are worse than the MW.

What next ? WVU in a pod with the Arizona Schools ?

[Spaztecs]

On 1/29/2024 at 9:04 PM, Headbutt said:

Boise to Albuquerque is not 4 hours, unless you have to layover in SLC, which is not what happens.  Boise to Albuquerque is about 2 hours and you land in the same time zone.  SLC to Orlando is about 4.5 hours (commercial) and you lose two hours.

Yeah, not the end of the world, but not the same either.

I've got an avatar bet that the Ute -UCF kick will be a noon or one Eastern Time kick and televised  on Espn+.

 

[Spaztecs]

On 1/30/2024 at 7:09 AM, RSF said:

I coulda gone there, but it wasnt even fair.

 

 

13 of the 16 schools in the new Big 12 are west of the Mississippi.  The 4 corners schools are not the geographic outliers.  And, as I pointed out, the schedule is easily manipulated to mitigate distances.  Which the B12 has done.  So focusing on the extremes is pretty disingenuous.

Utah travelling to Orlando on a short week with an early kick is not competent or creative scheduling. It's flat out advantageous to UCF.

[Spaztecs]

On 1/30/2024 at 11:02 AM, Did I hear a WOOSH? said:

Would you rather play CSU every year over, say WVU? Is regionality really that valuable when you improve the overall quality of fanbases like that? I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with CSU, but there’d be more rabid WVU fans visiting you in SD than CSU, and vice versa-know what I mean?

UCF is the definitive geographical outlier but Florida schools always have been there’s no real change there.  Besides, there’s likely to be more eastern based schools added within the next decade or less.

Rabid WVU and UCF fans

[RebelAlliance]

On 1/31/2024 at 9:20 AM, Spaztecs said:

 

It's already fractured.

The Utes playing @ UCF to close the season instead of BYU is a phucking joke. 

The Pac forced Colorado on them as their year end rival, now, the new16 believes a cross country rivalry will somehow be better.

The new16 schedule makers are worse than the MW.

What next ? West Virginia in a pod with the Arizona Schools ?

Not having UU-BYU as the rivalry week game is phvcking madness.  Payback for their public push to keep the PAC alive rather than take the B12 pill? 

[masterfrog]

The Big 12 has never really had a rivalry weekend in the schedule. The biggest rivalry was Texas-Oklahoma and it was always played on the second Saturday of October at the Texas State Fair. 

[RSF]

On 1/31/2024 at 11:34 AM, masterfrog said:

The Big 12 has never really had a rivalry weekend in the schedule. The biggest rivalry was Texas-Oklahoma and it was always played on the second Saturday of October at the Texas State Fair. 

yup.  the Revivalry moved around, Bedlam and the Sunflower Showdown were usually late in the season but moved around.  The so called 'Rivalry Weekend' is a fairly recent, TV-driven promotion.  Rivalry games nationwide have always been scattered throughout the season even if they had a standard date on the calendar.

[RebelAlliance]

On 1/31/2024 at 11:34 AM, masterfrog said:

The Big 12 has never really had a rivalry weekend in the schedule. The biggest rivalry was Texas-Oklahoma and it was always played on the second Saturday of October at the Texas State Fair. 

I think that was a holdover from the decades that it was a non-conference game. UT-ATM was always on Thankdgiving weekend though. 

[utenation]

On 1/31/2024 at 8:32 AM, Spaztecs said:

Utah travelling to Orlando on a short week with an early kick is not competent or creative scheduling. It's flat out advantageous to UCF.

First off UCF is terrible.  I don't think UCF will have any advantage. If Utah is healthy by this game, we should be favored by 7-10 points in their shitbox stadium, 

I also don't think Utah fans care about having the BYU game on rivalry week. Either way, it's going to be a money maker with a packed house.

Our goal will be getting to the playoffs.  BYU is likely going to be a speed bump.

[RSF]

On 1/31/2024 at 11:54 AM, RebelAlliance said:

I think that was a holdover from the decades that it was a non-conference game. 

Negative.  It is intentionally scheduled to be part of the Texas State Fair since 1932, which is in September/October.  It's been in Dallas (with 3 exceptions) since 1912, before either school was in a conference.  There has been occasional talk about moving it to campus (or the DeathStar in Arlington), but the Fair folks always pony up enough money to upgrade the stadium...and the checks to the schools.

[Pelado]

On 1/30/2024 at 9:59 PM, Beaver-Poke said:

No Texas, no Oklahoma. There's not a real marquee game on the entire Big 12 schedule. The four corners schools are gonna miss USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington, the games that drew national attention. Can't see Arizona fans getting too pumped for UCF or Cincinnati or Houston. 

It's not like the 4 corners were going to keep USC/UCLA/Oregon/Washington on the schedule if they'd stayed in the PAC.  All four of them were gonzo.  None of the 4 corners additions for this season are "marquee" games, either, so they can't be too upset that they're joining other similarly-situated teams in the Big 12.

On 1/31/2024 at 8:12 AM, Spaztecs said:

So, the New16 can't figure out rivalries.

Apparently, they believe the Utes and UCF are a bigger draw than the Holy War on Black Friday. What an effin' joke.

My understanding is that the Big 12 is trying to bolster the ratings for the various conference rivalry games (BYU-Utah, Kansas-Kansas State, etc.) by not having them go head-to-head with a lot of the other big rivalry games on Thanksgiving weekend.  Scheduling those games during other weeks in the season will potentially bring more attention to them than if they were scheduled the same day as Alabama-Auburn, Ohio State-Michigan, etc.

On 1/31/2024 at 11:02 AM, utenation said:

First off UCF is terrible.  I don't think UCF will have any advantage. If Utah is healthy by this game, we should be favored by 7-10 points in their shitbox stadium, 

I also don't think Utah fans care about having the BYU game on rivalry week. Either way, it's going to be a money maker with a packed house.

 

True.  

Quote

Our goal will be getting to the playoffs. 

Quote

BYU is likely going to be a speed bump.

A lot of damage can be inflicted to vehicles with drivers who underestimate speed bumps.

[AztecSU]

On 1/30/2024 at 5:36 PM, SalinasSpartan said:

It’s not a “narrative” that the B1G and SEC skull phuck the Big 12 and ACC in terms of revenue.

And the B12 is already better than both in Basketball and not as near behind in football on the field as they are revenue wise. I think the mistake people make is connecting revenue right to off field success. The same teams are successful now as were before the skyrocketing media deals and NIL...but CFB has always changed and shifted over time. This NFL lite thing is just an attempt by media partners to permanently lock in brand value and change the very nature of CFB. If that happens, sure the BIG and SEC will absolutely forever be separated. But if that doesn't happen and we allow for others besides the P2 the demo trends favor the south and the west over the midwest. 

[Beaver-Poke]

On 1/31/2024 at 9:40 AM, RSF said:

yup.  the Revivalry moved around, Bedlam and the Sunflower Showdown were usually late in the season but moved around.  The so called 'Rivalry Weekend' is a fairly recent, TV-driven promotion.  Rivalry games nationwide have always been scattered throughout the season even if they had a standard date on the calendar.

Not in the Pac-8/10/12. Almost always the final game of the season. 

[utenation]

On 1/31/2024 at 1:10 PM, Pelado said:

 None of the 4 corners additions for this season are "marquee" games, either, so they can't be too upset that they're joining other similarly-situated teams in the Big 12.

Some of this will depend on if and how high any of the 4 corner schools are ranked. Utah should be highly ranked starting the year. Maybe AZ as well. But the turnover might scare some pollsters.  

[RSF]

On 1/31/2024 at 2:52 PM, Beaver-Poke said:

Not in the Pac-8/10/12. Almost always the final game of the season. 

 

1) Hence the use of 'nationwide'

2) Cal-Stanford and USC-UCLA not being among of them, apparently.  Cuz when you have more than 1 rivalry game its hard to play them all on the final weekend.

3) Not anymore....

[utenation]

@Pelado, as far as getting to the playoffs and Utah getting used to disappointment. Don't confuse BYU and Utah. Your expectation is basically trying to finish above .500 and go to a bowl in a power conference.  2023 was a 1 off year for us due to disastrous injuries and we still got 8 wins. Previous to that taking out 2020 Covid, Utah has finished highly ranked going back to 2018. Finishing ranked #10 in 2022 and #12 in 2021.  

With Cam Rising and a boat load of other talent back, there is no reason we shouldn't expect to make the playoffs. We will see what happens.

BTW, when is the last time BYU made it to a good bowl game? Was that 1996 with The Cotton Bowl? Yikes.  National respect is pretty lean in Provo these days.  No BCS Bowls, No NY6 bowls in nearly 30 years. 

[SalinasSpartan]

On 1/31/2024 at 12:42 PM, AztecSU said:

And the B12 is already better than both in Basketball and not as near behind in football on the field as they are revenue wise. I think the mistake people make is connecting revenue right to off field success. The same teams are successful now as were before the skyrocketing media deals and NIL...but CFB has always changed and shifted over time. This NFL lite thing is just an attempt by media partners to permanently lock in brand value and change the very nature of CFB. If that happens, sure the BIG and SEC will absolutely forever be separated. But if that doesn't happen and we allow for others besides the P2 the demo trends favor the south and the west over the midwest. 

I’m only talking about football.
 

Anyways, the money difference does not immediately translate to an equivalent on-field difference. It happens over time largely because the schools from conferences with less money will not be able to keep their successful coaches from leaving for schools in the conferences with more money. Though I imagine there are other ways the money difference affects the on field product. IMO it is probably why FSU is so desperate to get out of the ACC now, and not spend a decade trying (and maybe failing) to keep up with the P2 at such a big financial disadvantage. 

[jdgaucho]

In realignment news that might only be interesting to me, @crixus and @wolfpack1, Oregon State decided to go independent in baseball for 2025 and 2026.  They will be joining the WCC in softball and all other sports the league sponsors.

https://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/2024/01/oregon-state-baseball-to-play-independent-schedule-giving-beavers-chance-to-create-our-own-identity-and-do-something-special-amid-conference-realignment.html

“I look at this as an opportunity for us to create our own identity and do something special,” OSU baseball coach Mitch Canham told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “I’m confident that we will be able to put together a competitive schedule that will allow us to continue to be one of the best programs in college baseball.”

Canham was not ready to reveal specifics, including what opponents the Beavers are angling to play. But sources say it will likely feature schools from a variety of conferences, including the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, Big West, WCC, WAC and the current Pac-12, among others...

The freedom will allow OSU officials to craft a diverse schedule featuring enough high-level opponents to boost its RPI, a must for programs hoping to host a regional or even earn an at-large bid to the NCAA baseball tournament. And while joining a conference like the WCC or Mountain West would offer the chance to earn an automatic bid, it also could have damaged the Beavers’ recruiting efforts, since those conferences are not overflowing with perennial baseball powers like the current Pac-12.

 

Seeing this news @Beaver-Poke, I think you're right that the Big West rejected OSU. If it had been willing to add them, the Beavers would have signed up.  But it wasn't so independence is their path for the next two years.