The big picture

[133193Hokie]

For a few years now, many on this board have been saying that we were moving to a 4-5 super conference format. Others said that was not going to happen and that 9 or 12 teams was the best number for a conference to have. Bottom line, is that we are still only in the middle innings of this "game". We are going to 4 super conferences as you can begin to see, but this is only the beginning. The "big" schools and big conferences have known their final destination for some time now, the only question has been what is the path (ie. what schools are going to end up in what conferences and which conferences survive).

Ultimately, this is about money and the large schools getting and keeping a larger share of it.
1. The bigs know how much $ a football playoff will generate and want to get there. But, they do not want to share access and $ with the smalls (ie Boise St, etc) - they want acces and money to be controlled by them.
2. The bigs can eventually tell the NCAA to go pound sand - remember the NCAA is a voluntary organization and no school has to be member. When they start their own Big University Athletic Association than they can make the rules, etc.
3. The major bowls are also a target. The bigs are not going to want to share $ with the Bowl Selection Committees - look at how much the bowls make. Do you think that the content providers (the bigs)want to continue to give the lions share of that money to them - no. The bigs will/may shop their playoff games to the highest bidder and/or start their own bowls.
4. Basketball is also a target. The NCAA makes a lot of $ from the basketball tournament. The bigs will not agree to that forever. Eventually the bigs may start their own basketball tourney. Do you think the bigs want to share that $ with the Butlers and George Mason's of the world - no.

The above and more is coming. We are just now in the middle stages of figuring out who is going to be at the table (who will be in the big 4 conferences) and who will not and what seats (what conferences) they will be sitting in.

[nova1111]

Yep. There's a chance we could be headed in that direction.

[133193Hokie]

and ESPN, is also on the target list.

Roll the clock forward 5-8 years and the 4 Bigs have locked up the top 64-80 schools. That is a lot of content that they hvae. Why not start their own network - why let ESPN make $100'sM per year off of your content. They would have enough content for their own 1 or 2 channels of 24x7 college sports.

[Femoyer Hokie]

For a few years now, many on this board have been saying that we were moving to a 4-5 super conference format. Others said that was not going to happen and that 9 or 12 teams was the best number for a conference to have. Bottom line, is that we are still only in the middle innings of this "game". We are going to 4 super conferences as you can begin to see, but this is only the beginning. The "big" schools and big conferences have known their final destination for some time now, the only question has been what is the path (ie. what schools are going to end up in what conferences and which conferences survive).

Ultimately, this is about money and the large schools getting and keeping a larger share of it.
1. The bigs know how much $ a football playoff will generate and want to get there. But, they do not want to share access and $ with the smalls (ie Boise St, etc) - they want acces and money to be controlled by them.
2. The bigs can eventually tell the NCAA to go pound sand - remember the NCAA is a voluntary organization and no school has to be member. When they start their own Big University Athletic Association than they can make the rules, etc.
3. The major bowls are also a target. The bigs are not going to want to share $ with the Bowl Selection Committees - look at how much the bowls make. Do you think that the content providers (the bigs)want to continue to give the lions share of that money to them - no. The bigs will/may shop their playoff games to the highest bidder and/or start their own bowls.
4. Basketball is also a target. The NCAA makes a lot of $ from the basketball tournament. The bigs will not agree to that forever. Eventually the bigs may start their own basketball tourney. Do you think the bigs want to share that $ with the Butlers and George Mason's of the world - no.

The above and more is coming. We are just now in the middle stages of figuring out who is going to be at the table (who will be in the big 4 conferences) and who will not and what seats (what conferences) they will be sitting in.

This. Well summarized.